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  “No names.” Tallyn reminded him.

  “So you are important.” His smile was triumphant, and then he grimaced and touched his lip. “Otherwise, why bother with anonymity?”

  “Valus,” I snapped. “Stay on task.”

  “You know my name,” he pointed out. “How are we supposed to have a conversation this way?”

  “You seem to be managing fine with your condescending monikers so far.”

  “Struck a nerve, have I?”

  I wanted to smack him. “Please just answer the question, or you can forget seeing that doctor.”

  “I really can’t help you,” Valus said. He started to turn back toward the wall.

  I exchanged a look with Tallyn. He scowled and leaned forward to speak in my ear.

  “We should go, my lady,” he said. “I have no wish to talk in circles with this traitor. This will get us nowhere.”

  “I can hear you,” Valus called. “He said ‘my lady.’ You’re somebody important. I win.”

  Footsteps. The door rattled before it was yanked open and the warden reappeared.

  “Time’s up,” he announced.

  Valus turned his head and looked at me. “You should come back and see me, Angelfish. Maybe I’ll be more forthcoming if I’m in a better mood. But only to you,” he added, shooting a look at Tallyn. “Come alone, and leave your hired shark at home.”

  “Don’t hold your breath waiting,” I snapped, and strode from the room.

  Tallyn and I followed the warden to the lift.

  “You shouldn’t have let him raise your ire,” Tallyn said.

  “I don’t remember him being so snide,” I said. “And he made you angry too.”

  “I am your bodyguard. It is my responsibility to get angry—visibly so at times—when your safety or honor is threatened by a pernicious little snot. Your responsibility is to remain cool and collected.”

  I sighed. I liked Tallyn, truly I did, but this was not a moment in which I welcomed a lecture.

  We left the prison and went out into the city proper. Gleaming glass ceilings arched far overhead, with enough empty space between them and the floor to house a pod of whales. The sounds of the city—echoing footsteps, calling voices, the hiss of rail carriages, and the distant splash of fountains—reverberated faintly through the space. We climbed the stairs that led to the upper levels as Tallyn continued his lecture, and I listened with half my attention.

  I’d received word yesterday that my mother and sister would be arriving soon from Verdus. Every time I thought of it, my stomach clenched in sudden fear and my skin turned clammy.

  “Aemiana,” Tallyn said sharply, interrupting my thoughts. “You should be less obvious when you aren’t listening. At least nod and make a noise of assent at intervals.”

  “What if I don’t agree with what’s being said?”

  “Then you should pay attention so you can voice your concerns.”

  We reached the main level of the city, where a public rail carriage awaited us. We hadn’t taken a Graywater one because Tallyn had thought it unwise to announce the Graywater presence anywhere near the prison. I agreed. Whispers and rumors were rift when it came to my reputation. I didn’t need anything else to add to my already notorious name. Especially not visits to my traitorous former betrothed.

  We boarded the rail carriage, and I stared out the window as we shot up above the streets with a hiss of steam and a clank of gears. The carriage shifted rails, and the seats shuddered. I shut my eyes as the memory of a fireball wrecking my carriage flashed across my mind.

  Only a few weeks ago, the Graywater butler, Cress, had tried to kill me by planting a bomb in my rail carriage. I’d escaped by jumping into a fountain, and he’d tried again with a bomb in a package delivered to my room. He’d mentioned Valus before he was taken away by my grandmother’s men, but that had produced no leads. I didn’t know if Azure was behind the attempts to kill me, but I was determined to find out why before they struck again.

  Tallyn touched my shoulder.

  “We’re being more careful, my lady. Don’t worry.”

  It was unlike him to be gentle, and I appreciated it. I gave him a practiced smile, and he nodded approvingly. “That was convincing.”

  I leaned back against the seat. “What are the latest news of Nautilus?”

  “His ships patrol the waters near the surface,” Tallyn said. “The senate is locked in debate about how to handle the situation. The republic is ill-prepared to wage war without its full strength and military power.”

  I hissed in frustration. “What do they think is going to happen if they refuse to engage?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  “Do they think he won’t strike again? Are they fools?”

  “The senate,” Tallyn said, “is locked in political turmoil.”

  The rail carriage stopped a few streets from the Graywater estate, and we took the family’s private carriage, which was awaiting us in the station, the rest of the way. As we rode, I mulled over every fact and facet I knew about the Azure Institute. They were a secretive research organization located in Arctus, the Ice City, and rumors abounded about what its research actually entailed. When we had been in the clutches of the Dron, Commander Valli had related rumors of surface animal experiments, even human experiments.

  What did Azure know? Why did they want me dead? Did this have anything to do with my father’s arrest and execution for treason?

  Determination swelled in me like a tide. I would find out what happened to my father, and I would find out who was trying to kill me.

  Tallyn gazed at me from the other side of the rail carriage. He must have observed my frustration, for after a short silence, he spoke.

  “Take heart. Valus might talk again, in time.”

  “In time? What if we don’t have time?”

  “Patience,” he said. “We have other sources. For instance, Cress is still in your grandmother’s possession, and we have the tattoo on his arm to give us some direction. I will look into Azure’s Primusean chapter and see what I can discover.”

