Page 9

T he jobs board sat at the east end of the largest square in Thune.

It was long and low and, beneath newer scraps of parchment or foolscap, furred with the ragged flakes of a hundred others.

As Viv scanned the notices, she endured a weary onrush of memory—beast hunts, bounties, and battles.

She might’ve torn down five score of those sheets herself in one city or another, knuckles bloodied, to claim her due for a job done.

She’d even posted a few in her time—a hireling here, filling out a hunting party there.

This one was nothing like the others.

She spiked her notice on one of the many iron studs and read over what she’d written.

Assistant Wanted: Must Be Willing to Learn

Management & Food Service Experience Desired

Advancement Opportunities

Patience a Plus

Wages Commensurate

Inquire at the Old Livery on Redstone

Afternoon to Dusk

It was a long shot, but the Scalvert’s Stone hadn’t let her down yet.

* * *

She returned to the shop but found herself restless and pacing.

She’d sent post for her most important delivery on her first day in the city, and while the coffee had shown up promptly, the other parcel had yet to arrive.

With the shop repaired and cleaned and nothing upon which to expend her nervous energy, she felt thwarted.

After weeks of steady work and with Cal absent, her hands itched with the inactivity. At last, in exasperation, she gathered her notes into her satchel and hiked to the pub she’d visited on her first night in Thune.

She sat at a table in the back, ordered a meal, and made increasingly irrelevant lists. When noon arrived, her meal remained half-eaten, and her nervous organizational efforts were in shambles, so she lunged from her seat, paid, and stalked back to the shop to wait.

The idea that an applicant would arrive on the first day was, of course, ludicrous. But the Scalvert’s Stone… well. She either trusted its power, or she didn’t. And if she did….

the Scalvert’s Stone a-fire

draws the ring of fortune.

Viv started a fire, boiled water, ground some beans, and made a cup of coffee, which she drank too quickly.

Then she made another. And another. As a result, she was nervier than ever and wished she’d written other instructions on the advertisement.

Or that her probably misplaced faith in the power of the Stone wasn’t keeping her corralled there.

Did she really believe it would deliver results so soon?

Blackblood hung ominously on the wall, and she found herself wanting to take it down to sharpen it and to lose herself in the repetitive, familiar action of it, but she forced her gaze away.

She found herself annoyed that Cal had made her hang it up and then angry at herself for blaming him, since that was a stupid thing to think.

Viv could have juggled the man one-handed. He’d hardly made her do anything.

And then, in late mid-afternoon, there was a rap on the door, and it opened briskly.

A woman strode in, glancing about in a way that was both cautious and confident.

She was tall—not as tall as Viv, of course—with glossy black hair cut severely at chin length.

She wore breeches and what looked like a sweater, dark and shapeless, with a collar that covered her throat.

Her face was aristocratic, her eyes dark.

Viv also noted with surprise the short stubs of horn parting her hair, the hint of dusty magenta in her skin, and her whipcord tail. The woman was clearly a succubus.

Viv’s head was already buzzing from her fourth cup of coffee, and she started up from her seat.

The woman slowly looked her up and down, but her expression didn’t change. She glanced deliberately at Blackblood on the wall and then back. “Assistant Wanted,” she said. It wasn’t a question. Her voice was throaty, but she spoke precisely.

“Uh, that’s right,” replied Viv. And just stood there.

The woman’s eyebrows slowly rose, and she closed the door behind her. She held out a hand. “Tandri,” she said.

“Viv.” She awkwardly returned the handshake, cursing herself for drinking so much coffee. “I’m sorry, I didn’t expect anyone to actually show up on the first day,” she said, which was absolutely untrue, but seemed a good excuse for how scattered she probably appeared.

“I like to be prompt,” said Tandri.

“Good. Good!” Viv tried to get hold of herself. She’d hired help before. Sure, they’d been mercenaries and cutpurses, but the principle was the same. Lay out the job, set forth the terms, get a feeling for whether they’d cut and run at an inconvenient moment, and then make the call. Easy.

“So, I’m looking for an assistant. I guess that’s clear from the notice. The job’s… uh, it’s sort of… um. You ever hear of coffee?”

The succubus shook her head, her hair moving like a liquid curtain. “I have not.”

