I swallow and drop onto the couch next to Finna. She glances at me, but lets it happen. Up close, her hair looks thick enough for a rat to get lost in it. I hope one hasn’t. At least it doesn’t smell that way, so maybe I’m safe. “What do you mean?” I hiss.

  “It doesn’t add up.”

  Lictor has one hand on Mandollel’s shoulder and the other on Rworg’s. “Do you see?” he’s saying.

  I glance at Finna. I remember Lille telling me about Janitors and how they only say what they believe is the best option for them, so long ago.

  Still, I’ve also seen what he is telling the others now: how single-minded the Kertharians are. The lengths Tenorsbridge is willing to go to stop the teleportation attacks. Without the Etherthorn Weave, the Janitors would be basically unstoppable. Tenorsbridge wouldn’t throw that away unless it was the only possible option.

  I remember something. Lictor talking about the losses on both sides.

  He turns to us. “Locke, Finna, we’ll need you as well. I understand this is highly unorthodox and many feel sending children to do something like this can’t be right. But you’re not children. You’re one of the most proficient thieves in Tenorsbridge. You’re the most promising hunter we’ve seen, flexible and able to think outside of the box. We need you.”

  I hesitate. The look he gives me reminds me of the Lictor I met way back in the village… earlier this afternoon. How he cowed Lille. And me too, obviously. Muscles of his face are taut, eyes unwavering, gaze pressing down on me. I’m ready to agree just to get him to stop staring at me.

  “No,” Finna says.

  I turn to Finna, my mouth open. She looks back to me and squints her eyes just slightly. It’s some sort of sign, meant just for me.

  “I know you have your doubts, but I’m willing to negotiate on the price.” Lictor’s tone is level. He turns his gaze to Finna, who leans away from him. I haven’t talked much to her on the earlier Rides, but being that wary of someone doesn’t fit the image I have of her. Her eyes flick at me again for just a heartbeat, imploring.

  I swallow and raise my hand to grab Lictor’s attention. He turns back to me. The look feels like physical pressure.

  “Wait, I’ll make her understand,” I say. “Give us a moment. We’ll talk it out.”

  He takes a moment to consider, his gaze sweeping the four of us. “We’re in a hurry. The window of opportunity is closing. Everything you’ve learned will change if we loiter for too long.”

  I glance at Rworg and Mandollel. Mandollel is looking at Finna and me, smiling in a sad way that makes me feel like I’m a small kid. When Lictor turns away, his face changes, brows furrow tightly. “What?” he mouths at us.

  Lictor glances at him, but the smile has returned on his face and he gives a knowing look at Lictor. Lictor harrumphs, and a smile creeps up on his face too.

  “I guess we can spare a moment. You have to learn to trust and work as a team, after all.” He nudges his head at Mandollel and Rworg and turns to walk to the door. They walk out and I hear a click as the door closes.

  Finna stands up and starts pacing in a tight circle the moment the door closes, her hands gesturing sharply in rhythm with her words. “This doesn’t add up! The fossils are limp and soft and now they’re blowing up a whole country?”

  “Wait? Fossils?”

  “The council! The nobs. Lictor isn’t the only one using the pyramid, but he’s the only one talking to us. And he’s telling a different story to everyone. He wants us to just go and not ask any questions. Why would he do that?”

  “Because we’re in a hurry?”

  “How can we be in a hurry? Think, stupid!”

  I frown and glance to the side. Lictor told me about the limits on using the Ride, but what proof do I have that the limits actually exist? I have had to take a lot of what he has said at face value. Why? Because I’ve been harried, kept off-balance. My frown deepens. I stand up as well, so I don’t have to crane my head to look at her while talking.

  “You can’t just trust powerful people. Nothing gets you killed as fast.”

  It sounds like she knows what she’s talking about. Her dark eyes bore into me from under her tangle of hair. She is sure about what she is saying, but I’m not sure of her yet. “He is just—“

  “He’s talking about killing everyone in Kerthar! Child, woman, everyone! How am I the only one who thinks it’s insane!”

  “But they are trying to kill us—“

  “Says who?”

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  I close my mouth. I’ve seen them fight. I remember the look in the woman’s eyes. The burning farm. I trust Lictor when he says the Kertharians are out for blood. Yet, why is it so? They’ve done something to themselves, he said. Could it be undone? He said they’ve tried everything though. He said. My head’s spinning.

  “We need to get out,” Finna says. Her face is set. “We brain him when he comes in, get out of Tenorsbridge, as far as we can. You can come along if you want, but I’m not going to—“

  “Wait, wait. That’s not…“ Finna looks ready to interrupt me, so I stop talking before she does. This discussion is going to get out of hand soon. I raise a hand between us, signaling her to wait. I breathe for a moment and think.

  I suddenly know how things are going to go and the thought feels like cold water trickling down the back of my neck. Finna watches. I sigh and meet her gaze. “Look. I think we’re going to do it. He’s going to talk us into it. He knows you. He’s put this team together many times already.” I shiver in earnest and swallow. “I think… I’m the wild card here. I’m the last one brought in. He hasn’t had as many chances to try to learn what I’m going to do.”

  There’s a steady, solid rap with knuckles on the door.

  “Cool it!” Finna shouts.

  “Just a moment, please!” I shout.

