How Matthias had come to bring him here and why, Leo couldn’t begin to guess. From the look on Agnes’s face, she was just as confused as he was.

Ambrosine led Agnes and Leo and their uncles to a small parlor—they passed Bellamy in one of the glass halls and she stared at Matthias with shock. Hektor gave her a look that plainly said, “I’ll explain later.”

The parlor walls were alternating strips of onyx and glass, like zebra stripes, and the furniture was all varying shades of green. Ambrosine folded herself into a high-backed, winged armchair, Hektor skulking by one of the glass panels as Matthias sank onto the sofa. There was a low bench opposite him, across the coffee table, and Leo and Agnes perched there in unison.

“So,” Ambrosine said without preamble. “You have brought the traitor and the thief. Murderer too, though he’ll answer for that in due time.”

Agnes and Leo looked at each other, confused.

“Your father killed your mother,” Ambrosine said, as casually as if it were nothing. Leo felt the room begin to spin. Hektor flinched but Matthias sighed.

“Please don’t say it like that, Mother, they’re his children,” he said. He turned to Agnes and Leo. “He didn’t kill her.”

“He should not have brought her here so late,” Ambrosine snarled. “What was he thinking, waiting that long. She was almost at her due date and in no condition for a long sea voyage.”

“She was fine when she arrived,” Matthias said wearily, as if they’d had this conversation before. “The doctor said twins presented more danger than a typical pregnancy.”

“The question is, what do we do with him now?” Hektor asked.

“He must be punished,” Ambrosine said. “Both of them must be punished. A night in the wailing caverns should be a good start.”

“Please,” Agnes said. “He was never a good father to us, but we don’t want him hurt.” She glanced at Leo as if to confirm this.

“We don’t,” Leo said, and his sister looked relieved.

“He should not have said what he said to you,” she whispered.

“Yeah. But was it really all that surprising?” Leo muttered back.

“He stays in the wailing caves tonight,” Ambrosine said. “How did you find him?” she asked Matthias.

“I heard he was in Ithilia,” he said. “I figured he was staying at the same inn he stayed at when he met Alethea. Didn’t realize Ezra was with him.”

“Now we know who stole the Arboreal and the mertag,” Hektor growled.

Ambrosine rolled her eyes. “Please, Hektor, I suspected that ever since Ezra disappeared.” She turned back to her youngest son. “Why bring Xavier here, if you have no taste for revenge?”