Despite Cedric's vehement protests, Adrian forced him to take his cot while he occupied the floor on a ragged pile of spare shirts and trousers. The more relaxed and comfortable his prize, the better. And while Adrian would have normally collapsed into unconsciousness within seconds, the combination of the physical discomfort and the inconceivable fortune slumbering mere inches away made for an incurably restless night.

He tossed and turned as his guest breathed deeply, obliviously, beside him. There'd been nothing but pure, naked trust in those eyes, and it'd taken just a few short minutes for him to place his fate entirely into a stranger's hands. Had Adrian really been that convincing, or had his quarry simply been that foolish?

Adrian ignored the small twinge in his belly. Don't dwell on that. Think about everything you stand to gain.

Cedric's deep breathing hitched and stuttered, and he began to tremble and thrash beneath the thin covers.

"No, stop, get away…" he moaned, barely audible at first. "Don't hurt… please, please!" His last word rose to nearly a shout, and Adrian scrambled upright to clap a hand over his mouth.

"Quiet," he hissed.

Cedric's thrashing intensified, and Adrian clamped the other hand over his brow to steady his head. Instead, he was pitched to and fro like a rider on a bucking stallion.

Goddess, he's strong.

"Cedric, wake up!"

It was no use. His senseless protests and cries grew louder, insufficiently muffled by Adrian's white-knuckled grip. Finally, Adrian yielded to desperation and slapped him across the face.

Cedric's eyes snapped open, and he sprang away from him to scramble back against the wall. He panted in short, shallow bursts, as petrified as a cornered animal.

Gradually, Cedric's breathing calmed. He blinked. "You're… Adrian."

Adrian let out the massive breath he'd been holding. "Yes, good."

Cedric put his hand to his mouth in dawning horror. "I--I didn't cry out, did I?"

"Not for lack of trying."

His hand dropped limply to his side. "I'm… so sorry. I've been like this ever since…" He trailed off.

He'd endured something terrible, something so harrowing that it tormented him even in sleep. What had he witnessed? Whom had he lost? Adrian was rather grateful that he didn't elaborate, but a deep, formless dread nonetheless took hold of him.

"Could you lie next to me?" Cedric said.

"Wh--what?"

"On the cot. It might… help."

It was an exceptionally awkward request, but if it kept him quiet…

The cot was barely wide enough for one, let alone two. They lay facing opposite sides, arms and legs dangling over the edges. Their backs touched, providing a small amount of shared warmth.

The dread in Adrian's stomach continued to curdle against the relentless beating of his heart. He desperately cast his mind back to thoughts of freedom, of luxurious wealth and comfort, but they'd now been tinged with a sour, bitter edge.

No, he wouldn't change his mind. Tomorrow, when things had quieted down, he'd see Lord Caelum and claim his well-deserved reward.

*

Adrian and Cedric woke moments apart at the break of dawn. They'd both turned over in the night, and lay facing each other mere inches apart.

Cedric's golden hair was a tousled mess, his eyes soft and puffy from sleep. He rubbed one of them and yawned like a child.

Adrian hurriedly untangled himself from his guest and sat upright. He stretched and ran a hand through his own unruly tangle of hair. "I'll get us some breakfast. There's water in the basin over there."

The empty tavern downstairs stank of stale beer and sweat, impervious as ever to his vicious daily scrubbings. Thankfully, Bigby had not risen, and therefore couldn't dump a fresh set of chores on him yet. Adrian crossed over to the pantry, which stood in the corner behind the bar, and swung open its rickety door.

Their supplies were paltry at best. Bigby had lately been forced to mark up the food prices, and had only dodged the collective ire of his regulars by leaving the ale price alone. A few long strips of dried venison hung from the rafters, an almost-empty sack of grain slumped in the corner, and two large jars of pickled vegetables occupied the mostly barren shelves. A little cheese, a large tin of biscuits, and some butter and dried fruit rounded out their meager provisions. Adrian took two biscuits from the tin, as their absence would be the least noticeable.

