The day after tomorrow, the doge might order me to loose Zaira’s fire on this palace, and all Venasha’s beloved books could be destroyed. I swallowed a hard lump.

“I’d love to see them,” I said.

Most of the River Palace’s more public rooms were themed after one of the Graces; the Ducal Library occupied the Hall of Wisdom. Bookshelves covered the bottom two-thirds of the high walls, with statues of noted Ardentine scholars standing on top of them, conferring with each other or examining books or instruments of science. The ceiling fresco depicted the Grace of Wisdom with her scroll, smiling benevolently down on the book-burdened library tables below.

I had barely stepped through the doors at Venasha’s side, however, when I stopped as if I’d hit a wall. “What’s he doing here?”

On the far side of the Hall of Wisdom, I’d recognized one of the library patrons reading at the tables, unmistakable even from behind due to his pale hair and high-collared coat with its jagged violet embroidery. Prince Ruven.

Venasha followed my gaze. “Ugh. He’s been lurking around the library on and off for days. He spent at least two hours there yesterday, in the magic section.” Venasha’s nose scrunched up in distaste. “I keep my distance from him. He orders the librarians around as if he owns us.”

“I can imagine.” I took my lower lip between my teeth a moment, thinking. “Would you be willing to help me figure out what he’s reading? I have a feeling he’s up to no good.”

Venasha’s eyes widened. “Ooh, you want to spy on him?”

“Well, just to see what he’s researching.”

She gave a sort of skip. “Spying! How Raverran! I love it!”

“Ah …” I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what Venasha thought we did in Raverra. “Thank you. You’re a good friend.”

She glanced around in an exaggerated crafty fashion. “Come with me. Let me put these books away, and we can conspire.”

Venasha and I peered at Prince Ruven from behind a two-story bookshelf near the back wall, breathing in the smell of old pages and leather covers. He sat with a large book spread out on the table before him, pausing sometimes to take notes. Sunlight fell across him in a wide swath from one of the Ducal Library’s high, narrow windows.

“We need to get him away from his book,” I murmured. “I want to see what page he’s looking at so studiously, before he has the chance to shut it.”

“That’s easy.” Venasha bounced on her toes. “He likes a lot of light. Whenever any of us close the drapes, to protect the books from the sun, he gets up and opens them again. But you’ll have only a minute or two to look.”

“That’s all I should need. Thanks, Venasha.”