patting Ivy’s arm. “Don’t you worry, Pale Dreamer. I shan’t let them out of my sight.”
Felix gave her a tentative smile. “We’ll be fine for now. Camden seems safe. Besides,” he said, “anything’s better than . . . where we were before.”
I crouched beside Ivy, who didn’t stir. “I was her kidsman,” Agatha said. She took off her lace shawl and draped it around Ivy’s shoulders. “Thought she’d given me the slip. I had all the little horrors out searching for her, but we got nothing. Knew they must have nibbed her.”
Now I was on edge. Kidsmen picked up gutterlings and trained them to steal and beg, often giving them cruel injuries to attract sympathy. “I’m sure you missed her terribly,” I said.
If she picked up on my tone, she didn’t acknowledge it. “Aye,” she said. “I did. She’s been like a daughter to me, this one.” She stood and rubbed the small of her back. “I’ll leave you to your business. I’ve got my own to run.”
The door clunked shut behind her. Coughing echoed through the stairwell. Felix gave Ivy a gentle shake.
“Ivy. Paige is here.”
It took Ivy a while to come to. Jos helped her into a sitting position, propping her up with cushions. Her hand came to rest on her ribs. When her dark eyes finally focused on me, she smiled, giving me a glimpse of a missing tooth at the front of her mouth. “Not dead yet.”
Jos looked worried. “Agatha said you shouldn’t get up.”
“I’m fine. She’s always been a worrywart,” Ivy said. “You know, we should really send Thuban an invitation to my deathbed. I’m sure he’d love to see the fruits of his labor.”
Nobody smiled. The sight of her bruises shook me to the core. “So,” I said, “Agatha’s your kidsman?”
“I trust her. She’s not like other kidsmen—she took me in when I was starving.” She pulled the lace shawl more tightly around her shoulders. “She’ll hide us from the Rag and Bone Man. She’s never liked him.”
“Why do you need to hide from him?” I took a seat on the mattress. “Isn’t he your mime-lord?”
“He’s violent.”
“Aren’t most mime-lords?”
“Trust me, you don’t want to get on the wrong side of this one. He won’t want a bunch of fugitives causing trouble in his section. No one knows his face, but Agatha’s met him once or twice. She’s been in charge of the bolthole for years, since before I worked for her.”
“Who’s his mollisher?” Nell asked.
“I’m not sure.” Ivy lifted a hand to her shorn head, looking away. “They’re secretive here.”
I’d have to ask Jaxon more about this guy. If I ever spoke to Jaxon again. “Why come back here at all, then?”
“Nowhere else to go,” Nell said, pulling a face. “We’ve got no money for a doss-house and no friends who could afford to put us up.”
“Look, Paige,” Felix cut in, “we ought to work out what to do, and do it soon. Scion’s going to be on the hunt for us, given what we know.”
“I’ve called a meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. We need to spread the word about the Rephaim,” I said. Ivy’s head jerked around. “Let every voyant in London know what Scion has been doing to us.”
“You’re mad,” Ivy said, staring at me. There was a tremor in her voice. “You think
Hector
would do anything about it? You think he would care?”
“It’s worth a try,” I said.
“We have our brands,” Felix pointed out. “We have our stories. We have all the voyants who are still missing.”
“They could be in the Tower. Or dead. Even if we did tell everyone, there’s no guarantee it would change anything,” Nell said. “Ivy’s right. Hector won’t believe a word. Friend of mine tried to report a murder to his henchmen once, and they beat him senseless for his trouble.”
“We need a Rephaite to prove the story,” Jos piped up. “The Warden will help us, won’t he, Paige?”
“I don’t know.” I paused. “I don’t know if he’s
Felix gave her a tentative smile. “We’ll be fine for now. Camden seems safe. Besides,” he said, “anything’s better than . . . where we were before.”
I crouched beside Ivy, who didn’t stir. “I was her kidsman,” Agatha said. She took off her lace shawl and draped it around Ivy’s shoulders. “Thought she’d given me the slip. I had all the little horrors out searching for her, but we got nothing. Knew they must have nibbed her.”
Now I was on edge. Kidsmen picked up gutterlings and trained them to steal and beg, often giving them cruel injuries to attract sympathy. “I’m sure you missed her terribly,” I said.
If she picked up on my tone, she didn’t acknowledge it. “Aye,” she said. “I did. She’s been like a daughter to me, this one.” She stood and rubbed the small of her back. “I’ll leave you to your business. I’ve got my own to run.”
The door clunked shut behind her. Coughing echoed through the stairwell. Felix gave Ivy a gentle shake.
“Ivy. Paige is here.”
It took Ivy a while to come to. Jos helped her into a sitting position, propping her up with cushions. Her hand came to rest on her ribs. When her dark eyes finally focused on me, she smiled, giving me a glimpse of a missing tooth at the front of her mouth. “Not dead yet.”
Jos looked worried. “Agatha said you shouldn’t get up.”
“I’m fine. She’s always been a worrywart,” Ivy said. “You know, we should really send Thuban an invitation to my deathbed. I’m sure he’d love to see the fruits of his labor.”
Nobody smiled. The sight of her bruises shook me to the core. “So,” I said, “Agatha’s your kidsman?”
“I trust her. She’s not like other kidsmen—she took me in when I was starving.” She pulled the lace shawl more tightly around her shoulders. “She’ll hide us from the Rag and Bone Man. She’s never liked him.”
“Why do you need to hide from him?” I took a seat on the mattress. “Isn’t he your mime-lord?”
“He’s violent.”
“Aren’t most mime-lords?”
“Trust me, you don’t want to get on the wrong side of this one. He won’t want a bunch of fugitives causing trouble in his section. No one knows his face, but Agatha’s met him once or twice. She’s been in charge of the bolthole for years, since before I worked for her.”
“Who’s his mollisher?” Nell asked.
“I’m not sure.” Ivy lifted a hand to her shorn head, looking away. “They’re secretive here.”
I’d have to ask Jaxon more about this guy. If I ever spoke to Jaxon again. “Why come back here at all, then?”
“Nowhere else to go,” Nell said, pulling a face. “We’ve got no money for a doss-house and no friends who could afford to put us up.”
“Look, Paige,” Felix cut in, “we ought to work out what to do, and do it soon. Scion’s going to be on the hunt for us, given what we know.”
“I’ve called a meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. We need to spread the word about the Rephaim,” I said. Ivy’s head jerked around. “Let every voyant in London know what Scion has been doing to us.”
“You’re mad,” Ivy said, staring at me. There was a tremor in her voice. “You think
Hector
would do anything about it? You think he would care?”
“It’s worth a try,” I said.
“We have our brands,” Felix pointed out. “We have our stories. We have all the voyants who are still missing.”
“They could be in the Tower. Or dead. Even if we did tell everyone, there’s no guarantee it would change anything,” Nell said. “Ivy’s right. Hector won’t believe a word. Friend of mine tried to report a murder to his henchmen once, and they beat him senseless for his trouble.”
“We need a Rephaite to prove the story,” Jos piped up. “The Warden will help us, won’t he, Paige?”
“I don’t know.” I paused. “I don’t know if he’s
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