When I decided to visit Glee Street, it wasn’t to the o I went to.

  It tempted me, her pride and joy, an old disused warehouse transformed into a thriving operation. Brightly colored banners and colorful lights illumione walls that resembled some of the older buildings iy. New stru done when there'd been a Renaissan initiating old Anglean architecture.

  Disruption there would draw attention the quickest, but two problems. First, if she’d already circuted a description of me with the orders to not let me in? Well, I wouldn’t be able to get past any of the marances. Even hours ahead of the nightlife and the attras it would bring out, and crowds, the entrances all had lines f. Ether guards posted there were meticulous at cheg eatrant even as they started to pile up.

  Sed, while disrupting Holmsteader’s biggest attra would draw her attention the fastest, it could needle her enough to just shoot me.

  Walking around tion, but it was entirely possible my description hadn’t been circuted yet. Also whoever spotted me might try to handle me on their own and not bother the boss. And if I made a spectayself oreet, breaking that fragile illusion that it’s danger would ouy Non-Infernal venturing into the Quarter?

  Again, probably dead. The reasons why Holmsteader should keep me alive wouldn’t matter then. She’d have to just to save face.

  Instead, I headed for one of the numerous tea parlors dotting the side of the street.

  It might actually serve tea, but its main revenue was drugs of course. For the right fee, get whisked away underground to some secluded room where you could blow your mind away on all kinds of strange aic substances.

  Eveer, no visible guards at the entrao stop me, and this early in the day not much tele. I walked through the door, doorbell jingling as I did.

  I paused in the doorway, momentarily thrown off by the interior decorating. Bright purple and green? Really? In stripes?

  The clerk was a young, smartly dressed Infernal of androgynous build with a pleasant smile on their face. They looked up, a greeting on their lips that died as they saw me.

  They were the only ones ihe lobby, the tufted chairs empty and no one hiding behind any of the decorative pnts dotting the room. There were sounds from further inside, ts actually drinking tea in a private booth or probably being escorted through secret entrao the underground.

  The clerk’s smiles faltered as I walked further inside. As, perfect, she’d already told them. It wasn’t like my usual face blended into the crowds, and I hadn’t had time to do a ving sculpt. Besides, attention was the point.

  “Hello, good sir!” I said with a cheer that made their smile colpse even further as their hand disappeared uhe table. It reappeared a sed ter, not with a on.

  An arm then. Perfect.

  “I o talk to Miss Holmsteader,” I told them. “I don’t suppose she’s avaible at this time?”

  “She is not,” they replied swiftly. “She also had made it very clear you are not wele oreet. If you would, please leave?”

  “Unfortunately,” I began and then ducked.

  A club swung overhead, wielded by a tall, lean but well-muscled Infernal who swore as I ducked right underh.

  Striking right when I’d made it clear I wasn’t leaving? Sloppy.

  I shed out with a hoof, striking them in the ko little effect. Reinforced. Shite.

  I scrambled backward before the club could hit me. Instead, it smmed into the floor with a thud, boards shuddering as it impacted. Bits of wood flew up as I got onto the desk.

  The clerk was reag for a on now, the stock of a short illegally modified shotgun without sight. My tail grabbed their hand aulling them to the side while my left hand grabbed the on, pulling it free and pointing it at the rger Infernal.

  My right hand yanked my revolver free of my coat, pulling the hammer back as I pressed the muzzle against the clerk’s head.

  “Unfortunately,” I repeated as they both froze. “I ot simply leave. So, I speak to Holmsteader, or am I going to have to ask the one’s who e when I shoot the both of you?”

  ***

  I’d inally thought that those garish colors in that drug den were a joke. A joke on the rich ers who came in to lose their money and their minds for a time.

  As I sidered the olive and magenta aper arouhe horrifying thought that Holmsteader thought this was good decoration wormed its way further into my thoughts.

  Luckily, Holmsteader herself was there to draw my attention away with a blindingly light green, b on yellow dress. Glossy bck stripes too.

