Chapter 9: Chapter 7

I climbed the ladder after Hope, grateful that I was dressed in a simple riding frock less cumbersome than my usual pannier. The door fell shut over my head as I descended, and it became so dark that when my boots hit the ground it was unexpected. I managed to keep myself from stumbling, and Hope took my hand to help me along.

“It will take some time for the light to appear,” he said. “There!”

In an instant, the hallway flooded with white light.

I looked around, but there was no torch or lantern. Even the best lamp could never cast a light so pure, I thought. Straight above my head, I could see a line of baubles dangling from the ceiling, and they shone so brightly that they hurt my eyes to look at directly.

“Oh, Hope! How…”

“This tunnel was built by the demons centuries ago,” Hope said. “The lights are fueled by their power.”

“Does- does that mean that the demons are here?”

“No- their power flows from a portal on the other side of the hill, and the demons themselves stay in their realm. Don’t be afraid. Even if the demons did appear, they would not hurt you while you are under my protection.”

I nodded, but I did not let go of Hope’s hand as we made our way down the tunnel.

“I must be going mad- or else the world has gone mad,” I said. “I never would have imagined that I could fall so far in just a few days.”

“You haven’t fallen as far as you imagine,” Hope said. “You have agreed to keep my secrets, and you have chosen to hear my case, but your hands are clean. You are still free from sin. I, on the other hand…”

Hope fell silent.

The lights flickered then, and I screamed.

“Don’t be afraid,” Hope repeated. “They sometimes flicker, but they never go out- not until I’m done with them.”

“I wasn’t afraid of the darkness.”

“Grace, even if a demon decided to break the covenant I’ve formed with them by attacking you, there’s nothing they could do. You are impervious to their arts.”

“You mean, just as I am immune to your magic?”

“It’s the same magic- my powers come from the demons,” Hope said. “Not only are you impervious to every power my coven possesses, but you were able to keep my curse at bay just by holding my hand. Your presence banished my nightmares for an entire night.

“After I told the others what had happened, Lady Willoughby- yes, she’s in the coven too- decided to test her own curse. You see, her curse is an inability to tell a falsehood.”

“So that’s why she was so bothersome the day of the star-party,” I said. “She was with me almost constantly, telling me the most ridiculous stories.”

“Yes- such as the angels drawing lines on the sky with pencil; I remember!” Hope laughed so loudly that it echoed through the tunnel.

“I fail to see how the inability to lie is a curse, though. To lie is a sin.”

“Spend some time at court, and you will understand.”

“Do you believe I could help the others?”

“You might grant us a reprieve from our curses.”

Hope slowed, and I looked ahead to see a large, silver door. He touched it, and the door slid open.

“Here we are. I know I needn’t remind you that everything you see here must remain a secret.”

“Yes- my life depends on it.”

Hope graced me with a small, sad smile, and then led me inside.

It was a small, clean room, all white and silver, but with few architectural embellishments or decorations. There was a screen on the far wall where colored patterns of light danced as though drawn by an invisible painter.

“Oh! How beautiful!” I said, walking toward the screen.

“Don’t touch it, please,” Hope said. “It’s a magic mirror that we use to contact the demons in their realm. It can also be used to transmit information, letters, do calculations- all manner of miraculous things. However, your power might damage its magic.”

I clasped my hands behind my back.

Hope walked to the other side of the room and opened a silver chest, which had a sigil embossed on the lid- the same sigil Hope had drawn on our contract the night before.

“Here it is. This is my family’s writ of condemnation- you will note the High Priest’s seal at the bottom. We’ve been examining it for possible loopholes.”

Hope handed it to me, his lips pressed together in an anxious grimace.

I read the document while Hope watched. The writ confirmed Hope’s story, and the High Priests’s seal appeared just under the signature of High Priest Domitian I. The parchment, however, seemed new, and the ink was fresh.

“This can’t have been written centuries ago.”

“Then it must be a fake,” Hope said. “Tear it up, crumple it- try to destroy it however you can.”

I looked up at Hope, but he maintained his serious expression, and even nodded encouragingly, so I made my attempt.

I tore at the parchment, but it held together fast. I crumpled the parchment, but it unrolled as smooth and perfect as ever. I was almost frustrated enough to use my teeth, when Hope laughed.

