Lady Kiku never knew a silence so loud.

It was only the four of them. The Lords of the Court, closest allies, brothers and sisters by blood not shared, but taken in the heat of battle.

How terrible, to look into those familiar faces and see strangers gazing back.

"How did it happen?" Lord Barton asked at last.

The man looked at ease, but Lady Kiku knew better. Lord Barton's mind was turbulent and had been for many months. It was as if something was shifting in its depths, so far below the surface that its movements went unnoticed but for slight ripples of discontent. Lady Kiku wondered how long it had been since the man was truly at peace.

"I do not know," she said in response. "Miss Hale was perfectly docile until she was not. There was no warning whatsoever."

The Amith Capil trained its soldiers in all aspects of warfare. Shielding one's mind against a telepathic invasion was nonetheless not something easily done, especially against someone of Lady Kiku's caliber. The initial breach caused no alarm. Lady Kiku had Ira walk through her own memories, a quiet shadow at her side guiding her steps. She took care to soften the distress of reliving the past anew – less a kindness and more a necessity to keep Ira unaware of her presence.

Lady Kiku raised a hand to her bruised throat. It was warmth, not pain, that made Ira suspicious. Was there anything more miserable?

"You should not have attempted such a foul thing," Lady MacLean said.

Lady Kiku looked at the woman, startled. Lady MacLean's expression was severe. There was new unfriendliness in her eyes, a kind of distrust Lady Kiku had long feared from her companions.

Sparks did not enjoy the easy camaraderie of ordinary soldiers. They were too much like the supernatural creatures the Amith Capil hunted for a Numb's peace of mind. Those of talents similar to Lady Kiku's were targeted especially. It was not uncommon for a Spark to be alienated by their assigned team, resulting in higher casualties and a lot of bad blood.

Lady Kiku turned away from Lady MacLean, chest tight.

"Is torture more to your preference, then?" Lord Greoff drawled. "Or do you imagine Miss Hale will confess all, were we to ask nicely?"

"It is standard procedure with prisoners of her kind," Lord Barton added. Whether he meant Ira's claim to the Dvor's protection or her enhanced physique and high tolerance of pain was unclear.

Lady MacLean did not appear at all appeased. "She was cooperating. Do explain how you plan to force her into a confession now that she is on her guard, and bearing a grudge."

"We cannot produce Radev. Miss Hale's cooperation started and ended in whatever we could pry from her in that room," Lord Barton reminded.

Lady Kiku gathered herself. She raised her head, and did her best not to flinch when Lady MacLean's eyes turned back to her.

"There were some gains," she said.

Lord Barton raised his brows in interest. "Well, do not keep us in suspense, then!" Lord Greoff exclaimed.

"It is not new information, but rather a confirmation of Sabina's report on the situation at the borders," Lady Kiku said.

Lady MacLean's expression grew serious, focus shifting to the practical. "Explain," she bid.

Lady Kiku breathed easier. "Miss Hale traveled a great distance to reach the Capital. She observed a number of unnatural happenings during her journey, and was alarmed enough to keep these experiences foremost in her thoughts, despite her many other concerns."

"Unnatural, as in...?" Lord Greoff trailed off meaningfully.

Lady Kiku nodded. "Precisely. Whatever is happening, it is no longer contained to the borders. It appears that certain places are gathering excess of power, turning supernatural creatures stronger at the expense of their sanity. Civilians are also affected."

"Did she notice any changes to the physical outlay of the land?" Lady MacLean asked.

Lady Kiku shook her head. "I do not know. I was not able to see much beyond fleeting impressions. It is possible that Miss Hale is not familiar enough with the area for that level of analysis."

"What did she make out of it?" Lord Greoff asked.

"Nothing good," Lady Kiku said softly. "The absence of a Guardian in the northern forests was a particularly vivid point in her mind. I had no chance to pry for any deeper conjectures."

Lady Kiku fell silent. The other Lords seemed preoccupied with their own thoughts, expressions heavy.

Lady Sabina MacLean's last mission, the one that had taken her from family and friends for nearly a decade, was no easy matter. What had initially been meant as a routine survey of Samodevia's borders and their defenses turned into a frantic investigation of an unseen threat that was slowly but surely swallowing the Kingdom.

Samodevia was disappearing.

Step by step, person by person, what was once known turned unfamiliar and then vanished altogether. The change was most noticeable at the borders; Lady MacLean's reports included intricate maps of the affected regions, kept carefully over time. The change in landscape was startling.

"What happened to the forest's Guardian?" Lady MacLean asked.

Lady Kiku very consciously did not look in Lord Barton's direction. "I was not able to discern the cause of the Guardian's absence from Miss Hale's thoughts. Our contact was too brief."

"It's not the first Guardian we've found missing in action. Do you suppose it is a conspiracy? Some joint attempt at raising their status before the Court?" Lord Greoff asked, in a poor attempt to lift the dour mood.

Lady MacLean glared at the man. "It is not as if we pay them wages, Richard," she said.

