Churning with sickness and hatred, her mouth sour, tasting foul, she turned the buggy and headed for home.

Morgan found Barl in the library, reworking his next reworking of Hartigan’s transmutation. Complementing his brilliance with her own. Hearing him enter, she looked up.

“Well?”

Every time he saw her anew he felt his bones turn, just for a moment, to water.

He sighed. “My love, if you don’t trust Venette, then at least trust me. Yes. We have more catalysts.”

Frowning, she abandoned her work and went to him.

“You look tired, Morgan,” she whispered, combing her fingers through his unbound hair. “You’re not sleeping enough. Isn’t it time you told me what you work on, once I’ve gone to bed?”

He should have known he’d not keep that a secret. Brushing his fingertips over her breasts, he enjoyed the little catch in her throat, the shiver his touch always sent through her body.

“I will. Just… not yet.”

Her fist spread to fingers. Tangled in his tunic and tugged his lips down to hers. “Don’t be too sure of that, my lord.”

“My lord!”

He let his forehead thud gently to the top of Barl’s head. “Rumm, I swear. I am going to put a bell on you.”

“My lord, Nydd is here.”

Nydd? He turned, baleful. “It’s past midnight.”

“Yes, my lord,” said Rumm. “He’s says he’ll not leave until he’s seen you.”

“It must be urgent, my love,” said Barl. “I’ll take myself up to the attic and finish my work there.”

As she left, notebook under her arm, he frowned at Rumm. “Show him in.”

“Lord Danfey!” Nydd said, almost scuttling into the library, far from his usual composed, dapper self. “I apologise for the late hour, but this could not wait.”

“For your sake, Nydd, I hope that’s true.”

Nydd eased a finger between his neck and the high collar of his sober linen tunic. “Yes. My lord, as far as I can ascertain, what I am about to tell you is not common knowledge. Perhaps the Councils know. I cannot speak to that. But I believe the rest of Dorana is ignorant. Although that surely won’t remain the case for much longer.”

“Nydd.”

Nydd let out a shuddering breath. “Forgive me. I am quite overturned.” With a shaking hand he pulled a sheaf of papers from his satchel and held them up. “As you know, my lord, I maintain a comprehensive network of subordinates, overseers and other functionaries to keep me apprised of your family’s business interests. They report to me on a regular basis so that I might report to you on the state of your affairs. And this afternoon I received some very disturbing news, from three different sources.”

News that warranted an intrusion like this? With a shiver of apprehension, Morgan clasped his hands behind his back. “Tell me.”