Ada Hasard sat at her dining room table, a nervous biscuit clutched in her hand. Before her was a slowly cooling cup of tea. Despite her attempts to control herself, she was shivering.

"I don't know, I don't know," her father was saying "This is so sudden, I cannot process it, there are so many unknown factors, so many ... so many things unknowable. Let me collect myself, please. Allow me a moment."

"Of course," said Fin. He was sitting across from Ada's father, his cane resting comfortably across his lap. He took a sip of his tea.

"And yet, no!" said Luc. "I cannot be allowed a moment! Even now there may be the college porters, or worse, approaching this very apartment! Every second that Ada remains here is another second that she is in such danger ... yes. Yes, you must take her, you must keep her safe, there are others like her, that travel with you also? Together, your strength will be great, the risk of discovery also is greater, of course it is, but the chance of resisting, of escaping—Mr Fin, I put my trust in you, my absolute trust, understand me when I say that my daughter is everything, my most precious treasure, understand what I am asking of you here."

"I understand perfectly, Professor Hasard," said Fin. "Rest assured, if the safety of your daughter necessitated the laying down of my own life, I would do so without hesitation."

Luc stood. He walked around the table and, after waiting for Fin to stand, he took his hand with both of his own, his eyes shining with tears.

"Thank you," he said, voice heavy and awkward with unaccustomed emotion. "Thank you."

Luc turned to his daughter.

"Ada," he said, and then he couldn't speak for several seconds. "Ada," he repeated, when he was able to talk once more. "Keep yourself safe. Above all else, please, do this. For now I must remain here, as much for your sake as for my own—"

"Why?" Ada said. She stood and took a hesitant step towards her father. "Why can't you come with me? Why ... why do I have to go alone?"

"You will not be alone," Luc said. "You will be with Mr Fin, and with others like yourself, you will be safe with them, safer than you would be here with me. I will remain, I will obfuscate and deceive those who might seek to find you, I will send them on merry chases of phantom gold so that you shall remain safe. Later, we will meet again, once I am sure attention is not upon me, I shall seek you out—ah, do you remember, when you were younger, we created a code together, you and I, a secret between only us?"

Ada nodded. "Treasure wolf," she said.

"We will use this to contact one another, this I shall use to find you." Luc turned to smile weakly at Fin. "Mr Fin," he said, "once you have found this 'home', this sanctuary, I wonder if there might be room for a humble scientist?"

"Professor Hasard, had you not asked I would have invited you. For now we shall protect your daughter, so that later you may join her."

"You see, my little wolf?" Luc said to his daughter. "We will not be apart for so long. We must come together once more. Forget, for the moment, logic. Forget reason. We will find one another again. This I know because my heart tells me."

Ada hugged her father tightly, for as long as she could, and then she turned to Fin, her young face serious.

"Mr Fin," she said. "I'll do my best not to be a burden on you."

"I am quite sure you'll be nothing of the kind."

"Is there time ... can I pack my things?"

"Of course, but do so quickly. If even one person knows of your powers—"

"I know," Ada said. She ran for her room. Fin watched her go, then turned his attention to Luc.

"Professor Hasard," he said, his voice low and serious. "I wonder if I might ask a rather personal question..."

Ashley paced around the guest room she was sharing with her sister, while Maya played with a glass of water.

"I hate waiting," Ashley muttered. "Where the hell is he, anyway? What's he got to do that's so damn important—"

There was a knock on the door, fast and impatient. Ashley stalked over to open it, revealing Selene.

"Put on your boots and pack your bags," she said. "We're leaving."

Ashley turned to Maya.

"Kid," she began, but Maya was already lacing up her shoes. Ashley grinned as she put on her own boots.

"What's the rush, anyway?" she asked Selene. "Someone notice you looking at 'em?"

"There's another girl like us at this college. Fin rescued her."

"'Rescued'?"

"Apparently she told someone what she could do."

Ashley snorted. "Sounds like she ain't that smart."

She straightened—Maya was already at her side, both their bags in her hands.

"Okay," Ashley said to Selene. "Let's go, Princess."

