“What’s that?” Josef said.
Tesset leaned down and pressed his finger delicately against the floor. When he lifted it, something was stuck there, glinting in the light. A tiny, curving splinter of glass.
“Question still stands,” Josef said, glancing at Tesset.
“It’s the Relay point,” Tesset said. “Or what’s left of it.”
“Powers,” the admiral whispered, staring at the wet sliver of glass. “I never knew they could be broken.”
“They’re quite delicate, actually,” Tesset said, standing up and placing the sliver of glass on the table. “Sara will be extremely distraught. Relay points are difficult to make, and we are very short at present.”
“I don’t understand,” Josef said. “Why would someone break a Relay point?”
“To cut Osera off from the Council,” Tesset said.
“But, why?” Josef asked again. “Osera has ships going to the mainland all the time. Any disruption in communication wouldn’t last past low tide. Six hours at most.”
“Six hours is plenty of time for many things,” Tesset said, pointedly not looking at Eli. “For example, if a thief were going to pull a heist, six hours would be amply sufficient to grab the goods and get away.”
“Nonsense.” Eli’s voice was equally disinterested. “No thief worth the name would break something as rare and valuable as a Relay point. Not when he can steal it, anyway. Honestly, what kind of idiot thieves do you chase?”
The admiral looked from Eli to Tesset, utterly confused. “Thieves? What are you talking about?”
“Nothing,” Tesset said. “An idle comment. Anyway, if the criminal’s objective was to isolate us, he failed.”
“How’s that?” Eli said. “Point looks pretty broken to me.”
“That it is,” Tesset said. “But Osera has two Relay points. This tower’s point was a first alert supplied by the Council specifically for this emergency. Osera’s official point is kept in the palace for the queen’s use.”
Josef set his jaw, glancing from the dead solders to the dead wizard and back again. “Admiral,” he said quietly. “Who reported this?”
The admiral blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Who found these men dead?” Josef said, his voice annoyed. “You? A guard?”
“Oh.” The admiral wiped his sweating brow. He looked as though this was all getting to be a bit much for him. “It was Princess Adela.”
Josef stopped. “Adela?”
“Yes,” the admiral said. “She had me take over here so she could go secure the Relay point at the palace.”
“Adela went to the palace?” Josef shouted.
“Yes, your highness,” the admiral said, baffled by his sudden outburst. “She thought that would be the criminal’s next target. But don’t worry, sire, I’ve yet to meet a swordsman who could get the better of your—”
Josef didn’t have time to listen, he was already headed for the door. A hundred things were clicking together in his mind: the precision of the sword strokes, the speed with which they must have been laid down, Adela circling him in the throne room, holding back. The deep sleep that he felt and she didn’t, the drugged candles and the bowl of stimulant. He glanced out the window at the castle high above them on the mountain. Even with the horse, it would take him five minutes at least to get to the back gate and another three to run to the Relay room at the top. Josef shook his head. He had no time. He had to get there now.
He hit the door to the stairs with his shoulder, slamming the poor guard on the other side into the wall. Josef didn’t even notice. He stared into the dark and shouted.
“Nico!”
She appeared before he’d finished saying her name, and Josef took a relieved breath. For a moment he’d been afraid she wouldn’t come. “I need your help.”
Nico’s pale face broke into a thin smile. That was all the answer Josef needed.
“I have to get to the palace,” he said. “Can you take me?”
Her eyes widened. “Through the shadows?”
Josef nodded.
Nico bit her lip. “I can try.”
“Try is all I need,” Josef said. “Take me to the top, if you can. The queen’s point will be in the palace watchtower.”
Nico nodded and Josef stepped forward, snatching his hand away a second before Eli’s fingers grabbed his wrist.
“I’m going,” he said before the thief could speak.
“I realize that,” Eli whispered. “But think a second, Josef. Just because she’s been drugging you to sleep doesn’t mean she’s guilty of everything else. This could all be a setup.”