Page 63 of Fortress of Ambrose (House of Marionne #3)

He just wants to snoop. Why? Quell’s face scrunches, and she shifts in her seat. Maybe now she understands my skepticism about Ube. I won’t give power to people with questionable motives.

“I’m not sure about that.” Quell rubs the heel of her hand back and forth on her legs.

Yani doesn’t look up when she speaks. “You don’t have to explain yourself to him.”

I set my fork down beside my plate, and after chewing my gristly meat, I break the rigid silence again. “How did the afternoon extraction trials go?” I shove around the food on my plate, with eyes only for Ube.

He slides a shaky knife along his meat and takes a bite before answering, which grates my nerves, stirring my toushana.

“We need to run it a few more times.”

I almost force Ube to tell Quell how terrible this morning went but decide it’s better she isn’t worried about the extraction procedure.

“How do you think it’s going, Erla?” Quell asks.

“We will be working through the night.” She sets a bite of cantaloupe and smoked meat into her mouth. “I am optimistic.” She turns to her brother. “Did you try calibrating the last stone before infusing it?”

“What, do you think I’m inept?” He stabs his food and shoves another bite in his mouth.

Erla is the conundrum. Her quietness feels more calculating than timid. By the time the third course has been laid out, my second hasn’t been touched. The tension at the table is more pungent than the rind cheese on my plate.

“May I take this, sir?” a servant asks before whisking the plate away, and the third course is set down before me: a salad with greens, beets, and more cheese.

“Yani, you are quiet. Ube says you’ve been a good help to their team.”

She bats her long, dark lashes at me. “I’m glad. They seem to need all the help they can get.”

“We have things under control,” Ube says.

Erla slips a bite of food into her mouth.

“They’re going to cut each other’s throats out,” Quell whispers. “You are working through the night, then, too?” she asks Ube.

“Even if there is a stone we can use, there is no guarantee they are findable in the quantity and precise density we need.”

Yani plays with her napkin instead of eating. “That’s funny,” she says. “Isn’t it, Erla?”

Erla stills, her grip frozen on her fork. “I have been busy with density analysis. As I told you earlier, whatever your issues are with my brother, leave me out of it.”

“Tell them what you told me earlier, Yani,” Ube snaps.

She flinches. A look of guilt I know well.

“I think a more interesting topic of conversation would be why you told your sister Triveyna has the stones we need. You’ve even mapped the route and location.”

“Triveyna?” Quell squeezes my arm beneath the table. This was a battle of who would out who first, and Yani’s decided to take the first strike.

“It’s one of the Order’s mining caves, like Aronya,” I tell Quell.

Ube dabs his mouth with a napkin before pulling out a sketched map from a satchel beneath his chair. “This is a map to assess the area, not to pinpoint travel. I wanted to be sure a trip to Triveyna was needed before mentioning it. I assume we have time constraints.”

“Liar.” Yani slams her fork down on her plate. “Erla, tell the truth.”

“Erla,” I press. “If you know something…”

“My brother did mention the stones could be in Triveyna. But I didn’t know anything about him planning to go there.”

“Because I wasn’t planning anything.” His words bite. His sister sighs and pushes her plate aside.

“Jordan, look at me,” Yani demands. “You know I’m not lying. Ube is the liar at the table.”

“She makes a fair point,” I say. “It doesn’t look good, Ube.”

Quell stands. “This dinner is over. See yourselves back to your room. I will talk to Jordan privately and then discuss with each of you what’s next. Am I understood?”

They all nod. Except Yani.

Toushana flutters under my skin, skimming my fingertips before disappearing back inside. Quell tosses the napkin on the table and storms out. Behind her is Ube. Erla starts to speak, but when she spots Yani, who hasn’t moved from her seat, she leaves.

Yani exhales. “I’m so glad that’s over.”

“You were told to leave by the Headmistress of the House.”

She gets up, pushing in her chair. “You need those stones from Triveyna, it sounds like. I don’t know what he’s up to. Send me to Triveyna to get them.”

If I send anyone anywhere, it would be to find Lady Ruby. She is the real hope. I study Ube’s map, which he left on the table. It doesn’t have travel coordinates or notes about cloaking restrictions. It looks like more of a visual scope of the area, as he said.

“You can’t leave to get the stones,” she says. “This place will buckle at the seams. They don’t like you. They dislike her less, but they despise you most of all. She’s too soft.”

“Quell?”

“Don’t deny it. You’re fire, and she’s…lukewarm water.”

Insubordinate.

She’s never truly respected you.

Or the girl you love.

I won’t listen to insults about Quell. I excuse myself, pausing at the door.

“If I need the stones, I’ll consider sending you, as long as Quell likes the idea.” It’s still too early to tell. But if someone has to retrieve an item, Yani makes the most sense. She’s so eager to prove she can be trusted. That’s more than I can say about Ube.

She blocks the door. “Thank you for listening to me at dinner.” She plays with the collar of my shirt. Then she fingers the top button and leans into my mouth, inches from my lips.

“I can be as quiet as a mouse,” she whispers.

Protect Quell. At any cost.

Cold hardens in my chest.

I grab her in the Dragun choke, gently but firm enough to get her attention. Shadows seep from my body, swallowing the floor. “You are loyal to Quell above all else. Any hint of betrayal from you, and—” I squeeze, then release her and leave.

When I reach my room, there is a letter from my brother waiting for me, full of questions about how to get House of Duncan talking and an address of where to meet him. I check the time. I need to tell Quell I’ll be away another night.