Melissa looked up in bewilderment as I opened the door to the practice chamber again. She glanced between me and the chunk of stone she'd pried loose from the floor, currently frozen mid-scrape against one of the irons I'd left her in.

"Don't worry," I said. "I expected you to do that anyway. The door would have been something trickier for you to handle. Come on, we're going on a trip."

"I..what," she said flatly, dropping the stone, expression tightening. "Yes, because what I want to do is go to some place alone with you, when the last time we met before all of this was me beating you to a pulp."

"You should maybe have not mentioned that," I told her. "Even when at someone's mercy, don't remind them of reasons they have for not liking you."

Not advice I managed to keep myself, but still.

"Besides, we aren't going anywhere alone," I told her. "We're going in the company of the Empire's greatest detective to a crime scene."

"That makes me less cooperative, not more," she said. "Why should I go instead of trying to break out of your house?"

"Consider yourself Versalicci's informant," I told her. "Sure, everyone is going to figure whatever is said will worm its way back to him, but it's still better access than any member of the gang would get."

Melissa frowned, expression going a little pensive as she mulled that over. She seemed to be genuinely loyal to Gio, so that had to be weighing on her some. Hells, back in the old days, getting anyone close to Voltar had been a project pursued by Versalicci to varying extents up until Understreet had come under siege. Never any long-term success there.

"And if the Watch, or someone else decides to just take me captive and try to torture the location of the Street Beneath out of me?"

I blinked. "I thought he'd been joking when he said you'd all decided to name it that. But, in short, they aren't going to know you're Flame."

"I'm a diabolist who is an Infernal," Melissa said, then tapped the flaming goat's skull tattooed into the back of her hand. "Even if this didn't give it away immediately, that's probably a close enough hint."

"It's a hint, but nothing to be acted on," I corrected her. "They aren't going to just nab you, especially if you're accompanying Voltar. As for the tattoo, I got a way to hide that."

She tried to pull away from me, eyes gone wide. "I am not letting you alter my body! Malachti told me what you used to do to people!"

"I have no idea what nonsense Malachti has been spouting since I've left," I said drily while I reached into the pocket of my coat. "But I meant these."

I held up a pair of thick, leather alchemist's gloves, a little stained from chemical exposure but otherwise in pristine condition.

"Oh," she said, relaxing just a little. "Those would work?"

"They'll work for plausible deniability," I said. "I understand the reluctance. Really. I had to be dragged into a mess like this kicking and screaming. But, if you really want to help our brother? There's no better place than here for right now."

She mulled it over, and I didn't press any further. It was a fragile decision, one that could be upset by pushing her too hard.

"Fine," she said. "Voltar will be fine with this?"

"Don't worry about it."

***

Voltar rubbed his temple, eyes closed.

"So, somehow, not only did last night's escapades result in one dead secret diabolist abducting and murdering the poor of the Quarter, but it also resulted in you abducting Gregory Montague and a Black Flame diabolist. Who you now want to let me accompany us and participate in the investigation?"

"That about sums it up," I replied, picking up some more alchemicals to bring along with me. With the foresight of knowing how these murders were being done, I could actually bring some more useful substances along with us this time.

"Well, it can't turn out any worse than the last time that happened," Dr. Dawes opined.

It was just the three of us; Gregory and Tagashin were waiting out in the carriage, and Melissa down below. I'd spent the time briefly explaining what had happened last night, minus the detail of Melissa potentially being my half-sibling. I finished packing up my gear, looking up to see Voltar intently staring down at me.

"You know I would be reluctant to do this in the best of circumstances," he said. "Why push for this? I can't imagine you're eager to associate with the Flame again. Or are you?"

I smiled just a little. "I imagine that lingering nugget of distrust will always be there. That's fine. Think of it along these lines. If she's telling the truth, she is the last loyal diabolist Versalicci has working for him."

"You think you can save her?" Dawes asked.

"I think I can make a good effort," I said. "And if not, well better closer to us and not by his side during this mess."

