I couldn’t help but chuckle as I approached the battered rowhouse. They’d put a new door on Myles’ apartment. It was another of those things that shouldn’t have been funny, but oddly was. I could understand Avira’s reasoning, though. This district was reputable. Having a door left shattered and broken for longer than a few hours would have drawn a great many eyes, and we couldn’t afford that.

Coming to a stop in front of it, I resisted the urge to glance around, knocking without even an ounce of fear. I already knew the latch would be locked, so there was no point in going for the handle directly.

Sure enough, there was a heavy thunk of metal almost immediately. The door pulled open—to expose Avira glaring out through the crack, her expression dark and one hand bristling with claws. I winced. At the end of the day, Avira had never needed a knife.

At the sight of me, though, she blinked, straightening. “Good,” she said, nodding once. “Come in, lad, we’re just about ready here. Won’t do for you to be late.”

“Not planning on it,” I said, squeezing through the gap. My bag caught on the frame, but came free with a tug and a clank. Nella twined tighter about my shoulders, letting out an annoyed gurgle.

“You’re all ready?” Avira said. When I glanced over, her eyes were locked on mine, her expression tight. “You prepared properly? You-”

“I’m ready, Avira,” I said, chuckling. “Don’t worry about me. I had a lot of solo hunting before you, you know. And, well.” I half-shrugged. “It’s not like we’ve been hunting together over the last few weeks anyway.”

I’d tried to find a way to soften the sentence as much as possible, but even still, her eyes darkened further. “I’m sorry, lad,” she murmured. “It’s not fair to you. I’ll have to set aside more time, make sure that you and I have time to properly-”

“No, no,” I said, waving my hands furiously. “That- That wasn’t an accusation, Avira. You’re busy. Really, really busy. I understand, and I’m not blaming. I knew that being bonded to the guildmaster was never going to be the usual guide-shadow relationship.” I chuckled, letting my hands drop. “And I think it’s pretty worth the trouble, in the end.”

Avira nodded, smiling faintly. “Aye. Thank you for that. Come on, then.”

As I stepped farther in, she shut the door, but hesitated, her hand on the lock. “Is the researcher-”

“Kevin’s coming,” I said, letting my bag drop to the floorboards. It was heavy, and I couldn’t supplement my strength with aura while we were in the city. “He had a lot to pack, I think. But he’ll be here shortly. Probably.”

I glanced to the the back of the apartment, where Myles busied himself grabbing his gear and shoving it into his pack. Someone had cleaned up the mess we’d made, I saw gratefully. The shattered plates had been broomed up, and the shorn rope cut down from the rafters. Hopefully, that’d all been done before Myles returned. Not that it helped, I was sure. As discreetly as I could, I eyed him, trying to gauge his current state.

He looked…better. Not good, but better. His color was returning, and he seemed to be back on his feet and moving steadily enough. Whatever drug they’d used in the smoke, it had faded from his system without problem, then. Good. But..he still had thick bandages wrapped around his neck, soaked in what I could only assume was one of Silvos’s salves, and I could see deep purple-and-green bruises creeping out past the edges. I winced. It looked painful.

“You feeling better?” I said, dropping into one of his chairs. He looked to me, opening his mouth, and I groaned. “Sorry. Forgot.”

Myles hesitated, his mouth still open, and glanced to Avira—who snorted, shaking her head, and looked away. “I’m not Silvos,” she said. “Do as you will, I won’t tattle. But don’t overdo it.”

“I’m…better,” Myles said, his voice low. It still sounded raw, and I could only imagine speaking was as pained as the rest of him looked. “Sore. Should be better by Talmarn.”

“We’re lucky it’s a good sail away,” I said, forcing a smile onto my face. “Should have plenty of time to rest up, at least.”

“Yeah,” Myles whispered, grabbing an undershirt from his bed. “I’ll manage.”

I hesitated, clasping my hands together. Nella whined in my ear, rattling her scales as the unease in my mind spread to hers. “Look,” I began, rubbing my thumb against the opposite hand. “About what happened before-”

“Yeah,” Myles rasped, crouching low to stuff something in a pouch. “About that, I-”

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “I should’ve gotten here faster. I could’ve-”

“Thanks.”

