Somehow, it was even colder than yesterday. The wind was stronger and whipped up freshly fallen snow, which stung Quilla’s face even through her scarves. She had to blink repeatedly to keep it out of her eyes, which were watering, and she was pretty sure mini-icicles were forming under them.

Apart from the extra snow that had fallen overnight, the Night Plaza looked just as it did the day before, and try as she might, she couldn’t find any indication Gabby had been here. She didn’t really know what she expected to find. After all, she’d had no idea how to leave a message for Gabby, but Gabby was cleverer than her. She would have thought of a way to get a message through.

Annai trudged through the snow towards Quilla, but stopped at the monument and huddled against the base.

“Any luck?” Quilla called.

Annai shook her head, but said nothing.

Annai could have missed it. She would have no idea what to look for. She could probably be staring right at it and not notice it.

No. That was unfair. After all, Quilla could probably stare right at it and miss it too, unless Gabby had made it well enough to recognise, and she would have made it so Annai could recognise it too.

The truth was, Gabby had not been here.

Quilla trudged over and past Annai. “Come on. Let’s go find some food.”

They had found a place to stay overnight with a group of out-of-work sailors in a disused warehouse. The sailors didn’t ask for any payment, and seemed happy to let her and Annai stay with them. There had been a fire for some warmth. No extra food, but it had been pleasant. Unfortunately, overnight, someone had stolen the little food Quilla and Annai had had. In the morning, Annai had had a huge screaming match with a couple of the sailors, and they had been asked to leave.

It was annoying, but Quilla couldn’t really blame the sailors—not just for throwing them out, but also for taking the food. The sailors were as hard up for money and food as she and Annai were, and whoever had done it had probably been desperate. She could also understand Annai’s anger, though. If Annai hadn’t started the screaming first, there was a good chance Quilla would have.

Unfortunately, it meant they now had to find more food. Quilla was getting tired of this. Eventually, she was going to get caught, and when that happened...well, she didn’t want to think about that.

The market was quiet, but that was fairly normal these days. The frequent presence of Bloods combined with the winter weather meant the market was less populated, and the harsh wind today seemed to be keeping even more people away. One nice thing about the extreme cold was, it meant she had an excuse to keep her face fully covered. That might mean fewer random stops by Bloods. She wasn’t holding out much hope though.

She and Annai wandered slowly through the market. Stalls selling food didn’t have much. It wasn’t like fresh produce was available. They would probably have to make do with just bread, though maybe she could find some meat. Of course, the problem with meat was finding a way to cook it.

There was a stall off to one side of the market selling bread and other baked goods. Several people huddled around it, which might provide her the cover to lift a loaf or two. She started towards it, but Annai grabbed her arm.

“Quilla, look!” She was pointing in the direction of the stall.

“Yes, I know,” Quilla said. “That’s where I’m headed.”

“No, no, not the stall.”

Quilla took another look and realised Annai was pointing past the stall at a gaudy building with a large sign proclaiming it as “The Emporium”. Glittering gems surrounded the sign as well as the two display windows that flanked the entrance.

“It’s the Emporium!” Annai said. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. We have to go there!”

“Why?”

“I shop there all the time. They can help us.” Annai started towards the building, but stopped when Quilla didn’t follow. “Come on!”

Quilla trudged over to her. “Do they have food?”

Annai shook her head.

“Then they can’t help us. Besides, if you shop there all the time, they’ll recognise you, even with the new hair.”

Annai rolled her eyes. “You don’t understand. The proprietor, Ulises Quinton, he’s loyal to my family. He’s sold stuff to them for years. We all buy from him.”

“So? Even if he doesn’t turn us in, you don’t have your money anymore.”

“No, you still don’t understand. He sells stuff from all over the world. He has contacts everywhere. He can us out of here!”

Quilla looked back over at the Emporium. There appeared to be a suit of armour in the display window to the left, and the one to the right held a variety of coloured fabrics. It look very much like the kind of place that catered to the rich and powerful. The kind of place she would normally avoid just out of principle, never mind that she could never afford what was sold there.

