It was still dark when Aika rolled off her little mat in the sleeping quarter and shuffled to the basin. The other slaves were also rousing, and someone had already lit the fire in the hearth; Aika could smell bread baking. The kitchen slaves always got up earlier to get the oven going. She splashed cold water on her face, taking care to rub the sleep from her eyes, and then dried it on her apron. There.

She dressed and ate a piece of left-over flatbread from the night before. Basa joined her, and so did Enes and Lyta. "Gonna go serve th' witch?" Basa made her eyes go wide and she made a little spooky noise. "Whoooo. Better take 'er up a snack. Might eat you if she's 'ungry." And then she snickered.

Aika shoved her. "That's not funny!" She chewed her hard piece of bread furiously, then gave up, dipping it in her cup of lukewarm water. "There's something wrong with her. She's…she's not right. She's…she's…" Aika shuddered and hunkered down. "She's got a nasty temper. She pretends to be all nice but she's not. She's mean."

Enes snorted. "That there's a Sander witch, Aika. Don't be letting her curse you none."

"Well, how'm I supposed to do that, Enes?" Aika smacked her friend on the arm. "You're not helping!"

"Don't look her in the eye." Lyta nodded sagely. "And make the sign whenever you can. To keep her evil off you." Aika looked down and curled her fingers, moving her thumb over her bent forefinger and then down. "Yes, like that!" Lyta bit into her own piece of bread and made a face. "Why can't we get something hot for breakfast?"

Enes shushed her. "Don't be complainin'. Least we be getting breakfast—that be lucky enough."

Lyta rolled her eyes. "But Master Gaios is a strategos. I heard House Astros gives all their slaves hot meals. And they get meat every weekend. Every weekend!" She looked down at her bread and sighed. "I want fish. Grilled fish. Or even a piece of salted jerky for soup."

Basa, Enes, and Aika glanced at each other. Lyta was spoiled, but they knew better than to make fun; city girls were all high-minded anyway, and Lyta didn't complain too bad. She worked hard enough, though sometimes she said stupid things.

But she could write her own name and read receipts. That was useful, and she knew all sorts of good things.

"And clothes," Lyta was saying. "They get new clothes and new sandals every six months, and wages every month."

Aika and Enes glanced at each other, though Basa only rolled her eyes. "Go an' fuck kyrios Nikias, then," Basa said, snorting. "Maybe e'll take ya 'ome wit' 'im."

Lyta blinked. "Oh. That's not a bad idea."

Aika smacked her on the arm. "Lyta!"

"What?"

"That's wrong! Whoring is wrong!"

The three girls looked at each other and burst out laughing. "It's not whoring, stupid. It's smart. What, you want to be a slave forever?" Lyta was laughing so hard that she could barely talk.

"No. But you can't just go…go…fu-fu-fucking!"

"Why not? It's even better if you have a baby. He has to take care of you then."

Basa and Enes looked at each other and nodded.

"Tha's right. Don' be stupid. Ya ain't ever gonna be free if ya can't take a good fuckin'." Basa shrugged. "Ya gotta do it while yer young an' pretty. No man likes puttin' it in a hag."

"Nuh-uh. Sometimes he just kills it and gets rid of you." Aika reached over and shook Lyta, who made a noise of shock and smacked the smaller girl off her.

"What be the matter with you?" Enes yanked Aika back so she fell on her bottom. Lyta leaned in with a conspiratorial look.

"Did he?"

"What?"

"Kyrios Nikias! Did he get one pregnant and kill the babe?" Aika stared at her friends blankly.

Aika didn't know anything about kyrios Nikias. But…but…

She hunched over, trying not to think too hard. "I don't know anything about House Astros," she mumbled.

"See? His mama's a whore, ain't she?"

"Basa!"

"What? She is. Was. Whatever. And he ain't dead—he's the bloody damn heir. House Astros runs different. I'm telling you—you want out? Fuck an Astros."

"Damn," Lyta muttered. "Are Sanders that good at fucking? Or are they all witches?" She continued mumbling to herself.

…Was she really thinking about it? Really?

"But…" Aika couldn't decide who to answer first.

"Didn't you say Lukios the Lion bought that sandy whore a whole heap of jewels?"

