The paper was dated today. “So they haven’t arrived in Ithilia yet,” Agnes said as she and Vada joined the swarming crowds bumping and jostling to enter the lowest, largest circle of the city. The walls loomed up over them, beautiful and impenetrable. They passed beneath the gate and Agnes marveled at the carved figurines of people and animals that decorated each side, oxen pulling carts, men pouring water from pitchers, doves in flight, women on horseback. The underside of the huge arch was detailed in squares of stone bearing the different symbols of the Triumvirate so that they formed a mosaic of silver moons, golden suns, and red stars.

Vada was skimming the rest of the paper. “Still no sign of Braxos, but there are more bodies washing up on the northern islands. A Kaolin ship was sunk trying to reach Ithilia two days ago, when it failed to heed the Misarros’ warning to turn around. The president of Kaolin is threatening to send his navy if the Triumvirate doesn’t stop attacking Kaolins.” She shook her head. “We must be leaving Ithilia as quickly as possible.”

“We need to find my grandmother,” Agnes said determinedly.

“We can hire a metapar,” Vada said. Agnes frowned at the unfamiliar Pelagan word. “It is a horse-drawn cart with a driver,” Vada explained. “Like your hansom cabs back in Old Port. But Agnes, I am not knowing where we will be finding Ambrosine Byrne. And I’m not sure it’s safe to simply be asking around.”

Agnes fingered the letter in her pocket. I have friends at the University of Ithilia, her grandmother had written.

“Don’t worry, Vada,” she said. “I know how to find her.”

15

Leo

IT HAD BEEN THREE DAYS SINCE THEY’D LEFT ARBAZ AND Leo hadn’t seen a glimpse of Sera.

Not since that first night, after Sera had spoken to Leela.

He’d been so relieved to be able to feel his body again after the disorienting experience of seeing through Sera’s eyes in that strange underground place. His brain had still been processing what had happened, and then Rahel was back with the peach cobbler, which he’d forgotten about entirely, but it didn’t matter because Sera had begun to glow. Her eyes were fiery blue suns as she stared down the princess, and spoke to her in Pelagan. But even that surprise had had to wait because then Leo was seeing things.

It was like when he and Sera blood bonded, except this time there was only one memory and it was Rahel’s. He’d watched, half fascinated, half disgusted, as Rahel blamed a servant girl for breaking a vase she herself had smashed and then delighted in the girl’s punishment. Then the memory had vanished and Rahel screamed for her Misarro.