Alicia owes me a favor, she thought. Alassa would have killed the older girl if Emily hadn’t intervened. But would she put her life on the line for Alassa?
It wasn’t a pleasant thought. Alicia had been raised to repay her debts, rewarding her friends and punishing her enemies, but she would be torn in two. She owed Emily, yet…Alassa was a shadow hanging over her life. The child Alicia had borne was a direct threat to Alassa’s throne, even though his parentage had never been acknowledged. Alicia wouldn’t want to help someone who might cut her son’s throat, even if it meant refusing to repay a debt. It wasn’t as if Emily could sue her.
And she wouldn’t want to leave her barony either, Emily thought. She couldn’t imagine either Alassa or Alicia tamely surrendering their birthrights. They’d fought too hard to keep them. She’d sooner die.
Cat nudged her. “Here he comes,” he said, nodding down the street. “Finished?”
“Yes,” Emily said. She’d eaten more than she normally ate for breakfast, but she wasn’t sure when she’d be able to eat again. “Let’s go.”
“I got a message back,” Jade said, as they joined him outside the diner. “We’re to be at a certain place at a certain time.”
“How very specific.” Cat sneered. “Did they actually bother to give details?”
Jade passed him the note. “Very elliptical details,” he said. “Anyone who reads it without knowing what I was doing last year wouldn’t have a clue where to start.”
Which doesn’t prove that Master Abrams hasn’t been bribed or threatened by the king, Emily thought. A skilled enchanter could find work anywhere, but someone who’d put roots down might not want to move in a hurry. He wouldn’t want to tip Jade off before he walked into the trap.
“We’ll be careful,” Jade assured them. “Very careful.”
“Quite,” Cat agreed. “So…where do we go?”
Jade led them through a maze of streets until they reached the Grassmarket. Emily looked around with interest, remembering when Imaiqah had brought her to see the largest market in the country. The Grassmarket looked busier than ever, although a number of stalls were missing. She felt her heart clench, even as she took in the stalls piled high with meat, fruit and vegetables. No one was selling broadsheets, books or weapons. There wasn’t even a broadsheet crier within eyeshot.
Randor must have shut them all down, she thought, numbly. And they’re just…gone.
“Ah,” Jade said. He nodded towards a young girl leaning against a stall. “She’s our contact.”
Emily studied the girl as Jade spoke to her, exchanging signs and countersigns. The girl was short and slight, her face pinched in a manner that suggested she was terrified. Emily had no idea how old she actually was, but she was fairly sure the girl was quite young. She couldn’t help being reminded of Frieda when they’d first met at Mountaintop. The girl couldn’t be any older than sixteen.
“This way,” Jade said.
The girl led them down a pair of side-streets, then knocked on an unmarked door. Emily tensed, touching her dagger as she readied a spell. If there was a trap, it would be sprung now. The door opened, revealing a middle-aged man wearing a magician’s robe. His face was curiously bland, half-hidden behind a glamour. Emily sensed a handful of wards guarding his quarters, but nothing that appeared dangerous. The magician wasn’t that powerful, then. He preferred to rely on misdirection rather than brute force.
“Master Abrams,” Jade said, relieved. He wouldn’t have had any trouble seeing through the glamour. “I’m glad you’re safe.”
“I’m glad you’re back too,” Master Abrams said. He nodded to the girl. “I believe Mouse has something for you.”
The girl reached into her pocket and produced a piece of cloth. “Here,” she said, as she unwrapped the cloth. “Your wife wanted me to give you this.”
A ring fell into her hand. Emily sucked in her breath as Jade took the ring, balancing it on his palm. A ring…Alassa’s ring. The signet was unmistakable. Emily could practically taste her friend’s magic shimmering around the ring. Jade looked down at it for a long moment, then placed it in his pocket. Emily knew they’d be in real trouble if he was caught with the ring, but she knew better than to try to stop him carrying it. The magic alone was proof that Alassa remained alive.
“Thank you,” Jade said, heavily.
Mouse curtseyed. “My Lord.”
“Perhaps we should all come into the parlor,” Master Abrams said. “Mouse, fetch us all some Kava…why don’t you?”
His gaze rested on Emily for a long moment. “And you are…?”
“A friend,” Jade said, quickly. “She’s here to help.”
“One would hope so,” Master Abrams said. His tone was artfully bland. Emily was sure he knew who she was. “Come, please.”
He led them through a door into a comfortable sitting room. “Please, take a seat,” he said, as he sat himself down on an armchair. “You can use magic here, I believe. The king’s sorcerers are only watching for the bigger magics.”
Jade sat on a smaller chair, leaving the sofa for Emily and Cat. “You had to move?”
“It seemed a good idea,” Master Abrams said. “Mouse and her message and the ring…I knew the king would do everything in his power to recover the ring. I moved house as soon as I sent you that message, taking only my spellbooks and money. Everything else has had to be abandoned.”
“You will be compensated,” Jade said, quietly.
Master Abrams snorted. “We shall see, young man,” he said. “We shall see.”
Mouse entered the room, carrying a tray of mugs. Emily took hers gratefully, then motioned for Mouse to sit down too. The younger girl looked horrified at the mere thought of sitting next to her social superior, but she couldn’t refuse. She sat down so gingerly that Emily couldn’t help feeling amused. It looked as if she expected the sofa to turn into a spike at any moment.
“Time is not on our side,” Jade said. He took a sip of his drink, then leaned forward. “Where is my wife?”
“In the Tower,” Master Abrams said, flatly. “My…sources…are not what they once were, thanks to the Black Daggers, but I do hear some things. The Crown Princess and Lady Imaiqah were both taken to the Tower and…well, since then no one has seen head or hair of either of them.”
“Alassa is still alive,” Jade said. “What about Imaiqah?”
“I couldn’t swear to anything,” Master Abrams said. “Her family was apparently rounded up too, shortly after Alassa was arrested, along with a number of other prominent Democrats and Levellers. The entire movement is apparently headless.”
Emily looked up. “Apparently?”
“There have been…rumors…that someone survived the purge,” Master Abrams told her, gently. “But again, I could not swear to it. It may just be wishful thinking. The Black Daggers moved with remarkable speed.”
“But what happened?” Jade’s voice was anguished. “I mean…what happened when she was arrested?”
Master Abrams looked at Mouse, who squirmed uncomfortably. “I told her,” Mouse said. “I…I told her that Imaiqah had been arrested. I…”
Jade leaned forward. “Why? How did you know?”
Mouse inched backwards, her arm brushing against Emily as she tried to shrink away from Jade. “I was…I was working for Lady Lye,” she said. Her voice shook. “The Crown Princess was meant to be going on a tour of the outer lands. I…I heard that Lady Imaiqah had been arrested, as soon as she entered the castle, and…and I told the Crown Princess.”
“You heard about the arrest,” Jade said. “Who from? Who told you?”
“Lady Lye,” Mouse said. “She was…she was with a group of us.”
“Lady Lye,” Emily said, hoping to distract Jade from Mouse. “Who is she?”