Seth walked with Duvessa to the far side of the garden near the statues of the epicyons, the huge horned wolves.

"I was so excited to see you!" Duvessa said. "This is supposed to be invitation only and I had no idea you were so well connected. You've been holding out on me!"

"I'm not well connected. We're here looking for those skull rings," Seth said. "I didn't know you were invited to this." It would have been so much easier if he had known Duvessa would be here today. Keeping secrets and respecting other people's privacy sucked. Maybe he should just do one or the other.

"We! Oh! Did you bring the whole crew? Was that Booth in the funny colors?" Duvessa whirled around and lifted a hand as if she intended to call out and wave.

"Stop it! We don't want anyone to notice us."

"You don't think anyone noticed Booth's colors?"

Seth ignored that. "The rest of us are working, and I'm not even supposed to be talking to you right now." Seth glanced around. Fortunately, the people nearby were looking at where Prince Aster had gone. Chances were the Prince was already creating a new spectacle.

"Oh, okay." Duvessa turned back and made a show of straightening her gown and smoothing the fabric. "But why are you here? The Skull Gang is in the East End."

"The Skull Gang doesn't have the ring, someone on the Palace Guard does."

"Of course! I was thinking skull ring, Skull Gang, East End, they're connected. I should write that down." Duvessa seemed to just be discovering that her gown didn't have pockets.

"I think the Skull Gang formed because of the ring. But that doesn't matter. Booth's family is in trouble if we don't find that ring," Seth said.

"That is serious. What can I do to help?"

"I've been checking everyone I've seen to see if they have the ring. But I'm having trouble checking the nobles. I'm worried they're getting suspicious."

"Then leave that to me. Why do you think a noble has it? The Palace Guard took it," Duvessa asked.

"We are checking the guards, all of them. But they may have turned the ring over to someone. I know Lord Derinheld is involved with the guard, but there might be others too that I don't know. I don't know who most of those people are."

"If someone here has it, I will find it. But first, come meet my grandmother."

For some reason Duvessa's reassurances made him more nervous.

Duvessa grabbed Seth's elbow and dragged him with her over to a seating area behind the statues with a pair of braziers burning, taking the autumn chill off the air. Her grandmother was an elderly woman with the same long, dagger straight hair as Duvessa, but as gray as storm clouds instead of pitch black. She sat holding a tall staff with a raven perched on top. A second, shadowy raven perched right beside it.

Seth bowed. "Lady Countess of Ravenshroud, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Hmm. This one's polite at least. Which one is he, Duvessa?" The Countess fixed him with a steady stare. Seth felt like a mouse being hunted by an owl.

"Nana, this is my friend Seth! He has the amazing cat familiar, Mau. She is sooo cute!"

"Oh? And where is this familiar?"

Instinctively, Seth glanced in the direction of the guardhouse. "She's doing her own thing right now. I don't think she likes the crowds." Honestly he was glad. She caused issues with Reginald the Second all the time. With the original around too? Seth didn't want to deal with that.

"I'm disappointed. I wanted to see this 'silver snow leopard lynx'. Reginald here is also prone to doing his own thing. Keeping the more powerful and magical beasts as familiars can be quite the challenge."

Since Reginald had been mentioned, Seth looked up to study the bird. He very nearly looked unremarkable. He was the same size and shape as a normal raven. There were only two noticeable differences. First, Reginald had two tiny tufts on his head, like a great horned owl's but smaller. Second, he had several clear crystal-like feathers on his wings. They were flight feathers, and Seth thought those feathers near the elbow were called secondaries.

"Yes, boy?" Reginald the First said.

"Boy!" cried Reginald the Second. "Boy!"

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Reginald," Seth said and bowed. "I was admiring your feathers."

Reginald fluffed out his feathers. "Humph," he said and turned around.

"I'm a handsome boy," Reginald the Second said and turned around too.

There was a quick squabble as Reginald the First tried to knock the Second off the perch.

Neither Duvessa nor the Countess paid them any attention.

