Keagan held the door to the branch office for Nieve and me. The place was quiet, with the exception of the man passing behind the counter ringing his hands together.

  He heard Nieve’s metal footsteps and stopped. “Oh, hello.” His voice matched his timid posture. “I'm sorry to inform you, but we're kinda having a situation. It would be best if you went back to where you came from. Most of the town is closed right now, but you are free to stay in an inn. Whatever you do, just stay away from the coast. Tritons are attacking anything that enters the water.”

  He was shorter than most men I'd seen, but he was slightly pudgy. His eyes darted equally between the three of us.

  Keagan puffed out his chest and stepped up. “The tritons are what I want to talk about.”

  The kaland behind the counter tilted his head. “Uh, you're not Festault and Granger.” He scratched his head. “Wait, aren’t you that kid who won the F-rank tournament about a month ago?”

  Keagan nodded. “Yup, that's me. My name's Keagan. I have an idea about the tritons.”

  The man held up his hand. “Sorry, Keagan. I know you probably mean well, but we've already got a plan in place. We just need to wait. We just need…” His voice trailed off.

  I flicked an ear. “We need a boat now. Since it's been made painfully obvious we can't borrow one because of the tritons, we're going to deal with your triton problem.”

  The boy deflated at my words. “That's… that's an oversimplified way of putting it, but she's not wrong. Look, mister…” He paused as if looking for the man's name.

  “Sal,” he answered. “This is a potential wild monster surge. An F-rank monster isn't strong enough.” He then looked at Nieve. “Unless…”

  Nieve, who had stayed quiet, held out her hands. “Oh, no. I'm not a fighter. I do not fight. Nope, no, nuh-uh.”

  Sal blinked. “A dullahan that isn't a fighter? That's a thing?”

  “I'm not F-rank, I'm E-rank,” I snapped.

  Keagan placed a hand on my shoulder. “Lucia has the stats to be in D-rank. But she's smart enough to probably beat C-rank monsters.”

  The man started pacing again. “Those aren’t high enough. And besides, direwolves can't breathe underwater. So unless you plan on drawing them all to shore…” He froze, then slowly turned back to Keagan. “You’re not, are you?”

  The kid beamed. “I am. That’s why I wanted to talk to you before I did. If things get too chaotic, or there are ones too strong for us to deal with, we could use some help.”

  All the color drained from Sal's face. “You want to do that?”

  Keagan ran up to the counter. “Don’t worry. I’ve got it all planned out. We’ll pick a spot away from the town, on a secluded beach somewhere; we'll lure them on land and fight them there. The town won't be harmed. Now, who's the strongest monster in the town right now? Can you gather all the trainers in one spot?”

  Sal stared at Keagan; his mouth hung open for a moment before he said, “Gather all the trainers? Here? In this building?”

  “It doesn’t have to be here,” Keagan said brightly. “Any common space is fine. The fighting platform, an inn—anywhere public. As long as it fits everyone. Can you ask?”

  Sal pressed both palms to his temples. “Why would I ask? Do you know what you’re asking? Why would anyone even consider…”

  “To fix your triton problem,” I interrupted.

  “That is not—” Sal squeaked, then lowered his voice when he saw me bare a fang, “—that is not how we handle surges. We wait. We gather data. We put as few people and monsters in danger as possible.”

  “So, do nothing.” I glared at the little man.

  His mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.

  Nieve leaned around Keagan and raised her hand. “Look, it’s really important to her that we continue moving as soon as possible. And Keagan’s idea does sound like it could work. What if I said that I could bake cupcakes for everyone before and after? Would that smooth things over? My strawberry frosting cupcakes have quite the reputation in the capital.”

  Sal blinked at her. “Are you seriously suggesting people risk their lives and the lives of their monsters for cupcakes?”

  She tilted her head. “N… no?”

  I shook my head. “Offering cupcakes right now does seem a bit rude right now.”

  Nieve pouted. “But everyone loves cupcakes. They bring smiles.”

  Keagan waved his hand. “Now might not be the best time for cupcakes, Nieve.”

  Her pout deepened as she turned away and muttered, “There’s never a bad time for cupcakes. I’ve never heard of a person who said they hate cupcakes.”

  Sal eyed the dullahan. “I think there’s something wrong with that one.”

  Nieve whirled on him and stomped her foot. “Rude!”

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  Keagan stepped between them. “There’s nothing wrong with her. She’s just different. That’s what makes her special. I’ll never ask her to be anything other than what she is: a treasured partner.”

  Keagan is the best fit for her. He’ll be good for her, and she’ll be good for him.

  I snorted. “Baked goods aside, can you do it or not?”

  Sal grabbed his own hair with both hands. “No! No, no, no. You three have lost your sanity if you want to cause a surge. Why are you all like this?”

  My ears twitched. “Because I don’t have time to wait for Festault and Granger.”

  Sal deflated further. “They’ll be here in a few days…”

  “Too long,” I snapped. “I’m here now.”

  Keagan raised a finger. “What if they’re delayed? What if they don’t make it?”

  “Don’t say that!” Sal yelped.

  Keagan backstepped immediately. “It could happen. What about the fishers? Do they have days or a week? What about two? How long can this town afford to wait?”

  Sal rubbed his face. “Keagan, listen to me. Tritons don’t typically come on land. They’re faster in water. They’re more coordinated, and they swarm.” He pointed a trembling finger at me. “And you—let’s face it, you can’t fight in water.”

