“Spy rats?” Bram says, his voice disbelieving.

“I’m afraid so,” Talon says. He looks at me. “I don’t like this.”

“Neither do I, but what choice do we have? If we bail now, we fail the challenge. You’ll all be stripped of your magic and go home with nothing. And if I don’t find Latham, I won’t ever get my mother’s bones back.”

I don’t add that my thirst for revenge is propelling me forward more than it ever has before. That I would do anything to watch Latham suffer.

Tessa grabs my hand and squeezes my fingers. “Be careful.”

I turn and pull her into an embrace. “I’m just going in to ask questions. Rayna Roe probably isn’t even here. I’ll be fine.”

“I’ll come find you if you’re not back soon.”

“Sounds like a plan.” But we both know she’s unlikely to get past the guards. If I don’t come back, there’s very little she can do about it.

I try to keep my breathing even as Bram and I approach the entrance to the shadow market. I have the advantage of seeing Audra do this once before. It’s important that I project confidence. Act like I belong.

But when we get to the door, the guard doesn’t hesitate. “Not a chance,” he says without looking at us. “Move along.”

“We’re here to see Master Rayna.”

He snorts. “Master Rayna?”

My neck goes hot as I realize my mistake—the show of deference seems out of place here. I make my expression go steely.

“If you knew her, I think you’d find she prefers the title. Now, can you let us pass?”

He turns a withering gaze on me. “You have a lot of nerve attempting to command me.”

Panic closes my throat. But I force myself to stay calm. “And you have a lot of nerve to deny me entrance.”

We stand there a moment, eyes locked in a battle of wills.

“I’m not leaving until I get what I came for,” I say finally.

He laughs. “And what exactly did you come for?”

“Revenge.”

Something like grudging admiration washes over his expression, as if I’ve finally convinced him I belong in a place like this. He chuckles. Then he steps aside and motions me forward with a gallant sweep of his arm. “Far be it from me to stand between a lady and her vengeance.”

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Bram says as we wander through the shadow market. His voice is a mixture of horror and awe. It’s exactly how I feel.