Maya badly wanted to ask for an update on Jaedia’s mission, but she doubted the Council would share anything, even if they knew. She shook her head when Dhira glanced at her. Tanax touched his haken and sent mental commands to the Gate, and the curtain of silver descended. Dhira gave a deep bow and stepped through back to the Forge. After a moment, the silver cleared.

“Dux Raskos is an important ally,” Tanax said. “He’s to be given due respect. Is that clear?”

Maya nodded. Varo said, “Do we know what sort of work assisting the dux is going to involve?”

“Whatever he requires,” Tanax said, which Maya guessed meant he had no idea.

She felt the ripples in deiat as he sent the unfamiliar sequence for the Deepfire Gate, and the archway filled with liquid silver once again. Tanax stepped through, unhesitating, and Maya followed close behind. As usual, there was no sense of transition, as though she’d walked through an ordinary doorway into a room that happened to be hundreds of kilometers away.

The other side of the Gate was in a chamber similar to the one that housed the Gates at the Forge—bare stone except for the Gate’s delicate arch, and a single heavily reinforced door. Two Legionaries stood beside it, looking like inhuman statues in their off-white unmetal armor and blank faceplates. At the sight of the two agathia with their haken, the soldiers lowered their weapons and thumped fists to chest in salute.

“Agathios Tanax,” one of them said, her voice distorted by her enclosed helmet. “Please excuse me. The dux asked to be informed immediately when you arrived.”

Tanax nodded, and the Legionary pushed the door open and slipped out. The other soldier remained at attention until Maya gave him a bow of acknowledgment. He relaxed slightly and inclined his head.

“Welcome to Deepfire, Agathia,” he said. “We’re grateful for your assistance.”

“Are we in the Spike?” Beq said eagerly. She fiddled with her spectacles, lenses clicking and whirring.

“Uh … yes, Arcanist,” the soldier said, nonplussed. “Formally, it’s the Ducal Palace, but the Spike is its common name.”

“One of the last Chosen-built structures,” Beq said to Maya. “After the Chosen burned the ghoul city here, Filo-math-Beria raised the main spire in a single day before installing the Gate. Founder Volute led some of the cleansing here, before the formal establishment of the Order.”

“I had no idea,” Maya murmured, grinning at the arcanist’s enthusiasm. Whatever awkwardness lay between them was no match for the wonders of the Elder world, clearly.

“I’ve always wanted to visit Deepfire,” Beq said. “Do you think we’ll get the chance to explore the tunnels at all?”

“That’s up to the dux, I imagine.” Maya glanced at Tanax, who was looking at the door with obvious impatience.