She shook her head. “No, it’s too dangerous. We have to keep out of sight; we can’t reveal ourselves to anyone.”

“But Ulises can help us!”

“How do you know that for sure? You have no money to pay for his services.”

“He’s loyal to the Royal Family!”

“Loyal? Really? Are you sure he’s not just loyal to your money, which, I remind you, you don’t have anymore. However, handing you over to Lidda Plavin might just earn him some gold.”

Annai paced around a little, looked to the Emporium, and then back to Quilla. “Look, you’ve been on my case a lot about not wallowing in my misery, and you… you were right to do that. I have been miserable, and I’ve been a burden to you and Gabby. But Gabby’s gone now, too, and we have to do something. You know that.”

“Yes, but this is too risky.”

“If we don’t take any risks, we’ll get nowhere. We’ll either starve or freeze to death. Or the Bloods will kill you just for looking in the wrong direction. I can’t lose anyone else like that. Please. Ulises can help us. Trust me. I know I don’t really deserve it, but just this once, trust me.”

Quilla sighed and looked back to the Emporium. Annai was probably right about one thing: they likely had contacts if they imported things from around the world. But having contacts didn’t mean they be willing to use them to help. “I don’t know.”

“Then what do we do instead?”

Quilla struggled for the words. “I don’t know. We find a ship.”

“Sure, great,” Annai said. “Gabby found us a ship already, but we couldn’t use it, even if we knew which one it was. We could find another, and we still wouldn’t be able to use it until that embargo is lifted.”

“Gabby said it would be lifted soon. We just have to hold out until then.”

“And what if Gabby was wrong? What if it’s not lifted soon?”

“Then we figure something else out. Let’s give it a few days and then—”

“No.” Annai turned and walked towards the Emporium. “I’m not living in this filth any longer, so I’m going to do something about it.”

“Annai!” Quilla clamped her mouth shut, and gazed around. She probably shouldn’t have called Annai’s name so loudly, though no one seemed to be paying much attention. Thankfully, Annai was a fairly common name. She hurried to catch up to her, speaking more quietly when she did. “Annai, I really don’t think this is a good idea.” She reached for Annai’s arm, but Annai rounded on her first.

“Why? Because it’s my idea?”

“No, of course not.”

“Oh come on, I know you think I’m a spoiled brat who doesn’t know anything about the workings of the real world. Gabby certainly thought that, and maybe you’re both a little bit right, but we’ve already tried it yours and Gabby’s way, and it got her killed.”

“We don’t know she’s—”

“She’s fucking dead, Quilla. You know it. I know it. Now, it’s time to try something different. I’m asking Ulises for help. You can come with me, you can go off on your own, or you can make a scene and draw the attention of the Bloods. What’s it going to be?”

Quilla sighed. This was almost certainly a bad idea, but Annai was right about another thing. They had to try something. “Fine, you go ahead.”

Annai looked a little surprised, but nodded. “Good.” She patted snow and dirt off her cloak. “Right. Let’s go.” She turned and walked to the doors.

The inside was stuffed with all manner of things. To the right of the doors was what appeared to be clothes, though most were of styles and designs Quilla didn’t recognise. Some had flamboyant frills and headdresses, while others looked like they would leave the majority of their wearers’ skin uncovered. To the left of the doors were racks of jewelled weapons. Farther back there was artwork, jewellery, and more than Quilla could take in with a couple glances.

A woman in a vibrant green gown and wearing multiple heavy necklaces came towards them. “I’m sorry, but this establishment is for the well-to-do. I think you’ll find that—”

“I wish to speak to Ulises.” Annai was unwrapping her scarves. “Tell him I’m here.”

The woman stopped and stared at Annai a moment.

“Well?” Annai said. “Go on!”

The woman curtsied, but only a small one. “Right away.” The woman turned and headed towards the back of the shop. She was soon out of sight amongst all the paraphernalia.

Annai looked to Quilla. “See? We’re going to be fine. I wish I’d thought of this sooner.”

Quilla bit her lip and said nothing. She hoped Annai was right, but so much could go wrong at any moment.

