The Thief Knot by Kate Milford

Author:Kate Milford
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HMH Books

sixteen

Secrets and Findings

MARZANA STARED BACK. “Excuse me?”

“Alexander Cabot saved your mother’s life once,” Meddy repeated. “If the story is true.”

Emilia sniffled. “It’s true.”

“Hang on.” Marzana turned to stare at Emilia. “How do you know who my mom is?”

“For someone who can crack into the school files, it would’ve been easy enough to find out,” Ciro observed quietly.

Marzana shook her head. “My mom’s name wouldn’t be in my file. Not her real name, anyway.”

“I didn’t snoop in your school file,” Emilia protested. “I’ve always known who your mom is.” She took a shuddering breath. “Dad told me.”

This was intolerable. Marzana pounded her fists on the table, got up, and stalked to the far end of the bookshelf behind the table with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. She’d hoarded the stories she knew—the ones she got from Honora when the steward was feeling mutinous and the very occasional ones she got from her parents themselves, each of which had felt like a victory because it was like pulling teeth trying to get her mom and dad to tell her anything—but here were Emilia and Meddy, whose fathers apparently had just . . . just told them things. Just told them, the same way Marzana’s parents told her the weather when she came downstairs in the morning for school.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Meddy said, coming to stand at her side. “Don’t do it.”

“What do you mean?” Marzana snapped.

Nialla spoke up, her voice urgent, worried, soothing, as she rose from the table. “Mars—”

“I mean our parents are dead,” Meddy snapped back. “I can only speak for myself, but I’d trade any story—no, every story I know about my father to have him back.”

“Me too,” Emilia put in from the table.

Marzana whirled. “No. Don’t do that. Don’t play that card with me. You know why?” She felt a tickle on her cheek, swiped at it, and wiped the tiny bit of damp off on her jeans. “Yes, my parents are alive. But if the unthinkable were ever to happen—and who says something won’t go horribly wrong someday? It could—and if something ever happened to them, I’d be left without knowing. I’d be left without the stories, without the memories, without the knowledge and the skills and the names, Emilia! If not for all these names—Victor Cormorant, Ottomy Stalls, just random names I’ve never heard before, names I’d probably never have come across if not for this kidnapping—I’d never have known there was this connection between you and me. And you’ve known this whole time and you didn’t tell.” Nialla’s arm slid around her shoulder, trying once more to soothe, and Marzana shrugged it impatiently off. She wiped her cheeks again. “I know who my parents are—who they were before they came here—but I barely know what that means. I know what everyone else thinks it means—what Violet Cross meant to the city—”

There was a sudden sharp intake of breath from the boys at the revelation of Marzana’s mom’s real name. She ignored it and plunged on.

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