The son glanced guiltily at his father and nodded. “They did, My Lady. My friends and I thought they were cowards ruled over by the women and went after them, intending to continue the fight.”

  “And?”

  “And the Blade, uh, Ailith was her name, stepped in front of me and shoved me back. I swung at her to get her out of my way, and she…” the chagrined look he turned on his father said it all, “…well, she somehow ducked the blow, grabbed my…member…and then twisted to grab one of my friends in a headlock who was heading back into the fight.”

  “So, she managed to control two men and keep you out of the fight while the other Blades finished breaking up that fight. And she did so without breaking any bones, which she would have been perfectly justified in doing. Count Bexley, I’d say your son is lucky to have come away with only a swollen member since, as I understand it, many of the nobles from the other kingdoms who continued to fight did not come away unscathed. Do I have that right, Prime Geller?”

  “Aye, Milady. When it were all done, there were three broken arms, one broken kneecap, I don’t know how many broken noses⁠—”

  Terrowyn helpfully supplied the answer, “Ten broken noses.”

  The Count lowered his head and scratched the back of his neck. “I think a better education as to the role your Blades play in your society might be in order before we bring our young people back into Cibía, My Lady.”

  “Judging by the blatant disrespect you showed me when you entered this office, Count Bexley, I think that applies to the adults as well.”

  “Yes, My Lady.”

  “You may rise, and unless there’s something else, you’re free to leave. Senior Guardian Terrowyn will escort you from the Temple.”

  Both men rose and bowed low before making their way from the office with what little dignity remained intact.

  When they’d gone, Sábria glanced at Emlyn. “Thank you for the translation, Emlyn, and you’re free to return to bed. You’ll have a long night again tonight, and you’ll need to be alert for it.”

  Emlyn brought her fist to her chest but hesitated before starting for the door.

  “Something you need to say?”

  “My Lady. Count Bexley is one of the most arrogant, impossible nobles in all of Kibrun. The King and Queen cringe when he comes to court, but you handled him with such authority and strength. I…” she blushed, “…well, I’m very proud to be one of your shivs.”

  Sábria smiled, “Having a weapons expert take him down as easily as our Prime did and hold a knife to his throat before he even realized he was on the floor helped a little.”

  The shiv’s smile was small, but there all the same. “Yes, My Lady.” With an appreciative glance at her Prime, Emlyn left the room.

  Geller knew what Sábria wanted to talk to her about, so she dipped her chin once in acknowledgment, “I’ll teach Shiv Ailith some control techniques for th’ nobles what don’t include grabbing their…” She shook her head with an incredulous look, “…what did ya call it? His member? I guarantee ya I won’t be callin’ it that with Ailith, or she’d be rollin’ on th’ floor laughing me out of th’ training yard.”

  Sábria laughed out loud and put her fingers up to her eyes. “Thank you, Ursuna. You’re dismissed.”

  With a half-grin, Geller saluted Sábria and left her alone to the pile of reports still sitting on her desk.

  CHAPTER 2

  Even though Terrowyn was exhausted from the long nights, she followed Count Bexley and his son out of the Temple and headed for the Codpiece, the filthiest section of the City. She’d neither seen nor heard from her skelli, Ghost, for almost a sevenday, which in and of itself was worrying enough. Ghost and all the other homeless skellis and nints hiding from the crowds that came to Sarlogne wasn’t unusual. The fact that Ghost hadn’t come to her whistle meant that she wasn’t eating properly, either, something that definitely did worry her. In the past, Terro mostly brought Ghost bread and apple slices, but recently, she’d been adding bits of other types of food under the direction of the Temple Master Healer, Lady Haria.

  “Terro.”

  Terrowyn turned and smiled at her Prime, who was jogging after her. “I know, I know. I need to sleep. But⁠—”

  “But you’ve not seen Ghost for a while, and yer headed out to find her. And, since ya work for me, I’m goin’ with ya.” They both knew she wasn’t going because of their working relationship. Geller didn’t call very many Blades her friend and enjoyed spending time with most people even less. She’d help any Blade and would go the extra mile for anyone in the Temple, but there were very few people she enjoyed spending her free time with. That being said, even with those few, she preferred keeping their relationship businesslike and so acted as though one of her Blades needed her help. “Where was th’ last time ya saw her?”