The woman returned a minute or so later, and hurried to Annai’s side. In hushed tones, she said, “Ulises invites you to meet him in the back, your Highness. You’re much too exposed out here. Please, follow me.”

“Lead the way,” Annai said.

The woman started towards the back again, but when Quilla joined Annai in following her, she stopped. “I’m sorry, your Highness. Your handmaid needs to wait out here. Don’t worry, she will be well attended to.”

“My Lady, I will wait—” Quilla started, but Annai interrupted.

“She’s not my handmaid.”

“No?” the woman said.

“No. Believe it or not, this woman is a noble. The Lady Quilla Steranovist. My father granted her the title just before he died.”

Gods damn it! Quilla resisted the urge to throttle Annai. She would have been perfectly happy playing the role of a servant for the moment—at least until they knew for sure these people were trustworthy.

The woman looked Quilla up and down, then looked back at Annai. “An Eloorin noble. How...modern. I’m afraid she still needs to wait out here, your Highness.”

Annai crossed her arms and stared at the woman. “Quilla is my friend, and she stays with me. Ulises will see us both.”

The woman gave a forced smile and another small curtsy. “Of course.” She looked at Quilla again, a deep scowl on her face. “My...Lady, your Highness, this way.”

They made their way across the large showroom, past tall chaperons, feather necklaces, dragon costumes, and more. Past all that, they entered another room filled with much the same, only less organised—not that the first room had been all that organised. Quilla supposed this had to be a storeroom for extra things. What in the world did they need so much stock for? Did nobles really buy this much?

She sighed. The answer was probably yes.

Past the storeroom, they were shown into an opulent office with high-backed, cushioned chairs. Along the two walls flanking the door were display cases containing carvings, pottery, and more. Marble busts stood in the four corners and the floor was carpeted. A thin man sat behind a desk in front of a portrait of himself.

The man stood as they entered and came round in front of the desk. With a flourish, he bowed deeply. “Your Highness, it is such a relief to see you. We feared you were dead.” He approached Annai to embrace her, but paused, his eyes settling on Quilla. “And…?”

“A lady,” the woman who had brought them there said.

Ulises’s eyes turned back to Annai. “Indeed?”

“Yes,” Annai said. “Yes, my friend, Lady Quilla Steranovist.”

His jaw dropped a little and his eyes darted back to look at Quilla again. “Indeed! What interesting times we live in.” He leaned forward and kissed Annai on each of her cheeks; however, his gaze remained on Quilla. When he was done, he came over to Quilla. “My Lady, Ulises Quinton at your humble service.” He gave a slight bow, then embraced her and kissed each of her cheeks.

Uncomfortable as she was, Quilla did her best not to show it and kissed his cheeks as well.

Ulises then returned to the chair behind his desk. He waved towards the woman who had brought them there. “You may leave us, Jona.”

The woman nodded, backed out of the room, and closed the door.

With another flourish, Ulises sat down. “Now then, your Highness, my Lady, what can I do for you? Oh, if I might speak freely, your Highness—no offence intended, but you look awful, and you…” He waved his hand in front of his pointed nose. “You smell.”

“No offence taken,” Annai said. “We’ve been living on the streets and I haven’t had a proper bath in ages.”

“Then we will have to get you cleaned up,” Ulises said. “I can arrange for both of you to be given proper baths. However, I suspect you came to me for more than that.”

Annai nodded. “Yes, we need your help. We need to get out of Arnor City.”

“To where?” Ulises asked.

Annai looked to Quilla for a moment, a questioning look in her eye. Was she looking for some sort of approval or for Quilla to answer? Before Quilla could work it out, Annai said, “Quorge. We need to go to Quorge.”

Ulises raised his eyebrows. “Quorge? An interesting choice. I suppose its distance from here makes it a good choice. Far enough to make it difficult for Lady Plavin to find you.”

“Um, yes,” Annai said. “Its distance. Exactly. Plus, my sister, Felitïa is there.”

“Strength in numbers, I suppose.”

“Yes. Can you do it?”

Ulises breathed deeply and looked at her. Then he looked to Quilla again, his gaze lingering there when he spoke. “The final destination is mostly immaterial. The real difficulty is getting you out of the city. There is an embargo after all.”

