I put up a hand to stop Merriweather’s rebuttal. He and Rilla would argue all day if we let them. “We can’t rely on the guards. For all we know, Inez has compelled them, too. We have to stop this ourselves.”
“How do you plan to do that?” Merriweather snaps. “The people wouldn’t believe us if we told them to evacuate on such flimsy evidence. And we don’t even know where to start in terms of stopping the fires. We could search all the warehouses, but that would take forever; there are dozens of them.”
Mei frowns. “I don’t know that we can stop the guards from setting fires if that’s what Inez has compelled them to do. But we can use magic to put them out.”
Finn pulls back the curtains and gazes out at the inky sky. It’s only half past five, but it’s December; the sun has already set, and wind sends the trees in the front yard whipping against the windows. “They’ll wait until people are in for the night. The fire will spread quicker if there are only a few night watchmen to see it.”
“The wind’s kicked up something fierce.” Mei pulls up her hood. “Fire in three or four warehouses could take down half the city on a night like this.”
Merriweather’s jaw goes tight. “Prue’s down there.” Alice, Prue, Sachi, and Rory took the rest of the medicine in Finn’s satchel and went to call on some families that Alice and I often visit on Sisterly missions of charity.
“My family’s not far from the river district, either.” Mei opens the front door and shivers against the sharp wind.
“Let’s hire a hack to take us there first. They’ll believe us,” Merriweather says.
Rilla blows out the lamp. “I’ll go to the convent and see if I can rouse more girls to help. Once those fires start, we’ll need all the magic we can muster.”
I’ve stopped stock-still in the process of putting on my own cloak. “Where is the Golden Hart?”
Merriweather sputters. “What do you know of the Golden Hart?”
“That’s where my father’s hiding.” I swallow. “It’s by the river, isn’t it?”
Merriweather nods. “Attracts all the sailors that way. Situated in a plum spot between a tavern and a—” His voice drops. “A cotton warehouse.”
Finn takes my hand again, sensing my distress. “I’ll see you safely to the convent and then I’ll go find your father.”
The notion of them both being at risk sets my stomach tumbling. I make a silent vow to myself: When this is over, Inez will never put anyone I love in danger ever again. I don’t care what I’ve got to do to ensure it.
• • •
The hack stops outside the convent and Rilla clambers down before the wheels have even stopped turning. Finn tugs on my wrist, pulling me down for a quick, hard kiss. Behind his spectacles, his brown eyes are worried. “Be careful, Cate.”
“You too.” I want to ask him to wait, not to go down to the river without me, but I can’t tie him to my apron strings. He may not have my strength, but he has his own. He is still my clever, resourceful Finn. “I’m sorry I’ve gotten you mixed up in all of this.”
“Don’t be.” He shakes his head. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be able to help change things. I’m making a difference, Cate. That’s worth a lot.”
I hesitate, but I have to say it. Just in case. I brush a hand over his stubbled cheek. “I love you.”
I step down to the carriage block without waiting for an answer. He can’t say it back. He doesn’t mean it. Not yet. Three weeks ago I didn’t think anything could be worse, and now—
Well, things can always get worse, can’t they?
As I step onto the sidewalk, I give a laugh as bitter as any of Rory’s.
There are two lonely guards patrolling the marble steps of the Sisterhood. They raise their rifles as I sweep toward them with eyes narrowed. “Go away, and don’t come back here tonight,” I snap as Finn’s carriage rolls away.
They turn, ambling down the street obediently. Rilla is already pushing the front door open. She rushes down the hall toward the sitting room, which should be chock-full of girls studying and chatting before supper.
“Where’s Inez?” Rilla demands.
“Lord knows. Not here,” Vi says. “Have you been to see Cate? How is she?”
“I’m here.” My entrance is received with both glares and cheers.
“What are you doing here? Haven’t you made enough trouble already?” Parvati seems to have taken possession of Alice’s queen-bee spot on the pink love seat.
“Oh, I’m only starting to make trouble,” I declare, pulling off my hood.
Tess rushes at me, throwing her arms around my waist, burying her face in my hair. I pull back and look at her: really look. We’ve only been apart for two days, but it seems forever, and I see her with new eyes. She’s grown thinner. Her new curves and the rosy flush of her cheeks are both gone; there are purple shadows beneath her eyes. Even her blond curls seem lifeless. My baby sister looks haunted.
“I heard about the vision you had,” I tell her. Tess shrinks away. “The one about fire and death. It wasn’t a nightmare; it was a prophecy. Inez is going to try to burn the river district.”
Maura stands, resplendent in an ivory gown embroidered with green leaves. “That’s nonsense.”
“They set up a quarantine this afternoon, and guards were seen carrying turpentine and kerosene into warehouses down by the river. She’s the one giving orders, isn’t she?” I search Maura’s face, but she looks genuinely shocked by this turn of events. “She’s going to make it look like the Brothers murdered the people in their beds to prevent the fever from spreading.”
Whispers hum and buzz through the room.
“She’ll kill thousands of people.” Tess is trembling, pressing a hand to her temples. “I thought it was just a nightmare. I should know the difference by now.”
Lucy is sitting on an ottoman at her sister’s feet. “It’s not your fault.” Grace’s knitting needles never pause.
“I should know the difference,” Tess repeats, her voice anguished. “I should have been able to warn everyone. I—I just haven’t been feeling myself lately.”
“This is going too far, even for Inez.” Maura’s blue eyes dart around the room, searching out allies, but no one else speaks. It is telling, I think, that not a single other person—not any of the teachers leaning in the doorway, not even old Sister Evelyn—leaps to Inez’s defense. “It’s got to be something else.”
“She’s ruthless, Maura. It’s past time you admitted it.” Elena wraps an arm around Maura’s waist to soften her words.
“We need to get down there. We might be too late to stop the fires from being set, but we can help keep them from spreading.” Rilla’s voice is crisp, without her usual bounciness. “Alice and Mei and Sachi and Rory have already gone.”
“I’ll tell Father to get the horses ready,” Vi says, scrambling from the room.
“We’ll have to work in teams of two or three.” Elena smooths her pink silk dress. “That area isn’t safe for girls alone at night.”