“No bet.” Domenic put a hand over his mouth. “I like my teeth where they are. But yes, I’m a selfish fool not to have wondered until yesterday what happens to the mage-marked who don’t want to join the Falcons. And I’m sorry for that.”

“Better late than never.” Zaira fixed him with an assessing stare. “So what are you going to do about it?”

“First, talk to my brother. He has friends who’ve had some success standing up to the Empire. Maybe we can start by protecting the mage-marked in Ardence, then work on getting Raverra to alter the Serene Accords.”

Zaira and I both stared at him in shock. By her expression, she hadn’t expected a serious answer; as for me, I couldn’t believe he was going to plan treason right here in front of me.

“Altering the law is a worthy long-term goal,” I said carefully. “But what do you mean, protecting the mage-marked in Ardence? If you simply mean keeping them safe from misguided or malicious attacks, the Falconers do that.”

“I thought they did.” Domenic’s brows lowered. “But after what happened in Ardence the other night, I’m not so sure.”

Dread caught its claws in my heart. Here it comes. “What happened? I still don’t know.”

“The Falconers seized Ardentine nobles’ children from their homes without warning.” Domenic took a heartfelt swallow of coffee, as if he could wash the awful taste of the words from his mouth. “The Empire is holding them against Ardence’s good behavior.”

“That’s impossible.” The dismissal burst instinctively from my lips.

Zaira let out a harsh bark of a laugh. “That the Falconers would abduct someone? Oh, yes, completely impossible.”

“Far from it. It’s happened before, almost exactly like this.” Domenic traced a pattern through the wet ring his mug had left on the table, as if writing history there. “When Raverra defeated Ardence and brought it into the Empire, two hundred years ago, there were nobles who refused to accept Raverran rule. The Empire took their firstborn hostage and kept them in the Mews with the Falcons until all murmurs of rebellion died down. I’m sure it’s a historical footnote for you, but no one in Ardence has forgotten.”

“I’m not saying the Empire would never do something like that.” I smoothed out my voice, trying to make it reasonable. “I’m saying they didn’t. The doge and the Falconers don’t know anything about this.”

“They must know.” Domenic shook his head. “The whole Ardentine Embassy is on fire with the news. The courier lamps are flashing nonstop with it. I’ve now heard over the lamps from several people with firsthand knowledge of the incident, including my brother, and a friend whose child was taken.”

“A friend! Not Venasha?”