Idir’s towering buildings greeted her as she exited her domain. Each building was more ostentatious and more extravagant than the next. Her castle was a mere cottage in comparison. She glanced with disdain at the rows and rows of towers upon towers reaching high into the sky.

Oh, how she disliked these mountains of concrete. They were as distasteful as the individuals they hosted.

She would have loved to avoid their unsavory meddling, but alas, to find Adyl, she would have to gather whatever patience remained and walk into the wolves’ den.

Still, it didn’t mean she would have to make herself visible to others.

She took a sudden turn into an alley and launched herself upward, using the wall to propel herself toward the roof. Once atop the monolithic monstrosity, she lingered for a second, eyes gazing at the view ahead.

How did they endure residing in such a tasteless place? She could feel nothing but gratitude for Aseel’s dignified taste. Annoying as he was, her domain would soon fall into ruin without him. Or worse, she winced. It could turn into one of these ugly eyesores.

“Lady Talia?”

Talia cursed under her breath. She slowly turned towards the uninvited companion. Nadeem stood a few rooftops away, staring at her with something akin to joy.

Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who disliked these buildings.

“Lady Talia!” His smile was wide enough to nearly split his face in two. “If someone had told me I would be seeing you today—in such a place—I would have bestowed my favor upon their blessed self.”

Nadeem’s favor, also known as the ultimate luck in the universe, wasn’t something to scoff at. Talia narrowed her eyes at him. If she knew something about him, it was that his character was as rotten as his luck was mighty.

Of all the people to meet today, why did it have to be him?

“What brings you out of your domain? When was the last time I had set my eyes on your blessed form? Two hundred years? Four?” He tapped his finger on his chin, feigning thoughtfulness. “Since the last disastrous trials?”

Talia gritted her teeth. She forced a smile on her lips. “Didn’t think, for such luck, your life is so hollow you would keep tabs on my goings.” She tilted her head to the side. “If you wish, I can get you a post at my domain. I believe I’ve heard Aseel speak of a spot opening, a portier I believe. With your hidden skill, you would be perfect for the job.”

Nadeem threw his head back and burst into laughter.

“I see your incarceration with those vermins had improved your sense of humor.”

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Talia scowled at him. The only vermin she knew about was the one in front of her.

“If you’ll excuse me. I have important matters to take care of. We don’t all have the luxury of loitering around, doing nothing.”

She lied. Almost everyone in Idir was idle, jobless, dawdlers. She was—almost—the only one, unfortunate enough to have a proper job—courtesy of Adyl.

She jumped from one rooftop to the next with ease, enjoying the slight kiss of the breeze against her anger-heated skin. This short moment of freedom reminded her of her time before being the master of scales, when she was free to roam the world and sail with the wind, uncaring about any task that might require her undivided attention.

What prompted her to listen to Adyl’s words? Her life now was more tasteless than ever before.

Talia sighed when she noticed Nadeem behind her, following her steps. Years ago, she would have buried the irritating fool miles underground. Years ago, when she didn’t care about laws. Sadly, now, as master of scales, she had to be the paragon of a law-abiding Idiran, at least in front of prying eyes. What happened in her domain stayed in her domain.

Ignoring him, she sped toward her destination.

Idir’s lone newspaper.

The building was small, dwarfed by the towers surrounding it. Its old cobblestone was a dull gray, contrasting with the surrounding buildings. It stood as a reminder of the past, refusing to adhere to the remodeling race that had started hundreds of years ago.

She found Lamin, Idir’s sole news reporter, elbows deep into a mountain of papers, sifting through Idir’s dark secrets for tomorrow’s journal. Talia spent a second to send prayers to whoever was foolish enough to catch the reporter’s sharp eyes.

The short, petite woman glanced up at the sound of the door’s soft chime, eyebrow raised. Her confusion soon turned into bewilderment as her eyes rested on Talia.

“Well, well, well. The master of scales herself decided to honor us with her presence.” She grinned, her nose twitching as if she was smelling a delicious report heading her way. “Come in, come in.” She stepped back from her desk and motioned for her to the lone chair in the room.

Talia closed the door, sparing the last glance at her lingering stalker. He wouldn’t dare to follow her inside. No one dared enter Lamin’s newspaper. Not willingly, at least. The woman was notorious for her trickery and wits. One never left this room without losing something valuable. If she could, Talia would have avoided dealing with her. But… desperate times called for desperate measures.

“What brings you here? Didn’t expect I would see you so soon.” She pushed the stack of papers to the floor and took a seat on her desk. “I thought it would be another century before you requested my services.” Lamin rubbed her hands together, her brown eyes shining with glee.

So she was expecting her. Talia didn’t know how to feel about that.

“How can I help you?” Her smile was creepy on her otherwise charming face. She swatted her light brown hair away from her eyes, blowing on the longer strands that had escaped her messy bun.

There was no going back now. She came here for information and information she would get.

If there was anything Lamin excelled at—other than extorting honest people of their valuables—it was gathering information. There wasn’t anything in Idir she wasn’t privy to. She was the best person to find a missing retiree. No matter how slippery he was.

“I need you to find someone.”

Lamin nodded, her smile widening.

“I need you to find Adyl.”

There was no surprise on Lamin’s face. It was as if she had expected her request.