Benj found Lucia standing in the dining hall eating bread and cold meat. As soon as she saw him, she ran forward and gave him a hug.

"I thought you guys got caught," she said, holding Benj and taking in the others.

"We were caught," Draiden said, holding out his arms too. He lowered them when he realized Lucia wasn't going to hug him also. "Jafa got us out."

"Reese is back," she said, giving him a severe look. "He found his brother dead. He's not happy. I also told him something that made him even more upset. Did you know that the job last night was against an Overseer? And a chancellor. Apparently, it was one of Reese's friends."

Having just been told this by the captain, Benj already knew but acted surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah, that's why Darius sent him away," she explained. "Otherwise, Reese would have tried to stop him."

"That's how I know that name." Draiden snapped his fingers. "They're always having meetings together! Where is Reese?"

"He went to go talk to Darius," she informed everyone. "I just got back. I had to eat some food before I passed out."

"We have to go find him. We have news of our own that he's also not going to like," Jafa said miserably.

Lucia stuffed more meat and bread into her mouth and followed the party, looking for Reese. They found him standing at the table in the main hall. On the other side of the table stood Darius, Kahl Stau, and the other dark-eyed assassins.

"I did what I had to do for the good of the Crownsmith," Darius said before Kahl Stau leaned over and whispered something in his ear.

"Ah, I see the rest of us have arrived," Darius said, completely at ease. "Come in and join us. I believe we have all the requisite elements for a Grand Council that I myself will answer for some flagrant accusations by our own beloved Reese."

"A Grand Council, from what I know, is usually only for big policy changes or… something bad." Lucia whispered after seeing Benj's blank expression, "We don't have many of these."

"Bad?" He asked. "Like what?"

"Bad, like, I wasn't at the last one, but he was." She said, pointing at the golden skull in the center of the round table they were approaching.

Reese's face was a mask of exhausted determination.

"If there aren't spare seats, just make yourselves as comfortable as you can," Darius said benevolently. "If circumstances were different, I might have delayed the meeting on account of dead relatives, but I see that Reese wants to address this situation right here and now."

With Reese as a focal point, the small crowd parted for him as he sat at the opposite end of the table.

"Is everyone present?" Darius asked, folding his hands pleasantly in his lap.

Reese looked around and asked, "Where is Priest?"

"Priest was stabbed last night," Draiden said uneasily. "He didn't make it."

Draiden snapped his battle axe on the table and said, "Grand council is in session. Reese, make your case."

Reese sat in silence for a long time, shocked, knowing one of his favorite men had died. "You killed one of our own," he said quietly at first, slowly raising his voice as sorrow turned to anger. "Tannus was one of us, and you killed him. You sent me away so I wouldn't try to stop you, and then you murdered him. For what? Because he told you Canal Street is turning into a cesspool of human waste that you know you created? Or was it because he told you to start living up to the code of honor from which your position was established? You killed him because he spoke the truth, and you robbed him of everything. Now you put my whole team in jeopardy and killed another one of my friends. I just found out my brother died. How do I know that you didn't kill him, too? Now that you've refused to give me your little lie-detecting relic, I can only assume it's because I would uncover the web of deceit you've been spinning. How many of my friends and family are you going to kill to sate your blood lust?" Reese stared at Darius defiantly.

"I'll take that as the end of your speech," Darius said as if nothing was wrong. "Kahl, do you wish to add to any of these remarks?"

Kahl stood up, adjusted his sleeves, and cleared his throat before speaking. "I do have something to add. If Reese was being completely honest with everyone here, I would say he had a pretty strong case to attempt to overthrow Darius and put the proverbial crown on his own head. Except he isn't being completely honest. We've intercepted letters between him and Tannus describing to do exactly that."

Doubts and murmurs came from several people standing around the table.

"You're lying," Reese accused, looking around mockingly. "Where are these letters? I've never written a single word remotely close to what you're describing."

"Silence," Darius ordered. "You've already said your piece."

