“Who is the errand girl? The best your bitch queen could send for you, a child in rags?” Tizoc reached for me.

Namtur moved so fast, he blurred. His hand knocked Tizoc’s fingers away. “You dare?”

Turquoise mist boiled out of Tizoc, like two glowing wings. His eyes shone with green.

I had to stop this, or people would die.

I put my hand on Namtur’s shoulder and moved so Tizoc could see my face. He jerked as if shocked with a live wire. Behind him, his bodyguards unsheathed their swords in unison.

“We should go, Great Uncle,” I said softly in the old language. “We aren’t among friends.”

Namtur patted my hand solemnly and turned toward the exit. The guards stepped aside, giving us a lot of room. We walked between them and kept going, through the Casino, out the doors, across the plaza. Two vampires covered in lime green sunblock discreetly followed us. I turned and looked at them to make sure the navigator knew they had been seen.

“Great Uncle,” I murmured. “How could you ruin it? You were supposed to not know me.”

He harrumphed. “Filthy dog. His hands are unworthy. If he’d sullied you with his bloodstained fingers, I’d have cut them off.”

Bloodstained? Pot, kettle. “Thank you for caring, Great Uncle. What were you doing in the Casino?”

“I’ve heard that the thin man is looking to make an alliance. I wanted to know to whom he was offering his pitiful wares.”

He’d made Ghastek sound like some peddler on the street.

“And now we know,” Namtur said.

“Did he mention why he wanted an alliance?”

“No, but he asked many questions about the Kingdom.”

Interesting.

We reached the side lot where I’d left Tulip and Lady, the horse I’d rented this morning. The vampires halted at the curb.

Namtur spun around and waved at them. “Shoo! Go home, you unnatural creatures!”

The vampires remained where they were. “We will escort you to the chapter.”

“That won’t be necessary,” I told them. “Mr. Sakkan is in the Order’s custody. I will consider any further interference from the Institute as a sign of aggression. This is your official warning.”

The vampires froze as the two navigators piloting them waited for orders. A moment passed. The undead turned and loped back toward the Casino in their odd, disjointed gait.

Namtur jumped and landed in Lady’s saddle. The hired horse startled. “Are we going home now?”

“No, Great Uncle. We’re going to the Order of Merciful Aid.”

Namtur nodded. “I see. And why would we do that?”

“Two reasons. First, your former host will have us followed. I’m posing as a knight, so I’ll need to take you where the knights are.”

“And the second?”

“I have to convince a paranoid man prone to spree-killing and snap judgements that someone isn’t a threat.”

“He’s right to be paranoid. This is a city of fools, incompetents, and madmen. I haven’t felt this young in centuries.”

“And if things don’t go well, you’ll probably get to kill a great many of them.”

“You and your enticing promises. It’s been eight months since I wet my blades. I will kill something before my respite ends.”

Not if I could help it.

*

Stella pondered Namtur’s face. “I don’t see the resemblance.”

“‘Great Uncle’ is an honorary title.” Explaining that he was my near-immortal grandmother’s sworn blood brother would only complicate things.

Namtur gave Stella his best smile. His eyes crinkled into tiny slits and he looked as sweet as could be. “I won’t be any trouble.”

Stella got up. “Please sit down. Would you like some tea?”

Namtur smiled even wider and took his time to waddle to the seat and gingerly lower himself into it. “Oh no, no. You’re very busy, and I don’t want to be a bother.”

I really wanted to clap in appreciation of his fine performance, but that would ruin things.

“It’s no trouble; I was going to make a cup for myself anyway.”

She reached into her desk and took out a small flag made out of a rag tied to a chopstick and a tiny pitcher. She thrust the flag at me.

I took it. “What’s this?”

“That’s your war banner. He has been in his office with his butt glued to his chair since this morning. He canceled all his meetings. Nobody can go in. He’s waiting for you. Wave your banner.”

I waved the banner. “Why?”

Stella picked up the small pitcher. “I’m going to sprinkle milk on it like the Mongols did before battle. That’s all I can do to help.”

“That’s so nice,” Namtur said. “You’re such a thoughtful friend.”

I held the war banner out, and Stella sprinkled some milk on it. Then I turned around and marched to Nick Feldman’s office.

I knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

I entered and shut the door behind me.

Nick Feldman looked like a human thundercloud.

I walked to his desk and sat in the chair.

He picked up a small glass tube from his desk. White powder floated inside it. Nick snapped it in half and tossed the powder on the floor. Orange lines ignited in the floorboards, forming a complex spell, and vanished. He’d sealed the room.