“She’s not here,” he said, recognizing Celeste. “And she won’t be back.”

“Until tomorrow?”

“Until forever,” he growled. “She’s sacked. Goddamned Virtues came by and confiscated all the extra papers. Took ’em and weren’t even gonna pay until I pitched a fit.”

“But it says they’re sold out.”

“Sure, well, what was I supposed to say?”

“And my landlady had one. And another friend.”

“First editions made it out, but I was ready to print more before them Whites showed up.”

Celeste’s heart thumped in her chest. “And Grace?”

“They were itching to arrest her for sedition, if you can believe it, so I distracted them while she slipped out the back.”

Saints and sinners, they’d almost arrested Grace? “Do you know where she is?”

Song eyed her, as if deciding whether she was to be trusted with the information.

“You’re right not to tell me,” Celeste said. “I’m the one who got her into this mess.”

“It was a good story,” he protested. “Best thing we’ve run in ages.”

“It wasn’t worth it if her life is in danger and her livelihood threatened.”

The man grunted at that and seemed to make up his mind. “She’s got a mother an hour south of here. I reckon that’s where she ran.” He pushed ink-stained hands through his dark hair. “I never thought I’d see it,” he said, more to himself than to Celeste. “Virtues harassing decent people.”

Celeste thought to point out that the Virtues had been harassing Fallen for as long as she could remember, and weren’t they decent people? But Song had a point. The daily paper had been confiscated, and Grace had been run out of her job. Celeste had underestimated what the Virtues were willing to do to an Elect woman, and now Ibrahim’s invitation sat heavy in her pocket.

She left the Howler, glancing down the street as she stepped off the porch. She caught a glimpse of a man turning the corner. Had he been watching her? Had he followed her from the Eden? She had been careless, not imagining the Virtues would go so far, lulled to safety by Ibrahim and her position as advocatus. A position she thought would protect her, but that was when she was presumed docile. Going to the paper had proved her otherwise, and now everything held an air of menace. She cursed herself for her carelessness, but the damage had been done.

The women at the boardinghouse, Zeke and Hypatia at the Eden, Grace. They were all in danger because of her. The only person she wasn’t worried about was Abraxas. She doubted even the Virtues would dare to cross the demon lord directly.