Lucian did not wait for the evening to come before making his decision.
He found Istra near the inner wall, while the outer courtyard was still bustling with morning traffic. Sera came without being asked for, her borrowed cloak pulled around her shoulders. "We leave before night," said Lucian.
Istra gave him a long look. "The hearing granted you one day."
"One day to shore up their own claims," said Lucian. "I am not going to waste it sitting here."
Sera gave him an incredulous look. "If you leave, there will be no more protection. That's what that guard warned us about."
"I know. Protection that gets revoked at the drop of a better-drawn claim is not protection at all. It's a waiting room."
Istra crossed her arms over her chest. "Outside the line of neutral houses, the smiles do not have to be painted on. The authority does not have to be invited. Anyone who wants to take you will take you."