  “Will you even be able to find them? On Arctus, they are hidden behind a disguised wall.”

  Tallyn smiled with half his mouth. “Oh, I have my ways.”

  I had no doubt of that.

  “In the meantime,” he said, “we will continue your lessons in self-defense.”

  When the carriage came to a stop in the dark underchambers of the estate, Tallyn tapped my elbow. “Come on.”

  I rose and followed him into the dim cavern where the rail carriages were housed. Thick metal lines snaked across the stone ceiling, leading toward closed doors that opened to the city. A vast chamber sat empty before us, the walls lined with barrels. At the far end of the room was a spiraling staircase, lit by lanterns with pink glass. We climbed the stairs in silence.

  When we reached the main floor of the estate, Hexor, the steward, strode toward me wearing an expression that said he’d rather be running than walking.

  “My lady,” he said, “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

  “What is it?”

  “Your mother,” he said. “She’s arrived.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  MY MOTHER STOOD at the far end of the library, her back to me as she faced a round window to the sea beyond, her hands clasped behind her and her back straight and shoulders back. She wore a gown of shimmering gray, and her hair was long and wavy, the rich brown-black color of polished driftwood. Jeweled combs held it back in coils and curls that cascaded between her shoulder blades. The blue light from the window lined her body in a glow, making her look like a sea angel from the deep.

  I stopped just inside the door and waited for her to turn around. The door shut behind me with a soft click.

  She turned.

  She was all sharp edges and imposing coldness as she pivoted to greet me. Her ageless, unwrinkled skin was a rich brown, her cheekbones high and sharp. Her eyes, dark as obsidian, fixed on me. They widened slightly as she took the sight of me in.

  “Aemiana,” she said.

  That single word hovered in the air between us. It was clipped, almost cool. No smile. No cry of delight.

  My stomach twisted.

  I didn’t know what to say. Did I call her mother? Did I go to her, embrace her?

  She crossed the room in four swift strides and took my face in her hands. Her fingers were cold against my skin. She searched my eyes with hers, and her eyebrows lifted slightly.

  “You look like your father.”

  The way she said it, I couldn’t tell if she thought that was a good thing or not.

  Her eyes were dark and curious as they studied mine. She turned my face to the side, scrutinizing me.

  “Say something,” she commanded, releasing my face and stepping back to get a better look at me.

  “I didn’t expect you this soon.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I cringed. It was the only thing that had come to mind, and it was an admission of my own failure to anticipate her actions. It made me look weak, unprepared. It sounded like I did not welcome her arrival, that I was complaining.

  I wanted to sound like a Graywater.

  My mother lifted an eyebrow. “You do speak frankly. I was told as much.”

  “By who?” Again, the words leaped out, only solidifying her previous statement.

  “Graywaters have their sources,” she said. “You will have your own soon enough, people you can count on to pass you useful information and find out what you need to know. It is the way we survive in this cutthroat world of money and politics.”

  “Perhaps I already have mine,” I countered, thinking of Tallyn, Merelus, Tob, and Lyssia.

  “Hmmm,” she said. “I think I can find you better, whoever you think you have now.”

  “Perhaps I like who I have.”

  She made a noncommittal noise that made me angry. She thought me foolish?

  “I want you to meet your sister,” she said, and my stomach dropped.

  My mother gestured behind me, and I turned to see a slender, dark-haired girl slipping through the door. She looked a few years younger than me, but far more sophisticated. She paused, blinked at me, and clasped her hands together in a miniature version of our mother. She didn’t smile.

  “Aemiana,” my mother said. “This is your sister, Laimila.”

  “Hello,” I said. The word felt grossly inadequate, a pebble of speech dropped into a tide of emotion and expectation. “Pleased to meet you.”

  Was that the right thing to say to your long-lost sister?

  Laimila tipped her head to one side. “You look like your portrait,” she said.

  “My portrait?” I didn’t remember seeing one in the Graywater house.

  “We have a portrait of you in the Verdus house,” Laimila said, seeing my confusion. “I used to look at it when I was little and pretend you were still alive.” She paused, then observed without emotion, “I guess I was right all along. Here you are. Much older, of course. It’s been many years.”

  “Yes,” I said.

  The silence filled the space between our words. Why could I think of nothing to say?

  Laimila looked at our mother. “I need to finish unpacking.”

  “You may go,” Mother said, and she departed as noiselessly as she’d entered.

  I looked back at my mother. Nervousness coiled in my midsection and snaked up my throat, threatening to choke me. Were they displeased with me? Why did I care so much?

  “There is much to discuss,” she said briskly. “There is the matter of your education, your proper introduction into society, your inheritance, your betrothal—”

  “Valus is in prison,” I said.

  “I’m not referring to that unfortunate former alliance,” she said. “No, your new betrothal.”

  “New betrothal?” My chest constricted. I didn’t understand.

  “As a member of this family, you will be expected to choose a suitor, someone whose connections can strengthen the family name and increase our resources.”

  “You want me to marry? Now?” I felt as if I’d been punched in the gut.