"How confident are you she is the last loyal diabolist?" Voltar said. "This is hardly the first time Daver has faked his death."

I frowned. "It's the first time I've heard of him trying to. What are you talking about?"

"That time he left his leg behind during the assault on the safehouse," Voltar said, waving his hand dismissively. "I will admit the rotted nature of the limb did confuse me for a time, but his disappearance from Versalicci's operations for near a year did nearly convince me of his demise."

"I don't want to destroy whatever conclusions you formed at the time," I said, leaning across the countertop. "But that wasn't him trying to fake his death, that was him getting blackout drunk and nearly rotting his own leg off on accident."

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Voltar turned to face me, his expression almost as if I'd told him the sky was bright purple. "He what?"

"It's a long story, and not all that relevant," I said hurriedly. "But yes, he didn't intend to fake his death, and yes he did rot his own leg off."

"So you may be correct," Voltar said, every word grating like sandpaper as he forced them out. "That she is the last diabolist. She will be in close proximity to all of us, and she is still loyal to Versalicci. Why should I allow this?"

"Because no one else is doing anything," I snapped, and Doctor Dawes recoiled. Voltar remained still though, eyes narrowing.

"No one is doing anything," I reiterated. "Versalicci is at large, nearly took over this city, and everyone acts like it didn't happen."

Because he was so incompetent it barely mattered, The Imp said, picking the worst time to interject and the most moronic comment to make.

Shut up, I thought, angrily enough I hoped it could actually hear me.

"They've gone from being treated like an existential threat to just another gang," I continued, staring at a stony Voltar. "Which I imagine doesn't sit right with you or anyone else involved in Understreet. Unless you know why and think it's good enough to keep him running around unchecked. Do you?"

Silence for a bit, Dawes moving to just out of my line of sight but I kept my gaze locked on Voltar.

"You can bring her."

***

The carriage was packed, six of us scrunched inside. Not helping was forced seating arrangements after I'd brought the sixth member out of the cellar.

I wouldn't sit near Gregory, Melissa refused to even be near Voltar and Dawes, and Gregory for some reason refused to sit with Tagashin. Separated by gender, me in the middle to keep Tagashin and Melissa separated.

That meant a stone-faced Voltar opposite of a smirking, flirtatious Tagashin, a charming Gregory across from a furious, unhappy Melissa, and a reluctant me across from an equally uncomfortable Doctor Dawes.

Outside, Ilvare burned its black glare, only the rim of it the same color as the other suns. Somehow this resulted in a day that was just as dark as when clouds filled the sky, but the light of everything around us hadn't changed at all.

Magic. Sometimes no matter how much you studied it, the things it did just made no sense.

"So," Tagshin said, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had built since we'd figured out the seating. She'd assumed her disguise as Barnes, although she still wore that shockingly pink ensemble. "You and Gregory are back together again?"

I glared at the openly smirking Tagashin, trying to think of the best way to answer that the treacherous vixen couldn't twist into some kind of insult.

"If I kick you out of the door and it doesn't even inconvenience her, does it still count as assault?" Gregory asked, getting a melodramatic gasp of outrage out of Tagashin.

"Mr. Montague, why I never," she said. "You would suggest assault on a poor innocent woman? Truly I thought better of you."

"I suggest assault on someone who counts on another's honor as a guarantee to sting others without retaliation," Gregory replied, leaning towards her. "Maybe take it as a warning to stop stinging everyone in sight."

"I found poisoning her does wonders for that," I offered, which made his eyes widen.

"Enough," Voltar said, his voice cutting through a half-formed reply from Gregory. "Barnes, please restrain from lashing everyone with that whip you call a tongue. A person has died, and potentially more could have if not for intervention that ended the Infernal corruption effects before they could attack citizens. Malvia, on the events of last night, did anything else happen?"

Something had, and I couldn't believe it had slipped my mind. I suppose with everything else that had happened later, it had gotten overshadowed.