"It grieves me to tell you that is not the worst part." Kahl stood and met each person's eyes sitting around the table. He pulled out a black book from his pocket. "It's true, I don't have the letters with me, but I have this. I found this in Larkins' possession. It outlines every one of your names and crosses out the names of those who are no longer with us, including his own brother. Do you refute the evidence in this book?" Kahl asked.

"That is not my book," Reese said calmly. His eyes were fierce and bloodshot. "If that book says anything, it doesn't say it in my handwriting. And so, it puts you and Darius at the center of those accusations."

"You must think everybody is as dumb as your dead brother if you think anybody will-"

Reese cut off Kahl as he lunged at him with his knife.

Darius reached out and blocked the blow with his bare arm. It felt like stabbing a marble block, and his attack was easily deflected. He realized it was the relics.

Darius gave a long, bellowing laugh and stood up. "If you want to fight me for your trial, so be it. I would give you an hour to say goodbye to your dead brother, but you'll be saying hello to him so soon enough. I don't want to come between your reunion."

"You'll bleed for this," Reese spat.

"I would like to see you make me," Darius said, almost nonchalantly, as he stood up, taking his axe off the table. The room opened up into a circle surrounding the two.

In the middle of the crowd, Darius hefted his massive axe on his shoulders and began stretching. "You'll need something bigger than that carving knife if you expect to stand even half a chance."

Pots and Jafa ran out of the room and came back with a long halberd and a sheaved scimitar.

Reese held out his hand to Jafa, who answered the unspoken selection for the blade. He tucked his knife back in its holster and drew the scimitar, tossing the sheath to the ground in one fluid motion. The dark leather hit the ground, clattering until it disappeared into the mob of onlookers surrounding the duel.

Reese considered the runes around Darius' neck. There's only three of them, he thought. All he had to do was slice the ropes off the one that made him impervious.

Darius held his wicked battle axe at the ready and twisted his neck, producing a series of satisfying cracks. Reese made the first move and lunged in, aiming for the ropes and chains around his neck. The relics clanged together as Darius twisted in a quick motion, catching the blow, half on his axe handle and the other half on the arm. The sword hit the hard surfaces and jogged Reese's grip. He held fast.

Darius continued twisting and building momentum to swing the axe toward Reese's chest. Reese parried the blow and ducked away. The axe missed Reese, but it knocked his sword out of his hand. Half a heartbeat later, Darius' heavy fist caught on Reese on the chin. The blow knocked him to the ground next to his sword. He lay where he landed, blood pooling under his face.

"On the ground rodent!" Darius yelled out as his boot made contact with Reese's stomach. The kicks left Reese writhing in a daze. Darius lifted his axe into the air and bellowed out a shout, eliciting cheers from the surrounding group; some stood in shocked silence.

"I gave him everything!" Darius circled Reese's unmoving body. "I fed and clothed him, employed him, gave him a position of honor, but that wasn't enough, was it?"

Reese groaned on the floor.

"Are you trying to apologize? Because I didn't hear you," Darius mocked as he loomed over him.

"I said," Reese spat blood on Darius' boot, "You're a lying coward." The words came out slow and arduous.

Darius looked down in mock pity. "So be it," he said, adjusting his grip on the axe handle. He raised the axe slowly above his head. "I sentence you to death."

"No!" Lucia shouted, ran, and jumped, trying to deflect the blow. Darius bent his elbow, landing a blow directly on her head. Her body went limp, and he stepped over to kick her like he had kicked Reese.

Benj did not hesitate. Darius was everything in the world that he hated, and he was about to destroy everything in the world he loved. He charged. Breaking through the crowd with his silver dagger, feeling for the only thing he knew would stop Darius. He put his hand - ring on finger- directly on Darius' bare shoulder and stabbed upwards through his ribs.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

It worked. The ring had canceled out the power of the Relics. There was a sense of confusion as Benj pulled the dagger free and stood in the middle of a silent crowd. Blood poured down Darius' side and ran down his leg.

