Reya’s heart raced in her chest. She could feel the dagger in its sheath at her side like a hot coal. Even though nobody could tell what it was while it was hidden, she couldn’t help but feel like every single eye in the darkness was watching her every move. This is the most incredible weapon I’ve ever seen in my life, and he just… gave it to me? For free? Who in the Nine Underlands did I find? A shiver ran down Reya’s back. Arwin terrified her, but for all the wrong reasons. She would have taken him to be an adventurer if she’d run into him on the street, but his eyes burned with an intensity that Reya had never seen before. Whenever he locked eyes with her, it felt like she was trying to stare down a volcano that was just waiting to erupt. The casual ease he’d handled the Brothers Six made it absolutely clear that Arwin didn’t belong in Milten. Reya didn’t know where he’d come from or what his goals were – and she didn’t care. She’d lived on the streets for long enough to know that attaching herself to someone strong was the best way to stay alive. Unfortunately, she’d had pretty poor luck with that in the past. Her lips pressed thin and she shook her head. Arwin cared so little about her that she didn’t suspect she even properly registered in his eyes, and that was just fine with her. So long as he keeps his space and I keep mine, I might be able to actually sit around and gather a little wealth for myself. I’m fed up with getting robbed every single time I gather up enough coin to get out of this shithole. The thought of coin sent a tiny sliver of guilt through Reya. Distributed across her body in a dozen small pouches was well over a hundred gold – all the savings she’d managed to keep over the years. It was a pittance in comparison to all the gold that had been stolen from her, but it was still everything she had. Arwin had been under the impression that she was broke, which was exactly what she expected. The less interesting she was to his eyes, the better. “What? No,” Lillia said, drawing the last word out and clearing her throat. She glanced over her shoulder, nodding to a small stone building that looked like it had once been a restaurant or storefront. It was directly in the shadow of a larger building, and Reya couldn’t see more than a foot into the darkness. “Just in there.” “That is no better than a dark alleyway. If you think I’m following you in there, you’re delusional.” “What if I bring the food out?” Lillia asked, almost desperately. “It’s going to go bad if nobody eats it, and everyone keeps ignoring me when I approach them on the street. Please?” Against Reya’s better judgement, she let out a heavy sigh and inclined her head. The pleading expression on Lillia’s face finally managed to chip away at her. “Fine. One silver, and you’re bringing it out here. Deal?” Lillia nodded, then quickly started backing away, not taking her eyes from Reya. She reached the edge of the door. “Stay right there! I’ll be right back!” Reya gave Lillia a fake smile and nodded. The other woman disappeared into he darkness, and the urge to turn and sprint in the other direction gripped Reya. She wasn’t sure what stopped her. Perhaps it was the remnants of manners that she really had no place in keeping, or perhaps it was sheer curiosity. Today – though it was nearly tomorrow, if she was going by the position of the moon in the sky – had been interesting. A few minutes passed before Lillia came out carrying a large plate covered with a silver bowl. Reya’s eyes widened at the sight. It wasn’t the fanciest bowl she’d ever seen, but it definitely resembled the plates that she’d occasionally seen served in fancy restaurants. Only when Lillia got closer and properly stepped into the moonlight did Reya realize what the bowl was. Rather than a smooth, glossy sheen, it was rough and bumpy. It looked like someone had hammered several sheets of trashy metal together. Nails jutted out of it at odd angles, and the whole thing was so roughly formed that she had to suspect it had been formed by hand rather than with tools. “Here!” Lillia exclaimed, thrusting the bowl in Reya’s direction. “All yours.” “Uh… thanks,” Reya said hesitantly. She eyed the handle, which was a random stone that had been stabbed into the top of the bowl. “Should I open it?” “I’ll charge you extra if you try to eat the metal as well.” Lillia didn’t sound like she was joking. She’s definitely off her rocker. Or really, really drunk. I don’t smell any alcohol on her breath, though. “Right. Logically,” Reya said with a small laugh. She grabbed the bowl by its makeshift handle and lifted it back. Her eyes widened. Sitting on the plate were several drumsticks. From what bird, Reya wasn’t sure. They were pretty large, and while they barely looked seasoned, they had salt and pepper on them. She licked her lips. As far as food here went, she was practically staring down a feast. Reya pulled out the coins that Arwin had given her and handed Lillia a gold coin, taking the tray from her. “You have change for that?” Lillia took the coin, eyeing it hungrily. She glanced back to her, then reddened. “Uh… no. You’re my first customer.” Reya scrunched her nose and took one of the drumsticks, taking a bite out of it. Juice dripped down her chin as she chewed and swallowed, her eyes widening. It wasn’t the greatest meal she’d ever had in her life, but it wasn’t bad at all. “Whoa. This isn’t bad.” “Thanks.” Lillia beamed. “It’s my fourth serving today. The others didn’t go nearly as well.” “Why not?” Reya asked through a mouthful of meat. “Well, the feathers were really scratchy on the first one,” Lillia said, ticking a finger off on her hand. “I removed them on the second bird, but its beak was kind of sharp. Also, I burnt that one black. Burnt the third one too. This one turned out great, though!” “So it did. What was the secret?” “I killed it before putting it in the oven.” Reya nearly choked, but she managed to keep the food in her mouth. She’d gone hungry too many times to waste it over anything like that. It was impossible to tell if Lillia was joking, but the woman looked dead serious. “Oh. Well… uh, congratulations,” Reya said. She took the other drumsticks from the plate and handed it back to Lillia. “How about this? You give me five more meals , and you can keep the gold.” Lillia’s mouth split into a wide, hungry smile. A chill ran down Reya’s spine as an ill feeling gripped her. It felt like a shadow had fallen over her shoulders. She spun, but there was nobody behind her. When Reya turned back, the feeling was gone. “It sounds like we’ve got a deal,” Lillia said with a nod. “Could you tell anyone else you meet about my tavern as well? I’m trying to build up some business.” Reya did her best not to send a pointed glance around the abandoned street. She just nodded. “Okay. I will.”