“I don’t know. But there has to be something. You say leave it to the Council, but I’ll be on the Council someday. I have to learn how to do these things.” I jabbed a finger at him. “And you’ll be in charge of the Falconers, so you don’t get to dodge this either.”

“All right.” He nodded gravely. “We’ll figure it out. Though I don’t have any idea how.”

“Neither do I,” I admitted. “Not yet.”

But a glimmering started in the back of my mind. I could think of two entities that might benefit from starting a war between Raverra and Ardence: the Shadow Gentry, who wanted to break away from the Empire; and Vaskandar, which could take advantage of the Empire’s moment of weakness to make another attempt at seizing Loreice.

Domenic might be able to find out more about the Shadow Gentry for me. As for Vaskandar …

It was time to gird myself in corsetry and go into battle once more.

It was late in the season for a garden party, but they were a rare enough pleasure in canal-crowded Raverra that Lady Hortensia’s town house overflowed with guests. Her gardens were considered some of the best in Raverra: a hidden enclave of green enclosed behind high brick walls, with trees and bushes and statuary all carefully placed to create dozens of little nooks and garden rooms in which one could have an intimate conversation and feel quite alone. It was the sort of party where young couples paired up and disappeared awhile behind cunningly shaped hedges, and you might want to clear your throat before rounding a corner.

Most important, it was the party my mother’s contacts had assured me Prince Ruven was attending that afternoon.

As I strolled the garden’s winding paths alongside Ruven, the scar on my wrist itched, reminding me that garden parties were also a fine place for an assassination. He could be hiding a dozen weapons under that long, high-collared coat of his. And as a powerful Skinwitch, he needed none at all.

“So clever, the ways you Raverrans find to tuck pockets of green on your little stone islands.” Ruven sighed. “I wish I could stay and enjoy your wonderful city longer, but alas, I must depart shortly. I hope you will come and visit me in Vaskandar, Lady Amalia. Then you could see the true beauty of an ancient forest, with trees older than your Empire.”

“Leaving so soon!” I tried to sound disappointed rather than relieved. “Will you be stopping in Ardence on your way back?”