“We don’t know yet,” Alise replied, watching Nic with an odd expression. “One of my sentry spirits spotted the carriage with the House Sammael crest crossing from Sammael to Meresin and headed this way. They’re a few hours away still, but I thought you’d want to know immediately.”

All right, you have a few hours to make a plan. A single carriage might not mean anything. It depends on who it is. “You can’t tell who’s inside?” she asked Alise.

Alise flushed. “I’m still a student wizard, you know. Guiding a spirit to go inside a moving object and teaching it to recognize individuals is advanced work. There aren’t many wizards, even with three or four times my age and experience, who can do that.”

Nic held up a hand to stop the defensive rush of words. “I didn’t mean to imply anything. I’m just trying to assemble my thoughts.”

Alise blew out a breath. “No, I apologize. I’m just… really afraid.” Her gaze slid to Iliana again, who stood like a rabbit frozen in the hawk’s gaze, a pale statue of a young woman.

“We should run,” Iliana whispered, as if the predator might overhear. “Han and I, we’ll leave now. We’ll run. Run far away and—”

“Iliana,” Nic said sharply. “We don’t know this has anything to do with you. We’ve been receiving visitors and delegations from all sorts of houses. There’s no reason to panic.”

Iliana stared at her, round-eyed and pupils dilated. “If it’s Sabrina Sammael, there is huge reason to panic.”

“Sabrina Sammael is at Convocation Academy,” Nic reminded the younger woman crisply. “It is still in session with students expected to be in attendance, present company excepted.”

Alise winced ruefully. “Still, Han and Iliana should hide. They’re unbonded, so it’s not wise to have them out where anyone can see and take a fancy to them.”

Nic nodded, ringing for a page. “Fetch Rat for me, immediately,” she directed, and the boy took off running. “Rat knows the wilds of the marshes better than anyone,” she explained. “He can take the three of you to—”

“Not me,” Alise interrupted. “I’m staying with you, Nic.”

“You could be in danger, too,” Nic reminded her.

“Yes, but I’m a wizard. They can’t just abduct me. Papa might be pissed at me, but he’s not going to let House Sammael perform an act of aggression on one of his own.” She paused. “That goes for you, too, Nic.”

Nic did not share her confidence, but she didn’t say so. Papa might consider it a proper punishment, which was Sammael’s purview, after all. “Iliana, in the meanwhile, go find Han and assemble some supplies. Then meet me back here.”

Face pinched, Iliana scurried off. So much for getting those NDAs copied. Though Nic supposed those were the least of her problems. She picked up the tea Iliana had given her, finding it had already cooled, tasting more like honey-flavored water than tea. “What is your plan?” Alise asked tentatively.