Which, in reality, was ridiculous. Saska might have had an Adlin beacon with her, but the Adlin didn’t take prisoners. Not live ones, anyway. Even Ava dismissed the idea as absurd when I mentioned it to her. And it wasn’t as if I could confide in anyone else—not without outing my meager abilities.

The Adlin continued to howl night and day, and though both the Night and Daywatch made several strikes at them, little changed. The Adlin simply disappeared before our attack force could get too far beyond the gates. It left us with nothing more to do than wait and watch. Anything else would simply be a waste of armaments. But their actions went against everything we’d ever learned about them, and unease spread across the ranks.

Six days after their first appearance, just as I’d finished my shift and was walking back to the bunkhouse, a young lad dressed in the blue and silver of the Rossi household stopped in front of me, forcing me to a halt.

“Neve March?” he said. “I have a message for you.”

He held out an old-fashioned, folded piece of parchment and my stomach sank. I’d hoped Saska had forgotten her request for my presence at the masque but it seemed I was out of luck.

I reluctantly accepted the parchment and carefully unfolded it. It said, in quite ornate handwriting, Lord Rossi and his recently returned beloved require the presence of Neve March this coming Monday for the Masque of Pomona and the ongoing harvest celebration. A leave of absence has already been sourced from Captain July.

A leave of absence? That rather ominously sounded like I was required for more than one evening. And while I’d heard many tales of hedonistic festivities that ran over days rather than the one night those of us in the outer bailey were given, I hadn’t actually expected my presence to be required for the entire event.

It made me wonder just why they wanted me there—and whether Lord Kiro, with his sharp eyes and restless suspicions, was the main force behind this invitation.

I swallowed the bitter uneasiness that rose up my throat and forced a smile. “You may tell your lord and lady I accept with pleasure.”

“Thank you.” He spun and raced away.

Both Ava and April were waiting for me inside our bunkroom, as it was something of a ritual between us to relieve the tension and stress of the night with some mattress time. They were the only ones currently here, as Moss and Chet preferred to drink away their tensions before sleeping, and Pen had a lover who wasn’t from the watch, meaning she was undoubtedly making full use of his more private dwellings rather than the coupling rooms.

“Talk about a perfect piece of timing,” Ava said as she and April strolled naked and wet from the washroom. Desire, thick and luscious, teased the air, but it was unaccompanied by the scent of sex. Coupling in a bunkhouse was a brig-worthy offense—apparently the powers that be believed the rule cut down on friction and other petty nonsense. “I was just about—”

She stopped abruptly, her gaze scanning my face. “What’s wrong?”

“This.”

I handed her the invitation. April leaned over her shoulder and read its contents as well.

“Oh my,” Ava said. “This is certainly something.”

“But not,” April said, “deserving of such a woebegone expression.”

My gaze rose to his. “You don’t understand—”

“No, I’m thinking you don’t understand.” He plucked the invitation from Ava and lightly waved it in front of my face. “This is a five-day break from duty, and one that comes with unending feasting and debauchery. Why is that suddenly a problem?”

In any other circumstances, it wouldn’t be. I was more than willing to celebrate the upcoming harvest with as much fervent wantonness as the goddess might require—but that wasn’t what this was about. I was sure of it.

“But it’s tomorrow night,” I said. “And I have nothing suitable to wear and no chance—”

April’s loud snort cut off the rest of my sentence. “Clothes are not a requirement at masques, dear Neve. Not for long, anyway.”

I hesitated, and glanced at Ava. She knew I distrusted all things Rossi right now, but even she didn’t appear to see a problem.

“Look,” she said, placing a hand on my arm. “The masque is attended by both the six ruling houses and the six non-ruling. It’s not like you will have to spend every single hour with the Rossi. I doubt they’ll do much more than an official thank-you, and then you’ll be free to enjoy yourself. As for clothes, you can borrow my silver sheath dress. It’s classy enough for even the Upper Reaches.”

“It’s probably just the uneasiness of the whole Adlin situation that’s the issue,” April added. “But what you need to be thinking is that you’re there representing the Nightwatch, and you need to show those people we unlit are more than able to keep up with their nonsense.”

I snorted softly and rose up on my toes to drop a kiss on his cheek. “You’re right. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I really need to make the most of it.”

“Right,” April said. “Now that’s settled, let’s go have sex.”

I rolled my eyes and met Ava’s amused gaze. “You two go. I need a shower and some alone time.”

She squeezed my arm in understanding, then pushed April toward the door. “You heard her, out.”

“Bossy as well as condescending,” he murmured. “Just as well I love your body.”