Selene, Ashley and Maya met Fin in one of the quieter ground floor corridors. With him was a rather pale girl, with short brown hair in a bob cut and odd-coloured eyes behind round glasses. She carried a leather bag in both hands.

"Selene, Ashley, Maya, this is Ada Hasard. Ada, these are my other charges."

"I ain't anyone's charge," Ashley said. She cast her eyes over Ada. "So you're the new girl, huh? Good to meet ya, I guess."

"I ... I hope I won't be a burden to any of you," Ada said. "I haven't travelled much ... well, at all, actually, but I'll do my best to keep up with the rest of you—"

"Relax, kid, damn. Calm down, we ain't gonna bite ya."

"Selene, would you be so kind as to escort Ada to the carriage?" Fin said. "I don't believe anyone will search for her there, so she should be safe for the moment."

Ada looked up at Fin, her eyes wide. "We're not leaving?"

"I have an urgent matter I must—"

"Nah, wouldn't worry about that," Ashley said. "Your professor guy died, all his stuff got sold to a trader."

"Ah," said Fin. "Well. In that case, yes, we should leave immediately—"

Fin stopped talking as a broad-shouldered, thick-eyebrowed porter came into view, turning a corner to walk towards them with purpose. However, it soon became clear that this purpose had nothing to do with them, as he simply tipped his hat as he walked past. Then he stopped, looked back, and grinned at Ada.

"Miss Hasard," he said. "Sorry, didn't notice you there for a moment. Sir," he added, with a tip of the hat to Fin. "Ladies." Another tip of the hat, this one directed generally at Ashley, Maya and Selene. "Just ran into a couple of your family friends," he said to Ada. "Sent 'em up to your apartment, didn't know you were going out. If you run you might catch 'em, though."

Ada was silent, her face even paler than before. She managed a smile at the porter.

"Thanks, Mr Goodly," she said, her voice only a little shaky.

"You all right, Miss Hasard?"

"I'm fine," said Ada. "Really."

"Well, take care of yourself. Good luck with your experiment," he added, with a nod towards the bag she was holding. "Mr Fin, I hope you found what you were looking for. Good day, ladies."

With a final tip of his hat, the porter turned and walked away. Ada let out a breath.

"Family friends," she said. "They must have been Blades." She swallowed a gasp as she realised what this meant, and stared up at Fin. "There are Blades looking for me!"

"Calm yourself, Miss Hasard," said Fin. "You have a strong, rational mind, more than strong enough to overcome any fear."

Ada took a breath. "Sorry," she said. "I ... I ... let's leave. Please."

"Of course. You know this college better than any of us, I would say. What is the quickest way to get to the stables from here?"

"Through the hex," Ada replied, her voice still shaking. "Otherwise we'd have to take a lot of back corridors, there'll be a lot of porters and other staff around, and it wouldn't be usual for someone ... someone like me to be there. I know the hex is exposed, but at this time of day there'll be lots of people around—"

"The hex it is, then," said Fin. "Lead the way, Miss Hasard, and quickly if you please."

It turned out that the hex was close to the corridor they were in, and, as Ada had said, busy with students rushing to and fro. Ada led the others through the crowds as calmly as she could, though her hands were sweating and her heart was beating fast and her head felt too tight—

"Ada! ADA!"

Ada hesitated then stopped, the others following her lead. A tallish girl with bright blue eyes and black hair tied into pigtails was trotting towards them, a wide smile on her face. She wore a sturdy leather apron over sensible clothes.

"I haven't seen you for AGES," the girl said, as she stopped in front of Ada. "Where have you been? Tucked away in your room doing experiments? Who are all these people?" She smiled at Fin. "Hello, I'm Violet, are you a new professor here?"

"Unfortunately not," said Fin. "Simply a friend to Luc and Ada."

"Oh. Oh well." Violet turned her attention back to Ada. "Now you, Little Miss Mouse, tell me what you've been doing."

"Fin," Selene whispered, while Ada tried her best to talk politely to her friend, "I see the Blades. They're on the third storey. They're heading down."

"I apologise," said Fin, interrupting Violet, "but I must tear young Ada away. I made a promise to her father that I'd have her home safely before a certain time, and if we don't depart immediately I may be forced to break that promise."

