Thana needed to meet with Gunnar and the rest of the Order ofVestra. Luckily, Gunnar was already thinking ahead. She received a message fromhim that afternoon, just as she was going to send her own, a summons to meet ona secluded balcony accessible only by a secret set of stairs. Hanna’s Retreat,Gunnar called it, after his grandmother, who’d built it as somewhere to getaway from court life now and again.
There were a few more secret passages in the palace walls. Thanahoped they’d crisscross the whole palace someday, maybe when all the newconstruction was done. Then she wouldn’t have so far to go and wouldn’t have towander the hallways until the entrance to a secret passage was clear ofpassersby.
She paused in the alcove where this passage was hidden andstudied the tapestry that concealed it. Some old sailing ship or another. Shedidn’t care and had to repress the desire to tap her foot as a servant wanderedpast. At least she wasn’t politically active enough for any courtier to try tofollow her.
That led her back to thoughts of Sylph and the deft way she’dgotten the courtiers out of the way. Thana smiled again, even in the face ofthe same dark thoughts that warned her to not get too attached and to mind herheart. Even if her thoughts wandered no further than admiration, Sylph couldbreak her in two. It was just what nobles did, use people until there wasnothing left.
Finally, the hall emptied, and Thana lifted the tapestry andstepped behind it. The wall slid soundlessly open, and Thana stepped through,letting the tapestry fall back and leaving her in the dim light filtering fromthe top of the stairs.
At the top, Gunnar waited on a balcony overlooking the fieldssurrounding Marienne. A hint of chill remained in the air, but the fields andforest beyond popped with every hue of green. The river sparkled in thedistance, curling out of sight as it flowed away from the docks and down to thesea.
Thana leaned on the low wall beside Gunnar. His face was relaxed,with none of the languid airs he usually donned. Thana always saw through thoseto the coiled anticipation underneath, but here, out of the eye of courtlymagpies, he could actually loosen up.
The chill of the bricks bled through Thana’s cassock, numbing herarms, but she stayed still, mimicking Gunnar’s thoughtful pose. “The otherscoming?” she asked.
He shook his head. “They’re out collecting rumors. Have you heardany?”
“About the pyradistés? Or is there another crisis?”
He snorted. “When has there ever been just one? But yes, thepyradistés.”
“I’ve heard about one in prison and another killed aftercommitting murder. Those are the only confirmations I was able to get from theacademy. All else is conjecture.”
He shook his head, and his face tightened. “Not all. There was anexplosion at the treasury.”
Thana’s stomach rolled over. “A pyramid?”
“It exploded while a pyradisté was carrying it.”
Thana’s head drooped onto her arms, and she imagined the coldpenetrating through to her skull. “Spirits above. Was anyone else hurt?”
“Luckily no. And the treasury kept it quiet, not wanting anyoneto think their money was in danger. They sent a note to my mother.”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, thank the spirits the money’s allright.”
He glared. “Anything that keeps people from panicking is a goodthing.”
She wanted to retort, but arguing didn’t seem important at themoment. “Where did you send the others?”
“Dina is collecting gossip from the chapterhouses.”
Thana nodded. Even though Dina was a monk who worshiped thespirits of love and beauty, she’d be more welcome in the other chapterhouses,too, simply because she wasa monk.
“I’ve told Ivar and Illis to go where they deem necessary inorder to sort pyramid rumor from fact.”
Another nod. The twin brothers were good at gathering info with onebeing very personable and talkative, and the other being quiet andcontemplative. People warmed to the first and forgot the second was there.“Anything yet?”
“It’s too soon. I wanted to talk to you in person, far away fromanyone who might listen in.” He sighed. “And away from any pyramids that mightexplode.”
“Glad I’m not carrying any,” she said with a smile she didn’tfeel. “At least your anti-Fiend necklace shouldn’t go off with a bang.” She puta hand on his shoulder and wanted to tell him it would be all right, but he’dalways been the optimist. He usually only needed her to tell him when they weredoomed. “My research hasn’t uncovered anything except that what’s happeningshouldn’t be happening.” At his smirk, she added, “I know, big help. I’m goingto work with the noble who was present at the first explosion tomorrow. Withluck, I’ll find a clue about this whole mess.”
“And then you’ll tell me who this mysterious noble is?”
She swallowed, still hesitant to give up that secret. Sheimagined what might happen if the courtiers and the other nobles discovered asecret pyradisté in their midst right when pyradistés seemed like the enemy.“Soon,” she said, drawing the word out.
His mouth twisted with skepticism. “If she’s a danger…”
“You’ll know it.” She waited a moment, staring at the river.“Because she’ll explode.”
He sputtered a laugh, and it was good to see him relax a little.“Please let me know before that…unless you’ve exploded, too.”
“Deal.” They went back to staring at the vista, and a wanderingdoubt passed through her head. What if Gunnar sent the Order away for more thanjust sniffing out rumors? What if he didn’t want them to meet with Thanabecause she was a pyradisté just like those who’d become murderers or bombs?“You haven’t…” She couldn’t finish.
He turned and waited, never one to let a thought go unfinished.“Haven’t what?” He lifted his eyebrows.
She tried to ask, but she couldn’t accuse him of not trustingher. The very thought was almost too painful. “Never mind.”
Now he laid a comforting hand on hers. “You’ll figure it out. Ihave complete faith.”
“Thanks,” she mumbled. She prayed to the spirits of knowledgethat he was right. “I’m sure the noble will give me a lead, then I can followit up in my own books or at the
