He and the others hurried on in the wake of the prince. Xilsi and Jirvy brought up the rear, jogging past Elen as if they had not seen her. Menials raced out from the camp, holding globe-lamps to light their way. Not one looked back to see if she was coming. The people hurried inside the wall of carriages. The camp came alive like disturbed wasps, voices a frantic hum in the night as everyone scrambled to care for their afflicted prince.

She’s not my aunt.

Since you don’t trust me.

What did these comments mean?

At length, she could breathe normally again. For now, Kem was safe, and that was enough.

The wind picked up as the moon rose higher. She lifted her gaze to the towers, thinking that, from out here, she might see the high scaffolding shine beneath the moon. But all she saw was darkness, as if there was nothing inside the walls, as if the Spires weren’t a haven or a lookout but rather a door that led out of this world and into a place no human was meant to go.

After taking a breath to steady herself, she set a hand behind her, resting it against the statue whose solidity had saved her. She’d give herself one more calming breath before heading back to camp. Only then did she realize she was facing the statue of the woman who was holding the head of a young man in her arms. That couldn’t be right.

Turning, she faced the statue she was so sure had been missing before. Had she hallucinated that it was gone because she’d been so frightened for Kem?

The statue was the same as it had always been, all these years she’d walked the circuit of the Moonrise Hills. It wore the face of the haunt she’d spoken to last night, with his intriguing smile, lips half-parted as if he were about to speak an ironically sly comment. In his hands, he held not the carved dragon’s head she’d seen before. He held a stone head carved with the features of Prince Gevulin.

24 TO THIS DAY

WHEN THE PALL first rose in the reign of the sentimental Azalea Emperor, a Prince of the Fourth Estate was sent to investigate.

When he did not return, a Prince of the Third Estate was sent to investigate.

When she did not return, the beloved Crown Prince went to the emperor and said, “Let this be my responsibility.”

The emperor had only recently elevated the Crown Prince to the Second Estate. This Crown Prince was the child of the emperor’s favorite consort, a child of grace and beauty, obedient and charming, intelligent and in all ways honorable, dutiful, and competent to become emperor in time. The emperor refused to send the beloved Crown Prince into the fray and instead rode out himself.