That startled her. “What are you talking about?”

His color darkened, which surprised her even more. Parajistas from powerful Clan Garika did not make eyes at kinless drudges.

“We’re good friends,” she said. “Is that not enough?”

Lovely, arrogant boys like him only loved a person until they loved them back.

She turned and stumbled down the steps, gripping the rail hand over hand to keep from falling headlong back down all twelve flights. Her breathing was better, but she would need to see the temple physician. Spending time with Roh had gotten more and more confusing of late. He left her more frustrated than anything. Her focus was the promise she made her mother. That’s all.

She made it down almost a floor before she heard voices coming from below.

Lilia tried to step back, and fell. Roh grabbed her arm to steady her. He released her almost immediately and apologized for touching her without asking.

“It’s all right,” she said. “Someone’s coming.” Lilia tried to get past him up the stairs, but there wasn’t any room.

“You can kiss me,” he said, staring over her shoulder as the voices grew closer.

“What?” she said.

“What other reason do we have for being up here?”

“Para, Roh, stop ironing my head.”

“I’m not trying to annoy you,” he said.

“Since when?”

“Can I kiss you?” he whispered. “Should we tell them we’re doing laundry, maybe?”

It was a rude and sometimes dangerous thing, to touch without consent. No one had dared do more than grab at her sleeve since she was twelve. People in the temple might play strategy games with her, but no one cared to court her. She wasn’t entirely sure she was ready.

“No,” she said.

“What are you doing up here?”

Lilia jumped. Roh let out a squeak. Lilia covered her mouth to keep from laughing.

Ora Almeysia, Mistress of Novices, rounded the stair ahead of them. Almeysia was tall and wiry, like a bird, with a nest of tangled white hair knotted in pale ribbons.

“I’m sorry,” Lilia said. Her cheeks felt hot. She glanced at Roh. His color, too, had deepened, and that made her want to laugh even more. All this sneaking around for a mark on a map that she had no idea how to reach.

“We’re going,” Roh said.

“Rohinmey Tadisa Garika,” Almeysia said. “This is not the first time I’ve caught you where you shouldn’t be. I want you in my study at dusk. We’ll mete out your atonement for this indiscretion. And you… who are you?”

“Just a drudge,” Lilia said.

“Drudges have names. What are you called?”

“Lilia Sona.”

“No clan.”

“I’m a woodland Dhai,” Lilia said.