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‘I’ll get us a coffee,’ Nick said. ‘It’s great here.’

He went up to the bar.

‘Thank you for today,’ I said to Maria. ‘I’d be with Scion by now if you hadn’t used that lighter.’

‘I meant what I said to Harald. You motley lot are the only family I have left,’ Maria said. ‘Don’t let Terebell get under your skin. You don’t need to justify yourself to her or anyone.’

She picked at our leftovers, letting me brood. Nick returned with a silver tray.

‘Nicklas Nygård,’ Maria said. ‘Is that tiramisù I see with my own two eyes?’

‘I have no idea.’ Nick put it down. ‘I just asked for whatever dessert they recommended.’

‘Scion heathen.’ Maria pushed it towards me. ‘Paige, dig in. You’ll love this.’

I took a tiny spoonful of the dessert. It was soft and creamy, and tasted like sweet coffee.

‘Nick,’ I said, ‘Maria has told me all she knows, but what has the Mime Order been doing?’

‘Eliza decided to prioritise training and recruitment for the next couple of years, to make sure we have the numbers and skills to confront Scion,’ Nick said. ‘By the time I left, she had sent fifteen envoys to other citadels in Britain, and organisations in Cardiff and Birmingham had expressed interest in joining forces. Things were tense after the airstrikes, but now we can get them word that you’re alive. That should steady the boat for a while.’

‘Training and recruitment.’ I raised an eyebrow. ‘That’s all?’

‘This is the thing about you, Paige,’ Maria said. ‘You get things done quickly, but it’s only because you take the risks no one else considers.’

‘That’s a good thing, isn’t it?’

‘Do you feel good?’

‘I’ll let the bags under my eyes answer that.’

‘There you have it.’ She scooped up more of the dessert. ‘This is a long game. Scion is old. The Mime Order is young. It might take us years to unearth the anchor.’

‘Years in which more people die, more countries fall—’

‘If we go too fast, we’ll make mistakes, and we don’t want that. We’re up against a being who’s been around for longer than all of us put together. Nashira doesn’t rush, does she?’

I couldn’t argue.

‘I think we’ve covered everything,’ Nick said. ‘It’s late. Let’s reconvene in the morning.’

‘Nick.’ Maria pursed her lips. ‘This is the free world. We have rooms in central Venice and all night long to hit the town. Do you really want to go to bed at half past nine?’

‘After years of long shifts, living in daily fear of detection, an early nightishitting the town,’ Nick said ruefully. ‘You and Paige stay up, if you like. The bar is open until midnight.’

‘No, now you’ve infected me with sense. I should rest the arm.’

‘I’ll admit the aster is getting to me,’ I said.

‘I’m just so relieved you’re both alive and safe.’ Nick reached across the table to grasp my hand. ‘If Warden is alive, we’ll do everything in our power to find him. I promise, Paige.’

‘Promise.’ Maria placed her good hand on the pile. ‘Let’s get your straight-faced sweetheart back.’

I pressed their hands with a small nod. I might still be adrift out here, but at least I was no longer alone.

In my room, I changed out of my clothes. I hung my new ones in the wardrobe before I dimmed the lamps and lay on the double bed, long past the point of exhaustion.

I thought I would fall asleep at once. Instead, I tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable position. Even with the air conditioning, I was too warm. All I could think was that I was in a luxurious room, safe and fed and clothed, while Arcturus was nowhere to be found.