“Yes, well, the power would have been useful to them then.” Imeria forced herself not to cower beneath Gulod’s unwavering gaze.

These days, few people dared speak of her father’s foolish rebellion against the Gatdulas. Without their ancestral power in his veins, the late Datu Kulaw hadn’t stood a chance. Imeria was told her father had been killed in a decisive battle that soiled the family legacy. She was a child of ten back then, but she hadn’t forgotten what the rebellion had meant.

Neither had Datu Gulod. He took a long sip of his wine as he appraised her. “That brings me back to precioso. I’ve been wondering, What interest could a highborn lady possibly have in a dirty western drug? Forgive me if I’m wrong, Imeria, but I have my theories.”

“You wouldn’t have come all the way here unless you planned to share them.”

Gulod was no half-wit. The theories he was hinting at danced dangerously close to the truth. If he guessed correctly, how could she know whether she could trust him?

“I’ve heard rumors concerning you,” he said. “They say you’re more than some sour-faced noblewoman. Why else would Hara Duja cast you out of the palace⁠—you, her once-treasured companion? There had to be a reason she came to hate you so. She’s afraid.”

Her gut clenched at Gulod’s words. She forced herself not to look away.

The wood of the divan creaked as he perched forward. The truth fell from his lips. “I believe the Kulaw power has risen once again. I believe you possess the spark that rose from the embers. And I believe precioso is the tinder you need to stoke the flame.”

Imeria’s breath hitched in her throat. She held his gaze. “Drugs that can enhance abilities the world hasn’t seen in centuries. How on earth did you come up with that?” she said coolly. She thought herself a gifted liar, but Gulod saw straight through her.

“Do you find me fanciful?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Her lips tightened. “I think you’re a fool.”

“Ah, but I’m not a fool, Imeria. And neither are you.” He glanced over his shoulder to make sure none of the servants were within earshot, then lowered his voice. “I have resources, Datu Kulaw. And if you’re planning what I think you’re planning, you can’t rely on precioso alone. You’re going to need powerful friends.”

Her fingers tingled with anticipation. She tried to calm herself by smoothing out her skirt. “Careful, Datu Gulod,” she warned. “It sounds like you’re offering far more than friendship.”

Gulod set down his wineglass, the teasing gone from his tone. “I’m offering you my assistance, Imeria. You’ll need it, I think.”

“And what makes you think I can’t manage on my own?”