The trek across the Spring District is a leisurely walk in comparison to the Labyrinth, but our silence makes the tension between us grow like a balloon, straining and ready to burst.

We haven’t talked about his admission from the other day. Part of me thinks he wishes he could take it all back. I may not be the risk he wanted to take, but he’s still here with me, helping me.

I think that counts for something.

When we reach the palace, the sky is only just beginning to shift to a pale indigo. Morning won’t be far away, but for now the quiet dawn is on our side.

The servants’ entrance is at the side of the palace, stepped lower than even the lowest windows. We move across the grass, crouched low despite the veil. A pair of Legion Guards fly overhead, headed north toward the Winter Keep, but Gil seems unbothered by their movement. I tell myself I can be unbothered too, even though all I can think about is Martin and whether he knows what’s happening to him right now.

We slip through the door, listening carefully for any sounds behind the walls. A human with strawberry-blond hair stands at one of the tables, propping freshly cut flowers into one of the vases. We move silently, invisible to her unaware gaze.

I lead Gil down into the basement and turn the lights on. Brightness takes over, and I wait for a gasp that never comes.

Because the room is completely empty.

I blink. “I don’t understand. There were hundreds of them before.”

Gil doesn’t react, keeping his hand close to his blades.

I sense the doubt in his eyes, and my mind starts to shake. “I saw them. They were standing in rows, and—” I hesitate. “Maybe she’s in the kitchens.” I hurry back up the stairs, brushing away Gil’s hand when he tries to stop me.

I move through the servants’ quarters quickly, checking behind every door, peering down every hallway, but I can’t find the girl anywhere. And I must be moving too fast for Gil to veil us comfortably, because when I’m halfway up the steps to the main palace, he whispers my name louder than is safe.

I turn and see Gil’s concerned brow. He doesn’t understand why I need this—why I won’t leave a stranger behind.

But saving her is the only thing in Infinity that makes perfect sense. It’s the only thing that feels right.

I charge up the rest of the stairs, but then his arms are around me and he’s dragging me back down to the stone floor. I throw an elbow toward his face like we’re back in the sparring ring, but he moves out of the way effortlessly.

“Let go of me,” I hiss, twisting in his grip even as he pulls me toward the kitchen.