She sighs. "Not yet."
"Naima, this isn't?—"
Kage's shadows whirl around us without warning.
Mal throws an arm out, pressing us against the wall.
"Legion guards," Kage murmurs. His shadows cocoon us in darkness.
Mal glances at Naima. "Is the Veritas Estate safe?"
"I don't know." Her voice wavers. "It has wards, but those won't matter if the Council knows about the hidden halls."
I take her hand. Squeeze. I wish I had something reassuring to say, but I've never been a good liar. None of the Sages' training prepared us for this.
They taught us to lie about our gifts. To suppress them. To fear using them. But training only goes so far when you know, deep down, that the person teaching you won't actually hurt you.
"So the estate is out," Kage says.
The grim look they exchange does nothing to calm my nerves.
"Where's the cottage?" Mal asks.
"Behind Ada's clinic. More secluded than the others."
Hearing him call it mine makes my throat tighten. I push the feeling down, along with the dream that once seemed just out of reach and now seems impossible.
Mal crosses his arms. "Where are the other cottages?"
"Near Veneficia Alley. A few streets from mine." Naima's grip tightens when he turns that sharp, calculating gaze on her.
"Visitors are renting there?"
She nods. "The hunters Kage identified are staying nearby. That's probably why Tilda gave us this one instead."
His eyes narrow. "Pack a bag. Stay with us tonight."
"I've told them they can't stay in Lunaris," Kage says. "Neither wants to hear it."
"It's not that we don't want to hear it." Naima's voice cracks. She releases my hand. "Where would we even go? How would we leave?"
I wrap my arms around myself. Look away. Her emotions threaten to slip into mine, and I can't afford that right now. I reach for the bond instead. Lean into Mal's unwavering resolve. His eyes flick to mine for a moment before he turns back to Kage.
"Do you have everything we need?"
"Not yet. None of the receipts have names or places of origin. They only have the House of Justice as the point of delivery. Mycontact at the docks says there's a shipment coming in tonight, so I'm planning to get on that ship and find some answers."
"You trust this contact?"
Kage huffs a laugh. "You know me better than that. I trust three people, and one of them is standing in front of me." He winks at me. "Don't worry. We'll work on that before we're married."
"When does the ship arrive?" Mal asks, ignoring him.
"Ships dock at the second dog watch. I'll head out when the Veritas clock strikes five."
"You're boarding a ship carrying weapons designed to kill Rooks?" I stare at Kage.
"We need to find out who's making them. Where they're coming from." His expression darkens. "Though we have a good idea about the latter."
