Finishing the water, he handed her the cup back, and went into the night.
Sleep was not going to come easy. Satrine had embraced that fact. She had come home, had dinner with the girls, checked on Loren, and chatted for some time with Rian. Rian was insisting she could handle her last year at prepatory and hours at the Majestic. Satrine wasn’t thrilled with the idea of that, but had to admit, Rian’s income had made things so much easier. Especially since Rian had marks that could easily get her into the Royal College of Maradaine. That would cost a lot, but Satrine really liked the idea of her continuing her education just a few blocks from the apartment.
Rian went to sleep, and Satrine lay out on her couch, not wanting to bother going to her own bed. In her state, she’d just disturb Loren.
She couldn’t shake the idea that something was very wrong. The night was trouble.
The knock on her door, after she had dozed off well after midnight, solidified that feeling.
She went to the door, crossbow in hand, in case the trouble was coming for her.
Instead it was a dark-skinned girl, likely Napolic or Turjin descent, who looked frightened out of her mind.
“Can I help you?” Satrine asked.
“Are you Inspector Rainey?”
“Who’s asking?”
“My name is Kaiana Nell . . . I’m a groundskeeper at the University of Maradaine, and . . . Inspector Welling is in trouble.”
Satrine grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her inside. “Start at the beginning,” she said while getting her boots and gear.
“Well, he came to campus because he was going to search the chapterhouse of the Blue Hand Circle, and he wanted . . . he wanted the Thorn to go with him.”
Satrine picked up on that. “You know the Thorn.”
“I do. And he had already gone off earlier to chase a lead about children being taken by a giant.”
“Welling was doing the same. The Blue Hand Circle?” She got her boots on.
“The chapterhouse led us to underground tunnels, where there was a strange cult and monstrous creatures, and they spotted us and Welling was captured.”
“Captured?” Satrine said. “But you got away?”
“Only because there was a girl also down there—she told me to find you. Jerinne Fendall?”
“Wait, wait,” Satrine said. “Did she go down with you?”
“No, she was already there. She rescued me, told me where to find you.”
“Saints preserve us,” Satrine muttered. She knew there was trouble in the air tonight.
“And I went looking for the Thorn first, but he never came back. If they’re both down there, both in trouble—”
“I hear you,” Satrine said. She wasn’t even entirely sure where to start. Call in the Constabulary, a full Riot Call to go into the tunnels? She wondered if that was the right idea. She knew there were deep veins of corruption throughout the Constabulary. Calling a show of color might warn these people. She had to be careful.
She stopped for a moment. “You said you’re a groundskeeper?”
“Yes,” Kaiana said. “Why?”
“As in a gardener?”
“Sometimes.” Kaiana looked very confused. “How is that—”
“Listen to the gardener, seek answers when she calls,” remembering the mangled passage that Alana had read to her earlier. A notion crossed her mind—a wild, impossible notion—and she went over to her coat, taking Sister Myriem’s copy of the Testaments of the Saints out of the pocket.
“What are you doing?” Kaiana asked.
“Bit of a mad hunch,” Satrine said. She thumbed through the book to reach the Testament of Saint Jessalyn.
Myriem had crossed out words and written in others and drawn symbols and it didn’t make a lick of sense, but Satrine was compelled to turn the page. It was the same madness, but as soon as she saw the words and symbols, they bore into her eyes, each one of them slammed across her brain sideways. Memories overwhelmed her.
She was Trini Carthas again, in a dirty tenement on Jent and Tannen. Protecting Lannie Coar. Standing in front of five angry, overeager boys, holding a piece of broken glass to fend them off.
She was Quia Alia Rhythn, finishing her education at an exclusive school in Maradaine, taking a history lesson on Druth kings.
She was Agent Satrine Carthas, fighting for her life against Pra Yikenj in an Imach boilhouse.
She was all three at the same time, and yet still Inspector Satrine Rainey.
Lannie Coar wasn’t Lannie—she was Sister Myriem. Pra Yikenj was Sister Myriem. The history teacher was Sister Myriem.
All as Satrine remembered it.
As each of them, she spoke, words that echoed in Satrine’s head.
I’m sorry
—sorry—
I had to reach you
—reach you—
Too much
—your mind was already prepared—
Receptive
The only way—
I can’t say the words when I’m awake
Too much
—can only tell you here—
In your yesterdays
—From my tomorrows—
Too much
—I only know in my dreams—
You can’t go alone
—You can’t trust anyone—
The Brotherhood is everywhere
—Trust is a weapon—
Today is the moment.
Seek the champions you need.
—Listen to the gardener—
Be ready to stop them
Today we need you.
—seek answers when she calls—
Remember everything
Eyes and ears open
—The city will fall without you—
Find the trapmaster
Find the trapmaster
—Find the trapmaster—
He’ll die without you.
They’ll die without you.
—They’ll die without him—
This is the day
—This is the moment—
It has to be you
—Find him!—
Pra Yikenj’s fist smashed into Satrine’s face, and she dropped hard. She almost crashed to the floor, were it not for Kaiana Nell catching her.
Kaiana. Her own apartment. Late at night. Here, today.
Herself again, half on the floor, half in Kaiana’s arms.
“Are you all right?”
“Decidedly not,” Satrine said, getting to her feet. She belted her crossbow and handstick, as well as extra bolts. She left a note for the girls, apologizing for not being there in the morning. She knew—she knew—that this was going to take her all night. “You coming with me?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Kaiana said. “Back to the Blue Hand?”
“No,” Satrine said as she went out the door. “To North Seleth.”
Dayne’s feet didn’t touch the floor until he was brought into a warm chamber lit by hundreds of candles. Senek pulled him through the air, and the beasts took his shield and sword. They dragged in Rynax
