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“G ods, what a difference,” said Tandri.

Cal’s auto-circulator twirled lazily above them, and the cool downdraft was indeed a blessed relief.

Thimble appeared to appreciate it just as much, if not more.

Viv wasn’t even sure if the rattkin could sweat.

He’d probably suffered more than any of them, especially working near the stove, although he’d never complained.

Some morning regulars bemoaned the previous closure, but any grumbles were outweighed by their interest in the new gnomish gadget stirring the air.

Glancing around, Viv decided that she was extremely proud of the shop’s interior.

It felt modern and forward-thinking, but also cozy and welcoming.

The combined aromas of hot cinnamon, ground coffee, and sweet cardamom intoxicated her, and as she brewed and smiled and served and chatted, a deep contentment welled up.

It was a glowing warmth she’d never experienced before, and she liked it. She liked it a great deal.

A look around at the regulars confirmed they felt it, too. And yet, from behind the counter, there was a sweetness she alone experienced.

Because this shop is mine, she thought.

She caught Tandri slipping into a smile beside her.

Or maybe, it’s ours.

* * *

Viv glanced up and saw Pendry, the hulking would-be bard, shifting from foot to foot, just inside the threshold. This time, he had a more traditional lute clutched in front of him. She thought he might accidentally twist the neck off with those big hands, he gripped it so tightly.

“Hi there, Pendry.”

She waited to see what he’d say, a touch amused. It was clear what he wanted to say.

“I. Uh. Well.”

Tandri shot her a mildly reproachful look, and Viv took pity on the poor kid.

“Want to give it another try?” she asked, carefully keeping her eyes on her work.

“Er. I… would… like that. But I promise, I’ll play something less mod-… I mean, more traditional , miss.”

“Miss? Oof. Now I know why Laney hated that.” Viv made a face.

“I’m… sorry?” he ventured, wincing.

She waved at him. “Go ahead. Last time wasn’t bad exactly. Just… surprising. Break a leg.”

Pendry looked stricken.

“I guess that’s not a common saying around here?”

Tandri shrugged. “Sounds pretty martial.”

“You’re probably right.”

Pendry blinked in confusion, then ducked his head and shuffled into the dining area again. This time, Viv resolved not to follow, in case it made his nerves worse than they already were.

She did cock an ear, and waited for a minute or so. Hearing nothing, she laughed under her breath and shook her head, starting a fresh pull of coffee.

As she passed it to a customer, and the hissing of the machine died down, the sound of the lute became gradually apparent. Much softer than last time, Pendry was playing a gentle ballad with a pleasant melody. It had a catchy strumming pattern, interspersed with delicate finger-picking.

“It’s nice,” observed Tandri. “He can play, can’t he?”

“Not bad,” agreed Viv.

A voice then joined the lute, high and sweet and soulful.

“Hang on,” said Viv. “Who is that ?” She ducked her head around the corner and gawked. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

It was Pendry, his singing voice unaccountably melodious and pure, a startling contrast to his bulk and blockiness.

…The price of what I meant to do

Was higher when the day was through,

And when I took a different road,

I almost couldn’t feel the load…

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard that before,” said Tandri. “Maybe traditional- sounding , but not traditional. I’d wager he wrote that.”

“Huh.” There were no expressions of shock amongst the diners, and Viv even caught a foot or two tapping along. “Sorry I ever doubted you,” she murmured, partly to herself, but mostly to the Scalvert’s Stone tucked away beneath the floor.

“What was that?”

“Oh, nothing. Just another stroke of good luck.”

* * *

Later, Hemington approached the counter and rather awkwardly ordered one of everything.

“You want a coffee and a latte?” asked Viv, eyeing him with suspicion.

“Er. Yes.” He paused and fidgeted for a moment. “And then, I had something I wanted to ask you.”

Viv sighed. “Hemington, if you’re looking for a favor, just ask. I don’t want to brew coffee you’re not going to drink.”

“Oh, well, excellent,” he said brightly.

“You’re buying one of these though,” she said, sliding a Thimblet over to him.

“Um. Of course.” He paid for it but didn’t seem to know what to do with it.

“Well, what can I do for you, Hem?”

“To start, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call me Hem .”

“I believe you’re the one asking for a favor. In a shop where you don’t actually want anything we sell… Hem .”

He grimaced. “It’s not that I don’t want anyth–! Oh, nevermind .” He took a big breath and tried to start over. “I was hoping you’d allow me to lay a ward here, as part of my research.”

Viv frowned. “A ward? What for?”

“Well, it’s really my primary area of study. And with the non-fluctuating confluence of ley lines here, and the amplifying effect they have on Thaumic constructions that align with the material substrate, it–”

“Maybe a more straightforward answer, Hemington?”

“Ahem. It will be entirely unnoticeable.” He absently bit the Thimblet.

“But what will it do ?”

“Well… it could do any number of things. That, in and of itself, isn’t important. And it will not disrupt your customers, or anyone else. You shouldn’t even see it!”

“Then why haven’t you already done it?”

He looked affronted. “I would never ,” he said, with great dignity, spoiled somewhat by the bite of Thimblet that followed.

“What sort of ward?” asked Tandri, who had clearly been listening in. “Optical trigger? Anima proximity? Using a precision focus?”

“Er, anima proximity. And the focus could be anything. A pigeon?”

“Why would you want to track whether a pigeon flew over the building?” asked Tandri.

“Well, it was just an example, ” said Hemington. “As I said, what it does isn’t important. I’d just like to study the stability, range, and accuracy of the ward’s response.”

Viv sighed in resignation. “If I don’t have to hear any more about it, then go right ahead. Unless….” She looked at Tandri. “Unless I should care?”

