heaved him off his feet. The crowd cheered wildly.
The moment of distraction cost her as well. Stag's fist seemed to snake out of nowhere and snap into her jaw. The punch spun her halfway around and knocked her to the floor.
'You're a lot of trouble, red bird!' Stag growled as he drew a foot back to kick her.
Feena threw herself away and came up beside Drik and Keph. The young man was struggling ferociously against Drik's embrace, but the bandit just kept squeezing tighter. Feena rolled up to her knees and drove a punch hard into Drik's kidneys. He gasped and stumbled. As soon as Keph's feet touched the ground, he hunched forward sharply, tumbling Drik over his shoulders. Drik didn't loosen his embrace, however. For a heartbeat, the two men stood twined, then Drik went over, pulling Keph after him. They sprawled across the floor, both stunned, as the crowd jeered. Feena scrambled to her feet and swung around to face Stag once more. The bandit was circling her, fists ready. She took a slow step away from where Drik and Keph lay.
'Trouble?' she asked. 'You don't know the half of it.' She gestured for him with both hands. 'Come and get me.'
Stag took a cautious pace forward. Feena glanced down.
'Keph! Yours!'
On the floor at Stag's feet, Keph looked up. He grinned viciously and his hands snapped out to grab at the bandit's leg. Stag stumbled, surprised. Feena darted forward, grasped the fabric of his shirt, and slammed her knee into his groin. Stag let out a horrible rattling gasp and stiffened.
'Bitch!'
Still holding Stag upright, Feena spun around. Drik was up in a crouch, one leg stretched out, the other bent in front of him. Sharp metal glinted in his hand. A throwing knife. His arm drew back…
Keph twisted over onto his side, pulled a leg in, then kicked out hard. His booted foot hammered straight into Drik's bent knee with a bone-splintering crunch. Drik shrieked and the knife tumbled from his fingers as he toppled over, clutching his leg.
For a moment, the crowd held its breath, then erupted in a roar of appreciation for the brawl.
Keph pushed himself up and rose to his feet. Feena glanced at Stag. The bandit's eyes had rolled back and he was making rasping, choking noises that flecked his lips with foamy saliva. She shoved him into Keph's arms.
'I'm done,' she said over the noise of the crowd. 'Your turn.'
The young man pushed Stag to the floor, grabbing her instead and pulling her close.
Keph felt the red-haired wildcat's body stiffen in alarm as he drew her in.
'Easy!' he hissed before she got the wrong ideahe didn't want to try fighting her on his own. 'We're not out of danger yet.'
He spun her around toward the door of the Cutter's Dip. Between them and it were big Kor, wily old Noyle, half-mad Lahumbra, and a few other thugs. None of them looked happy.
'Those are Stag and Drik's friends,' he whispered in the woman's ear. 'They'll cool down later, but if we want to get out of here now, we'd best go together.'
The woman's eyes narrowed and she nodded. Keph led the way toward the door. The woman didn't try to challenge him. Hands reaching out to touch and congratulate them, the crowd parted easily. The woman flinched backafter a round of Dip's Stagger, Keph thought, who could blame her? but he accepted the congratulations and shook hands easily. As they drifted past the bar, the thugs were forced back away from them by the press of people, but he heard Noyle hiss out a warning.
'Best not be coming back to the Cutter's Dip any time soon!'
The woman started to twist angrily. Keph held his grip on her and kept them moving.
'Bad odds,' he muttered to her. 'You can get back at them another time.'
A moment later, they were through the tavern's door and out on the platforms of the Stiltways. Keph walked a short distance away from the Cutter's Dip, then let out a breath and released his hold on the woman.
'What did you do to get Stag and Drik so mad at you?' he asked her.
'They tried to rob me a tenday ago,' she said bluntly. 'I objected.' She jerked her head at the door of the Dip. 'This was just… unlucky. Thank you for your help.'
Keph couldn't hold back a disdainful snort.
Dark, he thought, if Jarull and the other cultists saw this
'Don't thank me,' he told her. 'If Stag had held his tongue, I would have given you back to him.'
The woman looked at him with disgust. 'I guess I shouldn't have expected any more.' She drew herself up as if she wore a noblewoman's finery instead of country clothes, and lifted her chin haughtily. 'In that case, accept my apologies for interrupting your drink and my congratulations on a fight well fought.'
Keph blinked at the change in her manner and cocked his head. Country wife, scrapper, noblethe woman had more sides than a loaded die. She must have recognized the surprise in his expression because she grimaced and shook her head.
'No,' she said, as much to herself as to him it seemed. She looked at him and bent her head. 'Thank you,' she said with genuine gratitude. 'Even if you don't accept itthank you.'
'I…' He searched for words, something that would knock her back down. To his surprise, he couldn't find any. 'You're… welcome,' he told her haltingly.
She extended her hand. 'Feena,' she said.
'Keph,' he replied, 'but then, you already know that.' He took her hand and bowed over it politely.
Feena started.
'Keph Thingoleir?' she asked, surprised.
Keph bit down on his tongue, let go of her hand, and said, 'My reputation precedes me.'
Feena seemed confused. 'No,' she said, 'it's just… this is the second time tonight I've heard your name. And you shake hands like your father.'
'I'm sure he'd be pleased to hear that,' Keph snapped. He stepped away from her. 'You should go.'
She looked at him strangely. 'I'm sorry if I'
'Go. And like Noyle said, best not be coming back any time soon.'
'All right.' Feena's expression hardened. 'Will they come after you?'
Keph laid a hand on Quick. No weapons was an unspoken rule inside the Cutter's Dip, but outside was another matter.
'They can try.'
'You'll be alone,' she warned.
'I was waiting for a friend before you came along. He'll be here soon.' He gave Feena a cold glare. 'Leave!'
She turned and stalked awaythen paused and twisted to look back at him.
'I owe you,' she said, then she turned back around and continued on.
'You don't owe me anything!' he shouted after her.
He turned to the railing of the platform and looked out into the darkness of the Stiltways.
Dark, he thought silently. Mistress of the Night, are you the only one who can see me as more than the failed son of Strasus Thingoleir?
He squeezed his eyes closed for a moment, then opened them again. He stood that way for a long while, listening as the sounds of the Cutter's Dip returned to normal at his back. The bleeding light of the tavern caught his shadow and threw it out, long and thin.
Heavy footsteps came creaking along the platform toward him. He twisted around. Jarull stood staring at him.
'What are you doing out here?' the big man asked in surprise.
Keph put on a false smile. 'A little trouble,' he laughed. 'Nothing I couldn't handle.' He swaggered up to his friend and punched him in the arm. 'You should have been here. You would have enjoyed it!'
Jarull gave him a sober look and said, 'Variance wants to see you.'
All of Keph's swagger and bravado vanished. He slumped back against a wall.
'Dark, Jarull.' He pushed his hands through his hair. 'Did she say anything? Is she still angry?'
Three nights past, as he, Talisk, Starne, and Baret had staggered through the depths of the Stiltways celebrating his revenge against Lyraene, Variance had descended on them like the wrath of Shar herself. For Baret, still trembling after the Selunite's spell, the dark priestess's appearance had been too much. He had shrieked and