"Alice Skall visited last night," I told Voltar.

Everyone turned their attention to me at that, all of them startled except Tagashin, who remained smirking.

"Really?" Voltar said. "I believed she was dead."

"So did I," I admitted. "Apparently not only did she fake her death, but Versalicci told her I was to blame for her name getting dragged through the mud a month ago. Back when you decided her name would be a safe one to blame for the 'poisonings' of Edward Montague and Desmond Karsin."

I didn't miss the slight tightening in Gregory's expression at the mention of his older brother. He needed to get over it, it wasn't as if I'd personally pushed his brother into the Nover or anything like that. Did he think I was able to fight drakes when they wanted something? If it was even those three drakes that were responsible.

"Right," Voltar said. "When I decided to use her. In my defense, I was quite confident in her death."

Actually, Tagashin had decided to use her name. But two people here did not need to know about the Kitsune's connections to all of this. Or the fact she existed.

Barnes' smirk widened just enough I couldn't be sure if it was my imagination or not.

"Another diabolist in town just as these murders begin," Gregory said, looking between me and Voltar. "Since I don't have the experience with her that any of you do, is it possible?"

"Very unlikely," Voltar said at the same time as I said "No."

"Alice Skall is very unlikely to have struck up a personal relationship with Father Reginald," Voltar said.

"I can guess why," Melissa said bitterly, speaking for the first time.

"Not any animosity," Voltar said. "Father Reginald was overseas until a few months ago, on an extended pilgrimage across the ocean. As for Alice Skall also heading there, well."

As much freedom as Infernals might have gotten to leave the Quarters, to leave the country itself was a different story. Possible? Certainly. Possible to get back in? Perhaps? Likely to have done both.

No.

"Besides that, if she's here for revenge on her name being brought up," I said. "She'd not be drawing attention to herself with that. Alice was laying low for five years before now. Best guess? She's irritated attention is being brought to her name again, and worried about if it means someone will find her out. She crept into my house to interrogate me for answers. Her first move instead being to murder the priest would be…contradictory."

"Unless she's counting on us to think that," Gregory noted. "Could she?"

"Potentially," Voltar said. "We will undoubtedly be able to tell more once we arrive at the murder scene. Her being acquainted with one of the members of this program is already stretching the boundaries of believability, being associated with more than one is frankly impossible. Savareth's priestess is also apparently not the friendliest of people."

"Different deity," I noted. Seas and storms, but beyond that I knew little. "Also part of the program?"

"I believe I'm not the one to ask on that," Voltar said, looking to Gregory.

Gregory shook his head slightly. "If you think they trusted me with the names of every member the same day they informed me the program existed, you're mistaken. Honestly getting Bishop Gallaspie to admit there were more than five was like pulling teeth out. Bishop Derrick is friendlier, but I'm an imposition forced on them. And me admitting that the program exists will make them less willing to share information, not more."

Melissa's eyes widened as she understood what we were discussing, but she held her tongue.

See? Bait on the hook already planted.

"I suppose we'll know when we get there," I said, looking out the carriage window.

We were approaching the docks, passing by a bustling warehouse on our way to one of the many ports along the Nover. Made sense for a deity of the seas, although the Nover could only broadly be called a river. What filled it could hardly be called water.

The bustling of the warehouse did catch my attention though. Belton had been one Infernal's appearance away from a riot when I'd arrived there.

"You said the infernal corruption was caught in time?" I asked Voltar. "So news of it is-?"

"Contained for now," Doctor Dawes said. "But not for long. People will notice sooner rather than later."

"Apparently not contained enough," Gregory said, looking out the window as well. "I think that answers your question about the victim."

I looked out myself, and with only a glance understood what he meant. Ahead of us, a loose cordon of Watch officers were at the end of a dock that led down to what could only be described as a giant barnacle. At that cordon, two very familiar bishops were busy arguing with that picket line of Watch.

Well, this should prove interesting.

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