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“No.” Kitsa shook her head. “They made it appear whole. A casual resonant check would find nothing wrong.”

Idonea stared at her hands. Her pulse hammered in her ears. What else did they take? What else did they slip inside me? A cold shudder crawled along her spine.

She shoved the blankets away, breath hitching as pain lanced through her joints. The ache was deep and nauseating, but she swung her legs over the edge anyway. She wouldn’t lie helpless.

Kitsa flinched, hands out. “Idonea—”

“I’m not staying in that bed.” Her voice broke at the end, betraying her.

Kitsa steadied her by the elbow, her touch warm and grounding. “We can try to fix it,” she said. “But you’ll have to reclaim the resonance yourself. No one can do that for you.”

A heartbeat of silence stretched between them. Outside the door, faint footsteps paused. Lysander. Part of her wanted him to return, another part wanted to scream.

How can you stand with people who do this? How do you serve them and look me in the eye?

She closed her eyes, breath shaking, as the room swayed around her. “Tell me what I have to do.”

Kitsa sighed. “By finding the seams.”

Idonea steadied herself on Kitsa’s arm. “We will. Later. I need to speak to Alcaeus.”

The door opened. Lysander was waiting, rising from a chair. He stopped short when she emerged, his eyes darting over her fragile stance. He didn’t move closer, didn’t crowd her, but he looked one breath away from catching her if she swayed.

“Alcaeus, is he back?” she asked.

“We can wait in his house,” he said.

She glanced back at Kitsa, who leaned against the doorframe. Kitsa gave a nod. Idonea straightened, ignoring the way her body trembled, and followed Lysander out.

The usual Templar sentry at the fountain observed them. Lysander didn’t follow her inside. She walked into Alcaeus’ office alone.

To her surprise, he was seated in his chair. A glass of amber liquid rested by his hand. His face looked older, more tired.

“I’m relieved you’re up,” he said.

Her eyes drifted to the floor. “Thank you.”

He rubbed at his neck. “What really happened up in that airship?”

“I…”

“Sit,” he said. He stood and poured another glass, pushing it towards her.

A sickening feeling filled her stomach. She clutched her hand around the drink. “He used Resonants to expose memories.” He leaned forward in his chair. “Unlocked memories I never knew I had.”

“Was he after something in particular?” Alcaeus leaned forward, his eyes narrowing.

Idonea drained the glass in one go, barely tasting it. “Lysander said you were up there with him, after.”

Alcaeus shook his head. “Semantics. Promises. But, go on.”

She licked her lips. “Dyota.” Her voice cracked.

He sucked in a breath.

Idonea leaned forward, voice trembling. “Though I can’t believe she fell to the dark corruption. Not her.”

“I want you to look at this.” He fetched a frame out of the desk and held it out to her.