"Now!" The string sang and the arrow left my fingers. A petal slapped the surface of the bath, then another. Wei Shikuan laughed like a bell. He lifted a goblet and said, "Who sent the petals? Someone flatter me tonight." "Don't blink," Su Yan whispered at my elbow on the rafter. His hand found mine and squeezed once. "This is wrong," I said. My voice was steady. "Make it right." The courtyard below smelled of incense and oil. Lantern light turned the steam into a loose silk. Wei Shikuan lounged in milk and petals, a wreath of flowers drifting at his shoulder. Courtesans circled with soft voices. Guards leaned against pillars, drunk on the lord's approval. I had one shot and one sliver of angle. The arrow needed to cut the space between cup and throat. Wei Shikuan raised his head. He smiled for the courtesans and then looked up toward the rafters where my shadow moved. "Is someone watching me?" he called. His voice carried like a promise. The arrow hit the goblet. Glass shattered. Milk fountained and petals scattered. Wei clapped once, amused. "Bold caller," he said. "Show yourself, or send the next one a gift with their teeth gone." Shock popped through the courtyard. A guard barked, "Search the roof!" Smoke bombs hit the rafters like sudden storms. I smelled charcoal and something sharp climbing my throat. Su Yan shoved a small tube into my palm and hissed, "Smoke—use it!" I fumbled. The second