Soon, Bigby would need to visit the market again and stretch his allotted funds as far as possible. But Adrian doubted that they'd truly become destitute any time soon. As long as the townsfolk had working legs and a few spare shards…

He almost laughed at his absentmindedness. Bigby and his bloody tavern were no longer of any concern to him. Within the day, he'd be leaving town atop a glossy steed toting countless bags of shiners, a lifetime of luxury and ease ahead of him.

He'd set up camp somewhere well-hidden, take a single nobilis to the nearest settlement, and exchange it for marks and splendens. Then, he'd buy fancy clothes and shoes so that he'd look the part of a wealthy youth, perhaps an affluent merchant's son who'd come of age and wished to make his own way.

Adrian closed the pantry door. His mind buzzed with self-satisfaction in his own forward-thinking. It was almost enough to smother the insistent dread still churning in his stomach.

*

Cedric yearned for Alvir's cooking; despite their limited supplies, he'd always prepared delicious food. His intimate knowledge of roots and herbs had naturally extended to the culinary arts, and such incomparable expertise rendered even the thinnest soup palatable, if not enjoyable. But what he truly missed was Alvir himself--his warmth, his patience.

And though Adrian was also responsible for saving Cedric's life, something about him didn't seem quite right. His eyes were shrewd and clever, but also distant and unsoftened by kindness. Thomas certainly hadn't stirred such unease within him.

And even if he miraculously made it safely out of Laetera, what then? He was still half-starved and devoid of means. He'd been branded the most wanted criminal in Iridesca; it'd take ten consecutive miracles to turn his predicament around.

Perhaps, after everything, he'd truly been cornered. Perhaps he'd already lost.

Adrian returned with two hard biscuits, one of which he handed over. Cedric nibbled slowly this time, his appetite deadened.

"What'll we do today?" he asked.

Adrian took finished the biscuit with a second massive bite. "Bide our time. The Mourning begins at sunset; I'll come fetch you when the time comes."

Cedric couldn't help the small sigh that escaped him. Another day cooped up in Adrian's tiny room. Of course, it was still vastly preferable to the alternative. "You've risked everything to protect me, Adrian," he said. "I'm truly grateful."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Adrian looked as if he were fighting to both say something and nothing at the same time. His eyes shifted everywhere except toward Cedric, then he cleared his throat and made to leave. "I'll see you tonight. Stay quiet."

*

Bigby manned the bar with his usual genial manner reserved purely for patrons while he shot stiff glares and gruff commands at Adrian. The latter served, scrubbed, and wiped with a fierce efficiency, eyes and ears keenly attuned to any opening that would allow him to leave.

Predictably, the general discussion still revolved around the escaped bounty. Adrian suspected that such a rich topic would take several weeks to truly dry up, not that he'd be around to confirm it.

His long-awaited opportunity revealed itself at last when he was sent to the pantry to retrieve another wheel of cheese.

"Bigby?" Adrian said hesitantly.

"What, boy?" he snapped without turning as he filled a tankard to its frothy brim. He flashed a broad grin at the waiting customer.

"We're out of cheese."

He sighed heavily, ruffling his thick mustache, then placed the tankard on the bar and rifled in his pockets.

"Get more from the market. I'll restock the rest later today." He dropped two shards into Adrian's hand.

"That's not enough," he said, forgetting himself. "Nowadays, they're at least--"

"Haggle, then! Go on, get!"

Adrian's heart thundered in his chest as he navigated Laetera's bustling commotion with well-learned ease. The journey to the west district would take time, much longer than fetching cheese at the market conceivably would. He hadn't even bothered conjuring up an excuse. There was no turning back, now.

The morning sun beat down upon him and his feet ached inside his thin, frayed shoes, but he never faltered or slowed. Scruffy houses gradually gave way to finer ones while the air grew sweeter and the streets grew cleaner. A half-hour of steady walking later, he was rewarded by the sight of the Lord Enforcer's home, an austere, expansive mansion carpeted by climbing ivy and bordered by stone walls.