"Oh," said Violet, clearly disappointed. "Well, come and see me soon, okay? I miss you, Mouse!"

"I ... I miss you too," said Ada, only partly succeeding in keeping the unwanted emotion from her voice. "I'll come and see you ... I'll see you as soon as I can, okay?"

"Okay," said Violet, firmly. "Take care, then. Um, all of you, too—is this some kind of field trip?"

"Something like that," said Fin. "Good day, Miss Violet."

"Bye!"

Ada took a single, shuddering breath, pushing down the unwelcome thought that she might never see her friends or her father again.

"This way," she said. "We'd better hurry."

"Hey," said Ashley to Selene, as they started walking again. "Think those guys saw us?"

"The Blades, do you mean?" Selene said. "I'm not sure."

"Rosanthian Blades are good at concealing their intentions," said Fin. They were nearly at the other side of the hex now. "If they do not wish you to know that you've been seen, then it's more than likely that you will not."

"You use way too many words, anyone ever tell you that?" Ashley said, in response to which Fin smiled.

"Through here," Ada said, as they reached an open set of double doors on the other side of the hex. She glanced back as they walked through. "But we'll have to take the carriage back out through the hex, it'll attract attention."

"Well, some things can't be helped," said Fin. "Many things, truthfully."

They reached the stables soon after this, and Selene, Fin and Ashley worked together to make the carriage and horses ready. Ada watched and rubbed her hands together nervously, quietly clicking her teeth, wanting to help but not knowing what she might be able to do. She glanced at Maya, who smiled shyly at her.

"I like your hair," Maya said. Ada stared at her, then smiled back, weakly.

"Thank you," she said. "You're ... you're Maya?"

Maya nodded. "Ashley's my sister. She's really tough, so don't worry, if we get in trouble she can protect us. And Selene is really good at using her bow, I've seen her get a rabbit from really far away, I couldn't even see it, the rabbit I mean, until she got it. And birds, too, I don't know what they're called but they taste really nice and they have pretty feathers, all blue and shiny, but Selene can get them even when you can't see that they're blue. I mean ... they're way up high in the sky so they're just black. Um. What can you do?"

For a moment, Ada didn't understand the question. Then realisation hit her.

"Oh. I ... I can ... make lightning." Ada grimaced at herself at how stupid and unscientific this sounded, though Maya's eyes had gone wide and her mouth was a perfect 'o'.

"That's amazing," she said. "I can just do stuff with water and Ashley can make things get hot, and Selene can, well, I just told you, she's good at seeing stuff, and Mr Fin can ... um, actually I'm not really sure, but it's like knowing what people are thinking and stuff I think, but making lightning! I've only seen lightning a few times, could you make some now? Does it make the really loud noise, too?"

"There's ... there's some noise," Ada said. "Although you might be thinking of thunder? And I shouldn't really just 'make lightning', it's dangerous, I don't want to hurt anyone."

Maya nodded seriously. "I really understand," she said. "But please show me sometime soon, okay?"

"I'll—"

"Maya!" Ashley called, from where she stood at the carriage door. "Quit bothering the new girl and get in here, we're almost ready."

"I wasn't bothering her!" Maya protested, although she was already walking towards the carriage. She looked back at Ada as she walked. "Ada, I wasn't bothering you, was I? I'm so sorry if I was!"

"No ... no, it's fine," said Ada. She attempted a smile at Ashley. "She wasn't bothering me, truly."

"Well, whatever," said Ashley. "You better get in as well, don't want anyone spotting you, right?"

"Uh, yes," said Ada. "That's right."

Ada followed Maya into the carriage, stowing her bag in one of the little cupboards beneath the seats and sitting down to wait. Then she got up again and drew the curtains tighter over the windows, then she sat down once more. Then she crossed her hands in her lap. Then she uncrossed them. Then she crossed them again.

"It's okay," Maya said. "Mr Fin will take care of us. He's really nice. Selene is too. Ashley says she's a cold stuck-up princess but I don't think she is, really."

