There was nothing I could do to make peace with Ardence right now. That lay in the hands of Lady Terringer and the doge. But by all the Graces, I could at least do my best to make peace with Zaira.

Zaira opened the door to her room with a scowl. “Oh, it’s you.”

I smiled. No rudeness from Zaira could sour my mood today. “I’m glad to see you looking well after our adventures a couple days ago.”

Zaira raised a skeptical eyebrow. A bruise across her cheek had attained full splendor, presumably from her scuffle with Orthys’s ruffians. She hadn’t brushed her hair, and the redness around her eyes suggested either recent crying, an excess of wine the night before, or both.

“Yes, I’m chipper as a little bird. Are you here to tell me if I’m a very good girl, maybe someday you’ll take me to the world’s most boring fruit market again?”

“No.” I couldn’t contain the grin spreading across my face. Zaira must think I’d lost my mind. “But I have something for you in the courtyard.”

Zaira sneered. “Another gift?”

“No. Not really. But you should come and see.” I held out my hand, confident. Not much might impress Zaira, but I had yet to meet someone who could resist a mystery.

Zaira brushed past my extended hand and out into the hallway. “Oh, very well. It’s not as if I have anything better to do.”

I let Zaira precede me down the dormitory stairs. I stepped up in time to hold the door for her, gesturing her grandly through. My cheeks were ready to split.

Giving me one last, dubious look, Zaira stepped out into the courtyard.

And then they saw each other.

Zaira let out a wild, wordless cry and dropped to her knees, her arms outstretched. Ciardha let go the leash she held, and the lean, brown hound flung himself across the grass and into Zaira’s arms. His tail wagged so vigorously his entire back half became involved. He put his paws up on Zaira’s shoulders and licked her chin with frantic joy.

Zaira flung her arms around him, laughing, tears shining on her bruised cheek. “Scoundrel! You’re all right! I can’t believe it!”

I exchanged satisfied glances with Ciardha as the two wrestled, Scoundrel sniffing Zaira all over. I pretended not to notice when Zaira dragged a sleeve across her cheek.

“How did you find him?” Zaira demanded at last, her arm locked tight around the hound’s bony shoulders.

“I wandered all around the Tallows, calling his name.”

Her face froze in an odd mix of skepticism and laughter, clearly not sure whether to believe me.

“I may also have bribed a large number of children to help,” I added. “Children are surprisingly knowledgeable about local strays, and love being bribed. Beef bones may also have been employed.”