"Yes, but…"

"See? Fucking be working." Enes shrugged. "And if he don't be freeing you, you sell your jewels and be freeing yourself. There."

"But that's different. She witched him, so he can't kill her. Or beat her. Or…anything else." Aika didn't have any magic, and Lyta didn't either. What if the nobleman Lyta fucked didn't want any bastard babies? What would he do to her? Or the baby?

And…rich men weren't always nice. Not to slave girls. Not when they were…they were…

Aika put her bread down, feeling sick. "Lyta, I don't think it's a good idea. S-sleeping with a rich man and having his baby, I mean. Sometimes they're mean."

"Ha, you're a real rabbit, aren't you, Aika?" Basa elbowed her, grinning. "Scared o' everythin'."

"I'm not." Aika leaned away, avoiding her elbows. "I'm just…just…being sensible."

"You'll be workin' 'ere forever, rabbit-girl. Til yer old and yer teeth fall out. Ain't no one gonna free ya then."

Lyta giggled. "Unless the witch-whore eats you first." She made a chewing motion, closing her jaws together so her teeth clicked.

"That's not funny!" But her friends were already laughing.

"It be real funny," said Enes. "But you be careful." They sobered. "I be hearing Sander witches bathe in the blood of babes. It be keeping them young."

Aika grimaced, but Lyta nodded knowingly. "Yes, you have to be careful, Aika. Remember: make the sign against evil, and don't look her in the eye. Try not to talk to her too much, and keep her in a good mood if you can. Compliment her, and don't tell her she's got the face of a goat."

"I know Lyta." Aika hunched over, regretting her friendliness on the first day. Aika hadn't known she was a Sander witch. She'd just wanted to meet a real Sander, that was all; how could Aika have known?

But it was obviously true. Kyrios Lukios wouldn't leave a woman like Mistress Arete for a scrawny Sander woman with a goaty-face if she hadn't gone and witched him.

"You want the rest of your bread?" Lyta eyed Aika's portion, and picked it up eagerly when Aika shook her head. "Thanks, rabbit!"

"You're welcome," she mumbled. "Lyta, let's switch."

Lyta gave her a pitying look. "Sorry, no. I like being alive and uncursed." She put the piece in her mouth and spoke around it. "Besides, kyrios Nikias asked for you, and Master Gaios said 'yes.'" She put her hand on Aika's shoulder. Basa and Enes joined in, giving her an impromptu hug.

"Ya'll be fine. Don' be stupid, an' you'll be fine. Just do like Lyta said: smile, say nice things, an' don't look 'er in th' eye."

Right. Be smart, except kyrios Nikias wanted Aika to report to him.

Go spy on a witch, Aika!

Go befriend her, then tell me all of her secrets!

Surely nothing would go wrong!

She grimaced. No. It wasn't that nothing would go wrong. It was that kyrios Nikias was a rich man, and he could buy Master Gaios a dozen Aikas once the witch ate her.

Oh sweet Demeter. Aika was going to die. She was going to get eaten, or at the very least, cursed.

Gods, gods, gods.

"It be time for you to go, no?" Enes pointed outside. The black had started to fade as the first faint streaks of pink began climbing the horizon.

"Oh!" Aika stood. "I have to go!"

The girls laughed. "Go!"

Lyta grinned, the gap between her teeth suddenly pronounced with a piece of bread stuck in it. "And maybe if you do good, kyrios might fuck you."

Aika shuddered—in disgust or terror, she didn't know—and left.

"Kyria?" Aika stuck her head into the room. She'd knocked three times already, but there'd been no answer; she'd had no choice but to stick her neck out. Aika imagined the lady'd be mad if Aika opened the door while she was with kyrios Lukios, and Aika didn't think that'd end well for her.

Kyrios seemed completely enchanted. Would he stop the witch if she cursed Aika?

She didn't think he would.

She plastered a smile on her face as she called out again. "Kyria?"

There was no answer. The room was empty as could be.

Aika released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, shoulders slumping. She pushed her hair behind her ear as she looked around. The sheets were mussed, and Aika wrinkled her nose once she got closer.

