“It is no trouble at all,” the commander said. “Catching lawbreakers is a worthy pursuit and we always need good citizens like yourself to assist us in our endeavors. That said, we won’t take up any more of your time. The damage from the nightdemon’s attack last night is severe and it must be assessed, the witnesses questioned. And preparations must be made for further attacks. We’ve just received a shipment from the Four Kingdoms. Traps used to kill large creatures known as mamoothen. They must be positioned and set. There is no rest for the swift hand of justice.” With that, the commander tipped his hat and left, his men filing out after him.

When they were gone, Loris extended his hand, palm up. Soraya looked at him. “You disgust me,” she said, and then, without another word, walked past him.

By the time she reached her room and slammed the door behind her, her entire body was trembling, her eyes as wide as twin moons. She crumpled to the floor, eyes wide. “I just did that,” she murmured to herself.

“Morg?” Morg said, finally managing to wriggle his way out of her pack. She stroked his head for a long time before she finally pulled herself back to her feet.

“How is he?” Soraya asked when she returned to the back office at The Naughty Minx. Passing through the crowded square on her own had been somewhat terrifying, the marketplace back to its full level of activity now that shadows of the night had been well and truly chased away by the daylight, but at least no one had fallen from the sky this time.

She immediately noticed that Seela wasn’t around, but Sunny was, cleaning sweat from Shim’s forehead. There was a tenderness to the way she performed the task that was completely at odds with her size and strength. She avoided directly wiping any of the golden leaves that adorned his skin, as though she instinctively understood what they meant.

“His fever has spiked. That rare medicine you gave him? It’s not working.”

Soraya closed her eyes. She wasn’t surprised given what she’d found in the forest—the root leaking godsblood—but she’d hoped her instincts would be proven wrong.

“What are you not telling me?” Sunny asked.

Soraya opened her eyes and met the woman’s staunch gaze. “We all have secrets,” she said.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Soraya sighed. “I’m sorry. I wish I could tell you everything, but I am sworn to secrecy.”

“Hmm, then do you care to explain this?” Sunny reached for something on the floor and then dragged Shim’s pack into view, opening the mouth wide enough so Soraya could see the bear’s glowing heart, thumping away.

“You went through his things?”

“Kind of hard not to. It was moving. I thought there might be another giant spider in there, but this is worse. Much worse.”