  I suppose when you had this much money, you could wear literally whatever you wanted.

  Outside of the btant attempt to blind me, I was being treated fairly well, having been hustled up here after nearly killing two employees. Sihen, Holmsteader had remained silent, probably giving the deore time to ruin my eyesight.

  “You know,” Holmsteader said politely. “I’m somewhat at a loss. People have disobeyed me telling them to stay off of Glee Street before. Frequently in fact. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone do it the same day I warhem. Death wish?”

  “I wish,” I said. “I know people who would be much more painless about doing it. No, unfortunately, I’m here on behalf of others who don’t tend to listen to the lower end of the totem pole when it talks about reality?”

  “Really?” She asked with that por smile. “Is that what they think of you over at that little operation Voltar runs?”

  “What do your non-Infernal ers and parthink of you when you deal with them?”

  I’d like to imagine I heard a crack as that por shattered just a little.

  Holmsteader sighed, leaning ba her chair. “What do you want, Harrow? I actually want to hear what the hells made you pull this foolish stunt before I decide if it’s a bullet or the clubs first.”

  “Do that, and I doubt the people who sent me would be happy,” I said in mock singsong. She gritted her teeth, the mock friendliness from before having fully evaporated. “Tyler had a dis his basement, the one he umping souls into. We want it.”

  “You want it,” she repeated ftly. “You wao just give you a diabolic artifact, probably transport it, for Hells knows why.”

  “I don’t want it,” I said, lying a little. “Frankly, not only do I not know how to dispose of it, it’s probably a tig time bomb if not properly disposed of. A little bit of damage on it could release every single soul he shoved into it, and I doubt they would be happy. However, potential es between your former employee and the murders going on have grown to the point that they want it examined.”

  “Murders,” she said. “You mean that priest who got turned into a devil and killed in the process?”

  “Three now,” I said, and her eyes narrowed. “Yep, so get ready for another wave of se against us soon.”

  “Brilliant,” she grated. “You have been such a bearer of good news Ms. Harrow.”

  “I don’t make the news, I just carry it today,” I replied. “Same as the st time. You bme the survivor of a shipwreck for being caught in disaster?”

  “I do if they bring it to my doorstep,” she said. “Especially when she’s involved with someone likely behind them.”

  “Versalicci?” I guessed, and her face tightened in response. “I’m going to be blunt. He cares about personal gain only. He talk a big game about the Hells and our heritage, or lifting us up, or even his own diabolic dest. End of the day? He wants power, he wants money, but he doesn’t want to be the most hated man in the world. Not without a guarantee he slip out an escape hatch whehing goes south. This? So soon after the st event almost implig the Fme? No.”

  “And I’m supposed to take your word for it,” she said.

  “You take Voltar’s word for it,” I told her. “If you want to escate this. I don’t think you want to meet any of the people I work with.”

  “Oh really?” She asked bitterly.

  “I’m the nie,” I told a disbelieving Holmsteader with a grin. “The people I’m w with? They don’t want to make a fuss with the Quarter. They realize how tehings are on the best of days. Also hoeople who frequent Glee Street might be less willing to do so if say, two squads full of Watch desd on some house right o the buildings they are busy indulging their appetites in.”

  People came to Glee Street for the illusion of danger while indulging ihan-legal activities. Not to be in actual danger. If you didn’t mess around with Holmsteader’s people too much, the worst you had to worry about was maybe some random, lowborn Infernal maybe trying to pick your pocket or stumbling into you. And if they did? Lowborn and Infernal, you could kill them on the spot, and no one would particurly care as long as you kept it discreet enough.

  Now, the Watch suddenly having a presence? Maybe raising some of the pces in the area? Sure, you’re rid powerful and there’s no way the Watch would dare arrest you. But that niggling little doubt, that the coppers might bust down the door while you’re halfway through a puff of Eastern Tiania or with your nose sug up a line of Ol’ Scratch?

  Sure, the ces of charges stig might be small, but not nothing. And even if you got out, there was the sdal of course.

