It didn’t take long for Liu Xang to talk the nurses into letting me visit with him. Being a distant desdant of a panion of the Shining Princess came with some perks, even after this many geions removed. The name had the weight to get the foot in the door, and both politeness and being human were enough to carry him into ving the nurses I was actually Katheryn Fara.

  I waited outside in the hall for his visit to clude, doing my best to ighe quiet sounds of him talking to the patient.

  It was safer callihe patient. I couldn’t let aion show. To Katheryn Fara, Bao Xang was just the mother of an acquaintance she had been hired to che on and mahe funds that helped with her care, and specifically kept her out of the hands of the Xang family.

  Damn Liu for showing up here. Ahing to cast against his name, along with a slew of mines and slights, and ohat would never leave my mind.

  Her stay here at St. Lanian’s was half-financed by said family as well, but Katheryn had been approached at many times about transferring custody over. They’d been unhappy at being refused, but it turns out disowning people had certain legal sequences. Not having the first cim on guardianship was one of them.

  Her Majesty’s gover also helped once I’d let slip that the reason for Bao Xang’s dition was likely a w of Diabolism. Something the doctors would have found swiftly enough on their own, but in those early days when the family had threateo use the courts, time had been of the essence. And a matter of diabolism made this something Her Majesty’s gover was definitely ied in.

  Of course, their specialists didn’t talk to the hospital’s, who didn’t talk to the Xangs, who didn’t talk to me. Legally, all parties were obligated to inform the others when a breakthrough regarding the Curse had been reached.

  Legal obligations only went so far, but it was something.

  The door opened, Liu walking out looking both saddened and relieved. Past him I could see a sole form lying on the bed, motionless. By her side were several vases of flowers, increasingly wilted the older they got. Sent by me as Lily, the most I could risk publicly.

  Bao looked the same as she had the past several years, if older. Probably fewer wrinkles and ns of aging than if she had been able to wake up three years ago.

  Whatever the w on her was, it didn’t stop her from aging, even if it haher physieeds and ditions. No muscle atrophy, no slow loss of body fat from the diet she was bei on, none of that.

  Suspicious is what that was. Diabolism was hat kind in its curses uhere was a direg intelligence.

  Liu sighed as he closed the door, face heavy.

  “Expeg something different?” I asked, looking up at him.

  identity I ig, I was making myself taller. I’d gone shorter to distance myself as far as possible from my previous appearance, but if it meant dealing with other Xang’s I’d be saving myself so mueck pain. Every single member of my mother’s family, and myself, were tall for humans, almost to an inhumaent.

  My mother has always cimed Oni blood, which might help expin their issues with anything vaguely diabolic.

  “No,” Liu said. “It is still just difficult to see her like this.”

  “Always difficult to see a family member when they are down, Mr. Xang.”

  My expression was just the right amount of respectful sympathy. Six months of lying low while you did long-term Biosculpti you plenty of time to practice skills.

  “I did not realize you would be visiting at this time. You usually time them for different times than those of the family.”

  “It’s my opinion that the family of the patient should have privacy,” I said. “I’ve been deyed multiple times, partially by business, partially by other circumstances. I leave if you wish?”

  “No, it is fine. I actually wished to talk with you, if you have the time?”

  “Really?” I asked. My old family had at the beginning shown Katheryn Fara quite a bit of distrust from several of them, prejudice from the others. And all tact had mostly ceased after it was clear they could not wrestle custody of my mother for themselves. Liu had remained perfectly polite, but had shown no geerest i in the affairs of Katheryn Fara. This had to be reted to Mother or me as Lily.

  “We could meet somewhere else, if this is disf to you,” Liu said.

  “No, here is fine,” I said, siheryn wouldn’t have any issues talkio my mother’s unscious form. I knit and pulled carefully on Sculpts, managing my expression. “Your family has just never felt the o discuss anything with me, not to be impolite.”