“Yes, but Ga...that is, we heard it would be lifted soon.”

“Unfortunately, I doubt that.”

“Really?” Annai’s face fell. “But we...uh...we’ve heard talk. Won’t people rebel? Rise up?”

Ulises shrugged. “Eventually, yes, of course. But there will be talk of it for several months before they actually do so.”

“Months?” Annai gulped, took a deep breath, and straightened her back. “Yes, well, be that as it may, surely you have contacts, things you can do. You’re able to get things from all kinds of places.”

“Generally not places with embargoes, your Highness.”

“Oh.” Annai looked back at Quilla again, this time an embarrassed look in her eyes.

“But not to worry, your Highness,” Ulises said.

Annai’s face brightened and she looked back to Ulises expectantly. “I...I wasn’t worried. I assumed there would be another alternative.”

Ulises nodded. “There is an option, though it is risky. It will be dangerous and I’ll be putting not just you and Lady Steranovist at risk, but also the people I will be paying to escort you. As such, it will not be cheap.”

This time, Annai maintained her composure. “I’m afraid I don’t have access to funds at the moment, Ulises, but I can assure you…”

Ulises held up a hand. “No assurances needed, your Highness. I know I can trust you to pay once your family is restored to its proper position.”

Quilla decided to say something. This was sounding a little too perfect. “And what if the Royal Family isn’t restored?”

Ulises looked at her, a hint of a smirk on his face.

“Given how dangerous you say this will be, you must know there’s a chance you’ll never be paid. Why are you willing to take such a financial risk?”

Annai turned to face her. “Because he is a loyal subject. Of course he’d be willing to take a risk. We’re all taking risks.”

“True, your Highness,” Ulises said, “but Lady Steranovist makes a fair point. However, I can assure you, my Lady, that my business will be much better off under the rule of his Majesty, King Cerus, than under Lidda Plavin. Those Red Knights have already caused me more damage than the embargo. Even the nobility don’t like them, and they keep business away from me with their constant patrols, They come in here frequently because I employ Eloorin in the warehouse. Their presence scares customers away. So while helping the two of you is a financial risk for me, it is one I’m willing to take because the alternative could be much worse.”

“You see, Quilla?” Annai said. “I told you there was nothing to worry about.”

“Indeed,” Ulises said, standing up, “although to be fair, there’s always something to worry about. As I said, there is some risk to you in this.”

“Of course,” Annai said. “I understand.”

“Now, your Highness, I’ll go arrange those baths for you and Lady Steranovist. If you’ll excuse me. I’ll also arrange accommodation for you once you’ve bathed.”

“Of course, Ulises,” Annai said. “Thank you. I promise you, you will be rewarded.”

Ulises bowed deeply again, adding a flourish both before and after. “I will return shortly.”

Once he was out the door, Annai sat in one of the chairs and slumped forward with a sigh. “Thank goodness. I’ll confess, I was worried there for a little while, but I kept telling myself to treat this like any other interaction I would do before Lidda’s attack. If I did that—”

Quilla hurriedly pull up a chair beside her. “Annai, something’s wrong, don’t you realise that?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Didn’t you notice the way he kept looking at me?”

Annai rolled her eyes. “That’s because you’re an Eloorin. I understand it’s somewhat uncouth, but that’s how—”

“No, he recognised my name.”

“Did he?”

“Yes. How did he do that?”

Annai shrugged. “Well, my father made you a noble. I’m sure the news must have spread a little. He must have heard it through his contacts.”

“Your father did that just before Lidda launched her attack. How did the news get out?”

“Maybe some of the people there got away. They could have told others.”

“Do you really think if anyone escaped that massacre, the first thing they’d do would be to tell people, ‘Hey, an Eloorin was made a noble’?”

Annai looked aside. “They...might have. It’s possible.”

Quilla shook her head. “I doubt it.” She stood up and walked over to the door. “I think we should get out of here.” Slowly, she placed her hand on the door handle and turned. It didn’t move. Fuck. “It’s locked.”

Annai looked over in alarm.