She snorted and lightly smacked the back of his head. As their footsteps disappeared down the walkway, I stripped off, stowed my blaster and knife in my locker, and then headed into the bathroom. But a long, hot shower did nothing to shake the certainty that something beyond my comprehension was happening. I felt like a pawn in a game of chess, one where the players were hidden and I had no idea who were the white pieces and who were black.

Sleep was slow in coming, and once again haunted by the wind, although if she trying to warn me about something, it remained unclear.

The following morning another courier intercepted my path back to the bunkhouse, although this time he was clad in dark green that was shot with gold. Not the Rossi but still a ruling house, I suspected.

“Neve March,” he said, with a slight bow. “I have a parcel for you.”

Said parcel was gorgeously wrapped in pale gold silk. I touched it, briefly and in awe, and then jerked my hand away lest the rough skin on my fingertips catch the material. “Are you sure it’s for me?”

“Yes.”

“But who would be sending me such a thing? What house wears these colors?”

“There’s a letter inside, Miss March. That’s all I am allowed to say.”

It was a statement that raised a whole lot more questions but I reluctantly accepted the parcel. The courier bowed again and walked off.

“For freedom’s sake, what is it this time?” April said, as I walked into our room.

“A present of some kind.” I stopped at my bunk and sat down.

Ava perched beside me and ran her fingers carefully across the top of it. “The material is as fine as I’ve ever seen. Who sent it? The Rossis?”

I shook my head. “It’s not their colors.”

“Then whose?”

“I don’t know.”

“And won’t until you open the thing,” April said, ever practical.

I hesitated, then flipped the parcel over and carefully undid the ties holding it together. The golden material fell away to reveal a dress—a dress that was pale lavender gray, the same color as my stains and had obviously been designed to blend with them. Underneath it was a mask in the same color but intricately patterned with a deep gold, and a silk belt that had the same colors, but ended in a knot of deep green. The same color, I thought, that the courier had worn.

“Oh my,” Ava whispered. “That’s beautiful.”

Yes, it was, and even as I placed the dress carefully to one side and picked up the note underneath the mask, I suspected who’d sent it.

From one reluctant participant to another, the note said. Your carriage will be waiting at seven tonight.

Ava frowned at the note. “That’s rather cryptic, isn’t it?”

“Not to the man who sent it.”

“Does that man have a name?” April asked. “Or are we expected to beg for such morsels?”

I screwed up the note and tossed it at him. “Idiot.”

“That is no answer but a fact,” Ava commented. “Give, sister.”

I drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. “I believe the dress comes from Trey Stone.”

“My, my, you are walking in exalted circles these days, aren’t you?” April said. “Care to direct a little highfaluting tail my way sometime?”

“It’s not as if I’ve gotten any such tail, so it’s unlikely I’ll be able to cast any your way.”

“So, if you’re not getting any, why would the firstborn son of a ruling house be sending you a dress?”

Trey was the firstborn? Then why on earth was he at Blacklake, let alone its commander? “Because he’s the prime at Blacklake, and was involved in Saska’s recovery. If this note is to be believed, he’s been ordered to this shindig and is just as reluctant as me.”

“I can’t believe that,” April said. “Although it is rather odd for a firstborn son to be sent to an outpost in any capacity. Those in the upper class usually avoid real work like the plague.”

I placed the mask on the bed then rose and gingerly draped the dress against my body. It was an off-the-shoulder design, with a full sleeve to cover my stained and scarred left arm while leaving my right arm and shoulder exposed. The swooping material barely covered my breasts, and the left side of the long skirt was slit to my hip. Every move I made would reveal plenty of unstained leg while hiding the other. The silky soft, translucent material would skim my body beautifully, emphasizing my curves while—via discreetly placed panels—leaving me some modesty.

“They’ll think they’re in a presence of a goddess,” Ava murmured, eyes shining with appreciation.

“Only if you’re there with me.”

She snorted. “If you don’t come away with a generous patron after this, I’ll eat my helmet.”

“I don’t want a patron, in any capacity.”

She smacked my leg. “Don’t be an idiot. You can’t be a Nightwatch forever. What are you going to do when retirement beckons?”

I thought of the bracelet in my locker and smiled. “Buy myself a small allotment far away from Winterborne. I might even invite you two along, if you promise to behave.”

“I’ll certainly visit if you do achieve such an aim,” Ava said, “but I, for one, intend to end my days living a higher lifestyle.”

“Which is why you’re currently fooling around with a cook on your days off,” April commented. “That makes perfectly good sense.”

Ava shot him a look that would have put a lesser man well and truly in his place. April merely grinned.