"What did you do? What did you do?!" Darius yelled, furious. "Get him!"

Benj pushed past a single stunned thug standing in front of the table and jumped on top of it. The assassins were already surrounding him and drawing their weapons of precision.

Benj pocketed the ring and picked up the golden skull. It's heavier than it looks, he thought and ran towards the edge of the table, throwing the skull at the assassin in front of him. Benj took advantage of his window of opportunity, jumped over the assassin's head, and glided through the cathedral.

The front entryway door was shut. There wouldn't be enough time to open it, even if it wasn't locked by chance. Skidding to a stop on the ground, Benj ran from the battle cries of his assailants. The stairs, he thought as he rounded the corner to the circular stairwell and began climbing. He took two stairs at a time but felt it wasn't enough. Angry voices stomped and climbed after him, getting closer and closer. He wasn't fast enough, and the tip of a sword peeked into sight just behind him.

Heavy breathing like an angry animal followed him closer, sounding louder than his heartbeats. He wasn't going to make it to the top. Benj made a split decision that, given more time to think about, he might not have tried - not in a million years. He turned around and jumped back down the spiral staircase, over the heads of the assailants and over the tips of their swords.

The stair tunnel was dark enough to cause confusion as he slid around the outer wall, hitting a dual knife-wielding assassin on his way down. He gained a footing on the downward-sloped wall and ran sideways over even more heads and swords as he descended.

Shouts came from behind him as two of the men fought over who knocked into whom. Benj slid along and around the corkscrew wall past an assassin who looked at him dumfounded, dagger in hand forgotten.

He flew out of the stairwell sideways, landing on the ground off balance, twisting, and rolling onto his back. He stood up, dizzy from the circling, and began to run. Someone punched him in the stomach. A red flash of pain crossed his eyes. Benj choked out a breath, the world still spinning around him. He heard a deep, sinister laugh and looked up to find Darius standing over him, blood running into a puddle at his feet.

The other assassins spewed out from the stairwell. Draiden rammed his shoulder into one of them, then picked up a cudgel, raising it into the air.

The room came to a guarded halt.

Darius picked up Benj by the neck and held him up. Black spots formed at the corners of his vision, and panic rose in his chest as he fought for air. Looking over Darius' shoulder, he noticed someone coming up from behind. It was a bloodied and tattooed-faced Reese, leveling a sword with both hands.

Benj let go of Darius' wrist with one hand, cutting the support from his neck and reached into his vest pocket, where he kept the ring. A vibration rippled through Darius' arm to Benj. Reese had struck Darius in the neck unsuccessfully.

Benj found the ring in his pocket and managed to put it on while his vision darkened. Darius gave no sign of discomfort at the jarring blow and attempted to throw Benj by the neck at Reese. As soon as Benj's ringed hand contacted Darius' wrist, his feet began lowering to the ground.

Without the added strength from the runes, Darius strained against Benj's weight. His grip loosened, and Benj touched the ground and took a deep breath. "Now!" He attempted to yell, but his throat wouldn't allow it.

Reese saw the strength leave Darius and, with the added look of confusion, struck at the necklaces again. Darius raised an arm to block the attack and was dumbfounded when it landed. After the blow landed, he swung again, putting everything he had into a reckless attack. The sword cut through his arm and dug into his shoulder. The dismembered hand and wrist hit the ground as he swung again, lodging the sword deep into his side.

Darius fell out of Benj's feeble grip and fell onto his knees. Reese swung again at his face, but the runes protected him once more. The force of the swing knocked the sword out of Reese's hands for a second time. Darius held up a stump of an arm to protect himself from further blows while the sword clattered on the ground.

Reese reached down, took the runes off Darius, and put them around his neck. Power flooded through Reese's veins as he felt the strength of one relic. His skin became solid from another, but the third gave him something different. He could feel the essence of a person. He felt Darius' fear, shame, and bloodlust. "You know, that wasn't my book."

