The dean’s face was creased with puzzlement and suspicion. Gryphon looked happier than Han had ever seen him, the layers of pain and frustration and bitterness fallen away. He looked like a dedicate who’d seen the face of the Maker.

Peculiar.

“I’d love to chat further about this,” Han said, tearing his eyes away from Gryphon, “but we’ve been here too long, and I don’t want to risk another ambush.”

“Let’s go,” Mordra said, gazing around uneasily.

“Everyone reach in and take hold of me.” The other six stood in a circle around Han, jockeying for position until they all had a grip. “Now, you’ll speak the charm to open the portal, while I speak mine.”

The world went dark in a jumble of competing voices. Han opened his eyes to Abelard’s meeting room and felt the weight of someone on top of him. It was Fiona. They were in a kind of tangle on the mattresses. Han quickly extracted himself and stood.

He counted. All had returned. He let go a sigh of relief.

Abelard took her own head count. “Well,” she said briskly, “at least we didn’t lose anyone, even if there were a few injuries.” Her tone suggested there was no making omelets without breaking eggs. “Congratulations on traveling to Aediion, something not many can say they’ve done. I will let you know whether there will be any follow-up on this. In the meantime, I shouldn’t have to remind you to say nothing about this to anyone.”

“Excuse me, Dean Abelard,” Han said. “You all can do what you want, but I’m not going back. It’s not worth the risk.”

Several of the others nodded in agreement.

Abelard tightened her lips but said nothing more as they filed out silently.

Micah and Fiona waited for Han at the bottom of the stairs. “I want to talk to you,” Fiona said, gripping his arm, her fingers digging into his flesh.

“Hands off,” Han said, his knife pressing into Fiona’s throat. “I’ll give you to the count of three. One.”

She jerked back her hands. Han’s knife disappeared.

“Just because I didn’t hush you in Aediion doesn’t mean we can all be friends,” Han said. “I want to get a few things straight with you. Now, let’s walk out onto the quad, where it’s nice and public. I’m not meeting in back alleys with a pair of connivers like you.”

He walked out into the center of the quad and sat down on a bench on the pavilion surrounding Bayar Fountain.

The Bayars followed him. Han gestured to a nearby bench. They sat.