“They’re pulling the tethers,” Falon says, coming up to us. “I checked with the pilot and we have a confirmed rivet set up along the gathering route.”

“How many are coming through?” Dante asks.

“Only one with credentials, but he’s ensured passage for a few others,” Falon says.

“And what are we going to do with them?” Dante asks. “Kincaid is watching the Icebox too closely right now. It will be hard to get them safely established inside.”

“You’ll figure something out,” Falon says, her words more threatening than supportive. She won’t look at Dante, clearly still angry with him over the last few weeks.

“I don’t have the sway,” Dante says, grabbing her arm.

“Since when?” Falon demands.

“Since Kincaid got ahold of her,” Dante tells Falon. Their eyes swivel to me.

I love being in the middle of fights.

“Well, we can’t leave them now. They’re safely in the slub and they’ve been promised passage.”

“They’ll have to stay with the Agenda then, until we can distract Kincaid,” Dante says.

“Kincaid is already distracted,” Falon reminds him.

“But he won’t be for long, and your trick won’t elude him. He’ll be on the lookout for activity.”

“Anyone care to fill us in on what you’re talking about?” Erik asks. I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s having trouble following the conversation.

“Kincaid is on a fool’s errand,” Dante says in a grim voice.

“A fool’s errand?” I repeat, my heart dropping into my stomach.

“The intel on the Whorl was a distraction to get him away from the Icebox,” Falon says. “We needed to be sure that he was busy.”

“Why?” I demand, feeling sick: not only had I pinned my hope on them coming back with the Whorl, but, more important, Jost had as well.

“We have good reason to believe the Whorl is under Guild protection, and we couldn’t look for it with Kincaid nosing around,” Dante tells us.

“Does that mean you know where it is?” I settle into a chair, waiting for answers.

“Not yet, but we’re closing in on it—” Dante says.

“The most important thing”—Falon interrupts him—“is that we get to it first. We can’t risk the Whorl falling into Kincaid’s hands.”

“Why not? Kincaid wants to use it to sever the worlds,” I say. Getting to the Whorl was my best option for escaping the Guild once and for all. Even if Kincaid couldn’t be trusted, he could be used as a resource.

Falon’s head swings to the left and right as she looks to see who’s around, and then she shakes her head. “Kincaid isn’t Agenda.”

I suck in a breath. “Then who is he?”

“That should be obvious,” Falon says.

“Humor me.”

“He’s the bad guy.”

“Then we can’t go back to the estate,” Erik says.

“That’s exactly what you have to do,” Dante says in a rush. “What do you think will happen if you disappear from the estate?”

“You expect us to wait around and pretend we’re on Kincaid’s side?” I ask.

“If you place any value on the Agenda—” Falon begins.

“I don’t even know what the Agenda is planning!” I explode. “Where are we going now? Why should I trust any of you? You never came for us, and Dante’s been keeping secrets from us the whole time.” The questions and accusations flood from me, unleashed in a tidal wave of recrimination.

“I couldn’t tell you about this,” Dante says in a low voice, trying to draw me down from my rage. “It wasn’t safe.”

I wiggle in my seat, folding my arms over my chest. “And now was the right time?”

“No,” Dante admits, “but you were going to get yourself in trouble. You’ve both made that clear.”

“Maybe a little trouble is needed around here,” Erik says. I nod in agreement.

“We have enough trouble without a bunch of kids adding to it,” Falon says.

“Don’t get self-righteous with me,” I say, leaning forward and jabbing a finger in her direction. “I don’t care if Dante is my father, you and I are the same age.”

“You been in a lot of gunfights? Have you watched your best friend die in your arms?” Falon asks.

“I’ve watched more than one friend die,” I seethe. “I’ve seen people I love made into monsters and I’ve escaped Cormac Patton. Let me know when you manage to rip yourself out of the Coventry.”

“So the rumors are true. You aren’t only a Spinster,” Falon says. For the first time since we met, approval glints in her eyes.

“No, I’m the goddamned Creweler,” I say with as much venom as I can muster.

“Well, she certainly has your attitude problem,” Falon says, leaning back in her chair and looking at Dante.

“Don’t get me involved with this,” he says, putting a hand up.

“You got yourself involved when you left me in Arras,” I say, jumping from my seat and crossing to the first door I see. Erik is at my heels, but he doesn’t stop me when I exit into the next corridor.

“Who is he to treat me like that?” I mutter.

“He’s your dad,” Erik says.