The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman

you about it now.’
    ‘I have to be sure,’ Coppelia said. She shifted in her chair. ‘You have thought about how this may go?’
    ‘Well, yes,’ Irene said. She was still furious at Coppelia’s dig that she could have been in any way involved in Kai’s disappearance, but she managed to keep her temper. If Kai was in danger, then every second mattered. ‘Quite possibly, messily. As you did just point out, the dragons may be upset - and they might take it out on me.’
    ‘And the Library may have to allow it,’ Coppelia noted. ‘If it’s decided that you were responsible for him, and the dragons take offence, we might have to strip you of your position.’
    A chill ran down Irene’s spine. ‘You wouldn’t,’ she said. But it had the truth of nightmares, of worst-case scenarios. ‘And the Library mark can’t be removed.’
    Coppelia’s eyes were regretful, but her face was like stone. ‘My dear Irene, we can’t risk war over one dragon. Or over one Librarian. You’ve done an excellent job as Librarian-in-Residence, but when push comes to shove,
someone
will have to take the blame.’
    ‘I’m duly warned,’ Irene said flatly, ignoring the ice in her stomach. ‘Let’s get down to business. How do I contact his family?’
    ‘The easiest way would be via the world where we recruited him,’ Coppelia said. ‘Did he ever give you its designation?’
    ‘Only that it was one of the Gammas,’ Irene answered. ‘So high-tech and medium-magic, he said. Will I find his uncle there?’
    ‘With any luck. Or his uncle’s household, at least. I understand that he maintains an establishment there. The name he goes by is Ryu Gouen.’ She waited for Irene’s nod of comprehension. ‘Our Traverse to that world - it’s G-51, so you know - opens within the remains of the Biblioteca Palatina in Heidelberg. Ryu Gouen was in Europe at the last report a few weeks ago, so with any luck you shouldn’t have too far to travel. I’m told the high-speed rail network in that alternate is very good.’
    ‘Who’s our Librarian there?’ Irene asked. ‘I’m assuming there is a Librarian-in-Residence?’
    Coppelia nodded. ‘Her name is Murasaki. However, I would prefer you to avoid contact with her - the less we all have to explain about Kai, the better.’
    ‘If I walk out of the Traverse and she’s sitting there, it’s going to be awkward,’ Irene said. She could see Coppelia’s point, but at the same time it would make her life a great deal easier if she could get immediate help with crossing a strange new Europe. And clothing. And money.
    ‘If you do, then make some sort of excuse.’ Coppelia snorted. ‘Claim you’re on a shopping mission for me, if you can’t think of anything better. Well? Any more questions?’
    ‘Yes. The Guantes. Do you know anything about him, or them?’
    ‘Unfortunately not.’ Having to admit to ignorance clearly irritated Coppelia. ‘I’ll enquire further, but it may take time. And I’ll see if anyone knows anything about ongoing Fae power struggles. Anything relevant, that is.’
    There was one more thing that Irene wanted to ask. ‘Can Alberich reach me there? In G-51?’
    Perhaps now wasn’t the time for private fears, but she had to know. Alberich was a nightmare figure, the Library’s most powerful traitor - also a murderer and an abomination. And a few months back she’d confronted him and won. He’d been barred from Vale’s world as a result, and he couldn’t access the Library, but the thought of going somewhere that he could find her chilled Irene to the core. And the scars across her hands ached in response. It was bad enough that he killed people, but what he did to them first was worse.
    Coppelia regarded her thoughtfully, and Irene wondered if she was going to get a comforting lie to keep her on-mission. Finally Coppelia said, ‘It would be physically possible for him to enter that world. But he has no way to track you, no reason to assume you will be