Mask of Shadows (Untitled #1)(35)

I touched the name below Seve’s. “Sure, but what did this paper do to you?”

She winced. Good, feel a little bad and offer up an explanation. Information I could use.

“They are perfectly fine people,” she said, and I could practically hear the “but” her politeness stifled. “Lord del Seve’s land borders my father’s land Hinter, and I am attempting to standardize education between the free schools and private tutors. He found my proposal too costly.” She eyed me over her glasses, guarded and passionate. Passionate people loved talking about their passions. “Valid but unfortunate. You’re learning much what the public schools cover. So show me what you’ve learned.”

Of course, no matter what else I wanted out of our meetings, she was still teaching me to read and write. She said a random name, and I pointed to it, running down the list with only a few mistakes.

And now I knew what Seve’s name looked like. Least Elise was a good judge of character—of course he didn’t want everyone taught the same. Couldn’t have the folks you ruled smart enough to overthrow you. I brushed a smear of charcoal from her hand.

“That’s good.” Elise leaned away from me, tapping her fingers against the table. “Let’s try something new. Say ‘march.’”

“March.” I copied her, leaning back in my chair and resting my chin on my fingers like Emerald. I knew she liked Emerald, and I had to get her to like me well enough to talk to me about more than words and letters and sounds.

“If you remove the first letter, what word does it make?” she asked.

I opened my mouth and stopped. “What?”

“You already know the languages,” she said in Erlenian, waiting for me to nod. She switched to Alonian. “We need to connect what you know to what you don’t. So I’ll say a word and you write it down. Queen?”

That was easy. I’d been writing it down for prayers since I could remember.

Elise grinned. “Good. Lady?”

And it went on like that, Elise saying a word and me writing it down. I’d a good memory, always had, but sounds didn’t always match the letters, and combining them was a pain. I got more wrong than right.

And snapped a piece of charcoal by accident after the third mistake.

“It’s all right. Stop frowning. I’ll see you tomorrow in the new quarters.” She gathered up our papers and tucked them aside as a knock sounded on the door. “I’ll actually have all my things then.”

“Where exactly are the new quarters?” I helped her collect the stray pieces of charcoal and a wayward pen.

She glanced up at me, and the silver dust clinging to her lashes softened her gaze. “I don’t know where everything else will be, but I will be tutoring my charges in Emerald’s guest parlor. Her residence is the most spacious.”

Well, more than I knew before.

“Till tomorrow then.” I took her hand as I’d seen courtiers do and bowed over it, but I didn’t kiss her knuckles—too much, she already didn’t trust me.

She let out a breathy laugh. “I told you I don’t flirt with people who could kill me.”

“Course not. You just humor the ones robbing you.”

“You could hardly rob me,” she said, shooing me out of the door.

Fifteen was in the dining hall when I left. I nodded to him, uncomfortable with his glaring presence even with the Left Hand’s demands for us to stop killing each other, and darted around him. Maud was waiting for me outside.

“Time to move?” I asked.

She nodded. “The only thing left is you.”

Maud led me through the buildings flush against the training yard. Dimas waited for us at a locked door—one with a brand-new lock. He pulled a collection of keys from his pocket—none of them bearing any identifying mark I could pair with the door—and selected the right key on his first try. Maud adjusted the new black ribbon adorning her collar. He sniffed.

“What’s with the collar?” I asked once the door had shut.

We picked our way over the neatly groomed path of clipped grass spotted with wildflowers. The forest was quiet, a few lanterns bobbing on guards’ hips in the distance, and shadows rippled in the trees. I fixed my eyes on Maud.

She glanced at me. “If you can’t figure it out, I’m not allowed to answer it.”

“Great.” It was obviously a quick way to signify who was allowed where, but still. “Where are we?”

“The palace grounds are a circle,” she said softly. “We were on the outer edge of it near the wall, and now we’re moving closer to the center. Everything circles the palace at the center.”

The thrum of the River Caracol grew.

She led me through a maze of paths I couldn’t keep track of to a broad footbridge guarded by two soldiers holding lanterns and spears. The Caracol rolled beneath, slow and steady, waters warming the air with the scents of salt and brimstone. Maud nodded to the taller soldier with silver-streaked hair. The hilt at his hip had no blade.

“So,” I said once we were past them, “soldiers and servants get their own secret entrance.”

“The front gate’s for visitors. We’re not to be seen until called.” Maud pulled me down a path, and a breeze ripe with the tang of oranges whipped over us. “Emerald oversees the orangery. Amethyst’s residence is next door to it and the other greenhouses.”