There were black streaks on the pillows, and the room stunk. Aika grimaced, wondering what the witch'd been up to—was that some kind of potion? Maybe a love potion? Witches like to use potions, didn't they? Once, when Aika had been really little, there'd been a witch in her village who'd been caught making potions out of babies' blood. Mama'd said that was how witches stayed young and beautiful forever, and the Aika had to be careful until she was a grown-up in case she got caught by one. Otherwise, she'd get bled out like a pig at the butcher's to keep a witch young and pretty. Sir Orius had decided she be buried up to her neck and stoned, and so that's what they'd done. She'd cursed at them and bled a lot, until she couldn't curse anymore. It'd been real awful, the way her skin started hanging in strips.

She hadn't been so pretty then. Her face had been mushed up meat by the time she'd finally died. Aika wrung her fingers in her apron, trying not to think about it.

At least this witch didn't look that young or that pretty. She probably wasn't killing babies. Probably. But the other girls were right: she'd done something to kyrios Lukios for sure. She had to have, with a face like that. Why would he betray a woman like Mistress Arete for a scrawny Sander like Ba'an if he hadn't been witched? That didn't make any sense at all, and he's spent so much money on her: pins, combs, mirrors, rings, earrings, necklaces, shawls, chitons, new shoes and…the list went on and on, and Aika was sure the kyrios had lost his mind—or had it taken from him, which was what witches always did.

If he really had been stabbed, then he'd have had no choice but to eat and drink what she'd given him. That was what she'd done: put the potions in his food in drink. If Aika had been a witch—which she wasn't!—that's what she would've done. He'd have had no choice at all but to fall in love with her, then.

Except Aika wasn't a witch, so she couldn't make a rich handsome man fall in love with her, which meant a rich handsome man wasn't going to free her, and he was definitely not going to marry her, because Aika wasn't a witch. She was just a slave-girl who was going to get eaten by a witch, because she was really, really unlucky.

But she wasn't a child anymore, so maybe not?

Unless Sander witches used other bits off people.

She shuddered again.

She walked around the room, looking for anything out of place. Aika didn't really know what she was looking for, but she'd cleaned this room for months now; if there was anything different, she'd notice, and then she'd go and tell sir Medoros so he could tell kyrios Nikias.

She worried her lips between her teeth.

He was scary, too.

Aika folded her hands into her apron and wrung them together so the fabric twisted. The rough texture helped distract her from her darting thoughts.

Aika really, really wished she hadn't helped the witch on the first day here; it had just been bad luck. Bad luck.

No, it was because Aika'd been stupid. Why'd she have to and be all friendly? Now she was stuck with the witch, and she really, really wished Lyta hadn't told Aika all about Sander witches, because if she had to get eaten by a witch, wasn't it better to just not know?

Except even if Lyta hadn't told her, she should've guessed it because it was obvious, wasn't it? Whenever Aika stood next to her, she felt the little hairs on her arms and the back of neck prick and stand up, and there was something about her black eyes and flat stare that made her want to hide behind something, except…that would be really stupid, 'cause it'd give her away.

She grimaced again.

Actually, kyrios Nikias made her hair stand on end, too. Maybe he was a witch, too?

She put her hand over her mouth and stifled her nervous giggles.

No, that was stupid and silly. He wasn't a real Sander, and on top of that he was a man. And he wasn't mean, either, and House Astros treated their slaves so good!

Why hadn't Aika been bought by House Astros?

She sighed. Meat every weekend. That would be yummy. And new shoes! Twice a year! She looked down at her sandals. Well, these weren't bad, but they were wearing a bit thin. New sandals would be nice, especially ones with thicker straps. And maybe some socks? It was getting colder now.

House Origos gave a bit of money on feast days and extra food, but that wasn't the same as a wage.

If Aika were paid every month, could she buy herself free before she was old and ugly? She could have a proper life then, couldn't she? Maybe she could marry a merchant! That would be exciting! They could have six kids: three girls and three boys. They'd name the oldest girl 'Arete', because that was a very good, pretty name (and if Mistress Arete was pleased, maybe she would help Aika's husband by buying his wares?), and they'd name the oldest boy…

Not Leandros.

Aika pushed the sick feeling in her stomach away.

They'd name him after his da or grandpa. That was what people normally did.

Aika crawled under the bed. Nothing there, either.

