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“Where would he go?” Pietro asked.
“He has lodgings south of here,” Reese said. “But my captain says he drove north.”
“His mother’s house is just up the street,” Jayla said. “Maybe he went there?”
Reese spit out an expletive. “I’d believe it of Heloise,” he said, “to connive at a scheme like this.”
But Cody was shaking his head. “No—no—there’s another place.”
They all stared at him. “Who are you?” Reese demanded.
“I’m Cody. I’m a courier. And I’ve made deliveries to Tivol Wellenden on the northeast edge of the city.”
Reese loosed another oath. “Oh, yes, all the fashionable young wastrels have quarters there,” he bit out. “Where they meet to gamble and whore—” He glanced at Jayla. “Sorry.”
Jayla ignored him. “Can you find it again?” she asked Cody.
He nodded. “Of course I can.”
Reese wheeled for the driveway. “We can take my car.”
Tezzel pushed past him to Jayla’s side. “What about my daughter?” she demanded.
“She’s with them,” Jayla said. “We’ll find them both.”
Pietro’s attention was suddenly riveted on Tezzel. “You’re Aussen’s mother?”
Jayla shoved him so hard he staggered backward. “Notnow,you wretched man! We have to find them!”
He recovered his balance and glared at her. “Yes, now! The city is tearing itself apart! Aussen could save us all!”
She moved so fast she had him by the neck before anyone else could react. “Do I have to kill you before we leave?” she growled. “Because I killed one man yesterday, and I think I’m about to kill another one today.”
Behind her she heard Reese say, “What? Who?” She heard Cody answer and Reese exclaim “What?” again. But she was focused on Pietro, on the feel of her hands around his throat. His ragged heartbeat pattered against her palm. He was afraid of her, but she thought he was afraid of something else even more.
“I don’t want to hurt her,” he managed, speaking hoarsely against the pressure of her grip. “I think she can save the city with her hands—Jayla, let me go!” He clawed at her fingers.
She felt someone grab her shoulder and haul her back. “Let him explain,” Reese ordered. “Buthurry,man. We have no time.”
She relaxed her hold but kept her hands loosely around his neck, just in case she didn’t like what he had to say. He stood before her, motionless, his eyes fixed on hers. “I went to the ruined lands,” he said, speaking rapidly. He gestured behind him. “Stollo will corroborate everything I say. We found the old temple. We realized—wethinkwe realized—no one’s blood has to be spilled. If someone is descended from both Cordelan and Zessaya, all they have to do is push a lever. But that person must carry the blood of both of the gods.”
She stared back at him. “That’s ridiculous.”
He pointed in Tezzel’s general direction. “Ask her. Ask her heritage.”
But Tezzel had already explained it to Jayla as they rode the chugger north. Slowly, almost reluctantly, she dropped her hands and motioned Tezzel forward. “Tell him,” she said.
“My grandmother was Cordelano,” Tezzel said. “She claimed she had the blood of the god in her veins. And every islander is descended from Zessaya. But what this has to do with Aussen—”
Pietro’s face blazed with excitement. “Thenyoucould do it!Youcould turn the key!”
“I want to find my daughter!”
“If we don’t engage the lever, it won’t matter if we find Aussen or not,” he replied bluntly. “This whole city will implode.”
As if to underscore his warning, the ground shifted under their feet again. Tezzel cried out and would have fallen if Reese hadn’t caught her arm. Jayla abruptly came to a decision.
“All right,” she said. “Reese and Cody and I will find Madeleine and Aussen. Pietro and Tezzel will go find this stupid lever—do you even know where itis?”
