The way was farther than she’d remembered; it had been a long time since she’d visited. That assassination attempts against Phalue had broken her bonds with them. She marched into the forest, heedless of the damp vegetation slapping against her shins. Her wedding dress would be ruined, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. She was a brazier of witstone burning, the wind at her back.

The cliff face was as she remembered it, though the vines climbing its surface were thicker in the wet season. It took her three tries to find the crack. “It’s Ranami,” she called into the crevice. “I’m coming in.”

She slid through the crack, heedless of the stone ripping at the hem of her dress. A lantern swung about as the crevice widened into a cave, blinding her momentarily.

“Ranami?” The voice was hesitant, though she recognized it. Atash. A younger recruit of the Shardless Few, saved from the Tithing Festival at eight years old. The Shardless Few were all he’d known since then. “What are you doing here?”

She tugged at her dress, straightening and brushing at a smear of mud. That wasn’t coming out without some work. “I’m here to see Gio.”

“He’s not expecting you,” Atash said.

Just a boy, really. “That’s unfortunate,” Ranami said, sweeping past him.

“Wait,” he called after her, dogging her steps. She didn’t mind – he had the lamp and she needed the light, so she let him follow her. “He’s not supposed to be disturbed.”

“So he’s in one of his secret rooms.”

Atash’s mouth clamped shut as he realized, too late, he’d given her exactly the information she’d wanted. Ranami snatched the lamp from his limp fingers and made her way into the Alanga tunnels. Mostly the Shardless Few used the surface-level corridors. But Gio was able to access some of the deeper rooms, the secret of which he’d not divulged to her or anyone she knew.

She took the steps down to the next level two at a time. The walls here looked smooth, but she knew better. “Gio!” she called out. “I know you’re in one of these rooms.” She wondered if he could even hear her through the stone – but if she were worried about making a fool of herself, she’d already done so. “Come out!”

And then she saw the seam of one of the stone doors. He’d left it ajar. She was dimly aware of Atash behind her, hands flailing around her as though unsure of whether he should try to physically stop her. Let him try if he dared. She marched forward and pushed the door open.