soldiers surrounding us. The only ward that hasn’t been triggered yet is the one by the Degaths’ window. That isn’t a coincidence: they’re leaving space there for anyone who decides to jump out.
“We’re surrounded,” I whisper.
Kenta growls. I hadn’t heard him following me down the hall.
The Ghost shifts, straining to listen. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“It doesn’t make sense,” he says, almost to himself. “How could they have found us?”
The realization hits me like a slap in the face. “Saira—the older girl. She had a mirror.”
“Mirror?”
“A locator spell.”
A moment follows that should have been filled with the sound of a curse, but instead holds the Ghost’s silence. Then he moves past me. “Hide.”
I don’t answer. Instead, I follow him to the Degaths’ room. His footsteps pause as he lights the candle again, leaving it burning on the floor. The Degaths barely have time to register his arrival before he crosses the room and hauls Saira to her feet.
“The mirror,” he snarls as she yelps and tries to pull away. He shakes her. “Now!”
The others scramble to their feet, Degath pushing past his wife to reach for his daughter. And then Saira laughs.
“Oh, the mirror. Why didn’t you say so?” She pulls it from her skirt pocket and holds it out to the Ghost. He releases her and takes it, stepping back. From the door, I can just see the milky white surface looking back at him.
Degath stares at it, then turns to his daughter. “What is that?”
The Ghost drops the mirror and grinds it to pieces beneath his boot heel. “A locator spell. We are surrounded.”
“A—what?” Degath stumbles.
The girl straightens her back, smoothing out her clothes. “It’s okay, Baba. He promised our safety in return for the Ghost. A safe house would have been nice, but it’s the Ghost he really wants.”
“Who told you that?” Degath asks, his voice hoarse.
“Master Blackflame himself,” she says proudly.
Degath raises a hand to his face, shielding his eyes as if he cannot bear the sight of his daughter.
The Ghost turns towards the door, then pauses. “Degath?”
“I did not know—”
“Give your wife and your other daughter blades—you have weapons?” The man nods. “If they go down fighting, they might have an easier end.”
“We’re not in danger,” Saira insists, her voice growing shrill. “Baba—”
“There must be a way,” Degath begins, ignoring her.
The Ghost shakes his head. “We are surrounded.”
With the stairwell collapsed, there’s no other escape. I drop into a crouch. “Kenta,” I murmur to the shape beside me. Kenta tilts his head toward me, his body coiled as tight as a spring. “The stairs have fallen in, but the floorboards are sound. We can boost the Ghost up …”
Kenta meets my gaze.
“If he won’t go willingly, we’ll have to make him. Help me?”
He dips his head.
The Ghost sweeps out of the room.
“This way,” I murmur, and he turns, following me. The faint sound of boots scrapes at the edge of my hearing. The soldiers are in position. Any moment now they’ll begin their attack.
“We need to get you out alive. We can boost you up the stairs.” I grab the brooch that secures his cloak and yank it open.
“I’m not leaving.” The Ghost backs up, away from my hands.
His cloak slides half off his shoulders. I yank the cloak the rest of the way off. “You’re the Ghost . You can’t die here. The League needs you. We’ll boost you up the stairwell. Climb to the next floor and hide.”
“They’ll know I’m gone.”
“Not if I’m wearing your cloak.” I swing the heavy fabric around my own shoulders.
“No—”
“She betrayed us, don’t you understand? Blackflame must know about your informants! He planned this in advance, gave that mirror to Saira knowing the League would help Degath. If you die here, the League will fall apart. Your informants might
“We’re surrounded,” I whisper.
Kenta growls. I hadn’t heard him following me down the hall.
The Ghost shifts, straining to listen. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“It doesn’t make sense,” he says, almost to himself. “How could they have found us?”
The realization hits me like a slap in the face. “Saira—the older girl. She had a mirror.”
“Mirror?”
“A locator spell.”
A moment follows that should have been filled with the sound of a curse, but instead holds the Ghost’s silence. Then he moves past me. “Hide.”
I don’t answer. Instead, I follow him to the Degaths’ room. His footsteps pause as he lights the candle again, leaving it burning on the floor. The Degaths barely have time to register his arrival before he crosses the room and hauls Saira to her feet.
“The mirror,” he snarls as she yelps and tries to pull away. He shakes her. “Now!”
The others scramble to their feet, Degath pushing past his wife to reach for his daughter. And then Saira laughs.
“Oh, the mirror. Why didn’t you say so?” She pulls it from her skirt pocket and holds it out to the Ghost. He releases her and takes it, stepping back. From the door, I can just see the milky white surface looking back at him.
Degath stares at it, then turns to his daughter. “What is that?”
The Ghost drops the mirror and grinds it to pieces beneath his boot heel. “A locator spell. We are surrounded.”
“A—what?” Degath stumbles.
The girl straightens her back, smoothing out her clothes. “It’s okay, Baba. He promised our safety in return for the Ghost. A safe house would have been nice, but it’s the Ghost he really wants.”
“Who told you that?” Degath asks, his voice hoarse.
“Master Blackflame himself,” she says proudly.
Degath raises a hand to his face, shielding his eyes as if he cannot bear the sight of his daughter.
The Ghost turns towards the door, then pauses. “Degath?”
“I did not know—”
“Give your wife and your other daughter blades—you have weapons?” The man nods. “If they go down fighting, they might have an easier end.”
“We’re not in danger,” Saira insists, her voice growing shrill. “Baba—”
“There must be a way,” Degath begins, ignoring her.
The Ghost shakes his head. “We are surrounded.”
With the stairwell collapsed, there’s no other escape. I drop into a crouch. “Kenta,” I murmur to the shape beside me. Kenta tilts his head toward me, his body coiled as tight as a spring. “The stairs have fallen in, but the floorboards are sound. We can boost the Ghost up …”
Kenta meets my gaze.
“If he won’t go willingly, we’ll have to make him. Help me?”
He dips his head.
The Ghost sweeps out of the room.
“This way,” I murmur, and he turns, following me. The faint sound of boots scrapes at the edge of my hearing. The soldiers are in position. Any moment now they’ll begin their attack.
“We need to get you out alive. We can boost you up the stairs.” I grab the brooch that secures his cloak and yank it open.
“I’m not leaving.” The Ghost backs up, away from my hands.
His cloak slides half off his shoulders. I yank the cloak the rest of the way off. “You’re the Ghost . You can’t die here. The League needs you. We’ll boost you up the stairwell. Climb to the next floor and hide.”
“They’ll know I’m gone.”
“Not if I’m wearing your cloak.” I swing the heavy fabric around my own shoulders.
“No—”
“She betrayed us, don’t you understand? Blackflame must know about your informants! He planned this in advance, gave that mirror to Saira knowing the League would help Degath. If you die here, the League will fall apart. Your informants might
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