“We will if you insist,” said Malikel, “but they’ll be watched as soon as we take them out of the compound. If they let anything slip, or act in a way that arouses suspicion…Remember, you can always tell them later, once the danger has passed. But you can’t take it back once they know.”

She glared disbelievingly at both of them. “How do I know that you even spoke to them? How do I know you’re not lying to me?”

Tristam cleared his throat. “Idalee pulled the sheets and blankets off her bed and slept on the floor because the mattress was too soft. Flick took all the radishes out of the stew before eating it.”

Kyra lowered her eyes, not wanting them to see how much Tristam’s descriptions had affected her. Neither knight made any further argument, but just sat waiting. Did they have a point? She despised herself already, but she would never forgive herself if her friends came to harm.

“Fine,” she said. “Keep it this way. And I’ll help you against the Assassins Guild, if only to keep them safe.”

Lizard-skin venom worked quickly and left the body slowly. According to Ilona, Kyra had to take doses of antidote for the next twenty days. Only when the poison was completely purged from her body would she be out of danger. Even the tiniest remnant of venom in her blood, left untreated, would gradually accumulate in her vital organs and kill her. One upside to this was that the Council deemed her less of a flight risk. Instead of keeping her in her windowless dungeon cell, she was allowed to stay locked in a room in the healer’s wing.

Ilona’s morning visits were the only part of the day Kyra looked forward to; the healer’s gentle presence somehow made her isolation more bearable. Tristam visited her in the afternoons to speak with her about the Guild. He was no longer hostile. In their conversations, he listened to what she had to say and granted her rest if she felt tired. More than once, she caught him looking at her as if she were a puzzle he couldn’t solve. But the knight remained distant. She told him what he needed to know, and their interaction ended at that. Kyra missed Bella’s gentle touch, Flick’s carefree jokes and contagious smile. She wondered how Idalee and Lettie were coping with news of her death, and how long she’d have to deceive them. Tristam told her that her friends had returned to the city, and Kyra hoped they were able to settle back into their lives.

“Tell me more about your raid of the Palace storehouse,” Tristam said to her one afternoon.

“I’ve recounted everything and mapped out the route for you. What more do you want?” she asked.

“Why did you choose that particular storehouse?”