veil of her hair closing around her face. The Durns had killed two of Ruli’s uncles and sunk a good number of her father’s trading boats. She’d had no news of her family for months.
‘I’m sure she made the Durns regret crossing the sea.’ Kettle had been on the Marn coast weeks ago and some of her experience had haunted Nona’s dreams along their thread-bond. Nona doubted that the Durn commanders had suffered. Kettle was clinical in her kills. But it seemed that Ruli needed to hear something more satisfying.
Ruli nodded and sniffed.
‘Anyway, if Kettle is back that makes it the perfect time to get what I need from Apple’s stores.’ Nona kicked off her covers.
Ruli’s eyes widened on discovering the patient fully dressed. ‘Perfect? The Poisoner has eyes in the back of her head as it is. If Kettle’s there it will just be harder still. You don’t—’ Ruli stood as Nona swung both booted feet over the edge of the bed. ‘Get back in there!’
‘Yes, the perfect time. I’ve been wanting Kettle back!’ Abbess Wheel had been sending Kettle away at every opportunity, and war on two fronts provided plenty of opportunities. The fact was though that she would have sent her on nearly as many missions during peacetime. The old woman had never approved of Apple and Kettle’s relationship but even as abbess she couldn’t forbid it. The Church rules on celibacy within the sisterhood concerned only relations that might add branches to the tree of the Ancestor. Denial of such opportunity was considered a sufficient marriage sacrifice for the Brides of the Ancestor to make. ‘It’s been ages since Kettle was here. And who better to keep Sister Apple occupied?’
‘Well.’ Ruli hid a grin behind her hand. ‘You do have a point. They are very loud.’ She blushed. ‘At least that’s what they say. From what I’ve heard, if you pick your time you could batter down the stores’ door with a sledgehammer and neither of them would hear you. In fact, they’d drown you out.’
‘Ruli!’ Nona shook her head. ‘It’s settled then. We’ve got Sister Pan’s book to return to the vault. Jula’s made the order, complete with the abbess’s seal—’
‘Which you need to get back without Wheel noticing.’
‘Markus is ready to help compel any officials or guards who doubt us. And all I need now are Apple’s magic drops so that if there’s an investigation the only thing the guards have to say isn’t: “Well, I can’t remember much about them but I do recall the girl had completely black eyes …”.’
‘They’re not magic drops.’
‘Everything’s magic, Ruli. If you’d seen the thread-scape you’d know that. Everything’s magic, or nothing is.’ Nona slipped from the bed, sliding beneath her friend’s reaching arms to rise between them, smiling. ‘I’m fine. And I should do this while everyone thinks I’m still in bed.’
Ruli stepped back, exasperated. ‘How will you even get in? The main gate and the stores’ door both have sigil-locks now.’
‘I’ll find a way.’ Nona went to the window. ‘See if you can’t put a few me-shaped lumps in that bed in case anyone looks in to check.’ With that she slipped into the sheltered garden and clambered up Sister Rose’s prize cherry tree to reach the roof.
Despite her brave words Nona was shocked by how weak her arms were once called on to do any real work. Her calf muscle burned where the wire had cut it. She gritted her teeth and edged towards the roof ridge to survey her path.
Sigil locks were a problem. Abbess Glass had approved the expense after Hessa’s death in the undercaves and the Poisoner’s discovery of theft from her stores. Nona had branded herself as the thief by darkening her eyes with a self-brewed dose of the black cure, but the fact that a day before taking the cure Nona had saved Kettle’s life had meant that a better lock was the only action taken.
As tempting as it was to cross the convent Noi-Guin style from rooftop to rooftop the best practice, taught by Sister Apple herself, was far less flamboyant. Nona left the sanatorium by the door once an opportunity arose to do so unobserved. Under her habit she carried a lantern from the sanatorium, now lit and trimmed to its lowest. Already it was uncomfortably hot.
She walked to the edge of the Rock, head down, staring at a section of parchment as if memorizing it for an exam. She came to Blade Hall and waited for