I swore I could still smell Tavish's fear lingering in the air as Hellene and I walked down the hallway from his study. The necromancer had practically tripped over himself packing after our little chat. Part of me almost felt guilty—almost. But considering he'd helped Patrick track me down with my own severed hand, I figured a healthy dose of terror was the least he deserved.

  We didn’t bother waiting for him to call a servant to escort us out, making our exit back towards the servant’s door.

  "So what exactly is the penalty if Tavish's secret was revealed?" I asked, keeping my voice low as we passed an ornate tapestry depicting some long-dead Thoresen ancestor.

  Hellene snorted, her staff tapping rhythmically against the wood floor.

  "If he was anyone slightly less rich, the sentence would be death. But given his family's status?"

  She shrugged one bony shoulder.

  "Life imprisonment, most likely. They'd lock him in one of those special cells beneath the Royal Palace—the ones lined with magic-dampening runes."

  I nodded, mentally filing away that information. My Inventory Box felt heavier with the knowledge that I now had serious leverage over Tavish if I needed it in the future.

  "It's fascinating, really," Hellene continued, her voice taking on that scholarly tone she used when discussing magical theory. "The Great Purification targeted a total of one hundred four classes deemed 'inherently evil' by King Thorne II. Twenty-three of them were related to necromancy alone—Pestilence Necromancer, Death Whisperer, Undead Puppeteer..."

  I stopped dead in my tracks, my boots squeaking against the polished floor. "Wait, there were exactly one hundred and four purged classes?"

  When the priests were teaching us Heroes the history of the country, I only remembered them mentioning the Purge being for necromancers and assassins.

  Hellene nodded, not seeming to notice my sudden tension. "Yes, I remember it clearly because I always thought it was such a ridiculous high number. So many classes outlawed overnight. Caused absolute chaos."

  My heart hammered in my chest as the pieces clicked together in my mind. "Hellene," I said slowly, "is the 'Fallen Knight' class on that list?"

  The silence that followed was deafening. Hellene suddenly became very interested in adjusting her robes, avoiding my gaze entirely.

  "Hellene!" I exclaimed, louder than I intended. A servant passing by quickly scurried away, clearly not wanting to get involved in whatever was happening.

  "Don't yell at me," she hissed, violet eyes flashing dangerously. "It was Duncan's choice not to bring it up."

  "Duncan's choice?" I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. "You mean he has a purged class and neither of you thought to tell me?"

  Hellene's face softened slightly. "Will—"

  But I was already turning, my boots skidding against the floor as I spun around and fast walked down the hallway. I climbed up the stairs and swung the door to Tavish’s study open. Tavish froze in mid-motion of putting a book in a nearly full suitcase.

  “I’d say I’d be out of the capital by end of the day, not end of the hour! Stop harassing me to leav-”

  “-I want a magic item to hide a person’s class. I know you have extra beyond the one you’re using,” I interrupted, feeling my whole body vibrating with fear. Every minute Duncan was in the capital, there was the potential for someone to use a ability to see his ‘Fallen Knight’ class which would sentence him to death. Why would he agree to even come here?

  Because you asked him to.

  Tavish arched an eyebrow as he slowly got up into a standing position, I didn’t like the interest sparkling in his eyes.

  “And why do you need one?”

  “Let me be clear, for every question you ask- you increase your chances of being buried next to Patrick,” I said, casually bringing my hook up. I knew I was really leaning on the whole ‘I’m a badass who killed a Hero’ image, but I didn’t have time for Tavish’s games. The skinny man’s face flushed red as he hastily pulled out a ring from his pocket and threw it at me.

  I caught the piece of jewelry, it was nothing more than a thin band of silver. There weren’t even engravings on it. A part of my mind pointed out how easy it would be for Duncan to wear this under his gauntlets.

  [False Scrying Ring—ring, rare item, Passive Power—False Reading—Rub the ring five seconds and say a class then put on the ring. Any ability used to try to determine the wearer’s class will note the class spoken.]

  “By the System I was just asking! Fine! There’s your stupid magic item to hide a person’s class. Now get out!”

  “Thanks, have a good trip,” I said cheekily as I made another exit. It wouldn’t shock me if he was giving my back the finger.

  "What were you thinking?" I shouted for the third time. I continued pacing in the room because standing still felt impossible, Hellene watched us with a resigned expression. "A purged class? Do you have any idea what the capital guards would do to you if they found out?"

