She must have dozed off, because she woke to someone banging at her door. She rubbed her hands across her face, confused as to why she was sleeping in the kitchen chair, and then she remembered.

“Mariel,” she whispered, and rushed to answer.

It was Hypatia. The woman looked the worse for wear, her normally jovial face haggard.

“Did you find her?” Celeste asked, waving her in.

Her nod was grim. She dropped onto the wooden chair on the other side of the kitchen table. “Do you have coffee?”

“Can’t you just tell me?”

“Celeste, make me some goddamned coffee. I’ve been to hell for you, almost literally, and I think I earned it.”

Celeste stiffened. “Sorry.”

“And some for yourself, too,” she said conciliatorily. “I think you will need fortifying.”

She didn’t like the sound of that. “I have tea. Will it do?”

“If by tea you mean hot water and whiskey, then yes.”

Celeste rose and went to coax the burner on and place the kettle over the newly lit flame. She brought down the whiskey from the high shelf.

“The water will take time to boil. Tell me now. I can’t wait.”

Hypatia’s exhale was long and expressive. “They have taken her to the Virtues’ Circle.”

“What is that? A thing? A place?”

“I reckon it’s both. Some kind of special court where the Order of Chamuel presides.”

The kettle whistled, and Hypatia sat silently as Celeste readied the tea. Once done, she brought the kettle, cups, and liquor to the table.

Hypatia took the whiskey first and drank straight from the bottle, her hand gripping the neck like a lifeline. Celeste watched, worried. Hypatia was a woman who liked her booze, but she’d never seen her so distraught. Whatever she had done to track the Virtues had left her shaken. Only after the alcohol had begun its work did she speak.

“She is at the territory courthouse, likely because there is a jail there in its cellar, carved out of the natural rock. They’ve got angelic wards around the exterior. What that means I don’t quite know, but I was told it was important and breaking them would be costly.”

“Told? By whom?”

She held up a hand, indicating that Celeste should let her finish. “Whatever they think Mariel did, they mean to hold her without interference. Those Virtues must want her real bad.”

“So it’s murder she’s accused of, then.” Part of her had been holding out for a misunderstanding, something more reasonable, but she couldn’t deny the truth any longer.

The reality sat between them, heavy and undeniable now.

Celeste rested her face in her hands, overcome. “Heaven and hell, Hypatia. What do I do?”

“And here’s the hard part.”

She looked up, frowning. “Harder than Mariel arrested for murder?”

“I told you I’d call in a favor. Well, you might not like it, but he’s offered to help.”