He was just about to snap at Daks to sit down when he heard footsteps approaching outside. He waved frantically at Daks as his heart thudded against his rib cage. Sparrow couldn’t have delivered her message and made it back this soon, even if she’d run flat out from the temple.
“Ravi?” a familiar voice hissed.
“In here,” he whispered, relieved.
When Vic’s stringy blond hair popped through the opening, quickly followed by the rest of him, Ravi couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. Only a few short hours ago, he’d thought he’d never see his friend again. He wanted to drag Vic into his arms and squeeze the breath out of him, but he had to content himself with putting as much feeling into his grin as he could manage.
“What are you doing here?” Ravi asked.
“I should ask you that. What happened last night? I thought—”
Vic stopped and eyed Daks warily, and Ravi waved a hand. “It’s okay. He knows. He was there.”
“So, what happened?”
Ravi cast a sour look at Daks, his anger and embarrassment rising again. They were speaking in Rassan, but he had no way of knowing whether Daks understood. “I had a Vision. This guy showed up. Then a Rift-blighted brother, a Finder, came, and another Vision knocked me out. I don’t even remember the second one, but he says I spouted some prophecy before I passed out.”
Vic whistled and shook his head. “You really are cursed.”
A bitter chuckle escaped him. “I keep telling you that, but none of you believe me. Why do you think I wouldn’t let you come with me last night?”
“They’re gonna be looking for you now, huh?”
Ravi closed his eyes and nodded. Vic sidled closer. Heat radiated from his thin body, but Ravi didn’t dare lean toward it.
“What can I do?” Vic asked, giving him the splash of cold water he needed.
“Nothing.”
“I’m serious, Ravi,” Vic replied, leaning in earnestly.
“So am I. I don’t want you or the others anywhere near this. The whole reason I left was to keep you safe. Sparrow’s gone to get this guy’s friend. I guess she’s the one who told you where to find me?”
Vic nodded. “Yeah, she ran into Bett on her way, and Bett found me.”
“Well, Daks here and his friend are going to get me out of the city. The best thing all of you can do is stay as far away from us as possible.”
Vic’s lips set in a stubborn line, and his pale eyebrows dipped over his long, slender nose. Ravi knew that look. He’d seen it by lamplight only a few hours ago as they’d argued over Ravi going to the night market alone. He’d won that one, and he’d win again.
“Be smart, Vic. Why the hells do you think I came all the way out to this gods-awful place? To stay as far away from the rest of you as I could. They’re already searching for me. If I have another Vision, they’ll be on us in no time.”
Vic shifted uncomfortably, as he always did when the topic of magic came up, but he still jutted his dirt-smudged pointy chin out. “We take care of our own.”
“That’s what I’m doing,” Ravi replied sadly.
They held each other’s gazes in silence for a few heartbeats until the big lump in the room cleared his throat.
“Hate to break up whatever you two got going here or ruin your big self-sacrifice, but we might need all the help we can getting out of the city.” Daks spoke in trade tongue, but obviously, he’d understood at least part of their conversation.
When both Ravi and Vic turned to stare at him, Daks shrugged. “I kind of want to make it out of Rassa alive too, you know. And so does Shura.”
Vic grinned. “What can I do?” he asked, switching to trade tongue as well.
“Nothing,” Ravi growled.
“Not sure,” Daks replied at the same time. “Shura’s usually better at this kind of sneaking around, planning things out ahead of time stuff. I’m more of a spur of the moment kind of guy.”
Ravi stifled a snort and rolled his eyes, seriously reconsidering his decision to ally with this man. He sincerely hoped this Shura woman was everything Daks claimed, or they were all doomed.
Vic turned to face Daks directly and worried his lower lip. “If you can get out of the city, you can make it the rest of the way out of Rassa on your own?”
“Yeah. If need be. We’ve had to travel upriver to cross into Samebar before. We can do it again. My main worry is getting us out of the city itself without triggering another Vision that will bring the Finder or have them right behind us as we flee. The gate guards will be looking for us, and they’ll be searching the docks too. I saw what looked like mercenaries with the brother last night, or at least they weren’t in King’s Guard uniforms. Heard anything about that? Has the Brotherhood started its own army?”
Ravi’s stomach clenched as he and Vic exchanged a wide-eyed look. “I’ve never heard of it, if they have,” Ravi said.
Daks glanced between them, looking pensive. “I’d really love to know what that was about,” he murmured almost to himself before shaking his head. “But getting us out is more important. Do you know any ways out of the city other than the gates?”
Rassat sat across the