“I suppose I was overly optimistic to think it might burst into flames as soon as you touched it. This is the power of the High Priest’s seal. The writ will remain binding forever- it will never fade, it cannot be destroyed, and despite centuries of effort, my family has found no way to break its power.”

“And you’d hoped that I would be able to?”

Hope shrugged. “You’re able to resist magic, so I thought it would be worth a try. I suppose what you said yesterday was true enough, however. You are still just flesh and blood.”

Hope took the writ back from me, and placed it into the chest. Then he led me out of the room, and back through the tunnel. As soon as we were through, and I stepped onto the ladder to ascend into the cottage, the tunnel went black behind us.

#

“There!” Lady Willoughby said as she cut the last starflower. “There are enough blossoms to cover the table twice over.”

I placed the flower in my basket and stood straight, stretching my back and surveying the disaster we’d made of the greenhouse. There wasn’t a single starflower or dew-rose left on the bush; each one had been sacrificed for tonight’s ball, and only bare branches and disheartened leaves remained.

Lady Willoughby had been unrelentingly particular about every detail of the ball, and I’d learned how much work is required for a girl to “come out.”

Rowan Heights has a stately ballroom, and at first I thought all that would be necessary to do would be to engage the musicians, send the invitations, and light the lanterns.

When I mentioned this to Lady Willoughby, she’d laughed such a shrill laugh that our tea-tray had rattled. Then she’d shoved her teacup aside, placed paper and pen on the table, and our planning began in earnest.

The invitations were a delicate matter in themselves. Lady Willoughby had explained that we must invite all of the best families in the neighborhood as well as a few more distant but intimate friends. If anyone were to be forgotten, it would be a terrible slight, and they might be less friendly to Lord Frey in the future. In addition, it was necessary to make certain that we had an exact number of couples for the dance floor. If there were too many gentlemen included, then some young ladies might feel neglected, and if there were too few ladies, the gentlemen might become restless. Everyone who was inclined to dance must have a likely partner, and Lady Willoughby knew from memory everyone who was inclined to dance.

For the guests who did not dance, card tables must be set up- not too near nor too far from the dance floor. The card-players must not disturb the dancers, and yet the card-players would need to see to dance floor to fuel interesting gossip. Chairs must also be set up near the dance floor for resting dancers.

The ballroom itself was ornately designed, with gilt mirrors on the walls, frescoes on the ceiling, and two gigantic crystal chandeliers. All this had to be cleaned, polished, and garlanded with dew-roses before the chairs and tables were even arranged.

Even after all of this, Lady Willoughby had been shocked at the idea of not including dinner. The best meats and jellies were ordered, gallons of white soup prepared, and the table was set with the finest china. Now the star-flowers and the last of the roses stood ready to join the china.

“The seating-cards are already arranged, so all that’s left is your dress,” Lady Willoughby said, taking off her apron and handing the first basket to Chastity.

I turned to Chastity. “Do you need help with the centerpieces?”

Before Chastity could answer, Lady Willoughby laughed. “Didn’t you know? Chastity is quite an artist- her flower arrangements are famous throughout the hill country. You’d only get in her way.”

“Here,” Chastity said, thrusting one of the baskets into my hands. “You may pin these to your dress, My Lady, and… thank you.”

Chastity’s expression was as difficult to read as ever, but I thought I detected some double meaning.

I nodded, thanked her for the flowers, and Lady Willoughby and I returned to my rooms.

#

“You shall wear the blue satin,” Lady Willoughby said decidedly, spreading the dress out on the chaise to examine.

“Do you think so? I think the gold brocade is much finer.”

Lady Willoughby shook her head decidedly, her tight curls bouncing in agreement. “Oh, no- you must consider how heavy the brocade is. The satin will move much more elegantly when you dance.”

I did not bring up Lady Willoughby’s promise that I would choose my own dress, and she seemed too wrapped up in her plans to listen. Instead, I let her slip the satin over my head and do the lacings. Then she examined my dressing table.

“You have hardly anything in the way of cosmetics, but never mind. It wouldn’t do to cover up your natural bloom. I will dress your hair simply, as well.”

She opened a few drawers, and then turned to me with a frown.

“Where do you keep your jewelry box? Is it locked in a safe, or in your bedroom?”

“I haven’t any jewelry at all. “

Lady Willoughby’s moppet eyes went wider than usual, and she turned to look over my dressing room, which was full of sumptuous gowns, once more.

