Torrell looked deep in thought. “We’ve found nothing like that,” he said.

  “What have you found?” Kadelene narrowed her eyes.

  “A tunnel, and beyond it a huge cavern containing a subterranean lake.” He went on to describe the circular pits that had opened up within and without the city walls.

  “Think it’s all connected?” Elspeth said. “This friend of yours in the capital, did they mention anything?”

  “Yes, but nothing like you described. Just streets and tunnels. Their equivalent of our second city ruins, with similar glyphs.”

  “Which you appeared to have deciphered,” Kadelene said.

  “Yes, but it’s meaningless without the proper context.”

  “I hear the Mesa are sitting on top of more ruins, further inland.”

  “I knew that,” he said.

  Kadelene raised an eyebrow, and regarded everyone around the table, “Just be aware, if anything turns up of significant value, the Enthas families will attempt a coup on Terohas.”

  “Against the Theeds?” Robles was wrestling with Bodworth, attempting to stop her from plucking his woolen vest.

  “Well, that’s good, isn’t it?” Kaddie said.

  Her grandmother shook her head. “Despite what happened to you, Terohas could do a whole lot worse than Arben Theed at the helm.”

  “That’s debatable,” Robles snorted.

  “We were better with the Lassings,” Elspeth offered.

  “No, she’s right,” Robles continued. “The Lassings were weak. If someone like Rees Toden marched to the gates with a body of men, the Lassings would have let him straight in. Theed is another matter.”

  “Of course, they’ll try other tactics,” Kadelene said. “How competent is your Captain Young?”

  “She does a good job under the circumstances. But you know how it is. Most of the men and women on the walls are loyal to the individual families. We’ve never had a cohesive force.”

  “There’s been no need,” Elspeth said. “Other than family squabbles, we’ve never had any trouble.”

  “Well, it seems everything is about to change, and not for the better.” Robles narrowed his eyes. “I blame you, Torrell. Your incessant poking around.”

  “But what does it mean?” Kaddie interrupted, before a familiar tirade got underway. “For us, I mean?”

  “If it’s an invasion from one of the capital’s families, then the Theed/Lassing coup will look like a toddler’s spat,” Marla said. “People are going to get hurt.”

  “We’d better prepare, then.” Robles plucked the cat from his shoulders and lowered her onto the kitchen floor. “Any more revelations we should know about?”

  “I think that’s it for now.” Kadelene drained her tea cup. “Want me out of your house, Matthen?”

  “I should never have let you in, in the first place.”

  “Oh, but look at the fun we’re having.” She stood, and before Robles could protest she wrapped him in a hearty embrace. Kaddie watched him reciprocate with equal vigor. It was hardly the behavior of two people who detested one another.

  When her grandmother had embraced Elspeth and Marla, she approached Kaddie and whispered, “When Enthas annexed the city of Corl, they poisoned the reservoirs with sentian root grubs. You know what to do?”

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “Gurtian, and purple grenita.”

  “Yes, and heavy on the grenita. You look fine, by the way, despite the eye.” What followed was an awkward moment until Kadelene leveled her hard gaze at Torrell. “Give her any trouble,” she said, “and you’ll have to answer to me.”

  Kaddie watched Torrell draw in a breath, but before he could speak, Kadelene Lowndes turned on her heel and left the kitchen.

  There was a faint cry of “Feesh, you old buzzard,” followed by laughter in the dispensary, but it soon faded and silence regained its hold in the kitchen. Robles was the first to break it.

  “Crone’s eyeballs, I need something stronger than tea.”

  “I’ll get the brandy,” Marla said.

  “Hopefully not the stuff you cook with, woman.”

  Marla and Elspeth shared a grin before Marla left for the storeroom.

  “Tell her to bring it upstairs.” He beckoned to Elspeth. “Come, we need to talk.” He pointed at Kaddie and Torrell. “Whereas, you two will remain here.”

  Stunned after her grandmother’s impromptu visit, Kaddie was in no mood to argue, and when the others had disappeared she sat at the table opposite Torrell and studiously examined its perpetually stained surface.

