By teatime the next day, Xiao is in our private parlor, waiting for me. She’s sitting on one of the sofas, but she stands the moment I enter, and bows deeply. “Your Majesty.”“I’m so glad to see you!” It takes everything in me not to run at her and hug her; we don’t have that kind of relationship. But seeing her is a balm that soothes homesickness I didn’t realize I felt.“I’ve done a preliminary sweep of this wing, and some of the public areas I’ve been briefed on,” she begins. “The garden is a concern to me, considering its proximity to the park—”“I’m sure you’re doing a great job,” I interrupt her. “And I’ll listen to whatever suggestions you give me with regards to security. You don’t need to explain.”That seems to take her aback. “Yes, Your Majesty.”“I’m not scolding you,” I hurry to assure her. “Please, sit down. Would you like tea?”“I…” she hesitates.I ring the bell, anyway. “I’ve got stuff I need to ask you about.”“All right.” She sounds cautious, but she takes a seat. “

Nathan isn’t as concerned about the discovery of the secret spyhole as I am—or as concerned as Xiao wants him to be. He’s more focused on our meeting with Jonah, who’s set to arrive any minute with the outcome of the tests he ran.“Old houses like this have concealed passages all over, so that servants can move around unobtrusively,” Nathan explains, like I’ve never heard of such a concept. “And my uncle imagined malice around every corner; it’s likely he knew about the eavesdropping mechanism already. He may have had it installed for his own use.”We’re headed downstairs to the receiving room. I thought somewhere cloak and dagger like a servant’s entrance would be more fitting, but Nathan pointed out that we’re less likely to be overheard by thralls if we meet in a part of the house they’re not allowed.When he said that, I exchanged a glance with Xiao. Though we didn’t speak, I could tell she’s of the same mind as I am regarding what the servants will or won’t overhear. I plan to al

We haven’t been at Wyrding House long enough to completely unpack; Harriet offers to help but I don’t like people going through my stuff. Plus, Nathan and I barely brought anything with us in the first place.“I feel bad for Xiao,” I say, taking one of my shirts from the wardrobe and folding it over my arm. It ends up in a sloppy bundle, but it gets the job done enough that I can stuff it into my bag. “She just got here and now we’re turning right back around.”“I’m sure she prefers having you in a more secure location,” is all Nathan says, moving far faster than I am.“Do you think they’re going to be breaking down the door any second?” I ask, trying to keep my tone light.“I think the longer we stay here, the more likely that becomes a possibility.” He zips his small, wheeled carry-on. “We have a pissed off magician who could sell us out to the highest bidder and a house teeming with traitorous thralls.”“Only the below-stairs servants,” I say, mimicking Harriet’s pompous delivery.

“Black moonstone.”Xiao drops the pendant, now enclosed in a plastic baggie, onto the table between Nathan and me.He leans forward in his chair and reaches for the baggie, but I’m not taking any chances. I smack his hand away with an annoyed, “Don’t touch it!”I’m still shaking, even though we’re on the plane and safely away from Wyrding House, I’m still terrified that yet another shoe is going to suddenly drop.I made Xiao threaten the thrall pilots and leave a member of her trusted team in the cockpit as a reminder.I am not going to die today.Xiao gestures to the unremarkable looking cabochon in the pendant. “The assassin who took your hand had some in a bracelet. I think it’s fair to assume that this is what they’re using to change.”I shake my head. “Moonstone is a pretty common gem, isn’t it? I’ve never heard of it doing… this.”“Maybe that’s why we never heard of it,” Nathan muses. “If we knew, perhaps we wouldn’t need the thralls and their rituals.”“There’s thrall magic invo

We summon council members to Aconitum Hall. The Council Chambers are at the ceremonial site, and the ceremonial site is where all the thralls are.It astonishes me that for centuries, no one—except Nathan’s uncle, apparently—had cause to suspect the thralls as a source of potential treachery. It astonishes me more that now, with proof, convincing some members of the council is still nearly impossible.“We’ve overlooked a major threat,” I try to explain to the ten men seated around the large table in the conference room. There are only ten of them because we executed the others, which makes addressing this group that much more tricky. I don’t want them to think that they have to outwardly agree with me or I’ll cut their heads off, but that’s probably what’s going to happen. “Thralls are a part of our lives every day. They’re in our homes. They’re in our school, our businesses. And they’re content to do all of that and allow us to live in luxury and ease because they can harness our mag