“Surely you have something- a trifle that belonged to your mother, perhaps?”

“No- I don’t have anything that belonged to Mother.”

“Oh, my darling,” Lady Willoughby said. “I am sorry. Please forgive my careless words.”

“It’s alright, Lady Willoughby- really,” I said. “I never knew her, so it’s not as painful as it might have been.”

Lady Willoughby patted my hand, and then led me to the dressing table without another word.

She turned up my hair, artfully arranged star flowers in the stray curls around my face, and then painted my lips with the barest hint of rouge. As she worked, I let my mind wander.

It had never seemed strange to me that I had none of my mother’s things. My father rarely gave presents- even on Chaosmas eve- and he never spoke about my mother. He had taken pains to engage refined governesses for me, and had given them enough money to dress me well, but I’d never been given any jewels- not even the holy symbol of Order.

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Hope had told me, shortly after my marriage, that my dowery had been substantial- enough to grant me an affluent independence- but my father had never mentioned that I was entitled to any money until just before my wedding.

Perhaps, I thought, I was growing more paranoid under Hope’s roof. Even so, it seemed as though my father were trying to maintain my station in life while actively keeping wealth out of my control. Given what I knew of my father’s manipulations, I could not dismiss the theory lightly.

Lady Willoughby was just putting the finishing touches on my dress when there was a knock on the door.

“Come in, Mercy. You can put Lady Frey’s dance card on the table,” Lady Willoughby said absently.

The door opened, and Hope entered.

“Go away! You aren’t wanted, here,” Lady Willoughby said, shooing Hope back toward the door. Then she caught Hope looking in my direction, and she placed her hands over his eyes.

“You mustn’t see Lady Frey until she enters the ballroom, or the effect will be lost.”

“It’s alright,” I said quickly. “I’m nervous enough as it is. I don’t want there to be a fuss about my entrance.”

“I’m afraid that can’t be helped,” Hope said, deftly stepping around Lady Willoughby and then bowing toward me. “You are so lovely tonight that as soon as you enter the ballroom, it will be alive with admiration.”

I could feel my face go hot, and I was about to protest, but Hope put his finger to my lips.

“It’s no good to protest,” he said. “I must, and shall, exercise all of my courtly manners, both in the ballroom and…”

Hope’s voice trailed off, and he looked at Lady Willoughby.

“I suppose you want me to leave you alone?”

“If you would be so kind-”

She sighed, and then threw up her hands. “You’ve already seen her. Mind that her hair and dress don’t become spoiled before she makes her entrance.”

Hope bowed to her, and she left the room in a huff.

When we were alone, he lowered his voice.

“One of our early guests, a Viscount from the lowlands, came here directly from the palace at St. Blanc with a message from Prince Hadrian. The Prince is overjoyed at the news of our marriage, and wishes for you to be presented at court.”

With those words, the little bundle of nerves that had sat in my stomach all afternoon seemed to explode.

“This is a high honor,” Hope said. “However, I see the danger as clearly as you. The timing of the Prince’s invitation is auspicious. We must be careful to hide our true faces, and play the courtly game.”

I had to swallow twice to make my throat able to speak. “What about Celeste? She cannot go with us.”

“No, she cannot. Fortunately, the negotiations with Sancti are stalled- the new High Priest has not yet arrived at court.” Hope smiled considerably at this. “Therefore, Captain Goode may stay at Rowan Heights to protect her.”

“How long will we stay?”

“It’s impossible to escape the palace before you’ve stayed a month or two,” Hope said. “There are always people you must be presented to, balls you must attend, and lovers you must disappoint. If everything goes to plan, we can return by the equinox.”

I stood and began to pace the room, trying to shake the tremors from my arms and legs. “Hope- how bad is our situation? Can we convince the Prince of our innocence? Can I play my part?”

Hope laughed. “Of course- it will be easy. We’ve already won, Grace. The new High Priest has been elected at last, and he’s one of us. The Prince doesn’t suspect him in the least. All we have to deal with is your father, who is losing favor with the Prince.”

I spun around and stared at Hope. “The new High Priest- he is a witch?”

Hope nodded. “Yes- Monsignor Pius and my brother are meeting us at the monastery, and then we will all go to court together. Once Monsignor Pius is coronated, he will be able to sway the Prince to reconcile with his mother, the Queen of Sancti. Our nations will be reunited, and then we will enjoy the same freedoms the citizens of Sancti enjoy.

