Page 93 of This Monster of Mine

“Do you even know where Dídtan is?” Before she could speak, he nodded. “Of course not. It’s a military port to the west. Distinguishing yourself in a place like that is hell.” His forearms strained, hands balling into fists. “Everyone wants a way out.”

“I know the feeling.”

“Do you? You paid nothing to get here but the costs of your travel from that mountain. You didn’t invest sacks of coin or years of education sucking up to instructors you care nothing for. You just waltzed in and got where weworkedto be, and you don’t even respect the job.”

“What do you want me to say?” She threw up her hands. “Yes, I got a leg up. And I respect the jobtoo muchto allow wealthy bastards like Helvus to walk all over the people we protect and stifle us when—”

“Stifle?” Harion said incredulously. “Do you think Anek, Cisuré, and I keep our opinions to ourselves because we feelstifled? You think you’re the only one here with a conscience?” His voice rose. “We keep our heads down because we know the consequences of acting out. As you’re learning.”

The fissure of anger he’d broken open widened. “Are you saying you knew about the scuta?”

“No, and I’m still getting one. It could turn me green for all I care, but if Tetrarch Tullus says it doesn’t, then it doesn’t. Join the real world, barmaid.” He tapped her forehead with a finger with a pitying look before sauntering off.

Her hands clenched around the letter in her pocket.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Days slipped through her fingers as Sarai and Gaius scoured thehomicidiumarchive, lying to the bewildered archivist about researching for a highly secret case of Kadra’s.

Jovian and Livia had been adept at tucking the letters into the gaps in the spines, secured with a dab of bone glue to prevent anyone else from finding them—not that anyone could have understood the language even if they did. Each contained a reference to the book in which the next could be found for the other person, with both Petitors taking great delight in confounding each other with the most obscure references.

Unable to read Urdish, Gaius relied on Sarai’s translations during the search.

“Next one’s the first floater.” He quoted from the letter she’d found and wryly held up the first records of murder by drowning in Edessa, a letter secreted in the spine. “Clever.”

Some letters contained records of daily amusements and commiserations on the job’s hardships. Those, she read with a pang at the picture they painted of their bright-eyed writers, who couldn’t have guessed that their words would be all that was left in a future they’d vanished from too soon. In the months before their deaths, the letters had grown bleaker, harder to find. She translated the newest one to Gaius.

My dear Jovian,

I think I saw something I shouldn’t have.

I know you’ve told me not to think of it ever since you Materialized it out of my head. But I was at Archive of Lands Sold and Purchased for a deed and happened to see the name of that insula on the same page. I only glanced at it. It was sold the week after the strike.

Jovian, the Metals Guildmaster bought it. Just like he did the other patch of land you spoke of after the strike. I wanted it to be a coincidence, so I looked at a plot that was struck months ago. He bought it too.

You needn’t worry. I won’t say anything. Will you distract me, though? Tell me what you’ve found, even if it’s about the STG (Elsar hold her soul). I’ll try to forget this.

Your frightened friend,

Livia

As always, Jovian had responded with the location of his answer.

Forget it all. More on the STG in pre-Tetrarch walls.

“STG?” Gaius frowned.

“Sidran Tower Girl.” Sarai folded the letter, placing it in chronological order to the others she’d found. “His answer might be in another archive. I can’t see anything on walls here.”

“I’ll check the Architectural Archive.” Gaius straightened with a groan.

She thumbed through their collection of letters in the interim. It was nowhere near enough. Helvus having bought land that had been devalued after a strike was helpful but wasn’t determinative proof of his scuta being faulty.If only I could get my hands on a scutum.

Sighing, she didn’t notice the figure at the edge of her vision until Cisuré tapped her shoulder. Sarai started. The other girl looked exhausted, eyes bloodshot and pale hair stringy.

“Are you alright?” Sarai asked worriedly.

“I should be asking you that,” Cisuré whispered. “I just heard about the Metals Guild’s bounty from Tetrarch Aelius. By the Elsar, this is everything I feared.”

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