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CHAPTER THREE

IN WHICH OUR HERO FLIRTS HIS WAY INTO THE PICTURE

The town of Vhalder boasted two options for casual drinking.

One was Simprekan’s, a cozy, family-owned establishment that specialized in food and home-brewed alcohol.

The other, with a name translating to The Bitter Brother, was a proper inn where food and drink were decidedly not their specialty but could be had in excess for cheap.

By nature, it was the sort of place where people converged to pass the time, spread gossip, and meet new people.

I preferred this spot, only because the number of patrons present at any given time meant it was the best place to socialize and advertise our services.

“Let’s keep it to a reasonable number of drinks,” I reminded everyone, holding the door open as they filed inside.

Daethie, riding one of the twin’s shoulders today, rolled her eyes at me.

I held my tongue; obviously, the statement was not intended for the one person in our group who could get alcohol poisoning from a single flagon.

The interior was warm and well-lit, with large lamps bearing magical light set on windowsills and hanging from ceiling beams. Fermented grains perfumed the air.

On the far side of the room was the bar, where two handsome fauns served drinks and entertained guests seated at the counter.

Serving girls flitted between tables on the main floor, exchanging empty drinks for new ones.

On the left were stairs leading to the second level, with a large man at the bottom to guard the rooms from curious drunks.

The whole place buzzed with jovial conversation.

We selected one of the rectangular tables against the wall on the left side of the room. It was a good vantage point to watch the stairs and bar, so I’d be able to keep an eye out for anyone who looked wealthy and in need of a hand. When the waitress came around, we all ordered.

“Something strong,” one of the twins requested, the other echoing him.

“Something sweet, if you have it,” I told the girl.

When the girl’s attention pivoted to Yrra, he struggled to get his words out, hunching in on himself more with every second that passed.

Daethie hopped onto the tabletop, beating her wings once to slow her descent, and snapped, “Give me something strong, too, but a half portion. And for him, a full portion, but half drink and half water.”

Yrra cast a grateful look at the fierce pixie as the serving girl left to fetch our beverages, and I returned to surveying the dining room and bar area.

A few patrons here might be worth speaking to, judging by their dress and the way they carried themselves, but not many.

I could also speak to the owner. An establishment like this had a lot of working parts, so chances were good that they could use a hand here or there.

“I hope you’ll remember that we’re here to relax,” the twin sitting beside me remarked.

“Yeah, yeah.” I waved away his words. “Don’t worry about me.”

“He’s not worried about you,” Daethie interjected with a disdainful sniff. “If you’re here to work, you’ll rope the rest of us into your schemes, too. Your ass better stay in that chair, Mar.”

With Daethie, you had to put your foot down, or she’d walk all over you. In an ideal world, you wouldn’t be on her bad side, but you wouldn’t be friendly with her either. I’d found a good middle ground in the time we’d known each other.

“And your ass better stay out of my business,” I retorted, fixing her with a frown. “Someone should keep an eye out so we don’t miss any opportunities, and I’m electing to be that person. Why do you care? It’s not any bother to you.”

“Your business is our business, whether you like it or not, and we’re trying to enjoy a day off. Do we need to find you a blindfold so that you can focus, you work animal?”

“Keep it up, and you’re going to be on track to another sprained wing?—”

“Ladies, ladies.” Vyrain put up his hands in a placating gesture. “We have an entire evening to look forward to. Let’s keep things cordial, hmm? How about a game of thracks ?”

He pulled a velvet pouch from a pocket somewhere but was interrupted by the serving girl. She danced around the table, setting cups before their owners with a practiced hand.

“There you are,” she said cheerfully as she placed the last one, smaller than the rest, in front of Daethie. “Anything else I can getcha? We’ve got a lovely lya roast on special tonight.”

“I don’t think we’re hungry, thank you.” I glanced around the table; everyone seemed to be in agreement.

“But, I did want to ask if you’ve heard of anyone in need of a hand.

” Ignoring Daethie’s groan of protest, I forged onward.

“We’re staying nearby and looking for work.

We do it all: enforcement, deliveries, repairs, menial tasks.

Even domestic chores—cooking, childcare, and the like.

