Lita reapplied the no-smell as she crouched in an alley behind one of the market stalls.

It wasn’t safe but she didn’t know what else to do. The sun had been up for a long time but the commotion had definitely started long before daybreak.

By the time she’d made it to the market there had already been an entire division of enforcers breaking into homes. In a pattern she didn’t understand but knew somehow had to do with her. The only thing she knew was her one chance of contacting the Chief had already been escorted away.

She was looking at the old man’s stall. The curtain pulled down and goods spilled inside.

But it was only for that moment she could see inside. An enforcer was in the process of putting the curtain back up and then standing by the door with another enforcer on the other side.

She clutched the bottle of no-smell to her chest.

So far, no demons were out searching. But they will be soon. And she had no way of knowing if they had figured out it was her. If they knew it was her, then even the no-smell wouldn’t help her. They all knew her. They’d all seen her at one time or another serving Diana Veran and the Brethren.

Biting her lips until they bled she frantically thought through what to do.

Where could she go?

She didn’t know anymore contacts off hand. No, that wasn’t true, but she didn’t know where that man was. She hadn’t seen him since he’d first approached her about spying two years ago.

The no-smell wasn’t going to last forever. They were coming…

Her thoughts swirled, exhaustion fought with adrenaline. She didn’t know what to do.

Out. I have to get out.

She grabbed at that thought. The only truly coherent thought she’d had all day. It was as though someone had painted the ground with a golden line just for her to follow that thought.

Escaping the Capital was far too easy.

Any instant she expected a horde of demons on her trail and she looked back frequently to see if anyone was following her up a herding trail into the hills.

Escaping the Capital was easy.

Facing the wilderness, which were terribly small tracts of land that appeared in patches throughout the Separation, especially up against the dome, that was something that made her shudder just to think about.

Terribly small amounts of land compared to the hunt that was about to start.

She’d wrapped the dork in her shawl, just to make sure it didn’t accidentally cut her, and was glad for the warming day.

It was nearly midday by the time she’d reached the top of the second hill. She’d gotten off the herding path to avoid people, even though the pool of water at the end sounded so good. She knew about the pool and the pasture at the end because she’d been there. She’d explored nearly every inch of the outer edges of society.

All she wanted to do was wash her arms and legs where brambles and bushes had scratched her raw. Then to drink until she was ready to curl up in exhaustion.

Looking down on the city she sat down to think.

The original rush of terror since Clophas had attacked her was now finally gone. Leaving her drained enough that she knew if she closed her eyes she’d fall asleep.

She couldn't afford that.

Not yet.

First, she had to find a place to hide. And food. Then she could work on how to get the dork to the Chief.

But, first, shelter. A hiding place.

That was easy enough. She had had six over the course of the three years she’d lived out here alone. Anywhere from two or three days apart from each other. She’d just have to pick one that wasn’t too close to the Capital.

Turning south, she worked her way up the hill and into the dip beyond. Staying out of sight and trusting the no-smell to hide the scent traces of her.

***

Diana Veran waited. Waited as the silence stretched. As four demons stared at the statue of the now dead Clophas. Harv was the only one moving. He moved in a slow up and down on his toes, arms crossed and expression pinched in an abnormal, deep concentration.

Somewhere beyond the door to the council chamber she heard the loud protests of demons being kept out of the secret.

It was a sharp contrast to the strangled fear of the humans. She’d checked in once while Lloyd was interrogating them in the early hours. They’d huddled together in night shifts, quietly answering his questions before he’d move down the line.

An hour or so later, when the sun was coming up and the first of the arrested stall owners were being escorted back, he’d come to her with four names.

It had been pointless to investigate the absence of three of them but Diana had Lloyd do it anyway.

“You are an idiot.”

Jersard pronounced judgment in a flat tone.

“Or brilliant.” Harv’s cheerful tone did not match his expression of concentration.

“How about insane?” Planking was the first to change positions and raised a cynical eyebrow at Aridon. “Really? I have no words, Aridon, for the folly of this.”

Aridon pointedly did not look at Diana as he surveyed his fellow Brethren. “Don’t tell me you don’t dream of one day dying, gentlemen?”

“That’s not the point, Aridon!” Jersard finally exploded, his false calm falling away with a rush of fang and teeth. Legs growing to accommodate the action, he grabbed Aridon by the collar and hoisted the other demon high enough to make his legs dangle above the floor. “Look! Look at him. Look what you’ve done.”

“I didn’t kill Clophas.”

“I can’t think of more than a handful of people who’d object to his death. I, for one, am glad. It saves me from an unsavory obligation.”

“Shut up, Harv.” Planking snarled at the still bouncing demon.

“I did not orchestrate his demise.” Aridon was calm, despite legs dangling and digging claws into the other demon’s wrist to keep from choking. “And if the weapon had been in my keeping no void bound human would have gotten near it.”

They all looked to Diana.

“He was going to kill Taiken Vaughn at the first opportunity.”

