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“Mak and I shadowed them,” Lyros said. “As soon as the Dexion and the Gift Collector left the calligraphy pavilion, they parted company. We reported it to Grace-Mother.”
Mak nodded. “Mother decided it would be fun to follow Chrysanthos around the fair. Whatever mischief he has in mind, she’ll nip it in the bud—or give him just enough rope to hang himself.”
Lio squeezed Cassia’s hand. “As you’ve seen, the envoys are handling Skleros.”
Komnena propped her fist on her hip. “I’m afraid the mages aren’t the only ones in the wind, otherwise I would have helped Kia keep them occupied. It came to my attention that Konstantina left the rosarians’ pavilion shortly after the fair began.”
Cassia grinned at Lio’s mother. “Komnena, have you been spying on the Second Princess?”
“Well.” Komnena tossed her braids over her shoulder. “I have been known to assist the Blood Errant with dangerous endeavors. In light of Konstantina’s recent disagreement with Ioustin, I feel honor bound, as her fellow mind healer, to take advantage of all the insight our professional association has to offer. When Apollon told me who was missing from his part of the fair, I realized something was amiss.”
Apollon hugged Komnena around the waist. “One would expect Laskara to be highly visible across the terrace from us, as befits Firstgift Timarete and the greatest master of the Circle of Sculptors. But my former initiate masterminded their impressive display, only to leave it in the hands of her students. I have not seen her one time tonight.”
Lyros shook his head. “If it came down to a contest between her reputation as an artist and helping her Trial sister, Laskara would choose her loyalty to Konstantina in a heartbeat. But this is our family’s fair. Family always comes first.”
“I see,” said Cassia. “Laskara is one of Konstantina’s partisans.”
“Thick as thieves,” Xandra said. “As you know, Rudhira, Methu, and Nike were the first Trial circle. Konstantina decided to carry on their tradition with Laskara, Epodos, and Baltasar when they went through Trial together.”
“Epodos is my eldest brother,” Nodora said. “The epic of Firstgift Kitharos’s life is as grand as Orthros—according to him.”
Kia crossed her arms. “Of course you saw quite a bit of my eldest brother, Baltasar, at the scholars’ circles last week.”
Cassia nodded. Although he had participated as a partisan of Hypatia’s, he had done so with Khaldaios’s moderation of character.
“It’s a good thing Baltasar manages to talk sense into all of them,” Kia grumbled, “most of the time. Tonight he never joined us in the calligraphy pavilion. I dared the mages into going with me to Mother’s pavilion, in case Baltasar was attending her lecture on astrolabes, but he wasn’t there.”
“Epodos hasn’t been at our display all night, either,” Nodora said. “I thought he was wandering the fair as research. I was surprised when he announced he’s writing a ballad about the Summit.”
Cassia looked around their gathering. “So while we’ve been conspiring, so have Konstantina and her Trial circle, and it must be about Rudhira.”
“This doesn’t make sense,” said Lio. “They spend as much time together as we do. If they wish to discuss a clandestine plan for getting Rudhira home, they need not do it in the middle of the fair, when everyone will notice their absence. Oh, thorns.” He pinched the bridge of his nose.
“They want everyone to notice their absence,” Cassia concluded. It had taken her long enough to see it. She was certainly not at her best tonight.
Nodora’s face fell. “Epodos is an expert on the music and literature of the Great Temple Epoch. He could have been rallying the Tenebran mages with their own songs.”
“I’m ashamed of Baltasar,” Kia said. “He’s usually the voice of reason among them. He promised me he was going to give a demonstration of the advantages of paper over vellum. I know that doesn’t sound like something that would matter very much to the Tenebrans, but Imperial paper-making techniques could advance learning by leaps if we can persuade the embassy to take that knowledge back home with them.”
Xandra became very calm. Too calm. “I actually believed Konstantina was at the rosarians’ pavilion, striking fear into the mortals’ hearts with her flowers.”
Lyros jabbed a hand in the direction of the sculptors’ pavilion. “I can’t believe Laskara is using our fair for this!”
Mak flushed. “Your entire family has been working so hard to make this a success.”
Lyros paced in the small area. “I don’t know how Laskara can do this. After everything Mother said to us about reviving the Tenebrans’ lost arts before their very eyes. Did you see her face when she gave the tour through the hall of frescoes?”
Mak put a hand on his shoulder. “We have to tell her.”
Lyros drew to a halt. “I know. She has to know Laskara won’t be there for the walk through the statuary garden. That’s supposed to be the grand finale of the fair.”
“Laskara will be here for the statuary walk,” said Apollon.
Lyros’s shoulders relaxed. “Thank you.”
Apollon nodded. “I did not teach her to dishonor her craft and her family.”
“Tonight will not reflect on your family’s honor,” Lio reassured Lyros. “No one will doubt House Timarete fulfilled their commitment to the fair.”