"Maybe that's the issue," Lord Greoff replied.

Lady MacLean's hand clenched where it rested atop the barren table. Thankfully, the remnants of their hurried dinner had long been taken away. Lord Greoff would be ducking a goblet or two at this very moment otherwise.

"We need to decide what we are to do with her," Lord Barton said, bringing the conversation back to its initial purpose.

No one spoke for a moment. Lord Greoff let his head fall back, eyes straying to the chandelier hung like a dead thing from the ceiling. It was unlit, a dark mass of glittering shadows.

"What's there to do? Slit her throat and be done with it."

"Richard!" Lady Kiku exclaimed, aghast.

Lady MacLean said nothing, but she did not look too happy at the crass proposal either.

"Sorry, sorry, what am I thinking? That would never work. Stake through the heart, was it not? Decapitation? Burn the flesh, salt the bones – ah, Yevelina would have known. Should have kept her notes after we buried her."

The man laughed to himself. His expression was so bitter, so unlike the easy smiles and lazy nonchalance he wore usually, that Lady Kiku did not recognize him for a moment.

"Richard," she began tentatively.

"Do as you like," Lord Greoff said.

He rose with a clatter and left without looking back. Lady Kiku watched him go, struck speechless.

"Perhaps we ought to excuse Richard from further involvement in this matter," Lord Barton said, breaking the uneasy silence.

Lady MacLean studied Lord Barton. Her eyes swept to Lady Kiku.

After a moment, she rose and departed as well, not uttering a single word.

Lady Kiku sagged in her seat. The pressure in the room lessened, but she felt no better for it. "Are we making a mistake, Simon?" she asked softly.

Lord Barton sighed. There was the sound of footsteps, then a warm hand fell on Lady Kiku's shoulder, pressing down in comfort.

"You know that we are not. Forgive their outbursts, Michiko. It is natural that Miss Hale's presence would stimulate them more deeply; after all, Yevelina was one of their own."

Lady Kiku glanced at Lord Barton. She found the man smiling ruefully. His eyes were placid, thoughts rippling with some unseen current.

"She was one of our own," she corrected quietly.

Lord Barton nodded amicably. "Of course."

Lady Kiku was not placated. The Court was originally composed of two teams of soldiers: Sabina MacLean, Richard Greoff, and Yevelina Hale composed one half; Lady Kiku, Simon Barton, and Anek Korral represented the other. To hear Lord Barton draw lines in this way was nonetheless jarring, and very unwelcomed.

A brief smile lifted Lord Barton's lips before the man schooled his features. "Do not be angry at me for pointing out the obvious," he said.

Lady Kiku looked away with a frown.

"I had another item on the agenda for tonight's discussion," Lord Barton sighed after a time. "I hoped to hear Sabina and Richard's thoughts, but it appears we will need to proceed without them."

"What is it?" Lady Kiku asked. She was not entirely happy with where their conversation had led, but if something of import was underfoot, she was duty-bound to help.

Lord Barton grinned. The expression was so sudden and so open, it caught Lady Kiku's breath. It was as if she were looking at the man Lord Barton had been years ago, brash and confident and a little bit mad, as they all were.

"Hel seems to be sticking its nose where it does not belong. Perhaps we ought to make things a bit more interesting for them at home, so they do not feel the need to seek entertainment at our expense."

Lady Kiku straightened. "Simon, you do not mean to ask Beatrice –"

"I do," Lord Barton told her, grin growing.

"It is time to return what we took. To have that man remember – does it not make for a suitable gift?"

Lady Kiku shook her head in helpless denial.

Lord Barton laughed, pleased. He patted her shoulder again and left, steps light.

Lady Kiku was left alone in the darkened room. She stared sightlessly at the empty chairs around her. It was truly quiet now, her thoughts entirely her own and so conflicted that Lady Kiku was left paralyzed with indecision.

A pale figure at the door caught Lady Kiku's attention. It was a Zero soldier, one of two stationed to guard the room. The sight of the man startled Lady Kiku into action. She dashed out of the room, calling out Lord Barton's name.

The man was a fair distance away. He paused, allowing Lady Kiku to reach him.

"Michiko, what is the matter all of the sudden," the man began.

"That soldier," Lady Kiku interrupted, panting. She darted a glance at the Zero soldiers around them, only now noting their constant presence at Lord Barton's side. "Simon," she said, voice pitched low. "That man was dead. Hale broke his neck, I saw him die, yet he –"

"You saw wrong," Lord Barton said.

Lady Kiku stared at him, incredulous. "I did not!" she insisted.

"Michiko," Lord Barton said slowly. "You saw wrong."

Lady Kiku held her breath. Lord Barton smiled and did not await her response, simply nodded in parting and turned back around, resuming his unhurried gait. The Zero soldiers that flanked him followed.

Lady Kiku was left staring after him. The hallway seemed to stretch before her, the distance between her and Lord Barton growing, growing, insurmountable.