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‘Yes. They’re afraid to lose their other child to Scion, but they understood why I wanted to stay.’ He topped up his glass. ‘I had orders to return to Sweden, to meet the rest of Docka in a forest called Kolmården. I got there late, only to find the safe house had been raided. Max was inside, bleeding out from a gunshot wound. He lived just long enough to tell me that Scion had been waiting, and the others had been taken to Rosenkammaren.’

Maria shook her head. ‘Rosenkammaren?’

‘A prison in Stockholm.’ Nick put the bottle down. ‘I’ve never known anyone to come out.’

‘Shit. Any idea who betrayed you?’

‘I have my suspicions. There was a Danish amaurotic called Sven, who doubled up as our courier and locksmith, specialising in infiltration – a lot of dangerous work. He’d been captured on assignment, but escaped. I wasn’t sure his story added up, but Max liked him, so I kept my mouth shut. Now I wonder if he cut a deal with Scion.’

Maria gave me a weighty look, and I knew we were both thinking the same thing.

‘Sven,’ I said. ‘Blond guy with a scar on his lip, big muscles, blue eyes?’ Nick nodded. ‘Maria, you’d better tell him. I don’t think I can talk any more.’

She obliged. The blue aster had kept me awake for longer than usual, but clouds were gathering in my mind.

‘Sven – Harald – is dead, then,’ Nick said, when Maria was done. ‘He must have got away with betraying us and been reassigned.’ He shook his head. ‘If he’s gone, that means I’m out of immediate danger. I was ordered to lie low until the traitor had been identified and eliminated. Command needed a resident medic, so they offered me a position here. I was told not to contact anyone outside of headquarters. That’s why you didn’t hear from me, Maria.’

‘I might forgive you,’ Maria said. ‘In time.’ She adjusted her sling. ‘So here we are, the three of us, reunited in the City of Masks. Nick, have you been called to this secret meeting?’

‘Yes,’ Nick said. ‘Is that why you’re both here?’

I nodded. ‘I also need to find out if Command wants me to fulfil the rest of my contract. And … to see if there are any leads on Arcturus.’

‘You want to go looking for him.’ Maria hesitated. ‘Paige, it’s been six months. Would Nashira not have executed him for what he’s done?’

Nick glanced between us.

‘Nashira doesn’t like to execute Rephs,’ I said. ‘She prefers to … make them see things her way. By any means necessary. And she has all the time in the world.’

‘Well, if heisalive, he’ll be in Scion.’

‘Terebell was leading a search for him,’ Nick said. ‘We need to let her know that Paige survived, and to contact Eliza. I suggest we negotiate with Command to cut our contracts short and get back to London.’

‘I will ask,’ I said, ‘but I need to keep Domino on side. In Paris, Ducos told me they might be willing to help finance the Mime Order. If we’re going to take the rebellion to the next level, we need as much coin as we can get. I’ll fulfil the rest of my contract if it helps us.’

‘Paige, you need to be in London. You’re Underqueen.’

‘And you and Eliza are my mollishers. You have the right to hold the fort.’ I reached for the wine. ‘How did Terebell react to my warning about Arcturus?’

‘I don’t want to tell you.’

‘I can take it.’

Nick sighed. ‘She refused to entertain the possibility that Warden was a traitor. She also said it was no surprise you’d turned your back on him at the first opportunity. That she’d expected no less from someone groomed and trained by a turncoat like Jaxon,’ he said. ‘I argued with her about it. I’m sure they wilfully misunderstand humans.’

I tried not to let it get to me.

‘I understand why she’s angry,’ I said. ‘I seem to be the only one who doubted his loyalty.’

‘It’s complicated, Paige. You two had a rocky start,’ Maria said. ‘I like Warden, but let’s not pretend he’s perfect.’ She switched on her cigarette. ‘Except his jaw. I can’t fault that.’

‘I agree,’ Nick said.

‘So glad you share my appreciation for a fine mandible, Nicklas.’

‘Not his—’ Nick gave her a stern look. ‘I mean that I agree with it being complicated. Paige, I know you forgave him for Oxford, but he used you once before. He admitted it to both of us. Of course you would have considered the idea that he could do it again.’

I thought back to that terrible night. Every word Arcturus had said had seemed designed to puncture our trust, hitting every weak point. He had called me by a number, not my name. He had reminded me of my insignificance, told me that touching me dirtied his hand. My natural instinct had been to slam up my defences and run for my life.