Dancer put his hand on Han’s arm. “And if you do that, who do you think the provosts will suspect? If you wanted to kill him you shouldn’t have faced off with him in public.”

Han scowled, but didn’t argue the point. He knew Dancer was right.

“If you go after him, I’ll have to back you. We’ll both be expelled,” Dancer said.

Han shook his head. “No. I never asked you to—”

“Right now he knows less about you than you do about him,” Dancer interrupted, knowing he was gaining ground. “You surprised him. He’s off balance. He’ll wait until he has more information before making his move. You can use that time, Hunts Alone.”

But Micah won’t be sitting idle, either, Han thought. Could he stand to walk around with that constant prickle between his shoulder blades?

He’d rather have a chat with Micah in a back alley and ease his own mind.

Dancer’s voice cut into Han’s thoughts. “I’m back from breakfast,” he called from the doorway. “I brought something for you.”

Han looked up in time to catch the napkin-wrapped bundle Dancer tossed at him. Pulling back a corner, he saw that it contained a biscuit with cheese and ham tucked inside. “Thank you,” Han said, taking a big bite.

“I saw Cat in the dining hall,” Dancer said.

“How was she?” Han asked, hoping a night’s sleep had improved her mood.

“Well,” Dancer said, “she still looked kind of witch-fixed. That Annamaya from last night was there. She’ll take her to her classes and help her get her books together.”

After they’d left the tavern the night before, they’d walked Cat back to the Temple School. By then she seemed to have run out of arguments. It worried Han, since he’d never known it to happen before. They left her standing at the door, arms wrapped around herself as if she hoped she could fold up and disappear.

Han hated to leave her there, but he’d already done enough walking around to know that there was no way to make a living on the down low within the walls of the academy. The provost guards were everywhere, the common spaces were brightly lit, and there’d be no cheap places to throw down for the night. It would be like trying to run a canting crew out of the castle close.

She had to make it work.

The bells in Mystwerk Tower sounded once. It was time to be on their way.