She checked every nook and corner, but everything looked fine except the smears of black on the sheets and pillows. Aika had to change the sheets anyway—they looked awful and they stunk—so she stuffed them into her laundry basket. She'd give them to sir Medoros instead of taking it down to Lipso.

The bowl full of flowers gave her pause. They were so pretty. Aika touched one and giggled. The washing bowl was a silly place to put them, but kyrios Lukios did lots of silly (but sweet! Really sweet!) things. She remembered he'd once gone all the way to Lofos to buy Mistress Arete a gray horse with white-dappled hind legs for her birthday because she had really wanted one. He'd decorated the mane and tail with lots and lots of flowers—Mistress Arete's favourite flowers—and the girls had all dreamed about being bought, freed, and married by Lukios the Lion for ages after that.

Aika sighed.

Except now he was witched out of his mind. It was sad.

But maybe that was what kyrios Nikias was worried about? Maybe he could do something? He was friends with lots of priests, wasn't he?

Aika glanced around then plucked a flower from the bowl and dropped it in the laundry basket. Maybe they were important?

Aika continued until she came upon the clothes chest.

She stared at it, licking her lips.

Would she know if Aika opened it?

The girl squatted to take a closer look. She didn't see anything strange. It looked normal, just like it had when it'd been empty. But…

Did witches have to draw something to put spells on things? Or could they be invisible?

Aika slid across the floor slowly, inspecting the wood.

It looked normal. Utterly, completely normal.

Slowly, Aika raised a finger and poked the chest. She flinched reflexively, bracing herself—

But nothing happened. She reached out and put her hand on the lid. Nothing.

She lifted it, and still, nothing awful happened. Nothing jumped at her from the shadows. She didn't fall over dead, cursed, or in pain.

Aika peered inside.

There was a pile of old, dirty-looking leather bags on top. Aika knew one of them had that tea she liked—suk, she called it—but she didn't know what was in the other bags or bundles. Aika frowned at them, then carefully opened them up. The knots were tied so strangely, but she managed to work them loose.

They were just powders. Little tea leaves. The witch liked her tea, except maybe it wasn't tea? Maybe she used it for her potions?

Aika took the linens from the basket. She could probably take a pinch of each and knot the cloth closed; it took a little longer than she'd thought, but she managed.

She unrolled a bundle of leather. Inside, wrapped in a surprisingly clean square of white cloth, were torture tools—there were sharp little knives and pinchers and needles, and Aika shuddered.

What a monster. But of course she was; Ba'an—if that was her name—was so cold and when she spoke it was in a tone that Aika recognized very well: slaves always recognized masters. They all spoke the same way, though some used prettier words than others.

Even kyrios Lukios did it. He said things nicely but Aika knew no slave dared tell him no, but Aika would rather have kyrios Lukios as a master than a Sander witch who probably ate babies, or at least sacrificed them to her evil gods.

Surely kyrios Lukios'd been witched. He couldn't love something like that.

Aika rolled everything back up, just the way she'd found it. She didn't think she could take any of these; the witch would notice, and that'd be it for Aika. She'd just have to tell sir Medoros what she'd found.

Aika found some other Sander things—barbaric things, like earrings made from bone, ugh—but nothing that seemed very important.

She shifted her attention away and peered deeper into the chest.

Wow. Those were really, really nice. Slowly, she reached out and touched the fabric of the clothes inside. Oh, these were woven so finely! Aika sighed. What wouldn't she give to have a husband who'd buy her such nice clothes and smile while he did it!

She shook her head. No, no. Aika didn't know where the witch'd gone, but she could be back any second! Aika'd be really, really dead if she got caught.

If she didn't find anything good, kyrios Nikias would be mad. Were the powders enough? She didn't think he'd beat her or anything like that, but…

Wouldn't it be sad if kyrios Lukios stayed witched until he died? That'd be so awful. He was so kind and generous and handsome, and sometimes when he visited he'd bring little baskets of sweetmeats and 'forget' them in the kitchen…

She sighed again, then squared her shoulders. She rifled through the things in the chest, careful not to disturb anything, or to put things back exactly the way she'd found them if she did. It was slow and careful going, and she had to stop to wipe the nervous sweat from her hairline once or twice.