  Duncan sat calmly on one of the beds, his armor removed and stacked neatly in the corner. Osirus perched on the headboard, his glowing blue eyes watching me with curiosity.

  "I wasn't going to burden you with my problems," Duncan replied, his voice infuriatingly steady. "You had enough to worry about."

  I paced the small room, my hook hand gesturing wildly. "Burden me? BURDEN ME? This isn't about burden, Duncan! This is about survival!" I threw the silver ring at him, which he caught easily with one hand. "Do you know what I had to do to get this? I had to threaten a necromancer! Again!"

  "Will—" Hellene tried to interject, but I was too far gone.

  "No! He needs to hear this!" I spun back to Duncan. "You wear that ring at all times, understand? We're in the capital city of a kingdom that would execute you on the spot if they discovered your class. And you didn't think that was worth mentioning?"

  I continued my tirade, listing all the ways Duncan's secret could have been exposed—church officials with divine sight, magic items that reveal true natures, even freaking merchants on the street were known to have appraisal abilities to spot a class. Each point made my voice rise higher until I was practically shouting at the ceiling.

  "—and what if we'd been separated? What if you'd been captured? What if Patrick had—"

  I finally paused to take a breath, my chest heaving with exertion. In that moment of silence, I noticed Duncan's expression. He wasn't cowering or defensive or even apologetic.

  He was smiling.

  "I don't think I've ever seen you this worked up before," Duncan said, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "I'm honored that you care so much."

  All the wind left my sails at once. I stood there, mouth hanging open, utterly deflated by his calm acceptance of my concern. How was I supposed to stay angry when he responded like that?

  I gave up and settled for a withering glare instead.

  A sharp knock at the door made us all freeze.

  "Eight o'clock," Hellene murmured, her eyes meeting mine.

  “Remember the plan,” I muttered as I approached the door. Before I got into my rant about Duncan’s stupidity, I had made sure to explain our meeting with these potential ‘allies’.

  A tense silence fell over the room as I approached the door, my hand hesitating for just a moment before gripping the handle. Everyone was on edge – Hellene had shifted her staff to a position where she could quickly cast, while Duncan had placed himself near his sword. Only Osirus seemed unconcerned, nestling deeper into the pillow he'd claimed as his perch, his feathers fluffed contentedly.

  I took a deep breath and pulled the door open. Cardinal Stenvall stood at the threshold, flanked by Eva and Perth. The Cardinal offered a polite nod, while the elf gave me a friendly smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Eva, however, remained stone-faced, her dark eyes scanning the room with military precision.

  "Please, come in," I said, stepping back and gesturing to the three wooden chairs we'd arranged earlier. We'd gone downstairs and convinced the innkeeper to let us borrow them for our "important business meeting." It had cost an extra silver coin, but worth it to maintain some semblance of civility.

  The three entered, Perth moving with the fluid grace reminding me of a cat, while Cardinal Stenvall maintained the dignified bearing expected of his station. Eva entered last, her movements controlled and cautious, like a predator entering unfamiliar territory.

  I had already scanned the cardinal, but quickly did the same with Perth and Eva. My trust in others wasn’t what it used to be.

  [Scan Results] Name: Perth Race: Elf Class: Spirit Painter Level: 35 Stats: Str 12, Con 12, Dex 12, Wis 16, Int 16 HP: 91/91 MP: 132/132

  [Scan Results] Name: Eva Ellice Race: Human Class: Bandit Archer Level: 32 Stats: Str 14, Con 12, Dex 17, Wis 10, Int 13 HP: 102/102 MP: 43/43

  I was really surprised at not seeing a last name for Perth, maybe elves didn’t believe in surnames.

  "Thank you for agreeing to meet with us," Cardinal Stenvall said as he settled into his chair. His white robes seemed to glow in the lamplight, the golden sun patterns catching the light. "I understand your caution."

  Once everyone was seated, an uncomfortable silence settled over the room. Duncan sat with his back straight, one hand resting near his sword. Hellene had positioned herself the furthest away, just like how any spellcaster would do right before a fight. I remained standing, preferring to keep my options open.

  "Let's get something clear," I said, breaking the silence. "Any chance of us being allies depends entirely on complete transparency. I have my guesses about what information you might have that's caused you to turn against the Heroes Party, but I want to hear it from you."

