I’m still trying to think when Garo arrives, coming up the stairs and looking hesitantly around the room. He’s wearing the same simple clothing as the last time I saw him, subtly too well-cut to actually belong to a member of the lower classes. His dark brown curls are a little more pronounced, and I wonder if he’s put some effort into them. When he sees me, his eyes go wide for a moment, and he nearly crashes into a server with a tray full of dumplings. “You came,” he says. “I said I would, didn’t I?” I say, trying for confidence. “I wasn’t sure.” I don’t need Kindre to feel the relief pouring off him. “I wasn’t even sure I’d written to the right place.” “Sit down, would you?” I glance at the surrounding diners. “We don’t need to make a spectacle.” “Of course.” He sits, with the unco