  “Once they come on land, I’ll rip them all apart,” I said. “If you won’t cooperate, I’ll do it myself.”

  “Not against forty!” Sal clenched his fist. “There could be even more than that? What happens then?”

  My mouth watered. Forty tritons means forty chunks of experience. That’ll put me to level eleven. More? I wonder what they taste like. So many stats, levels, and the chance to tear something up.

  I grinned. “I’ll be dining well for a few days.”

  Nieve slapped her own helm with both hands. “Lucia, what? No!”

  Keagan coughed and stepped between us. “What Lucia means is we’ll be smart. We won’t fight forty at once. We’ll lure small groups; a half dozen at most. On land Lucia will have the speed advantage.”

  “This will never work.” Sal’s voice cracked into a wheeze.

  Keagan nodded earnestly. “Ten or twelve would be manageable with enough other trainers.”

  “Keagan,” Sal whispered. “Stop this idea of trying to solve a problem that’s already being handled.”

  Keagan tapped the counter lightly. “Look. I understand the risks. I really do. But this isn’t a normal surge. Something’s keeping them pressed against your shoreline. Something they’re scared of. That’s the only reason they’re even a problem. They’re attacking boats because they don’t have enough food.”

  Sal’s breath hitched.

  “Something bigger than you know,” Keagan added gently. “And if we don’t thin their numbers or disrupt the pattern, they will not stay in the ocean.”

  Sal stared hard at the floor. “You’re asking for a lot.”

  Keagan lowered his voice. “I don’t want to break rules. I want to help. And I want to keep everyone safe. That includes you.”

  Sal fidgeted. “B-but the Association doesn’t authorize under-ranked trainers leading defensive operations.”

  “Who said I’m the one who has to lead it?” Keagan blinking innocently. “I’m proposing it. You can lead it. Or Dillon. Or someone with more experience.”

  Sal slapped the counter. “I don’t want to!”

  Nieve raised a hand. “Sal looks like a smart man. If he leads, fewer people die.”

  “I don’t…” Sal started, then paused, his shoulders slumped. “I mean… I do understand logistics. But if this goes wrong, and it so easily can, so many will die. I can’t handle that kind of responsibility.”

  I let out a heavy huff and turned to the door. “Kid, just stop. He’s not going to do it. We’ll just do this by ourselves. He can just sit here and cower for all I care.”

  “This is insane,” he whispered. “Absolutely insane. If headquarters saw this…”

  “They won’t,” I said. “Because it’ll be done before they arrive. If you’re going to stop us, do it now.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Sal slumped against the wall. “Look, Keagan, I can’t actually stop you. The only thing I can do is tell you that if the town is attacked after what you do, whatever it is you’re going to do, you’ll be charged with endangerment.”

  “Add it to the list,” I snorted as I took a step to the door.

  Keagan sighed. “Look, Lucia’s going to do something reckless unless I redirect her. Right now, that’s really, really hard to do. I’d rather keep the damage far from town.”

  Sal looked at me.

  I flashed my fangs.

  He swallowed.

  “I—I can’t—” he sputtered, “—I can’t sign off on an attack plan.”

  “Lucia’s not asking you to,” Keagan said solemnly.

  Sal froze.

  Keagan gestured to the training board outside. “Trainers are free to take posted jobs. Trainers are free to cooperate with each other. We’re supposed to have autonomy. If enough of us agree to help each other, that’s not your decision. It’s ours.”

  Sal’s jaw dropped. “And you want the Association to pay for this?”

  Nieve wagged a finger. “Think of it more like communal ecosystem maintenance, community service. They get paid in levels for their monsters. Afterwards we’ll have a huge party, and the sense of accomplishment will be second to none.”

  “If they attacked right now, do you expect every trainer to just run for their lives?” Keagan asked. “If they fight back, will you tell them to stop?”

  Sal let out a heavy exhale. “You have a point.”

  Keagan stepped next to me. “We’re asking you to not stand in the way when we gather volunteers. If we pull this off, Graztie gets its boats back far earlier than if we wait for Granger. People get fed. And no one has to hide inside their houses anymore.”

  Sal finally sagged back in defeat. “I hate this job,” he whispered into his hands. “I hate this posting. I hate this fog. I hate tritons. I hate my life.”

  “May I offer you a traveling apple pie?” Nieve asked, pulling one from her bag.

  Sal stared at it, broken. “…yes.”

  She handed him one. He ate it, taking slow, mechanical bites.

  After a few more long bites, he croaked, “Fine.”

  Keagan beamed.

  Sal pointed a trembling finger at him. “But it’s not my call. The Association does not approve this. If you gather volunteers, I… I can’t legally stop you.”

  Keagan elbowed my front leg as he went by. “See? Everything will work out.”

  I flicked an ear. “Honestly, I would’ve preferred handling them all myself.”

  Sal groaned and bit into his pie again.

  Keagan clapped his hands before opening the door. “Then let’s gather the trainers.”

  “Wait,” Sal called. He stood up and held up the dessert Nieve gave him. “This is the best pie I’ve ever had.” He paused. “And don’t do anything more stupid than you already are. Take care of yourselves.”

  Keagan gave the man a thumbs up. “Trust me. We’re about to do the dumbest thing in the smartest way possible.”

  Finally. One step closer to Luther.

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