Hoping to avoid waking Cat, Raisa slid out of her chair and was halfway across the room when Amon pounded on the door.

“Wait! Let me,” Cat said, rolling off the bed.

“It’s all right, it’s Captain Byrne,” Raisa said, pulling the door open.

He stood framed in the doorway, Talia and Pearlie just behind him. He looked drenched, his hair plastered down with wet, and his cloak soaked through. “I’m sorry for the intrusion, Your Majesty. I needed to—”

Amon looked over Raisa’s shoulder, his eyes fastening on Cat. He didn’t look happy to see her. “Lady Tyburn,” he said, inclining his head.

Whatever he had to say, he didn’t want Cat to hear it.

“You can go now, Cat,” Raisa said. “Captain Byrne is here, and I’ve kept you up late enough. No reason for you to be up all night.”

“I can stay,” Cat said, looking from Amon to Raisa. “Maybe I can help with—”

“That’s not necessary,” Amon cut in. “Good night.” He nodded toward the door.

Cat slumped out of the room with many backward looks.

Murmuring something to Talia and Pearlie, Amon closed the door behind Cat. Turning back to Raisa, he took a deep breath. “I know it’s late, but I need to speak with you right now.”

“I was still awake,” Raisa said, gripping her elbows on either side, suddenly chilled. Something in Amon’s expression said he brought bad news. Very bad news.

Her first thought was Han, and her heart faltered. What if he’d finally drawn the killers he was hunting? What if they’d taken him by surprise?

Amon thrust a bundle of cloth into Raisa’s hands. “Put this on. We’re going out.” He crossed to the connecting door to Han’s suite, tried it, then locked it. “You need to keep this locked, Rai,” he said.

“What is it? What’s happened? Where are we going?”

He shook his head. “Ragmarket. There’s something I need to show you.”

Raisa unfolded the bundle. It was a hooded cloak—standard Queen’s Guard issue. She slid into it, hitching up the bottom and tucking it into her waist so it wouldn’t drag on the ground.

“Let’s go,” she said.

“You—come with us,” Amon ordered the bluejackets outside the door. With Talia and Pearlie, that made six guards trailing them out the side door and into the rain. Raisa pulled the hood up, clutching it together against the storm. They crossed the drawbridge and passed through the gate into streets running with inky rainwater. The wizard lights seemed few and far between on this darkest of nights, brightened only when lightning intruded into the narrow streets.

“Talk to me,” Raisa said, leaning close to Amon. “What’s going on?”