“Graces preserve us. You’re right.” I slumped under the weight of realization. This must be what Baron Leodra had meant, when he said I’d be in danger if I went to Ardence: he’d known they planned to abduct me.

“And Vaskandar takes advantage of our distraction to strike our flank and seize territory while our military attention is focused on Ardence and our support from our client states is in question.” Marcello shook his head. “I wish I could say it was a bad plan.”

“If it were a bad plan, we’d have stopped it by now.”

Marcello spread his hands. “How do we stop it? Aside from searching for the children and protecting you, what more can we do?”

I released a long breath. “We need to warn Duke Astor.”

The next morning, I woke early, when the gray light blended with grayer shadows to paint my room with a palette of uncertainty. The knowledge that tomorrow was the doge’s deadline sat in my stomach like a toad.

I went down to breakfast expecting to find no one else awake save the servants. But as I descended the stairs, I glanced through the parlor to the dining room and spotted Zaira already there, elbows on the table, cradling a cup of coffee. Opposite her an unexpected guest sprawled in his chair, picking the fluffy white center out of a roll with fierce precision: Jerith Antelles. I couldn’t hear what he was saying to her, but his expression was more serious than I’d ever seen it, and his voice was low and urgent.

I hesitated at the foot of the stairs, drawing to the side a step to break my line of sight through the parlor. Whatever they were talking about on the morning before Zaira might receive an order to burn down Ardence, I suspected it was a matter between warlocks, and my presence might not be welcome.

“I hope you don’t mind a visit so early.”

I turned to find Balos behind me. He bent his broad shoulders in a bow of apology.

“Not at all. I’m delighted. What are you doing here?” That last may not have come out as politely as I intended it, but I couldn’t fathom how or why these two had appeared in Ignazio’s town house, when last I heard they’d been back at the Mews.

Balos chuckled. “We’re heading north to visit Jerith’s mother for her birthday. Ardence is on the way, so we stayed at the garrison last night. We thought we’d drop by before setting out this morning to say hello.”

My eyes flicked toward the dining room. “Just to say hello?”

He sighed, and his voice dropped to a rumbling whisper. “We heard about the deadline tomorrow. Jerith wanted to talk to her.”

“Has he ever …” I fidgeted with the lace at my collar. “Has Jerith had to, ah …”