“Loyal Ulises has locked us in. Why would he do that?”

“Maybe it was already locked and he didn’t realise, and…” Annai slumped over and put her head in her hands. “There has to be a reason. He wouldn’t...I mean...he… Oh gods, I’ve fucked things up, haven’t I?”

Quilla went back over and sat beside her. “Kind of.”

“Oh gods, he’s going to turn us over to Lidda Plavin, isn’t he? Or worse, kill us! What are we going to do?”

Quilla put an arm around her. “I don’t know.”

Annai leaned her head on Quilla’s shoulder. “Oh gods, Quilla, I can’t take this anymore. This isn’t the way things are supposed to be. Why is this happening?”

“Because people are awful, especially some people.”

Annai whined and rolled her head onto Quilla’s chest. Quilla held her tightly while she sobbed heavily for the next little while. Quilla tried to think of things to say to comfort her, but nothing came to mind. At this stage, there wasn’t really any comfort left. Still, she wished she could say something. As annoying as Annai’s near-constant sobbing over the last couple weeks had been, she understood it, and right now seemed somehow appropriate.

After a couple minutes, Annai looked up, sniffling loudly. “Lidda Plavin’s a Darker, right?”

Quilla nodded.

“Do you think that means Ulises…? I mean, if he recognised you. You spent that time with them and…”

“Hard to say, but probably.”

“Why are they so interested in you? Because that one that got away was your ex-husband?”

Quilla gave a non-committal shrug and looked aside. “Could be.” She should tell Annai more. Tell her about being the Catalyst—whatever the hell that meant. But now was not the best time. She’d tell her later—if they survived.

The wait seemed interminable, but it couldn’t have been more than a half hour or so before Ulises returned. The woman from earlier was with him as well. After another of his ridiculously extravagant bows, he said, “Your Highness, my Lady, I apologise for the delay. Jona here will take you to where you can clean up and then to a place you can rest while we make arrangements.”

Annai stood up, and Quilla quickly copied her. “Thank you, Ulises. We…” She sniffled. “We appreciate it.”

Ulises tilted his head slightly and looked at Annai closely. “Your Highness, you appear to have been crying.”

Annai sniffled again. “Yes, well, we’ve been through hard times.”

Ulises bowed his head. “I understand entirely, and I promise you, your Highness, we will have you out of Arnor City in a few days, a week at most, and on your way to Quorge.”

“Thank you again,” Annai said. “I have no doubts in your abilities and I’m sure I will be fine once I’ve bathed and am in better clothes.”

With a curtsy and motion of her arm, Jona said, “This way, your Highness.”

Annai followed Jona out the door. Quilla tried to follow, close behind Annai, but Ulises slipped between them, close enough that the edges of his fine clothes just touched her rags.

“My Lady,” he said. “A word, if I may. You can rejoin her Highness shortly.”

Quilla looked up at him. Her heart pounded and all she wanted to do was try to run around him and get out of there, but he reminded her in some ways of Dyle. Not in appearance, but attitude. And she knew exactly how to deal with Dyle. “You can start by taking a step back.”

With a smile, he did just that. “Of course. My apologies, but there was limited space between you and her Highness.”

“You could have just asked.”

“Again, apologies.” He closed the door and walked round behind his desk, where he spread his cape so it went over the back of the chair and sat. “I’d like to discuss a couple things with you, if you don’t mind. To ensure your forthcoming journey goes as smoothly as possible.”

Quilla crossed her arms. “Let’s cut the bullshit. I know what you are, and I know you don’t have Annai’s best interests at heart. Or mine.”

With a chuckle, he raised his eyebrows. “Quite the contrary, I assure you. I have your best interests at heart, and I assume that means also having her Highness’s best interests at heart.”

Quilla wanted to say something biting in response, but nothing came to mind. So she just stared at him. Staring usually worked with Dyle.

He gave a slow nod with closed eyes and leaned forward in a more relaxed stance. “Please, my Lady… May I call you Quilla?”

“No.”