"I know," Darius said, spitting spit blood. "The same way I knew you had to die."

Reese looked down at the bleeding Darius. He felt pity for the man if he even was one.

"Knife," Reese said, holding his hand out towards Benj.

Benj handed Reese the silver knife. Reese took it, cut off Darius's head, and threw it on the table where the golden skull once sat. Kahl slowly made his way towards the door.

"Grab him," Reese said, pointing in Kahl's direction.

"You must know that Darius put me up to this," Kahl explained, holding up his hands innocently as Pots and Jafa approached him.

"Do you admit to giving false claims and accusations in front of the grand council?" Reese asked.

"Of course, you were never guilty. He put me up to it and threatened to kill me." Kahl said.

"Then my innocence is proved, as well as your guilt." Reese said, "Kill him."

Kahl opened his mouth to protest, but instead of sound, only blood came out as a knife was pulled out of the back of his skull. The assassin, Ren, cleaned his knife on Kahl's shirt before he collapsed.

"I am now the Crownsmith Lord Marshal. Does anyone dispute my claim?"

The crowd gathered closer to Reese, but no one spoke.

"For the next order of business, Ren, I promote you to Lieutenant of the assassins."

Ren bowed his head in thanks.

"Draiden, I promote you to Lieutenant," Reese said and then pointed to the ground around him. "I need someone to clean up my brother's mess."

"Very well," Draiden spoke.

"Benj, what do you know about my brother's death?"

Before Benj could speak, Reese lifted his hand. "You just saved my life, so I'm going to do you a favor before you make the mistake of lying to me."

Reese looked at his three relics, and after a moment of studying them, he lifted the older of the three and handed it to Benj. "Put it on," he ordered.

Benj removed his ring and put it in his vest pocket before receiving and lifting the relic around his neck. Immediately, he could feel Reese's grief for his brother and friends, his feelings of betrayal from Darius and Kahl, and finally, a deep and astonishing mistrust towards himself.

"First, a lie." Reese proceeded to demonstrate. "I did not enjoy killing Darius,"

Benj could see, like boiling water, the dishonesty of the statement.

Reese spoke again. "If you flourish one detail of the truth, I will kill you."

Benj knew that when he told his story, he would have to be dead honest. He removed the necklace and gave it back. He then told the whole story about Gallows Reese, who tried to rob him, and how he defended himself against a growling attacker. Benj added how he wished things were different. He wished he could have got to know him, not blindly swing a sword to try to keep him away.

Reese stood listening to the story, standing over Darius's dead and broken corpse. After Benj had finished talking, there was a long moment of silence.

"We'll put it to a vote; majority wins. Lieutenants, by raise of hand, who says he's guilty?" Reese asked, lifting a hand. After a moment, the newly appointed assassin leader raised his hand.

"All opposed?"

Draiden raised his hand and said, "Gallows, rest his spirit, had it coming. Creator knows I loved him too, but you can't execute Bird for defending himself."

"I can do as I please!" Reese shouted, "Bird, do you have no interest in voting in your own favor?"

"My what?" Benj stood contemplating, trying to escape through the staircase again.

"You charged Darius when it wasn't even your battle," Reese explained. "Faced with uncertainty, you came to my aid and saved my life. You saved the Crownsmith against the greatest foe any of us have ever taken on. I promote you to the rank of Lieutenant. Now, if you don't raise your hand, I'll have to find someone else with your idiot courage to fill the position… after executing you."

Benj raised his hand.

"It looks like we have an impasse, and Lieutenant Bird's life is saved," Reese announced. "Bash," Reese said parting the crowd around Lucia, "You were the first to run in. Whatever you want you can have it."

"I want my father's debts forgiven," she said without pause.

"Done."

"I would also like to go with him to find a place to settle down," she looked at Benj. "I know of just the place. I would like Benj to come, too."

Reese regarded the two, "You are by all means free to go, but I hope I can entice you to stay a little longer? I'm going to need help getting everything situated, and we lost a lot of key members."

