Sarah nodded cheerfully and hoisted herself through the gap left by the fallen stone. Maya followed, with Beq bringing up the rear. As Sarah had promised, beyond that initial squeeze the tunnel opened out, with chunks of broken rock and debris scattered around a larger space, dark except where torchlight filtered in through the archway. Sarah got out a glowstone and shook it to life, beckoning them to follow.

“So who is this person we’re going to meet?” Maya said, walking cautiously in the rubble-strewn street. Broken rock mixed with scraps of wood and other more human debris underfoot. “Another arcanist?”

“Funny thing about that,” Sarah said. “It’s actually me that wanted to talk to you. Although I am an arcanist.” She hopped up on a large chunk of curved stone and turned to face them. On either side of the rock, another figure loomed out of the darkness, glowstone light gleaming blue on the point of a crossbow. “And I’m really sorry about this, but I’m the one who’s going to be asking the questions.”

*

“Look,” Sarah said. “I really am sorry about this. If it helps, these two are just a precaution.”

Sarah’s “precaution” consisted of a wiry older woman and a bald-headed man, both armed with swords and crossbows. After Maya and Beq hadn’t shown any sign of immediate resistance, they’d raised their weapons so they weren’t exactly pointed at the pair, but weren’t pointed away from them, either.

Maya thought she could get to her haken before they could shoot. She might be able to raise her panoply field in time. But where does that leave Beq? She bit her lip and waited.

“So here’s the thing,” Sarah said. “You’ve been asking around about the Core Analytica, and I would very much like to know why.”

“We just heard a rumor, that’s all,” Maya said with a glance at Beq. “Seems like everyone’s heard of it.”

“Everyone’s heard of it here because I have been asking around,” Sarah said. “When two girls nobody’s ever seen before started asking the same questions, some of my friends got in touch. So where did you hear this rumor?”

“Just … around,” Maya said vaguely.

“Around.” Sarah shook her head. “Can I tell you what I think?”

Maya eyed the crossbows. “I don’t think I can stop you.”

“I’m trying to think who might be interested in a rare ghoul arcana, and only one thing makes sense to me.” Sarah sat up straighter and grinned. “You two are Order scouts, aren’t you?”

Maya tried to school her features. “We’d hardly tell you if we were.”

“Of course.” Sarah spread her hands. “But it presents me with a bit of a dilemma. You see—”

She paused at the sound of metal scraping on rock from the direction they’d come in, frowning.