Maya glanced at Elodel, who took pity on her confusion. “Yora runs a criminal gang out of the tunnels. They steal from the Republic and say it’s on behalf of the tunnelborn, the people who live on the other side of the city border.”

“Ungrateful is what I call it,” the prince said. “As though providing them with jobs and protection from plaguespawn isn’t enough.”

“I heard that was why the dux brought you here,” the accountant said. “To make yourselves useful and put a stop to it.”

“That would be a first,” the prince said, and barked a laugh.

Elodel glared at him. “Don’t be an ass, Rench.”

“Apologies.” He raised an imaginary cup in salute. “I’m sure Agathios Maya will do whatever it takes to clean up the city.”

Maya smiled uncertainly and nodded. Elodel shifted, still glaring, and took her hand off Maya’s knee, which briefly made Maya hate the prince more than anyone who’d ever lived. Only briefly, though, because Elodel grabbed Maya’s hand instead as a new round of music filtered out of the gazebo.

“These triples are my favorite,” she said. “Do you want to dance?”

“I …” Maya put her free hand to her chest, feeling her heart hammer under the Thing. “I’m not sure I could keep my feet under me at the moment.”

“Come to think of it, I’m not sure I’d trust myself not to do something stupid.” Elodel laughed again. “At least it’s not a long ride home. You’re staying here at the Spike, I assume?”

Maya nodded. Elodel was still holding her hand, their fingers entwined.

“I bet the dux has given you one of the nice suites,” Elodel said. She leaned forward, as though sharing a secret. “I’d love to see it.”

I can’t. Maya missed a breath, and in that moment the automatic refusal died on her lips. Can I?

On the road with Jaedia and Marn … no one had ever told Maya she couldn’t share her bed with someone, not in so many words. There just wasn’t a great deal of opportunity. They slept under the stars, or all together in a single room, because the kind of poor travelers they pretended to be couldn’t have afforded separate beds. And Jaedia was far too smart and sharp-eyed for Maya to have thought of sneaking away.

Here, though …

I could, couldn’t I? She had her own room, that soft bed with the slick silk sheets, and no one to object or even notice. Elodel’s hand was so warm in hers. I …

She’d lost track of her companions some time ago, though she’d caught a glimpse of Varo dancing with surprising competence in the arms of a handsome young man. Tanax had been in his element, comfortable with the people who’d flocked to him just as they’d flocked to Maya.