  Again. Very unlikely. But it would keep people away. Certainly enough to impasteader’s bottom line.

  “You are making yourself very annoying in a very short time Miss Harrow,” she told me with a strained grin. “Very annoying to me indeed.”

  “Yes,” I admitted. “But I offer little in way of apology because it wasn’t my employee caught practig diabolism and sacrifig people in rge o their basement summoning circle. Which is something I am deliberately not mentioning to the Watch. So the question now is, is it more annoying enduring that or just moving the circle from his basement.”

  Holmsteader didn’t bgesting her problems might go away if I simply disappeared from this world. We both khe game too well for her to think I had no tingency for that.

  “It’s a very precarious position,” she said slowly. “I have no guarantee even if I do what you say that the leverage you have goes away.”

  “Time will hahat,” I said. “A week from now? I’m sure you’ll have the man’s house thhly ed of evidence by then. My accusations of Diabolism? Cleared out with them. Anything to do with the current case? I already have the relevant papers, and the disd the creatures are the only things left of io it. They get transported, the Watch has no reason to get involved. So my leverage evaporates pletely.”

  Holmsteader mulled that over for a while.

  “Fine,” she said relutly. “But if I ever catch you here again, I’m feeding you to that damn gallows.”

  I didn’t make a ent. I had what I wanted, now I just o make it to tea with Uncle Liu.

  I stifled a yawn. Been up too long, and too little sleep between the nonsense here and with Skall. Hopefully, I didn’t fall asleep in the carriage.

  ***

  I stumbled into my brother’s room a wreck.

  Aches and pains ran all ay body. It didn’t matter how much Biosculpting you did on the spot, a knife wound to the side wasn’t something you painlessly healed. Not a musket’s stock hitting you in the back of the head.

  My horn hung limply from a bit of bone, snapped in half. I’d cut the nerves, searing the ends with sculpting so I’d stop screaming and g and could scurry underground. Half an hour wasted curled up on myself wailing like an infant.

  I’ll fix it ter. If it could be fixed.

  Blood still leaked from a few spots despite my best efforts, and my brother’s assorted advisors sidered me skeptically as I bled on some stolen carpet.

  “Me and Alice made it back,” I said, stumbling towards a chair at the end of the table. “Got our report. You aren’t going to like it.”

  At the other end, Versalicci cleared his throat. “Everyone, a little privacy, please. Daver, if you could please tell Corron she’ll have another patient soon?”

  My old Diabolism teacher nodded, stumbling a little as he walked out. He looked like he’d just finished diving to the bottom of a bottle.

  I used to hate that about him. These days I could rete.

  “Malvia,” my brother said, looking at me in horrified fasation. “You should have goo the-“

  “After,” I snapped as everyone else cleared out. “I’m repeating this while it’s still burned in my mind and not a moment ter.”

  He came to my side of the table, p a gss of wine for me, then after a sed’s worth of thought, leaving the bottle.

  “It wait,” he repeated firmly. “You didn’t o e in here while you’re still beat up from an enter with Her Majesty’s troops.”

  “Watch this time,” I said bluntly. “Almost nostalgic.”

  “They must be running low urs, to send in the-“

  “They aren’t,” I said, and tired as I was I almost didn’t care about that fsh of irritation in his eyes. Care, damn you, unless you want him questioning things. “I had to cross the o escape. They were oher side, along with ships. Ships unloading marines.”

  That irritation died as he chewed on that little tidbit of information. I didn’t let that interrupt me.

  “The Nover freezes in two weeks,” I started.

  “I’m well aware of when winter es sister,” Versalicci said, still thinking. Hopefully choking on the drum we’d been given.

  “Good, then you realize things will go when what little territory we have above ground now is being attacked from all sides,” I said.

  It already shrank fast enough they didn’t evehe marines. Maybe they just wahis over. Or at least out of sight. What would even do for the assault? Two years of effort spent into summoning demons, so much fug smoke.