  “She didn’t embrace you,” he said after an unbearable moment of silence. “The others, but not you.”

  “We don’t do that.” When she finally looked across the table she saw he was smiling.

  “I think I now understand you a little better,” he said.

  “I’m not like her. Not in the least.”

  “I didn’t say you were.”

  Kaddie glared, but when he didn’t say any more, she gave up. There was some tea left in the pot and she poured them a cup. “What do you think they’re discussing upstairs?”

  He shrugged and reached for his teacup. “I don’t care. What we need to do is make our own plans. We should talk to Glen.”

  “About?”

  “The one person your grandmother didn’t mention. Mercantiler Harrow.”

  ##

  “Dad says he brings in cheaper goods and undercuts everyone, from second city artisans to the plains nut growers.”

  It was late afternoon the following day. Kaddie, Torrell and Glen were huddled alongside one of the air vents attached to a small foundry two levels below the icy streets of Terohas.

  “Has anyone tried to stop him?” Kaddie was in the midst of rearranging the scarf wrapped around her neck. Knitted from coarse wool, it was making her throat itch.

  “No. They say he employs too many toughs. More than Theed, I heard.”

  “Toughs,” she snorted.

  “Yes,” Torrell said. “Like the guy who put out your eye.”

  “I don’t need reminding of that.”

  “Well, apparently you do. Don’t underestimate them.”

  After giving him a withering look, she regarded Glen. “How do he and his men get in and out of Terohas? Is it always via the front gate?”

  He shook his head. “There’s always other ways in and out of Terohas, if you know where to look.”

  “People can just sneak in and out, any time they like?”

  “Like I said, if you know how.”

  “I think we have to assume that some things will happen whether we want them to, or not.” She came to a decision. “I need to get back. I’m beginning to feel cold.” It was a lie, but they were standing in an open thoroughfare, people were constantly passing by, and her grandfather’s first ever lesson regarding trust was at the forefront of her thoughts.

  “Want me to come with you?” Torrell regarded her anxiously.

  “No, I’ll be fine.” She forced a smile. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

  She turned and left before there were any more questions, back through the busy throng of second city dwellers, up three flights of stairs to street level. It was all very well for Glen and Torrell to go running through the tunnels, looking for sneaky ways in and out of the city, but it was a distraction. For her, it was time to do what she did best, and she had an antidote to create.

  ##

  It was almost time for dinner, and yet Marla found time for Kaddie’s request and began scribbling notes furiously on a crinkled piece of paper. “You’ll be able to buy on account here, and here, but the other stores will need coin.”

  Kaddie examined the list. “What about the Flats?”

  “I can think of a few who’ll keep their mouth shut. I’ll draw up a map. And don’t worry about the cost, he’ll give you the go-ahead.”

  Kaddie nodded, relieved. Other than all-out robbery there was no way she had the required coin for the necessary supplies.

  Upstairs, her grandfather examined the list. “Purple grenita? Why so many suppliers? You could buy in bulk from here,” he pointed, “and here.”

  “I thought it would arouse less suspicion. Trust, I seem to remember, is lacking, here.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “You’ll never let me forget that, will you?” He was referring to her first night in the dispensary, when he’d poisoned her tea.

  “Never.”

  “You women carry such grudges.”

  “Maybe if you hadn’t poisoned me in the first place?”

  He raised his hands in supplication. “Oh, very well.” With an exaggerated sigh he picked up a nearby pen and struck out two of the addresses.

  “With the aforementioned trust being an issue, we don’t want to be seen here, or here. However,” he turned over the paper. “You can buy bigger quantities here.” When he was done, he said, “In using so many stores, we run the risk of being seen too often. So, we compromise, agreed?”

  She nodded, having had worries about that, too.

  “I assume you’re heading out early?”

  “Yes, and there’s no need for Torrell to go with me. He’ll just—”

  “—raise more suspicion? In his current role, I agree. Everyone is talking about the ruins and he’ll attract attention. Now, if we’re done, I’m starving and I hope Marla has dinner ready.”