“That cook is about to take up a position in the Fisk house as junior pâtissier,” she said with a sweetness that belied the ice in her eyes. “As his current bedmate, I will be given visiting access into the Lower Reaches and therefore be in full view of the non-ruling houses who inhabit that place. How hard do you think it’ll be to attract their attention once I set my mind to it?”

“You, my dear, are a schemer,” April said. “It makes me so proud.”

She snorted. “Yes, because you have such a long history of successful schemes behind you.”

“You cannot win if you do not first lose, my sweet.”

Ava blinked. “That sounded almost… philosophical.”

He grinned. “I know. Amazing, right?”

She shook her head and then returned her gaze to me—or rather, to my hair. “What are you going to do with this?” She brushed her fingers through the short, wavy strands, her expression thoughtful.

I shrugged. “There’s nothing that can be done with it.”

“You could get some of those color fudges the unlit teenagers in state care have been using of late,” April said. “A streak or two of gold would look quite pretty.”

“That,” Ava said, glancing at him incredulously, “is a damn good idea. Off you go.”

“What about sleep? And sex?”

“The former can happen after we’ve got the supplies to gussy up our girl for tonight,” she said. “As for the latter, I’ll book a double period for the coupling room for us tomorrow morning.”

“Ha! Done deal.” He departed, whistling cheerfully.

“Whoever that man eventually falls for is going to be one lucky person,” Ava murmured. Her gaze returned to mine, and the amusement in her dark eyes faded. “Are you okay?”

I took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I’m scared out of my tiny little mind—not so much by the thought that I’ll be treated as some sort of novelty or freak, but by whatever is coming.”

She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and hugged me gently. “It is not as if the wind has often spoken truly to you,” she said. “It is more than likely she merely teases now.”

“I know.” Just as I knew she wasn’t teasing, and that her fears were as real as mine.

“Then stop with this nonsense, ignore the wind, and try to get some sleep today.” She pulled back and brushed some stray strands of hair from my eyes. “You can’t be having shadows under your eyes at such a fancy shindig.”

A smile teased my lips. “It doesn’t matter if I do, because they won’t see them thanks to the mask.”

“That,” she replied sternly, “is not the point. Now get your ass into that shower then climb into bed. I’ll ensure no one disturbs you.”

I did as ordered. And for the first time in days, the wind didn’t enter my dreams. Maybe she’d heard the unspoken threat in Ava’s voice.

I was alone when seven o’clock ticked around. The Nightwatch drew duty from six to six, and I couldn’t help but wish I was with them rather than heading off to some grand house for a celebration I had no desire to attend. I wasn’t one of them and, once the mask came off—as it inevitably would—I’d be viewed as nothing more than a curiosity. And, despite my words to Ava, I had absolutely no desire to be courted or bedded because I was different—been there, done that with Mak.

Perhaps I could sneak out after the official introductions and thank-yous were done. Celebrations here in the outer bailey wouldn’t kick off until the autumn equinox, which this year fell on Thursday—three days away. Surely that was enough time to satisfy the Rossis’ sense of appreciation?

I took a deep breath then pushed away from my bunk. If I delayed much longer, someone would be sent to fetch me. It would be better to appear a willing participant; anything else would just get the gossips going—and there was enough of that already. I gathered the bag containing enough clothes and toiletries to get me through the upcoming days, and then slipped my feet into my flats. Although shoes were frowned upon at any harvest festival, I wasn’t about to stride across the grime of both the stairs and the bailey barefoot. I doubted there’d be a footbath in the carriage.

With the mask dangling from one hand, I headed out. The wind stirred around me, as cold and uneasy as I felt. But she wasn’t talking to me, wasn’t telling me what she feared. Maybe she didn’t know. Or maybe she was merely amplifying the doubts and fears that were already mine.

Those doubts and fears increased greatly when I discovered it wasn’t only the carriage waiting for me, but Trey Stone himself.

I stopped abruptly. “Why are you here, Commander?”

He was wearing a loose, dark green shirt that was as sheer as my dress and allowed teasing glimpses of the lean but muscular body underneath. His trousers were the same color but made of a thicker material that hugged his legs from thighs to knees before falling loosely to his bare brown feet. There was a green silk belt around his waist, but it ended in a knot of lavender the same color as my dress.

“I told you I’d be here at seven.” His gaze skimmed me, and appreciation stirred through his eyes. “That dress is rather becoming on you, March.”

“You said the carriage would be here. There was no mention that you’d be with it.” I hesitated, knowing I sounded rather ungrateful. “But thank you for the gift, although you shouldn’t have done it. It has set too many tongues a-wagging.”

