And then I understand. I remember the whites of his eyes as he jumped back to avoid colliding with me. He’s afraid of getting too close. A skilled soldier might be able to subdue me at sword point without touching me, but this man is clearly not ready to take that chance. He’s a big man, and I’ve no doubt that he’s brave in battle. But bravery comes in many flavors, and years of tending the ill have taught me that sometimes the most fearless soldiers on the battlefield will quail at the thought of a long, wasting death—an enemy that cannot be defeated with a sword.

In a split second, I make a desperate decision. With the keys in my hand, I score the underside of my arm as hard as I can. Blood wells out, and I let it pool in my palm for him to see.

“Your friend can’t help you,” I say. “You’ll have to put me back yourself. And when you do, your life will be forfeit.”

He wavers again. “The commander will have my head if I let you escape.”

“And Zenagua will take you if you don’t. Or you could let me go. The guard doesn’t change until morning. You have many hours to concoct an excuse to save your skin. Maybe I released scorpions on you like I did to your friend.”

He blanches.

“Or you could run. You can make it far away from the city before dawn. With the campaigns about to march, they won’t spare the men to come after you.”

Still he hesitates. I back away from him, holding my arm between us like a talisman. “I’m leaving.”

He doesn’t stop me.

It’s a cold night, and I hurry across the sands. I check behind me for pursuit, but none comes. My arm stings, and I pick up my pace.

I know I must return to Mehtap’s villa. My potions are there, as is Diadem, and I’ll have a much better chance of making it through anything if I have them both with me. Beyond that though, I don’t know what I’ll do. I can’t leave without Dineas, but I have no idea how I can help him.

The shadowy walls of the rosemarked compound materialize in the darkness. Not for the first time, I wish more of Dineas could have rubbed off on me. I’ve never broken into anything in my life, and my gown isn’t suited for scaling walls. Still, I’ve seen him climb the compound walls before, and I remember some windows at the villa that never fully closed.