I blinked, stopping. From the corner of my eye, I saw Avira smile, turning away before I could get a good look at her.

Myles looked back over his shoulder, though, shooting a look my way, but then snapped his eyes back front. “You saved my life,” he mumbled, ducking his head lower. “I didn’t- I thought…I don’t know. I didn’t think anyone would come back. And then-”

“Hey,” I said, sitting up a little straighter. “It was a lucky catch. You’d have done the same, if you saw it.” I chuckled, shaking my head. “Thank the Broken I looked back at all. I just…wish I could’ve stopped it from getting as far as it did.”

Myles nodded, still looking down, but it was Avira who spoke. “The world works in strange ways,” she murmured, leaning against the wall alongside the door. “Perhaps it was the Broken’s hands on you, turning your eyes where they needed to see.”

“Maybe,” I mumbled. “But, um. Yeah. No thanks needed. Really.” I couldn’t let you die. The words hung right there on the tip of my tongue, but there was no way I could put them into the world. Not when Myles already looked so shaken.

Avira cleared her throat, saving me the trouble of trying to find something to say next. “You should be safe enough from here,” she said. “A few months abroad will put you out of the line of danger. I shan’t push anything about the tribunal until you’re off and safely underway. Starting the topic anew will likely put a fresh target on your back, but they can’t do much when you’ve already vanished.”

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“Until we come back,” I said, worry blossoming in my chest. “Once we land, they could-”

“Aye,” Avira said with a sigh. “It’s a concern. But it’s one that we can better handle when Myles is healed up and able to defend himself. And in the meantime, I can start investigating who was responsible for this attack.”

“That’s the worrying part,” I mumbled, kicking at the floorboards. “It was someone powerful. That’s all I can assume. They knew what they were doing, Avira.”

“I know,” she said. Her lips pressed together, her eyes tightening. “It’s possible that it was one of the elders themselves, or their allies. Enryn’s murder would have taken outside help, after all. Whatever is happening here, I doubt it will be a simple, clean answer. But-”

She was interrupted by the sound of someone outside groaning—and a knock on the door. Before she could reach for the handle, it opened, slamming against the wall as an ungainly shape staggered through.

Kevin raised his head, smiling. I was pretty sure it was supposed to be a smile, anyway. It looked a bit too much like a grimace for me to be sure. His bag bulged at the seams, a second sack tied to its top straps, and he carried a crate in his arms. “I-I’m ready,” he mumbled. “Just about. I had to leave my backup plates behind, but-”

“A marvel that you’ve left anything at all,” Avira muttered, eyeing him sidelong. “Did you bring-”

“O-Oh.” Kevin looked down, bobbing his head. “Um. Yeah. One minute.”

He grabbed for the strap of his bag, letting it fall with a crunch. He dug in his pocket instead, kicking the door shut behind him. And then he pulled something out—a metal ring, like a bracelet. My skin crawled. No—like a shackle.

“Sorry,” Kevin said, looking to Myles. “Can you sit? I…I know this sucks. But-”

“You understand, do you not?” Avira said, staring unblinking at the younger silver. “This is a necessary part of the bargain.”

“I understand,” Myles rasped, locking eyes with her as he eased down onto the bed. “I’m not going to argue, guildmaster.” His gaze darted over to Kevin. “So, uh…What have you-”

“Right,” Kevin said, stepping forward. He held the shackle up, swinging the hinges open to show us a tiny metal plate on the inside. I furrowed my brow. It…looked like it’d been seared straight on, the edges of the plate bonded with another strip of melted metal. Kevin closed it again, looking a bit sheepish. “The guildmaster asked for something to track your movements with. They…had something kind of like that where I’m from. I was able to…adapt.” He crouched in front of Myles, gesturing toward him. “I need your leg.” His shoulders hunched higher. “Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Myles whispered. He held his leg forward obligingly. Kevin took his foot, supporting the weight, and eased back the hem of his breeches. Then he took the shackle, clasping it tight around Myles’ ankle. The lock closed with a snap.

