I place my hand just above Adelaide’s elbow. “What’s the matter, Adela—?” I cut myself off with a gasp when I look into the window.

Displayed on an orc-framed mannequin is a full, stark-white, immaculately assembled fencing kit. The jacket’s open flap reveals the plastron vest beneath. A matching carrying pack hangs upright from the small stand next to it.

In the window’s transparent reflection, Maisey, Edith, and Gúnder join us to investigate. As usual, Maisey ends the silence.

“Nice eye, Adelaide. The embroidery on the collar is so subtle, you barely notice it until it pops.”

Adelaide nods and squeezes her sword against her chest. “It repeats on all the pieces, even the socks. The brochure made the suit seem sophisticated, regal; but seeing the real thing up close is just…”

“Well?” I tug gently on Adelaide’s arm. “You can say it.”

Adelaide sighs and frowns at me.

I smile back.

She relaxes enough for her sheathed sword to slide through her arms a little.

“It’s exhilarating,” she mutters. She continues audibly, “But it doesn’t matter, because it’s a Sava Galure suit. My family has finally settled in, maybe, so it’s not the time for luxuries.”

“I agree,” Edith says, almost like a yawn. “Now is not the time. Shall we continue?”

Maisey wrinkles her brow and walks to Adelaide’s other side. “I’ve seen you fence fundamentals at school, Adelaide. You’re excellent even without the proper gear. Wouldn’t you want to shine in an outfit like that?”

“Well, yes, but—”

“You heard her, Maisey,” Edith says. “The Shinodas are barely hanging on to the roof over their heads. They need to focus on necessities, not luxuries.”

Maisey gasps. “Edith! That’s not—”

Adelaide shakes her head. “No, no, it’s fine. Maisey, your friend is right. Even if I could convince my parents to take a loan for it, we would probably need years to pay off the debt and the interest.” She shuts her eyes and clutches her epee. “Let’s just go, please?”

I raise an eyebrow. This kit could make Adelaide’s day, maybe the rest of her year. Her weapon is already battle-tested, so it’s professional-ready; why shouldn’t she have an outfit to match? It may not be a household necessity, but wouldn’t a Sava Galure be a sound investment for a future in sport fencing?

I look back at Judah me with wide-eyes and a slight grin. His eyes shimmer quizzically.

Adelaide slouches and walks down the sidewalk. I rush in front of her and hold up one hand.

“What if we bought it for you?”

Adelaide steps back. “What?”

Edith leans around Adelaide’s side to frown at me. “What?”

Maisey tilts her head. “Hmm, well…”

My smile grows as Judah walks around Adelaide to stand behind me.

Adelaide shakes her head firmly. “No. I thank you for your offer, but no.”

“Well, why not?”

“It costs too much. I don’t even know when I’d be able to pay you back.”

“But this isn’t a loan, or anything like that. I was just thinking you could have it, no strings attached.”

“What?”

Edith stomps toward me, with Gúnder keeping pace to stop between her and Adelaide. I step away from Edith and Gúnder, but don’t fall to their intimidation.

Maisey approaches Adelaide on her street side with a slightly wrinkled brow. “It is only about eighty-three seats for the whole set. Between the three of us, we might be able to haggle the owner down?”

Adelaide turns to her. “That’s very kind, really, but I don’t think I should.”

I reach for Adelaide’s wrist. “Why not just think of it as a ‘welcome to Atlantia’ present?”

Adelaide blinks twice. Her breath comes short and shallow. “I…” She looks from me to Maisey with glistening eyes. “You…” The rest of her statement gets caught in her throat.

I poke Adelaide in the ribcage. “Is that a ‘yes’?”

Maisey grins and hops. “I think that’s a ‘yes’!”

Adelaide looks at the storefront. She turns to Maisey, then to the Young Miss. She nods, shaking loose a tear.

“Absolutely not!”

Edith’s screech cuts off our celebration.

“You cannot simply conscript my coinage for this charity nonsense. I won’t allow it.”

Adelaide lowers her chin to her chest. Maisey frowns at Edith, but whispers to Adalaide while stroking her back.

I glare at Edith. How trying to do a good thing for someone be nonsense? Because it’s an idea she doesn’t like?

Likewise, my distaste for her opinion is no cause to dismiss it. I smile through my frustration.

“You’re right, Edith. I should not have presumed your involvement. But would you, at least, consider contributing to this happy endeavor?”

Edith closes her eyes and draws in a long, deep breath. She lowers her head and huffs the breath out. When she looks up at me, she also wears a smile.

“May I speak to you over here, Klóe?” She tilts her head over her shoulder to indicate some nebulous location on the sidewalk many yards away from the rest of the group.

The forced cordiality hangs so heavily between us it could choke us. “Of course.”

I follow Edith for a few steps. She pivots and focuses past my shoulder.

“I wish to speak with your mistress alone!”

