a rusty fork. You have no room to talk about playing nice.”
Ian launched into a fit of coughing that sounded suspiciously like muffled laughter.
“That was different,” I said. I pointed at Marcus and mouthed, I’ll still do it, too. His eyes crinkled at the corners as if he, too, was suppressing a smile.
So much for all of my supposed power. Not that I thought the threat was needed any longer. It was clear that Marcus Loch was ridiculously in love with my sister, and she with him.
Envy nipped at my heart. I acknowledged the emotion, then set it aside. I did want what she had, but I’d never begrudge Ada her happiness. She deserved every happiness in the world.
Ian finally got his “coughing” under control and asked, “Why don’t we break in after hours? No one will know we’re looking for Ferdinand and you don’t have to betray your location to Riccardo.”
“Does anyone know how good their security is? I might be able to override their surveillance system given a few hours, but it’s not without risk.”
“Ada and I will check it out while you two rest,” Loch said. I started to protest, but he cut me off. “You’re dead on your feet. Resting for a few hours will do far more for Ferdinand than if you keep going and make a stupid mistake because you’re tired.”
He was right, of course, but I hated to admit it. Ada grinned at my grumbling, but her eyes were serious. “You left me out before. This is something I can do without any unnecessary risk. Let me help,” she said, her voice pleading. “He’s my brother, too.”
I closed my eyes against the tears and nodded. While I’d always see her as my baby sister, Ada was fully capable of assessing a building’s security without my help. And with Loch glued to her side, she wouldn’t be in any danger.
“Riccardo said the kidnapping contract was anonymous, which I believe,” I said, “but he thought it came from someone high in the Consortium. Can you think of anyone in particular who would benefit from Ferdinand’s disappearance?”
Ada thought about it for a minute, then shook her head. “No. It might weaken our House slightly, but Hannah would just step up and no one has gone after her.”
I bit my tongue. Hannah had asked me not to share the fact that she wouldn’t be replacing Ferdinand. Instead, I said, “Catarina is looking into a potential leak in the House. Perhaps they are related and it’s just someone with a grudge.”
Ian glanced sharply at me. “How do you know about the leak?”
“Someone tipped off a photographer about Ferdinand’s schedule on the day he was taken. How do you know about the leak?”
“It’s my job,” Ian said. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “We’ve been tracking down a high-level leak for months, but whoever it is, he or she is being very, very careful.”
“So we find the leaker, figure out who they leaked to, and find the culprit?” Ada asked.
I didn’t think it would be as easy as that, especially if Ian hadn’t already plugged the leak, but I nodded anyway. I’d update Catarina with the new information and see if she could make any more progress.
As we edged into the heart of Sedition, wireless signals flew fast and furious. Breathing helped, but not enough. I gritted my teeth and tried mentally pulling back, but it was like trying to escape a whirlpool in a rowboat. By the time the transport landed behind an impressive four-story stone house situated on a lot with a yard, my dinner was nearly ready to make another appearance.
The tiny portion of my brain not occupied with keeping the contents of my stomach where they belonged tried to calculate the vast amount of money each house represented. Every centimeter of Sedition was precious. Towers soared all around, but this street had seemingly been untouched by the ever-expanding climb upward.
Ian helped me from the transport, then lightly clasped my arm and let Ada and Loch precede us. “Are you okay?” he murmured into my ear.
I glanced up at him in surprise—he’d noticed something was wrong. I gave him an honest answer. “My stomach is upset.”
“Can I do anything?”
Warmth bloomed, but I shook my head. Getting in a silencer would help more than anything else.
“Let me know if that changes,” he said.
I inclined my head in agreement and he escorted me into the House.
Inside, the signal noise dropped a little, held back by the