“But,” Hope cautioned, “you must hold your head high, and show that you are not afraid. There are many who would misinterpret shyness as reserve, and awkwardness as clumsy deceit. I believe in you. You aren’t the same woman you were in your father’s house- you’ve blossomed, here.”

I nodded and took a deep breath, steadying my nerves and trying to feel the truth of Hope’s words.

He took a velvet box from his frock coat and presented it to me. I opened the box, and inside was a circle of diamonds and sapphires, clustered like constellations and draped together with bits of silver chain.

“This is just a token of my appreciation,” he said. “Grace, you’ve treated my child as though she were your own, you’ve sworn to keep my secrets, and you’ve listened to me without judgement. Thank you.”

I could not speak to thank him for his kindness. I sat silently and allowed Hope to clasp the necklace around my neck.

Then Hope stood back to look over my dress, and frowned. “Why, Grace- you cannot enter the ballroom with tears in your eyes.”

And then, without knowing why I did it, I threw my arms around Hope’s neck.

#

As I danced the entree grave and then the allemande at Hope’s side, I remembered the dream I had about the wandering stars dancing through the night sky. Hope and I orbited like the satellites of Tigris, and made figures with the other dancers through endless constellations of twinkling lights. The music that provided our meter seemed almost celestial. I spun, I laughed, and my feet leapt from the earth up toward the heavens.

Afterward I danced with Captain Goode, Lord Willoughby, and one or two other men who were introduced to me by Hope. Later, when I was presented to other friends and acquaintances, I was too flushed and happy to feel any shyness. I tried to memorize the faces of those who spoke most familiarly with Hope, and thanked each guest for coming with all of my heart.

“My dear,” Mrs. Aubert said to me as she passed. “I was watching you dance and I must say, I’ve never seen little feet so lively! You and Lord Frey move together most elegantly. I lost three hands to Lord Musgrove, I was so distracted!”

“I hope you are able to recover your losses by the end of the night,” I said, “but I thank you for the compliment.”

“I dare say I will recover – I always lose a few hands on purpose so no one will accuse me of cheating,” Mrs. Aubert said with a wink. “Ah! Here is my niece, Miss Charity Milton. Charity! Come meet Lady Frey.”

After a while, dancing and greeting guests began to pass into a blur, so I stepped out onto the verandah to escape the crowd and clear my head. Unfortunately, this turned out not to be a novel idea, and I found myself stepping away from one crowd and into the midst of another. A few couples, in an apparent attempt at privacy, had even stationed themselves in awkward alcoves behind columns and potted plants, with their petticoats and feathers jutting out at odd angles.

I was about to turn back toward the ballroom when I felt someone take my hand, and a piece of paper was pressed into my palm.

I spun around, but the crowd seemed thicker around me. I thought I saw someone with gold hair pass through the crowd to the other side of the verandah, but I soon lost sight of them.

“Grace, there you are,” Hope called from the ballroom. “Come with me- we can make our escape this way.”

He took my other hand and led me across the ballroom, through the side door, and out into the garden.

A cool breeze hit my hot skin, reviving me almost instantly, and as Hope gazed up at the stars, I took the opportunity to slip the mysterious paper into my glove.

Hope continued to gaze upward as he recited:

How small we are in heaven’s court!

When we gaze from below,

Yet minds conceive its majesty,

In thought, our spirits grow.

“Lord Aston,” I said, “from his work, On Morality. Do you agree with him?”

“I agree with Lord Aston’s assertion that man can judge morality for himself,” Hope said. “I don’t need anyone to tell me that the church’s actions are cruel. And you?”

“I don’t know. Lord Aston stated that minds conceive the heavens’ majesty, but…”

I stopped and turned to the east, where Tigris was rising.

“Yes?”

“When I looked at the heavens more closely, I found mysteries that even Sir Boromir never attempted to solve. If I could get an even closer look, who knows how many more I would uncover. No one can conceive everything, I think. Morality must be the same- we must always strive to do better.”

“Another hopeless statement,” Hope chided.

“Oh no- I think it’s wonderful. I want to explore as much of the heavens and earth as I can- to unlock more mysteries than I can solve. When I think about it I want to live with such a passion that one lifetime is simply not enough.”

