“The way that kebben are? No. I love them, but we’ve never fought.”

“Never?”

“Not really. Oh, we squabbled. I think all sisters do. But we’ve never had a proper fight. Because we never trusted the love we had to carry us through. We have always been very polite with one another. What are you smiling at?”

“I’m thinking of Reyem. The way we used to scream at each other. He bit me once. Hard enough to draw blood.”

“Bit you?”

“I did deserve it. I shaved one of his eyebrows off in his sleep.”

Ehri laughed. “What a monster you must have been.”

“I really was.” But thinking of Reyem was too painful. “He was never mean to me, and he had every chance to be spiteful. My parents favored him, but he always shared—his books, his sweets. He wanted to see me happy.”

“That’s kebben,” Tamar said, entering the room and helping herself to a slice of plum. “One of us cannot be happy if the other is suffering.”

“Then … you understand what I had to do? Why I took Makhi’s mission?”

Tamar popped another slice of plum in her mouth, chewing slowly. “You murdered an innocent man. Isaak was unarmed.”

“He was a liar,” said Ehri, leaping to Mayu’s defense. “A pretender.”

“He was serving his king,” said Tamar.

“Just as I was serving my queen,” Mayu retorted, though the words tasted of ash.

“And yet, only one of you is dead.”

She was right. Isaak had deserved better.

“But you’ll help me find my brother,” said Mayu. She did not phrase it as a question. She couldn’t let her grief and shame overcome her, not until Reyem was free.

“I will. But not for you or your twin. The only way to stop the torture and persecution of Grisha is by locating those khergud laboratories.”

Ehri plucked a string on the khatuur that rested on the tea table. “We have a long road ahead of us, and none of us can make the trip alone. Let’s not waste the journey arguing. We have all suffered losses.”

Mayu rested her hand on the pommel of her talon sword. “What have you lost, Ehri?”

Ehri’s eyes were sad. “Don’t you know, Mayu? My sister.”

At that moment, fireworks burst over the city skyline in two bright showers of blue and gold. Ravka’s colors.

“That’s the signal,” said Tamar. “Queen Makhi’s messenger is on the move.”

It was said that no one knew all the secrets of the palace at Ahmrat Jen, but the Tavgharad knew more than most. There were hidden entrances for the use of both guards and members of the royal family, secret chambers where royalty could be watched over without being disturbed, and of course, secret exits in case of emergency or uprising.