Lira led us through the estate's winding corridors with an escort of guards on our heels. My attention was split between Dugan trailing a few steps behind me and her swaying braid in front.

The woman's footsteps made no sound, and the more I tried to understand it, the less it made any sense. Were her boots enchanted?

I checked over my shoulder for the sixth time since our walk began. Dugan was walking by himself now, but he still had that haunted look in his eye from whatever happened in the hall. Hopefully, a night of rest would help him recover.

A chill ran up my spine thinking back to that sculpture. I would need to talk to Isla about that or maybe Shay if I got the chance.

The last bit of tension in my shoulders melted away as we reached the entrance of the estate. The wide doors were left open as guards and servants flitted in and out of the building.

Lira called two servants over, sending them with lanterns into the moonless darkness to get our horses from the stables. The way the servants and other guards deferred to her told me a lot about her position in the cartel. A lot, but not enough.

"How long have you worked for the Lagos brothers?" I asked.

She turned from the front entrance, giving me a sidelong glance.

"Since they smuggled themselves under the border."

"Under? Not over?"

"The best smugglers tunnel underground, and the Lagos brothers are the best."

"That must help with the mining."

"It does. Finnick is a master of Earth Landbound Magic."

I rubbed my sore chest.

"I noticed."

A throaty chuckle escaped her lips.

So, I could crack her shell.

"He overacted. Finnick is usually less… erratic. The brothers exist in a balance. Van is fire. Finnick is Earth. Van is reckless. Finnick is cautious."

"I see."

She turned back to the darkness. I left Dugan leaning on the wall to walk a wide circle behind Lira until I was beside her. I took in the view of the night sky.

"Are you all right?"

She stared at me with eyes as hard as flint.

"Someone tried to kill Van Lagos tonight. That person is going to die. By the rules of the Compact—a life for a life."

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She folded her arms before looking ahead.

"I won't rest until it happens."

A fanatical sense of loyalty. She would be a deadly mage with all that conviction.

"Who do you think did it?"

Her face twisted into a frown.

"That's for me to figure out."

I nodded, not pressing the issue.

"It's all yours."

I stopped to consider the possible suspects: who would benefit from Van Lagos' death? Steeltown had three other big players: the Sanctifiers, Lady Kateen, and Tiny Tom.

I could rule out the Sanctifiers. The attack on Van Lagos was a direct attack on their authority.

As much as I wanted to blame Lady Kateen, she had a symbiotic relationship with the mining cartels. But why hadn't she filled her cup with wine?

There was also Tiny Tom. He didn't look like the type to kill someone with poisoned wine, but maybe that was the point. His persona could be a misdirection to make others underestimate him.

Wait a minute.

I was working on the Inquisitor's case.

I frowned.

As much as I hated to admit it, Reed understood me. Leave a puzzle half-finished, and my mind would work to solve it.

What about Isla? Did I want to solve her mystery? No, I spent most of my time trying not to think about her, and my system was working… mostly.

"Your horses are here," Lira said. "Where are you staying?"

# # #

With the Lagos guards as escorts, we rode back to the Pit without any issues. The events in the inn were winding down, with drunken johns shuffled out the doors by the extra muscle Cassandra hired for nights.

As I walked to the second-floor staircase, Cassandra waved at us from a table in the dining area. We walked to her, dodging chairs and fresh vomit that would be cleaned up later that night.

She smoked from a thin, wooden pipe, dividing out shares of gold pieces.

"Is something wrong?"

"I don't think so. A runner from the Sanctifiers Guild wanted to give you a message from Isla."

"Oh, OK."

"She says she found some good reading. She and Castille are staying overnight at the Guildhall."

Her gaze lingered on us, looking for a reaction. I kept my face neutral as I nodded.

"OK, thanks for telling us."

I waited until we were on the second floor to give Dugan a worried look.

He glanced back at me with a reassuring stare that said everything would be fine.

I hoped so.

I didn't like half our party being under Sanctifier supervision, not with Reed digging into Isla's past. Why was I worried? She could take care of herself. Besides, Castille was with her.

For once, I should look on the bright side. It sounded like Isla had found a lead to break the curse. The sooner that happened, the better. Our cover was close to being blown, if not by Kateen, then by any number of people at tonight's party. Even Cassandra was getting suspicious.

I changed out of my clothes and hung up my new jacket on a wooden hanger. As I lay in bed, I realized something.

I just talked to Dugan without speaking.

# # #

The next morning, I met an exhausted Isla in the master suite with Castille and Dugan sitting propped up in the bed. Thor was laid out snoring on the floor.

Castille had been lax in her guard duty, sleeping through the night at the Guildhall while Isla was busy at work. She beamed as she laid out her neat pile of notes on the bed's silken sheets.

"They don't let you take documents out of the Guildhall, so I had to copy them by hand."

The dark circles under her eyes offset her wide smile.

"You must have had a busy night."

She turned her nose up.

"It was very productive."

I smirked.

"So, half as productive as me and Dugan."

She laughed.

"I doubt it."

I spent the next twenty minutes explaining what happened last night, excluding Reed's request to investigate Isla.

Her jaw dropped.

"You had a private audience with the Lagos brothers!"

"I'm more upset Dugan has been outed," Castille said, running a consoling hand through the man's hair.

"Did we screw up?"

"No! No. This is good," Isla said, pacing around the room. "That's our way into Brimspoke mountains."

"Isla, quit your pacing and tell them what we learned," Castille said.

Isla walked up to the bed and picked up the first page from the pile.

"I know who's behind the curse."

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