Kaddie folded her arms across her chest while they waited. She was beginning to feel cold, despite the fire in the hearth.

  When Torrell arrived, his expression mirrored that of Marla, as if neither of them had expected her to be up and about. She waved him off as he approached. Of course he’d be giving her pitying looks from now on, just like everyone else. The thought gave rise to her earlier sadness and threatened to bring tears. Instead, she gave Theed another sour look.

  Robles cleared his throat. “Kaddie tells me you were threatened with your life. Is this true?”

  She watched Torrell take a deep breath. “Maybe. But I want to say something.”

  Theed offered him a wry smile, as if he knew what was coming.

  “Well? Out with it.” Robles was growing impatient.

  “He has everything he needs. I left behind all my notes, the alphabet transcription, everything. Now everyone can figure out the diagrams on the wall.” Robles’ thunderous expression almost made Kaddie wince. “But here’s the thing,” Torrell continued. “I’ve been sending copies of my notes to a friend in the capital and they’re all set to publish.”

  “What?” Theed and Robles exclaimed in unison. Arben Theed began to laugh.

  “Everyone will know. Don’t you see? Nothing will be a secret any longer.”

  Robles appeared stunned. Theed was nodding his head. “This will upset Harrow’s nefarious plans, certainly.”

  Kaddie narrowed her eyes. The man’s reaction was unexpected and therefore suspicious.

  “This changes everything,” Theed continued, “and to our advantage. I told you about Harrow, didn’t I? And now this is a tool he can no longer use. He’ll be busy mending his status back home and will leave us alone.”

  Robles frowned. “Are you sure?”

  “For a while, at least.” Theed rubbed his hands and gleefully regarded Torrell. “Well played.” He then turned to Kaddie. “As for you, you might have cost me, but you paid a high price, especially for a young lady. Let’s face it, what young man would look at you, now?”

  “I would,” Torrell said.

  Kaddie felt his fingers entwining with her own. His hand felt warm and solid as a rock, and the tears she’d been holding back for days threatened to reemerge.

  Robles offered Theed a steely look. “If you’ve quite finished insulting my colleagues.”

  “Oh, I jest.” Theed winked at Kaddie. “Forgive me,” he said. “I’ve no wish to offend. They say its bad luck to get on the wrong side of the city poisoner.” He picked up a hat that was perched jauntily on a haphazard pile of books. “We’ll call it a draw then, shall we? Just remember what I said. Despite Harrow being out of our hair, there’s trouble coming.”

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  Kaddie refused to acknowledge him as he left, and as soon as the door closed her grandfather’s temper came to the fore.

  “A friend. In the capital.”

  “I thought—” Torrell began.

  “Out. Out of my sight.”

  Torrell’s hand slid from her own. When he’d gone she began to shiver.

  “As for you.” Robles approached one of his many cluttered knick knack tables and removed a linen cloth from a platter, exposing two objects Kaddie was entirely familiar with. He picked up the platter and held it before her. “Retrieved from the pockets of Elspeth’s bloodied coat. This is Kadelene’s work.”

  She nodded miserably. It had been a rainy afternoon in Shadow Valley when a mischievous grin had alighted on her grandmother’s face. “Let’s have some fun,” she’d said before teaching Kaddie how to create the contents of the two vials now sitting on the platter in front of her. A squat vial of scarlet sea flora and lime foot. A longer, double-chambered vial of skull thistle and maydock.

  Robles was staring at the vials and shaking his head. “All of these ingredients, you stole from my laboratory.”

  Again, Kaddie nodded.

  “Don’t you ever do that again, you hear me?” And when she didn’t answer, “Well?”

  “I hear you.”

  “This has been disappointing, I have to say.”

  She put it down to her current weakness that she didn’t have a reply ready. There were all manner of things wanting to come out, but they were log-jammed in the back of her throat.

  “What did he mean?” she blurted, in the midst of trying to unscramble her thoughts, “about trouble?”

  Her grandfather seemed preoccupied, busy replacing the platter and staring at its contents. “Let me be for a while, Kaddie,” he said. “I need to think.”

  Outside Robles’ study, Torrell was sitting on the stairs. He rose as she approached.

  “You don’t have to worry about me,” she said.

  “I’ve been worrying about you, as you put it, ever since you got here.”

  “But there was no need to say what you did. I can stand up for myself.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “No, it’s okay.” She attempted a smile. “And thanks.”

  “It’s me that should be saying thanks.” He hesitated for a moment. “Does it still hurt?”

  She shrugged. “Sometimes. Not always.”

  “You had a terrible fever. We thought you might die.”

  “Don’t tell me. It’ll just make me angry.”

  He smiled, but his expression soon faltered. “I meant what I said, in there.”

  She stared at him.

  “I don’t care about your eye. No, that didn’t come out right. What I mean is—”

  “Can we talk about this when I’m feeling better?”

  “Yes.” He looked relieved. “I’ll go and get you some tea.”

  “With honey?”

  “Anything you want.”

  She watched him go while holding the stair rail with a shaky hand. He’d thrown her completely off balance. Everything had changed, now; it had been turned upside down after their adventure in the tunnels and would never be the same again.

  Back inside her room, she sat on the edge of the bed and looked out of the window. It had grown dark but Mr. Kanter’s lanterns were lit and he was putting his pupils through their paces. How many lessons had she missed? She chewed her lip and frowned. He’d probably make her start all over again. No doubt she would find out when she rejoined the class, tomorrow, or the day after that.

  At street level, the lights from the second city burned brightly through the grates and reminded her of what lay below. Thus far, no one had mentioned the newly opened tunnel, deep in the ruins. For her, at least, it remained a mystery. Was it mentioned during her grandfather’s conversation with Arben Theed? There’s trouble coming, the man had said.

  But thinking on it was giving her a headache, so she attempted to clear her mind as she waited for Torrell to return with her tea. Above the city, the sky was clear and she was able to pick out a few stars. The cold season was upon them, but tonight at least, it wouldn’t rain.