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I t was three days before the old crew—minus Fennus—arrived at the shop.

In the late afternoon, Roon was the first to duck inside the door.

He raised his eyebrows at Viv behind the coffee maker and gave the busy interior a considering glance.

Gallina stepped out from behind him, where she’d been hidden by his bulk, goggles up in her spiky hair, a wide grin splitting her face.

Taivus slipped gracefully in after and inclined his head.

“Evenin’, Viv,” said Roon.

“Closing a little early, folks,” hollered Viv. Boisterous complaints answered back.

Tandri gave her a startled glance, saw her expression, and then noted Roon and the other new arrivals. “All friends of yours?”

“Old friends,” said Viv, cocking a thumb at the sword behind her.

“Is that Blackblood? ” exclaimed Gallina, with a high laugh. “She looks like a Solstice wreath!”

“That’s her,” said Viv, with a smile. “Give me a few minutes to empty the place.”

* * *

It took longer than she’d have liked to encourage the last of the diners out the door, and Viv wished—not for the first time—that she had some way to let customers take their drinks with them. Ah well. A problem for another time.

She sent Thimble on his way, but when she opened her mouth to speak to Tandri, the succubus held up a hand, her tail lashing sharply behind her. “I’m staying.”

Viv thought about that for a moment, then nodded and said, “All right.”

* * *

They sat on the benches at the big communal table. Tandri brewed coffees, and Viv set out a plate of cinnamon rolls and Thimblets.

“Thanks for coming,” said Viv, when they were all seated and served. She toyed with the mug in front of her. “And I guess, first things first, this is Tandri. She’s my… co-worker. Tandri, you know Roon. This is Gallina, and Taivus.” She gestured to each in turn.

“Twice charmed,” said Roon around an enormous bite of cinnamon roll.

“A succubus, huh?” said Gallina, her chin propped on her hand.

Viv saw Tandri stiffen.

The little gnome must have, as well. “Nah, I don’t mean anything by it, sweetie. Long as you don’t ask me to invent anything. Pleased to meetcha. Love the look.” The gnome waved tiny fingers at Tandri’s sweater.

“Gallina tends more to, uh, wet-work,” said Viv.

“I do like knives.” Gallina produced one from nowhere to trim her nails.

Taivus nodded solemnly at Tandri and nibbled at the edge of a Thimblet. The stone-fey was as taciturn as ever, his watchful face framed in white hair.

“Nice to meet you all,” said Tandri. She took a quick sip of her drink, and Viv could swear she was nervous.

Roon set his matching Blink Stone on the table between them as he polished off his roll and reached for a Thimblet. “So. Seein’ the place, an’ tastin’ these, I’m inclined to think you didn’t send for us because you’re hopin’ to sleep rough an’ crush skulls again.”

“You got me there,” said Viv. “No, I’m not coming back.” She stared at Gallina thoughtfully. “Before I get into that, though, I owe you an apology. All of you. I’m not proud of the way I left. You deserved better from me, after all those years. I was just afraid–”

“We know,” said Gallina. “Roon told us.” She squinted at Viv. “I was a little pissed, I don’t mind sayin’. But… this is nice .” She gestured expansively at the shop. “Happy for you, Viv.”

“I didn’t mind,” said Taivus in a quiet voice, because if anyone understood avoiding a difficult conversation—or, indeed, any conversation—it was the stone-fey.

“Well, now that’s out o’ the way, let’s get down to it,” said Roon, with a big grin. “We’re folk o’ action, hey? Unless you just wanted to feed us. An’ if that was the case, can’t say as I’d complain.” He started in on his second roll.

Viv took a big breath and sighed it out. “So… things are going well. Really well, better than I could’ve hoped. But. There’s a local… element , that I need to deal with.”

Taivus looked suddenly interested, and Gallina stood up on the bench and planted both hands on the table to get a better eyeline. “And you haven’t sent ’em off with broken bones and better manners, yet?”

“Well, no, not so far.”

“Then you want us to help with that?” Gallina’s grin was eager and a little bloodthirsty.

“It’s not as simple as that.”

“Oh, this is the simplest ,” said Gallina. “Nothin’ simpler!”

Viv flattened her hands in front of her and tried to think of the right words to use.

“Here’s the thing. I was hoping that… the threat of me would be enough.

I even hung Blackblood on the wall as, I don’t know, a sort of warning .

I don’t want to deal with this the way that the old Viv would have, because…

because….” She struggled to articulate it.

“Because if she does, it ruins everything,” said Tandri, joining the conversation.

Roon looked dubious. “She’s taken care of problems just like this a dozen times. Two dozen! Protectin’ what’s yours? There’s no shame in that. Don’t see how that would ruin anythin’, except the face of whatever fool is tryin’ to shake her down.”