“Good, because that was part of the intent.” He held out one hand. “Come along, I won’t bite.”

I forced my feet down the rest of the stairs and somewhat reluctantly accepted his help into the carriage. His skin, like mine, was slightly rough, and yet it in no way felt unpleasant. There was great strength in those hands, just as, I suspected, there was great strength in the man.

The carriage was specifically designed for two people, with one seat on each side of it. I took the one facing the driver so that I might see the grand houses as they approached, then kicked off my shoes and tucked them into my bag. The commander climbed into the other seat, then reached back and knocked on the carriage wall separating us from the driver.

“We’re good, thanks, Bernie.”

The carriage moved forward smoothly, her engines emitting little more than a soft purr. I resisted the urge to cross my arms and tried to relax into the seat. But it was a hard thing to achieve when that nebulous, earthy energy was stirring between us once again.

“Why are you here, Commander? What game are you playing?”

His smile teased the corners of his bright eyes. They looked almost emerald in this light—rich, warm, and friendly. But there was also a tension in him, one that spoke of a warrior ready for battle. Not against me, although I rather suspected I would play some part in it.

“Oh, there are plenty of games afoot, but I’m certainly not involved in them thus far.” He pressed a button to his left and a door slid aside, revealing an ornate green flask and several glasses. “Drink?”

I shook my head. The way my stomach was currently churning, I’d probably bring it right back up.

“I gather you now have every intention of getting involved.”

“Yes.” He poured himself a drink then contemplated me over the top of the glass. “And I want you to help me.”

“Commander, I’m unlit and out of place amongst your kind. I could never—”

“Could never what? Have fun? Enjoy yourself?”

I smiled wryly. “I’m thinking that’s not the sort of help you’re wanting.”

“In part, it is.” He stretched out his legs and crossed his ankles. “As an unlit, you have no allegiances, no enemies, and no stake in whatever is happening. You’ll see things I never will, by virtue of the fact that you’re untainted and untouched by everything that is the twelve houses. I need that if we are to stop whatever is coming.”

The wind stirred past me, telling me to listen, to help. I frowned. “What do you think might be coming?”

“War. But not, perhaps, the type we have been expecting for nigh on five hundred years.” A hint of anger crept into his voice. “Those Adlin did not learn to make the beacons or trebuchets by themselves.”

I sucked in a breath. “Surely you don’t think someone from the twelve houses is working with them?”

“Right now, I’m unsure what to think. But something is going on; there’ve been too many troubling incidents of late. Someone needs to investigate whether they stem merely from courtly machinations, or something far more dangerous.”

“Why has the job fallen to you? Is it because of your position at Blacklake?”

Another smile teased his lips, but one that held a bitter edge. “For the most part, yes. But I’m not here in any official capacity. I haven’t spoken to anyone at the Forum, and only my father knows the true depth of my fears.”

“And what does he think?”

Something close to pain stirred through his expression. “He thinks me a fool. But then, that is an opinion he’s long held.”

While it was not unusual for a son to fall out with his father, it appeared there was something deeper than a mere difference of opinion behind this particular event.

I glanced outside for a moment, noting we’d already moved through the inner gatehouse and were slowly making our way up the wide but twisting road that led up to the plateau of the ruling houses. The accommodation in this lowest section was mainly multilevel terraced housing, and was little bigger than the bunkhouse I lived in. For the most part, it contained those freemen who served but weren’t bound to any of the ruling houses—blacksmiths, weavers and millinery folk, carpenters, even ladies and men of ease. Interspersed with these houses were the workplaces for the various crafts. As we moved farther up the hill, we’d come to the homes of those with personal magic—the healers, illusionists, the bards, and the danseuse. Only once we’d gone through a secondary gate that was more decorative than defensive would we reach the estates of the lower ruling houses and the plateau.

I reluctantly returned my gaze to his. “Is that why the firstborn son of a ruling house has accepted a position at an outpost rather than taking his rightful position at the Forum?”

A smile ghosted his lips. “You’ve been checking up on me.”

“The minute this dress arrived. But it’s not like anyone within the Nightwatch was able to tell me much.”

“Quite rightly, I would think.”

“And in that statement lies the arrogance of a ruling house.”

His smile grew. “And that propensity to not hold back is the very reason I wish your help.”

“It’s a propensity that has gotten me into trouble more often than not. And you didn’t answer my question, Commander.”

“No.” Though his expression gave little away, there was an odd mix of sadness and anger emanating from him. “I ceded my position as my father’s second in the Forum to my younger brother Karl. It is he who now carries the weight of family expectations.”

