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“I’lltalk to Noah,” said Alex, his voice like quiet thunder. “I’ve invited him and Bart over for cards this week.”

Rune glanced up to find him glowering at her.

“What are you going to do, casually ask him how to get past the gates of his mother’s prison?” She shook her head. “The likelihood of Noah knowing any of these answers, never mind all of them, is so slim. It’s not worth the risk of raising his suspicions.”

Alex opened his mouth to argue, but Rune didn’t let him.

“I already have a better solution.”

It had been burning inside her this whole time, like a quiet candle flame. She hadn’t mentioned it because she knew what they’d say.

Verity looked up from her list. “Let’s hear it.”

“Gideon knows every single one of these answers. If I use my truth-telling spell—”

“You tried that already,” Verity pointed out. “It didn’t work.”

“Youtriedthat already?” Alex dragged his hands through his hair.

Rune ignored him.

“It didn’t work because he refused the wine,” she argued with Verity. “But I can fuse the spell to anything. A coat. A shoe. A watch. I could enchant a thimble and slip it into his pocket. He wouldn’t even know it’s there.”

“He’ll know,” said Alex. “He’s well acquainted with magic.”

“Notmymagic,” countered Rune. “Every witch’s essence is unique.”

After the trap he’d laid for her—a trap she’d stupidly walked straight into—Rune wanted nothing more than to end things with Gideon. He was altogether too clever. But to cut him loose now, when he suspected her most, would be akin to an admission of guilt.

Rune couldn’t retreat. She needed to go on the offensive. She had to appear smitten. Like she’d never encountered him at that mine tonight.

“As a Blood Guard captain, Gideon has brought witches through those gates hundreds of times. He’ll know where Seraphine is, as well as her purging date.”

“He already suspects you, Rune!”

“He didn’t arrest me tonight,” she pointed out. She’d bought herself more time with that luncheon. How much time, she didn’t know.

This didn’t seem to soothe them. Rune couldn’t exactly blame her friends. She might have outwitted Gideon temporarily, but she hadn’t thrown him off her scent for good.

“All I need is something to enchant. Something he’d wear on his person.”

“And the spellmark?” challenged Verity. “He’ll see it and realize what you are.”

“Then I need to enchant something where I can easily hide a spellmark. I’ll figure it out, okay? The Luminaries Dinner is in four days. I’ll ask him to accompany me. And afterward, I’ll use the spell to get the answers I need from him.”

“Afterward,” said Alex, darkly.

Verity said nothing. She’d gone utterly quiet.

They suddenly both annoyed Rune. Couldn’t they see this was their best option?

“If either of you come up with a better solution, I’ll call the whole thing off. Until then, this is the plan.”

Alex turned sharply to the carriage window, his fingers twisting that silver ring around and around his smallest finger. Verity merely scowled.

AFTER ALEX DROPPED HERoff at Wintersea House with barely a word of goodbye, Rune dictated a telegram for Lizbeth to handle:

GIDEON SHARPE