With a sad smile, he nodded. “Of course, my Lady. I understand your doubt, but I assure you, I am loyal to your husband and fully support his eventual rise to Dusk Supreme. Even if I had some reason to want to oppose him, I am far too afraid of his reprisal to ever allow harm to come to you. You are safe with me.”

“He’s not my husband.”

“Of course. Ex-husband. My apologies. But the sentiment of my words remains. So please, relax. Sit. Let’s talk openly. No deceptions. I promise you.” He gestured to a chair.

“I’ll stand, thank you, but...go ahead...speak.” She resisted the urge to start pacing.

“As you wish. I’ll start by assuaging any fears you might have that I intend to turn you over to Lidda Plavin. When I said I would get you out of Arnor City, I was not lying.”

“Why? Dyle and Lidda were working together. Surely it makes sense to turn me over to her.”

Resting his elbows on his desk, Ulises steepled his hands. “I note your use of the past tense there.”

Damn. She needed to be more careful with her words. Did this man know Dyle’s state right now? Did he know if Dyle was dead or alive? And which state would he prefer? He said he was loyal to Dyle, but…

“You needn’t worry. It was an apt use. Mister Aderman was working with Lady Plavin, but as best I can tell, she betrayed him. The fact you’re on the run and not either with him or safely ensconced in the Palace is fairly direct proof of that. I confess I have been worried about Mister Aderman. We haven’t heard from him in some time. I don’t suppose you could enlighten me?”

Quilla stared at him for a moment. What should she tell him? What was most likely to keep her alive? She sighed, and uncrossed her arms. “I...I don’t know. Not exactly. He got away with the Pearl, but he was injured. I don’t know if he survived.” She wouldn’t tell him how Dyle got injured. Let him believe it was Lidda Plavin. If there was animosity between the two of them, she needed to stoke it.

He lowered his head with a sigh. “I see. Thank you for being honest with me.” He looked up again. “We must hope he survived, but either way, we must act as if he is still alive. Under no circumstances must anyone think he’s dead. Your safety depends on it. He’s your protection.”

She stepped closer to his desk. “But I’m the Catalyst. You people need me.”

“Yes, but that doesn’t keep you safe. Just because most Servants wouldn’t kill you, that doesn’t mean they won’t do terrible things to you. Surely Mister Aderman explained—”

“Yeah, yeah, he did.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I get it. So you’re not turning me over to Lidda Plavin. Where are you sending me? Not Quorge, I take it.”

He shook his head. “Alas, no. The Servants there are in disarray. It would seem Lady Plavin’s uncle attempted a coup, which was put down rather brutally by the Will-Breaker and her allies.”

At least some good news. Quilla did her best not to smile.

“Believe me,” Ulises continued, “I would be delighted to reunite you with your son. He’s there, isn’t he?”

Quilla nodded.

“Yes, it would be good to reunite you with him, but it’s just too dangerous at the moment.”

“Not because you don’t want me near Felitïa?”

“Not as the principal reason, but it is one of them.”

At least she had confirmation now that Corvinian was probably still in Quorge along with Felitïa.

“You are as valuable to the Will-Breaker as you are to us. Perhaps more.”

She crossed her arms again. “You want me to be cooperative with you? Stop treating me as a commodity. I don’t give a damn how valuable I am to anybody. I’m not a fucking item for sale. Felitïa and I have had our problems, but at least she always treated me like a person.”

He held up his hands defensively. “Of course. I was speaking hastily. I apologise.”

She chose not to acknowledge the apology. This guy seemed to do a lot of apologising and probably didn’t mean any of it. “So?”

He peered at her with raised eyebrows.

“Where are you sending me?”

“Still to be determined. In the next day or so, I will be consulting with the people who will actually be escorting you. I’ll make a final decision based on their recommendations. It will be somewhere with an enclave of Servants we can be confident are loyal to Mister Aderman.”

“Fair.” She supposed she couldn’t expect more than that. He hadn’t had much time to plan anything. Gods, she could barely believe she was just accepting this. But what choice was there? If Annai hadn’t… No, what was done was done. The only choice was to go along with it for now. She’d lived with Darkers before. She could do it again.

She hoped.