  The three exchanged glances, some unspoken communication passing between them. Finally, Perth leaned forward, his golden hair falling across his shoulders.

  "I was a friend of Lord Eric Lasair," he said, his melodic voice carrying easily in the quiet room. "I found the circumstances of his death... suspicious."

  Duncan jerked upright, his blue eyes flashing with surprise. "That's impossible. I never even met you at the manor."

  Perth smiled, the expression gentle and somehow ancient. "I lived at Lasair Manor from the time your father was fifteen until he turned twenty-five. You were only two years old when I left, Duncan. It's not surprising you don't remember me."

  I found myself comparing Perth's ageless appearance to Hellene's. While her half-elven heritage had gifted her with fewer wrinkles and no age spots on her face and hands, she still carried the unmistakable marks of her years. Perth, on the other hand, possessed flawless skin, radiant golden hair, and a youthful appearance that made him seem barely older than a teenager.

  But no teenager had the confidence I saw in his face and posture. Sometimes teenagers could pull off a naive, clueless confidence, but this was different. He knew exactly how dangerous it was to sit there and was so used to danger, he was practically at ease with the situation.

  "How old are you?”

  I knew I was turning red as soon as I asked the question, it definitely wasn’t relevant. There were more important things to talk about.

  Perth smiled at my question, a twinkle in his eye. "Probably older than anyone else in this room," he said, a air of finality to his words. He wasn’t going to reveal more on the subject.

  I shifted uncomfortably, feeling like I'd just asked a foolish question. But Perth continued before I could apologize.

  Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  "News of Eric's death didn't reach me until six months after his passing," he explained, his expression growing somber. "I was in Foekin Kingdom when I finally heard. I headed back immediately and began my investigation at Elderwood Hill village."

  "The closest settlement to Midnight Dungeon," Duncan murmured.

  "Exactly," Perth nodded. "And that's where I discovered something fascinating—that Eric's son had visited, asking very specific questions about mint and wargs."

  Duncan's face paled slightly, and I caught his hand tightening on his knee.

  "From there, I employed some of my more... discreet abilities," Perth explained. "As a Spirit Painter, I can summon small familiars—spirit creatures that can observe and report back to me. I sent them to Lasair Manor, had them listen in on conversations."

  "You spied on us," Duncan said flatly.

  Perth inclined his head slightly.

  "I did what was necessary to uncover the truth. My familiars overheard enough to piece together what happened. Eric was killed by wargs in a blood frenzy, likely triggered by the scent of mint."

  His eyes hardened as he focused them on me. I could feel the hairs on my neck rise up.

  "And the only people who could have engineered such circumstances was the Heroes Party."

  "Why didn't you just come to me directly?" Duncan demanded, leaning forward. "Why all the secrecy? If you were truly my father's friend—"

  "Because it would have been suicide for you to openly investigate the Heroes Party," Perth interrupted, his youthful face suddenly grave. "I didn't want to drag Eric's son into such a dangerous endeavor."

  The room fell silent as we processed Perth's words. I studied his face, looking for any sign of deception, but found none. Either he was telling the truth, or he was an exceptionally good liar. There was a clearing of the throat before Cardinal Stenvall spoke.

  "Perth contacted me about his suspicions," Cardinal Stenvall said, folding his hands in his lap. "We are... old friends." He emphasized those last words with a meaningful glance at the elf, who responded with the barest hint of a smile.

  Hellene snorted loudly. "It seems remarkably foolish to speak ill of the Heroes Party to one of the highest-ranked leaders of the church. Did you want to be executed for heresy?"

  The cardinal's weathered face grew solemn. "Even before Perth reached out to me, I was expressing concerns that the Heroes Party wasn't acting as virtuous as they should. Their behavior has been troubling for some time."

  "And how did that go over with your fellow cardinals?" I asked.

  "At first, I was considered something of a black sheep among the Cardinal Council," he admitted, his fingers tracing one of the golden sun patterns on his robe. "My colleagues believed I was being overly critical of our kingdom's saviors. But after Elane's death—" his voice caught slightly, "—my words began gaining traction."

  [Skill activated: Heightened Senses]

  The world around me sharpened instantly. Every subtle movement, every quickened heartbeat, every slight change in breathing became crystal clear. I focused my enhanced perception on the three visitors, ready to catch the slightest reaction.

