Bain looks at me and then at the Artefact. “No one but me and the king are allowed to touch her.”

“Why are you permitted to do so?”

“To clean and polish her,” he said. “Otherwise, she loses her shine.”

“Who are you?” I ask, wondering why Cyan has entrusted Bain with this task.

“I’m the king’s father,” he says, surprising me, though it does explain Cyan’s earlier bow of reverence.

“You weren’t the king?”

“Oh no, that was my brother. I don’t have the right constitution for ruling. Coral chose Cyan to follow him.”

“And he lets you clean Coral?” I ask, feeling terrible for how I’m about to take advantage of this poor man’s delusions.

“Yes,” he says proudly.

“How do you do it? Do you get in the water?”

“Sometimes,” he says. “But that doesn’t get her as clean as I like. There’s a mechanism that drains the tank so I can do the job right.”

Perfect.

“Can I do that?” I ask, and Bain shakes his head.

“Oh no. That is forbidden. Only I’m sanctioned as her caretaker.”

I drag in a breath, hating that I’m doing this.

“But you wanted to hear what she has to say, right?”

His eyes widen, and he whispers, “I do.”

“So help me, and I’ll talk to her for you.”

He looks behind him, but no one is within earshot. West and North remain on the far side of the tank, where I can make out their blurred, watery forms through the glass.

“We’d have to do it at night when no one else is around,” Bain says, lowering his voice.

“Okay—tonight. I’ll meet you here at midnight.”

His eyes flick to Coral and then back to me. I reach out and grab his wrist. “I can give her any message you want.”

“You really can talk to her?” he asks.

“I can. I’ve already spoken with the Mirror, the Torch, and the Staff.” I expect him to ask me what they said, and I’m already trying to think of a lie, but it’s clear he only has eyes for Coral because he brushes past it.

He touches the glass and then peers down at me, hope swirling in his eyes.

“I can’t tonight,” he says, and I’m about to argue when he adds, “But tomorrow. Midnight.”

Slowly, I blow out a breath and nod. That’s another day lost, but I’m already pushing my luck.

“See you then,” I say, and then approach North and West, asking to be returned to my room. I say nothing to my escorts as I slam the door on their faces.