Lucia paused for a moment and then looked at Benj. "We can a little longer, right? We'll have to put our marriage plans on hold if that's okay with you?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Benj said, mostly for putting the marriage plans on hold. Did he really plan on coming back? He did come here to start a new life. It was possible Reese would help him get a bakery started and he could be an Overseer of some sort. "We can hold off on our plans for now."

"Anything else?" Reese asked before removing the relic from his neck again.

"It's Baker," Benj said, not fully committing to the statement.

"What?" Reese asked.

"I didn't have a surname but grew up as a baker."

"Shut up, Bird," Reese laughed, "We have tattoos to get. Ren, Draiden, Bird - come with me. Bash, you too. The rest of you clean up this mess. Keep Darius' head where it is. Grand Council is Adjourned."

Benj followed Reese into the kitchen with Draiden, Lucia, and Ren. Bones was stirring a large pot of stew, presumably for dinner.

"Whatever you're doing, set it aside, Bones," Reese ordered, clearing a spot on the counter to lay down. "I need a third star, and these they need second stars."

Bones stopped stirring the pot and looked at Reese with astonishment. He had been in the kitchen the whole time and missed the Grand Council and everything else. His eyes stopped on the relics around Reese's neck and focused for the span of a few uncertain heartbeats. Finally, he took the large wooden spoon out of the pot, set it down, and wiped his hands on a towel that hung from his belt.

Reese lay down on the counter and opened up his shirt, revealing an upside-down crown in the center of his chest with two four-pointed stars under the outer points. Other tattoos riddled his body, covered in blood and bruises.

Bones opened up a drawer and pulled out a small sack containing an ink bottle, several chisel-like needles and a wooden mallet. He dropped the needles into a bowl poured a kettle of scolding hot over the needles. He then opened a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of clear colored spirits, and poured a measure on Reese's chest, wiping the area with a rag. He gave the bottle to Reese who took a thirsty pull.

Bones scooped out the needles from the bowl and set them out neatly on a plank of wood. Waiting for an unspoken acknowledgment, he dipped a needle into the ink and held it just over the middle spike of the three-pronged crown on Reese's chest.

Reese nodded, and Bones tapped the needle with the mallet. After a moment, Bones wiped away the ink to reveal the first line but found it clean.

"Almost forgot," Reese said, wrapping off his relics with his shirt. "Try again."

Bones started again. The ink took, and before he knew, Benj was laying on the table wincing as the painful needle repetitiously bore into his skin. He kept thinking, "It's better than dying," and wondering how Reese made it look so easy.

Bones wiped a thin layer of the ink off Benj's chest, revealing a finished star below the third crown spike over his heart. The skin around it was red and raw. At that point, he wished he was back home in the bakery. He was homesick and missed his conversations with Sephus. This tattoo would have been one of the things he would have told him about.

Benj got up from the table, and Draiden lifted a pantleg, revealing the tattoo on his shin. Bones went to work. He then put a second star on Ren's throat.

When Bones was working on Lucia's shoulder, Benj looked around the kitchen, smelling the familiar scent of baking bread. He looked in the oven to find four golden brown loaves, side by side. They were finished.

He took a thick towel from the top of the oven and pulled out the loaves, setting them on an empty surface. A bowl of batter sat nearby. Benj stuck a finger in to taste it and habitually added some salt. He then put a thin layer of fat into four more bread pans, poured in the batter, and placed them in the oven. The room seemed quiet. He turned around to see everyone staring at him.

"You really are a bloody baker," Reese said, standing shirtless near Draiden.

"All I did was take bread out of the oven," Benj said in his defense.

"All you did was be the first person to meddle with Bone's kitchen without him breaking one of your fingers off," Ren said in a raspy and quiet voice.

Bones shrugged and then nodded.

"He was watching you intently," Draiden said in a low voice. "It is a good thing you know what you're doing."

"Bird," Reese said, slapping the raw spot on his chest, "I can see many good things for you in the future, or at least in the kitchen."