Ada closed her eyes and let Maya's chatter wash over her. Somehow, listening to the young girl's quiet, enthusiastic voice made her feel less scared, less uncomfortable—and most importantly, less alone. Already she felt the pang of homesickness, and this before she'd even left the college grounds. I can't do this, she suddenly thought, panic rising inside her, I can't leave, I don't care if they're looking for me, I'll hide, I'll just hide and Dad will protect me and we'll be together, I'll look after him, he can't live by himself, who will remind him that he needs to eat and sleep, he needs me! I can't—

"Okay, we're going," Ashley said, as she entered the carriage, Selene close behind. "Maya, what'd I tell you about bothering the new girl, you've bored her to sleep."

"I didn't! I—oh, Ada, are you okay?"

Ada opened her eyes. She noticed that her hands were trembling and gripped them tightly together to try to make them stop.

"I..." she began, but she couldn't continue. She felt exhausted, suddenly spent. I have to go, she thought. I can't stay here. It doesn't matter that Dad needs me, it doesn't matter that I don't want to go, because the fact is that if I stay they'll find me and send me to Lumière Island and do horrible things to me.

"Ada?" The voice was Selene's. Ada turned to look at her. "Fin knows what he's doing. You can trust him."

Ada nodded, though the words Selene spoke meant little to her. This is all happening to someone else, she thought, it's all just a strange, long dream, and soon I'll wake up and...

The carriage started moving. Ada took a shuddery breath.

"I'll be fine," she said. "I just—"

"I get that you're nervous but it ain't the time for talking," Ashley said, her voice low. "Shut it for now, yeah?"

Ada shut her mouth. She'd never been spoken to so roughly before, but somehow she didn't feel offended. In her state of shocked disorientation, Ashley's blunt instructions were welcome.

There was light visible around the curtains. They were moving through the hex. Outside, Ada thought, everyone will be looking at this carriage. They're wondering why it's here. The Blades who are looking for me will see it, too. They'll know why it's here. They'll order Mr Fin to stop it, and they'll look inside, and they'll—

Ada gasped as the carriage came to a stop. From outside, over the noise of the busy hex, she could hear voices—no words, just calm conversation. It's the Blades, she thought. It must be. Who else would stop us? They're talking to Mr Fin right now, they're talking to him and they'll know, because if they're looking for me then they're not just fighting Blades like my mother was, they're agents, they know when people are lying, they can tell everything just from your eyes, just by looking at Mr Fin they'll know I'm in here ... but what if it's not even them? I have to check—

"What are you doing?" Ashley hissed, as Ada moved to one of the windows, twitching the curtain aside to peer out. Before Ashley grabbed her and pulled her bodily away, Ada got a glimpse of the Blades—one a blonde woman with a serious mouth and defiant blue eyes, the other a man, more relaxed, with floppy black hair and a calmly handsome face.

"I ... I had to look—"

"No you bloody didn't!" Ashley said in a hoarse whisper as she held Ada firmly. "Curiousity'll get you killed, everyone knows that! Now sit quiet and let Fin handle this!"

"But—"

"Quiet!"

Ada tightened her mouth, and Ashley pushed her back into her seat. The conversation outside continued, infuriatingly close to being understandable, but as hard as Ada strained to hear she couldn't make out more than the occasional word—here an 'association', there a 'responsibility'.

Just as Ada thought the tension might very well kill her, the conversation ended and the carriage began to move again. She glanced at Ashley, who was looking at her sister, then leant over to risk a peek out through the curtains. The two Blades were walking away, though the blonde woman had stopped to look back at the carriage. For an instant her gaze locked with Ada's, in her eyes a haunting sadness. Then the carriage turned and the woman looked away and Ashley dragged Ada from the window once more, and they were away out of the hex, out of Trinity College, out of Grand Cerveau.

It wasn't until the sounds of the city were well behind them that the carriage stopped, and the hatch separating the inside from the driver's seat opened.

"What—" Ada began, but the gentle smile on Fin's face made her stop.

"Miss Hasard," Fin said, his voice soft. "I truly wish I could have known your mother."

With that, and another smile, Fin closed the hatch, and they were away once more.