“Well, that’s fine, doesn’t matter. Tea though?

You know tea. I’m opening this shop soon, kind of like a tea shop—but coffee—and can’t run it all by myself.

I need somebody willing to learn the work, take customers, help with whatever needs doing.

Probably some cleaning, too. And they’d make coffee, you know, as needed, after some instruction…

from me. Uh. I wrote ‘food service experience’ in the notice. You have that?”

Tandri’s expression didn’t falter in the slightest. “I do not.”

“Um.”

The succubus inclined her head at Viv. “Do you?”

Viv’s mouth hung open for a moment, until she eventually managed, “I… do not.”

“I am willing to learn. That was higher up on the notice,” said the woman.

“That’s true.” Viv scratched the back of her head. Gods, this was so awkward.

“Advancement opportunities, it also said,” prompted Tandri. “What sorts of opportunities?”

“I did write that, didn’t I? Well… I mean, if things went well… I guess it would depend on what your interests were?”

There was a very awkward pause.

Viv wrestled with what she was about to say.

She’d never been skilled at putting things delicately.

It had never been particularly important up ’til now.

Succubi had a reputation for certain… biological imperatives.

Were their needs and predilections even a choice?

She forged onward. “You’re a… succubus. Right? ”

At the implied addendum to that question, Tandri’s expression changed for the first time—a pinching of the lips, a tightening around the eyes. Her tail lashed behind her. “I am. And you’re an orc. Running a not-tea shop.”

“No judgment from me!” Viv babbled, feeling on the precipice of a great mistake, but stumbling forward, nevertheless. “I only ask, because–”

“No, I have no desire to vamp your customers, if that’s your question.” Tandri’s voice was icy.

“That… wasn’t what I was planning to say,” said Viv. “I would never assume that. I’ve just never worked with one of… you… and I wasn’t sure about your… needs.” Gods, this was agonizing. Her cheeks were aflame.

Tandri closed her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her. Her cheeks were flushed, as well.

Viv was absolutely sure she was about to turn on her heel and leave.

She sighed. “I apologize. Look, I am very bad at this. I don’t really know what I’m doing.

” She hooked a thumb at the greatsword on the wall.

“This is what I know, what I’ve always known.

I just want to know something else, now.

To be something else. Everything I said was stupid.

I, of all people, ought to know better than to assume anything based on what you were born as.

Before you walk out, do you mind if I start over? ”

Tandri took a slow breath, in through her nose, out through her mouth. “There’s no need to start over.”

“Ah,” said Viv, disappointed. “I understand.”

“Why waste the time? We’ve covered most of the particulars,” continued the succubus, briskly. “So, wages commensurate ?”

Viv goggled at her for a moment and then stammered, “Three silver, 8 bits a week, to start?”

“Four silver.”

“I… yes, that’s fine.”

“Acceptable.”

“Then, you want the job?”

“I do.” Tandri held out her hand again.

Viv shook it in a daze. “Well, then… welcome aboard. I… thanks.” She’d set out to hire an assistant, but she had the overwhelming sense that she’d just acquired a partner without meaning to. She couldn’t help wondering who had interviewed whom.

“It’s settled then,” said Tandri. “A pleasure to meet you, Viv.”

Then she turned and left, closing the door gently behind her.

“ Patience a plus ,” Viv murmured.

It was several minutes before she noticed that she hadn’t even specified when the work would start. But somehow, she wasn’t worried about it.

* * *

Viv went directly to the square and tore down her notice, which hadn’t hung for more than seven hours. She folded it and tucked it into a pocket, then returned to the shop, where she wiped away the debris of her furtive bean-grinding.

Afterward, Viv went out and ate a hearty meal, coming home pleasantly warm and full. As she sat toying with the witching rod in the dining area, her gaze returned again and again to the place where the Scalvert’s Stone rested.

Later, staring at the ceiling from her bedroll, she thought about her impending delivery and the feeling of potential motion building in her. All that remained was for that last obstruction to be kicked away.

She heard a thud on the roof tiles. Heavy footfalls clattered noisily as something large tracked to the western wall. There was a pregnant pause… and then a thump.

Viv quietly stole from her bedroll, descended the ladder, and paced the dark and quiet street, trying to see onto the roof before checking the alley to the west, but she found nothing.