‘I should be helping you, not the other way around. I’m the eldest.’

‘Not by much.’

‘And I’ve lived more years than you.’

This was especially true after the extended time between lives she’d just been forced to endure. ‘It’s not about how many years you live, but how you live them. Besides, we don’t need to fight over this. We can agree to help each other.’

‘So you’ll tell me what you’re hiding?’

‘If you want me to. But first I want to know if my absence has been noted.’

‘They suspect something’s off, but I set the servants tasks so they wouldn’t realize you weren’t here. They think you’re in the room next door.’

Pari thought about what she’d seen of Sagan. ‘We have two rooms?’

‘We have the whole of this floor.’

She let go of her brother and walked round the room, peering closely at the walls and floor, noting the little marks where the wood was darker, unbleached by the sunslight. ‘There’s normally another two beds in here.’

‘Yes,’ agreed Arkav. ‘They’ve cleared them out to make room for my things.’

‘Along with the people who live here.’

‘That’s right.’

For some reason, she found herself thinking of Lord Vasin. He wouldn’t be happy about this. Am I happy about this? It was all too easy to imagine the usual occupants stuffed into another room, already full, like trying to get both feet into the same boot.

While she knew the importance of keeping Nidra and their plans secret, it pained her to know that someone had been ejected from their home to give her a room she hadn’t even used.

‘What a mess. Let’s be on our way so these people can have their lives back.’

She was just about to go next door when she noticed Arkav scratching at his chest. The silk was already pulled loose there, suggesting it wasn’t the first time he’d worried it. ‘Are you alright?’

‘I’m fine.’

‘Now you’re lying.’

At his offended look, she crouched in front of him and gently pulled the silk away. The skin underneath was raised and raw, old and new scabs crisscrossing each other. ‘Arkav, this is not fine.’

He looked down, and seemed to be as surprised as she was. ‘I …’

‘You have to stop.’ She took his hands in her own and made sure he was looking at her. ‘This is important. You could have drawn blood.’

‘I wouldn’t go that far.’

‘By the look of this, you have before.’

He sagged, nodded. ‘I’m sorry. I was just trying to …’ He trailed off.

‘Trying to what?’

‘Nothing.’

‘No, tell me.’

‘Only if you promise not to judge.’

‘I won’t. You know I won’t.’

He managed a partial smile at that. ‘I know. I was trying to find the hole.’