She was in danger. The realization came all at once. She had to find out what Tabor knew about Daniel’s murder and get out as quickly as she could. She turned her wrist, just a fraction. Not enough to release her dagger but enough to assure her that it was there.

She cleared her throat. “Mr. Tabor, I’m afraid you are right, and I haven’t been quite honest. I’d like to ask you a few questions about Daniel.”

“Tea first,” he said brightly, setting a plain but well-made cup before her.

The tea itself was a weak yellowish brew. He stared at her, expectant.

“I’m really not thirsty.”

“You think it’s poisoned?” He swept up the cup and drank. “Is that better?”

He handed it back, and, thinking to humor him long enough to keep him friendly and ask him her questions, Celeste took a polite sip from the side his lips had not touched.

“Well?”

“It’s fine,” she allowed, although in fact it was bitter.

“It’s a wild variety that grows here on the mountain. It has wonderful medicinal properties.” He motioned for her to drink more.

She took one more sip before setting the cup aside. “Now, about Daniel.”

He focused on her, his blue eyes sharpening.

“So it’s Daniel you care about. And you said it’s Semyaza, is it? You’re a pretty thing, aren’t you? Isn’t that why you’ve truly come?” His tone had shifted to something menacing, quick as lightning.

The back of her neck tingled in alarm, reminding her of the wind that had blown through town on Aventum Angelorum. It would have come down through this very spot, gathering the divinity ash that originated in the processing plants before spreading it down the mountain all the way to Goetia.

“When was the last time you saw him?” she asked.

His eyes narrowed. “It’s not Ibrahim at all who’s sent you, is it? You’ve come for the same reason the other girl came.”

Unease roiled her stomach. “What other girl?”

“Come now.” He tsked, brows drawing down in disapproval. “We’re adults here, are we not? I assume Daniel got into your skirts, too. Whelped a pup or will soon. I told him to convince your kind to sell their land, not cat his way through the lot of you. I refused to pay the other girl he’d gotten in a family way, so don’t you expect anything from me.” He shook a chiding finger. “This time next year, the town’s going to be full of abandons no doubt begging at my door. Well, tell them all that I won’t pay, you hear me? Daniel might have been a Virtue and a member of the Order of Raphael, but we owe nothing to his Fallen by-blows, you hear me?”