  “It doesn’t matter. She won’t stay in one place more than a night. There’s no skelli or nint alive what stays put long enough for some asshole to guess their pattern.”

  Geller had to agree, “Not one what’s alive, no. Th’ one’s what get lazy or comfortable end up on th’ city’s midden heap or lyin’ in th’ back of a slaver’s cart bein’ hauled to th’ Goddess only knows where.”

  While the nights were crawling with carousing young nobles and drunken older ones who should know better; during the day, the streets were crowded with foreign noble ladies shopping or taking tea with their friends. The older women knew enough to stay in the Clayborne district where the Sarlognean nobility and merchant classes lived and worked. It was for that reason that Commander Shirin doubled the Gloaming shift there to make sure none of the riffraff wandered into the area.

  The younger ones, however, were just as eager as their male counterparts to get out and have some adventure. That was why the Lower Quarter Terro and Geller had to walk through to get to the Codpiece was so crowded. Geller turned sideways to ease her way past a line of women waiting to get into a less-than-reputable hash house. When they were out of earshot, she mumbled, “Traya said she’s been havin’ to assign two Blades to th’ Rat since it’s apparently th’ place for th’ ladies to slum durin’ th’ day.” The Tasty Rat had hired a cook they advertised as a woman who’d learned her craft at the hands of the royal chef when, in actuality, the woman in question had been a scullery maid who helped out in the castle kitchens when they were short-handed.

  Once Terro was through the line, she quickened her pace. “I heard that since th’ sign is missin’ th’ letter, th’ ladies think th’ place is called The Taty Rat. I wonder what they’d think if they found out th’ meat pasties they’re crowin’ about are really made from rats the owner’s lad catches down at the stables.”

  They both looked up in time to see one of their shivs, Ailith, tear around the corner at full speed and careen toward them carrying two grain sacks filled to the brim and bumping against her shins as she ran. She darted into the middle of the street, barely managing to dodge wagons and cart horses that got in her way.

  Behind her, two middle-aged, well-dressed men appeared, pointed at her, and gave chase. One man yelled, “Stop! Thief!”

  After Ailith dodged around Geller and Terro, each Blade held out an arm as the men split around them to continue the chase. Both men went down, and Geller shouted, “Oi. Shiv.”

  Ailith looked over her shoulder, and when she saw the men lying on the ground, slowed and finally stopped. “Aye, Prime?”

  Geller snapped her fingers and pointed at her feet.

  All of the noble ladies in line watched the drama unfold with excited expectation brightening their eyes. Nothing like this happened back in their kingdoms, at least not in the areas they normally frequented, and here were two noblemen chasing what they assumed to be a thief down the street. And now, two of the city’s guards, or what they believed to be city guards, had not only stopped the men in their tracks, they’d taken them to the ground with nothing more than well-placed and well-timed forearms to the chest.

  Breathing heavily, Ailith slowly made her way back to them. By the time she reached them, the men had gotten to their feet and were seething. They spoke heavily accented Cibían and were apparently acquainted with the Blades because they didn’t complain about their treatment—much—to the Prime and Senior Guardian. They did, however, demand that the Blades arrest the thief they’d been chasing. That is until they saw that Ailith’s clothing wasn’t that different from the Blade’s. Their demands stuttered to a stop as their gazes traveled back and forth between the women.

  Geller turned to Ailith, crossed her arms, and raised her brows.

  Ailith’s nerves got the better of her, and her mouth took off. “Well, ya see, I were comin’ out of th’ back of th’ house with these bags, which ain’t so heavy that I had to drag ‘em or nothin’ because she wants me to take ‘em to th’ Codpiece, but then these two grabbed me, and I kicked that one, well, I didn’t exactly kick him in th’ balls like I’d planned to, but I kicked him hard enough that he had to let me go anyway and I⁠—”

  Geller closed her eyes and held up a hand. She cocked her head toward Terro, who’d worked with the Prime long enough to know she needed to step in before Ailith found herself on the wrong side of Geller’s temper.