  I’m not sure if I imagine or hear the sigh through the door, but the knocking stops. I’m also not sure if I believe Finna or if any of this makes any sense at all. There’s too much at stake for us to start throwing wrenches into whatever has been planned.

  Finna shivers. I can see her shake and grimace. “That guy gives me the creeps. It’s not right to know what others are going to do.”

  My eyebrows shoot up. I bite my lip and raise my index finger into the air, thinking furiously. Stakes or plans might not matter. Not here. There’s always a chance to try something new, and another chance. I turn back to Finna. “I need to get on a Ride.”

  She opens and closes her mouth, then nods. “Distraction.” She raises her voice just a bit. “Got it, Peacock? A distraction.”

  I glanced at her, confused. She’s looking at the door. I glance at the door as well, just as there’s another knock.

  Finna takes a breath. “What do you mean?” she shouts. “You bastard!”

  The knocking stops and there’s a click from the lock. I turn to Finna, my eyes wide, as she pushes me on the chest.

  Lictor opens the door. He’s about to say something as I stumble back, arms swinging.

  “You bastards are on a Ride now!” Finna screams.

  My foot catches on something and I spin, trying to keep my balance. Mandollel is standing behind Lictor at the door and his eyes go wide. The sight makes me feel like I’ve been punched in the stomach. Last time got me killed. This time, it would be for real.

  Lictor tries to say something, but Mandollel rushes inside, pushing him into the room as well. He grabs the front of Lictor’s overalls. His eyes are wide, all whites visible. “What are you saying?” he bellows.

  I lose my balance finally and fall down on my hands and knees in front of the door. I see Rworg’s huge legs and hear raised voices from behind me. Lictor is talking behind me. He sounds worried and annoyed and conciliatory at the same time, even if I don’t catch the words. I twist my head to look back and see Mandollel gripping Lictor’s overalls in his fist, nose pushed against Lictor’s face.

  Ah.

  Distraction.

  Lictor is standing on his tiptoes, pulled up by Mandollel’s grip. Finna nudges her head at the door, glaring down at me.

  I glance up at Rworg, who stares at me with a look of total confusion on his tan face.

  “Go,” Finna mouths, her gaze flicking between me and Mandollel holding up Lictor. She rolls her eyes, pushes her lips together at me and breathes out through her nose.

  I push on my hands to slide out of the room. I run so hard my feet skid on the corridor floor as I turn to run back toward the clerk’s room. I glance back to see Rworg watching me with his mouth open. He has his finger raised, pointing at me, but then I guess something happens in the room and he turns to look inside.

  I run.

  “Hey!” Liam shouts.

  I’m already halfway through the room when he does. His heads spins left and right as he looks around.

  “Where’s the… hey!”

  I pass his desk and I’m nearly at the door already.

  “You’re not allowed to—!“

  I burst through the door into the hall. I breathe a sigh of relief as I see it’s empty. The hall is large, and it’s a long run to the pyramid. I have time to wonder why there is no security of any kind. I guess you don’t need security if you know everything that is going to happen beforehand. Unless something completely new happens.

  I reach the pyramid and slap my hand on it without thinking. There’s a flash, a low hum, and nothing happens. Nothing feels different. I flex my fingers for a moment, and consider if I should touch the pyramid again, like Lictor did earlier.

  Someone clears their throat behind me.

  “I wouldn’t advise it, kid,” a voice says. She sounds vaguely familiar.

  I swallow, my hand still hovering above the pyramid.

  “Really. The side effects can be pretty nasty. You’re not great with the artifact.”

  I turn slowly to see the lady Janitor from earlier. She’s wearing the same kind of clothes as Lictor, ornate and practical at the same time. The amulet on her chest has the compass, but it has no needle for some reason. Her golden hair shines nearly silver in the blueish light of the hall.

  I lower my hand. “Um,” I stammer.

  “Come on, stray. Let’s go.” She nudges her head toward the door. “You have until we reach Liam to convince me that you have a good reason to be here.”

  “Um,” I say, but start walking after her. There’s no time to think, so I just tell her. “I’m trying to find out what the mission is that we’re being sent on.”

  “Lictor has briefed you, hasn’t he?” Her strides are so long, taking us to the door way too fast.

  “Yes, but we have doubts!”

  She stops, turns her head to look at me. “Hmm,” she says.

  “We’re being rushed! He tells each of us something different. Some things don’t add up.” I’m just repeating what Finna said, as I’m still not sure what my own opinion is.

  “We try a lot of things. Sometimes the best solution can look very unintuitive to people who only experience things once.” She raises an eyebrow as she speaks.

  The gesture almost makes me forget what she said. Her features are perfectly symmetrical, her hair shinier than any I’ve seen. She doesn’t smell like anything. I fight the urge to push closer to her to catch at least something. The idea is both stupid and almost irresistible. It’s hard enough not to stare and to keep my mouth from hanging open. “We… just want to make sure there isn’t another way.” I say, finally.

  She chuckles and starts walking again.

  “I don’t mean his way wouldn’t work!” We’re practically at the door already. “I’m afraid it would.”

  She stops for a moment. Crinkles the corners of her eyes just a bit.

  I swallow, wait for her to say something.

  “Come on,” she says, pushing open the door to the clerk’s office.