  "Did you know?" I asked, keeping my voice deliberately calm. "Did you know that the Heroes Party murdered Elane?"

  I watched them carefully, searching for the telltale signs of surprise or deception.

  Perth remained utterly impassive. Not an eye twitch, not a change in his breathing, not even the slightest acceleration of his heartbeat. His face might as well have been carved from marble for all the reaction he showed.

  Eva was a different story. Her eyes widened noticeably, and she sucked in a sharp breath that she couldn't quite disguise. The archer's hand tightened on the arm of her chair, her knuckles turning white with the pressure.

  The cardinal's reaction was most telling of all. His chin lowered to his chest, and he refused to look directly at anyone. There was no surprise in his posture, only what appeared to be deep shame. His shoulders hunched forward slightly, as if bearing an invisible weight.

  "I suspected," Cardinal Stenvall finally whispered, his voice barely audible even to my enhanced hearing. "But I did nothing. I convinced myself it was just paranoia, that they couldn't possibly have..." He trailed off, his hands trembling slightly.

  "You feel responsible," I said. It wasn't a question.

  "I am responsible," he replied, raising his eyes to meet mine. "The church supported them without question. We silenced those who spoke against them. We gave them authority and power and looked the other way when they abused it."

  Eva leaned forward, her dark eyes flashing with anger.

  "You're saying they actually killed one of their own?”

  "Elane and I were never considered real members of the Heroes Party," I said flatly, crossing my arms. "We were tools, not comrades. Just means to an end. That made us disposable when we became inconvenient—which is exactly what happened to Elane when she discovered the location of the Five Sigil dungeon."

  This time no show of surprise from any of them- they already knew about the Five Sigil dungeon.

  Eva's face darkened with disgust, and she gave me an assessing glance. It was just a gut instinct, but I think I was now more respectable in her eyes.

  "I can provide some context about how the Five Sigil dungeon was discovered," Cardinal Stenvall said, his voice heavy with regret. "There are secrets the Cardinal Council has kept from the public for generations. When it comes to the previous Heroes Party from three hundred years ago, we maintained certain... classified information."

  He straightened in his chair, suddenly looking every bit the high-ranking church official.

  "These secrets were only ever shared with the person chosen to lead the current Heroes Party. No one else." He glanced at me apologetically. "The cardinals have always known there was a Five Sigil dungeon hidden somewhere in our kingdom, and that a specific magical artifact existed which could both reveal its location and open its entrance."

  "All we cardinals knew about this artifact was that it belonged to one of the Heroes from the previous Heroes Party and could produce magical flames," Stenvall continued, "and when those flames were extinguished, runes would appear, revealing the dungeon's exact location."

  My mind raced. I was suddenly questioning everything about the Midnight Dungeon fiasco. I had always assumed it was a spur of the moment decision to betray Lord Lasair for his sword. And it’s association to the Five Sigil dungeon was discovered afterwards.

  But was all this planned from the start? Even before Andy made it clear we were heading towards Midnight Dungeon?

  The crash of Duncan's chair hitting the floor made us all jump. He stood towering over us, his face contorted with rage, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles had turned white.

  "Is that why they killed my father?" he roared, his voice shaking with fury. "Because they wanted Fire-Friend to get to the Five Sigil dungeon? Because you told them about it?!"

  I was now less afraid of these visitors attacking and more afraid of Duncan punching the cardinal in a rage. I was already standing between him and the old man with a hand raised before my brain caught up.

  "Duncan, it’s not his fault," I said, trying not to cringe at the blazing rage I saw in his blue eyes. His nostrils flared and his large hands formed into fists, even his muscles seem larger to me as they flexed. I almost felt like a wild animal was in front of me, ready to attack.

  Perth rose smoothly to his feet, placing a calming hand on Duncan's shoulder. His movements were so silent and graceful, I didn’t even notice him until he already had a hand on the knight.

  "That is our theory, yes. Andy Sattler learned from the cardinals about this artifact and realized Lord Lasair already possessed something with similar properties,” Perth said, each word soft spoken and gentle. He had to be using an ability. Duncan went from rageful to looking tired. Even I felt different, the fear of the situation quickly ebbing away.

