Then, at the sound of footsteps on the stairs above, she deadened her expression. A couple of boys carrying papers and books clattered down into the foyer and gave Nev small, particular smiles. These were Mari Devret’s friends, rich, popular boys, probably coming from studying in Mari’s room. Their smiles weren’t friendly.

“Hello, Lovisa,” said one of them, a smirky boy named Pari Parnin. None of them greeted Nev.

“Move along, Pari,” said Lovisa, unimpressed.

The boys disappeared down a corridor. Nev chose that moment to move along too, turning for the stairs, not saying good night to Lovisa, who watched her go, wondering if Nev relaxed her shoulders once she’d entered her own room and closed the door on the world. Also wondering if she’d eaten anything in lieu of dinner. Did Nev keep a stash of food? Lovisa always kept food in her pockets. It made her feel prepared.

Two more boys came down the steps, greeted Lovisa, and left, this time without any unfriendly smiles. Ever since Nev had broken things off with Mari, a rumor had been circulating about Nev’s skills in bed. Her lack of skills, actually. Lovisa strongly doubted that Mari had started it, for he wasn’t the type to circulate cruel rumors that probably weren’t even true. Lovisa suspected Pari Parnin.

Regardless, it was what those boys’ smiles had been about earlier, when they’d seen Nev. The kind of smiles that say I hear you’re no fun.

Lovisa stared into space, her mind returning to matters of greater interest. Was her house in Flag Hill now full of grieving Monsean delegates? How was her mother, the Scholar, turning that to her advantage? How was her father, the Industrialist, counteracting her mother? When there were foreign delegates in the house, it was always interesting to watch for the secret, self-interested undercurrents in her parents’ outwardly gracious behavior.

Also, why had her father skipped dinner and her mother left class? Why had her mother been late? Was the stress of Ferla’s responsibilities as professor and president finally getting to her? A crack in the armor, deep enough for people outside the house to notice? If so, it would be the first such crack Lovisa had ever seen.

Was there a Graceling living in her house right now? If so, what colors were her eyes? What was her Grace? So few Gracelings passed through Winterkeep. People were talking recently about a Graceling woman living in Ledra who had the Grace of finding lost things, but Lovisa hadn’t met her.