"Well? Have a seat, boy. Don't stand there and loom over me."

"Oh! Sorry." Seth pulled out a chair for Duvessa before sitting himself.

"Pour some tea, Duvessa, dear. This is a fresh pot."

The tea was piping hot. Seth blew on his cup a bit to cool it. Duvessa poured her cup last and let it sit for a bit on the table. The Countess stared at Seth and downed hers like it was merely tepid.

"A little young for you, isn't he?" the Countess asked.

"He's the youngest student in the whole school!" Duvessa said brightly.

"He's too young, Duvessa."

"Oh, no. He's a prodigy! He is one of only two first year students accepted into the Celestial Tower this semester," Duvessa bragged.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Too young for what? Seth wondered. He studied his teacup.

"High compliments," the Countess said. "You must be very advanced. The Celestial Tower is famous for starting with second years." She poured herself another cup. "What's your favorite thing about Duvessa, Seth?"

"My favorite thing?" Seth asked, confused.

"Don't you dare, Nana. I brought him over to meet you. What kind of sneaky plan are you doing with these questions?" Duvessa demanded. "Seth, don't answer that."

"It was just a question, Duvessa. I'm making conversation," the Countess said.

"Nope! I know sneaky when I see it," Duvessa said.

Seth wondered what kind of interview this was. He was getting confusing vibes from it. He glanced up at the ravens. They both were eyeing him– smugly, Seth thought.

"What are your plans for the future, boy?" the Countess asked.

"Ugh," Duvessa said.

"For now, my focus is school," Seth said. That was mostly true. There were other things distracting him a fair bit though.

"And after?" she pressed.

"I would want to do research or exploration," Seth said. "Ideally, both."

"Hmm." The Countess stared at him. "And what, exactly, are your intentions towards my granddaughter?"

"Grandmother! No! Seth is my friend, not my boyfriend! He is a boy who is my friend!" She stood up and grabbed Seth. She first started to grab his hand, but quickly moved to grab his elbow instead. She also stabilized Seth's teacup, so that not a drop spilled as she yanked him from the table.

Seth glanced back at the Countess who had a satisfied smirk as they left. "What just happened?"

"Nothing! It's nothing because there is nothing there! Ugh! I can't believe she is doing this. Oh! Blaise. I heard about what happened. We should find her."

Duvessa practically dragged Seth until they were back near the Pavilion. Amy, filling a new tray glasses, had wide eyes as she watched him stumble after Duvessa. The Steward scowled at him, but made no move to step in. Blaise turned just in time to recognize Duvessa before being grabbed and dragged off too.

"My grandmother has embarrassed me and I require company." Duvessa declared. She was already marching off to one of the hedgerow alcoves.

"You're not the only one embarrassed," Blaise said as soon as they got there. "Everyone is all 'Tsk tsk, poor girl.' I hate it. I don't want or need pity." Blaise plopped down on the stone bench. "My 'father' won't talk to me." Blaise made air quotes as she said 'father'. "I can't just leave either. I tried."

"Why can't you leave?" Duvessa asked. "Just walk out."

"There are two guards at the gate and they said I had to wait for a guardian."

It would be really inconvenient if that happened to Seth, Booth, or Owen. But Seth was confident that wearing servant's uniforms would protect them from that level of concern. Duvessa started to strategize with Blaise how to escape.

Seth turned to stare out at the party. Several of the sparring rings were in use now, and the sounds of combat joined the sound of musicians. He saw a member of the Stone Defenders walk by, soaking wet. Despite that defender person being as drippy as Blaise used to be, he had no inclination to think anything fishy about him. He wondered why he was so suspicious about that foreign woman with Lord Thurstan. Was it because of Thurstan? Or something else that triggered his suspicions subconsciously?

"Well, I suppose it's for the best you haven't left yet, Blaise," Seth said, deciding to trust Blaise not to be stupid. "I saw someone that I think we should get more information about."

"Who? What kind of information?" Blaise asked.