No, the rest of it was just clothes. Clothes, jewels, fancy, pretty things…

Aika frowned as something snagged. The chest was too deep for her to get a good grip that far down, but she could do it if she put her chin on the top layer of folded clothes and reached straight down with her arm. She grasped the soft, silky thing and eased it free from the bottom of the chest. When she drew it up, she burst out into nervous giggles.

It was just some stupid Sander decoration: a big, black feather. Perfectly savage. The witch probably wore it in her hair or hung it like a necklace.

Or maybe she used it to mix potions.

Aika grimaced and put it back, sliding it under the last layer of clothes, exactly where it'd been; she rubbed her fingers together, then wiped them on her apron.

Well. That was it, wasn't it?

Aika took one last look at the chest, making sure everything was back exactly the way she'd found them, then closed the lid. She poked her head out with her basket of laundry, flower, and powders, then nonchalantly went down the hall.

Maybe kyrios would let her stop attending to the witch?

Aika could only hope.

"Are you certain this was everything?"

Aika fidgeted, heart thumping in her chest. She hadn't thought sir Medoros would take her to see kyrios Nikias!

Why would he? Kyrios was always so busy!

But here he was, sitting in his office already even though the sun wasn't all the way up yet, groomed and alert with his dark, dark eyes that never missed anything. Aika thought he would be very handsome if he smiled more, but he rarely did. When he did smile, it never quite reached his eyes.

Sir Medoros had taken her into the office and muttered into his master's ear before taking his spot behind him, back to the wall. Aika couldn't tell anything at all from his expression—sir Medoros was a very, very good aide.

"Y-y-yes?"

"Is there any uncertainty, or are you merely nervous?"

"I-I-I-"

He sighed. "Aika. Sit." He gestured to the chair across his desk. Aika jumped, then plopped herself into the seat so quickly that she smacked her bottom against the wood hard enough to hurt. Kyrios looked like he wanted to say something, but he only shook his head. "I will not punish you as long as you speak honestly."

"Y-y-yes, kyrios."

Kyrios looked at her another beat, then gestured to Medoros, who walked to the door and said something to one of the guards, the one with the crooked nose. He got up and left.

Aika tried her best not to squirm, though she wanted desperately to throw up, though that'd definitely get her into trouble, so she had to hold it in—really, really, really.

She took a slow breath and listened to the little gurgling sound of the water clock. It was a nice sound: like sitting by a little fountain.

Kyrios was looking at all the items one by one. Aika watched as he sniffed the stained sheet and set it aside. He unwrapped the linens and poked a finger in the powder and sniffted it. Then, to her utter shock, he tasted it. He took a sip of water and did it with each unknown bit of witch-dust; he didn't look worried at all.

But what if they were poisons? Or magic potions?

Aika squirmed.

"Yes?"

"What if they're poisons?" She clamped a hand over her mouth, mortified.

But kyrios only looked amused. "The dose makes the poison." Aika stared at him, uncomprehending. "Poisoning," he explained, "is about dosage. Most Sander poisons need more than a drop to kill. They are not particularly concentrated." His look of amusement returned. "If you were worried, you ought to have said something sooner. If they were poison, it would be too late for me now, wouldn't it?"

Aika slumped lower in her seat, heart slamming into her ribcage. That was true. Oh no. Did he think she was trying to…to…

Kyrios frowned. "That was a joke."

"Oh." Aika considered trying to laugh, but she was certain it would sound forced, which was worse than not laughing at all.

Sir Medoros snorted. "Your jokes are about as funny as a lawyer's invoice."

"Now that's just cruel." Aika felt her eyes go round as a smile flickered over kyrios mouth before disappearing. "I don't pay you to sass me, Medoros."

"Well, you don't pay me at all. Your father does."

Kyrios only shook his head. "The things I put up with around here."

"Ah, yes, the pain of being waited on hand and foot. A true tragedy." Sir Medoros winked at Aika. "Don't mind him. He's an Astros. Jokes are a foreign language they never quite master." Aika felt her eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets at his daring. Wasn't he a slave, too?

"We spend our time mastering other things, like law and commerce. Here." Kyrios handed the bundle of scraps with the powders inside to sir Medoros, who promptly tossed them into the fire.

Oh.