  Even if he didn’t ask permission to use an ability, I wasn’t going to hold it against the elf to deescalate the situation by whatever means he had to.

  "They murdered my father for his sword," Duncan said, his voice cracking. "Just to find a dungeon."

  Eva slammed her hand on the arm of her chair, drawing everyone's attention. "So that's two murders we've established the Heroes Party committed." Her piercing gaze fixed on me. "What exactly was your role in these deaths, Will Walton? Were you just a helpless bystander in both cases, or something more?"

  The accusation hung in the air, I felt like a man with a guillotine hanging over his neck. I could feel Duncan tensing beside me, ready to leap to my defense.

  Hellene's staff struck the floor with a sharp crack.

  "You seem confused about who should be asking the questions here," she barked, violet eyes flashing dangerously. "We didn't invite you to interrogate us."

  I raised my hand, silencing Hellene before the situation got ugly. I was honestly surprised it took this long for someone to question me.

  "It's a fair question," I said quietly. "I'd wonder the same thing in her position."

  I turned to face Eva directly. "I didn't know either death was orchestrated by the Heroes Party until after they happened. With Lord Lasair, I only found out after the wargs killed him and the Heroes Party would pin the blame on me if I accused them. With Elane..." I swallowed hard. "By the time I realized what had happened, she was already dead and Patrick had buried her body. My ability to prove either murder was nil."

  Eva studied me, her expression unreadable. I couldn't tell if she believed me or not.

  "What about you, Eva?" Hellene asked, her tone still sharp. "What role do you play in all this? Why are you involved?"

  Eva's face hardened. "My father was the leader of the Thieves Guild," she said flatly. "Until Jesse Alleway murdered him."

  The revelation initially surprised me, but then I realized there was a certain logic to this situation. I already knew of two murders the Heroes Party had committed. It really wasn’t a reach at this point to learn there was a third one.

  Perth, who had settled back into his chair, leaned forward with his hands clasped. "Just as I have connections to the church," he said smoothly, "I maintain certain relationships with the Thieves Guild as well. When I learned what had happened to Eva's father, I thought it prudent to bring these two together." He gestured between Eva and the cardinal. "The three of us have been trying to decide what to do about a Heroes Party that grows more dangerous by the day."

  "That can't be right," I said, shaking my head. "Andy gave explicit orders that no one in the Heroes Party was to interact with the Thieves Guild. It was one of his non-negotiable rules." I could still remember the heated argument we'd had when I proposed contacting them for better scouting equipment.

  Eva snorted derisively. "You were duped, plain and simple. Jesse made contact with the Guild barely six months after you were all summoned to this world."

  "What?" My stomach dropped.

  "It wasn't that the Heroes Party wasn't allowed to associate with the Thieves Guild," Eva continued, her eyes showing a hint of pity. “It was just you not allowed to contact the Thieves Guild.”

  I stared at Eva for a long minute, processing her words. Then a self-deprecating chuckle escaped my lips before I could stop it. Of course they had lied to me about the Thieves Guild. Why was I even surprised? It was just another way the Heroes Party had kept me down, isolated, and weak.

  "So they all got better equipment from the Thieves Guild while I was stuck scrounging for whatever I could find," I said, shaking my head. "That explains a lot."

  Duncan leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "What exactly was Jesse doing with the Thieves Guild? Beyond getting equipment, I mean."

  Eva's face darkened. "Initially, she did jobs for the Guild in exchange for high-quality gear which couldn't be obtained through normal channels. Infiltration, intimidation, occasionally theft from specific targets." She crossed her arms. "But over time, Jesse began breaking our rules. Stealing from fellow guild members and there were even rumors she did some unnecessary killings on jobs which could have easily been avoided."

  “Starting to wonder how large a body count the Heroes Party has now,” Hellene muttered as we all stared at Eva. There was a flash of guilt in Eva’s face.

  “I’m not going to justify our nature, the Thieves Guild are for people who are tired of the rules of society. The ones who want those with a lot to lose some of it for those who have barely anything. But that doesn’t mean we’re out to kill or even hurt people. Sometimes it happens when a job goes bad, but if what my father told me is true- Jesse went out of her way to have the job go bad so she could spill some blood.”

  My mind went back to over the thousand of monster battles I did at Jesse’s side. Sometimes she was all business, looking to end the fight as soon as possible. Occasionally though… she played with her targets. I’d see her intentionally only take out a leg of a goblin just to watch it crawl away in terror, leaving a streak of blood on the ground. I remembered how we fought three cyclops one time.

