Mask of Shadows (Untitled #1)(27)

“Don’t mention it.” She smiled and opened the door for me, ushering me into the dining hall. “I won’t see you again today. Good luck.”

Eight and Twenty-Two were missing. Dimas’s long gray tunic swirled around his knees as he paced the length of the table and directed servers, making sure all of us had what we wanted. There was twice the number of water pitchers there usually were. I waved him over.

“Twenty-Three?” He bowed, the silver cuff that curled around the scarred, holey edge of his right ear sparkling. He was barely older than Maud and me, and the scents of silver polish and cleaning chemicals clung to him. Another orphaned war kid.

“What’s with the pitchers?” I poured myself a glass and spooned grits into my bowl. The food was as varied as it had been, but there were more ground foods—speckled oats, grits, cornmeal cooked with milk. Things I’d eat if I knew we’d be running all night from guards. “And food.”

His lips twitched. “We’re simply providing what is necessary.”

“Thank you.” For nothing.

I ate light and drank as much water as I could while he walked away.

“Servants?” Four asked.

I peeled a boiled egg and nibbled on the whites. “I knew you lot had servants. You treat them like nobles would.”

They’d come from one of those big carnivals then. The sort that trained you from birth and only let you go when you died—or got invited to Left Hand auditions.

Three sipped her tea, grinning. “At least we know she’s never had servants.”

“From Kursk, fights, and never had servants.” Two smiled. “Narrows it down.”

“Up!” Amethyst threw open the door to the nook.

We all shot to our feet. A shiver ran down my spine—they’d done this when they caught Thirteen. They’d caught me. They knew what I’d done, and I was out.

“Eight and Twenty-Two are dead—poorly.” Emerald slid into the room, light cotton tunic the color of dandelion stems and leggings dark as damp earth. “That leaves ten of you.”

Ruby laughed behind his mask and applauded. “Congratulations to our final ten auditioners. Welcome to your first real test.”

I sighed. I could survive a test.

Ruby held up ten pairs of thick iron shackles.

I’d gotten out of those before—three times with picks and once with a hatpin.

“Stop.” Amethyst shooed Ruby out the door and turned to us. “Follow me.”

She took off running. Emerald vanished up a servants’ staircase. Running I could handle, and the others could try to keep up with me. Five was at my heels, faster than I thought he’d be, and Amethyst spun around, a plume of dust engulfing us. I sucked in a breath of dirt.

It was sharp and thick, but then we were outside and running and my heart pounded against my chest in the sheer joy of knowing I could run. No nudging and no corrections.

“Our Queen, despite her power and mercy, has not persuaded all the nobles clinging to their Erlend roots.” Amethyst’s voice didn’t waver despite the dust and footfalls. I hated running with a mask, and she managed to yell midsprint. I sped up, gaze stuck on her, and pushed myself to run faster. I wanted to do that. “We are her last resort in such cases. Those against us are not kind or merciful. They do not care who gets in their way.”

My answer of dressing in their colors and avoiding them completely probably didn’t help.

“We do not kill if it can be helped. We serve Our Queen, and she serves her people. It is our job, then, to make sure they are safe, even when the machinations of their traitorous masters put them in our path.” Amethyst slid to a stop at the gate leading into Willowknot.

“Two and Eleven,” Emerald shouted from her perch on top of the gate. “Three and Fifteen, Four and Twenty-Three, Five and Seven, and Six and Ten.”

I spun around. Eleven, Fifteen, Four, Seven, and Ten were the last to arrive at the gate. Ruby stepped forward with his shackles.

They wouldn’t. We couldn’t run or fight or do anything chained to another person.

“The forest has been cleared for the occasion, and the dal Abreu and del Contes families have loaned us their guards. They will attempt to stop you. You may disarm and stun but cause no lasting damage.” Amethyst grabbed half the shackles from Ruby and starting chaining us—hands shackled behind our backs and chains linked through the shackles of our partner. “Our last Opal died because he could not escape while shackled to another prisoner in Lord del Weylin’s cells. We will not make that mistake again. You escape, you follow me, you keep up, and you don’t kill anyone. Except each other, of course.”

At least Four and I were roughly the same height.

I snuck my lock picks from my pocket into my sleeve, trying not to attract attention. Ruby eyed me. Maybe. Why’d they even bother? His mouth was little more than a mesh slit, and they weren’t putting me at ease pretending they could look at us. He leaned in close enough that I should’ve felt his breath on my ear, but there was nothing.

“About tutoring.” He locked the shackles in place and looped me back-to-back with Four. “Lady de Farone said you were acceptable.”

I doubted Elise had used the phrase “acceptable.” She seemed more flowery. Maybe an “adequate,” but that would’ve stung.