When next I wake, Ran is still beside me, but the moon is nearing the end of his nightly quest. I squint, blinking past blurry eyes and wincing as my head pounds a painful staccato.

I itch my ear and dried blood flakes away. The numbness is still there, but has faded to indifference as I wonder if sitting here for the rest of my life would be so bad. Then I glance down at the placid waters and decide I’d prefer to spend the rest of my days further from the water. I have a newfound appreciation for just how misleading the glassy surface appears. It seems so peaceful and gentle… but I know what hides in her depths, and I want nothing more to do with it now that I’ve saved its life.

"Taking a dump on my shores? Couldn’t have made it easy on me, hmm?"

Normally, I’d jump and grab a knife no matter how raunchy my body feels, but today I just can’t find it in me to care. I roll my head around to find a black cloaked individual with their face turned from me. A groan comes from my lips as I ease into a seated position. My ribs, head, and an ankle ache something fierce, but nothing seems broken. Quite a feat considering the beating I took last night.

Ran growls, rolling over and turning her back to me, annoyed that we woke her.

"So much for you being a guard dog," I mutter. Ran growls and flicks my face with her tail—giving me a mouthful of white fur that takes forever to spit out and likes to stick between teeth and under the tongue—but otherwise doesn’t reply.

The lady chuckles, and I realize my hood is down. I pull it quickly back up, tying my mask into place and wondering how in the world we didn’t get ambushed in the night. Eh... it seems we kinda did. There are people stationed around, specifically old, decrepit, and otherwise raunchy individuals you’d pass on the street without a second glance.

But so many here at once makes me narrow my eyes. A few seem very familiar. And then one waves, a grin turning his wrinkly face and that cane… oh my word, that’s the old man who slapped me with that cane a while back when I tried to help him. Gilbert, if I remember correctly. He was one of Madame Red’s?

"Don’t worry your pretty little head, no one else has been by but us." The lady finally turns to look at me, her cloak hiding her features, just like always. But then she pushes it back.

"Madame Nika?" I ask, scooting back until I bump into Ran. Is my whole life a lie? The woman who runs the Herbal Exchange is also the criminal leader behind the Thieve’s Guild?

"It is only fair since I have seen your face that you see mine. Color me red when I saw you were the little girl helping her sister survive."

My shoulders stiffen. Anger fills my breast as I finger a blade. "Don’t you dare mention my sister."

She holds up her hands, brown eyes pinching in mirth. "That was no threat. But if you cross me or my secret, no one in your family will survive." Even that wasn't exactly a threat... more a promise.

I set a hand on two daggers. One of mine and one of Silver’s. "Keep this between you and me. They are innocent."

"No one is truly innocent, are they? Everyone has monsters in their cellars. Some of us just have mutilated corpses we’ve thrown to the monsters." That hits a little too close to home. "And you care nothing for your own life." She gestures to the water, eyes glazed as if remembering something.

I groan again, rubbing my eyes, knowing if she wanted to hurt me, I’d be dead already. And Ran seems to be less than worried. But I’m glad I didn’t bring the Opes. I have a feeling she already ruffled through my pockets.

"What did you summon me for?" I ask, redirecting the conversation. She wanted me to come Underground. It seems we both wanted to find each other, but if she came to find me when I didn't show—she wants something. Bad.

She smirks. "Why, Ria, can’t I just reconnect with an old friend I haven’t seen in a while?"

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

I scowl. "I have a headache after fighting something in the water. Please get to the point. Now."

The smirk grows more pronounced. "Ahh, no rest for the weary, I’m afraid. But that was quite the feat, I heard, something lighting up the water and then barfing you out. You some sort of animal mage?" She looks pointedly at Ran, tossing her brown hair over her shoulder and her dark eyes twinkling at my expense.

"If you think I’m gonna answer that, you’re a few pints short of a bushel."

She throws back her head and laughs. "I’ve missed you, Ria. Glad to know you’re still around. But lay off my thieves. They’re just doing their job."

I eye her. "Then tell them to get a real job, and I won’t need to hassle them for other people’s items they worked for."