Jersard groaned and dropped Aridon like he’d been burned. He covered his face with his claws. “Not this again. Please, Aridon, tell me not this again. You said you’d abide by our vote.”

“I did not Contract it.”

“We shouldn’t have to ask for your Contract when we make decisions.” Jersard lifted his head, face twisted into an exhausted expression. “Diana, what’s been done to recover the stolen weapon?”

She explained. Leaving out the pending arrest of the possible spies for now and ending with, “I know the identity of the thief. There’s only so much Separation to search. It shouldn’t be too difficult to find her.”

“Her? Of course it would be a her.” Aridon shot Diana a meaningful glare. “All females backstab you eventually.”

Inwardly Diana winced. Unwilling to let him see how much the comment hurt, she kept her face as neutral as possible.

“If my lords don’t need me anymore,” she said coolly, “I have work to do.”

“Be on your way, then.” Jersard waved a hand at her, still glaring at Aridon. “We have other matters to discuss.”

Glad to get out of there, Diana left with an unhurried pace. They could smell her, they didn’t need to see it in her body language either. It was part of what made them take her seriously. That despite whatever her emotional reek said she always acted in control.

Lloyd was waiting for her outside the door.

The man had been up all night and it showed in the heavy bags under his eyes. Despite his exhaustion he bowed without faltering.

“We’ve retrieved the prisoners, Mistress. Would you like to question them now?”

“No. Make sure they’re fed and taken care of. I have other things I need to do first.” She’d already passed him, causing him to adjust his stance so he could walk after her. Then he stumbled a step when she abruptly stopped. Without looking at him, her attention elsewhere, she said, “I may not get to it until tomorrow.”

“I’ll see to them, then.”

“Make sure you get some sleep, too.”

“Yes, Mistress. Is there anything else, Mistress? Do you want an escort or are you in need of any other assistance?”

By the time she took a deep breath she’d come to a decision. “No, thank you. Just keep the prisoners’ existence from Aridon as long as you can. I’ve spoken to Harv, he’ll step in if Aridon finds out.”

“Thank you, Mistress.”

She left as Lloyd bowed.

It was a long walk to where she was going. During that walk her head alternately pounded and her stomach churned with anger and frustration. More than once she muttered a curse.

“Damn you to the voids, Cheryl’s son. This could have been avoided if-”

The humans guarding the entrance to the Circus couldn’t have looked more surprised, or smelled more frightened, than if she’d been a bear sneaking up on their children. Not that any of these people had ever seen a real bear.

“Get me your master,” she snapped at them as they hurried into clumsy bows.

“Y-yes, Mistress Diana Veran. Yes.”

A couple of fools, she thought icily as they both ran off to find the other demon. Her enforcers had at least enough sense to leave someone at their post if she gave them an order.

Angrily she sat down on one of the path boulders, glaring at an ant pile. As though the ants were responsible for her miserable position. Voids on them!

When she finally smelled the voided one she snarled, showing fang but still looking at the ground. “You shouldn’t be so lenient with those fools. I counted seven mistakes that would get them killed if they ever faced a dangerous opponent.”

“Like yourself? They’re performers, Diana, not soldiers. And they usually deal with drunk idiots, not well trained demon warriors.”

Taiken, without any self consciousness or apparent fear of his own vulnerable position, sat on the ground. Away from the ant pile but in her line of sight. She could smell his wariness but he wasn’t afraid of her.

He’d never been afraid of her.

That was her fault. Maybe if she’d taught him to fear her he wouldn’t have such a hold on her.

The silence stretched. Really, she just wanted to brood and be angry for a moment. But, of course, the damned unnatural one couldn’t be bothered to let her.

“Diana.” His tone was gentle and he leaned forward over his crossed legs. “You don’t ever visit without a reason. And you’re boiling over like a pig mire in a rainstorm. What’s going on?”

The mental image he brought up caused a surprise laugh to choke its way up her throat. That just made her want to be angrier.

She snarled. “Sometimes I hate you.”

“Ah. Then you should join the rest of the demon who hate me.”

She rolled her eyes and rubbed her forehead. She then looked up with a pinched lip expression. “Your special pet is in trouble. I can’t, and don’t want to, get her out of it.”

Taiken grew very still. “Lita?”

“She stole something from Aridon. Something dangerous. It’s got the whole Palace in an uproar.” She bared her fangs. “I can’t keep her safe for you this time, Cheryl’s son. The best I can do is have her brought in alive for execution. If she's not found soon, I’ll be sending demon out to do scent exchanges with our outlier cousins and search the countryside.”

Taiken closed his eyes.

His face became expressionless but she smelled his caution turn to weariness.

“If I were you, I’d let this one die.”

Despair seeped into his scent and he shook his head. “I can’t do that.”

“Taiken, listen to me.” She leaned forward, suddenly desperate for this idiot to open his void-leaden ears. “Your mother lost everything. Everything, boy. For a human. A damnable human. It’s not worth it.”