If you know of anyone who needs anything, send ’em our way. ”

The girl considered my question, raising one hand to tap at her bottom lip. “Mmm, well, there’s always… Oh! Have you heard about the Kereti heiress yet?”

Interest piqued, I leaned forward in my seat. “No, what about her?”

Everyone knew that the Keretis were the leading family in this region, but the municipal seat was far from here, so I’d never seen them.

To the best of my knowledge, they had several daughters and at least one son.

Extended family governed smaller territories from coast to coast. Beyond that, I knew nothing.

The serving girl smiled, showing deep dimples.

“Oh, get ready—it’s like something out of a folktale.

Their oldest daughter, Narille, was on a diplomatic mission to the island city of Munarzed.

There’s been a growing civilization there for a long time, but recently there’d been no contact from them, and they didn’t pay their taxes.

Weird, right? So, she goes to see what’s up and, get this, doesn’t come back. ”

There were blank looks around the table. None of us knew what to make of that.

The serving girl continued, vibrating with eagerness at having a captive audience.

“Narille sent one message to her family. ‘I’m staying here, this is what I want, don’t look for me.

’ Then, nothing. They were distraught, of course, but more than that, confused.

She was happy at home, you know, and being brought up to succeed her parents and continue the family line.

It’s a complete mystery. They sent an envoy to talk with her, and the envoy didn’t come back, either.

Now, they’re trying to find outside help to figure out what’s going on there.

The pay is ridiculous—it could set a whole family up for life. ”

My heart was pounding in my chest by the time she finished. Could this be the break we’ve been looking for, landing in our lap? Hah! What were the chances? Wait—patience, Mar. Gotta get to the root of this before you get too excited.

“What’s the catch?” I asked, knowing there had to be one.

“Oh, the usual,” the serving girl replied, giving a casual shrug. “Nothing in advance, lots of travel…”

She paused for dramatic effect, gripping her tray to her chest as she delivered the kicker: “And nobody who makes it to the island ever returns. Not a single one. The family’s been recruiting for several cycles—nearly a full revolution now—so it’s got to be, gosh, a hundred people who’ve attempted?

They’re so desperate by this point that they’re spreading the word far and wide.

For the past week, it’s all anyone’s been talking about! ”

Almost a year of this, hundreds of people gone with no explanation, pay that could set a family up for life… No wonder it was all people could talk about. To think, we’d been missing this kind of excitement by keeping to our camp in the woods. We ought to get out more.

I considered the prospect with rising enthusiasm.

First, I’d have to confirm this was a legitimate job.

Checking the updated job board ought to solve that.

Then there was the matter of convincing the others.

Daethie would probably be down; she wasn’t afraid of anything.

Jük, Vee, and Ked would stay behind as usual. Yrra, I couldn’t say. The twins?—

The waitress heaved a wistful sigh at that moment. “Maybe she’s been kidnapped. She could be chained up in a dungeon somewhere, waiting for a handsome hero to rescue her. Wouldn’t that be so romantic?”

Vyrain and Hohem exchanged a wide-eyed look as the gears turned in their heads. That would be the perfect recipe for the making of a prophesied chosen one.

“We’re in,” they said together.

I couldn’t believe my luck.

“Hang on! We’ve got to consider all the angles before we make a decision.

” I thanked the serving girl for the information, and she took the dismissal for what it was, bobbing on her feet and disappearing to return to work.

Pivoting back to the table, I pulled my mug closer and sipped while I got my thoughts in order.

An offensive sourness burst across my tongue, making me cringe—the drink was under-fermented, but I wasn’t about to waste it.

If I had convincing to do, the first step would be to see where the others’ heads were at, but everyone was quiet. Yrra, I expected. Daethie and the others were a surprise.

“What do you guys think?” I asked, raising my head to regard them.

“We’re in.” Vyrain broke the silence, speaking for himself and his brother. “Saving the Kereti heiress would put us in the history books. We’ll be talked about for revolutions to come!”

Daethie, ever the optimist, pointed out, “You know, dying in a horrifically gruesome way while attempting a daring rescue might get you in the history books too.”

“You can stay here,” Hohem muttered against the rim of his mug.