Kit stiffened, and though it was the worst possible timing, hacked a cough so deep it rattled her mask and doubled the woman over. Everyone watched for an interminable time as Kit coughed and sputtered, then finally the Hawk straightened and looked at the Bear, gasping a little around the next words she spoke.

“I have it under control. I’m going to stop once I’m back to Linura—”

The Bear let out a strangled yell, so full of frustration and betrayal and anger Anji almost felt sorry for her. “Poison!” she screamed, her hands shaking. “You would defile yourself! You would dishonor your blood, when you were given everything! Is this why you left? Why you decided to shepherd this slut yourself?” She pointed at Anji with the knife, but then slammed it right back against Berip’s throat and bellowed, “You made a blood oath to us, Hawk!” Anji could hear that behind the mask the Bear was crying now. “To me. To Ox and Lynx, who lie dead now by your hands! Do you deny it? Thirty years! Thirty years we’ve been friends. I loved you, Kit! You would be sniveling in some Spur’s den if not for me, meting out Phase and Snip and all the other vile things the vermin smoke. And you chose to throw it all away? Why, Kit? Why did you do it? Why are you doing this?”

To Anji’s surprise, Kit lowered the orb. She sniffed, and Anji realized she was crying too. “Just let the boy go, Bear. Let them both go, and I’ll explain. I’ll tell you everything you want. I didn’t think you would listen to me, but I know if I just—”

“No!” the Bear screamed and gripped Berip even tighter, and now Berip wasn’t struggling anymore, only staring at Anji and Kit, his fighting energy all but spent, his eyes pleading, understanding beyond what any child should endure etched in every plane of his face. “Shut your traitor mouth! You’ve gone too far! We will take the girl and leave your pathetic blasphemer corpse to rot. I’m done with you.”

“Bear, don’t, please—”

Time slowed. Anji watched as though from a great distance, as if a Maxia had somehow altered the flow of events. Jared sucking in a shuddering breath. The Goat twisting to face them, Kit raising the vial overhead.

The Bear dragging the blade across Berip’s throat.

The world sped up as Berip’s green eyes widened. He slapped a hand to his neck, but bubbles of dark blood were already welling from between his slender fingers. His mouth worked for air, and he locked pleading eyes with Anji before falling to the floor in a gathering pool of red already soaking into the planks.