From his perch on Bradsbridge’s balustrade, Huan watched as people rushed home to escape the night’s frost. He was tired, tired of retrieving his weapons from stashes around the city, tired of the side-eye looks he still got, tired of asking himself over and over again: Am I a bad person?

  The last time he’d been on this bridge, he’d robbed Dwayne and fought Magdala, all for a magic trinket he’d then had to fight his own sister to secure. The first time he’d been here, back when the city had been resplendent in autumnal gold and red, he’d known he’d never belong, not with Dwayne in Sanford, not with Mei in the warehouse tenement, not even with the dregs in the Slipped Finger.

  How Granite had found him there, mumbling and insensate with drink, he’d never know for sure. What he did know was that one night Kay and Gold had approached him with an offer, which he’d taken because the sky above him, its moon, its stars, had witnessed him robbing, murdering, making his sister cry. Going south meant being free of their judgment.

  Am I a bad person? He knew the answer, as much as he didn’t want to admit it, so he moved on to the next question, which had to do with last night.

  He dropped down onto the bridge, adjusted his weapons on their belts, and continued south. When he passed through the city gate, he turned to follow the protests.

  “Yusdissia Juaneloooo!”

  “Where is she? Where is she?”

  “Yusdissia Juaneloooo!”

  “Where is she? Where is she?”

  Skirting the Vanurians, it was easier at night since there weren’t so many, Huan tried to avoid the Wesen, but their numbers grew in the dark, and before he could find the new borders, a short wiry girl with thick curly hair standing proud on her brow accosted him.

  “Are you Huan Ma?”

  The Wesen ringleader knows my name? Huan bared his teeth. “Who wants to know?”

  The girl nodded as if he’d answered. “We see you, Huan Ma.”

  Huan’s hand went to his sword. “What do-”

  But the Wesen shifted around him, surrounding him and pushing him until he was standing alone on the street leading to the Spire.

  “Shit.” Huan continued on.

  In his absence, the Spire had made noticeable progress, possibly due to the efforts of the overseers who grumbled as Huan passed.

  “Sky.” Kay, dressed in black surcote and white trousers, rose from his seat next to the tent entrance. “Did you make your decision?”

  “Yes, but…” Huan looked up into Kay’s eyes. “I have a question. For you.”

  “What is it?”

  “Would you…consider…” Huan blew out a breath. “I’ll stay regardless, but I need, I mean, I want to know if you’d come with me.”

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Kay raised an eyebrow. “Come with you?”

  “To Vanuria.” Huan looked down. “I know you think they’re heathens-”

  “They’re heretics.”

  “-but come with me and you can change them and we could stay together.”

  “I see.” Kay’s expression was unreadable. “Let’s discuss that later. Afterwards.”

  Despite the flutter in his belly, Huan kept his own expression clear. “I understand.”

  “Do not worry.” Kay placed a hand on Huan’s cheek. “You’re mine. So,” he pulled back and opened the tent flap, “let’s get this done.”

  Inside, Sorgi was joined by two mages in green cloaks, a young auburn-haired woman and a scrawny ash brown-haired boy. On Sorgi’s desk were a pipe like metal thing, two cans with muzzles attached, and a moon pale slateboard.

  “Is that everyone?” the woman asked.

  “Yes, finally,” said Sorgi.

  “Who are you?” Huan asked.

  “You can call me Werner, Mr. Ma. Fletcher,” she gestured to the boy, “and I will be walking you through the dean’s plan for the Day of Cleansing.”

  “Where’s Lo Duca?”

  “She’s doing her part.”

  Vague. “And Sioned?” Considering what Huan had suffered, he deserved to know that information.

  Werner’s hands clenched. “With the dean.”

  Huan crossed his arms. “So she’s where?”

  “Mr. Ma,” Werner crossed her own arms, “every pointless question you ask means more delays, and the dean has grown tired of delays. But please, don’t stop now.”

  Since Sorgi was tapping his foot, and Kay was looking weary, Huan relented. “Fine. Continue.”

  “Oh, thanks so very much.” Werner turned to Kay. “We’ll start with our current status. Brother Kennedy?”

  “Five teams are in place,” said Kay. “The remaining seven will be so within eight days.”

  “If you can make it four, the dean will very much appreciate it.” She turned to Sorgi. “What about the Spire?”

  “Today, we reached eighty-three percent completion,” said Sorgi. “It should be eighty-five by tomorrow’s end.”

  Werner’s eyes narrowed. “At that rate, you’ll need another seven days to reach completion.”

  Sorgi shrugged. “We lack the hands to halve the time.”

  “Which is why the dean sent help.” Werner put a hand on her chest. “Us.”

  Sorgi frowned. “I see. Were Bolton and Talbot not available?”

  “Talbot’s with Lo Duca.” Werner looked down. “And Bolton is still recovering.”

  Familiar names. Right, Bolton and Talbot had been the mages assigned to Huan’s team at Latia Arena. It was no wonder that Bolton was still recovering after Mei was through with her. However, What did Lo Duca need Talbot for?

  “I thank her for her service. However,” Sorgi eyed Werner and Fletcher, “are either of you earthhoists?”

  “No, and we don’t need to be.” Werner held up her right wrist where a blue jewel gleamed on a silver bracelet. “We have these.”

  Qe cores.

  “So neither of you,” Sorgi sneered, “are actually trained.”

  “Mr. Sorgi,” Werner raised her chin, “you’re talking to a Qe master, and Fletcher,” the boy squeaked, “has seen enough of his sister’s work to know how it’s done. We will be enough. Now, as for the Day of Cleansing,” she used a thick pen to draw a spire and then a spire inside of that circle on the slateboard, “half of Brother Kennedy’s teams will be surrounding the Miasmatic Distribution Spire. They’ll wear those,” Fletcher picked up a muzzle can thing, “to protect them while keeping protesters at least ten wir away from the Spire.”

  “Why not just clear them out?” asked Kay.

  “The dean wants them as examples.”

  “Of what?” Huan asked.

  “What did we just talk about, Mr. Ma?” Werner was still looking down so she missed Huan’s teeth grinding. “You’ll be here.” She circled the top of the Spire. “Manning the release valve.

  Fletcher held up the pipe thing.

  Huan pointed at a muzzle can. “Will I also get one of those?”

  “No. Moving on, this is how the rest of Brother Kennedy’s teams will be distributed.”

  Huan tuned out the rest. Werner’s clear disregard for him was galling, but at least he’d be at the top of the Spire, where he could see Mei coming.