“That’s not what I mean,” said Tandri, with surprising heat.

“Sure, it might be fine this time, for this one thing… but once it’s an option, once she can pick that back up…

.” She pointed at the sword on the wall.

“She loses what she won by building this place without it. Maybe next time, it’s just a job to earn a little silver in a lean winter.

Maybe a bounty in exchange for a shipping discount.

And little by little, this isn’t that coffee shop in Thune where you can get a cinnamon roll as big as your head.

It’s Viv’s territory, and you don’t want to cross her, and did you hear about the time she broke the legs of somebody who looked at her funny? ”

“She has done that,” whispered Gallina out the side of her mouth.

“That was before.” Tandri stabbed the table with a finger. “Right now, in this town, the shop is a clean slate. She should pay the Madrigal and let it be.”

“Well, Viv,” said Roon, who looked confused. “If that’s what you’re thinkin’, then why are we here?”

Viv tossed up her hands helplessly. “I don’t know… advice? Or I guess I thought….”

“You thought we might do it,” finished Gallina. She archly inquired, “Were you gonna offer to pay us?”

Viv looked pained. “No, that’s not what I had planned, I…

I don’t know what I should do.” She made a frustrated growl deep in her throat.

“The problem is I don’t want to pay them.

I don’t think I can bring myself to do it.

And no, I’m not trying to hire you to take care of the problem.

But I thought, maybe… just a show of force. ”

“That’s the sword on the wall, again,” said Tandri. “And if you go too much further, you might as well use it and be done with it.”

They all fell silent for a moment.

“The Madrigal,” said Taivus.

“You know him?” asked Viv.

“I know of them,” he replied.

“Then what do you think?”

Taivus was characteristically thoughtful and quiet, but they all waited without saying a word.

“It may be,” he eventually said, “that this can be resolved without blood.”

“I’m all ears,” said Viv.

“It’s possible I may be able to arrange a parley,” he continued.

“Meetin’ in a dark alley to talk terms seems like a sure way to get a knife in the back,” observed Gallina.

“The Madrigal and Viv have more in common than you might think,” said Taivus.

“Why do you say that?”

“I’ve met them before,” he said. “I’m bound by certain oaths not to reveal overmuch, and I take those oaths seriously, but I have a… sense… that it would be worth the effort.”

“And you could set this up?” asked Viv.

“I believe I could. I’ll reach out to a contact in the city. We should know by nightfall tomorrow.”

Gallina looked unconvinced. “I still think murderin’ them in their beds would be safer.”

“I assure you, it would not,” said Taivus, dryly.

“And you really think the risk of this is better than just paying what they’re asking?” Tandri crossed her arms, her expression severe.

Viv thought about that for a moment. “I don’t think it’s better.” She sighed. “But I feel like I’ve cut all the tethers to the old Viv but one. And I can’t bring myself to cut that last rope. I’m just… not ready yet.”

Tandri’s mouth tightened, but she said nothing further. There was a long and uncomfortable silence.

It was broken suddenly when Roon shot up from the bench. “What in the hells is that!” he exclaimed.

The dire-cat had appeared and circled behind them. She rubbed along the bench, purring like an earthquake.

“That’s Amity,” said Viv, with a relieved grin. She glanced over at Tandri, grateful that the tension was broken, or at least deferred.

“Why d’you need us when you’ve got a damned hell-beast on staff?” Roon cried.

“Awww, you’re just a sweetie, aren’t you?” cooed Gallina, scratching Amity’s back vigorously with both hands. She could have easily ridden the dire-cat.

“She’s a fair-weather watchcat.” Viv chuckled. “Shows up when she feels like it.”

“She’s hungry, too,” observed Gallina, offering the enormous creature a roll. Amity swallowed it whole.

After that, the conversation moved on to other, less delicate matters, and Viv brought out more drinks while Roon polished off the remaining baked goods.

* * *

Dusk was long past when they finally filtered out the door, leaving Viv and Tandri behind to close up shop.

They quietly cleaned together, scrubbing and wiping and sweeping. As Viv dried her hands and turned to the front of the shop, Tandri was standing in the entry with an unreadable expression on her face.

“I’m sorry,” the woman suddenly said.

“For what?”

“It wasn’t my place to say those things. To speak for you. So, I apologize.”

Viv frowned and looked down at her hands for a moment.

“No, you were right. You were right about how it should be. How I think I want it to be. I don’t know if I can do that yet. But–” She looked back at Tandri. “I hope that someday, I can. So. Thank you.”

“Oh.” Tandri made a small nod. “That’s all right, then. Good night, Viv.”

She quietly left the shop.

“Good night, Tandri,” Viv said to the closed door.