With Yenni gone to dinner with Carmenna, Weysh decided to visit with Harth and his family. It had been a while since he’d seen them—as a child he was always there, another escape from his home life. And though he would never admit it to Harth’s annoying green face, he was looking forward to seeing his friend as well. He’d sent a note by quick-post that he would be coming, asking what was for dinner. Harth had written back: Roast duck with hot-berry jelly and champagne tarts for me, Zui, and everyone else; leftover scraps from the wild boar I hunted the other day for you. Weysh was looking forward to showing up and eating both his and Harth’s share of the roast duck.

Weysh had just put on his boots when he was overwhelmed by a terrible dread that washed over him like a wave of cold water. What by Byen . . . he jerked up straight. His alarm! That was how the magic of it worked, by sending a blast of horrible, unsettling anxiety through the owner if someone unauthorized entered his home. Weysh glanced around. He’d heard no one enter the door, which could only mean someone had breached his rooftop. Harth or Zui? But they’d been to his place enough times that the magic was attuned to them. Fighting back that sucking dread Weysh clomped up the stairs to the rooftop and threw open the door.

“Who’s there?” he demanded. There was, in fact, a figure hidden in the shadows of the trees. “Show yourself!”

He did. Smirking, Noriago stepped into the light of one of the magic lanterns.

Weysh felt a moment of numbing shock, and then instant, painful cold, like needles of ice all over his body. Was this some sort of nightmare? Noriago should have been rotting away in a prison cell, not here on his thrice-damned rooftop!

Noriago let something slip from his fingers, dangling. Weysh’s shock crystalized into brittle horror—it was the ivystone necklace he’d given Yenni. He lunged for Noriago, but the snake darted back, leapt from the roof, changed, and took off. Weysh changed and dove off the roof after him.

Where is she? Weysh roared. In response Noriago let the necklace fall, the chain of it fluttering as it fell to the city below. Heart racing, Weysh beat his wings harder. He screeched after Noriago, lit up the night sky with fire, but just like in class, Noriago continued to gain the lead. Weysh was frantic. He had no clue if Noriago was leading him toward Yenni or away. All he was sure of was that he couldn’t track her scent, and only Noriago knew where she was. But if Noriago thought he could lose Weysh, he was badly mistaken. That rat shit might be faster, but Weysh was used to marathon flights. He would follow Noriago to the edge of the world if he had to.