A flicker of movement in the mirror stole Laila’s response. A Sphinx.
“We anticipated one Sphinx in the crowd,” said Laila uneasily. “That’s nothing new—”
Hypnos pointed at the mirror. From the eastern hall, a second Sphinx. It paced back and forth. At the table nearest it sat the House Kore courier. At first, Laila’s heart lightened. Maybe Séverin and Tristan had gotten there earlier than she expected. Maybe Tristan had just put the decoy on the House Kore courier.
“That must be Séverin—” she started.
Just then, right on schedule, a third Sphinx stepped through the doors of the western hall. Beside it walked a Sûretéofficer in plain uniform.Séverin and Tristan.
Tristan spotted the House Kore courier on the other side of the room.
“Don’t!” Laila yelled.
She knew even as she yelled that it was useless. The mirror relayed only images. Not sound. No one could hear her.
If he walked forward, she wouldn’t be able to see him anymore. The mirror only allowed a look at a strict width of the audience. Tristan looked as if he was about to take a step forward when something yanked him backward. Abruptly, a group of men stood from their table, cutting Tristan and Séverin from view. When the men cleared, Laila caught a glimpse of Tristan and Séverin hiding behind a wide, marble column. Any moment now,the two genuine Sphinxes would recognize the imposter. A violent image flashed before her eyes. Séverin and Tristan facedown in a pool of blood.
Laila whirled to face Hypnos. “Get a message to them! Besides, you’re a patriarch of the Order. Can’t you call off the Sphinx?”
“The moment I step outside my home, my every action is recorded and submitted to the Order at the end of every month,” said Hypnos, tapping his lapel where a mnemo bug in the shape of a moth was pinned. No wonder he’d come here. All dressing rooms were Forged to nullify any recording devices.
Outside her door, someone began to beat drums, her cue to enter the stage. Laila eyed Hypnos’s fancy clothes, from the watch and the mnemo bug to the crescent-moon cuff links of his sleeves.
“Are all your accessories House-marked?”
Hypnos’s gaze turned haughty. He stroked his matching crescent-moon brooch. “Of course. Far too pretty to be on commoners.”
Laila had an idea. She unclasped her dress, candlelight catching on her Night and Stars costume.
Hypnos’s eyebrows skated up his forehead. “Oh, heavens,” he said. “I don’t blame you in the least. But I can’t have the death of my hired associates on the conscience of my irresistibility.”
“Your virtue is safe with me.” Laila winked. “How would you like to cause some drama?” she asked, shrugging off the rest of her gown. Her Forged peacock headdress tickled her skin.
Hypnos’s teeth flashed in the candlelight. “I live for it, lovely.”
L’ÉNIGME DID NOTtake the stage as planned.
She did not take the stage at all.
Laila descended the main staircase instead of the stairwell that led directly to the stage. She told no one—not the stage manager,musicians, or even her fellow dancers. Which was just as well. When the grand courtesan had trained her, she had told her the only rules to follow were instincts and color palettes. Tonight, Laila followed both.
At the top of the staircase, she waited. In one hand, she carried a half-empty bottle of champagne. Her other hand brimmed with strings of pearls, a set of emerald earrings, and two crescent-moon cuff links. The two Sphinxes had not moved from their posts. Tristan and Séverin were nowhere to be seen.
“Hypnos!” she hollered.
The crowd turned. The French horn and piano music cut off sharply. Hypnos sat at a table, his arm around a beautiful man. When he looked up at her, he flashed a wicked smile.
Laila walked down a few steps, swaying her hips generously so the light caught on her spangled corset. She hadn’t faked a lover’s spat in six months. She owed it to the crowd.
Gingerly, Hypnos slid his arm off the other man.
“You lied to me,” she said loudly.
Hypnos stood, putting up his hands. “My darling, I can explain—”
Laila threw the champagne bottle in a wide arc. Some people dove out of the way. Others raced to catch it before it fell, but they were too late. The champagne bottle smashed to the floor, glittering shards spinning out across the dance floor. The Sphinx nearest the stage lifted its head. Its nostrils flared.
“She meant nothing to me!” cried Hypnos, dropping to his knees.
