“The copperhead story,” Micah said bitterly. “Why must you always believe the copperhead story?” He paused, and when Raisa said nothing, went on. “First deVilliers, and now Lord and Lady Gryphon. Alister knew there was no way the Gryphons would support a vote for a street thug. So he removes their influence, and—”

“Han Alister would never burn Ragmarket,” Raisa interrupted. “Anyway, he was there, fighting the fire, too. You saw him.”

“Just hear me out,” Micah said. He paused, collecting himself.

Maybe weariness had weakened Micah’s usual social shields, but Raisa had never seen him so emotionally wrought. His hands were actually shaking. He wasn’t telling the whole truth, but there was some elemental truth in what he was saying.

“As soon as Alister won his vote, he announced that his copperhead friend would replace him on the council. He said he’d talked it over with you, and you’d agreed. He had it in writing.” He looked at Raisa, his eyes brilliant with reproach.

“I did talk to Alister about it, and Fire Dancer is my choice,” Raisa said. “What of it?”

Micah fell silent, staring down at his hands, twisting his ring, the only sound the rattle of the wheels over stone, the murmur of conversation from overhead.

Finally, he looked up and said, “It seems that Fire Dancer is my half brother.”

Raisa felt like she’d been punched in the gut, all the breath driven out of her. “What?” she whispered, the word catching in her throat.

“Apparently his mother and my father had an encounter years ago,” Micah said. “They tell differing stories about how it happened—about who seduced whom.”

“Your father—and Willo?” Raisa shook her head. “No. That’s not possible.” Even as she said it, she knew it must be true—else Micah would never have brought it up.

“Fire Dancer and Alister have known it all along,” Micah said. “And chose to reveal it at the council meeting in order to discredit my father.” He reached out and brushed Raisa’s hair off her forehead. She was too stunned to resist. “Tell me, Raisa, if you trust Alister, why is it he is keeping so many secrets from you?”

That much is true, Raisa thought, unsettled. Han is keeping secrets from me. What else don’t I know?

“Anyway,” Micah continued, “as soon as the meeting was over, Alister disappeared. This is what I think. He raced down Gray Lady so he could reach town before I did. He wanted to set fire to Ragmarket before I could alert you in time to stop it. Then he made a show of helping to put the fire out when Ragmarket was nearly gone.”

“I don’t believe it,” Raisa said stubbornly. “I don’t care how many times you repeat it. It was his home. His friends live there.”

“And he did save some of their lives,” Micah said. “I’m not denying him that.”