"They were only common Sander cures," Kyrios said. Aika tried not to look too disappointed, but she dreaded what he might say next; would he ask her to keep spying? On the witch?

"You said you found other things in her chest." Oh. Yes.

"Um…yes. She had some Sander jewellery—or I think they were. Earrings, I think. Made of bones." Aika grimaced, though Kyrios did not react. "And some kind of…hair pin?" Aika shrugged. "Feathers. And bone. And um…leather things."

Kyrios did not look very interested in Sander jewellery, which made sense; why would he?

The jewellery was all barbaric and ugly, anyway.

Aika cleared her throat. "She had torture tools."

Kyrios raised an eyebrow. "Torture tools? Describe them." Aika did, and she watched him look very calm and unruffled about it. How could he be so calm? Wasn't he worried that she'd do something to some poor, hapless slave, like Aika?

"Hm." He did not comment further, and Aika squirmed.

"But she might use them."

"On patients, yes." He shrugged.

Patients?

"It is good to know." It was? Aika stared at him expectantly, but he did not explain himself—well, why would he? She was just some slave girl. He picked up the bright red flower and looked at it for a long moment. Then, without comment, he waved to Medoros who took it and tossed it into the fire. The room was beginning to smell very floral, now.

Someone knocked on the door. It was another slave, but with a platter of food and hot tea.

Aika's belly grumbled, and she hunkered down, trying to disappear. To her shock, sir Medoros brought the tray and put the food in front of her. Aika's mouth watered reflexively at the smell: it was hot porridge, and she could see bits of jerky floating in it. Meat!

Kyrios stared at her. Aika tried to surreptitiously wipe her mouth before he noticed, but she had a feeling it was too late.

"That's yours, Aika." Sir Medoros smiled, but Aika thought there was some pity there, too. "You look like you're about to faint."

"Oh." Eyeing kyrios, Aika, slowly reached up and grasped the spoon to eat her porridge. She hadn't meant to scarf it down, but after the first bite, the second came faster, and the third came even faster after that, and before she knew it, the bowl was empty.

Kyrios had only raised an eyebrow, though he did not comment.

Once she finished, sir Medoros poured her tea; Aika nearly fainted at that, too, but she couldn't refuse or complain, so she drank it. It was very good—sweet and milky, with real honey—and Aika burned her tongue slurping it down.

Wow. House Astros really was nice to their slaves, weren't they?

Damn. Why hadn't she been bought by House Astros? She'd be eating meat every weekend, then.

"Well," said kyrios. "If you're quite comfortable, I want you to tell me exactly what you've learned since the day she got here."

Well, she ought to have expected that.

"Ummm…" Aika squirmed. "I went to get her food and she disappeared. But one of the other girls told me she was with lady Kallisto."

Kyrios only nodded. "Continue."

"Um…she witched kyrios Lukios."

At this kyrios Nikias leaned forward. His expression grew serious. "Do you have any evidence of black magic?"

"E-e-evidence?"

"That is a very serious assertion, Aika. You must understand that an investigation into malicious use of witchcraft will have serious consequences, and not only for lady Ba'an."

Oh.

Yes.

Aika thought of the witch they'd stoned at the village and shuddered.

"I…well." She cleared her throat. "I don't know…if she did. But he…he…he wouldn't betray Mistress Arete like that without…without…"

Kyrios Nikias' eyebrows furrowed. "Are they still courting?"

"Um…" Aika had thought so, but Aika had not been at the main house for months and months. She'd come out to Kyros with Master Gaios. "I thought…?"

Kyrios and sir Medoros glanced at each other. "What makes you believe lady Ba'an has witched sir Lukios, if we ignore the relationship between lady Arete and sir Lukios?"

Aika squirmed. "He's always with her at night. And he…he's odd now. I think she gave him a love potion." Sir Lukios' head always turned in her direction, even when he was speaking with someone else. All the girls said so. One of them had told Aika that he'd come to the kitchens in the middle of the night for food and drink because she'd wanted some, and…

Wait. Hadn't they had an argument with kyrios Nikias in the garden?

…Was he investigating the witch, or was this about something else entirely?

Kyrios' neutral expression didn't change. "Have you caught her dosing his food or drink?"

"Um…no. She always makes me leave at night. She always knows if I'm…lingering. I don't know how."

