I was so taken aback by this accusation all I could think to say was, “Why would I want that?” It was the last thing I wanted. I hadn’t even wanted to be here in the palace. What an absurd idea. I would have laughed had I not been in a more dire position.

She blinked. The tension between us evaporated as her brow furrowed. “Why wouldn’t you?”

Any number of reasons, and I wouldn’t even have to lie about them. I opened my mouth to start listing them, but Lin’s gaze went to the hatch. She sucked in a breath. I whirled.

A small creature with bat ears and a gull’s wings watched us.

She grabbed my arm. “You propped open the door.” She said it like I’d boiled rice in too much water.

“Yes.” I wasn’t sure what she was so panicked about.

“That construct isn’t mine. I’ve never seen its like on Imperial before. It’s a spy.” And then she was putting the lamp’s handle between her teeth, running to the ladder, hauling herself up two rungs at a time. No wonder she hadn’t a moment’s hesitation about climbing onto the roof. She moved quick as a squirrel.

Constructs were her purview. They weren’t mine. She’d said as much. But I still found myself tucking my staff onto my back and running after her like a damned fool. What if she got hurt? What if it was blamed on me? Lies I told myself because I couldn’t admit that Mephi was right – I was a person who helped. And apparently I was a person who helped even when it was incredibly stupid to do so.

“You said you were the only one who knew bone shard magic,” I huffed as I climbed after her. Mephi clambered up after me, the ladder creaking beneath our combined weights.

“Yes,” she said. “But after my father’s death, everything went sideways.” She pulled herself out of the hatch, and to my surprise, turned to give me a hand up. “I need to catch it. They are no longer bound to my father, which means they can pledge loyalty to others. I cannot believe it was here by mistake. Help me.”

Any hesitation I’d felt melted away. Had she ever intended to execute me? Or was she just as foolish as I was, hoping that a single person could begin to make things right? I gave her a swift nod in response, and she ran after the construct. It disappeared up the tunnel entrance.

She was quicker than I’d thought she’d be, though my long legs and my Mephi-inspired strength made up the difference.

“Did you prop open any other doors?” she asked as we made for the tunnel.

“Just the one.”