“Then why haven’t you confided your suspicions to him?”

“Because it makes little sense to burden him further until I have proof. I hope to either gather that confirmation within the next five days, or be able to acknowledge it for the stupidity my father thinks it is.”

The wind didn’t think it was stupidity. I rather suspected the earth didn’t, either. Why else would he be here? He might be stationed a long way from Winterborne, but the earth was an unbroken connection that ran between the two. If he was a powerful enough earth witch—and I very much suspected he was—then he would hear the tales of this place not only through the connection of the stone, earth, and metal elements that made up so much of the buildings within Winterborne, but also through movement of people across the land itself.

“So what is it, exactly, that you wish me to do?”

“Tonight is the unofficial portion of the masque. It is a night for introductions and seductions, a night where nothing more than a good time should be had.”

“If I’m to bed anyone, Commander, it’ll be because I desire it, not because you wish me to.”

“And that is as it should be.” He paused. “However, either of us bedding anyone willy-nilly would not only muddy our purpose here, but would also be unseemly.”

Trepidation stirred through me, and it wasn’t helped any by the sudden glint of amusement in his eyes. “And why is that?”

“Because you and I are an informal item.”

“Meaning we have sex on an irregular basis?”

This time, he laughed. It was a warm, rich sound that sent delight skittering across my skin. “Not exactly. It means we are sexually together, but have made no promises nor undertaken the committal ceremony. It means that if others wish to lie with one of us, permission must be sought from both parties. It is a means of protection for us both.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And why would you need protection, Commander?”

“Please, you need to call me Trey for this charade to have any chance.” His amusement faded, only to be replaced by something much darker—something that spoke of old ghosts. “I may be the black sheep of the family, but I am nevertheless a firstborn son of a powerful ruling house. It’s not an understatement to say there will be those present tonight who’d think such a liaison would be worthwhile, for both their own status and that of their family.”

“No one would ever think that about me, though.”

“Perhaps not, but I think you’ll gather much attention and more than a few propositions before this night is over. And I believe such interest will only increase once your mask comes off.” Something of a wry smile touched his lips. “If there’s one truth about the twelve ruling houses, it’s the fact that none can resist chasing the unattainable and the different, especially when it comes so exquisitely packaged.”

This time, the wry smile was mine. “I’m well aware that my stain will draw attention, Commander—”

“Trey,” he cut in.

“—but I don’t think it’ll be considered such a prize once I’m introduced as Nightwatch and therefore unlit.”

“Oh, I think you underestimate the allure of the unknown. Besides, you won’t be announced as Nightwatch. Kiro agrees it would not be beneficial.”

“You won’t confide in your own family, yet you confide in him?” I couldn’t help the edge in my voice, or the distaste that lingered on the word him.

Trey’s eyebrow rose. “And why would you have formed such an opinion of the man in the brief time he was with you?”

I hesitated then mentally shrugged. He’d brought me here to be honest, so honesty was exactly what he’d get. “There’s a darkness to his energy that I don’t like.”

“Perhaps what you sense was nothing more than his suspicions about your dishonesty.”

I was shaking my head even before he was finished. “It was more than that. More than just his ability to read people, too.”

“Interesting that you caught that when so few are even aware he’s a reader—and it totally verifies my belief that your help will be invaluable.”

Perhaps. I hesitated. “Who is Lord Kiro, exactly? He doesn’t wear the color of any house, and yet he bears the moniker of Lord.”

“He was born Kiro Vaun, and is the second son of a healer of some repute. The Forum tithed him both the title and a house at the entrance of the plateau for services rendered to the ruling houses over the last thirty-five years.”

“So he’d be what? Sixty? Seventy?”

A smile touched his lips. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you? But he is, in fact, much younger—fifty-one.”

I blinked. “He’s been in the service of the Forum and the ruling houses since he was sixteen?”

“Yes. He is both a forecaster and reader of incredible strength, but all magic, even personal, has its costs. His ages him.”

I remembered the dark restlessness of his energy and a shiver ran through me. “I rather suspect those are not his only gifts.”

“No. But many readers are also sexually alluring. It is often the best way to ferret out secrets.”

“So does he seduce only with his words and energy?”

Trey raised an eyebrow, his expression one of amusement. “What do you think?”

“I think it is a combination of words, aura, and physicality. But why would the lords of this place turn a blind eye to the bedding of their own women?”

“It’s not just women, and it would depend on the circumstance and information required. There are certainly a few who are extremely unhappy about Kiro’s methods.” He glanced at the window and abruptly sat forward. “We near the secondary gate, and there are a few formalities you need to know.”