  Terro lifted a brow. “Try again, shiv. Ya left what house?”

  “Lady Farryn’s.”

  Geller opened her eyes, and when Ailith saw the anger in them, she took a step back. “No, not that Lady Farryn. Well, it were that Lady Farryn’s house. I mean, it were Lady Knight Farryn’s house, but I weren’t…ya know…doin’ what ya think I were doin. It were me an’ th’ other Lady Farryn what were doin’ things and⁠—”

  When both Geller and Terro’s mouths fell open, and they put their hands on their hips, Ailith held up the bags and took three more steps back. “No! God’s balls, not like that, fer fowk sake!” Being both frightened and embarrassed really ramped up her mouth. “What th’ fowk ya think I’d be doin’ that with someone old enough to be me fowkin’ granny, fer, eh? Well, maybe no me granny because she’s dead and she were aye older than Lady Farryn but⁠—”

  Geller pursed her lips and held up her hand again, and when Ailith shut her mouth, the Prime crooked her finger for Ailith to come close again.

  Ailith came forward and opened her mouth to speak.

  Geller cocked her head while Terro shook hers and, with a warning tone, said, “Shut it, Ailith.”

  Ailith did.

  Geller snapped her fingers again and held out her hand for one of the bags, which Ailith immediately handed over. When the Prime reached into the bag and pulled out a loaf of bread, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

  Ailith looked sheepish and, with a shrug, pointed to the two men. “I can’t tell ya with them two here. Ain’t none of their business.”

  The look Geller turned on the two men had them holding up their hands and leaving. When the Prime turned back to Ailith, she calmly said. “I’m tryin’ to hold it together, shiv because I know ya get nervous. So, I’m calm. Yer calm.” Her voice rose on each subsequent word, “Now what th’ fowk are ya doin’ runnin’ around carryin’ two sacks of bread, ya skut-brained shiv? Yer one of Elyon’s Blades ya—” She pulled in a breath when she saw the fear return to Ailith’s eyes. Holding up a hand, she blew out a breath and looked up at the sky. “Just answer th’ question.”

  Ailith pulled in a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then began again. “Lady Farryn asked me to carry food to th’ nints and skellies what are holed up in th’ sewers to keep away from all these poxy nobles since th’ fowkers are lookin’ fer easy prey, and she knows th’ little beggars go hungry durin’ Festival, and she sends me with th’ bread and these apples every mornin’ after I get off shift.” She held up the other bag.

  Terro jumped in now. “Is Ghost with th’ ones in th’ sewer? I’ve checked and whistled near th’ entrances, but I don’t go in for fear I’ll scare th’ others out into th’ open.”

  “Aye, sometimes. She’s all that spooky and don’t let no one near. I know she’s special to ya, though, so I always toss some food directly at her, but if one of th’ older nints or skellis grabs it, there’s nowt I can do ‘cuz if I run forward to grab it from them, she runs.”

  Terro turned and continued on her way to the Codpiece. “With me, Shiv.”

  Geller tossed the bag back to Ailith and turned toward the Temple. Terro and Ailith were more than capable of taking care of any trouble that might turn up. She knew Terro would treat Ailith like she would if she were still a handler, and no shiv could be safer than when they were with Keavey Terrowyn.

  CHAPTER 3

  Even though the bags were only full of bread and apples, they were heavy and awkward to carry. Ailith slung them over her shoulders and fell in beside her Senior Guardian. If they had been two friends walking down the street, Terro would have taken one of the sacks from her. But since they were heading into the Codpiece, one of them had to be ready to immediately repel an attack, and carrying a heavy bag over their shoulder would hamper that ability.

  Terro looked over her shoulder at Ailith as they crossed the invisible line separating the merchant’s quarter from the Codpiece. “Which sewer frack?”

  “All of ‘em.”

  There had to be over thirty ways to get into the sewers, and Terro stopped so abruptly that Ailith ran into her. “Sorry, I were watchin’ that noble over there. Th’ one⁠—”

  “Aye, th’ one who looks like he’s huntin’ fer prey. Good that you’re watchin’ him, but if ya get so caught up in watchin’ somethin’ without knowin’ what’s happenin’ around ya, specifically what th’ fowk I’m doin’, you’ll get th’ flat of me blade up yer backside. Ya ken?”