  “Yes,” Liu fessed. “Somewhat unfairly. You are not the person they see the few times you’ve met. But something has occurred that requires we sult you.”

  My heart stilled. There were a few things they were obligated by tract to inform me of as Lily’s representative, and siher was still here and alive…

  “You’ve made progress on the curse?” I asked, trying to keep the tone of desperation out of my voice.

  From Liu’s expression, I hadn’t been successful. He mulled on that for an instant before his expression turned sorrowful.

  “No, we have not,” he fessed. “I will not lie when I say yht now seemed more enthusiastic than many of my family for this. Many of them see it as a lost cause by this point.”

  “Ah,” I said as rally as I could manage as my heart plurying to cover my tracks, I tinued. “Lily’s a good friend. I was just hoping I could ood he ime I saw her. It’s not an attempt to wrest custodianship away from me again, is it?”

  Liu’s face sched up in distaste, although I didn’t know if that was about the family’s attempts or me being much more blunt about what those ‘offers’ they’d made were.

  “No. Although if Lily uood the reason, she would hopefully ge her mind,” he said, expression grim.

  “Well, as her representative, I would be happy to vey any relevant information to her about it,” I said, a small smile I didn’t o fake at all on my face.

  The pcid expression must have needled Liu, as his response had an undercurrent of irritation I could only recall from childhood.

  “No. It is a family affair. Even if I could say anything, I would not. I intend no offe is simply somethi in family.”

  “I uand,” I said, the smile now a faked one. Katheryn Fara didn’t have a family. Malvia Harrow only had a mother. Lily Xang, shed at twelve years, kly what he meant. Damnations, what were they hiding? I did not need more things heaped onto my pte.

  “I wao discuss Lily, about speaking with her. Not just about her mother, but other things she must know.”

  The temptation to just leave beed. Head out and then sneak back at a ter time to say goodbye if necessary. But if this turned out to be important ter and blowing off my uncle would cause me problems down the line…I sighed.

  “I have other things to do, but I spare a bit of time. Not much. Is there a pce we sit down at least?”

  It turned out that the hospital staff had a small waiting area plete with provided tea and snacks for wele visitors. One of us qualified as that and being at his side made getting into it easy enough, just at the cost of some side-eye from the staff.

  There were wood-paneled, detailed booths plete with a curtain, well-appointed benches, and upon closer iion a sileng charm meant to keep versations private. Prior experieaught that the proprietor usually had a way to listen in still. Who knew if the hospital did?

  “Very fancy,” I ented. “If you pulled the curtain close, I’d doubt this was even a hospital.”

  “It is strange,” Liu agreed.

  I didn’t reply, taking a few moments to enjoy the hospital’s tea. Not as good as the kind brewed by Lady Karsin, or in my teapot. Albeit, the teapot was an acquired taste, sidering what it had probably picked up from being in an alchemist’s apartment.

  “Do you know how to get word to Lily?” He asked me.

  I took another sip of the tea, sav the taste, dipping my head down so the hat covered as muy face as possible. Liu’s tone was guarded, aion carefully hidden away—if aioed. The earlier hints may have been before he mastered the current mask he wore, or the hinted emotions may have been the mask themselves.

  I found it very fitting that my family so often mirrored Versalicci. It made sense in far too many ways.

  “Unfortunately, I haven’t heard from your niece since we st talked,” I replied. “I know we’ve discussed this before, but we are not that close as friends, your nied I. This is me fulfilling a request of hers.”

  Nothing there was a lie, although the w was very careful. Liu remained quiet, and as that sileretched on, the urge to fill it proved too much.

  “I have more to talk about than cheg in on my t’s mother,” I said. “Circumstances may force me to take my leave of the city soon. I will probably leave the at in your hands and yours alone.”

  He frowned. “I know other members of my family have not been the ki, but I assure you, they wouldn’t try to pilfer from it.”

  Your assurances mean nothing. “While I ’t sult with my t, I’m sure she’d sider you the most trustworthy person to give trol of the at. Albeit with much talk about how that doesn’t mearusts you.”

