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Stavros offers me a crooked grin of his own. “I passed on word that last night’s conquest was a success, and your admirers took it upon themselves to stop by to get all the details.”
Casimir chuckles and swoops in to sling his arm around my shoulders. “The scourge sorcerer conspiracy is being dismantled. Ster. Torstem is gone. There’s no more reason for us to hide our association.”
He sounds so pleased, but the pang of uneasiness that filled my stomach after my initiation returns. There’s no reason for us to hide that we’re associating, no… but there’s also no more concrete reason for us to associate at all.
I push that thought aside for later and let myself lean into the courtesan’s embrace. My gaze returns to Stavros. “What have you gotten out of the conspirators you rounded up last night?”
His grin sharpens. “More than we even hoped. The villains were still addled with their favorite drug, and a few of them started babbling with almost no prompting about how they’d freed Silana by killing the king. We got confessions of their traitorous plans—not with much detail, but it hardly matters at this point—along with some rather bizarre stories.”
A rough laugh jolts out of me. “Last night… didn’t exactly go the way I expected. Were the soldiers able to confirm Ster. Torstem’s death?”
Stavros nods, his good humor dimming a little as he studies me. “We retrieved what was left of Torstem’s corpse from the remains of the bonfire. There wasn’t much. But with some of his followers collaborating your story that he jumped into the flames, no one has any doubt that it’s him and that there’s no crime to be punished for his death.”
Thank the gods, Julita says with a relieved sigh.
A current of my own relief penetrates the tension wound inside me. “It’s over, then? What about the other sacrificial accomplices Torstem was working with?”
“It’ll take some time to tie up the loose ends,” Stavros says. “The poor girl at the bonfire wouldn’t say much to us, but gods only know how traumatized she is at this point. It’s hard to tell, but I don’t think she’s more than fifteen.”
I wince. “You have to find the others. I don’t know how much of a life they can have, but they should at least be free.”
“The Crown’s Watch is already tracing all of Torstem’s activities and travels. A couple of his associates from last night have given us some leads as well, though they clammed up once the drug wore off. We’ll set the rest of it right.”
Stavros reaches out to squeeze my arm. “You did well, Ivy. Incredibly well. No one’s going to ask anything more of you.”
Including the king, he clearly means.
I take a deep breath, not sure what else to say.
But Alek, naturally, is thinking as far ahead as I am. “Ivy can continue on as your assistant, can’t she? There isn’t any reason for her to leave the college.” He hesitates, his bright gaze searching mine. “Unless you want to.”
They want me tostay? To keep playing a noblewoman as if I belong here?
But neither Casimir nor Stavros raises the slightest objection to Alek’s idea.
I open my mouth and close it again, groping for words.
There are all the people in the outer wards I meant to keep helping. I haven’t left my blessings of silver coins in weeks.
Is it possible that I could still be the Hand of Kosmel… while also staying on as Ivy of Nikodi, assistant to Ster. Stavros? I may not like most of my schoolmates or every bit of the work, but the role does come with some rather impressive benefits.
A tremor of hope rises through my chest.
Julita lets out a laugh that sounds like pure delight.Of course you should stay on, Ivy. You can keep putting everyone who needs it in their places.
“I believe the king intends to reward your service well,” Stavros says. “You’d be able to fill plenty of pouches with plenty of coins for trips around the city’s fringes.”
He understands—heapproves.
An even starker wave of relief washes over me. I swallow thickly and gather myself.
But before I can speak, a firm knock sounds on the door.
From his furrowed brow, Stavros isn’t expecting anyone. He strides over to answer it.
When he yanks the door open, his massive form blocks most of the doorway. I catch a glimpse of a stunning blue-green eye and chocolate-brown curls, and my body tenses.
“Is this a summons from the king?” Stavros asks.