A few well-dressed men shot him hostile glares as they passed by, but Adrian ignored them. Soon, he would make his new home in a place much like this one, preferably in a sprawling city even larger and more prosperous than Laetera. No one would ever think to turn up their nose at him ever again. He'd finally occupy the proper station he'd been born to, or its closest equivalent.

He crossed the enormous courtyard leading up to the imposing front door and passed a footman tending to the Enforcer's carriage, who openly gawked at him. He paid him no mind and fixed his eyes straight ahead.

The door was dark, glossy wood, intricately decorated with designs of precision-cut bronze. In the center, below the knocker, was the emblem of the White Apostles, a sunburst with delicate, trailing ends.

Adrian took a deep breath and clapped the knocker three times. Three impressively heavy thuds reverberated through his fingers and along his forearm.

It took longer than he expected for the response. The door opened a crack, and a single brown eye peeked out.

"What'd you want?" came a soft, wavering voice.

Adrian frowned. He'd anticipated aloof dismissals or harsh demands to leave the property at once, but not this. He cleared his throat.

"I have information to deliver to Lord Caelum." He leaned in a little. "It concerns the bounty."

There was a protracted, uncertain pause. Then the door swung open, revealing a wide-eyed, harried young woman. "Come in," she said thinly. Before Adrian could take his first step inside, she'd swept down the length of the hall without waiting for him.

Adrian squared his shoulders and followed.

*

The interior was lush and richly decorated, but oddly murky. The curtains had been drawn, and only the wall-mounted candelabras provided any sort of light. The servant girl led him into the sitting room, where a roaring flame billowed in the fireplace despite the considerable heat of the day. Adrian's forehead and chest began to prickle with perspiration at once.

In the tallest chair beside the sweltering fire sat the Bloodclaw. She was intently studying a large map, and didn't look up upon their entrance.

"What is it, girl?" she said in a disinterested tone.

"This boy has information on the bounty, Siress," the servant said in little more than a whisper. Her eyes darted back and forth between them.

Siress Kaia did raise her head at that. She studied Adrian with a penetrating attentiveness, making him shift uneasily.

She carefully rolled up the map and placed it on the table beside her. "Get us some tea."

The servant girl bowed and scampered away.

Kaia indicated the chair opposite her. Adrian took the seat, which yielded luxuriously to his weight.

The Bloodclaw was even more striking up-close--dark, dramatic features, absolute self-assurance. Her broad, capable hands rested easily on her lap, each fingertip encased in a glittering black talon. Even in their current benign state, they conveyed an unspoken threat.

The two of them sat in loaded silence. Adrian, eager to be rid of the sweltering room and out of reach of those claws, was the one to give in. "Is… is Lord Caelum available?"

"He's currently taking some much-needed rest. Whatever information you have may be delivered to me."

Adrian shifted in his seat. "I'd really rather…"

"Ensure your reward?" she finished with a mocking lilt. "Worry not, lad, you'll get it. If your information proves valuable."

"It is. I swear that upon the Goddess, the Divine Heirs, what have you." He steeled himself. "But I won't breathe a word until the reward is in my hands."

She smiled a little. "Ah, a hardened negotiator in our midst."

The servant girl arrived with tea and biscuits. She poured them both a cup before hurriedly retreating.

Adrian set his jaw and did not touch the refreshment. "Aye, those are my terms."

Kaia inclined her head toward the rolled-up map beside her. "You know what I've been doing since yesterday's incident? Poring over this regional map, wracking my brains as to where our fugitive could have possibly fled. Not to mention how he could have skirted the entire town within minutes, without a single additional sighting after the scuffle at the tavern."

She took a delicate bite of biscuit. "Quite the conundrum, wouldn't you say?"

The fire crackled and snapped. Adrian swept a quick hand across his drenched brow.

Kaia took note. "Apologies for the heat. I don't imagine you're acclimated to such conditions."

He clasped his hands and waited.

