“Are you kidding? I might not know anything about the tarot, but spooky island mansions?” he says, grinning like a kid. “This is spectacular.”

I smile up at Anwar. Spectacular is certainly one word for it, despite how far out it feels like we’ve sailed. I’m not thrilled Chase and Logan got separated from us, but Lady Azure promised that Seidon will bring them to Coupled Cottage after finding Perilli’s locked file. I look over to check on Cleo, holding her still-full paper cup of tea, and she nods. Whatever she thinks, her poker face is on.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to wait for my daughter to join us,” Lady Azure says. “She’s an equally devoted Perillian.”

“Perilli really must have meant a lot to you if you let him work and live here,” Cleo begins. “It’s kind of surprising you haven’t offered to buy the deck.”

“That offer stands, for the record,” Lady Azure replies, turning to me. “But I assumed you’d never part with the deck, not after all you told me of your grandmother. After all, some things in life are far more valuable than money.”

I look to Cleo—easy for Lady Azure to say, standing on her private island. Still, I don’t disagree.

“Just how many wealthy Perillians are out there?” Cleo then presses.

“Not many. Which has worked to my advantage,” Lady Azure says. “I see your encounter with Maggie left you cautious, but let me assure you, that old coward couldn’t actually afford the deck. He probably offered a lowball bounty to get his paws on it, then planned to sell it for what it’s really worth, to my infuriating competitor.”

“Wait, you have a competing collector?” I ask. “Who?”

“I know their name, but not who they really are,” Lady Azure continues. “This buyer has only surfaced recently, gobbling up every Perillian scrap they can, often over the price I offer. They always operate through proxies and go by the name ‘Page Zain,’ the Hebrew letter symbolizing the sword. Since Pages and Knights sometimes replace the tarot’s Princesses and Princes, the name is a deep reference.”

“While we’re on the subject, what exactly does overpaying mean?” Cleo asks.

“Young Cleo, that deck is priceless,” Lady Azure says. “Still, if we’re talking brass tacks, I’d probably pay a few million for it, as a work of contemporary art alone.”

I have to physically stop my jaw from dropping. Anwar has no such luck, choking on a mouthful of hot tea beside me. My heart starts racing. That is a lot of money. Not that I care about the price—I just know how much others do.

“If this deck is so valuable, why help us?” I ask.