Thalia’s POV

  Thalia crossed her arms and hummed, eyeing the two spears on the small weapon rack of her bedroom as the sun of a new day shone through her window. She was ready to head out. Almost. She just had to make a decision first and once that was done, she could get some breakfast and get to work.

  “So which one is it going to be?” she muttered, eyes squinted.

  Above, where it always sat, was the spear she earned by graduating from school. While she hadn’t had the best of times back then, especially when it came to the boring courses like Economics and Administration, she had excelled in almost everything that related to combat and fitness, which had earned her the weapon she had been using ever since she enrolled in the Rivergate’s Watch.

  Picking up the spear, she twirled it in her hand for a moment, noting the scuff marks she hadn’t managed to polish off. It was a simple five-foot spear with a short, angular blade and a pale, well-oiled shaft. It had been a year or so since she had graduated and it was her daily weapon, so even though she was doing a good job maintaining it, it was starting to show its age. Sure, there wasn’t that much combat to be seen in the city, but it happened. Rivergate was still a big city and on patrol, finding trouble wasn’t that uncommon. Between thieves, drunkards, and crappy delvers with an especially inflated ego, there was plenty of action. Not that she could do much about that last portion, though. Most delvers out-leveled her, so the couple of times where she had that situation on hand, she had had to call for help.

  Putting the spear back in its spot, she smiled. It had served her well and most likely, she was going to keep it for as long as she could, considering its origin. But sooner or later, it was going to break. It wasn’t anything special. It was as mundane a spear as it comes. But it had carried her far, so it had earned its rest.

  So her eyes moved lower, to the new weapon her brother had gifted her, and reaching out a hand, she hesitated. Did she want to draw more attention to herself considering what had happened yesterday?

  “Damn it, Miles,” she sighed as her hand hovered mid-air for a moment before she reached forward and picked up the staff of smooth, red wood. T

  he difference was immediately noticeable. It was better than hers, and it showed.

  The new spear was longer than hers by a foot or so, with a tapered blade that made the spearhead look a bit like a leaf. It had taken her a couple of spars to adjust to the change—and it would still take her plenty more, but at least for now, she wouldn’t hit the ground by accident. Pointing it forward toward the rest of her neatly organized chamber, she smiled. As far as she could tell, it wasn’t enchanted. It was just great craftsmanship, and it felt amazing in her hands. It had taken her a few tries to get familiar with the different weight and balance, but she had to admit, it blew hers out of the water.

  Plus, her old spear couldn’t punch through a buckler’s metal.

  Gently, she rested the butt of the spear on the floorboard and looked up at the pristine blade as she recalled the little training session Miles had put her through. She knew he had changed. She couldn’t yet fathom what had happened down in the Dungeon, but when he had handed her the spear, he made it seem like it was just a normal little weapon he didn’t need. A spare he could do without. But she hadn’t expected… this.

  As she brought the blade closer to see in her window’s light, she noted no scratch. No deformities around the spearhead’s point or along the blade, even though it had punched through a shield’s metal. As far as Thalia was concerned, this was a treasure. Even more valuable than the healing potion he had handed her. So it made sense why that delver had been so pushy about making an offer for her weapon.

  Thalia sighed, stretched her neck left and right as she recalled yesterday’s events. When she and Brie had left Miles to respond to the city alarm, they had discovered that it was just for a monster-drill, to test the Watch’s response and muster to a potential threat. It was a little out of schedule, considering the drills were supposed to take place every six months, but Thalia couldn’t do much about that. And it wasn’t as if she could protest or skip, so they just did what they had to do.

  Once they had reached their assigned station, they had to sign in their names and put their armor on before lining up near the gates. The whole thing took a bit less than two hours and once it was done, Thalia opted to get in a few hours of training at the Vanguard’s Guild, while Brie decided to head home and get some studying done.

  Recalling her bouts at the training hall, a smile tugged on her lips and she tightened her grip on her spear. Honestly, she was itching to head back there already. She absolutely would have, if she didn’t have a shift today. While the Vanguard’s Guild was a public organization that might lack the funds when compared to a Great Guild or a Great Houses, they did have some pretty amazing training facilities and considering how important it was to be familiar with one’s weapon, they also had some Mender-Seekers on call, so everyone could use real weapon.

  “Maybe after work I could swing by,” she muttered. It was addicting. There was nothing better than besting a cocky higher-tier Vanguard—so long as no Skills and no mana were involved, of course. Usually, she did well against those one or two tier above her own but past that, it became too difficult to keep up with the innate strength and reflexes. Yesterday’s opponent—the delver whose shield she had busted—had been one tier above her, and it had been shocking to both of them when her spear tore through his buckler. Pretty quickly, a little crowd had formed as plenty of other vanguards like to hang around the training grounds, either to spectate or to train.

  The greedy looks were almost instantaneous. As soon as she realized what her new spear was capable of, so had everyone else. Those who were of her tier, and those who were her seniors.