  We were all fug blind. None of us had ever served in the military, but it should have been clear what a fake hells-damned rout was. If not to us, then to the damn devils who’d fallen for it. Then again, unless a priest had personally cut them up, they’d just be ba the Hells, waiting for the ime to e around. What we got for fog on summoning more of the dumb ones instead a few of the smarter ones.

  “Satch is dead,” I said. “Along with three others. No recoveries from the ons they were hiding. I had three doors smmed in my face. Del Monte shot at me. Edwards brought me and Aliside only to throw Alice out the goddam sed story window. Varrow ran off shrieking for the army when he spotted me. You want to send someone else to see how much support we still have in the Quarter outside our little encve? Send someone no one will reize.”

  “You’re not wearing your normal face,” Versalicci pointed out.

  “I have the tattoo,” I hissed. “That’s enough. No one is going to risk dealing with one of us outside of arts of the surface we hold. Doing raids from

  the underground and leaving them to suffer the reprisals was a fool idea, and I wish you’d let me cut Govr’s throat fgesting it.”

  “It worked in the past.”

  “On Watch,” I hissed. “When no one cared about how wless the Quarter was beyond them, and we worked half of their anders. When the crime going outside the Quarter seems to be just a pinpriot when the Hells-damned army is camping up above trying to dig us out for the gallows!”

  They’d put some of those up, and too many bodies hung from it. When it filled, that’s when people got creative. Nailing people up by their limbs should have stayed out of style.

  “We’re running low on imps, unless you want to plue out of my head. Priests are being employed to secrate the ground on the edges. It’s driving more of the Quarter inward, but anything Diaboliough to be a devil enters and they know immediately. No idea how long they’ll keep doing it, it’s slowly closing in on the Nover.”

  “Isn’t that a pleasant message to deliver to her subjects,” Versalicarled, staring down at the map. “Pick betweeh or the river?”

  I kept my mouth shut. Truth be told, I’d dreaded this meeting, as much as I had any over the st month. Too afraid of what might slip out.

  “It’s all gone sour,” I said. “Move faster, move slower, pointless after all. In the end, we were both wrong.”

  “Do not try and put any of the bme on you, Malvia,” Versalicci said in a fatherly tohat made me want to bite through my tohe end decision was mine, and who knows if faster or slower would have worked? Perhaps her, in the end. Perhaps this was fated to happen.”

  It was, though not for the reasons he pretended.

  “Giving up so soon?” I asked.

  Too tauntingly, from the brief bit of fusion on his face. Damnations fool, do not give anything away just because he was in the room with you.

  “It’s just unlike you,” I said. “I imagine if you thought things were doomed, we’d be heading to the underground, trying to dig our way out of this mess.”

  “Hrrm,” he smiled. “No, I don’t think we’re doomed. They like to pretend this is our doom, but I think in the end, if we must escape, we still .”

  “They called in the army,” I pointed out. “Back from fighting the dwarves just in time to put us down as well. It’s the Army, Gio. We aren’t out fighting that.”

  “We don’t o outfight them,” he said. “Just out wait them. Her Majesty just finished one costly campaign for little gain. Now employed on their sed-“

  “She won’t tolerate open rebellion,” I snapped. “It’s treason, aing that slide is tantamount to throwing her down herself.”

  Versalicci scowled, eyes tight, and for a sed I feared I’d overstepped. Do not give him a reason to doubt!

  He calmed down a sed ter.

  “You raise good points,” he said. “But still, it’s the situation we find ourselves in, Malvia. I’ll send someoo help you out of here soon. Rex, and try to not be so dour. We’ll figure something out. We always do, don’t we?”

  And he left, leaving me aloh nothing but the bottle and my thoughts. Shaking hands reached to refill my gss.

  Calm. Calm. I gripped my wrist, hand tightening until I could feel my veins struggling to pump blood past my grip. The shaking stopped.

