I froze, the shock plain on my face.

The last time I'd seen Took was outside the capital, running for cover as Dugan lobbed a hand bomb in his direction.

Why was he here?

As if reading my mind, Took spoke.

"I've been waiting for you for weeks, elf. I can't believe you were stupid enough to go into the Dellends."

I shrugged.

"Stupid… and strong enough to survive."

Took scoffed, turning sideways in his chair. He propped his elbow on the table, holding a silver knife in his left hand.

Geslin's muffled voice interrupted our conversation.

I glanced at her. Geslin shook her head, her eyes wide.

"Don't mind her. She likes to run her mouth," Took said.

I glanced back at Took. Even bound and gagged, Geslin's message was loud and clear. Southsun was the perfect place for an ambush—for the Lagos cartel and for us.

"How many did you bring?"

Took's grin turned into a scowl.

"More than enough for the likes of you."

I reached for my cane.

"Ah ah ah. I wouldn't do that."

Took pointed the silver knife at Geslin's throat.

"You need to be on your best behaviour. Right, boys!"

The floorboards above me creaked. Over my shoulder, three bearded, old men aimed short bows at my back from the interior balcony. Their metal arrow tips gleamed in the fading light.

Over my other shoulder, two more men appeared in the entrance. One holding a bundle of rope.

"Why don't you come and sit down? We just wanna talk," Took said.

The men around me laughed.

Talk. Right…

I took a long, deep breath.

How was I going to get out of this?

I was alone, hungry and tired from a day of hard riding. Even worse, they had a hostage.

The two men on my right stepped through the entrance, their boots crunching on the rubble.

There was no time to think. I had to act.

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Castille's words from last night echoed in my head, and I smiled.

"I just remembered something."

"And what's that?" Took asked.

"You're not allowed to kill me."

I willed my dagger into my left hand and sent it flying into Took's raised forearm.

"ARGH!"

A shriek of pain, and his silver knife clattered on the table. I punched my right hand in the air, shouting a gout of flame at the ceiling.

I tensed my shoulders, waiting for the arrows to sink into my back.

Nothing.

I called their bluff.

My smile widened.

I charged into the dining room, cutting a line straight to Geslin. The archers couldn't shoot me, but they could shoot her.

Took stumbled past me, giving me a wide berth. I willed my dagger out of his left arm and into my hand. I cut the rope tying Geslin to the chair and flipped over the table to give us cover.

"Puh!" Gelsin said, pulling down her gag and picking loose threads off her tongue.

"You alright?"

"Do I look alright?!"

"You never looked alright, Geslin."

"Hah! True enough."

The wooden singles of her dress clattered as she knelt beside me.

"What now?"

I raised my head over the flipped table. The distraction worked. My flames were spreading on the second floor, forcing the archers to stumble down the stairs and flee through the building's main entrance.

They had the right idea. This building was going to collapse, but going through the front door was out of the question.

"So, any bright ideas?" Geslin asked.

I smirked at the old woman.

"One."

I raised my right hand, letting an orange orb bloom above my palm.

"Cover your ears."

Geslin stared at the orb wide-eyed, clapping her hands on the sides of her head.

I pulled my arm back and threw the orb against the wall of the dining room.

KABOOM!!!

I shaped the explosion, sending the heat and force of the explosion away from us and through the wall. When the smoke cleared, a hole four people wide was staring back at us.

"Overdid it, don't cha think?"

I shook my head.

The explosion had two purposes: to create another exit and warn my party that enemies were in the village.

Utility.

It was the first thing I learned from Sin and, maybe, the most important.

Was it right to pick and choose which of Sin's lessons I followed?

A question for another time.

"Let's go!"

I grabbed Geslin by her slim wrist and ran through the hole, cutting left to the back of the building.

"They're over there!"

Spirits below!

"Run!"

# # #

Geslin's bare feet slapped on the ground as we sprinted through the side roads of the small village.

"Where are you taking me?!"

"To the one place in Southsun that's safe."

I skidded to a stop at a familiar grey brick wall. I worked my way around into the main road until I was face to face with the black door of the Sanctifier Guild's outpost. It was unlocked just like I left it.

Perfect.

"Get in and lock the door. This village is going to be a battlefield."

I paused, looking at the ruined houses along the road.

"Again."

I swung Geslin around and pushed her through the entrance.

"Wait. Wait!" Geslin said.

I checked over my shoulder. The sound of heavy footfalls was closing in.

"They need me alive, Geslin. Me! Not you!"

"I know that! I just wanna say something."

"What?!"

She smiled, her yellow teeth framed by blue-black, discoloured gums.

"Thank you."

I recoiled.

"Oh?! Uh, don't worry about it."

Her eyes twinkled in the fleeting sunlight.

"You did it. Didn't ya."

I sighed, smiling despite myself.

"We did. We saved the Dellends—maybe, all of Luskaine."

"And now you're saving damsels in distress. You're a proper-"

"Don't."

My face flushed.

"I-I'm not used to that word."

Not used to believing it.

Geslin raised her eyebrows, visible under her strands of wispy, white hair.

"Fine. I won't say it."

She slammed the door in my face, locking it with a satisfying click.

I shook my head, laughing to myself.

That old woman was something else, but that was one less thing to worry about.

"He's over here!"

Footfalls pounded in the dirt—five, ten, too many enemies to count.

I closed my eyes, taking in the sound like rain beating on a glass window.

What now?

I could run to the other side of the village—lead them away from Dugan and the others.

No.

I had a better idea.

I opened my eyes, putting my dagger in my right hand, twisting out my short sword in my left.

I turned to face my enemies and charged.

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