After bidding our newfound acquaintances at the restaurant farewell, we made our way back to the barracks. Upon our return, our stories about meeting kings and ministers and marshalls had elevated our standing amongst the Lottie Guard, and the accommodations they had given us were now woefully inadequate.

Our new quarters were an improvement, with a wider and softer bed, draped with white linen and even some pillows. Two flickering candles were set on either side of a tall, oval-shaped mirror, and even a bottle of wine, though on closer inspection, it was merely wine-wash that only lowly guards drank. It must’ve been a suggestion attempting to impress. It tasted fine enough.

Florencia and I settled on the bed, and she offered to give me a much-needed neck and shoulder massage.

“Do you realize this was the first time all of us had a dinner like this together?” I asked Florencia.

“It was nice. You needed it as well,” she said. “But I’m afraid that this won’t ease Iskander’s and Jaxine’s bitterness. You could sense that as well.”

“I did,” I confessed. They behaved well enough, but underneath that calm exterior, there was still a storm that was brewing. “But tonight was less about them and more about us and Jace. And Viola. I like her.”

“I like her too. And I think she likes us a lot more than before, as well. How much will you tell her about the Enemy?”

“I don’t know yet. Let’s see how much she extrapolated from what I told her yesterday,” I said. “You spoke very little tonight.”

“I wasn’t in a mood to talk. I can’t get rid of this… troubling feeling that I have. It’s not about the Zekt anymore, either. I feel on edge all the time like I can’t steal even a moment to relax, and it’s growing worse by the day. I can sense it within you as well, Jonas.”

“I’m simply worried because we didn’t find a lead,” I told her.

“I don’t think you’re feeling this creeping dread because we lost the lead with Vranik, Jonas,” she said quietly and wrapped her arms around me, laying her chin on my shoulder. “You never cared much for Vranik. Why does that affect you so deeply now? Jonas, something’s moving. I can’t sense what. We must be careful.”

I tried to dismiss what she said. “There’s nothing dangerous in Lottie. I can’t sense anything, and neither can Goxhandar.”

Florencia remained unconvinced. She kissed me and fell on the bed, arms spread wide, inviting me to join her. But I couldn’t, and I understood that I was convincing myself more than her. I couldn’t bring myself to share the truth with her—that I felt lost and doubted my decisions.

I had to meditate, and it seemed that every issue seemed to irritate me. Feeling calm and balanced was becoming more difficult by the day. I needed all my tools of war ready and within my reach, yet my armor remained trapped in that grey realm.

The night passed restlessly. I hardly got any sleep, and the unease grew instead.

We were not done with Lottie yet. There was still a massive city to explore and get a sense of. Over the next few days, Viola took us to many of the great places of the City of Flowers that were scattered throughout. While most of these places were on the western side of the Ombrosso river, we also crossed it a few times, and walked in the districts where the working-class lived. Viola also said that there were hidden away in small nooks and crannies, many hidden gems and ancient sights that could have kept us occupied for another week. Iskander spat over that idea, and demanded that we kept pushing ahead.

It turned out that because of the time we spent with Viola, we never had to pester captain Calis for information. Viola's memory was frighteningly sharp, and she could recall minute details from cases she had closed years ago.

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Our explorations took us into many wonderful places, like the awe-inspiring Ciessa de Hanuos—the tall and spiraling cathedral devoted to the deity Hanuos, the Giver and Builder. We also marveled at Palla de Dogas, the old customs house near the port, where all imports had to be documented and all disputes resolved. But even though the sights were enthralling, our purpose for exploring the city went beyond simple sightseeing. All the while, our heightened senses were attuned to the slight changes of aetheric currents, seeking any hint or trace of the demonic taint.

We found none, and our anxiety peaked.

Florencia fell into an uncharacteristic silence, biting her lower lip and frowning, mirroring Jaxine’s withdrawn demeanor. Jace and Iskander, on the other hand, were constantly at odds with each other, the latter demanding to keep going and to cover as much of the city as possible, while Jace, the most balanced, urged us to take our time and not rush ahead. He was the calmest among us, keeping us in check. Viola was caught in the middle of this tense dynamic and navigated as well as one could.

It was midday on our third day of wandering around, and we were sitting on some stone benches in a small square lined with spherical bushes somewhere along the Vaimere boulevard. From where we sat, I could see the grandiose Concert Hall looming in the distance, its azure blue dome adorned with polished brass towering above the surrounding buildings.

The weather was holding up, yet the days felt darker as the sun set ever sooner. There was also an unrelenting wind that swept the streets, coming from the northern mountains, and carrying a biting chill. Many residents of Lottie had put on their winter cloaks or coats, wrapping their necks in bright and colorful scarves.

“That pretty much covers it,” said Viola about the tour of the city. “Of course, there are many smaller places I can take you, like Pod Macra on the other side of the river, or the lighthouse, and even the castle where the Lord Mayor lives. But you’ve seen the main sights now. If you want, we could head back to the barracks and you can read through our case files.”

“No, Viola, that won’t be necessary,” I told her.

“But I thought—” said Viola.

“We need to rethink our approach and make new plans,” I said. “For now, we’ll trust you to continue your work as you have done before. You’re very capable.”

Iskander, sitting next to Jaxine, vehemently disagreed, saying: “We can’t waste time thinking and planning, Jonas! We need to keep searching. He has to be here, or at least someone has to have a clue or a lead!” Jaxine nodded along.

“Iskander, Vranik never set foot in Lottie,” I told him straight. “You can sense it, but your emotions are clouding your judgment.”

“I’m not blinded by shit!” said Iskander in an uncharacteristically bitter tone and stared into my eyes.

“Fragile, but destructive,” said Goxhandar. “Proceed with caution, Master.”

“But you can sense it,” I repeated, trying to temper my words with a calming tone. “All of us can. There’s no hint of corruption here. We must now search through the neighboring villages and countryside. There has to be a lead there.”

“Then let’s not wait! Let’s go,” said Iskander, his ire quenched for the moment.

Viola stared at me, looking disheartened. “But you promised we would talk, and that you’d teach me about the enemy.”

“I did promise,” I acknowledged, remaining seated. “And I will. Let’s go back to the barracks, get something to eat, and we will talk. I hope you've had time to weigh what I said in that diner.”

But then we heard the clattering of urgent galloping, and neighing, followed by hurried footsteps that headed straight towards us.

“Finally!” a high-pitched voice exclaimed, and a young man appeared before us. He was out of breath and sweating profusely. “Chief Grimaldi, I bring a message from the Lord Mayor.”

“Go on, then,” said Viola with a more official tone.

“The guests you are hosting are requested for an immediate audience with the Lord Mayor in the town hall, as soon as possible,” said the young messenger, his words hurriedly tumbling out. “In fact, he requested them to come this very moment.” His forehead glistened with sweat.

“What’s this about?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

“I don’t know,” said the messenger. “But our Lord was very distressed. He hasn't been sleeping much.”

“This sounds like a lead, does it not, Jonas?” said Jace in a low, almost whisperous voice as he was gazing into the distance. I’ve never heard him talk this way before.

I exchanged a quick look with Florencia. She had caught the odd tone of voice as well. Both of us stood up. Jace shook his head, coughed, and stood up as well.

“Viola, I sincerely appreciate your warm hospitality,” I told her, my mind now occupied with the messenger. “For now, go back to the barracks and we will talk later.”

I turned to the others.

“Let’s go and see what this is about.”