Chapter 23

Invitation

We make introductions once we are in the store proper. I've never been here before but the place looks and smells just how I've always imagined.

A high-ceilinged room dominated by a large work table. Against the walls are dozens of those big tubes of cloth and wooden people to test clothes on. Above that, a series of small slits sit high in the wall to let in natural light. The whole place smells of dye and something I don't recognize. Fabric I guess, just in large enough quantities to actually have a strong scent.

All three of the Adas are seated around the table chatting and working, standing off to the side is another heavily armored BlackMist guard. Whatever the deal Resh struck with the warlock house is they are trying to protect their investment.

Resh’s sisters aren’t exactly what you would call pretty, but nor would you say they are ugly. All three of them just look like normal women of Far Mantys with olive skin and dark curly hair. From the way Xael saunters over and greets them after I have introduced him to Resh you could be forgiven for thinking they were famed beauties.

Resh snorts at the display but politely introduces his ‘sisters’, and even the guard.

“This is Adalie, Adaline, and Adalena, oh and that's Guyo.”

‘Adalie. that's her gods damned name!’

The three women offer nods, as does the BlackMist soldier. Afterward, the women turn to me and say “Hello North” in perfect unison.

“ uhh hi, girls” I reply repressing a shudder. I swear they do that just to creep me out, and It works without fail. They aren’t triplets, there are almost ten years of age between Adaline and Adalie yet all three of them are so similar in mannerisms and tone that I struggle to tell them apart. Resh says they are afraid of me but I think they are just kind of bitchy. Still, the three of them love my friend and dote on him so they can’t be all bad.

We spend a few hourglasses there in that cool store simply sitting and chatting while the sisters, and to my surprise Resh sew. It is oddly pleasant even if the Adas keep staring at me in ‘fear’. At one point the middle sister produces a huge wooden plate from somewhere and they break for food. The not-quite meal is made up of different kinds of thinly sliced meats, bread, and little black squishy things with seeds inside. It's called a platter and I've never eaten anything better in my entire life.

Is this what it means to have a family? For the hundredth time in the last two years, I cram down my feelings of jealousy. Resh is a good person, an amazing fighter, and he has never held the things I do and say when I'm angry against me. He doesn’t deserve my resentment. If only telling myself that was enough to make the feelings go away.

It catches me off guard but every other person here has heard of this GodsRing place Xael is from. Resh knows all about the divine blade tournament the foreign boy apparently won, and it doesn’t take long for the three of us to start talking shop. If Ada….line? Yeah, Adaline. If she didn’t scold her little former slave we would have ended up showing each other techniques there in the shop.

Just as he did with the slaves at BloodRock Xael wins everyone over in no time at all. I don’t think I’ll ever understand it. The dark-haired boy doesn’t strike me as effortlessly charming, he strikes me as kind but annoying. Not long after we have arrived he has the Adas giggling and Resh chattering away cheerfully. I’m awful at all this social stuff and mostly stay quiet. It's still nice here though, especially the food.

By the time we leave, I am more than happy to go. Resh’s house makes me feel weird, it's a nice feeling but also a stressful one. Like a pressure that I should be doing something more than sitting around a craft table listening to people chat.

We say our farewells, thank the Adas for having us, and head for the little room that houses the front door, only to find Resh waiting for us at the doorway.

“Hold a moment, I forgot to give you two something.”

He didn't forget anything, he purposely held back whatever he was planning to say because he wanted to show off his inhuman speed to someone new.

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To his credit Xael doesn’t overreact, his only real concession to surprise is a little half-step backward when the rat boy appears on the other side of the room to where he had been sitting.

“Give us something?” I ask with a raised eyebrow. “This might come as a surprise to you but I’m not allowed to own things.” Xael lets out a little snort of amusement and Resh rolls his eyes.

“Don’t be a moron North. I’m getting you an invite to a party.”

“What?” I hiss, my blood having been instantly replaced with ice water. “ I don’t want to go to any parties.”

The rat boy’s features soften. “It's not like the festivals of debauchery BloodRock sends you into, this is a proper meet and greet for the competitors. Since you are mostly up-and-comers it is a chance to get you all some exposure.”

I don’t care what he says. I have been to dozens of rich people's parties, and they almost always end in some disgusting or horrific display of opulence, too often with me forced to take part.

“Oh that is a good idea.” nods Xael.

“House BlackMist will be sending out messages about it in the next day or so. I just wanted to give you two a little warning because North doesn't like-”

“SHUT UP! SHUT UP!” I scream, getting the words out just before my snicker starts up. “I hehehe don’t want to go to any fucking hehehe party!” My face heats up with embarrassment. I know I seem crazy but I can’t help myself. The laughter and the shouting both feel like compulsions right now.

Behind me, I hear the scrape of metal as the guard moves into what I assume is a protective position. I need to get out of here before I do something stupid. It is getting hard to breathe and even harder to think. The memory of that party a year ago, what they made me do to that little girl after they were finished with her is welling up. As it does my snicker increases.

“HEHEHE get out of my way Resh! HEHEHE.”

He nods solemnly as he steps aside. “I’m sorry. I will try to make sure you don’t have to go.”

‘Fuck you, Resh. Why do you always have to be so reasonable about everything?’

I nod once and storm past him. Xael says something in parting but I can’t hear him over the buzzing sound of my own heartbeat.

Outside the scene doesn’t seem to have changed. Apparently having no responsibilities and nothing better to do most of the crowd is still there including the four boys who had confronted me. When I fling the door open the crowd goes quiet for a moment like they had with Resh. Where things differ is they don’t then break into cheers. They are perfectly happy to boo and hiss at me after they realize I’m not anyone they care about.

‘Saffron’s golden balls! do they think booing Resh’s friends will somehow ingratiate them to him?’

I am absolutely not in the mood to deal with these people right now. So naturally I stalk directly toward the four armed boys. The tall one says something but I can't hear that either, just the booing crowd and my own gross snickering.

The one who pulled his swords on me is the closest boy to me.

’Good.’

I grab ahold of him by the ear and hair, yanking the boy’s head downward into my rising knee. The boy is surprised and doesn’t resist. It catches the boy on the jaw and hopefully breaks his face. As my foot hits the ground I pull one of his short swords free from its sheath with my free hand. It's the replica of the straight one; Needle.

The other boys have drawn their own swords but they are too late, I’m already moving behind the boy I grabbed, sliding the arm I held his hair with around his neck, and jabbing the straight blade roughly against his chest.

He squirms and shouts something garbed. It doesn’t matter, he’s shockingly weak and easier to drag along than I had anticipated. I’m not sure if he’s half-conscious from the blow or just smart enough not to test my patience right now.

Still holding onto the teenager I drag him back through the crowd which mostly parts at the display of violence. The rush army follows me but doesn't make any aggressive moves with the life of their friend on the line.

Once I’m on the other side of Resh’s swarm of fans I shove the boy stumbling back towards his friends. Then with a long snarl, I slam the flat of the sword into the paved road over and over until the weapon snaps. It makes me feel a little better.

I don’t know what the boy or his compatriots do from there as I very stupidly turn and stomp away without a thought of them running me down. I’m almost back at the Grand Tradeway when Xael catches up with me. I wish he hadn’t but it's probably for the best as I can hardly show back up at the compound without him.

“Do you want to talk about any of that?” He asks after several blocks of awkward silence.

“No.”

It's the last thing we say to each other for the rest of the trip home.