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‘He’s not saying much. I think he’s in shock, poor thing. We need to get back to Venice before Scion realises he’s gone. Federico brought us a people carrier.’

‘It’s three in the morning. Are you okay to drive?’

‘For now.’ She took a key from her pocket. ‘Nick, I’ll swap with you halfway.’

I collected my holdall and followed Maria to the people carrier. She opened the door to the front passenger seat for me, while Nick got in behind. Once she was in, Maria switched on the dashboard monitor and selected a radio station, so music played at a low volume.

‘I’m not going to ask how you did it,’ she said to me quietly. ‘I assume you don’t know.’

I shook my head.

After a while, the Ranthen emerged. Lucida and Errai took the two seats beside Nick, while Lesath and Terebell guided Arcturus into the back and sat on either side of him.

‘It’s been a long night, my friends,’ Maria said. ‘Is everyone coming to Venice?’

‘Yes,’ Terebell said. ‘Arcturus needs somewhere to recover.’

‘I don’t think we should take you to Domino headquarters,’ Nick said. ‘There’s been at least one security breach, and a few sinister parties are sniffing around for the big secret behind Scion.’

‘Verca will find somewhere. I’ll ask her now.’ Maria took out her phone. ‘We’ll be driving for a while, everyone. Settle in.’

Once she had sent the message, she started the car. It jolted along a bumpy path. Behind us, night swallowed the abandoned house, which had almost been a place of execution.

Arcturus drowsed against Terebell, who kept her arms around him. Maria drove out of the countryside and joined the motorway that would take us to Venice. I had thought I was too wired to sleep, but the whole exhausting day soon caught up with me, and I passed out.

The drive took eight hours. I was out for most of the journey, the white aster demanding its due. Now and then, the Rephs spoke in Gloss, though I never heard Arcturus. The golden cord was still frozen.

I suspect the sudden distance between us may have strained it, Arcturus had told me after Oxford.Now we are together, Itrust it will strengthen again.

Maria stopped at a service station. While she was paying, Nick got out to check on me. By then, pain was building in my shoulder, which had taken the brunt of my fall down the steps.

After that, Nick took the wheel, letting Maria get some rest. I was sound asleep by the time we reached Venice. One of the Rephs wrapped me in a coat and lifted me into the water taxi. From then on, there were only flashes of awareness – the grand foyer of the Palazzo della Notte, then Ducos and Verca, and one more glimpse of Nick before it all went dark.

I woke in my own bed in Venice, tucked under fresh sheets. My eyes were puffy, my shoulder hurt like hell, and I was stiff and sore all over. When I attempted to search the æther, my head started to throb, forcing me to stop. But I knew Arcturus was here. We had found him.

Nick had left a box of painkillers on the nightstand. I necked a couple and eased out of bed, stopping for a moment to listen. For the first time since Paris, I could hear rain.

In the bathroom, I inspected my injuries. I had too many scratches and grazes to count, an impressive bruise across my lefthip, another on my knee, a third spanning my shoulder and collarbone. When I touched the place where the purpling was deepest, I grimaced.

One day, I might go a few solid months without nearly getting myself killed. Until then, a few scrapes were a small price to pay for Arcturus.

I ran a bath, making the water as hot as I could stand it. It took a while to wash and untangle my hair. Every time I moved, it strained my overtaxed muscles. Inch by aching inch, I dried off, brushed my teeth, and put on a shirt and jersey, followed by dark trousers Nick had told me were called jeans, an American style that had never reached Scion.

He was in the bar, working on a data pad. When he saw me, he released his breath.

‘You slept for two days,’ he said. ‘How are you feeling?’

I edged into the other chair, trying to find a way to sit without hurting my hip or tailbone.

‘Like I fell down a set of cement steps, got thrown off a cliff, and had to swim through my worst fears, all to find Arcturus in a coffin,’ I said. ‘It’s safe to say that was among the worst nights of my life.’

‘It’s over now. We got him.’

‘So we did.’ I raised a faint smile. ‘A heist for the history books.’

‘Possibly your finest work, Underqueen. Even if I hate that you insisted on going alone.’

‘You all would have been killed.’