Nic dutifully repaired her makeup, reordered her hair, and smiled to herself in the mirror. There was more than one way to manage a broody wizard.

The north wing wasn’t completely silent, as a few people were up and about, including a few servants who were delivering linens, hot beverages, and cleaning up empty chambers.

“Where did all these workers come from?” Gabriel asked. “I mean, I recognize many of them, but how have you rounded up so many to come work in the house?”

“By paying them well,” she answered.

“Can we afford that?”

“Depends on how you define ‘afford.’ It’s a pinch, but I figure that by putting coin in the pockets of the people of Meresin, we’re creating a pool of money that will find its way back into our coffers as we offer them enticing merchandise to purchase.”

He glanced at her with an amused half smile. “I begin to understand why House Elal is so wealthy and powerful—and why people regard Elals warily.”

“Like Jadren has any room to talk,” she scoffed. “There’s a world of irony in an El-Adrel accusing an Elal of guile.”

“Are you surprised he stayed?” Gabriel asked quietly. “After his contentiousness last night.”

“Not at all. But let’s not discuss it here.” The far end of the north wing hallway was dim and deserted, but you never knew who might be listening.

Gabriel nodded, saying nothing more. They reached the end of the hall and the set of impressively large and imposing doors that filled the entire wall. Setting down the several lanterns that Nic was really happy she’d remembered they’d need, Gabriel produced the silver key from his pocket. He’d made it from moonlight, following the pattern the house seemed to require, using the Phel traditional magics to unlock the ancient enchantments.

“It will be interesting to see if any wizard can use this key,” Nic observed as he inserted it in the lock, “or just you. Or our child,” she added. They’d already established the key didn’t work for her.

He paused without turning the key in the lock and tipped his head to look at her. “That’s an arresting image—our child standing in this spot and unlocking the workroom.”

She smiled, too, moved in an unexpected way. “They’ll have black hair. Between the two of us, that’s inescapable.”

“And your green eyes, I hope.” He lifted a hand to caress her cheek. “Ready to brave the monsters?”

“I certainly have a nice reserve of magic built up. Though I think if anything was going to try to eat us, it would have the night we blundered in here without light.” Just in case, though, she took his hand and opened herself, ready to give him all her magic if necessary.

“Blunder is a good word for it,” he agreed, turning the key and pushing the doors open.

Inside was as impenetrably black as that first night, and Nic gamely picked up one lantern, handed it to Gabriel, then took up the other. “So exciting!”