These hooded servants weren’t studying the shadows, of course. But could they sense the team clutched together in the corner? Did any of them feel the puff of their breath unsettling the air?
From the steady, even breaths that beat against Kell’s right shoulder blade, Lorzok didn’t seem worried at all. Jubilee’s chin, wedged on Kell’s left shoulder, pressed into his muscle, but not so hard as if she were afraid. From the tension in her thigh, pressed next to Kell’s, she was ready to spring into action as soon as the coast was clear. Saeldian leaned against his chest, stiff andresentful of the proximity. Their hair smelled like bay laurel and iris root. Could the servants smell that, above the beeswax and the mingling of dancers?
Saeldian slouched and shifted from foot to foot, bored and untroubled by the tiny clues Kell worried about. They must love this. There was nothing better than proving themself smarter than any trap, any defense, or any trick that made a collector sleep soundly at night. The illusion Saeldian held over them seemed effortless. Saeldian’s shoulders barely moved as they listened to Lady Elezia instructing assistants, standing almost within arm’s reach.
“Places,” she said, and then, “Inspection?”
The voice that answered was a woman’s. “Clear.”
“Splendid. Phase one, places. Good! Activate…wonderful. Phase two, please.”
Two maids took their hoods off and climbed the stairs to the gallery. Four maids filed past the hidden crew—what if they had to get into the room the four of them currently blocked?—but they continued down the stairs without a pause.
Smart. None of these servants knew the whole disarming sequence. Kidnapping one to get the answer wouldn’t work.
“Phase two, begin.”
Phase two didn’t take long. But only one maid came down the stairs, while the other three doffed their blindhoods to climb up. Was there another pair of shoes tapping down the other side?
“Excellent. Ganadil, Rildur, Feathilia, you may begin.”
Two feet landing, then another pair, and the third simply stepping. A pause. And then—two people jumping, the other one stepping. That was the pressure plates for sure. Activating a pattern on the far end of the floor—
“Perfect. Thank you all. If you wish to change out of your uniforms and join the party, please do.”
They murmured thanks and left by the other staircase nearest them.
Kell hadn’t seen any of it. Only Lady Elezia, directing three teams of servants in activating three sets of traps. Four maids, then two maids, then three footmen. They had enough to activate the trap sets. Were their four enough to defeat them?
Finally, Elezia descended the stairs, choosing their side. She stopped on the landing to lean against the bannister, watching the party whirl along below—then she stood upright, head cocked to follow an unexpected sense.
She sniffed the air. Sniffed again, turning in a slow circle, with frowning eyebrows and a downturned mouth. Lady Elezia inhaled slowly, reading the odors in the air like a gossip column mentioning someone she recognized.
Kell pressed his lips together, but Saeldian’s iris root and bay laurel hair oil filled the air. How far had it spread? When would Lady Elezia move to track it?
Saeldian’s shoulder tensed the instant before they lifted their hand and whispered, “Is that you?”
Lady Elezia lifted her elbow and turned to smell herself.
“Phaugh!”
Their host picked up their skirts and made haste down the stairs. Kell sagged against the wall and learned how to breathe again.
“Wait,” Jubilee whispered.
Kell stayed still, but why did Jubilee hold them up? Elezia was gone—oh. The lights were still bright. The servants hadn’t dimmed them.
Saeldian’s spell didn’t falter, not once, while guards climbed either stairwell, peeked into the gallery, and turned back the way they came, turning half the lamps off as they went.
When they were gone, Saeldian let the spell fall. “Time?”
“Fifteen minutes, almost.”
“Hells. There’s no time for a single mistake. I need one of those minutes, or else I’m all out of big spells for today.”
Saeldian touched their chest, closed their eyes, and murmured words under their breath.
Kell caughtYou who gave me the power of your splendorin Sylvan, but the way they spoke it had the feel of memorized sounds, not understanding.