  Ailith blushed and looked down at her boots. “Aye, Senior Guardian.”

  She promptly received a hard cuff on the side of her head. Terrowyn stepped right up into her face. “And if ya keep lookin’ at your feet while you’re in th’ Codpiece instead of keepin’ watch, ye’ll have a sweiven’ sore head by th’ time we check all th’ fracks.”

  Ailith had worked with Terrowyn on a few occasions when her handler, Jenx, was either incapacitated or out of town on an errand for the Arch Priestess. There was no doubt she learned more than she ever thought possible about Blade safety when they went out, but it always came at a price, usually at the expense of her head or back. Ailith stayed quiet, not trusting her mouth not to go off, which only served to irritate Terrowyn even more.

  “Now, I’m lookin’ fer Ghost, so ya take me to th fracks ya think she’ll be in first.” Her eyes narrowed as if something had just occurred to her. “Lady Farryn has ya comin’ into th’ Codpiece during Festival all on yer own with no backup?”

  Without taking her eyes off her surroundings, Ailith nodded and flinched, expecting Terro to cuff her again. When nothing happened, she glanced up and saw her studying her instead.

  “Does Lady Sábria know what Lady Farryn’s asked ya to do?”

  “I don’t know. Probably.” She thought about that and then amended, “Maybe.”

  With a sigh, Terro shook her head. “Let’s go find Ghost, eh? Take me to where you’ve seen her th’ most, aye?” When Ailith passed her to take the lead, Terro grabbed her arm. “What you’re doin’ is good, but from now on, I’ll be comin’ with ya. Don’t think some of them foreign nobles won’t rape ya if they can get ya down. They hunt in packs, don’t ferget, and them from other kingdoms don’t honor th’ Blades like Cibía does. Sure, they’d be brought up on charges, but that don’t stop th’ fact that they stuffed their pricks in ya, now does it?”

  Ailith glanced at the ground again but then quickly looked up so she could keep a watch on their surroundings. “Well, if I were bein’ truthful, it’s been that scary goin’ on me own with me hands full, but th’ Lady’s been that good to me, not treatin’ me like dirt like most of th’ nobles, so when she asked me....” She lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug.

  Terro fingered her sword’s hilt and then started walking again. “I can tell ya that th’ Lady has no idea what it’s like in th’ Codpiece, Ailith. I’d bet good money she’s never set foot down here and didn’t know what she was askin’ ya to do. Next time someone like that asks for yer help, ya tell me, or Jenx, or even Prime Geller. Ya don’t just make up yer own mind to do it. Yer a Blade, now, and that means ya don’t have to do things on yer own, ya ken?”

  Sounding both discouraged and stressed, Ailith adjusted one of the sacks to keep the rope from digging into her shoulder. “Aye. Th’ Lady Sábria and th’ Commander keep tryin’ to get that into me thick skull, but bein’ alone is mostly what I know. It’s hard to say how ya can be alone surrounded by all th’ Blades or by th’ entire fowkin’ Dreyuthan army, but…well….” She felt a blush rise into her cheeks and made sure to look away from Terro so she wouldn’t see the red suffusing her face. “I’m tryin’, Guardian. It’s a hard habit to break, ya ken?”

  For the first time since Ailith had come to the Temple, Terrowyn shocked her by placing an arm around her shoulder. “We’ll keep sayin’ it to ya, Lass, until ya really believe it.” She removed her hand and placed it back on the hilt of her sword, ready for anything. “And when it comes to ya doin’ a skut-brained thing like comin’ down here on yer own durin’ Festival, if I find you’ve come down here again, you and me are gonna have words. Any questions?”

  Having the Guardian’s hand on her shoulder had put Ailith off her stride but hearing her threaten to skin her set her straight again. “Aye, Guardian. It won’t happen again.” She pointed to a sewer frack by the side of the road.

  The fracks were above-ground square block coverings that opened onto steps descending down into the sewer channels running below the city. About halfway down the steps, the architects had designed a ledge running the entire length of the sewer to allow workers to service the city’s waste system without having to slog through the sewage.