I turned to look at Hope, who was gazing at me with a strange expression.

“Do you not-”

Before I could finish my sentence, Hope pressed his lips against mine in a gentle kiss.

I put my hand to my lips after we parted; they still seemed to burn with his touch.

“Don’t look so shocked,” Hope said. “You are my wife, after all. You are so lovely tonight, and your eyes are glittering with so much life, that I felt you should be kissed.”

Just then the gong rang for dinner, and Hope offered me his arm back to the house.

#

I could not concentrate on the elaborate meal, nor could I offer anything in the way of conversation to my friends and guests at dinner. I gazed blankly about me, overwhelmed by the sound of chatter, the tinkling of crystal, the scents and the glitter all around me. I needed to think about Hope’s kiss, about our upcoming journey, and about Celeste’s care, but I could not. I could barely keep my eyes open.

My vision blurred a little in the candle-lit room. Lord Willoughby was waving a wine goblet back and forth in time to the music from the gallery, but I couldn’t properly see its outline. All I saw was the reflection of candlelight on its surface growing larger as he moved the goblet behind the candle, and smaller as he moved it to the side, where the candle only illuminated the right side of the goblet’s face, leaving the rest in shadow.

The music continued, and so the goblet continued to sway- growing and diminishing- growing and diminishing…

I stood abruptly.

“Grace? Are you well?” Hope asked.

“Yes, quite well, but please excuse me for just a moment.” I nodded to my other guests, thanked Lady Willoughby, and then made my way out of the dining hall and up the stairs, running as quickly as I could toward my study and my observation book.

I knew, even before I opened the book, that I had solved Lystra’s riddle.

#

I didn’t notice the sun rising, nor did I remember extinguishing my desk lamp, but when Hope knocked on my study door, I found that I was seated at the low table by the window, my pencil scratching at rose-tinted paper as I continued my work.

“Come in,” I said absently.

The door creaked open, and Hope entered.

“When you didn’t appear at breakfast, I’d thought that you were sleeping late, but Mercy told me you didn’t go to bed last night.”

“I’m sorry to worry you. I’ve been working.” I stopped writing, reviewed the last few calculations, corrected an error, and continued.

“All night? You are still wearing last night’s gown.”

I finished and leaned back, stretching my tight shoulders. “There! There’s still much to do, but the framework is complete.”

“What have you been working on so diligently?” Hope asked.

I looked up into his innocently puzzled face and almost laughed. It seemed to me as though everyone should already sense the revolution that had taken place- that we weren’t living in the same universe where we’d lived the night before. Unfortunately, Hope didn’t seem to feel it, yet.

I stood and gestured for Hope to take my place, putting my notes before him. “The idea came to me last night, and I had to put it to paper while it was still fresh.”

Hope leaned over the paper, “this is…”

“What do you think?” I interrupted, feeling like an impatient child. “It seems too radical to be true, I know, but if you go over my calculations, you will find that everything fits.”

“…this is complete gibberish, Grace. What do these symbols mean?”

“Those are degrees of arc- oh, never mind. Look!” I took the large parchment containing my diagram, and placed it in front of the calculations. “This is the Sun, and this is Lystra, Miriam, Tigris, and… here, between Miriam and Tigris is our earth.”

“Why did you place the earth here, instead of the center?” Hope asked.

“Because it isn’t in the center. Don’t you see? The wandering stars don’t go around our world. The wandering stars, as well as our world, orbit the sun. We used to think the wandering stars were suspended on little gears called epicycles, which caused them to loop backward. But when the wanderers loop backward in the sky, it only appears so because of the way our orbits pass.”

Hope looked up, an astonished expression on his face.

“Tigris, Miriam, and Lystra are other worlds, just like ours. You see- the little stars we found around Tigris are its moons.”

“How did you discover this?”

“My biggest clue was Lystra. Lystra reflects the sun’s light, so when she’s between us and the sun, her near side falls into shadow.”

“I see- this is why Lystra has been diminishing.”

“Exactly. Lystra is going through phases, like the red moon.”

Hope laughed, tossing his dark hair out of his eyes. Then he stood and picked me up, spinning me around.

“Grace, you mad, wonderful girl! You’ve thrown the order of the universe on its head. The church will crumble away into nothing when we’ve done with it.”