“Only a few?” My voice was dry. “I would think that is something of an understatement.”

He acknowledged the statement with a twist of his full lips. “First and foremost, you curtsey to everyone you are officially introduced to, be they upper or lower house. No lady ever serves herself from the outside tables—she either accepts such things from the trays serfs carry around the room, or requests such from one of the men who are in attendance of her.”

“Which will only be you, so be prepared for a lot of walking back and forth.”

That eyebrow winged upward again. It was truly amazing how much one could discern from such a movement—like the odd mix of amusement and irritation currently evident—even if little otherwise showed on his expression. “Perhaps we should have a small wager on who is right on that account?”

No, we should not. But I nevertheless found myself saying, “That would depend on the stakes.”

He hesitated, his gaze challenging as it pinned mine. “If I win, you tell me the truth of what happened out there in the Tenterra desert.”

Such a bet would be nothing short of foolish, and yet I could almost hear Ava in my head, egging me on, telling me this was a golden opportunity that shouldn’t be missed. But I couldn’t in all conscience ask for anything that might further my placement in the watch or even secure something for my retirement fund. Not when all he wanted was the truth.

But the refusal of the bet would all but confirm that something had gone on. That I was lying.

And he was aware of the position he’d just placed me in, damn him.

“If I win,” I said slowly, “I want the truth about the break with your family and why a first son would cede his rights to a younger brother and take a position at Blacklake.”

He didn’t react for a moment, then a slow smile spread over his face. “I am so glad, Neve March, that it was you who was sent to rescue Lady Rossi that day.”

A statement I had no idea how to respond to. He stuck out his hand. “Agreed.”

I hesitated, then gripped his fingers. And wasn’t surprised that the indefinable something surged between us again. His eyes darkened fractionally, and I had to wonder if what he was feeling was even more sexual in nature than the mix I was receiving.

“Agreed,” I said softly, and then pulled my hand from his. “Is there anything else I should be aware of?”

“While the Rossi house is hosting this year’s Harvest Masque, all six upper ruling houses provide accommodation for the lower ruling houses and their entourage. Because I was a late and unexpected inclusion in this year’s festival, we are being hosted at Rossi, as my suites had already been allotted.”

“We?”

Again that smile ghosted his lips. “As my informal lover, it would be considered a breach of etiquette to house us separately.”

“Except that Lady Saska knows the truth of our relationship.”

“Actually, she doesn’t.”

I studied him for a minute, listening to the wind, hearing her tales of the machinations that had begun from almost the minute he’d saved us. “That’s why you took me back to your suites for an informal chat.”

“Yes. The wind was watching us that night.”

“What the wind witnessed wouldn’t exactly have led Saska to believe we were in a relationship.”

“Except for the fact I dismissed my maidservant and we spent much time in companionable silence. That is the province of old lovers, not new.”

I wondered what he would have done had it been any other Nightwatch officer who’d been sent after Saska. But maybe it wouldn’t have mattered, given all he really wanted was a fresh pair of eyes to view those from the twelve houses?

“The masque itself lasts for two and a half nights,” he continued, “and it is in this time most of the political and committal alliances are made.”

“Why just then? Why not over the whole five days?”

“Because just as the equinox signals the end of summer days and the slip toward winter, it also brings to an end any formal entreaty and marriage negotiations between the houses for another year.”

“So the other two and a half nights are just a party?”

“Yes. We will keep to our rooms during the day. The official revelation of identity comes at midnight on the night of the equinox, which is when we will officially be introduced and thanks given.”

I frowned. “So how are we introduced before that?”

“Merely as Lord T and Lady N.”

“Which, combined with the colors you’re wearing, will tell everyone exactly who you are, mask or no mask.”

“Yes, but it will heighten the intrigue of who my consort might be, because your colors offer no allegiance other than the green that denotes our liaison.”

Which explained why he was wearing the knot of lavender gray at the end of his belt. “That intrigue will only last as long as the official introductions.”

“I think not.” He glanced out the window as the carriage began to slow. “Our bags will be taken directly to our quarters. Don your mask, Lady Neve, for the game begins.”

The carriage came to a halt. I looked out the window as we waited for the door to be opened, butterflies gathering in my stomach. What little I could see of Rossi House was a vast white stone and silver structure that was both imposing and beautiful. It was a house designed with impossible angles and sweeping curves, and one that would fall in an instant if our enemies ever got this far.