  He chuckled at that. “From what little time I’ve spent with her, it sounds like you know my niece well.”

  “Perhaps if you spent more time with her, you’d get a better grasp of that,” I replied, trying to keep the ice out of my voice.

  The smile on his face disappeared. “Yes, well, some things ot be repeated. I briefly knew Lily before circumstances forced her and her mother to move to the Infernal District.”

  “Really? What circumstances would those be?” I asked and was rewarded with an unfortable look on Liu’s face. Would he choose the coward’s way once again?

  He didn’t disappoint. “The only reason I ented is that some in the family have theories about the retionship between you two.”

  It didn’t take long to put together what that meant. “I’m very fttered you’d think so, but no. While Lily is a very pleasant woman, my retionship is nothing like that.”

  That startled him. “Lily? Pleasant?”

  “Yes,” I said with a mock frown. “Oh, sometimes she be difficult, but not any worse than most people. Why have you had a different experience?”

  He seemed relut to answer but said, “Not when she was younger, but the oime we met when she was an adult, it was…difficult.”

  “Well, I only speak to my business dealings with her and our brief meetings outside of that. I do know that she has made it very clear she wants as little to do with you as possible. Part of why she retained me to keep an eye on her mother while she…went away for a while. What little I’ve heard doesn’t paint a pretty little picture of your family, I must admit.”

  He grimaced so well I couldn’t tell if it was an act or not. “The situation behind Bao and Lily’s departure is perhaps more plicated than Lily would have made it seem.”

  So he would tell the story after all. Or at least a version of it.

  “Everyone has their own version of the truth,” I said.

  “You must wonder sometimes, I imagine?” he asked me.

  “I try not to pry into information my ts don’t directly give me. And your niece is very clear on what information she siders private. Now, if others were to tell me of their own volition, that’s something else.”

  Truthfully, I wao know precisely what lie they were peddling over what had occurred. Liu’s face sched up as if pting some great family secret he was about to share. Hells, maybe to him, it was.

  “My sister caused most of the trouble. She practiced in a dark art, against the wishes of her family. She was always wilful as a child, even more so when she grew older. Stories of reat-great-grandfather and his adventures with Her Majesty only enced her. She went on adventures, with people more foolish tha was there that she started practig the arts of demons and devils. Back when the lises were more widespread. And she refused to stop after the gover revoked it.”

  “Not shog if what Lily hio me is true,” I ented. “I always wondered how her mother ended up in the Quarter, and with an Infernal daughter. Diabolism would do the trick.”

  Mind you, half of what he said was lies. Mother hadn’t been practig Diabolism at the time. Couldn’t have, not with the poison of her greatest achievement and worst mistake still in her veins and needing to be vented.

  “You do not favor diabolism, do you?” he asked me.

  I resisted the urge to snort. It would be rude, and aggravating, but listening to him spout the same superstitions about Infernals and Diabolism that I expected to hear from yesterday’s marchers ran so much against the image he loved to project.

  “Infernals are made of diabolism, but I hold no special regard for it, or respect, Mr. Xang. All living beings are made of water, but that doesn’t guarantee an affinity to the water, does it?”

  Fancy words, Malvia. Lying in all of them, of course.

  I did not roll my eyes despite the urge. The Imp had mostly been quiet after the first twenty minutes when needling me while Liu visited my mother had failed to provoke a response.

  “Some in my family think Lily did this,” he said, then snorted derisively. “They let much cloud their thoughts in this matter. My sister likely messed with things she should not have and brought this on herself. Perhaps even trying to summon that fool husband of hers again.”

  Inwardly, I bristled. He wasirely wrong. I couldn’t deny that. I’d been the one who’d found her in our shared apartment right after I’d joihe Bck Fme. The ehing stunk of sulfur, a smashed-apart ritual circle on the floor, her unscious nearby. But not for the thing that was my father, never for that thing.

