Yarizos Elmid, Lord Cencin, entered the tavern hooded and cloaked against the fading light. He approached the barkeep, "Mrs. Escurco is expecting me."

The barkeep scrubbed another mug, watching him through hooded yellow eyes, "She's reserved the private taproom for the night. First hall on the left, third door on the right."

Yarizos nodded and left a silver coin on the bar, "thank you."

He let his claws tick on the floorboards, giving plenty of advance warning of his approach. It wouldn't do to startle the hired bodyguard.

The bodyguard stirred at his approach, hand drifting to an ironwood club, "lower the hood pleasse."

Yarizos snorted smoke but complied, "must we always do this dance?"

The bodyguard bowed and opened the door, "I take my tasskingss sserioussly Masster Elmid. The Misstresss will ssee you now."

Yarizos entered the private taproom and laid eyes on his co-conspirator for the first time in nearly a year. They had exchanged letters often, but these face-to-face meetings were inordinately risky at the best of times. Mistress Botheri, an assumed name if he ever heard one, was as stunning as ever. Her golden scales with their white highlights shimmered in the flickering candlelight. The green dress clung and floated in the most distracting manner. But little could hide the prominent brow-ridges, the absence of hair, or the diamond pupils slashing through yellow eyes.

"Madame Botheri, you are as stunning as ever."

"Masster Elmid, sso courteouss ass ever. Come, join me in drink and celebration! Come ssunup, Sshallahai will be no more, and we one sstep closser to our goalss."

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

Yarizos sat and took the offered wine glass. He toyed with the stem, "Your people removed the Agents then?"

Botheri refilled her glass with languid grace, "Agentss? Wavethunder only ssent one, and the venom sslew him three dayss ago. More have come hunting already?"

Yarizos leaned back in his chair, "two new ones, playing in the open and by the rules, asking after the dead one."

Botheri flicked her tongue, tasting the air, "Who are they?"

Yarizos shrugged, and took a delicate sip of the wine, "excellent wine. A dark elf of no note, and a human learned in Primordial."

Botheri drew in on herself, "Only two?"

Yarizos took another sip of wine, "only two announced themselves to me."

"Then you have been played for the fool. Connectionss. Wavethunder doess not take on Agentss for no reasson." Botheri locked eyes with Yarizos, "You will ssilence them."

Yarizos bristled, "I silenced the first and you slew him the same day mister Cretu arrived. They are no threat. And come dawn, Shalahai will be dead, the King abdicated, and I will sit on the Regency Council. You will have your friend in power, and I will have my shadowed blade."

"Sss... Thiss complicatess thingss. Too many loosse ends. Time to tie ssome of them off."

Yarizos drank deeply, emptying his glass, "then I will go home and be above suspicion when the news arrives."

"Sstay a bit longer, I inssisst."

Yarizos moved to stand, but found his legs unable to move, "You poisoned me? why?"

"Becausse our pathss were in parallel, but never the ssame. And becausse you know too many ssecretss."

Yarizos tried to speak, but found his tongue immobilized. He could think, desperately wanted to scream, but could not move.

"Sservant, Tell the barkeep that hiss blood ssaussagess will be particularly sspicy tomorrow. Dragonborn flessh and blood alwayss tastes sso disstinctive."