Page 175 of Carousel

“Riss. Are you receiving?”

I instantly hit the punching bag behind me, imagining his pale, bony face. His ridiculous laugh.

“Receiving,” Riss repeats, getting to her feet.

“After this morning’s successful corrective instruction session, I believe we can end Integration by Seventh Day, as planned.”

Riss locks eyes with me. “That’s great.”

“Could you come up to The Bridge to talk through the last things we need over the next couple of days?”

“With Drake, too?”

“The baths have just opened. I believe, with Drake and Ara so close to Integration, we can allow them to go down to them together. We will call it another test.”

It’s sinking in. Cold, hard dread.

Going down to the baths with Drake? Without Riss or Meg?

Another test.

And it’s one I don’t think I’m going to pass.

“No,” I say loudly, once the frequency crackles out.

“Captain’s orders,” Riss replies. “What’s up? Don’t want a bath?”

“It’s being down there with Drake. He…”

I trust her, I remind myself. Probably more than anyone else on the ship, now that Meg seems to be gaining Drake onto her side, and even things with Drake himself are different.

“Drake and I started out as friends. But I’m liking him less and less. He seems to just do what he wants.” I look down at her arm. Her scars. “Riss. What did they inject you with to cure your sickness?”

Easily, she says, “Donated Rhavnan blood, for its magical properties – bought from Lartos, though.” She adds, bleakly, “Cost a fortune. Crippled my father, who sold off all the possessions in his Temple, which weren’t his to sell.”

“Sisters.”

“I know. It’s bad. He got himself thrown out of The Assembly and Disgraced. It’s why I had to go to war.”

Something falls into place, that I probably should have realised a while ago.

Riss has a talent.

A talent no Hevallan – or anyone – should have. Unless they had royal Rhavnan blood flowing through their veins.

“Your hearing ability,” I say. “Did that develop afterwards?”

She hesitates. “It came on quite suddenly when I got better. I tell people I was born with it, though. Avoids the questions.”

Slowly, I say, “When I was a child, Drake’s blood was put in me. That’s why I have my scars. I’ve only just found out.”

Riss’ eyes widen. “Is that why you have the sparking hands thing with him?”

“I think so.”

She blinks quickly, as if to see me better. “If you have his blood magic in you, can you do what he can, too?”

I wasn’t planning to tell her that. But since she’s been open with me about her own magic, and I’ve come this far…