  Thalia bit her lip, staring at her reflection in the blade. Did she have the skill to keep her weapon? Did she want to risk it? At this point, she worried someone might try to outright steal it and if they had a few tiers on her, there wouldn’t be much she could do.

  Her brows furrowed, and her hand tightened around the shaft. She didn’t like that. Yes, she was very much aware that one could only keep what they could protect with the strength of their arm. That she knew. And yes, many in the city could likely rip the spear out of her hand and get away with it. So what? Was she supposed to cower endlessly and hide what she was gifted and earned and looted? Because there would always be someone stronger than she was. Always. That was one of the constants of the Dungeon. Today it was the spear. Tomorrow it could be a loot or valuable parts of a monster. The next day it could be the gold in her pocket. This was the Dungeon, and the sooner she got ready for it, the better off she’d be.

  “Nah. Screw that,” she grumbled. She wasn’t going to cower and well, if someone could take it from her, then she just had to get better. In fact, this was one more incentive for her to improve. So she was using her spear. And if it got stolen, then she’d work hard to get it back. Simple as.

  With a nod, she put her vest on and she moved toward the door, her steps silent against the wooden floorboard. Looking down the hall, she found her mom hunched over her plants near the window. The small living room almost felt crowded with all of her plants, but even though she could extend her hand and find a clay pot, it didn’t feel stuffy. It felt almost like stepping into a deep, fresh forest. The living room smelled of flowers and wet soil, and noticing her daughter, Seren looked up and smiled, gloved hand hovering above the little seedlings she was transferring.

  “Morning, Thali. You’re heading out?”

  For half a second, Thalia stood there, lips parted as she tried to process the two thoughts that had struck her at once. The first was surprise. And cautious hope. Seeing her mom up and about this early in the day, tending to her plants instead of sitting near the window and staring vacantly out into the street wasn’t anything new, but while occasionally she would pull herself out of her funk, she often ended up receding back into her shell.

  But maybe this time will be different?

  The second part, which somehow connected to the first thought, was that Miles was back. For a moment, Thalia was tempted with dropping a hint or saying something. But she felt that could easily backfire. That could send her mom spiraling once more or worse, she’d close-up once again.

  Thalia had to be delicate. So it was better that Miles was around and here, that way once she’d tell her mom the news, there wouldn’t be room for denials or anything else. Thalia would tell her, then Miles would walk in. Then they just had to hope she could handle it and if not, she hoped Miles had something that could help. He usually did.

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  Smiling at her mom, Thalia nodded, leaning the spear against the wall—which immediately made Seren’s shoulder relax—before she approached her mother. “Do you want me to bring you anything? Do you need anything?”

  She almost asked whether her mom would be interested in heading outside, but Thalia refrained from spoiling the mood. Seren shook her head and turned her attention back to her plants, and the light coming through the window shone through her wispy brown hair. “We have everything… just be safe, okay?”

  With a quick hug and a kiss, Thalia picked up her spear and left, heart aching as she stepped out onto the comforting hubbub of the streets of Rivergate. She hoped she’d take the news well. Then maybe, maybe, her mom would have her life back.

  “Now, what do I get for breakfast?”

  ***

  Brie’s POV

  The ruckus of the street faded as the doorman shut the door of the hotel behind them, and it was immediately replaced by the rush and bustle of the Inquisitor’s entourage. The once clear and wide lobby was now full of desks, with agents—locals and visiting—talking either between themselves or with the occasional wide-eyed civilian. Brie had been in this hotel in the past, back when she had just arrived, and it was as if the luxurious place had suddenly been transformed into a busy guild instead of what it was meant to be.

  This meant that whoever The Registry had sent to investigate was bad news. To be able to take over a place this expensive…

  Brie’s stomach knotted further, and she wasn’t the only one struggling with stress. Next to her, Thalia’s hand hovered over her own stomach, and while she was putting a brave face on, she was a little paler ever since their lieutenant told them they had been asked for, and that they had to answer the Inquisitor’s summon. They needed extra hands, apparently. She kept muttering about the sandwich she shouldn’t have eaten and while Brie couldn’t relate, she could empathize. She was just as nauseous, and she hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday.

  “Did you know about this? Was that why you were off?” the Vanguard muttered under her breath as she scanned for anyone familiar in the crowd.

  Brie forced a smile, and her throat closed up for a moment before she managed to shake her head. “Nah. Just slept badly.”

  While Thalia neither narrowed her eyes at her nor said anything, she stilled for half a second before nodding. “Fair,” she said, and Brie felt her gaze shift away toward the busy crowd ahead. “Do you think we should ask someone? Who should we talk to?”

  She didn’t buy it, but she didn’t push, either. Brie appreciated that. Nodding past her friend, she wiped her sweaty palm on her uniform tunic. “That looks like a reception desk,” she said, nodding toward a singular station facing the door. The agent sitting behind was a sharp, suited younger man with spectacles and a clipboard in hand. He was silently listening to a nervous-looking woman as she deferentially relayed something to him while he took notes, then his blue eyes swiveled to them for a second before looking away.

  Just that one look made Brie rub the ring on her hand nervously, then her digit froze over the cold metal.