She was nervous that this would somehow expose the secret under the floor, but objecting more strenuously might accomplish the same thing. If he had some means of investigating specifically for the Stone, she wouldn’t know anyway, so perhaps it was best just to go with it, for now.

“It’ll be fine,” said Tandri.

“I told you it would be unnoticeable,” huffed Hemington.

“Unnoticeable isn’t the same as harmless,” said Viv mildly. “But yeah, go ahead.”

“I… thank you.”

“How was the Thimblet?” she asked with a sly smile.

“The what?”

She pointed at his now empty hands.

He’d eaten the whole thing.

* * *

Things had been going far too smoothly for far too long, and if Viv had been out in the wilderness or on a campaign or camped outside a beast’s lair, a premonition of impending misfortune would have prickled along her spine.

While she and Tandri shut down for the evening, Lack appeared outside the shop with Tandri’s unwelcome admirer Kellin and at least six or eight others.

As Viv stood blocking the doorway, she reflected that she really should not have let her vigilance lapse.

“What is it?” asked Tandri, dropping the mug she’d been cleaning into the wash-water and moving to look around Viv’s side. She froze at the sight of Kellin, her eyes darting to the men and women behind him.

They bristled with enough knives to warrant concern. Viv found herself wishing that Amity would show up, but the dire-cat was frustratingly absent.

Viv wasn’t particularly worried about the knives for herself , but Tandri’s presence threw off her mental calculus of risk entirely.

The succubus had witnessed her last encounter with Lack, but there was no Gatewarden present this time to uphold the illusion of law.

Alone, Viv never feared for her own skin.

With Tandri beside her, brute strength felt like no defense at all.

“Congratulations on your ongoing success,” said Lack, doffing his hat and executing a half bow.

Viv couldn’t decide if it was intended to be mocking or not.

“End of the month already, is it?” she asked grimly. “Could have sworn there were a few more days.”

Lack nodded agreeably. “Indeed. You know, it’s not readily apparent, but the trickiest part of my job is ensuring that things go smoothly.

That there are no problems . You see, if there is blood, or bones get broken, or property meets misfortune, that’s a failure .

It’s just not a foundation for good business.

The Madrigal wants good business. Repeatable business.

And diligence on my part is key to making that happen. ”

“Hi, Tandri,” said Kellin, with a possessive smile in her direction.

Lack frowned at him.

Tandri glanced at Viv, eyes wide.

Viv tried her best to project confidence.

Lack continued, “I’m here to impress on you that I’m serious. That we do expect collection at the end of the month. And to reiterate that while I would prefer to count this as a success, a failure of… civility… will be more to your disadvantage than ours.”

Viv clenched her fists at her sides. “Might be more of a disadvantage for you than you expect.”

Lack sighed in an aggrieved way. “Look, there’s no denying you’re very physically capable.

That’s clear. But you have a business. You have employees.

You’re doing well . Would you really want to throw all that away on some sort of misguided principle?

The world is full of taxes and allowances and concessions that keep things moving forward . This is just another one of those.”

“Hate to see the place burn to the ground,” said Kellin, with an extremely punchable grin on his face.

Lack’s motion was liquid and savage as he snagged Kellin’s lapel and yanked him close to his face. “Shut up , you insufferable shitweasel ,” he snarled.

From the speed of that motion, Viv instantly knew that she’d misjudged Lack’s quality as a threat.

Kellin stumbled away, mouth gaping, chastened.

Lack straightened his overcoat and replaced his hat on his head. “Another week,” he said. “I look forward to a trouble-free relationship in the future.” He nodded to Viv, and then to Tandri. “Apologies, miss.”

And then they left.

* * *

Viv was straightening up from her pack with the Blink Stone in hand when Tandri found her in the loft.

“Are you all right?” asked Tandri.

Viv was touched, swiftly followed by a guilty realization of who had been most threatened by the men in the street. How could she have failed to ask how Tandri felt? It was too late now, though.

“Fine.” She winced at the shortness of her answer. “Just thinking about my options.” She stared at the Blink Stone in her palm. The succubus glanced curiously at it, but Viv didn’t offer to explain.

Tandri swept her gaze over the barren room, empty except for Viv’s bedroll, her pack, and some leftover construction materials stacked neatly in the corner.

“This is where you sleep?”

“I’m used to less,” said Viv, suddenly embarrassed.

Tandri was quiet for a long moment.

“You know, you’ve built something pretty wonderful.

Something special.” She held Viv’s gaze.

“And I know you’re remaking your life. I can relate.

I know what that feels like and what it means to want that.

” She gestured around the empty room. “But that down there is not your whole life. What you do with the rest of the time is at least as important. For someone who reads a lot, you don’t even have any books. ”

Maybe Viv had neglected a few pleasures. That was hard to argue with, but she tried anyway. “I don’t really need anything else, though. I could feel it today. It was enough . And I don’t mean to lose it.”

“ Is it enough, though?” Tandri frowned and looked down.

“What they want to take from you… the reason it’s so…

untenable. It’s because they’d be taking everything you have.

I’m just saying that… maybe, if you treated the rest of your life the same way you do the shop—invested in it the same way—then the cost would seem less. ”

Viv didn’t know what to say to that.

“Whatever happens,” said Tandri. “I think maybe you should pay a little attention to this room.” Her smile was wan. “At least get a damn bed.”

* * *

Viv waited until she heard Tandri close the shop door behind her. When she entered the kitchen a short while later, the only sound was the thrum of the stove.

She opened the firebox door and stood for a long time, staring into the flames.

Viv glanced at Blackblood, freshly garlanded.

Then she tossed the Blink Stone in, closed the stove, and climbed the ladder to try—and fail—to find sleep in her cold bedroll.