NORA

Cel is in her pajamas when she and Nora return. Uncle Arthur and Teacher have moved to the dining table. Once Cel and Nora get settled in, facing the pair of them, Uncle Arthur tells them the news.

“I have a new job,” he says.

Cel plays with the salt shaker and doesn’t look at him, so Nora must be the one to say: “I thought you retired.” It’s been a few years now.

“I did. This isn’t a normal job.” He taps his fingers on the table, hesitating. “I’ve started a...well, it’s like a secret gang.”

“I’m not stupid, Daddy,” Cel growls, tipping the salt shaker onto its side and letting it roll across the table. The trail of salt it leaves across the wood grain has Teacher’s fingers twitching.

“You’re ten,” Daddy says flatly.

Cel glowers at him. “Why did we go to that house today? Why did you tell them we’re firecores?”

Not the house. That house. Cel must truly hate the Vonadieu estate.

Smiling, Uncle Arthur reaches across the table to tug on a strand of Cel’s hair. “Little General, so smart you are.”

She bats his hand away.

Uncle Arthur begins again. “I am starting a syndicate. It’s a secret. It’s illegal.”

“For criminals,” Cel decides.

Bad guys, Nora thinks.

“Malais call us criminals anyway,” Uncle Arthur says with a nod. “Firecored. Busuruli. Assassin. Immigrant. Criminals.”

Cel rolls her lips. “What does a syndicate do?”

“Some bad things. Some good. We help other criminals. We steal from the military. We make money by doing things they don’t like.”

“Why?”

“Conquest.”

Oh no. Conquest. Cel’s been spouting that word for weeks, her new favorite discovery. She read it in a book. She’s always reading books. Nora doesn’t even know what the word means, but from the excited tilt of Cel’s mouth, she does.

“I will rule Malais one day,” Uncle Arthur says, meeting Cel’s excitement with some of his own. “This is the first step.”

“Your daddy’s been recruiting,” Teacher finally pipes up. As always he is quiet until he has something important to say. “Leopold was recently elected onto the Council of Three, which makes him very powerful. He’ll be a useful ally, and he’ll help keep the syndicate hidden.”

Cel nods as if this all makes sense. Nora nods along with her, because if Cel understands and agrees, then this syndicate business must be a good thing.

“When I am in charge of the city,” Uncle Arthur tells them, “there will be no need for firecores to hide what we are, nor for Busuruli” he looks at Nora “to bend to the will of their conquerors.”

Nora’s heart flip flops at being included. She smiles gratefully at Uncle Arthur.

“This means Arthur and I will both be very busy,” Teacher cuts in firmly, “but we’ve decided the two of you should be involved as well, especially as Leopold required that we let his children be involved, too. You’ll both be exposed to some rather unsavory dealings, but it’s best to learn young.” He closes his eyes. “Nora, you know your job is to protect Cel.”

“Yes, Teacher,” Nora says passionately.

“Cel…” Teacher holds Cel’s gaze, something sad in his expression. “You are your daddy’s heir. You will be held to a high standard. You must be at your best, but this means you must learn to better control your temper.”

Cel pouts at him, but even that can’t dim her excitement. “What’s the syndicate called?” she asks, practically bouncing in her seat.

“I told you she’d want to name it,” Arthur says on a laugh as Teacher rolls his eyes. “We’ve decided on Nightburners. The Nightburner Syndicate.”

“Nightburners,” Cel repeats. “I like it! When does it start?”

“The first meeting is in ten days,” Uncle Arthur says, “but.”

Cel freezes in place.

“You start school this year. You must attend school for one whole year without incident before I let you start attending meetings. No biting. No fires. No acting out.”

“But Daddy!” Cel protests.

“In the meantime, you will train with me every day for at least an hour.”

Cel’s not pleased exactly, but she loves spending time with Uncle Arthur. She nods in agreement. “Okay. Fine.”

Nora shares a relieved look with Teacher.

“It’s two months before you start school, and” Uncle Arthur appears to brace himself, “and we’ll be moving soon. I’m sick of this tiny apartment. We need more security. You’ll both be getting better bedrooms and--Nora, you’ll like this--a proper place for training. I’m thinking a basement.”

Nora springs from her seat. “We’re getting a gym?”

Cel gasps. “Can I have a library? Oh! I want my own chair in the living room! And Nora needs a bigger bedroom!”

Teacher rubs his forehead and gently bumps Uncle Arthur’s shoulder. “You just had to get them started.”

Uncle Arthur grimly announces. “We’ll be getting a pool.”

Cel’s joy plummets. She nearly falls out of her chair.

“Oh, you bastard,” Teacher groans as Cel goes paler than a sheet. “You know I’ll be the one teaching her.”

Uncle Arthur smiles grimly. “The perils of fatherhood.”

“I’m starting to understand why you roped me into it.” Teacher sounds annoyed, but he looks amused. As he assesses Cel’s horrified expression, his amusement fades. “Oh, sweet Cel. Don’t worry over it. No matter what, we don’t let anything happen to you. Nora threw you in the pool, but she got you back out, didn’t she?”

As Cel nods, Nora frowns. “I didn’t throw her. I pushed them.”

Teacher shuts her up with a sharp glance.

“Fear is irrational,” Teacher tells Cel. “You want conquest? Conquer your fear.”

Cel drops her head onto Nora’s shoulder and sighs, but Nora’s chest is blooming with joy. She thinks she understands what conquest means now. And she understands why Cel likes the word so much.

Cel’s read her so many stories of brave heroes who ripped thrones from evil rulers and of masterminds who tricked powerful generals into their graves. Nora’s never said so, but when Nora imagines the heroes in those stories, in her mind, they always look and sound just like Cel.