You’re jumpy as a fellsdeer, he thought. Good thing you’re leaving town.

He was just crossing a small cobblestone courtyard, when they materialized from the darkness, three tall cloaked figures who came at him from three directions, seeming to drift soundlessly over the pavement.

“Blood of the demon,” Han muttered, backing away, his mouth going dry and metallic with fear.

Their hoods were pulled forward, obscuring their faces (if they even had faces), and they wore black leather gloves so there was nothing about them to even suggest they were human. They seemed to glow through the misting rain, smears of light all around them that spoke of sorcery.

He’d heard of things like this, demons who walked the streets, seeking souls for the Breaker when business was poor.

“Don’t go so soon,” one of them said, his voice as sibilant as a snake’s. “We want to talk to you. We’re looking for someone.”

“I…I can’t help you,” Han said, his back coming up against a wall. “I…don’t know where anyone is.”

The monster’s laugh was bone chilling. “I think you do. I think you can help us. In fact, you’re going to be very, very eager to help us before we’re through.”

“If you help us, we’ll let you go,” the tallest demon said. “Such a pretty boy. A shame if anything happened to you.”

“Who are you?” Han asked, his voice squeaky with fear.

“We’ll ask the questions,” the snake-voiced demon said. “We’re looking for a boy named Shiv.”

And then Han knew. The dead Southies. These were the ones responsible. He thought of the burned and mutilated bodies, and his insides seemed to liquefy.

“I never heard of him,” Han said, sidling along the wall, trying to escape the circle they’d put around him; but the tallest demon stuck out his arm, preventing further progress.

“Oh, I think you have,” he said. “And I think you’ll tell. But first, we’ll take you somewhere more private.”

The three demons seemed edgy, looking over their shoulders, like they were worried about being interrupted. Which was odd. Why would demons be afraid of the Guard?

The third demon reached under his cloak, as if groping for a weapon, and Han knew it was now or never.

“Murder! Bloody murder on the streets!” he screamed. “Somebody call the Queen’s Guard!”

The demons flinched, and the one with his hand inside his cloak reached out and grabbed Han’s arm, but screeched and let go quickly like he was burnt, slapping his hand against his side.

Han kept screaming, and then he heard the pounding of feet and someone calling out, “Hold in the name of the queen!”

The demons hesitated for two long seconds, the dark holes of their hoods pointed toward Han, then, hissing, they melted into the nearby streets.