But if they ever did, the ruling houses wouldn’t be here to see it. They would have already retreated, leaving Winterborne a deserted wasteland in much the same manner as they had Tenterra, to start anew somewhere else. Such an eventuality had even been factored into the building of this place, with the creation of a sea canal that divided Winterborne from the rest of Gallion. Vast earth and stone bridges might now connect us, allowing easy movement between the two, but none would be hard to destroy. Not for a combined attack from the ruling houses that were responsible for their existence in the first place.

The door was opened and Trey, his mask in place and revealing little more than the glitter of his eyes and the fullness of his mouth, stepped out. He immediately turned and held out his hand. “My lady?”

A smile twisted my lips, one that seemed to be echoed in his eyes, but I nevertheless place my fingers in his and stepped carefully from the carriage. He released me but remained close, and as a young page bowed and asked us to follow him, pressed his hand lightly against my spine to guide me. My attention, whether I wished it or not, was both on him and the impact his touch was having on my body rather than all the wonders that had been built onto this plateau.

“Rossi House,” Trey murmured, as we climbed the long, sweeping stone staircase, “like all other ruling houses, cedes the entire top floor of their home to entertainment. Guest suites and private wings are on the second, while the ground floor consists of kitchens, washrooms, and serf accommodation.”

“It would be nice to have the leisure of such space.”

“Do not judge by surface appearances,” he said. “It can often be deceiving.”

“I somehow think your upbringing contained a whole lot more freedom and choice than mine ever did.”

“Perhaps,” he said, his tone heavy. “And perhaps not.”

A liveried footman met us at the heavily ornate double-width silver doors atop of the stairs and led us through a vast open space of glittering white-stone walls and high-vaulted ceilings. The colors of all twelve houses adorned the left side of the long room, and a multitude of tables filled with food and wine lined the right. We moved past two large parlors that were fitted for comfort and ease taking, before finally stopping on a landing that looked out over a ballroom that was even bigger and grander than the hall. There were no flags or adornments on these walls; there was no need for them when the guests themselves provided a rainbow.

The footman stopped, and then said in a loud voice, “The lord T and the lady N.”

Just for an instant, conversation ceased and the weight of all their stares hit. I trembled under the force of it, my skin cold and stomach churning. I didn’t smile. I didn’t react in any way; unattainable was the word Trey had used, and that impression was what these people were going to get. It was, I suspected, the only way I was going to get through the evening.

After an altogether too long a pause at the top of the steps, Trey lightly pressed me forward. I was glad of his steadying touch as I concentrated on moving gracefully and not falling. The murmur of conversation started up again, and some faces turned away from us. Most did not.

The next five hours became an almost dizzying array of introductions and small conversations. He didn’t leave my side in that time, giving me the chance to fall into my role. And while it didn’t become any easier as the hours passed, I did at least feel better once my nerves were under control. But I certainly wouldn’t go as far as saying I was enjoying myself. Not when I kept waiting for the moment someone would denounce me as the fraud I was.

Trey captured two glasses from a nearby drink boy, and handed me one with a smile. We were standing in one of the quieter corners of the room, a shadowed and half-hidden nook.

“How do you feel about circulating by yourself for a little while?”

“Terrified.” I took a sip of the dark wine. It tasted of blackberries and plums, and though it was slightly more acidic than the one Trey had served, it nevertheless tasted damn fine to my palate. “But I’m not here for my looks.”

He gave me a quizzical look. Or, at least, that’s what it appeared to be given the constraints of the mask. “Why are you so harsh on yourself when it comes to appearance?”

“Because when it comes to appearance, it’s all I’ve ever been judged on.” My gaze met his, and I could feel the old anger stirring. “Have you any idea what it feels like to know, from a very young age, that while you might be considered beddable, no one will ever commit to you?”

“No, but—”

He paused, and part me wanted to retort, but what? That it is the reality of my life and position, and I should just accept it?

But there were footsteps approaching, a heavy sound that spoke of a man rather than a woman, and it snatched away the moment. Such bitterness shouldn’t be aired at a celebration or place like this, anyway. So, as ever, I tried to pretend there was nothing wrong, that it wasn’t there deep inside, eating away at me like a canker.

Trey smiled and leaned forward, lightly brushing his lips across my bare cheek. Surprise rippled through me, but before I could react in any way, he whispered, “And so it begins.”

Someone cleared his voice behind us. Trey turned and studied the rotund figure in the sand-colored robes for a few seconds before saying, in a rather dismissive tone, “Lord V, how may I help you?”

I frowned, running rapidly through all the colors of the houses, and the names of everyone I’d been introduced to. Trey had filled me in on their backgrounds after each introduction and this man had certainly been one of them—I remembered his rather odd mask, which was more an ornate helmet with eye shields. After a moment, I placed him—Lord Vaseye, from the non-ruling earth house Myrl.

