Before she could process anything he’d gently grabbed her elbow and steered her in the right direction. The outdoor food stall had been graced with demon made stone tables and that was where Dalius urged her to sit.

Self consciously, blushing and confused by the encounter, she made a feeble protest as she sat down. “I still have a letter to deliver-”

“That can wait. Voids, Lita! It’s so good to see you!” Dalius sat down across from her. “You look a little tired today. You alright?”

She looked down at the table and muttered, “Just demon madness.” With a deep breath she forced a smile and looked back up at him. “You look well.”

He winked. “I was offered a position as chief magistrate in Kahnay right after you left.”

“Obviously you took it.”

“Obviously.” He waved over at the vendor, who waved back and indicated they’d have to come to him today. “What would you like? I’m buying.”

“I’m- I’m really not hungry, Dalius.”

“Nonsense!” His eyes strayed to the rattle and grinned again. She wasn’t sure if he’d ever stopped, actually. “Who’s the lucky man?”

She flushed. “Why does everyone think that, because I want a pretty rattle, it means I’m getting married?”

To this he laughed, his expression turning pleased. “If you’re not getting married then maybe I’ll court you myself. One moment, I’ll order for us.”

Face red, feeling confused, she said nothing as Dalius got back up and moved quickly toward the vendor and his outdoor kitchen. Dalius courting her? Her blush deepened. Sheldon wouldn’t like that at all, she thought.

The old giddiness returned as she thought about it.

Stupid, Lita. He’s a major political person now. And he’s just teasing. She glanced back at him, her blush fading into soberness. He’s always just teasing.

By the time he came back she was better composed and graciously accepted a bowl of stew.

“Now, tell me, how did you end up at the Palace? I can’t imagine that lapper of a brother of your’s was too pleased about it.”

She grimaced. Sheldon.

“He didn’t know until recently.” Yesterday in fact.

“Really?” He waited for more information but she didn’t feel like giving it. She looked down at the table. “Alright, I won’t pry. I just wanted to catch up with an old friend.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “We’re old friends?”

“Well.” He leaned forward, coming close to her face as he lowered his voice. “I thought we were.”

She blushed again. I’m too tired for this. To avoid that flirtatious smile she looked down at her stew and took a bite. It wasn’t until that first taste that she realized how hungry she was.

It took all her self control not to begin wolfing it down.

“How long are you in the Capital?”

Dalius snorted. “Until they let us go. It’s a good thing I keep up with my records otherwise they’d be sending someone to snoop through them instead of asking me.”

She was about to ask him what sorts of things, besides fishing, they were being grilled about, when someone rushed from the street and grabbed his shoulder.

“Dalius! There you are!”

“Lita, this is my right hand Hanzin. Hanzin, Lita.”

“Good to meet you,” the man said impatiently. “Dalius, we have to get back-”

“What for?” Dalius leaned back and crossed his arms. “Can’t you see I’m eating?”

“Dalius.” Stressed, Hanzin tightened his grip on his superior’s shoulder. “The Brethren called a surprise meeting. If I don’t get you there now we might be spending the next week in the dungeons.” He glanced at Lita. “I think that’s a little more important.”

Dalius sighed. “Very well. I’m sorry, Lita. Can I see you again before I leave?”

“If I can get off my duties.”

He smiled as he stood. Then he took her hand and kissed it, making her flush again. Same old Dalius, she thought ruefully.

“Until next time.”

She watched them leave as she ate. Admiring him even from the back. Then she pulled his untouched bowl over to eat that, too.

Enjoying her few moments of being worry free.

When she was done she reached into her other pocket and drew out Diana Veran’s sealed letter. Slowly she turned it over and over, studying it. The first one hadn’t been sealed. Now Lita was as curious as ever to see what was going on.

This could have been her one more thing.

Maybe it still can be. I just have to get Taiken to talk about it.

She put the letter back in her pocket and stood up.

One more unpleasant task to go.

Several times as she walked to the amphitheater she passed the ‘advertising teams’ for the Circus. They were just a few groups scattered through the marketplace whose main job was to give people a taste of what they’d see if they came to the show.

Balancing acts, storytelling, one woman Lita didn’t recognize sang an old ballad she hadn’t heard in years.

All of them she avoided, keeping her head down and pulling the hood up on her new pullover.

The walls of the Complexes were now up, hiding the amphitheater and all the activity behind it. Uncomfortably, she went to the front entrance and asked a boy, who’s name she couldn’t recall, to let Master Taiken know she was there.

She sat down on a boulder, one of many that lined the walkway from the road to the entrance. In a day or two lanterns would be set up along the walkway, kept alight by Taiken’s personal lighters.

Unlike yesterday, she wasn’t kept waiting long and she raised both eyebrows in surprise.

Taiken, alone, walked out of the entrance. He paused only once, an expression she couldn’t read crossing his face, before he cautiously approached.

And cautious was the right word. His movements were hesitant, his eyes searching.

