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Dr Essouadi ignored him utterly, not even deigning to throw a glance his way.

“You’ve been wounded, Miss Orsini,” she said calmly. “Can you tell me what hurt you?”

“A monster. Amonster.“ Now Vittoria’s entire body trembled. “I thought I was in a nightmare. It came out of nowhere.”

“Where did you see it?” Edmund asked, drawing closer. “Where did it come from?”

“It came from a Gateway, of course,” interjected Josefa. “But—”

“How could it get past the Sentinels?” said Emmeline. “The Sentinels guard the Gateways—Sarlet said so, so how—”

Fern stepped forwardto speak, but—

“Be quiet.”

Vasili Drei spoke in a tone so sharp and biting, the room fell into silence as though everyone’s voices had been cut clean off between his teeth. He moved through the room like a shadow, his long hair a black veil over his shoulders, and stood over Vittoria.

“What did it say?” he asked in a low hiss. “Was itholdinganything?”

Vittoria blinked uncomprehendingly. Fern herself was shocked into silence. Drei was the most reserved of them all, and Fern had not forgotten his quick lie, their first night in Carthane.

She would still never have expected the questions he asked now. She had studied Sumbra long enough to know that monsters—lesser creatures from the realms beyond some of the gates—indeed got out sometimes. That was not necessarily a rare occurrence.

However, in her own encounters and in the annals of history, never had it been known for such a creature toconverse. Unlike the cosmic entities guarding the Gateways, the creatures that slipped through were by and large akin to beasts, possessing sub-human intelligence, and they certainly lacked the ability for speech.

“I don’t know, I don’t know,” Vittoria muttered now, her mouth drooping. “The Sentinels arrived, and Sarlet. She had them take the creature, she told me to go back to the Mage Tower.”

“Sarlet,” said Vasili Drei, as though to himself. And then, his gaze fixed upon Dr Essouadi, his voice a chilling directive, “Donotsuture the wound. There’ll be poison within, it needs to come out. Bloodletting will work best.“ He waved his fingers in the direction of thetwins without even looking at them. “These two will know what to do—poisoners excel in Blood Alchemy.”

His words must have stung the unshakable siblings because Emmeline arched an eyebrow, and Edmund’s hand tightened around her waist, which he held protectively.

“You don’t know the first and last thing about what my sister and I excel in,” Edmund sneered.

Vasili Drei threw Edmund a look like the careless wave of a dark ocean. It washed over Edmund as if it barely sensed his existence, and without so much as another word, Drei swept out of the room.

As he did, his shoulder collided with Léo Lautric, who had just walked in. Lautric did not acknowledge Drei—hardly seemed to even notice the man had just barged into him. Instead, his eyes widened in shock as he noticed Vittoria on the couch.

Fern observed him closely, remembering the quiet exchange she had witnessed, how she had first thought she might be witnessing a meeting between lovers.

But before Lautric could speak so much as a word, before anyone could even draw breath, Baudet had sprung across the room. He hit Lautric in a slap that cracked like thunder, making Emmeline gasp and Fern start.

“It was your fault she was there and your fault she got hurt,” Baudet snarled. His features were twisted with anger, his body trembled beneath his ornate garments. He ripped forward, seizing Lautric by his collar, and the Abyssal cross he wore across his chest seemed to burn as it caught the light. “You vile, manipulativewretch. The Almighty abhors liars, but I’ll send you to hell myself if she dies.”

And with that promise, he threw Lautric away from him.

Lautric stumbled but righted himself, the angry red print of Baudet’s hand bruising even as everyone watched, waiting for his response. But Lautric merely bowed his head in silent acquiescence, as if to say,Yes, send me to hell if she dies.

Without another word, Baudet turned from him and strode back to the couch, gathering Vittoria into his arms with the care of one holding a statue of glass.

“She’s not going to die,” Dr Essouadi said, rising with Baudet. “Bring her to my apartment, please. I have some of my equipment there. Miss Ferrow, will you lend us your aid with the poison?”

Emmeline glanced at her brother, who gave an infinitesimal nod.

“Of course,” Emmeline said.

The four of them left, Baudet carrying Vittoria, Dr Essouadi and Emmeline following. Edmund hesitated, stopping by Lautric to lay a hand on his shoulder.

“Are you alright? What was that all about?”