Tristam laid a hand on her wrist, gentle but firm. “I’m sorry, Kyra. That came out wrong. I only meant that any creature capable of what you did deserves respect. But what I saw doesn’t change the fact that you saved my life, or that you disobeyed your…people…to protect me.” He let out a long breath. “I’ve harbored doubts about you before, Kyra. First because you were in the Guild, and then when I thought you’d betrayed me to the Demon Riders. And each time, I was wrong. I’m not making the same mistake again.” He paused. “Though there might be problems ahead.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m thinking about the Council. You’re still under a death sentence that we need to clear. It’ll be hard to prove you aren’t a threat to Forge if you’re one of them.”

Kyra closed her eyes. “What do I do?”

“I don’t know. Maybe we can keep this hidden.”

“James will rat me out as soon as we turn him over.”

“He might, but who would believe him?”

“Mayhap for a while, but people would start to wonder. And notice things.”

Neither of them mentioned the next logical step—that this problem would disappear if James did as well. But Kyra only contemplated it a moment before thrusting the thought aside. She’d had that opportunity already. Plus, James still had too many secrets—about the Guild, the Palace, and even the Makvani. She owed it to Bella, to the others who’d suffered in the fire, to get those secrets out of him.

Tristam exhaled. “I can send for Malikel once we’re closer to the city. He’s a skilled negotiator. If we can win him over, perhaps he can convince the Council to put you on probation.”

Probation? A prisoner again, after all she had gone through? Instead of James’s lackey, she would be the Palace’s. What other uses would Willem find for her?

“Or…” Tristam’s voice was hesitant. “You could run.”

Kyra gave him a questioning glance. Tristam looked around and lowered his voice, as if worried that Palace officials might hear him. “The Council already doesn’t trust you. If they find out what you are, I don’t know what they’ll do. I could tell them I never found you. You could flee to Parna. Start over.” There was an urgency in his words, though he spoke softly.

“You’d lie to them?” Kyra knew Tristam well enough by now to know how much this would cost him.

There was the slightest of pauses as Tristam’s eyes grew distant again. “I won’t pretend I like the idea. But I would do it.”

The idea of leaving Forge had never occurred to her, but it was certainly possible. Every city had rich houses with bad locks. But she’d be alone. A petty thief in a strange city.