“Maybe they didn’t agree—”

I shook my head. “What Chalice did helped us get to Leo. Whoever was behind the attack, their objective was to get rid of Leo. Most logical conclusion: they’re different people. Don’t make things more complicated than they have to be.”

Variam didn’t look a hundred percent convinced, but he shut up. “So does that mean you trust her?” Luna asked.

“No,” I said. “Just because she’s not on their side doesn’t mean she’s on our side. But I think there’s more going on than she’s telling us.”

“So if she wasn’t behind the attack tonight, who was?” Variam asked.

“The Keepers think it’s White Rose,” I said.

“Who?”

“No clue,” I said. I was starting to realise just how out of my depth I was on this case. I needed to talk to someone who was more up to speed on Council politics, and soon. “But whoever they are, I’m not buying that it’s nothing to do with the Council. You know what mantis golems are used for.”

“They’re Council bodyguards,” Luna said.

“They said these ones were reported stolen?” Variam said.

“Bullshit,” I said. “That’s like a Challenger tank getting stolen from the British Army. The army doesn’t lose battle tanks, the RAF doesn’t lose jet fighters, and the Council sure as hell doesn’t lose mantis golems. Whoever went after us tonight, they’re in close with the Council.”

Luna started to say something, but I held up a hand. “There’s something else. Leo was holed up in that house for two days or close to it. We find him, and he gets attacked less than half an hour afterwards. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. I looked into the futures while I was waiting for Caldera. There wasn’t any danger, not as long as we stayed outside. Maybe those guys were looking for Leo, but I don’t think they would have found him on their own. I think something we did brought them there.”

“Could have been tracking you,” Variam suggested.

“There’s a simpler explanation. Between going into that house and the attack starting, we did exactly one thing that could have given our position away. Caldera used her com disc to get in touch with her order. And she activated a locator beacon.”

Variam frowned. “Wait,” Luna said. “I thought you said those communicator things were supposed to be untraceable? And no one could intercept them?”

“He’s not saying they were traced,” Variam said. He was watching me, his voice flat. “You’re saying you got set up.”

“Wait,” Luna said, her eyes going wide. “You’re saying the Keepers want to kill you? You managed to piss them off that much already?”

“If the Order of the Star really wanted to kill us, we’d already be dead,” I said. “I told you, the target was Leo.”

“What happened to him, anyway?”

“We couldn’t find him,” Variam said. He didn’t take his eyes off me. “You think someone in the Order of the Star’s a traitor.”