left. The creature flattened him, and went looking for other prey. Those customers who hadn’t already taken cover found themselves caught in the middle of an ever-growing melee—and joined in with savage glee. The empty-eyed elf and his men swore helplessly as the brawl engulfed them in a whirlwind of fists and bottles.
Lydia, standing safely out of the way, gave a sharp laugh. “Nothing like a good old-fashioned tavern brawl for a diversion. Come on, Kevin, let’s get out of here.”
She slipped out through the tiny kitchen, Kevin close behind her, struggling past harried servants who were heading out into the brawl armed with dubs and broom handles.
Hey, where had Lydia gone?
“Out here!” the woman called, and the bardling scrambled out the narrow window after her. “Now you know why I’m always scouting for ways out of places! Come on, let’s put some distance between ourselves and those guys.’’
More running, Kevin thought wearily.
They made it all the way back to the shabby square. The bardling sank gladly to the lip of the dry fountain, panting, the lute an awkward weight on his back. He shifted it around in front of him, leaning on it. “Think we’re safe?’’
Lydia straightened, listening to nothing but silence. She shrugged. “For the moment. By the time old Empty Eyes fights his way out of that tavern, our trail’s going to be cold.”
We hope. “Now what do we do?”
“Look for the others, I guess, and—’’
“There you are!” a shrill voice snapped.
Kevin glanced up to see the fairy fluttering fiercely overhead. “Hello, Tich’ki!”
“Never mind ‘hello, Tich’ki!’ I’ve been flying all over the city. Where the hell were you two?”
“Hunting rats.” Lydia grinned. “Learned a lot from them, too.”
The fairy landed lightly beside her. “And nearly got bit by them, I see. Oh yes, I heard all the fuss. What’s the matter, the guards weren’t good enough for you? Robbing a councilman wasn’t exciting enough?”
“Ah, you’re a fine one to scold! It wasn’t me who set that inn on fire back in Elegian—”
“An accident. I never knew the spell would backfire like that.”
“—or dropped the chamber pot on the mayor’s head in Smithian.”
The fairy grinned. “Nearly tore a wing lifting the thing. Worth it, though.”
“Besides,” Lydia added, “you know I didn’t rob Selden. Not exactly. Look, Tich’ki, you were there! It was a game of cards, that’s all. He wasn’t any more honest than me.”
“Tell that to the guards.” The fairy glanced sharply from one human to the other—”You reek of excitement. Haven’t just been eluding guards, have you?”
“Uh, no,” Lydia admitted. “We seem to have gotten somebody’s gang after us, too.”
“Huh. And you tell me to keep out of trouble? Tell me, just how do you plan to get out of Westerin?”
Lydia shrugged. “We’ll think of something.”
“We can’t leave without the rest of our party,” Kevin cut in.
“Sure, but they could be anywhere.”
“They’re both still in the city.” Tich’ki restlessly folded and refolded her wings. “Wouldn’t have left without their horses. And those horses are still here. I checked.”
Kevin straightened, hands tightening on the lute case—”Tich’ki, you’re friends with Naitachal.”
—Well ...”
