Sebastian

make sure she wasn't cheated at the market, and she was getting better at reading now that she could read printed books that had stories—something else Mam had forbidden her to have—but handwriting was still a struggle for her.
    She went back to the lamp, turning the paper to see the writing better.
    A chill went through her as she sounded out the word.
    Belladonna.
    Her hands shook as she turned the paper over. It had been folded to form a packet that would keep the message private, closed with red wax that had been pressed with an ornate, official-looking seal.
    It could be nothing more than a message Sebastian had been asked to deliver. But something inside her knew it wasn't an innocent message.
    Dread shuddered through her as she pried up the wax seal and unfolded the paper.
    The handwriting inside was neat and precise, probably done by someone who made a living writing out important documents.
    She stumbled over some of the words, but the message was clear enough.
    "No," she moaned. "Oh, no."
    She didn't think, didn't knock. She simply rushed into the bathroom. Finding it empty, she crossed the room and flung open the other door.
    Stripped for his bath, Teaser yelped when he saw her. Then he dove for the bed, grabbed a pillow, and held it in front of him.
    "I'm naked!" he shouted. "You can't be in here when I'm naked."
    Thrown by the near-panic in his voice, she stared at him. "For pity's sake. You're an incubus. You like being naked in front of women."

    "You're not a woman. You're Sebastian's lady. Go away."
    Sebastian . She stepped into the room and held out the paper. "That wizard left a message for Belladonna. Read it." She took a step toward him.
    He skipped back a step. "If the message is for Belladonna, I shouldn't be reading it. Neither should you."
    " Teaser ! The wizards are saying Sebastian killed the woman who died here a few weeks ago. They're going to hurt him ."
    "What?"
    "Read it!"
    He took the paper, backed up until he reached the oil lamp he'd lit, then read. As he read, the pillow slipped from his grasp, forgotten.
    "Daylight," he whispered. "They're summoning the strongest Landscapers to come to Wizard City to administer Heart's Justice, but they'll perform Wizards' Justice if they receive no response to the summons." He frowned, then shook his head. "That doesn't make sense. They must know the school was attacked. How do they expect any—" He stopped. Stared at the paper. "It's her. The wizards have never been able to find Belladonna, so they're threatening Sebastian to get her to come to them."
    "We have to do something," Lynnea cried. "Sebastian didn't kill that woman. You know he didn't."
    Teaser looked at her, his eyes bleak. "What are we supposed to do? Sebastian has been gone for hours.
    Went off with the wizard on a couple of demon cycles. They've probably already crossed over to the landscape that holds Wizard City. No way to catch up with them even if we knew where to find the bridge. And nobody knows how to find Belladonna. She comes to a landscape when she feels like it."
    "Nadia will know how to find her, and I know how to find Nadia." She snatched the paper out of his hand and headed out the door.
    "Wait!" Teaser leaped, closing the distance between them, and grabbed her arm. "Don't you understand?
    This is what those maggot-filled bastards want. They want someone to find Belladonna. And once she's in reach of the Wizards' Council, they'll kill her and Sebastian."
    Lynnea tried to shake him off. "I have to do something. I won't let them hurt Sebastian. I won't."
    Teaser started to argue, then just shook his head. "All right. She has to be told about this, so we have to find Belladonna. But taking a few minutes won't matter at this point."
    "But—"
    "Listen, will you? We both need a quick wash and fresh clothes. If we have to talk to anyone in the daylight landscapes besides Sebastian's auntie, it's best to look respectable."
    She swallowed hard to push her heart out of her throat. "We?"
    Teaser looked uneasy, but he shrugged. "I'll go with you."
    "Why?"
    He released her arm and stepped back. "Because we're family."

    *
    Dalton walked out of Wizards' Hall, then stopped and stared blindly at the courtyard and gardens in front of him.
    He'd expected a reprimand for failing to protect Wizard Koltak from the stranger's attack. But this?
    Stripped of his command and captain's rank. Exiled from Wizard City. Not because he had failed to protect Koltak but because he'd stopped