  He didn’t know. He couldn’t know. If he did know I’d overheard that versation, then I’d be dead. Simple as that. Breathe in. Breathe out. Hope if anyone was watg it got bmed on nerves and do not look where he had go this point, I wouldn’t be able to hide the anger.

  This room. When I’d been on my way to deliver a report oest patch of abducted Watd others chopped up, the sigils ready for the fresh wave. I’d finished early because Alice was willing to take over my duties for a bit. Even after our…messy breakup, she’d remained approachable.

  It had been a game, just a little means of fun. Us trying to sneak up on him. I don’t think he ever expected one of us to succeed. I’d cheated. Borrowed stocks from the unal alchemical stores, and modified myself without him knowing.

  lenty of stocks, and if a little went missing? We could get more. We owned a third of this city now, even if only from the shadows.

  Sileny hooves, my ears fiuned, I’d snuck closer hoping to give a pleasant surprise.

  I’d been the one surprised, not my brother. And it was far from pleasant.

  “We’re pleased with the efforts so far. You’re in the position to escate this?”

  “Two weeks time. I’m happy with the first payment. Make sure the rest will e on time, and it’ll happen right on schedule. The bolt hole?”

  “Being arranged. Assuming you guarahe right number of deaths.”

  “Not an issue. This group’s survival has been depe oh. Once people start being aware of what’s been going oh their noses

  I’d halted, then hurried away before I could hear anymore.

  I’d gotten lucky. I’d preteo be on my way there when I ran into Golvar heading the same way.

  The first week, I just thought I’d misheard things. A misinterpretation, perhaps we were just running a scam on some Imperial official, someone Gio had tricked. Someone had found out about the pn, Gio was just pretending to sell it out for ‘til he could size this one up for a safely disposable knife.

  Even if I had fronted him immediately, it wouldn’t have mattered. Voltar trag the robbery of the warehouses st army goods not just to us but also to Watch Captain Delvod.

  Delvod wasn’t the most important piece of the puzzle, but he’d coughed up enough o make clear what was going on. And the theft of military ons brought regiments to the Quarter, there to dig out the Infernals who had infiltrated near half the city.

  I could have stepped up then, but with what? I’d fug phat operation with him. Even now I wasn’t sure if Voltar trag things was dumb luck or him actually arranging things!

  I poured anss of wine, while something in my head stirred.

  Do you live? Disappointing.

  “Shut up,” I hissed and dowhe gss.

  I would be impressed you were surviving if you actually did anything, The Imp pined in my head. Instead, you just py out the same role as always.

  I downed anss, letting the sweet taste of the wiake some of the bite out. I might o get something harder to drown out the creature’s ents.

  Btantly untrue ents. I would find a way out of this mess. One romising if I trusted those involved.

  It could always be another loyalty test, but I wagered those days were gone. Or if they weren’t, they were busy with a huhers trying to get out before all avenues of escape fully closed.

  Are you just going to sit here and drink yourself to oblivion?

  I downed anss of wine, letting it burn down my throat.

  “What are you going to do?” I asked. “tio pin and not tell him? You want me dead? It’s easy enough to do. Tell him.”

  The Imp scoffed in my head. Him? Never. He doesn’t deserve any help in anything he does.

  I suppose there was someone in the world I could share my frustrations with. Just ignore every gestion they sent into my head.

  Besides, if I want you dead, you seem set on that path already.

  I snarled ao pain only to find the bottle empty. How had that happened?

  The door creaked open, and I looked up.

  Ah. After one sibli, the other two arrived.

  They were both too young, was my first thought. How I hadn’t thought of it whearted? I didn’t know. Maybe the fact I started younger, but the teal-colored teenage boy and the e-cirl who had just walked in weren’t old enough for me to have ever brought them into this.

  Yet I had because I’d believed a lie.

  “Dyn, Laura,” I said, raising my empty gss of wine in salute.

  “Malvia,” Dyn said, his voice as horrified as his expression. “Are you alright?”

