“Princesita,” he says. It’s a diminutive he uses only when pleading with me, as he did when my heart was broken the first—and last—time, and I climbed out a window to the edge of the roof to mourn in private. He thought I was going to jump.

“The jaguar will be drowsy,” I say. Because it has eaten its fill. Zito winces. “If we bring the cat back, destroy this thing that has everyone so terrified, they’ll see us as heroes. Saviors. We might even save this wedding. At the very least, we’ll demonstrate that the crown still cares about Paxón’s people.”

“Alodia, please,” he says.

“Are you coming with me?” I say. I climb onto the back of the stone jaguar, careful to avoid the drying blood, and it’s only a short reach to pull myself atop the wall. But the garden is built into a slope, and the drop on the other side is longer than I anticipated. I hesitate.

“Here,” he says, a bit angrily. “If you’re going out there by yourself, you’ll need a weapon.” He pulls a knife from his belt and tosses it up to me. I snatch it from the air.

He means to discourage me, but he has failed. I slip the blade into my own belt. “Thank you. I’ll see you when I return, then.”

I swing my legs over the wall, then my body, and hang by my fingertips. The drop between my boots and the ground is little more than the height of a man, but in the dark, it feels like a chasm.

“Alodia!” The whispered exclamation is accompanied by the soft thud of his staff and the sound of his boots on the sculpture.

It is all I need to hear. I let go.

My legs are too stiff when I hit the ground. The impact shivers up to my knees, which respond by buckling, and I plop gracelessly onto my rear.

Are you all right, Highness?”

“Come find me if I’m not back by the noon meal.”

He mutters something under his breath that I’m fairly certain is a string of swear words in several languages, and then says, “Move away from the wall. I’m coming down.”

I’m glad the dark hides my smile as I scramble out of his way. His spear drops first, clacking against the wall before it hits the ground. He follows a moment later, rolling upon impact, and comes up standing. I am impressed.

He brushes off his pants. “Your Highness, this is foolish beyond measure, even for you.”

I hand him his spear. My left ankle hurts a little when I shift my weight onto it, but I’ll never tell. “You said something does not add up, and I agree. Let’s trace the creature’s path, and see if we can find what has eluded us.”