Lilitha stiffened, offended. “Hypatia told me all about you. How you think you’re better than us ’cause you don’t got no Mark. Growing up all hoity-toity among the Elects. Getting educated. But I don’t see nothing special about you or your sister. Common Fallen trash, just like the rest of us.”

Oh. Celeste realized the girl wasn’t just jealous of Mariel, she was jealous of her. She was going to have a conversation with Hypatia about pillow-talking with her belles.

“I was born right here in the Drench,” Celeste said plainly, and just as she had shifted her speech when talking to Ibrahim, she could feel herself falling into the cadences of the Drench. Which was the truer version of herself she didn’t know, despite what Hypatia insisted. Perhaps both, perhaps neither. “I lived down south with my pa for a while, but it was no society affair, like you think it was. He was a hard man and absent most of the time. And when he died, I was left penniless and practically run out of town on account of his business partner knowing I was Fallen.”

Lilitha eyed her suspiciously, as if trying to decide what to make of Celeste’s confession. She leaned back, arms folded across her middle. “You’re not the only one with education. I used to be a healer. Even apprenticed with a real nurse for it.”

“Doing what? Sweeping floors and filling water bottles?”

Folk healing was big business, but most nurses did domestic work, not medicine. Even so, nurses did have access to medicines, and since most Fallen couldn’t afford doctors, common ailments were treated with a tonic or the right mix of herbs. Having access to a nurse would have meant something, but Celeste was not feeling generous.

“And if you know healing, what are you doing as a saloon girl?”

Lilitha’s chin dipped down to her chest. “Had a bad batch of restoratives, and some people died. Wasn’t my fault, but they blamed me. People stopped coming around.” She looked up, defiant. “But I got a new line coming out. No thanks to that sister of yours.”

“I don’t see what Mariel has to do with—”

“She tried to keep that doctor of hers from talking to me. Jealous is what she was, even though she knows I’m with Hypatia. It’s not my fault if he had a wandering eye.”

Celeste frowned. “What doctor?”

“Lili.” That was Hypatia, who’d come to the doorway. She threw a warning glance at her girl.

“What doctor?” Celeste asked again, willing to take an answer from either of them. “Was Mariel sick? Why didn’t she say anything? If she’s ill, that cave of a jail cell will only make it—”

“She’s not ill, Celeste.” Hypatia cut her off.

“Oh, but she was getting a thorough physical examination,” Lilitha said, cackling.

Hypatia frowned. “Out.”