  “Absolutely not,” she said. “I want you to choose a suitor and quell these rumors I keep hearing about you have some kind of loyalty to the Nautilus family.”

  “Rumors?”

  She handed me a piece of paper. I scanned the words at the top.

  Aemiana Graywater. Long-lost lady or pernicious imposter?

  Imposter?

  “What is this?” I demanded. Anger tightened my throat.

  “Keep reading,” she said. She crossed his arms and waited, and I lowered my eyes back to the page.

  By all accounts, Aemiana Graywater claims to have been living on the surface for years safely (against all knowledge of the surface’s toxicity) until when she recently appeared to denounce the traitor Nautilus and instate herself in the Graywater mansion with a hero’s welcome from friends and strangers alike. This arrangement appears to have uniquely benefited Lady Graywater, who now resides in the lap of luxury alone. She has since not been visited by any Graywater family members, including her mother and sister, who remain suspiciously absent while she takes mysterious trips and neglects her social duties. This has engendered a great deal of suspicion in the minds of those who are committed to the continuation of this glorious republic. Who is this young woman? Is she really the long-lost Graywater daughter at all?

  There was more, but I couldn’t force myself keep reading. I crumpled the paper in my hands. “Who wrote this?”

  “A servant found it lying in the street. These accusations are baseless, of course, but they are of grave concern to me.”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but she cut me off. “I want us to put the past behind us and move forward. You are a valuable asset to our family, and now that you’re alive, I intend to use you as such.”

  My eyes burned. “How foolish of me. I thought you might just be glad to see your daughter.”

  She was silent a moment, her lip curling. “Your upbringing has encouraged you to emotional outbursts more than I would have liked.”

  “Encouraged me to emotional outbursts?”

  “You were not raised a Graywater.”

  “No, I was a slave.”

  She shut her eyes, and when she opened them, her expression was fierce. “Calm yourself,” she said. “The past is the past. You are a Graywater now. I expect you to be strong and composed in the face of what you have experienced and what you will experience.” She sighed. “Perhaps you bear more resemblance to him than just your face.”

  “Him? You mean my father?”

  Her left eyebrow twitched. “I know you have been asking questions. I will not engage in that with you now. I am not a servant to be interrogated.”

  Before I could reply, Hexor stepped into the room. He dropped a hasty bow to us both, breathing hard even as he struggled to maintain a sense of decorum.

  “My lady,” he said, “there are soldiers at the door.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “SOLDIERS?” MY BLOOD turned to ice at the words, and I looked at my mother, whose features had settled into a mask. “What do they want?”

  When she said nothing, I rushed into the hall with Hexor at my heels. Tallyn stood in the foyer, his shoulders taut and his stance aggressive. He exchanged a glance with me as I reached his side.

  “Send for Senator Annah,” he said to Hexor, who bowed and rushed away. To me, he said, “Stay calm. They can’t do anything yet.”

  “Yet?”

  My father had been executed for treason. I was already viewed with suspicion. My heart rammed against my ribs as nausea swirled through my stomach.

  “They’re probably only here to frighten you,” Tallyn continued. “Do what I’ve taught you. Chin up, gaze sharp, hold their stares. Be firm, but not belligerent.”

  Banging came from the front door.

  I knotted my fingers together in front of me and straightened my spine.

  Lift chin.

  Narrow gaze.

  You are a Graywater. The butler opened the door. Four city guards strode inside, their armor flashing under the lights. The tallest one stepped forward and addressed me. “Aemiana Graywater?”

  “Yes,” I said, speaking low to keep my voice steady. “Who are you?”

  He glanced around the room, his gaze resting on Tallyn. “I thought we could speak alone.”

  “Tallyn is in my employ, and I prefer to have him here,” I said. “And I didn’t catch your name.”

  The guard tipped his head to one side. His mouth curled down. “I am called Helus. I am here to ask you a few questions on behalf of the governor and a committee for truth.”

  “Committee for truth?” I repeated.

  “What nonsense is this?” Tallyn said.

  Footsteps echoed in the hall. My mother. She entered the foyer and stopped, gazing icily at the soldiers. She focused on Helus.

  “And who are you?” she demanded.

  Helus dropped a bow. “I am here to speak with Aemiana—”

  “You did not answer my question.”

  Helus paused. “I am called Helus. I have with me a signed order from the governor’s captain of the guard, and a committee dedicated to determining the truth of rumors given these uncertain times facing us, commissioned by the governor himself. Unless you want me to report that you refused to cooperate?”

  My mother’s expression was stiff, but she spread her hands in permission. “Proceed, then.”

  He turned back to me.

  “I understand, Aemiana, that you say you spent considerable time living on the surface before returning to Itlantis?”

  “Yes,” I said. My fingers were trembling, but I pressed them against my stomach to keep them still.

  “And you never suffered any ill effects from living above?”

  “The surface is not poisonous, as is still commonly believed,” I said. “I have said this before.”

  “Hmm,” he replied. He tapped a finger against his chin and paced a circle around me. “And you also, by your own admission, were a passenger on one of Nautilus’s hammerships for an extended duration?”