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“I thought she wasn’t on the council.”

“She is not. But she is a rather respected Archfey who happens to be sleeping with someone on the council, and, in some governments, that’s nearly about the same as being an elected official. Ooh, we are here!” Like a whip, she was back right around, unbuckled, and out the door.

Saga felt sluggish in comparison as she undid her belt.

“Saga,” Reza finally spoke up. “Don’t flirt in my car again.”

“I wasn’t flirting!” The denial came out far too quickly, far too defensively.

Reza merely turned in his seat to look at her.

“We were talking about…physics, basically!”

Avery opened her door again. “So sorry, Lahiri, I was far too excited. Thank you so kindly for the ride.”

Saga could feel her cheeks burn, but she didn’t dare look away from her uncle. “I’ll try.”

He nodded. “You’re welcome.”

Saga could not exit the car quickly enough. Was this what it felt like to get a talk from your father?

There was a door to 23 Leinster Gardens but no knobs, so when Avery reached out to grasp one and the shadow of it took shape in her palm, to say Saga was surprised was an understatement.

“The trick to getting in is to know where you’re going and why,” explained Avery. “Avery Hemlock.” She spoke her name to the door clearly as if introducing herself, then sharply turned her hand to the right as one would firmly twist a doorknob. As she completed this motion, the shadow in her hand took form, brightening to a gold orb embossed with the number 23. She winked to Saga, and the door to 23 Leinster Gardens opened.

Saga knew what was on the other side. Steel support beams and a rather nasty drop. Yet the door not only opened, it opened into what looked like a courthouse lobby. She glanced nervously over her shoulder. “What if someone sees?”

“They won’t,” Avery said reassuringly, resting a hand on Saga’s shoulder to lead her inside.

“How can you be sure?”

“Because no one is ever looking, Saga.”28

Oxford’s campuses were full of breathtaking architecture. They were testaments to human dedication and sense of beauty and had taken years to carve and construct. The lobby to the Palace of Judication felt as if it had been grown. Large trees circled the perimeter like the pillars of the Pantheon, but as their branches reached up and intertwined in the dome high above their heads, they created an intricate fretwork.

Saga felt Avery’s hand take her own and give it a small tug. “This way.”

“This is…gorgeous—how are you not—are you seeing this?” Saga gestured to the ceiling above them.

“I’ve seen it.” Avery spoke with a clipped finality. For the first time she was not meeting Saga’s excitement to explore. It was out of character—Avery was uncomfortable.

Of course she was uncomfortable. Judication. Judging. This wasn’t just where the medical examiner’s offices were located, this was where the courts were. “This is where they sentenced you, isn’t it?”

Avery’s smile was tight but appreciative. She was likely glad that she didn’t have to explain that herself. “Among other things.”

The way Avery was avoiding eye contact made Saga worry about what “other things” might entail. “We don’t have to linger.”

“The building is breathtaking,” Avery conceded. “At another time, I would encourage you to examine the stained-glass windows. They’re made from scrying mirrors. Each facet is a small window to somewhere currently on Earth or Faerie.” Her voice sounded raw, small. “They’re quite beautiful.”

“Another time,” Saga agreed softly, layering her hand over Avery’s and giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Avery Hemlock.”

They turned together, and Avery’s grip tightened on Saga’s hand. “Mercy Radu, it is good to see you again.”

Was it? Saga thought Avery’s smile looked strained.

Tall with delicate features, crafted from shades of lavender, periwinkle, and blue, the fey before them was stunning to behold and strangely familiar to Saga for some reason. Her expression was difficult to read beyond that she did not appear to share Avery’s sentiment. “Are you here to see me?” She turned to the young woman at her side. “Did we receive a notice about a visitor?”