Vaseye cleared his throat again, looking very ill at ease with Trey’s coolness. “I wonder if I might speak to you privately for a minute or two?”

“Is it of great importance?” Trey asked. “Because I’m rather delightfully occupied right now.”

Vaseye’s gaze flicked to me—or rather, to the breast the dropped shoulder of my dress was barely covering—and his cheeks grew even redder. I hadn’t thought that possible.

“I believe it to be so, yes.”

“Then I will come. Sorry, my sweet.” Trey turned back to me and leaned in, as if to kiss. And indeed, his warm lips did brush my cheek, but only because he murmured, “Meet back here at three. We can retire and compare notes.”

“Don’t be one second late,” I murmured in return. “Or the knife that sleeps in my bag might just find a home in your heart.”

He laughed, a rich sound that drew more than a little attention. “Warning heeded.”

He stepped back, gave me a bow, and then walked away with Vaseye. I resisted the urge to gulp down the rest of my wine and wandered out of our nook, ignoring those in my immediate vicinity who sought to catch my eye as I walked around the edge of the vast room and studied the crowd.

This masque was not, in any way, what I had expected. Yes, there was some flirting, some caressing, even the odd stolen kiss or two, but it was not the alcohol- and sex-fueled indulgence that most of us in the outer bailey had believed it to be. Maybe that would come after the equinox, when all the maneuvering and alliances had finished for another year, but right now, it was positively restrained. Hell, the watch parties would shock more than a few highbrow sensibilities if Vaseye’s reaction to a barely covered nipple were anything to go by.

There were plenty of shadowed nooks inset into the white walls around this vast room, as well as more brightly lit seating areas. Most of the former were surprisingly unoccupied—although given the restraint in the room, maybe that wasn’t such a surprise. The latter were filled with serious-faced men or older women whose bodies were adorned with all manner of bright jewels, chains, and bracelets, and who chatted animatedly as they cooled themselves with ornate fans.

The bright silver bracelets two of those women wore looked from a distance to be very similar to Saska’s, but there was something about the countenance of the older woman that made me wary about approaching her.

Music started up from somewhere ahead. It was a lovely, sprightly tune, one I recognized and had often danced to. As I moved toward the sound, a blue-clad figure stepped firmly into my path and forced me to stop.

He bowed with something of a flourish, his gaze sweeping my length before it rose to linger a little longer than was polite on my breasts. I gently cleared my throat and his gaze jumped to my face, a slight tinge of pink touching his cheeks.

“Lady N,” he said, “may I have the honor of this dance?”

I hesitated, studying him over my now empty wineglass, desperately trying to remember his name. He was wearing blue, so that meant Rossi allegiance. After another moment, it came to me—Tavish. He just happened to be the youngest brother of Saska’s husband, Marcus, and could be an excellent source of information.

Tease, the wind said. Leave him with heated dreams and desires so that he might be more pliable on the morrow.

The wind, it seemed, was feeling rather wicked this night. And she was also speaking to me far more clearly than she ever had before. In fact, her whisperings were so clear she could have almost been another woman standing beside me. Was it this place? We were in the Rossi stronghold, after all, so her strength and power would likely be infused into the very walls.

“Alas, Lord T, I have promised my first dance of the night to my Lord T. And he, rather annoyingly, has currently disappeared.” As his face fell, I stepped closer and brushed the rim of my glass across his chest. “I would, however, be very appreciative of another glass of that delightful red.”

He bowed, took my glass, and hurried off. I couldn’t help but wonder how old he was—for a surety, he was not only a lot younger than me, but also a whole lot more innocent. He came back within minutes and handed me a full glass of wine with another flourish. I smiled and raised my glass to him. “Good deeds never go unnoted. Perhaps we can talk more on the matter tomorrow night?”

“That,” he said, with a gleam of anticipation in his eyes, “would be most welcome.”

“A date then.” I clicked my glass against his. “Tell me, how goes the lady S? Has she recovered from her trials in the desert?”

He hesitated. “I don’t know, as she keeps mostly to her suite.”

“But I’d expect her lord was glad to see her returned?”

“One would expect that, yes.” He glanced past me, and his face went pale. He bowed. “I mustn’t delay you any longer, Lady N. Until tomorrow night, then.”

He spun and hurried off. Someone had obviously scared him off, but who?

I turned, and the reason for Tavish’s sudden departure became crystal clear. I certainly would have done the same, had our positions been reversed.

Because the man who strolled toward me with dark nonchalance was none other than Lord Kiro himself.