The sounds of fighting had long since stopped. When they reached the ballroom, they stepped into an abattoir. Bodies were strewn in all directions. Some wore the robes of the Drowned Abbey; some wore the Master’s household livery. Others wore village clothing, and when they fell face-down, it was impossible to tell whose village they had come from. Gideon sat in his chair at the center of the room, his surviving people arrayed behind him. The Master’s surviving servants were backed into the corner.

Jack strode toward him, barefoot in the gore, blood and other terrible, viscous fluids soaking into the lacy hem of her gown. She didn’t seem to notice. Kade flinched. If Jack didn’t notice she was getting dirty …

Oh, this was bad. This was very, very bad.

“Well?” asked Gideon, as Jack drew closer. “Which Wolcott are you? The fun one, or the scientist? Who won?”

“I will slice you open and spread you as evenly as a coat of jam across the shore,” said Jack levelly. “I’m sure the Drowned Gods will forgive me, since I’ve agreed to stay and maintain the balance for their sake.”

“Ah,” said Gideon. “The scientist. We won, too.”

“Bully for you.” Jack turned to face the stairs as the Master came sweeping down, a burlap sack in his hand. “Excellent. We’ll be leaving now.”

The Master snarled, showing her his teeth, but didn’t argue; merely flung the sack containing Dr. Bleak’s head into the blood and fluids on the floor. Jack gathered it without a word of complaint, holding it, dripping, to her chest. She turned back to Gideon.

“I won’t forget you helped me,” she said. “Give me from this full moon to the next to get my house in order, and then send me anyone you have who requires medical care. I’ll rob a few graves if I have to, but I’ll fix them for you, free of charge. Just this once.”

“Just this once,” agreed Gideon, with the ghost of a smile.

Jack inclined her head and walked away without another word.

“Should we follow her?” asked Cora.

“She is the only one who knows how to make us a door home, and I don’t want to live here,” said Christopher. “My girlfriend is a literal skeleton, and this is too creepy for me.”

They followed as Jack left the ballroom, pulled down a sconce, and walked through the hidden door that opened in the opposing wall. They followed her down the stairs, back to the place where they had entered the castle.