Torrell was waiting at the entrance to the kitchen. “That was amazing. I could never have done that.”

  “You’re supposed to be watching Nianne.”

  “She’s fine. Still asleep,” he said, as they entered the kitchen. “Elspeth said she’d keep an eye on her and we figured you might need some back up.”

  Marla was standing at one of the prep tables. “Well, now they’re gone, come take a look at this.” Alongside her, steam was rising from a small pot on a trivet.

  Kaddie approached, peered over the brim, and saw white particles floating on the surface of the simmering water.

  “And if I’m right,” Marla continued, “we should see something at the bottom.” She used tongs to remove a strip of fabric that had been soaking in the water, and used the same utensil to grip the pot and angle it toward the window. Gray afternoon light reflected off shreds of a shiny substance swirling at the bottom.

  Kaddie stared in horror at Marla, who nodded.

  “What is it?” Torrell asked, vying for a closer look.

  “Silver Lily,” the two women said in unison.

  “I bet I know where it came from, too,” Kaddie added.

  Torrell regarded the wet scrap of fabric on the table as if it was about to bite him. “It was on her dress? Her wedding dress?”

  Marla was shaking her head in dismay. “Disguised as starch. It’s been done before, back when—” She stopped and gave Kaddie a frown. “What are you smiling about?”

  “We got the diagnosis right.”

  “Yes, we did.”

  “And we need to keep a piece of the dress for evidence.”

  “Already ahead of you. I cut some close to the pit of the arm, where they rubbed it into the seams and the boning channels. The rest of it is in a sack, ready for burning. Torrell, you take care of that, and careful you don’t get anything on your hands. Kaddie, you help me scrub this table. Mother forbid we come down with it, too.”

  ##

  An hour later, when the deeds were done, Elspeth joined them in the kitchen. “I checked on the girl. She’s still sleeping soundly. I wish I could say the same for Robles.” She sank onto a nearby stool and let out a sigh. “Kaddie, he’d like a word. Try not to get him too excited. He’s still not well, despite his allusions to the contrary.”

  In no mood to talk to Robles, Kaddie ascended the stairs while envisioning a conversation using slow, even tones, having locked her temper in a box. Maybe it would work, but she doubted it.

  The curtains were closed in Robles’ bedroom, shutting out what was left of the afternoon light. She’d never visited this particular room before, but it bore the same characteristics as his study. A table and a dresser piled high with books. A lidless, empty ale barrel packed with scrolls. A row of labeled jars crowding the mantle, most of them liable to fall off at any minute. Robles’ bed, pushed into a corner furthest from the window, seemed like an afterthought.

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  A fire was crackling in the hearth and the room smelled sour.

  “Here, girl.” She saw his hand beckon. “Tell me everything.” His voice was weak. He sounded tired.

  A chair free of clutter sat alongside the bed, presumably where Elspeth had settled in order to keep an eye on him. On taking a seat, she could barely see his face in the gloom. “We examined the dress,” she began.

  “Not that. I already know about that. Tell me about the men.” His emphasis on the word men left her in no doubt as to his opinion of them.

  “I wasn’t there when they arrived, but they insisted Mr. Feesh close the dispensary.”

  “My dispensary. Weevils.”

  “Snakes, actually. One of them, Tenadas, looked like a snake.”

  And the other?”

  “Breso. He stood there looking tough while the other one talked.”

  Robles let out a sigh. He appeared to sink deeper into the gloom, until he startled her by rising into a sitting position. Firelight shone on untidy hair. His eyes were sunken, their pupils dark as night. “Tenadas and Breso. And Elspeth let me lie here while you faced them.”

  “We handled it. I handled it.” Kaddie fought to stay calm.

  “You? Our little iron witch. You handled it. Have you any idea what those men are capable of?”

  “Like I said—”

  “Tell me what they said. Everything. Word for word.”

  She attempted to repeat verbatim, but it was difficult while anger and frustration drifted between them like rising steam. “They didn’t know we were at the palace, this morning.”

  “Didn’t know?” His voice had risen. “Of course they knew. Don’t you see what they did? They invited us into their lie, and you jumped right in.”

  “If they knew the girl was here, then why didn’t they insist on seeing her, too?”

  “They don’t care one whit about the girl. The Lassings are out, dead, in all probability, and the Theeds are in. And now we’re stuck with the daughter. What are we supposed to do?”

  “My mother will take her. I know she will.”

  “I see. You have it all figured out.”

  “You shouldn’t yell like that. Elspeth said you were still weak.”

  “Maiden’s toe nails, girl.”

  “And don’t forget, it was you who rescued her.” Her voice was rising. She couldn’t help it.

  “This isn’t about the girl. They could have killed you.”

  “I dealt with it. No one died, and why do you care? I was protecting you.”

  He stared at her for a moment before sinking back onto his pillows. His fingers began massaging his temples. “Crone’s teeth, Kadelene, I can’t do this any longer.”

  Kaddie frowned. He’d used her full name. The name she shared with her grandmother. He was staring at the ceiling as if he was no longer talking to her and they were sharing the room with a ghost. It caught her off balance, so she kept on talking.

  “I was perfectly safe. Mr. Feesh, Pick, and Coglan were in the dispensary—”

  “I’m your grandfather.”

  “—and Torrell was waiting just beyond—what?”

  “You asked me why I cared. I’m your grandfather. Your grandmother and I—”

  “No. That’s ridiculous.” She stood and inadvertently pushed the chair against a small table. The pile of books it contained wobbled before sliding to the floor in an untidy heap. “You’re lying to make a point.”

  Robles laughed. “Really? And who is lying to whom, Kaddie Lowndes?”

  Kaddie took a step back, followed by another. “Mother would have said something. She wouldn’t have lied to me like that.” The room grew darker. She felt dizzy.

  “Did they tell you why you had to change your name?”

  “Grandmother said she had a history here.”

  “A history?” Robles was attempting to sit up again, but his exhaustion got the better of him. “I could tell you stories about your grandmother that would make your hair curl. And unfortunately for you, Terohas’s ruling families have long memories and bear grudges.”

  “So, you all lied to me. Is that it?” She stepped close to the hearth where flames danced ebulliently among wood and charcoal. She felt none of their heat, and she realized she had a choice to make. Belief, or disbelief? Both mocked her. They danced around her, tugging at her limbs like nasty little stick figures. “So, now what?”

  “Why, nothing, you silly girl. We’ll continue on. You’re the poisoner’s apprentice. You have a job to do. This is a tough business and I’ll expect you to keep up. And don’t think for one minute I’ll go easy on you.”

  Kaddie stood up straight and relaxed fingers that had once more drawn into tight fists. Her retribution list, she decided, was about to grow extraordinarily long. There were things she had to say to her mother, and her grandmother. Were Marla, Elspeth, and Torrell aware of this relationship? And if her three brothers had just an inkling of the deception—

  “Well? Do you have anything to say?”

  She turned to face him, and while her eyes remained flat and sullen as the afternoon sky, her smile was as sweet as she could make it. “Yes, grandfather. Would you like some tea?”