“Aunt,” Kosandion said softly. “Perhaps this one time due process might be a better path forward? Out of consideration for the patience of our gracious hosts?”

Caldenia sighed and dropped Odikas. He landed on the floor. She smelled his blood on her fingers, gave him a small, refined sneer, and shook it off.

“Thank you,” Kosandion said.

He motioned to the guards, and they grabbed Odikas and hauled him to his feet.

Sean glanced at the prisoner still suspended from the ceiling. The inn’s tendrils unrolled, lowering the captive onto the floor. He took a deep breath and blinked, clearly disoriented. The guards closed in, and two of them sandwiched the would-be assassin between them.

“Form a column,” one of the guards ordered.

The delegates obeyed without a word. The guards led them to the pile of their belongings. Each of the delegates grabbed a single bag and one by one, they walked through the portal.

I had no idea what the innkeepers watching this would make of it.

“We’ll reconvene tomorrow,” Kosandion announced.

I opened the doors to their quarters. Kosandion strode off, his people behind him. Gaston offered Caldenia his arm. They walked away. He said something and Caldenia laughed softly.

Sean approached. I took his hand. He squeezed my fingers.

“You are awesome,” I whispered.

“No, just fast.”

The observers walked past me toward their quarters. Karat made big eyes at me. Dagorkun was grinning. Cookie was next.

I pulled the floor under Cookie’s feet toward us. To his credit, he didn’t jump in surprise. The floor brought him to us and stopped.

“A word?” I asked.

“Of course.” Cookie nodded.

“We need some information,” Sean said.

Cookie fluffed his tail and squinted his eyes. I had seen that exact expression on Nuan Cee’s face. It meant trouble.

“Tell me more,” Cookie purred.

* * *

It was two hours until midnight. I sat on the terrace of the Ocean Dining Room savoring a cup of oolong tea and gently rocking in a rocking chair I had stolen from our patio. Sean sat in the other chair, drinking decaffeinated coffee. It was late and he didn’t want to be wired. Beast napped by the rail, while Gorvar had somehow climbed on top of the other table and lay there, his tongue out. He liked being high up.

The deep amber ocean of Kolinda shimmered with bioluminescent sparks, as if the setting sun had bled its glowing lifeblood into the waters and now it flickered in the depths. The air was warm and smelled of salt and sea.

To our left and slightly behind, the interior of the Ocean Dining Hall glowed with honey-colored light of its chandeliers like a giant garden lantern. It was quiet and mostly empty. The floor to ceiling wall of glass that separated it from the terrace was almost invisible.