I suspected Ignazio’s claims that Lady Terringer wouldn’t notice he was in town were optimistic. Lady Terringer herself did not appear to be in attendance, though I glimpsed Lady Savony stalking about like a long-limbed stork, with a sour expression that suggested she’d rather be working. By the way she glared at some of the more excessively garbed nobles, with enough jewels dripping off them to ransom a king, she probably thought the party guests would be better off working on solving Ardence’s problems, too. Some of them grimaced and slipped away when she approached, like children avoiding their governess.

The room hummed with a restless energy, voices rising and falling with open agitation in a way I never saw in Raverra, where everyone played their cards far closer to their chests. I heard fear in their voices, and sometimes anger. Repeated words and phrases plucked at my ears: missing children … an outrage … Shadow Gentry … Vaskandar. And Raverra or the Empire, always with a sigh, scowl, or curse.

I instinctively searched the gathering for the familiar line of Marcello’s shoulders or curl of his hair, but he was off at the garrison coordinating with the local imperial military and getting Istrella and the other Falconers set up with everything they needed for the projects the doge had set them. Zaira lingered by the buffet, eating like a starving wolf and flirting with Domenic. Much as I wanted to say hello to my old friend, I headed in the opposite direction; Zaira’s presence tended to have a dominating effect on conversation.

A familiar voice called my name. “Amalia! I thought it was you!”

I whirled, delighted, to face my old study partner. “Venasha!”

I barely glimpsed her brilliant smile and bouncing curls before she swept me into a hug.

“How are you?” I asked a mouthful of her hair.

“Fine, fine!” She held me back at arm’s length, grinning. “I have a new position in the Ducal Library, and I love it. Their magical-theory section is incredible. And I have students to shelve for me! I get to just do research and acquire books.”

“Perfect! I’ll have to visit you there.” The thought of all those books was enough to distract me from my worries. “How are Foss and the baby?”

Her smile flickered. “They’re well.”

“I’d love to see them.”

“Well, ah … of course.”

I gripped her arm. “Venasha, don’t tell me something’s wrong with the baby.”

“Oh, no! Though Aleki’s not really a baby anymore. You won’t believe how much he’s grown. He’s walking and talking now, and getting into everything.” Her voice turned cheerful again, though worry still pinched her brows. “Foss is exhausted from running around after him while I’m at the library. He delights in pulling books off shelves and dumping them on the floor. Little barbarian!”