"Did you find any odd bottles or other items, aside from what you've reported?"

"…No."

Kyrios frowned. "That's hardly enough to start an investigation into black magic, Aika."

"Oh." She twiddled her thumbs. "What would you need?"

"If you witnessed her using magic on him, for instance. Or if you found something more substantial in her things, like a real potion or poison." Aika had a sinking feeling that he was going to send her to the witch again.

Oh no.

"Um…but…but…" Suddenly, kyrios Nikias turned his head to the wall, toward the courtyard. Sir Medoros blinked, looking more alert than he had all morning.

Someone shouted outside. Sir Medoros hastened to the window and peered out. Aika heard the gates open and the sound of hooves hitting the cobblestones. Voices floated in from the courtyard and sir Medoros made a noise of surprise.

"Master!" Sir Medoros withdrew from the window. "It's kyria Arete and kyrios Leandros."

Kyrios Nikias only hummed, but Aika barely heard it: It was Mistress Arete and Master…Leandros.

Leandros.

Her world seemed to compress and expand all at once, and there was a loud rushing sound in her ears. Strange. She could see kyrios Nikias as he turned his head to look at her, frowning, but it was like she was outside her body, like the real Aika was somewhere in the corner of the room, watching, as the edges of her vision seemed to go a bit black and crackly. She could feel her heart pumping in her chest, racing with the frenzy of a horse driven by a whip, but it felt distant, like the heart itself belonged to some other woman named 'Aika.'

A shadow fell over her: a man's shadow. Aika would have fled, but she was rooted to the spot as he reached out for her with his large, strong hands, hands that she had no chance of fighting—

"Aika!" His hands were on her cheeks, which were strangely wet. "Aika!"

A feeling of calm washed through her, and the wild, scritchy noise in her ears began to die down with her jumping pulse; it was like she had gone into a nice, cool bath on a hot summer's day, and she could feel her muscles start to unclench; eventually, the black at the edges of her vision curled away, and she was back in her body again, staring up into kyrios Nikias' face. He looked worried, which was not an expression she had ever imagined she'd see him wear, no matter what.

As she watched, a trickle of blood made its way out of his nose and over his mouth, then down his chin. It splashed onto his pristine white chiton, and she blinked. "Oh!"

He released her face and stepped away, reaching up to pinch his nose. Sir Medoros hurried over with a cloth, which kyrios accepted with his usual unflappable calm.

"Master Nikias!" Sir Medoros sounded alarmed. "I knew it. I knew it! You should have stayed abed today."

But kyrios only waved him away. "I'm fine, and it's my own fault for drinking." He glanced at Aika, and she stared down at her toes. She was standing now, though she didn't remember when she'd done that; the teacup was in pieces on the floor, and so was the tea. She gripped her apron and began to wring it, anxious.

Oh no. Those rugs were spoiled for good. Tea stains didn't come out, and the rugs had been imported.

"Aika."

"K-k-kyrios?" She flinched. He was definitely going to punish her now. What kind of idiot dumped a perfectly good cup of tea on fine Eirian rugs?

"We're short on hands at the central office. You're going to help the assistants move the books from the old library to the storage depot."

She stared up at him. She'd understood maybe half of that.

Sir Medoros looked just as baffled. "We are? She is?"

"Yes." Kyrios removed the square of cloth from his nose. It was very bloody, but his nose seemed to have recovered. "Medoros. See to it. I'm going to clean up and change." He dipped the clean corner of the cloth in the glass of water and wiped the blood from his face the best he could, then left, his bodyguards silently detaching themselves from the walls to follow him down the hall. Aika stared at his diminishing back, still confused.

What had just happened?

"Well," sighed sir Medoros, eyeing her clothes. "You can hardly work at the central office in that." She glanced down at herself. Her clothes were fine. The cloth was undyed, but it was clean. What was wrong with her clothes?

"Come along," said sir Medoros. "Let's get you something suitable."

Aika stumbled along, head whirling.

So she didn't have to keep spying on the witch?

She clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from giggling hysterically.

She didn't have to spy on the witch! That was great! That was perfect! And if she was at the central office, then—

Then—

She'd never cross paths with Master Leandros again.

Ah, sweet Demeter.

Thank you.