He had enough dignity to heed that warning. And while she no longer felt any satisfaction for keeping him in the cell, there was a measure to be had from knowing that she, an erstwhile street urchin, was kicking the former governor out of the palace. Life had a way of balancing the scales every so often.

Ranami watched his retreating back and felt a little bit pleased with herself. The construct army was defeated, her wife was on her way home, Ayesh was safe within her keeping and Gio hadn’t tried to take Nephilanu. Oh, she wasn’t foolish enough to think she was fully responsible for each victory, but she’d had a hand in them all.

Now, if only she could tackle all the items on the list – then she might start thinking she was truly gifted.

She climbed the steps out of the cellar and stopped just as her line of sight crested the kitchen floor. Ayesh was in the pantry, stuffing food into a bag. The shield was strapped to her arm; Ranami had difficulty sometimes getting her to take the damned thing off. The girl was a fixture in the palace now, so the servants paid her no heed. Ranami pressed herself to the wall as she watched. She’d promised herself she’d give Ayesh space, and discovering that Phalue’s father was the spy had alleviated all her concerns about the girl, but she had to know. Had the girl made friends outside the palace? If so, they didn’t need to scurry about, waiting for Ayesh to bring them food. Ranami could organize a way to get the orphans meals on a regular basis. It was on the list of things they’d intended to accomplish.

Ranami waited until Ayesh had finished packing her bag and had left the kitchen before following her. She hadn’t been cautious enough the last time. This time, she used all the skills she’d picked up after years on the streets – keeping close to the walls, keeping her footfalls soft, staying in the shadows. She didn’t bother with her cloak by the door. Ayesh, for her part, seemed much more relaxed than when she’d first arrived at the palace. Living there had done much to fill out her sharp edges – both emotionally and physically. The news that Phalue was still alive had done even more.

A light rain pattered on the palm fronds laid above the courtyard. Ranami crept to the gate after the girl, waiting until she’d made her way onto the switchbacks and then ducking into the surrounding brush. She didn’t follow the path this time; she cut straight down the slope, making sure not to disturb the plants too much. Her dress was green and blue and blended into the vegetation. With a little luck…