“I can connect you with the right people,” Teo said in a falsely sincere voice, spinning around to join the game. The man’s heavy breaths were the only sound as the whole bar watched to see what would happen next.

“Now, I can tell you’ve never held a gun in your life.” Aina tilted her head to one side. “Let me guess, that make is from Marin and only Rolland deals in those. What did you pay for it? One thousand kors? She ripped you off well, my friend. Next time go to the warehouse near—”

“Shut your mouth, or I swear I’ll blow it off!” the man snarled, fumbling the gun with sweaty hands. For a second, she feared he would locate the trigger by accident. Other patrons began mumbling and moving back, their chairs squeaking across the floor as they tried to put distance between themselves and the gunman.

“I thought that’s why you came here in the first place,” Teo reminded him. “But now you’re saying you’ll let her go if she’s quiet? That’s generous of you.”

“It is,” Aina agreed. “Let’s see. You must be mad because I killed someone. Not someone you care about, no one cares enough about anyone to spend a thousand kors avenging their death. Ah, someone owed you money?” She stood, stepping closer to the man until the cold barrel of the gun graced her shoulder. “Was it the baker? That man never paid his dues. Well, I collected mine from him yesterday. You must be … hmm, the baker loved gambling more than anything. You own that gaudy red-and-gold casino down Lyra Avenue, don’t you? The baker won’t be paying you, and that sounds like a you problem, not a me problem.”

The man gripped the gun tighter, his eyes so big they threatened to pop out. Teo had gone quiet, but she could almost hear him shaking with laughter.

“So, what are you going to do with that gun?” Aina leaned forward, hands on her hips. The man’s expression bounced between anger and doubt. “The trigger is that little part a few inches away from where your finger is shaking. All you have to do is press a button, and your problems are taken care of. What are you waiting for, permission?”

“Aina…” Teo began in a warning tone.

Good, she thought. He needs to remember I don’t scare so easily.

The man grimaced, his finger finally approaching the trigger, but Aina shifted before he had a chance to press it. In one swift movement, she knocked his wrist to the side. The gun fell and skidded across the floor.

The man reached back to punch her instead, fist flying toward her face. She sidestepped it, pushing him roughly so his gut slammed into the counter. When he turned back around, one of her daggers met his chest. She twisted the blade under his ribs and then yanked it out. Before he could do more than gasp and clutch at his chest, Aina lifted her blade and cut through a carotid artery. A few bar patrons gasped, but most turned away and went back to their conversations.