“That’ll do it,” Kevin said, setting Myles’ foot down. His face was beet red, and he wouldn’t quite look at Myles. “S-Sorry. Yeah. It was this or on the wrist, and I thought this would be easier for you to hide. So-”

“It’s all right,” Myles said softly. “Thanks, Kevin.”

“Yeah,” Kevin mumbled, ducking his head into a bob. “Yeah. Okay. Um…then, you take this.”

I flinched as Kevin whirled toward me, digging something else from his pocket—and pressed a tiny, palm-sized plate into my hands. “What’s-”

“It’s the other half of the setup,” Kevin said, jamming his thumb against an inked-on circle at the plate’s bottom. It came to life with a flash of light, leaving a golden dot right at its center. Numbers scrolled across the bottom. “He’s right in front of you now, but it’ll show direction on the plate itself, and-”

“And the distance here at the bottom,” I said, nodding. “Makes sense to me.” I glanced to Myles, a bit chagrined. “Uh…yeah. Sorr-”

“Stop apologizing,” Myles groaned, turning back to his bag. “I’m fine. Thank you, guildmaster. I’m just finishing up here, and then-”

“Splendid,” Avira said, turning to me. I blinked. Her yellow eyes were sharp. “Then, come with me, Trellin. We should arrange for the weapons delivery to the dock.”

“O-Oh,” I said. “Right. Yes.” That answered that question, then. I should’ve known Avira would have something in mind. When she turned for the door, I followed behind.

But no sooner had the door shut than she stopped, positioned out-of-sight of any of the rowhouse’s windows. “I’ll give you this,” she murmured, pulling something from her pocket. “I did not want it to be seen by all, you’ll understand.”

When she turned her hand palm-up, a tiny key lay against her palm. “Take it,” she said.

So I did, staring at it all the while. My mind raced. “Is this-”

“You know what it unlocks,” Avira said with a sigh. “Myles has been agreeable thus far, and the tracker is more of a precaution than any real fear. I don’t know what troubles you’ll face in Talmarn, and I don’t want to inform them I’m sending a potential murderer alongside you.”

“Myles isn’t a-”

“I know, lad,” Avira said, that crooked smile of hers on her lips. “But you know how they would view it.”

I made a face. She was right, and both of us knew it. “I guess.”

“Should anything arise…you are to use your best judgment,” she said, still keeping her voice low. “But do not broadcast that you have it.”

“Got it,” I said, closing the key in my palm. With a quick shift of my cuirass, I slipped it into an interior pocket, safe and sound where it wouldn’t get lost.

Just in time, because the door creaked open behind us. Myles and Kevin trudged out, Kevin rather more slowly. The man veritably creaked beneath the burden he carried.

I smothered a laugh. “Kevin, you can’t possibly intend to carry all that.”

“I’ll be fine,” Kevin gasped, tugging his bag higher. “I’ll- get the station set up when we arrive. Won’t have to carry the rest.”

Myles didn’t say a word—but he shot me a look, mild concern in his eyes. I just rolled mine, groaning. Kevin was going to slow us down, but what could we do? Tell him no? We needed him there.

Nella stirred at last, coming alive around my neck. At the sight of Kevin, she let out a chirp, leaping to her feet.

Kevin lurched as she lunged from my shoulders, grabbing hold of his backpack. “Oh, really, darling, I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t-”

Quick as lightning, Nella climbed his bag all the way to the top. She flopped back down atop the highest sack, curling into a ball. There she sat, watching us like a thrice-damned queen on high, tongue lapping out.

Kevin cast a worried look my way. “Uh…Trellin, do you think you could-”

“She really does love you, Kevin,” I said starting forward. My hand slapped against his shoulder. “Absolutely love the bond you two have.”

“Y-Yeah, it’s great, but could you-”

“We’d better get a move on,” Myles whispered, falling into place alongside me.

I glanced to him, gauging. He seemed fine, but… “You good?”

“I’ll be fine.”

His voice was hoarse enough I winced. “Okay. But, uh…maybe listen to Silvos for now. No more talking. Okay?”

He made a face, but nodded.

With Avira striding on at the group’s head, we set off for the docks.