Judah’s footsteps have almost become like echoes of my own over the years. And for how little I tolerate how he refers to me as a higher station, I have even less tolerance for others’ presumptions.

I clench my jaw and restrain my words. “Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of Judah.”

Edith groans. “Whatever.” She turns with a hard toss of her hair and walks away.

My heart stops. I turn to Judah to find him staring at me with steady eyes, similarly dumbfounded. He and I don’t often talk about the pantheon or the Evers beyond them, but I know Judah has enough faith to balk at a blasphemy when he hears one.

My desire to talk to Edith wanes by the moment; as Gúnder finally walks past Judah and me, though, I suppose I should lend her my ear. What worse could she spew?

Judah and I meet Edith and Gúnder at her designated spot. She and I stand eye to eye, with Judah behind me and Gúnder at her side.

Edith chuckles. “Klóe. I know you feel you’re doing the right thing, or that your heart’s in the right place, but…” She lowers her voice to a whisper. “Woman to woman, you don’t have to prove anything to me.”

I knit my eyebrows and look at her sideways. “I know.”

“So, why don’t you drop the charity act? Hmm? You made your good gesture for the day; now, let us all go attend class with some dignity.”

I wring my hands around the strap of my equipment pack. “You’ve seen the state of the communal suits at the dojo, yes? Regardless if Adelaide finds one that fits, she would be lucky to find one that offers full protection.”

“Well, that would certainly encourage her to dodge and parry effectively, wouldn’t it?”

“That’s not funny.”

Edith sighs, then slouches. “Listen, I understand. You’re a bright girl with a big heart. You’re young, full of hope and rainbows—”

“I’m only a year younger than you.”

“—but the world won’t rise to your lofty expectations. Some folks simply cannot be helped. It’s too late for Maisey, but you can still heed my advice: don’t spend any more money on that tusk-jaw than she needs.”

I gasp. I start to step forward and sling my pack off of my shoulder, but Judah’s hand clamps the strap down and holds me fast before my first step.

Edith lurches back. Gúnder throws an arm in front of her and reaches for his sword.

Judah pulls me back, probably out of Gúnder’s range. I pivot to Judah’s left side, stare at Edith, and point at Maisey and Adelaide.

How I wish Ms. Onlarion had taught me to reach into someone’s thoughts. It’s a dark art, but the risk of imprisonment might be worth setting her supremacy straight, if not getting to the root of it.

“You go over there and apologize, right now. To both of them!”

Maisey calls over, “What’s going on, you two?”

Edith waves her away. “Oh, it’s nothing, Maisey. We’re just—”

I stomp and point again. “It is absolutely not nothing. How could you call somebody something so foul? How can you stand there and pretend—?”

Edith stage-laughs and starts singing at me, “Okay, Klóe, calm down. Folks are staring. You’re making us look bad.”

I drop my arm to my side. Trying to get her to be better is useless.

“You do a good enough job of that for the both of us, Edith Foster-Price.”

She puts a hand to her chest as her jaw drops.

I barely see Gúnder raise a flat, empty hand from his sword to his shoulder before Judah pins my arms to my sides. He lifts me, spins me, and sets me back on the sidewalk behind him in a single, daresay graceful, motion. He releases me and turns away while I regain my balance. I turn around to find him, his fists raised and shining, facing a worried Gúnder with his hand on his sword’s hilt.

I want some kind of punishment for Edith, and for Gúnder for not reining her in. But, as a small ring of folks forms around the four of us, I realize that the punishment isn’t for us to deal. Whether Edith or I started this spiraling mess, it needs to end.

I throw myself against Judah’s side. I pull on his shoulder to reach what would’ve been his ear.

“Don’t do it, Judah.”

He holds still, but lowers his arms a little. Their lights dim, but not to normal.

Has that happened to him before? What was that supposed to do?

Gúnder retreats toward his charge with his hand still on his hilt.

Edith lowers her hand with a sigh. Maisey pushes through the crowd to meet us. A smirk seeps onto Edith’s face.

“I’ll see you at fencing, Maisey. Apparently, I make the DiRossi look bad.” She walks into the cluster of gawking folks, and her bodyguard follows.

Maisey turns to me. “What happened?”

I take a deep breath. I purse my lips until I can find the appropriately measured words. “How can you be friends with her, Maisey? She’s petty, and cruel, and—and—”

Maisey looks around at the dispersing, disappointed crowd. She rubs my arm and shrugs. “She’s always been nice to me.”

Adelaide joins us. “We should leave, too. I don’t want to be late.”

I shake my head and reach into a pocket of my equipment pack. I pull out a pewter watch the size of my palm on a chain and flip it open.

“Don’t worry about that. We have plenty of time to get you fitted for breeches and a plastron, at least.” I smile at Adelaide. “If nothing else, this will be the first and only class you’ll take wearing someone else’s gear. I’ll make sure of it.”