Arthur looks at him, then at me. I shrug. "Tooth's very observant. And protective. And learning to read."
"What's this word?" Tooth asks suddenly, pointing at his book. "Cour... courage?"
"Courage," I confirm. "Being brave even when you're scared."
"Oh." He writes it carefully in his notebook. "That's a good word."
"Someone who knows my exact routine..." My magic flares, creating spots of light on the walls. I can't control it when I'm anxious. "But only guild members know those things."
"Or someone who's been watching very closely." Arthur winces as I work on his eye socket. The swelling goes down slowly, revealing green eyes. Mother's eyes. He still has that little scar above his left eyebrow from when he fell off the garden wall at eight. "Livvy, The Luminary's completely lost it."
"More than before?"
"He burned his own lover last week. Said she had 'impure thoughts about mercy.'" Arthur's voice drops. "He's started carving symbols into his own skin. Says he needs to burn out his own corruption before he can cleanse others."
My light goes cold somehow. Still golden but cold. "That's not how light magic works."
"He thinks he can steal magical affinity. There's a ritual—needs the victim awake the whole time." Arthur meets my eyes. "Failed attempts destroy the user's mind. He's tried it five times."
"Oh." That explains everything. "He's burning himself out from the inside."
"And taking everyone with him. His second, Vice, she's disturbed but oath-bound. She can't act against him even though she knows he's gone too far."
The door opens and my shadows spike before recognizing Ruvan. He takes in the scene—me healing Arthur while dizzy from the effort, Tooth pretending to read, medical supplies everywhere.
"Your brother's here." His voice is flat.
"He's hurt. And he has information." I finish with Arthur's hand, the bones clicking back into place. Tooth winces behind his book. The room tilts—definitely overdid it. "Someone's been reporting my movements to the Radiant Court."
"Who?"
"Someone who knows when I send guards away for meals. When I'm in the garden. Which windows I think at." The light around my hands keeps pulsing. "Someone close."
Ruvan goes very still. "How close?"
"Close enough to know I stand at the library window at four-thirty most days." I can't keep the light steady. My hands are properly shaking now. "Close enough to know I take the back stairs when my hip hurts."
"Boss?" Joss appears in the doorway. Always there when things get complicated. "I heard we have a situation."
"The Radiant Court's moving against us. Someone's feeding them intelligence." Ruvan's shadows are agitated.
"I'll handle her protection personally," Joss says immediately. "I already know all her patterns—can protect her better than rotating guards."
"You know my patterns?" Something in my stomach drops.
"I make it my business to know everything that affects guild security." She's examining her nails. "Your morning garden time makes you vulnerable. Your market routes are predictable. We should change everything immediately."
"Yes," Ruvan says with visible relief. "Joss, you're the only one I trust with this."
Arthur shifts uncomfortably, eyes moving between Joss and Ruvan. His boots make a wet flapping sound. He used to do that same shift when Mother asked who broke something—never could lie properly.
"I have contacts who can track Radiant Court movements," Joss offers. "Safe houses we can use. I'll map out new routes that avoid main streets."
"Good. Perfect." Ruvan's tension eases. "Twenty years of friendship and you're still saving me."
The shadows around me pull toward Joss then back away. One keeps tugging at my sleeve.
"There's more," Arthur says quietly. "The Luminary's given me an ultimatum. Deliver Olivia in two nights, during the new moon, or he'll expose me and purge my entire guild."
