Craning his ear, Rolan picked up enough bits and pieces of the adults’ voices to puzzle out their conversation.
“… all over the city?” Luc asked.
“At least a dozen that I know of.”
“And you’re sure they’re secrets?” Luc’s voice was harsh.
“Written as plain as you like,” came Evaine’s reply. “Salacious ones, too. The baker’s wife is stepping out on him. The silversmith on the east side is weighting his pieces with tin. The sort of secrets that start trouble and spark fights.”
“And how do we know these secrets are true?”
“All it took was one or two confessing to their alleged crimes, and everyone else figured it mustallbe true.”
Luc sounded as grim as he had when they’d found the giant Cryptic’s trail. “It could be the work of the Listeners.”
“It could be.” Evaine was quiet a moment, and then she added in a tight, concerned voice, “But they’re whispering aboutyou, Arcanist.”
“That’s why you came out here? To warn me that the people are whispering about me?” Luc scoffed. “They’ve always done that. It’s part of my job, being whispered about.”
“Not like this. They’re blaming you. Saying you’re posting their secrets around the city because you’re… well…”
“A monster?”
“I’m only telling you what I hear.”
“Trouble inside the walls,” Luc muttered, so low Rolan could barely make it out. “Trouble outside them.”
“What do you mean?” Evaine asked sharply.
“Nothing for you to worry over. Arcanist business.”
“Tellme.”
“As the man tasked with hunting down Cryptics, I cantellyou it’s not your concern, apothecary.”
“As the woman tasked with patching up the citizens harmed by Crytics youfailto stop, I can tell you I need to know!”
Anaya gestured at Rolan, and they crept away toward the barn.
“What’s wrong?” Rolan asked.
“What’s he talking about? What’s going on out here?”
Rolan glanced toward the house.
Drawing his gaze back with a touch, Anaya pulled the dirtiest of tricks. She made her eyes go round and wide like a kitten’s, and he knewsheknew he couldn’t ever say no to that face.
“It’s a giant Cryptic,” he confessed. “Bigger than a house. Bigger than the city walls, maybe. We found its tracks in the forest. It knocked over entire trees.”
Anaya went gray. “Luc can stop it, right?”
Rolan gave a weak smile. “I mean, withmyhelp, sure. What aboutyournews? What’s this about more secrets being posted in the city? We saw one when we were there, you know. Something about a Listener stealing donation money. Luc was worried about it.”
“There have been more every day, posted to walls around Crisanth.” She chewed her lip. “It’s getting ugly, Rolan. Families are turning on one another. Shops are being ransacked because the owner was accused of cheating his customers. Nobody trusts anybody.”
The bad feeling was back in his belly, making him sick.
“And they’re blaming Luc?” he asked.
