Tamzen! Tamzen’s gone out without her bodyguard, with -‘ The boy named six of
the richest Sanctuary families’ fast-living youngsters. ‘They said they’d be
right back, but they didn’t come. It’s her party she’s missing. The master’s
beside himself. He said if you can’t help him, he’ll have to call the Hell
Hounds – the palace guard, or go out to the Stepsons’ barracks. But there’s no
time, no time!’ the frail eunuch wailed.
‘Calm down, pud. We’ll find her. Tell her father to send word to Tempus anyway,
it can’t hurt to alert the authorities. And say exactly this: that I’ll help if
I can, but he knows I’m not empowered to do more than any citizen. Say it back,
now.’
Once the eunuch had repeated the words and run off, Janni said: ‘How’re you
going to be in two places at once. Stealth? Why’d you tell him that? It’s a job
for the regulars, not for us. We can’t miss this meet, not after all the bedbugs
I’ve let chomp on me for this…’
‘Seh!’ The word meant offal in the Nisi tongue. ‘We’ll round her and her friends
up in short order. They’re just blowing off steam – it’s the heat and school’s
end. Come on, let’s start at Promise Park.’
When they got there, the moon showed round and preternatur-ally large above the
palace and the wind had died. Thoughts of the witch he must meet still troubled
Niko, and Janni’s grousing buzzed in his ears: ‘… we should check in with
Crit, let the girl meet her fate – ours will be worse if we’re snared by
enchantment and no backup alerted to where or how.’
‘We’ll send word or stop by the Shambles drop; stop worrying.’ But Janni was not