“No, Grace of Wisdom help me.” He sighed. “I met with the Shadow Gentry last night, and I have to admit, it didn’t go quite as I’d hoped.”

The shadows laid across the garden seemed suddenly darker, sharp-edged with the implication of treason. I tried to keep my voice light. “Oh?”

“I should have known better, I suppose.” Domenic cast his eyes up at the clouded sky, as if hoping for guidance from the Graces. No light shone through the deep black overcast. “I keep hoping Gabril is doing this for the right reasons. To help the mage-marked, and make Ardence a better place. And maybe some of the Shadow Gentry are. But mostly what I heard in that room was pride and anger.”

Pride and anger could drive people to do hard things. I hoped Gabril’s name wasn’t one of the ones with which Baron Leodra had planned to buy his life. “I’m sorry.”

“Gabril is hosting a party for his Shadow Gentry friends in a few days.” Domenic’s voice dropped lower. “I think it would do them good to see not everyone in Raverra is hostile to Ardence.”

“Of course we aren’t! Do they really think that?”

“Well, not all of them. Half the Shadow Gentry are caught up in the idea of Ardentine glory and Ardentine independence. They see Raverra as holding Ardence back from what it could become. The other half …” He shook his head. “You don’t see it here, because it’s a party for Ignazio, but there’s a fury among many of the nobility about the children. The Shadow Gentry ride the wave of that fury. They believe Raverra has taken everything from them—first their fortunes, and now their cherished heirs—and they’re willing to fight to get it all back.”

“That’s a terrible idea.” I twisted a lock of hair in my fingers. “We have to resolve this diplomatically. There’s still time.”

“I hope so. Maybe you can help me convince them there’s still a peaceful solution. That it has not yet come to swords and fire.” He extended a hand. “Will you come to Gabril’s party and meet them, as my guest?”

So it was treason after all.

I could refuse his invitation, keeping my honor intact. I could tell him I was a loyal servant of the Serene City, and would not attend any gathering where a secret society plotted against her.

But if I did that, I would lose my only opportunity to infiltrate the Shadow Gentry.

I reached out and took his proffered hand, with the miserable reluctance of fishing a dropped glove out of a puddle. “If it will help avert war, I would be happy to attend and talk to them.”

Domenic squeezed my fingers and released them, the quick pressure of a grateful friend. “Good! And you’ll bring Zaira, too, I hope?”