Gressa had informed me Councilor Moon wanted to talk to me before they escorted me home. She had just returned from the Citadel. Again I berated myself for not taking advantage of my time with Janco and learning how to pick a lock. He would be free in no time. I wondered how long he would wait for me at the stable. Even though escaping would be horrible in my I’m-really-a-good-person defense, my determination to find Ulrick still burned strong.

Janco and I had hit a dead end in our search for Ulrick in Fulgor. If an opportunity to escape happened and I was successful, I would head to Ognap. Devlen had provided the dubious information, but it was better than doing nothing. Every day that passed meant another day the stain of blood magic would spread.

Time dripped. Each second hung as if it were on the end of an icicle, fattening until it grew too big to hold on. Then splat—another second gone. A preview of my future once I returned to the Citadel.

When two guards arrived to guide me to the Councilor’s office, I didn’t complain about the manacles.

As expected, her office suite made Gressa’s seem ordinary in comparison. Instead of one assistant in the reception room, three women and two men bustled about. Soldiers stood at attention on each side of the double doors. They nodded to my companions. We entered the Councilor’s office.

The ceiling was two stories above my head. Thin stained-glass windows spanned the walls from top to bottom on my left and right. The room was long and narrow. We passed an oval conference table and a sitting area with couches and armchairs. Straight ahead a huge U-shaped desk had been pushed against a picture window with the opening toward me. The Councilor seemed to prefer to face the view while working.

“Councilor Tama,” my guard said.

The woman raised a hand, signaling us to wait. After a moment, she stood and approached us. With the late-afternoon sun behind her, her long blond hair appeared almost white.

Her smile died when she glanced at me. “Lieutenant, please release her.” The Councilor’s words were polite, but her tone said now. When the manacles came off, she said, “Leave us.”

“She could be a danger to you,” the lieutenant said.

Tama studied me. I suppressed the urge to squirm. She wore a white silk V-neck tunic embroidered with black half-moon shapes over a long skirt made from the same material. Delicate black leather sandals with silver crescents adorned her feet. My plain soiled clothes, bedraggled hair and muddy boots seemed an insult in comparison.

“Go wait by the door.” She shooed them away. “Come. Sit.” Tama pointed to a chair behind one of the long wooden tables of her desk.

I smoothed my hair, tucking the wild strands behind my ears before I complied.

“You don’t look like a troublemaker,” Tama said. She perched on the edge of the table. Her light blue eyes sparked with amusement.

I marveled at her pale skin. Her thin lips and tiny upturned nose resembled the Ixian people who lived near the northern ice sheet and not the darker skin tones of Sitia. She was also younger than I expected. I guessed her age to be around thirty.

“I’m not here to cause trouble, Councilor Moon,” I said in my most sincere voice. “I’m here because—”

“I know why you came to Fulgor. And I know you’ve accused Gressa’s brother of being a Daviian Warper in disguise. I read the order for your return before I signed it.”

I had forgotten about the message from the Council.

She watched my expression. “Do you even realize the panic you caused in the Council chambers by not obeying the order?”

“I…” This time I squirmed.

“Master Magician Zitora Cowan defended you when the news of your unusual kidnapping reached the Council. We weren’t happy about the rumors coming from Ixia, but she was able to convince us of your integrity up until you failed to appear. Did you even think about Zitora before you decided to dash off to Fulgor?”

“I…” I slumped in my seat.

“I didn’t think so.”

Tama Moon’s gaze rested on me and visions of being scolded by my mother rose. I refrained from hanging my head.

She crossed her arms. “Your claim about Ulrick was hard to believe before, but now it is impossible.”

“Why? The Warpers used blood magic in the past, they—”

“Gressa has vouched for him. She is his sister.”

“And she has admitted to helping your sister try to oust you. She can’t be trusted.” A subtle tightening of her posture and the increase of the tension in her arms warned me I had said the wrong thing.

“I trust her.” A slight tremor of anger touched her voice.

I chose my next words with the utmost care. “I realize it is my word against theirs. I’m not lying, Councilor Moon. Please send a message to Yelena Zaltana and ask her to come back to Fulgor. She will be able to confirm my claims.”

“The Soulfinder is in Ixia right now, dealing with the mess you left behind.”

The protest died in my throat. It wouldn’t help my case.

The Councilor settled in her chair. Piles of paper rested on the desk between us. She leaned forward, placing her elbows on the edge. “Opal, you’re lucky I’m in Fulgor to attend to town business. I can give you a bit of advice. When you return to the Citadel, the Council will be hostile, but you have quite a bit of leverage.”

“Leverage?”

Tama nodded as if expecting my confusion. “Gressa said you had no clue. Think for a moment. What invaluable service do you and only you provide?”