Chapter 4

The first time I touch real night air again, it tastes like a lie. It’s cold and thin, sneaking under the edge of my veil as I slip through the narrow side door and into the spiral stairwell. Above me, the Lujin Tower is all gold and incense and soft-footed servants. Down here, the stone is rough, unpolished. My bare feet whisper over the steps. The tiny bell at my ankle trembles, but I’ve wrapped it in a strip of stolen silk. It gives only the faintest ghost of a sound. I keep one hand...