“Another.”

  The Slipped Finger’s bartender raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

  Huan slammed more coin onto the bar. “Another.”

  Shrugging, the bartender refilled Huan’s stein with beer, then shuffled off.

  It’s not like ten knights is worth crap in Vanuria. Mei would have more use for-

  None of that now.

  Huan took a big gulp of beer and let it pull him back from buzzed to drunk, where guilt was slow and the beast’s growl was reduced to a mumble. It was almost like being free. He took another swig, savored the feeling.

  Someone tapped his shoulder.

  “Piss off.”

  Another tap.

  “I said,” Huan turned around, “piss. Off.”

  A short, chubby child in grey vest and brown cloak looked up at him. “Where’s Sioned?”

  “How should I know?” Huan tried to turn back to his beer, but the tankard was pulled away by another child in grey and brown.

  “We know you know,” she said.

  “What are you scry…things?” Huan took his beer back. “You ain’t dressed right. Go and fro-, frol-, play or whatever, whoever you are.”

  “They are Sioned’s rittens,” said someone behind him, their voice soft and resonant. “They work for me. And you are Huan Ma, once fighter of corpse-men in jungle, once plucker of sword from hands of evil armor, now stinking drunkard.”

  “Right, that’s it.” Huan took another gulp of beer, turned around, froze. “Ah.”

  What stood before him was not a child, had long wavy black hair and muscles bulging under a thick woolen sweater, and was suddenly the only person who mattered in the bar.

  “That’s me.” Huan tried to look nonchalant. “You are?”

  “You can call me Boss.”

  Huan tried a laugh. “What a strange name. Where’s it from?”

  “Boss” crossed her arms. “I answer no more questions, queasie. It’s time to answer mine. Do not and there will be pain. Where is Sioned?”

  “Whose- Oof!”

  “Boss” withdrew her fist from Huan’s stomach. “As I said. Pain when you do not answer. Do not pretend you do not know. Your sister Mei knew; so do you.”

  “My sister,” Huan just barely managed to suppress the question, “is somewhere. Go find her. Leave me alone.”

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  “She is not here.” “Boss” leaned in so that her face filled the whole of Huan’s vision. “You are. This bar saw you with Sioned. You kept your sister from taking her. So,” she cracked her knuckles, “where is she? If I don’t like your answer, there will be pain.”

  “I really don’t-“ “Boss’s” fist connected with Huan’s jaw, filling his head with stars and pain. “Argh!”

  “Where is she?”

  “Look, wait, look,” Huan raised his hands. “I know she was at the arena.”

  “Boss” took one step back. “Latia Arena?”

  “Yes.”

  “Boss” glared at him. “Mages only hire nobs and other mages. She was no mage, no nob.”

  “My employer got her in.” Huan laughed. “Did she really not- Oof!”

  Once again, “Boss” pulled her fist out of Huan’s gut. “My fist grows tired, queasie. Does this ‘employer’ have her?”

  I have no idea. But pain had sobered Huan and woke the beast. One more punch and there’d be a fight. Just lie. “She might be still on the job. I’ll tell you who- whoa, wait, wait!”

  “No,” “Boss’s” hand tightened on the scruff of Huan’s neck as she dragged him away from the bar, “we are done here. A traitor’s word is worth nothing.”

  “I’m not a-”

  “Shush,” “Boss” shook him, “my turn now. We hear whispers up on the rooftops. They say you stole from darkling mage, left him gutted in alley.” Her grip on his neck made Huan feel weak. Even the beast was subdued. “Darkling has Royal ear; that makes you bad for business.” She tossed him into the street. “Attie, The Finger needs paying.”

  When the chubby child came to pick his pockets, Huan let him since “Boss’s” fist now bore a short club, and Huan had no desire to see what she could do with it.

  “Here, Boss.” Attie handed “Boss” Huan’s pouch.

  “Boss” weighed it and whistled. “Heavy. Traitoring pays well.” She took out an earl. “One for your tab.” She took out another. “And one so everyone can drink away your memory.” She threw the pouch into Huan’s lap. “For your sister’s sake, you leave the Bilges on your own two feet. Do not return.” Then she and Attie went back into The Slipped Finger.

  Well, that sucked.

  Huan’s first attempt to stand resulted in him on all fours, vomiting out his past three meals. His second attempt got him all the way onto his feet before they gave way, and he fell onto his back. His third got him onto his feet, where he had to give the world time spin before he could follow the river’s flow. Between the drink and the nausea, it was the only thing he was sure of.

  Did I deserve that?

  Golden eyes glinted out of the dark. No.

  But it had felt right.

  A tail swished. Because pain feels like living.

  And vomit. Which is all I’m worth.

  That’s what she thinks. The beast padded in Huan’s shadow. She never took you seriously.

  I never took me seriously.

  The beast yawned. But isn’t that your right?

  May- Oh no.

  Huan grabbed a tree and dry-heaved the haze he’d drunk himself into onto its roots. Sick, alone, and with nowhere to stay, his only choice was to return to the Spire, accept the job, and beg for a place to sleep, but that seemed too sad, even for him.

  “Sky?”

  Huan blinked up at a blond man wreathed in pale light.

  “Who?” Huan blinked and the pale light became a more mundane white surcote. “Kay?”

  Kay’s steady arm slipped under Huan’s arm pits. “Are you all right?”

  “How… how did you find me?”

  “I didn’t. I could see you from up there.”

  Huan followed Kay’s finger to the top of Sen Jerome’s, which had quite a lot of guards milling around on it. “Oh.”

  “Let me take you back.”

  “No,” Huan tried to push Kay away, “I haven’t-”

  Kay didn’t let go. “It’s not safe out here. They found Elm’s corpse in the woods. It got him.”

  “What got him?”

  “The thing that killed Sister Marsh and Sister Loch.”

  Ah, right. Huan leaned into Kay’s warm chest. “You’ll get them.”

  “Let’s get you cleaned up.” Kay half-lifted Huan. “We can’t afford to lose you.”

  “Really?”

  Silence. Then a smile. “Really.”