“I didn’t do anything to the order of the universe; this is how things have always been. We’ve just never seen it before. Besides, this model is simpler than the previous. It’s humbling. We’ve lost our place of privilege among the stars.”

“You must publish. There is a press at the monastery. Will your writings be complete by next week?”

“Oh no- certainly not! I’ll try to arrange what I have here, and I’ll add the other wanderers to my model. It will take me some time to go through all of Boromir’s observations, though. My first model will be based on guesswork.”

“They are better than guesses. You already seem to have a good deal of evidence,” Hope said.

I nodded and went to the window. “I must present enough evidence to convince others without including my telescopic observations. I’ll be able to sway more people if I don’t admit to heresy. There won’t be much time between packing and engaging a governess for Celeste- what in the world is happening?”

Outside, I spied a scene strange enough to distract me from my discovery. On a grassy lawn near the shrubbery, Mercy and Chastity were circling each other, their swift steps kicking the glittering dew into the morning sun.

They were wearing long, loose bloomers, and each one was holding a quarterstaff. Mercy suddenly advanced toward Chastity, attacking with a flurry of blows that Chastity dodged with grace. Then, with a speed so great that I saw little more than blur, Chastity darted forward and struck Mercy with a series of blows. Mercy fell onto the grass.

“We must call for a doctor,” I gasped.

“Why?” Hope asked in a languid voice, coming to stand beside me at the window. “Mercy is quite alright.”

“But-”

Even as I began to protest, Chastity stepped forward and offered Mercy a hand. Mercy waved Chastity’s help away and sprang to her own feet. Then Mercy nodded, and the two began to fight once more.

“You see? Mercy is well. The two often spar before the sun rises, though I suppose they’ve gone late this morning. Only one of them may accompany us to St Blanc, so Chastity will stay to guard Rowan Heights. I think she wished to test Mercy’s strength before we take Mercy away with us.”

“I must congratulate you on your choice of guards,” I said. “I never suspected that Mercy had such strength hidden away, until she had pinned me to the rug.”

“Yes- that’s one of the reasons Mercy is coming with us. She’s a much better actress than Chastity, which will be useful at court. In addition, Chastity is far stronger, so I need her to guard my home and daughter.”

“Have you any ideas for a trustworthy governess?” I asked.

“I have a few, but I worry that I won’t be able to engage them on such short notice. Have you any ideas?”

“Just one. This morning, after I’ve called on Lady Willoughby to thank her, I will see Mr. Filius and ask him to tutor Celeste.”

Hope’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“You trust Mr. Filius a great deal more than I. He has no love for the church, I grant you, but he has many secrets of his own. I would advise caution.”

I danced a little away from Hope and then spun to face him once more, delighting in the bemused expression on his regal face. “Oh! But this morning the world has turned upside-down. The earth orbits the sun, maids fight with greater skill than soldiers, and I trust Mr. Filius not because of his candor, but because of his secrets.”

#

I left Hope in my study and went to my rooms to change out of my ballgown. As I was putting my silk gloves away, a slip of paper fluttered from the gloves and onto the floor.

I cursed myself for forgetting. The night before, there had been a golden-haired woman who’d slipped the paper into my hand before disappearing into the crowd. My scientific discovery had put the incident out of my head. No- actually- if I were to be honest, Hope’s kiss had first put the incident out of my head.

I stooped to pick up the paper, steadfastly ignoring the butterflies that fluttered into my stomach when I thought of the kiss.

Demons kill and angels lie,

Only trust in your own eye.

“My own eye,” I whispered as I read and re-read the message. The word eye triggered something in my mind- Mr Filius? The oculist guild? Mr. Filius had given me a card with the picture of an eye, and had promised that he would tell me a secret when I solved Lystra’s riddle. Now that I had solved it, it seemed imperative that I meet him.

The note sender seemed to know many secrets, whether it had been Mr. Filius or not. They were warning me about danger from the coven- Demons kill– yet they did not seem loyal to the church, either. They didn’t implore me to trust the note-sender, merely to rely on myself.

It seemed like good advice, I thought, regardless of the note-sender’s intentions. I decided that it was best to continue observing the game around me, and remain cautious. Thankfully, though I had promised to keep Hope’s secrets, I had promised no action.

I took a deep breath, put on my riding cloak, and opened the door. Now was the time to make use of the liberty I’d purchased at the cost of my soul.