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The building was old—pre-Schism. Taly could see where it had been repaired over the years. Patches of rough gray stone slurry mottled the walls and had been used to fill cracks in the floor. Once smooth and uniform, the arches were now chipped and flecked with color where over time patrons had stuck little pieces of candy or gum in the gouges.

Then—a face.

Too close, too sudden, snapping into focus like a jump-cut in a nightmare.

“What the fu—” Taly jerked. The chair lurched, tilting dangerously—then a hand shot out, steadying it like a bored babysitter.

“Well, that was underwhelming,” the girl sighed. “Seriously,howdid Vaughn fuck this up so many times?”

Freckles dusted her nose, and a wolfish glint sharpened dull, mortal eyes. The girl from the forest. She was barely more than a kid.

Taly blinked. “Do I know you?”

“No.” The girl rocked back on her heels. “But I know you, Talya Caro.” She spread her arms wide, like a ring master presenting a show. “We all do. You’re the one—the one who’s going to save us from certain doom. At least, that’s what the boss thinks. Me? Well…” Her eyes flicked up and down. “Let’s just say you’re not off to a strong start.”

A wave of nausea rolled over Taly. The light from those crystal arches throbbed, leaving her head spinning, her balance tipping sideways.

With every disorienting flicker, the girl’s smile stretched a fraction wider, a predatory gleam bleeding into every line of her face. “You know, it’s funny. How someone sopraised, so supposedlypowerful, can end up sprawled out in the dirt,helpless.”

The girl’s voice warped, stretching and thinning, as if coming from the other end of a long tunnel. “You Fey are all the same—so reliant on your precious aether. Take that away, and you’re nothing. A swift kick to the head, and you’re down for the count. Honestly, it was almosttooeasy.”

Great, Taly thought. So, this was how it ended—captured by a prepubescent mercenary and no dignity left. She didn’t knowwhere they were or how she’d gotten here, only that Skye would never let her live this down. Hell, he’d probably memorialize it in a painting.

Taly scraped in a breath. “You got a name, kid?”

The girl flashed a grin. “Sure, I’ve got a name. But if I told you, I’d have to... well, you know.” She drew a line across her throat. “I’m Vaughn’s replacement. That’s all you need to know about me. He failed to bring you in, so now it’s my turn up to bat.”

The lights flared, faded, flared again. Taly squinted, jaw clenched as her stomach rolled. “You’re with Vaughn?”

“That’s what I said.”

Which meant that her boss was Vaughn’s boss, and that was a very bad thing for Taly.

“I have friends,” she said hoarsely. “Shadow mages. They’re going to notice that I’m gone. When they do, they’ll come looking for me.”

“Those two idiots?” The girl smirked. “Yeah, I’m not worried.”

Taly stiffened. “What does that mean?” she demanded. “What did you do to them?”

“Nothing,” the girl insisted, too innocent. “They’ve ended up precisely where they need to be.” She sniggered.

Taly growled, letting her aether gather, dredging every trace she could find.

It sparked. Swelled.

Then, like a flame being snuffed out, it died.

A fresh wave of cold bit into her skin. The collar tightened, pulsing with unnatural pressure.

“What is this stone?” Taly forced out. “Why does it feel so…wrong?”

“That’s judgesbane you’re feeling. Nasty stuff. It’s made to bind people like you. Sucks the aether right out of your bones, leaves you weak.”

“Right, because I was such a massive threat, wheezing on the ground like a half-dead rat.”

The girl giggled. “It was pretty funny. Like, I know some things are pre-determined, but c’mon—you could’ve made it a little more challenging.”

She sauntered to the bar, tossing Taly a wink before disappearing through a door behind it.