  “Of course she isn’t,” Laura hissed. “Her horn is hanging by a thread! Malvia, why aren’t you in the-“

  “I was busy inf our brother of the doom ing upon us,” I said, my words a little slurred. How many cups had I poured before they’d e in? “Behold the date awaiting anyone who ventured outside our ever-shrinkiory!”

  “Please tell me you weren’t drunk when you talked to brother,” Laura said, looking down her me. “You stink almost as bad as Daver does.”

  Nonsense. I hadn’t drunk more than aire bottle yet at most.

  “I think that’s the blood,” Dyn said. “And the gunpowder.”

  “You are my favorite sibling,” I told him in response, and he gave me a nervous grin.

  “Brother wao meet with us,” he said. “He didn’t mention you might be here?”

  “A ret development,” I said. “Like I was expining, I told him how doomed we are. It closes in from all sides, preparing to devour us all. He pnning on feeding you two to it?”

  They traded gnces as I pted the bottom of the bottle.

  “Brother would never do that,” Laura said. “Not deliberately.”

  I ughed bitterly, makiumble over her words.

  “He would not,” she repeated, a bit of fire in her voice as she gred down at me. “You think he wants us all to die, Malvia?”

  “It’s a bad hand we’ve bee,” Dyn said sorrowfully. “He’s just trying to py it the best he , and we o help him and hope it’s enough.”

  “That,” I said slowly, pying with my winegss “isn’t necessarily true.”

  The two watched me as I shakily put the gss ba the table.

  “There-”

  “No,” Dyn said firmly, and I gred at him.

  “You will let me finish,” I snapped. “There-”

  Fire came into being alongside Laura’s hands, bd baleful.

  “No, Malvia,” she said. “Whatever you’re thinking? Whatever you have pnned? If you want to run, run. But I remember someone who talked to us about a dream, a ce free of this pce, free of people who hate us for who we are. If that person could see yht now, she’d be disgusted by what you’ve bee.”

  Before I could e up with a reply, she spun on her feels a, leavih my other brother. He looked at me pityingly, as I tried and failed to say something, and then he left as well.

  I choked on a pathetic ugh. They weren’t wrong. Malvia Harrow hated the one who crafted her. Pitied at best, had pt for at the worst whenever part of that resurfaced. A lot of that retly, although a lot still of the other.

  I did my best to ighat, and what had just happened.

  It hadn’t been worse than the response when I hi to Alice. That had been…stupid. What, did I think she’d e after how we’d broken up? Not the kind of people we were.

  No one else. Everyone else who I could trust or knew was suspicious? Dead, mostly thanks to me. I’d fed them in the name of a cause that was fake fug garbage, and the only reason this new batch trusted me is none of us had any other options.

  I could vaguely hear a muttered discussion oher side of the door. The two of them talking. I should be able to make out the words, but I couldn’t.

  I don’t know which was worse, the fact they left or the little voi my ear whispering to cut their throats before they repeated a word of what I said to Versalicci.

  There was ohroat here worth slitting. I could do it even. Did he suspect? Maybe, but I could still try, couldn’t I?

  I ughed, ughed till my throat burned and my eyes were filled with tears. If I wanted him dead, it would have bee was clear I hadn’t misuood that versation. But every time I thought of it, the idea of what struck me a me uo think of a way out. A way out of being a traitor to be hung if I made it to the surface. Or even surviving when the rest of the Fme killed me for killing him.

  Coward. Useless, stupid fool of a coward who’d bought into a dream. Moes to sleep forever, you t to the first little piece of family that you find? Just because you don’t think they’ll hate you for being what you are. Mold yourself to what they want, and find out in the end you’ve been pyed like a piano.

  I kept looking at the door, wishing they would e back. Useless. Even if they did, what could I vihem with?

  Evidence? I’d searched his room when he’d been out and checked every hiding spot I could think of. Nothing. What had I expected to find, a written fession?

  What could I tell them? I hadn’t told any of the others who were already pnning their escape for the same reason.

  No one would believe Giovanni Versalicci had sold out the revolution he’d begun.

  Saithorthepyro