"What’s the fun in that?" she asks, lips turning in a broad grin. She stands, showing a skin-tight black leather suit beneath the cloak that leaves little to the imagination. And she is especially… blessed with curves. Which is why the clothes I stole from her never exactly… fit.

"There is a war coming. The Underground has a rogue faction rising from the depths, taking over one guild after another."

Unease makes my stomach turn. Could it be Silver? I doubt it. "What do they look like?" Please don’t be Darshius’ monsters. Please please please. I’d much rather it be Silver.

"They’re… disfigured. Scales, pointed teeth. I don’t like to speak ill of folk, but these things are ugly. So far only the bigger guilds resist… but I fear for how long."

Shoot. The indifference dissolves from my system, leaving behind a horror that threads through my soul and whispers of a coming war. Darshius’ master doesn’t just want the upper kingdom… he wants everything.

"And why tell me this?"

"You’re the Guardian. You defeated them once. We want to know how."

I stand, pacing back and forth along the shores, wanting to take my hood off and give a good tug on my hair and maybe scream for a moment.

"I was lucky. And The King showed up last minute to save us all."

She gives me a placid smile. "He’s a story, dear. Best not mistake such tales for reality."

I puff out a breath, looking down at her. She leans forward, bracing her elbows against her knees, watching me with eyes that glimmer with… is that sadness? I shake my head and give a wry smile beneath my hood. "When you’ve been through what I have and been saved from monsters shaped like men by a voice coming out of your mouth… you realize sometimes the intangible things are perhaps the most tangible of all. But that’s not entirely the important part. They’re from another world and it seems their infiltration never ended… not as it should’ve."

I pace again, rubbing the scar where I was stabbed that night. Ghost pain spasms my arm and I wince, then continue talking. "But did they ever leave? The doppelgangers were shoved back into their worlds, but it’s possible they did not take the others back. I freeze.

If that’s the case… they never left. This may not be La’Maciago at all. Or it could just be a remnant of the force. But Darshius won’t give up. He wants this too bad. No, he needs it, and needs Ran. But why the desperation to conquer another world in the first place?

If you understand the why, the how might reveal itself, Ran whispers into my mind, a low huff shaking her white fur.

My feet track up the sand as I rub my mask. I need to talk to one of these monsters. Or better yet… Lycus.

"We need to set a trap. What was the orb you were fighting over?"

Madame Nika leans back, showing off her lithe form. "So you have it? We thought so, but couldn’t be entirely sure." I stare at her, and she scratches her nose, glancing over at a man. "It’s somehow important to the monsters, not entirely sure how, mind you. One of mine gave her life for the thing, so don’t you dare lose it, you hear me?"

Her voice hardens and her eyes grow slightly distant.

I nod, not knowing what else to do.

"You mentioned a trap?" she says.

I nod. "I have a way of extracting information… but I need to have one of those monsters captured. Or better yet, have you seen any humans with them?"

She stands, stretching and popping her back. "There’s some sort of cloaked figure with them, never shows their face."

"Find me a way to talk to him. But… don’t harm him."

She nods. "And what do I get?"

"Information. I’ll tell you how the monsters have their power and how to stop them."

Do you know how to stop them? Ran questions, knowing the answer. I ignore her.

Madame Nika nods, walking away.

The ragged men and women disperse, fading into alleys and a few following Nika like bodyguards.

Rans uncurls from her nap, yawning and stretching, her tail curled in the air. Her large pearly whites glisten in the fading moonlight before she comes to sit by me. I sit my hand on her mane, idly rubbing a spot I can tell is itchy. She pats her leg on the ground, then shakes her mane and flicks an ear at me.

That was productive.

Why didn’t you tell me they were there?

Sleeping was of greater importance.

I snort a laugh, and she bows, letting me hop on her back as my stomach growls.

Today’s the joust, she reminds me, her voice nearly smug with hidden laughter.

I groan, not feeling at all like taking a beating from horseback.

Can I forfeit and sleep for a week?

Sure. Right after you tell Mother exactly why you don’t feel up to it.

A dragon threatened to kill me so I saved its life? Yeah, I don’t think so.

Ran releases a series of chirps at my expense.