As she passed Niko he took her arm. Gently she pulled free. s something I have to do right now,she told him. s really important, Niko. Life and death, literally.

He released her. he said, his voice soft. we need to talk later, you and I.He frowned at Keth. Ill need a word with you, Kethlun Warder. You too had better learn that mages dont kill unless its unavoidable.

Tris hurried on. She sent her breezes out, searching for someone in particular. Soon enough a current of air returned, carrying an unmistakable smell. She followed it back to its source, the prathmuni woman and boy she had met several days ago.

They backed away from their cart as she approached at a trot. Then the -woman stopped, and squinted through the back alley gloom. Tris drew a handful of sparks from a braid to illuminate her face.

said the boy. do you want with us now?

Tris waited until she was very close to speak. ve caught that killer, the one they call The Ghost,she informed them. s one of you.

They both drew the sign of the All-Seeing on their foreheads, though the woman snapped,

Tris nodded to her partner. knows the truth of it.

When the woman scowled at him, the boy said, even Eseben would be that foolish.He didnt sound as if he believed himself.

Do you know?the woman demanded fiercely.

caught him,Tris replied. s confessed. The arurimi have him now. It wont be long before the news gets out.

breathed the woman.

you ways to leave the city unnoticed?asked Tris. The youth nodded. alert everyone you can,Tris continued. Tharios manage without her prathmuni!

The pair traded a look, then turned their backs on Tris and raced down the alley without a word. Tris hadnt expected thanks. Firesword guard you all,she murmured. They would need the goddess s protection. Tharios was a big city, and there were many prathmuni. Not all of them would escape by dawn. Perhaps some wouldnt even try to flee, though she hoped they would have better sense.

She walked back to Ferouzes, warning every prathmun she glimpsed.

In Yalis chamber, Ferouze was nodding off as the little girl slept on the bed. you,Tris said, pressing a ftve-bik piece into the old womans hand. were good to stay with her.

Keth would have given me a choice,Ferouze grumbled, stuffing the coin into her sash. whats going on? He came racing in here like the Hounds of War were at his heels. He took that dog of yours away with him.

If I tell her, all of Khapik will know by dawn, Tris realized. Ferouze was a notorious gossip. She shrugged. dont know. I found Little Bear waiting for me outside.

muttered Ferouze as she let herself out. mysteries and no explanations.

Tris sat on the bed and bent to unlace her shoes. The room started to spin. Her fingers were suddenly too weak to hold on to the laces. In controllin g her earthquake, she had burned up the last of her borrowed strength. It was time, and past, to pay for it.

She lay back, before she collapsed in a heap. I hope they think to look here for me, she thought before a tide of unconsciousness swamped her.

When she woke, five days later, she was in Jumshidas house. Niko sat by her bed, reading. He didn t even wait for Tris to clean up. Instead he proceeded to relieve his feelings about girls who tapped the power of the earth, looking after children who werent their own, and searching for dangerous madmen, as they avoided wise elders who would see the folly they committed and bring them to their senses. When he showed no signs of calming down, Tris went behind a screen to change clothes. Someone, she hoped Jums hida, had dressed her in a nightgown. Tris replaced it with a shift, a single petticoat and a pale grey muslin gown that fitted more loosely than it had before shed gone to Khapik.

you even listening?demanded Niko.

really,she replied wearily. Im adult enough to have a medallion and a student and make my own stupid choices, or Im not. Its not like I did it for party entertainment, Niko.

He sighed. I know you didnt. I suppose I feel guilty because I should have helped you more, instead of letting conference politics sap my strength.

Tris looked around the edge of the screen at him as she did up her sash. me with what? I didnt help find him, I walked bang into the man, Niko! Is he dead yet?

Nikos large, dark eyes filled with distress as he watched her. you care so little, Tris? He paid in blood, yesterday.

Feel sorrier for the prathmuni she retorted. was a slaughter, wasnt there?She had dreamed it, seeing knots of prathmuni disappear under the stones and clubs of outraged citizens.

yes,Niko admitted. prathmuni dead, four of them children. The Keepers finally decreed martial law and ordered the arurim to get the city under control.

Tris paused, her sash half-tied. She emerged from behind the screen, frowning. she repeated. She had expected far more.

was shocked, too,admitted Niko. thats all that were found. Tharioss prathmuni have vanished. The Assembly is fighting about who will do their work.

Tris grinned. They had listened to her, then. They had escaped.

Niko tugged at his moustache. find it interesting that they left at almost the same time the Ghost was captured. Do you think they were warned?

Tris ignored so foolish a question. Niko was too clever not to realize she had warned the prathmuni. s Glaki?she asked. She wished everyone had escaped, but if prathmuni were like most people, some must have insisted that no one would blame their entire class for the acts of one man. At least the number of dead was far smaller than it could have been. Hows Keth?

s in the workroom, meditating,replied Niko. is helping in the kitchen. Theyre staying here for the time being - Khapik was closed during the riots. What do you plan to do with the girl, Tris?

her with me,Tris replied. needs something constant in her life, and she has no family.She held up a hand to silence her teacher when he opened his mouth. know I need to provide for her properly. I m too young for motherhood. And shes an academic mage, though too young to work with it much. I want to learn to be an academic mage myself; I dont know how to teach one.