“We have to get back to Ignazio’s town house,” I said. I needed my full dose of elixir before my three hours’ grace was up. While it would be some time before I was in any real danger from the poison, I couldn’t afford to lose tonight to recovery. Not when the doge’s ultimatum ran out tomorrow.

“Are you mad?” Zaira smiled across the street at a woman with a little dog running at her heels, but there was venom in her whisper. “That’s exactly where they’ll look for us first!”

“I’m not a murderer, and I’m not going to act like one.” I felt like one, though. Fear and horror coursed through my veins to the pounding rhythm of my blood. Lamps over doorways revealed me to enemies with their golden light; but shadows were no better, menacing with unknown dangers.

“So far as Ardence is concerned right now, we are murderers. They’re going to send soldiers after us. And you know what the duke’s orders are if they do that.”

I did. My stomach twisted. “But if we unleash your balefire, Lady Savony gets her war.”

“If we don’t, she makes sure you die in the scuffle, and she gets her war anyway. Our only chance is not getting caught. I can handle that; I’m good at not getting caught. You think about what we do next.”

I tried to order my thoughts. “We can’t just hide. We need to contact Lady Terringer and the garrison. The Serene Empire is on our side.”

“The Empire may be on our side, but our enemy controls all of Ardence. And you know she has people waiting to ambush you when you go home.”

I hesitated. My mother had told me over and over again the elixir must remain a secret, so that enemies wouldn’t learn of my vulnerability. But it would be rather hard to ask for help if no one knew what was wrong.

“I need something at Ignazio’s town house,” I said at last. “It’s important.”

Zaira threw up her hands. “Fine. But I’m not getting killed for you. If we get attacked, you have to release me this time.”

“Can you get us into the town house unnoticed?”

She sighed. “Maybe. I’ll try.”

Zaira had me pay a pair of passing Loreician merchants outrageous sums for a couple of showy feathered hats and mantled capes. When we were a block away from Ignazio’s town house, she stopped to scoop filthy ashes from the street and reached for my face.

“What are you doing?” I drew back.

“They’re looking for a woman,” she said. “Stand still and take your mustache like a man.”

I stood rigid at the indignity as she smeared black on my face to approximate a mustache and little pointed beard.

“There,” she said. “Now you’re a right proper Loreician gentleman.”