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“I know that. Visha knows that. Why do you think she feels so awful?” We both glanced over at her. Maybe she was listening to us; highbloods had good hearing. But if she minded us talking about her, she wasn’t showing it. And she was still here. Theo looked at me oddly.

“What?”

“We both know few highbloods would consider that man innocent,” Theo said.

“But he was. If Arjun attacked him—”

“I know,” Theo said quietly. “But highblood lives come first. They always come first. The Vaidyas were just following custom.”

“Doesn’t make it right,” I muttered. “Maybe just even more fuckedup.”

I thought of the blightborn boy I’d killed, weighing if it were the same. But it wasn’t. He’d struck Pendragon first. She’d defended herself. Then I’d made it so he’d never touch her again. Seemed like simple justice to me. I’d have done the same to a highblood; it had nothing to do with the boy being blightborn. If anything, I’d stayed my hand against the other girl because she was also blightborn. I’d have gone harder against a highblood—used more cruelty, knowing they’d do the same. Take Larissa: She was still recovering from the weeklong blood fast I’d forced upon her for biting Rodriguez. I’d seen her slinking around the tower, looking pale and pissed off. She wouldn’t be fucking with blightborn teachers again. At least, not anytime soon.

Outside in the corridor, a bell tolled, the signal for guests to begin filing toward the hall.

I crossed over to Visha and touched her shoulder. “Why not just stay here? You don’t have to come to this thing. Hang out at my place. We’ll be back soon.”

It went without saying that we’d been to a ball much like tonight’s just a few months before—and it hadn’t gone well. Visha had lost her girlfriend, Lace Ironstride, that night. Visha looked up at me, and I knew we must both be thinking the same thing.

“I’m sorry, Vish,” I said uncomfortably.

She nodded. “Thanks, but I’m going. Need a distraction.” She glanced past me at Theo. “Did you tell him the best part?”

Theo looked uncomfortable. “No.”

“What’s the best part?”

“She means the worst,” Theo said.

“His sister is sick,” Visha said hollowly.

“Whose, the merchant’s?” I said stupidly.

“Not the merchant. Arjun’s little sister, my niece.” Her face clouded. “He bit her. And his mother. And his father. Before he …” She choked.

“Shit,” I breathed. “What’s happening? Is this some sort of a plague?”

But we must have all been thinking the obvious. Highbloods didn’t get sick.

She shrugged. “Who the fuck knows. If it is one, maybe it’s been a long time coming. Maybe we brought this on ourselves.”

I stared at her. I’d never heard her speak so darkly. “Well,” I said slowly, “I think it’s good you’re coming with us. Theo and I, we’ll distract you.”

“Should be easy. We’ve all seen Blake’s dancing,” Theo quipped.

I punched him in the shoulder, just as another knock came at the door.

Theo’s face lit up. He had the door open before I could even make a move. “Vaughn!” he exclaimed.

The tall blightborn boy stepped into my room looking a little awkward. He was in Orphos colors, dark gold trousers and a bright purple silk shirt. His voluminous, tightly curled black hair had been combed back and pulled into a short ponytail. “I told the warden I was here with your permission so she’d let me in. I hope that’s all right.”

“Absolutely,” I said enthusiastically. I glanced at Theo and raised a brow.

“He’s my date,” Theo said coolly.

I shrugged. “The more the merrier.”

Theo linked his arm through Vaughn’s, leaning into the lanky blightborn. He looked happy and excited, just like he deserved to be.