  The best shot would have been the throat for an instant kill, but she went for the eyes. And as the cyclops wailed in terror from being blinded, I remembered how Jesse smiled. There was always something very off and wrong about that smile.

  "So your father tried to stop her," I said, trying to distance myself from the memories in my mind.

  Eva nodded, hands turning into fists. "My father confronted her about crossing lines, as leader he had to make sure everyone followed the code," she paused, her voice growing tight. "That's when Jesse killed him. She didn’t even bother to hide it because she knew no one at the guild could stop her."

  The room fell silent. I glanced at Duncan, whose face had grown solemn, and Hellene, who was watching Eva with less hostility.

  Perth cleared his throat, drawing our attention back to him. His youthful face was serious, his blue eyes piercing.

  "We've shown you our motives for opposing the Heroes Party," he said, his melodic voice filling the small room. "Each of us has suffered at their hands, directly or indirectly. Now I must ask plainly—will you accept our aid in your fight against them?"

  I turned to look at my companions, searching their faces. Hellene met my gaze with a reluctant nod, though I could see the wariness hadn't fully left her eyes. Duncan gave a more confident affirmation, squaring his broad shoulders. Osirus had somehow fallen asleep on his pillow during our conversation, his white feathers rising and falling with each breath.

  I faced Perth again. "Yes," I said firmly. "We'll accept your help."

  The tension in the room seemed to ease slightly with my words. I rose from my chair and began to pace, organizing my thoughts.

  "Here's our plan," I explained, watching their reactions carefully. "There's a hidden Four Sigil dungeon not far from here—the Reflecting Water Dungeon. We're going there first to increase our strength and gather better equipment."

  "After that, I'll steal Fire-Friend from Andy," I continued, my voice hardening with resolve. "We'll use it to enter the Five Sigil dungeon ourselves, beating the Heroes Party at their own game. We'll take whatever prize is inside before they even realize what's happening."

  I watched their reactions carefully. The three visitors exchanged glances—a silent communication passing between them in the span of a heartbeat. Something unspoken but clearly understood flowed between the cardinal, the elf, and the archer. I couldn't read the exact meaning, but there was a definite shift in the energy of the room.

  Cardinal Stenvall cleared his throat and spoke for the group. "We will help you with this dangerous task in any way we can."

  Even though they had already offered to help, hearing the formal declaration somehow made it all more real. I felt something loosen in my chest—a knot of tension I hadn't realized I was carrying.

  "I'll do my best to ensure the church doesn't notice your presence in the city," the cardinal continued, his weathered hands smoothing his ornate robes. "And before you enter the Four Sigil dungeon, I'll bless each of you with divine magics. Protection spells, healing enchantments—gifts from Liora that should significantly improve your chances."

  Perth leaned forward, his ageless face animated with purpose. "I’ll also be helping you with a specific magic of my own. It’s rather unique, but it should really give you the push you need for what’s to come."

  Somehow I wasn’t surprised at how vague Perth was being about his offer of help. Everything about the elf felt like an enigma. How many people would claim they have connections to both the Holy Church of Divine Light and a Thieves Guild? Those weren’t exactly organizations which rubbed elbows.

  Eva leaned forward, her dark eyes intense. "I'll do more than just offer support from afar. I'm joining your party for both dungeon raids." She patted the black bow slung across her back. "A party of three is definitely too small for what you're attempting."

  A sudden indignant caw cut through the room as Osirus jerked awake on his pillow, his blue eyes flashing with unmistakable outrage.

  "It's not a party of three but four!" he squawked, feathers puffing up to nearly double his size. "Osirus is a full member! Osirus also has seniority over all other members, being the first Will recruited!"

  The room fell silent for a moment before Duncan chuckled, the sound breaking the tension. Even Hellene's lips twitched upward in what might have been the ghost of a smile.

  "Of course you're counted, Osirus," I said quickly, trying to soothe the raven's ruffled pride. "I wouldn't dream of leaving you out."

  The bird settled somewhat, though his feathers remained partly fluffed in lingering indignation. "Good. Osirus expects proper respect."

  Eva stared at the raven for a minute before looking back at me.

  “So… you have a talking bird?”