That evening, Han and Dancer walked back to the Matriarch Lodge for the promised strategy meeting with all the players and plotters. It was the first time Han had seen Raisa since her confession to him. When they entered the common room of the lodge, she was sitting cross-legged on the floor, engaged in animated conversation with Averill and Elena Demonai. Her father and grandmother, Han reminded himself.

Still, she looked up when Han entered as if she sensed his presence. Leaning forward, her hands pressed onto her leggings, she searched his face with a kind of mute appeal.

Han averted his eyes and found a seat on the floor on the far side of the room.

Amon Byrne and Averill Demonai reported on the news from the capital. If the Princess Raisa didn’t show at the queen’s burial, they’d put her little sister on the throne. So suddenly the discussion was not if she would attend but how she could do it safely.

So the Princess Raisa would get her way, as princesses usually do.

Reid Nightwalker Demonai and the newly minted Night Bird were there. Several times, Han felt the pressure of Bird’s eyes on him. He pretended not to notice.

Nightwalker was another matter. Han could tell that his presence was like a tick under the Demonai warrior’s skin. So Han made it a point to challenge his black stare every chance he got, like they were rival streetlords in the market.

The site for the memorial service lay on the south flank of the newly named Marianna Peak, north of the Vale. At least it was neutral ground; if anyone had an edge, it was the clans.

Han knew the place—he’d hunted the area with Dancer and Bird—though it had been a long time ago. The flatlanders called it Camelback Mountain. The clans had a more picturesque name for the double summit. Now both names would be discarded in favor of Marianna.

The memorial site was accessible from the mountains to the north, using a high pass between the twin summits. Though that would be hard going this early in spring.

“Before we go further,” Averill Lightfoot said, glancing at Han and Dancer, “there is something else you should know.”

All eyes turned to the Demonai patriarch.

“When I returned to the city yesterday, I asked the Demonai warriors assigned to my guard to search the queen’s gardens again, to see if there were any clues that Queen Marianna’s guard might have overlooked.” To Amon, he added, “I’m not meaning to suggest that the guard’s search was lacking in any way.”

“No offense taken,” Amon said evenly.

Averill nodded, then put his hand on Bird’s shoulder. “Night Bird, can you show us what you found?”