to bring Kalai to see Doctor Erica, but with this much tension in the air, he didn’t want Falka to find out they were working to wean Kalai off the drug. Tauran no longer knew where he had Falka, or what the general might do. All he knew was that he’d already killed one archivist. Tauran thought about the day he first told Falka about Kalai’s condition. How quick Falka had been to seize the opportunity. To do what, exactly? Trap Kalai in his service? But that was absurd. Kalai had been more than willing to cooperate from the start.
Kalai said, “Actually, I’m not sure I feel up for an outing today. Maybe tomorrow? I got a lot of work to do.”
“Sure.” Tauran followed Kalai back inside, the guards trailing close behind.
Tauran lingered in the main room, hands in his pockets. He didn’t want to say a single honest word in the presence of the guards. “Well.” His voice seemed loud in the loaded silence. “I’m sure Leyra will appreciate a bit of extra attention. I’ll talk to you, soon.”
“Sure,” Kalai said. He’d drifted back to his work, flipping through documents with a focused expression, but Tauran could tell he wasn’t really paying attention to the texts. Not that the guards would know. Good man, Tauran thought. Don’t give them any excuses.
Before Tauran could reach the door again, there was a knock. The guard opened it. To Tauran’s surprise, it was Catria. She cast brief glances at the guards before spotting Tauran. Her smile was a little stiff, but genuine. “Tauran. Good to see you. I was hoping I’d catch you today.” She stepped inside and smiled at Kalai, too. She held a box in her hands and passed it to Tauran. “Here’s some more medication for Kalai. I figured I’d deliver it myself, since I’m on my way to the harvest market in Lavender Square.”
Tauran took the box from her, fingers sliding against a piece of paper pressed against the underside of the box. He searched her eyes. She knew exactly what the pills were, he realized. She had warned him, already. He’d just been too stupid to get the hint.
“I want to stop by the smithy and get my father some new tools for the bakery. His current ones are so old and worn. Do you… want to come?” she asked.
“I’ve got time.” Tauran pulled the box against his chest, slid the paper inside his jacket as discreetly as he could, then returned to Kalai and gave him the box. Whatever message Catria had slipped him, she clearly didn’t want the guards to know about it. And if Kalai came with them to the market, so would the guards. “I’m afraid it’ll have to be just me, though. Kalai’s got a whole pile of work to get done by this afternoon. Isn’t that right?”
“Unfortunately” Kalai offered Catria a convincingly apologetic smile. “Thanks for the delivery.”
Tauran grazed Kalai’s hand with the tip of his fingers just briefly. They shared a glance.
“No problem. Maybe some other time, Kalai,” Catria said. She returned to the doorway, resting her hand casually on the hilt of the knife in her belt.
“Have a nice day,” Tauran said to Kalai, then followed Catria outside. Tauran hated leaving Kalai alone with the guards, and that thought gnawed at him. Only weeks ago, their presence would have reassured him. How had things changed so drastically in such a short time?
None of them spoke as Catria led Tauran in the direction of Lavender Square. But instead of turning right, she went left onto Clover Road, steering for the rows of shaded alleys between the lower scale apartment blocks. Tauran took her by the elbow, moving them into a crowd of people gathered by a street musician, then slipped into the nearest alley. Tauran searched the people nearby for shimmers of silver, but saw none.
Catria glanced over her shoulder, then pulled Tauran by the arm into the shadows. She looked flushed. “Do you have the note?”
Tauran nodded. He reached inside his jacket and was about to draw it out when she closed a hand around his wrist.
“Wait. We’ve been followed.”
Tauran followed her gaze. A pair of guards came directly toward them, no longer trying to hide their approach.
Tauran swore. “Falka is having me watched. I thought we’d lost them.”
“Just keep calm,” Catria said, and turned to the guards.
One of the guards regarded Catria. “General Falka requests your presence in the tower urgently,” he said, without addressing her first.
The other