  “I’m sure Lily appreciates that you don’t suspect her,” I said. “Also, she is a half-devil, then?”

  That expression of shock had to be faked. There was no way in whie could actally drop that little fa an age where most Infernals were from diabolic magic or were desdants of the half-diabolic.

  “Perhaps I’ve said too much. But she is not suspected by me. The girl loves her mother, that I never doubted. Well, until she has refused to see her ever since she put Bao here. Perhaps even that tie has been straio the breaking point.”

  “I wouldn’t say she’s never visited her mother sihen. She’s practically told me she has several times, and I don’t doubt her.”

  Liu raised an eyebrow, looking at the door. “I talk to the attendants here. There is no record of her ever visiting.”

  I smiled politely. “Speaking from experience, while her appearances ihis city are brief, it would not shock me if she found her way in somehow. Were there any other questions you had?”

  He frowned, putting the teacup down and sidering my mother. “Let her know we must talk the ime you see her.”

  “Well, as I said, that might be awhile, both on my end and hers.”

  “Whe is. We o talk.”

  That wouldn’t be soon, if I had my way, but I could hardly refuse the request. “I’ll talk to her. But I ’t promise she’ll listen.”

  “No one do that,” Liu said a little bitterly. “I apologize for taking up so much of your time. I imagine you wish to return and chey sister before you leave?”

  “It is required for the tract,” I said. “It’ll only be a few minutes, and you watch if you wish.”

  To my annoyance, he did want to watch. Probably out of , which I did my best not to be insulted by. Even if I wasn’t family, what did he think I was going to do to her?

  I went through the motions, cheg through the he doctor had left, cheg her pulse myself, a few other vital signs. Nothing of i showed. She was still asleep to the world and seemingly would be. If whatever Diabolism was affeg her would burn out, there were no signs thus far.

  I did my best not to look at my mother’s face throughout this. After the events of the st few days, the fewer ways I could let the mask slip, the better.

  For the same reasons, I could not ask him for some time aloh her. It was bad enough to bribe the staff and have them wonder why I waime aloh the patient.

  “Mr. Xang, unless your address has ged, I believe I know where you live,” I said as he shut the door. “I’ll inform you the ime your niece is in town and ready to talk with you.”

  “Not just when she’s in town?” he asked.

  “No, and not even if you pay me. I don’t turn on friends for ts, or ts for other ts. “

  He hen after a few seds, I realized he was waiting for me to leave first.

  I think you may o look over your shoulder more often now, Malvia. See if any more family from your mother’s side are following you.

  I ighe imp. They didn’t know. Others knew, more than I expected, but they didn’t know. If they had, they wouldn’t be respeg the court’s decision when simply revealing my identity could overturn it. I knew my worth to that family.

  My mother would not have been disowned if she had simply let them toss me alone in the Quarter.

  “It leasaing, as per usual Mr. Xang,” I lied. “I look forward to our one, however long that may take.”

  I looked back at the door for just a brief sed.

  Good bye for now. I will be back. And I will not let you fall into the hands of your family. Even if they cim they break your curse.

  It was the best goodbye I could manage for now, and I ined my head towards Liu as I left, hoping it would be a while before we met again—preferably for weeks, if I could make sure our meetings never overpped. Doing the official legal work to transfer custodianship would be difficult, but not impossible. It would mean one appearance as Lily Xang to approve the ehing, which would be annoying.

  Malvia Harrow predated my teags in Biosculpting, and while Lily Xang was not under any kind of suspialvia Harrow both was and looked exactly like Lily Xang.

  Another potential mess, but at least ohat I could save for ter.

  Of course, I had oher piece of busio do here, and spotting my friend Tully, the side entrance guard, was going to make it possible.

  Tully was one of the better kinds of friends, the one who was friends with gold and whoever was the first to offer it. Some strange mix of honor and bribery that made sure once you bought him, he wouldn’t turn on you.

  It was a good thing when you o lose some tails, even if it meant being sealed inside a coffin.