"Assuming you do win your three thousand, what would be your plans for it?" she pressed on.

He shrugged.

"Come now, don't be shy. You'd think I'd blush at the mention of brothels?"

Adrian was the one who blushed, but he couldn't afford to react further. She was trying to bait him, fluster him. The Bloodclaw's expression was good-natured and teasing, like that of an indulgent aunt. He didn't trust it one bit.

"You're a determined one, aren't you?" she smirked. "Very well. Onto business."

She rang a small bell. The serving girl reappeared within moments. "Fetch the dog for me," she said. "He should come to greet our newly-affluent guest."

Adrian blinked in confusion. Dog? What dog?

"Don't worry," Kaia said, sipping her tea. "I've trained him well."

A minute later, a man-sized creature crawled into the sitting room on all fours. Pale, defeated, with a gag secured around his mouth, Dulse shuffled toward them with stiff, pained movements.

Adrian leapt from his seat. "Eris' blood!" He gaped at Dulse, then at Kaia. "What did you do to him?"

"Taught him the importance of manners," Kaia said. "If my blade-work was accurate, and it always is, he'll never walk upright again."

No one had seen Dulse since the announcement of the bounty, but he'd always been the sort to vanish for days at a time, usually sleeping off the ale or sulking alone with his increasingly sickly chickens. Adrian's stomach churned at the sight of him. To think that this was where he'd been…

There were bloodstained bandages wrapping Dulse's knees and ankles, peeking out from under his tattered clothes. He raised his head to Adrian, who now towered above him, and began to whimper.

Adrian took several steps backward.

"It was all in jest," he blurted out. "I know nothing about the fugitive. It was a terrible joke, in--in poor taste. Keep your money."

Dulse crawled forward and seized his right leg. Adrian shook him off and retreated until his back struck the wall. Dulse slumped forward with a pitiful sob.

Kaia smacked her lips. "Where was I? Oh yes, the conundrum. Well, after many fruitless hours of agonizing, another possibility came to me. Perhaps our fugitive never left. Perhaps he's been right under our noses, crouching in some abandoned corner until the fervor dies down."

She fixed him again with that unsettling stare. "You're not accustomed to being seen. Truly seen. I'd wager that most in this town don't even know your name. Especially not that one." She cast a disparaging glance at Dulse.

Something else was wrong. Very wrong.

"Overlooked, underestimated, little more than a slave." Kaia leaned forward. "So why on earth would you expect me, of all people, to recognize you? A young man scrubbing floors and serving drinks in some stinking tavern?"

Adrian's heart skipped a beat. No, she couldn't possibly…

"Indeed, the very same stinking tavern where the fugitive was last spotted. And now here you are, demanding coin in exchange for information on his whereabouts."

She finished her last gulp of tea and stood from the armchair. "I imagine you live on the upper floor. As clever as you are, you'll have gained his trust to ensure that he stays there. All in all, most impressive for someone with so little."

Kaia approached his frozen form. She kicked Dulse aside and grabbed Adrian's jaw in a bruising grip. Her talons pressed dangerously against his skin. Would she kill him? Torture him? Carve him into a pitiful, crawling creature like Dulse?

"For what it's worth, your attempt to bargain amused me. Your reaction to my new pet, even more so." Her grip began to tighten. "If one drop of my poison enters your bloodstream, a slow, painful death would be your only possible fate. Your foolish Enforcer died quickly because he consumed it."

Lord Caelum is dead? She killed him? Adrian's head swam. Kaia seemed to enjoy what she saw in his expression.

"The Divine Heirs greatly appreciate your service to the realm." She placed the forefinger of her other hand between his brows and began to press down.

Adrian squeezed his eyes shut.

Another voice suddenly rang out into the room. "Get away from him!"

They both turned toward the source. Someone stood at the entrance to the parlor, most of his head obscured by a dark, sloppily-tied tunic. One of Adrian's, in fact.

Cedric took a step forward, wielding an emptied candelabra like a club.

"I won't ask again."