She pulled back one of the chairs and sat down. Perhaps it was time to look more relaxed. “What about getting out of Arnor City? Any idea how to do that?”

He sat back in his chair and smiled. “That will actually be the easy part.”

“What about the embargo?”

“That pertains to ships. Arnor City is reliant on neighbouring villages for food. If they stopped that, they really would have a rebellion on their hands. They’re checking people leaving the city, but not stopping them. Getting you past unrecognised will be easy. We’ll touch up her Highness’s dye job and hairstyle, pick some appropriate travelling clothes for her, and she won’t be recognised. Once you’re out of the city, you’ll be taken to an area up the coast used for smuggling.”

Oh yes, she knew that area somewhat well. Images of her time with the Volgs flashed through her head and she shivered. She hoped Ulises didn’t notice.

“We can get you to a ship from there,” Ulises continued. “There is some risk, of course, but it is minimal.”

Quilla nodded. “That sounds fine.” Her own fears of being anywhere near those caves again notwithstanding, it was a plan that made sense.

“The real danger comes after that, and I’m afraid I must ask you to do something you will probably not like.”

With a sigh, she crossed her arms again. “What?”

“You’re not actually a Servant of Sunset, are you?”

“A Darker? No.”

If he was bothered by her used of the term, he didn’t show it. Damn. “So you don’t have the tattoo.”

“The stupid goat skull Dyle has on his ass? No, and I’m not getting one either, if that’s what you’re implying.”

He steepled his fingers again. “It really would be to your advantage.”

“No.”

“Wherever we end up taking you, you will have to pass through areas that might not be as loyal to Mister Aderman. Even amongst those who are loyal, you will be received better if you have a tattoo. Amongst those who aren’t...well, they may treat you better if you have one. They almost certainly will treat you very poorly if you don’t. Now, the people I’ll be sending with you will defend you with their lives, but they will not be an army. Two or three at most. They will be good at what they do, but not invincible. Please, allow us to give you a tattoo. It will be unobtrusive. Indeed, it needs to be. And of course, somewhere out of sight.”

“That fucking tattoo. Does Dyle really go around showing his ass to other Darkers just to prove who he is?”

Ulises spread his hands. “Yes, when necessary.”

Quilla rolled her eyes.

“But yours doesn’t need to be in such a spot. Perhaps on your upper arm, a little below the shoulder. A spot normally covered by the sleeves of even a short-sleeved gown, but easy to reveal without having to disrobe entirely.”

Quilla shook her head.

“Please, consider it. It really will make things easier for you.”

“Fine, I’ll consider it.” She wouldn’t, but if it would get him off her case, she’d let him believe she’d think about it.”

“Her Highness.”

“Oh no. No fucking way! I will not make Annai do that. She’s been through enough.”

“And she’ll be through more. Indeed, it’s probably more important she get one than you do. You at least have your position as Catalyst to fall back on. She doesn’t.”

“Again, no.”

“Please, Quilla, at least—”

“My Lady.”

“Apologies. My Lady, please just talk to her highness. I am not in any way asking you to force her. We won’t force her. We won’t force you. But it is in your best interests to get one.”

“Fine. I’ll talk to her.” She would tell Annai what they wanted of her, but there was no way in hell she was recommending getting the tattoo. She was recommending the opposite.

“That’s all I can ask.” He placed his hands, palm down, on his desk. “I will summon Jona to take you to where you can bathe, and we’ll get you fitted with some proper clothes. I’ll let you inform her Highness of everything that is happening. I suspect she’ll take it better from you than me. She’s likely going to feel I’ve betrayed her.”

“Haven’t you?”

He stood up. “I don’t think so. Not exactly, at any rate. As I said, I do have her best interests at heart. Truly.”

“And you would never ever consider it?”

He chuckled as he headed round the desk and over to the door. “I never said that. If it benefited me or the Servants in some way to betray her, then I would do so in a heartbeat. But it really doesn’t.” He bowed in his ridiculous fashion again. “Jona will be with you shortly. We will speak again soon, my Lady.” He opened the door, stepped through, and closed it behind him.

This time, Quilla heard the lock click.