all that you have done.”
Carrow stared at the woman, questions in her eyes.
The woman reached for her hand, squeezing it. “I’ve told you all that I know, dearie. In God’s name, I swear it.”
Carrow nodded. “Do you mind if I try my magic on you? I can read things from people and objects. A bit like a seer.”
“You’re no seer, dearie.” The woman nodded. “But you may try your power on me. I will not stop you.”
Carrow nodded and closed her eyes, her magic flaring. The scent of lavender filled the air, and I inhaled deeply. I loved her scent—would breathe it in every minute of every day if I could.
A few minutes later, Carrow withdrew her hand. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you. This will make a great difference to me.” The woman lifted the bag of money I’d left. It was the least I could to.
But I should warn her. I leaned toward her. “The Devil of Darkvale that you know—I am not that man. If you were to approach him, he would not recognize you.”
Her blue eyes searched my face, and she nodded. “Yes. You do seem quite different. No layer of ice about you, as there usually is.”
“Hardly,” I said.
She smiled. “Well, perhaps the ice is thinner, then. But don’t you worry. I’ve enough now to see me through nicely. I won’t go getting myself into trouble with the other version of you.”
I nodded and set another coin on the table to pay for our meal.
Carrow and I left, moving quickly down the stairs and out of the coffee shop. As we crossed the courtyard, she leaned close. “I’m related to Rasla. I'm sure of it now.”
“As am I.” I looked down at her. “Is that what you saw when you used your power?”
She nodded. “I saw the daughter again, and that woman is right. We’re so alike.”
“Let’s go find her. I know where Rasla lives.” I led us through town, which had become busier since morning. We headed toward Black Church and the neighborhood where Councilor Rasla owned a home. It was one of the larger ones in town, on one of the better streets.
As we turned down the road, I inspected each building. As expected, the doors were shut tight, and there were quite a few people milling about.
“We won’t want to enter via the front,” I said. “There’s no way to stay unseen. But each of these homes contains a walled garden at the back, accessed via an alley.”
“Lead the way,” Carrow said.
I cut through the crowd, pulling my hat down low so that people didn’t notice me. Fortunately, most people on this street were too busy going about their business to pay attention. We reached a quieter side street and cut down the cobblestone lane, reaching the darkened alley at the back. On either side of us, stone walls rose three meters tall, concealing the gardens on either side.
“Why do they have these alleys back here? They’re awful,” Carrow said.
I had to agree. It smelled faintly of sewage, and I pointed to the drains that led to the sewer system below the city. “This is how Guild City dealt with waste. Magic can handle a small amount of it, but a city this size needs the help of engineering that hasn’t been invented yet. So this is the solution. The maids in each house will come back here to dispose of household refuse.”
“That’s quite impressive, considering it’s 1642.”
“It’s far more advanced than the system in human London, and magic is used to keep it flowing at a reasonable rate and stench. Still, it’s disgusting.”
As if to highlight my point, a few rats darted out of the sewer.
“How do you know which garden is his?” Carrow asked.
“If I remember Rasla at all, it will be fairly ostentatious.” I inspected each of the heavy wooden doors as I passed. Finally, I spotted one with a brass crest and pointed to it. “That’s it.”
Carrow looked at it. “It’s just like his seal.”
I nodded, hovering my hand over the door. Magic pricked against my palm. “There’s a charm. Moderate strength.”
“I’m sure I’ve got something for that.” She reached into the bag at her side, rummaging around until she found what she was looking for. A moment later, she held up a glowing blue vial of potion. “This should break the charm.”
She worked quickly, uncorking the vial and pouring the liquid on the iron door handle. Magic sparked and popped, then faded. With a grin, she pushed open the