  Should I remove this?

  The ring doubled as anti-appraisal and counter to low-grade truth stones, but if the Inquisitor noticed it they might take interest in why she was wearing it. Such rings weren’t illegal, but they did attract attention. While Thalia rolled her shoulders and readied herself to go talk to the receptionist, Brie feigned a hand stretch and when she felt no one was paying attention to her, she pulled the ring off before tucking it in her pocket.

  “Alright. Let’s get this over with,” Thalia began. “They just need a few more hands. That’s what the lieutenant said.”

  Brie agreed. The lieutenant had said they needed hands. It didn’t seem like they were suspects and no one had come to escort them forcefully, so they should be fine. They’d do their job, and then they’d scram.

  “But if it’s anything about our patrols,” Thalia added calmly, voice even, “then we just tell them exactly what had happened. Just like we told the brass back at the Watchhouse. The Shadow we met could back us up.”

  At the mention of the rogue, Brie’s chest squeezed.

  “Someone’s coming for you. It’s too late,” he had told her yesterday, appearing on her doorstep before disappearing. Ever since, she hadn’t managed a wink of sleep. Her nerves were on edge, but what was she supposed to do? And who was coming?

  It had to be the family. But even though it was a Great House, considering her status as a runaway, there were only a handful they might send if they wanted to keep her retrieval somewhat under wraps. Her siblings. So would it be Aldric, the stubborn, exemplary son? The future heir of their branch? No, he was too busy with the day to day to be pulled into this. Could it be Lyra and her dogs? Brie’s heart fluttered, picturing her sadistic sister’s smile, then she shook her head. There was no benefit for her to come all this way up. As much as she might enjoy dragging Brie back down to the compound, kicking and screaming, it wouldn’t be enough to dislodge her out of her social circles. It couldn’t be Talon, either. He was most likely still deep in the Dungeon, doing whatever it was he never talked about. Plus, he didn’t take well to orders, which he only got away with thanks to what he recovered for the family.

  So who was it going to be? And why had they taken so long? Nearly a year of silence, only to come and pick her up now?

  I never really got away. They’d just extended the leash and kept an eye on me, waiting until it’d be convenient for them to collect and drag me back, she thought grimly as she glanced behind her while Thalia tried to get the receptionist’s attention. Through the glass door, she saw the people of Rivergate going about their day, unconcerned with much aside their current errands. All her efforts at keeping a low profile, of keeping tabs on family movements, of training and integrating herself into the Watch and preparing for her life as a free delver… It was all for nothing. And once more, the thought of running flitted by her, but to what end? Where could she even go where they wouldn’t be able to reach her?

  Brie guessed her vacation and freedom was over. But while this would be a setback and while she’d have to take all the crap they were about to drop on her, she’d persevere. She’d keep working hard on her spells, and she’d look for an exit. Unless she could cut a deal with whomever they sent, somehow?

  She narrowed her eyes as the receptionist stood up as her thoughts whirred. What could she offer them to leave her be? Was there something there? Could she leverage her new contacts? The knowledge of someone high-profile could swing the balance in her favor.

  She pressed her lips and a subtly shook her head. No. Miles seemed to be important, but she wasn’t about to use her best friend’s brother for her plans.

  The receptionist began speaking, so Brie snapped her attention outwardly. She’d figure out something. She’d land on her feet. She’d be fine.

  “The Inquisitor is waiting for you,” the man said, his cold gaze settling on her for a couple of uncomfortable seconds as he pushed his chair back and picked up his clipboard. “Follow me.”

  The words were like a bucket of cold water down their back, and both of them snapped to attention, all previous concerns evaporating as a new all-encompassing alarm rang in their minds.

  Since when did Inquisitors prioritize junior recruits of the Watch? This wasn’t the plan. They were supposed to help out with the staff, not meet the inquisitor in person.

  Brie and Thalia shared a panicked look, mouths open, but like puppets with their strings pulled by the impatient footsteps of the receptionist, they moved. Almost reflexively, because someone who could ruin their lives was waiting for them. Expecting them. And they couldn’t afford to make them wait. They couldn’t run, not when they had been asked for explicitly. They wouldn’t make out of the hotel.

  What do I do? What do we do?

  Brie’s thoughts whirled as the events of the village flashed in her mind. How could they dodge the Inquisitor’s questions if they came at them? How could they get out of this? Glancing toward Thalia, she found her friend frowning grimly, but her spine was straight and jaw was set. Brie would bet she was panicking just as much as she herself was, but one look at her friend told her that whatever happened, Thalia was just going to barrel through with her per-established plan.

  Right, they had said they’d stick to their story. There really wasn’t any other alternative. Miles could maybe help, but he was gone for a few days…

  Talk about timing, Brie thought, a tired smile on her lips. The two followed the receptionist down the hall, stopping in front of a large, double-sided door that would take them into the hotel’s grand hall.

  Without a word, the receptionist knocked on the door thrice, then pulled the right door open and his cold blue eyes landed back on them.

  Time to face the music, she thought, and they stepped through.