Beautiful eyes. Blue. Blue was such a rare color, especially in a demon, that she couldn’t think of anyone else who had them.

Too bad they belonged to him. They would have been stunning in, say, Dalius.

“Hello, Lita.”

She stood up and curtsied. “Master Taiken.”

A smile twitched on his lips. “Being polite today?”

“Please don’t be difficult.” Irritated, she reached into her pocket and withdrew the letter. “I’m to wait for your reply again.”

“And so goes the politeness.”

His smile grew as he took the letter and broke the seal. The letter must not have been very long because it was only a breath later that he blew a sigh through his lips. Every trace of the previous smile now gone.

“Tell her I’ll be there.”

Tiredly he stuck the vellum into his belt.

Just one more. “What’s it all about?” She hurried to blurt it out before she lost her nerve.

“Doesn’t matter. As it won’t affect you at all. Goodday, Lita.”

WIth that he turned to walk away, back toward the entrance. Where she could see a few people casually watching them.

Just one more. “If it’s ‘not important’ then it won’t matter if you tell me or not.”

Taiken paused and looked back at her, eyebrows furrowed. He regarded her for so long that she began to shift from foot to foot.

“Why do you care, Lita?”

She stared at the ground. Because I’m spying for the Chief and I want to stop. “My brother is still here. I care about him.”

“So much so you’ve avoided talking to him for five years.”

Stung, she winced. “That doesn’t mean I don’t care.”

“No. You just wanted to avoid me and in process didn’t see him at all.”

Wince again.

“Tell you what. If you’re so interested in what’s going on, ask your Mistress-”

Her head snapped up. “I can’t ask Diana Veran!” Panic made her breath come in two short gasps.

“Tell her I don’t know my way around the Palace and I’ll need an escort. Volunteer to do it.” He shrugged. “If you’re allowed to stay at the interview you’ll find out what’s going on. If you aren’t, you have my promise to relay it to you.”

“And if she won’t let me volunteer?”

He smiled. “Then I suppose you’ll have to find out another way.”

“Fine.” Raising her chin she scowled at him. “I’ll do that.”

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.”

She felt his eyes on her back as she turned on her heel and marched away. Trying to hide her anxiety with forceful actions.

Behind her, not fooled because he was downwind of the girl and could smell her emotions, Taiken wrinkled his forehead in concern. “Lita.”

Pausing, she looked back at him. Hoping he’d changed his mind and relented.

“Happy birthday.”

She opened her mouth then closed it. Slowly, hesitating, she nodded and continued to walk away.

If she’d looked back she would’ve seen him still standing there. Just watched her leave until she’d disappeared beyond the edge of town. A frown of worry deepening the lines between his eyebrows.

***

The room was too small for pacing.

Or, rather, she’d filled it so full of little tables and shelves, overflowing with two centuries worth of Contracts, that she had little room left for pacing. She walked around piles, stepped over scattered parchments, and generally just tried to keep moving. Instead of sitting on the one chair she’d kept mostly uncovered.

If Aridon saw this little room he’d sneer in contempt.

Which is why she never let anyone come in. Normally.

Normally she’d be pulling aside one of her more trusted demon companions to take care of what she needed done. Even Clophas, who was an idiot in most ways, was one of the more competent of her options.

But, a demon wouldn’t do. And she knew it.

Not if she wanted to dig further into the problem. To rid herself of Aridon’s suspicions of Cheryl’s son. To dig out and eradicate the rebels and troublemakers.

That’s why she paced.

Delaying the inevitable. Knowing she had to utilize a tool she’d been carefully, and grudgingly, trying to form.

It terrified her. The others would think she was an idiot. But, she knew, she knew that if they were going to succeed at keeping their home safe, they had to do what she’d been trying to do.

Now she had to decide if the information she wanted was worth testing the strength of her creation.

No. That decision was already made.

She just had to decide to do it.

She stopped walking and sighed, rubbing both hands across her face. Then kept them there as she rocked.

Really, what was the worst thing that could happen?

The worst thing would be to find out she’d done it wrong somehow, that her tentative trust was misplaced. And having to start over while dealing with the rebels anyway.

Either way she was in a bad place.

With a sigh she finally dropped her hands and strode for the door. Ready to get it over with.

Her office was in the enforcers wing. Separated from the living area and the training room it was tucked away into a corner that was mostly forgotten.

It had been a very long time, but she was pretty sure that when they first formed the building they had meant it to be part of a command base of some sort. The administrator’s offices.

For when trouble happens or just every day, keeping the peace stuff.

Instead, the Council Chamber on the main floor got the bulk of the administrative work. She’d go to her office or, more likely, her room, to work out whatever needed to be worked out. Then the orders and information was either passed around word of mouth or summoned to the Council Chamber.

While it was an essentially useless room, it did mean she didn’t have to go far before she was stepping into the enforcer’s living area.

The activity going on inside paused. Not a long pause but it was a pause.