'I'm sure you were.'
Despite Liliana's best efforts, the conversation ended soon after.
Jace pushed open the door of the restaurant where he and Kallist had first encountered Liliana, and to which he'd returned-usually alone-a dozen times since.
He'd learned more about it, in the weeks since their arrival, so that it was no longer just 'that building with the faded sign.' The tavern was owned by one Eshton, a man of some local celebrity, and boasted the astoundingly imaginative name of 'Eshton's Tavern.' Thankfully, Eshton brewed beers, ground sausages, and baked dumplings with far greater skill than he named businesses, and the place was well known and well loved as an establishment where one could get a meal and a drink in relative privacy, for only a very slightly unreasonable fee.
This time, once he'd allowed his eyes to adjust to the dim light within, Jace saw an opportunity to turn the tables. He swept across the room, waving to one or two of the other regulars, and dropped suddenly into the booth where Liliana was halfheartedly picking at something that could have been pate. Her yelp as he suddenly appeared beside her was almost cute.
'Turnabout,' he said to her, taking a scoop of the pate and then wrinkling his nose at the taste, 'is fair play.'
'Oh, Jace, Jace, Jace,' she cooed at him. 'You have no idea how many games I know.'
Jace winced. 'I really wish you'd call me Darrim when we're in public.'
'And you're being silly. Nobody's listening to us. What are you doing here?'
'Looking for you,' he told her. 'We haven't really had a lot of time to talk.'
'Haven't we?' she asked archly.
'Well… Not alone,' he amended.
'I'll tell you what,' she told him with a mischievous smile. 'Right now, this so-called 'food' is enough to horn in on any conversation. Word to the wise? The sausa ge, the steaks, and the dumplings here are excellent. You should probably avoid anything else.'
'Got it.'
'You go get me something that's actually, say, edible, and I'll be happy to sit and talk with you.'
'Yes, m'lady,' he told her.
'Don't get sassy. That's my job.'
Jace grinned and headed to the bar.
Liliana watched him go, a thoughtful look in her eyes, and stretched languidly back in her chair. For a few moments she listened to the ambient noise of the restaurant, the clink of glasses and platters, the dull hum of a dozen different unimportant conversations. And she glanced up as a shadow fell over the table, surprised that Jace was back so soon-and couldn't help but roll her eyes heavenward when she saw it wasn't Jace at all.
It was an unfortunate fact of life, one she'd learned long ago, that in any tavern, any restaurant, any party- sometimes even in temple services! — there was always at least one man convinced that any halfway attractive woman couldn't live without his attentions. Lots of people assumed such things occurred only rarely; these people weren't the women in question. Was it something to do with the powers she commanded? Some unconscious death wish, or an attraction deep in the soul to one who had touched the spirits of so many others? Or was she seeking meaning where there was none, and it really was just a combination of poor upbringing and unabashed lust?
In any event, Liliana looked up at the fellow standing over the table, leering down at her, and wanted none of it. Though at least this one kept his red beard decently trimmed, had all his teeth, and was clad in a clean outfit (in the usual garish hues of those who wanted to seem richer than they were)-unlike some of the others who'd sought to abuse her hospitality in the past.
'Now what's a beautiful-' was all he got out before Liliana deliberately yawned in his face and turned away.
'Just a goddamn minute!' the fellow snarled, reaching across the table. 'You're at least gonna do me the courtesy of listening to what I've got to…' And again he stopped, his hand mere inches from her wrist. Liliana looked back, startled despite herself to see the fellow suddenly straighten up and clear his throat.
'Well, this is awkward,' he said, and though his voice was the same, his tone, his inflection, were those of another man entirely. 'I mean, here you are trying to enjoy your lunch, and I have to barge over and ruin it for you. I really must apologize.'
She stared, utterly bewildered.
'It's got to be particularly awkward for your friend,' he continued. 'I mean, he doesn't know you very well. Would you want him to stay out of it, trusting you to handle it? Or to leap in and beat the crap out of me, even though I've got about fifty pounds on him? He's got to be frantic, trying to figure out the right choice.'
Liliana felt a grin stretching over her face, so wide she was sure it had to reach all the way to her ears. She craned her neck, peering around the newcomer, to see Jace halfway between the table and the bar, his eyes locked on the red-bearded man, his brow furrowed in deep concentration. And she laughed, a throaty, musical sound of pure delight.
'I think,' she told the nearby fellow, though her eyes remained on Jace, 'that he's done just fine.'
Jace and his 'spokesman' grinned as one; the latter wandered away, shaking his head in puzzlement, while the former returned to the table, two platters of food in hand.
He tossed, he turned, he flipped the pillow, he punched the mattress, he even contemplated casting a spell on himself. But no matter what he tried, Jace couldn't find his way to sleep.
Dinner had been a disaster. Before Liliana arrived, Kallist had done nothing but talk about his continual hunt for a job in this miserable district, and about how Jace should be finding one, too, if he wasn't willing to go back to his old methods, about how their stores of gold wouldn't last forever, and blah, blah, blah.
And after she'd arrived? Jace, who really wanted to get to know Liliana better than their conversation at Eshton's had allowed, couldn't have forced his way into the conversation with a battering ram. Everything was about Kallist, Kallist's history with the Consortium, the various dangers and hazards he'd overcome in their service. Sure, those often involved Jace as well, but he hadn't realized, until he'd heard someone else tell them, just how much those events had cast him as the sidekick, aiding Kallist in his endeavors.
When all was said and done, Jace knew no more about Liliana Vess than he had that morning, except that she had a habit of salting damn near everything on the table-and that he really enjoyed watching her eat.
Finally Jace rolled out of bed, bound and determined to wake Kallist and have himself a good long rant. Whether he just wanted to yell, or actually hoped to clear the air, he couldn't say-because when he entered the center room of the three-room flat, he saw the door to Kallist's chamber standing wide open and empty.
Jace went back to bed and lay awake for hours more, fighting sleep when finally it deigned to come, until he heard Kallist's steps upon the stair and was certain his friend was returning alone.
It was roughly a week later when Kallist returned from one of his forays with something approaching good news.
'Found a job, have you?' Jace inquired.
'Shift commander in a local merchant's private guard.'
'A guard? You? You're kidding!' Jace couldn't help but laugh and was gratified to see Kallist smile along with him.
'You'd think so, but no. Seems there's been an increase in crime due to the poor crop growth from the swamp expansion. So the merchants can't rely on the city guard to protect them, and there's some sort of underground merchant war going on over what crops are left… Well, it's all very complex and economical, and you couldn't care less.'
'Not even remotely,' Jace agreed, still grinning. 'I take it this 'war' means that you'll be doing a little more than guarding?'
'I might have a few slightly less legal job duties,'
Kallist admitted, 'but hey, they pay better.'
'Well, congratulations, Kallist.' Jace honestly meant it, and Kallist was honestly glad to hear it.
The newfound peace lasted through all of three minutes of further conversation.
'By all the Eternities!' Jace squelched the urge to hurl something heavy and pointed at his friend. 'How many