"I saw a woman wearing strange clothes. Most of them didn't really touch her skin, and she had her hair wrapped up," Seth said.

"So?"

"She was damp. Not dripping, like you were, but she was either really sweaty, or she has a power very similar to yours," Seth said. "She was hanging around Lord Thurstan."

"Oh! I looked into him," Duvessa said. "Since he is on our suspect list. He's very vocal about wanting to repeal the restrictions on talents in titled positions. My grandmother has said that he uses her as an example all the time and it makes her so angry."

Blaise nodded. "My father is supporting that too. He wants the title to Yuccasta, and he can't do that with a fire talent unless it is repealed. The Stoneholds mostly don't have talents, with only a few in the family having stone talents, but in my family it's almost everyone."

"And one more thing," Duvessa said. "He was a minor lord before he married Lady Jonetta. He's been title climbing."

"One of the waitresses I was talking to thought he was fishing for a new wife," Seth said. "If this woman has a talent, how would that affect his title if he married her?"

Duvessa tapped her lips. "He's already got the title. His tax collector title is his alone, his spouse wouldn't get that upon marriage. The land title, since Lady Jonetta had no other heirs, would be hers upon marriage, but she couldn't keep it upon his death if she has a talent. It would pass to an heir or return to the Crown."

"You think she has my talent, Seth?" Blaise asked. She was glowering.

"It crossed my mind. We need to verify it before we do anything." Seth pointed out the wet Stone Defender. "Other people can be wet for other reasons. We need to be sure."

"How do we do that?" Blaise asked.

"The gulliants! That's why you wanted them," Duvessa declared.

"Not just that, but yes," Seth answered.

"Alright," Blaise bounced to her feet. "Let's find out."

"Wait a minute, what are you going to do?" Seth asked.

"I have a gulliant," Blaise said. "I'm going to stab her with it."

"So violent," Duvessa said. "I like it."

What was with these people? "That's not how those work! And you can't just go around stabbing people because they might have done something," Seth protested.

"Do you have a better idea?" Blaise challenged.

"Not that! We need to make her use her power, not make her bleed," Seth said. What could he make her use her power for?

"Oh, do you have a plan?" Duvessa asked.

"Not really, but maybe a little, I think, yes. Yeah, it's rough, but I think I've got an idea," Seth said.

"Then let's hear it." Blaise stood with her hands on her hips, facing Seth with her back to the party.

"Well, to use a gulliant, she needs to cast something, preferably unstructured, with the gulliant either on her person or in her hand," Seth said. "So we need to get one into one of her pockets. And then we need to do something that will make her want to use her water talent."

"Like what?" Duvessa asked.

"I was thinking putting out a fire," Seth said.

"I can have my dad light her on fire," Blaise said. "That'll make her use it."

"Light her on fire? What if she doesn't have a water power, and we're wrong?" Seth asked. How had he never noticed how bloodthirsty the girls were?

"Pshaw," Duvessa said, waving her hand. "Details."

"We act as if she has it," Blaise declared. "If she doesn't, we can just apologize after and send her to the Circle Tower. No permanent harm done."

Seth shook his head. Lighting people on fire? Just an apology if wrong? Expecting someone else to clean up after? That was crazy. But he was coming to expect a bit of crazy from these two. "That would trigger the gulliant to be attuned to your dad. We need fire without magic."

Blaise looked so disappointed.

"It has to be enough to make her use her power, but not enough to cause serious harm," Seth insisted.

"Easy," Blaise said. "We dump a brazier on her."

Seth shook his head. Blaise was determined to burn this woman. Seth wondered if it had less to do with Blaise being bloodthirsty and more with Blaise feeling angry, embarrassed, and helpless. Blaise has had a rough day, and probably feels it's this woman's fault and she deserves all of Blaise's aggression.

"Those are magical," Duvessa said. "They have Everburning Logs in them."

Seth shook his head. "That could taint the result."

"Where are we going to get non magical fire at a big enough scale to force her to use water magic?" Blaise asked.

"I have an idea," Seth said.