But they’d had that chance with the Mira Treaty, and they’d squandered it.

“He’s using their hope against them.” My voice fell flat, muffled under the din of speculation. “He’ll tell everyone this gathering is to find a way to stop the Great Abandonment, but—”

“It will be a lie,” Gerel finished.

Below, the officials strode past the guard-blocked crowds, their procession bracketed by delirious applause. Perhaps some were believers in the high magistrate. Most, even, since he’d been elected again and again. But all of these people?

A cynical part of me wondered if he had agents planted within the crowds, meant to guide group reactions.

I stared hard, watching as the officials began to reach the opulent horsecarres the high magistrate had sent for them. They didn’t get in yet, just stood and waved as the cheers escalated. Unease twisted through me as that place in the back of my head—the one that always counted whether or not I wanted to know—ticked off the number of people brought in by these giant ships.

It was difficult to make out individuals without the scope, but there seemed to be a lot more than I’d anticipated. Had the entire Twilight Senate come? The entire Matriarchy?

What a thought—all of the other islands without their leaders. The Luminary Council was gone, as far as I knew. And then there was the Idrisi government—the Silent Brothers—who had died along with the rest of the people of Idris when the god of silence lifted himself from the ocean.

Excitement built in the assembled crowd, hope in their voices. Even the other ten people on the roof with us spoke in eager tones.

“Finally, we’ll get some answers.”

“It won’t happen to us. We’re not like Idris.”

“I knew High Magistrate Paorah would have a plan. He is so wise.”

A shiver ran through me. They didn’t know, I reminded myself. They didn’t know that the high magistrate had effectively made all the other Fallen Isles his, thanks to the Mira Treaty.

Below, at some sort of signal I was too distant to see or hear, the officials began to climb into the horsecarres, ready to go to the Red Hall and join the high magistrate. Strange that he’d chosen to remain there, rather than come greet them.

Maybe it was just his way of putting himself above them. He was too busy, too important, to come down to the harbor. Besides, he’d gotten all of us to come here on his behalf. We were the greeting party.

“I think it’s time for us to go,” Gerel said. “Hopefully we can make it back to the hotel before anyone else has the same idea. We’ve seen all we needed, right?”

“Yes.” But even as the word came out, a familiar figure caught my eye. Tall and slim, dressed in a blue dress that swirled around her legs.

I must have gasped, or cried out, because Gerel straightened and followed my line of sight. “What is it?”