Kael.
"He is not around," Polla said.
Rael made a sound from the corner.
I looked at her.
"I did not say anything," she said.
"You made a sound."
"That was breathing."
"Rael."
"I am allowed to breathe."
"You breathed with intent."
"Kael." She tilted her head slightly. "That sounds like your problem."
…
Stare.
…
I looked back at Polla.
"When will he be back."
"Tomorrow afternoon."
"We cannot wait until tomorrow afternoon."
"I know," Polla said. "Is there something I can help you with."
I glanced at Rael.
She was watching now. No pretending.
Waiting.
Fine.
I put Mira's papers on the desk.
Not everything.
Just what mattered.
Pattern.
Movement.
The sketch.
Polla's eyes moved across them.
Paused.
Then settled on me.
"Our missing party members," I said. "We searched the room. These were hidden. Years of investigation." I tapped the pages. "Ravine Dogs. Multiple territories. Disappear three years ago." I tapped the sketch. "One of them was seen here."
…
Polla didn't respond immediately.
She looked at the sketch.
Longer.
Then turned.
Drawer.
Clack.
Another.
Clack.
A third.
Clack.
She pulled out a file.
Set it down.
"The guild has an active bounty file on the Ravine Dogs," she said. "Six individuals. Open for nine years."
…
I picked it up.
Flip.
…
Lyra. 150 gold.
Detroi. 210 gold.
Torin. 500 gold.
Toto. 500 gold.
…
My hand slowed.
Twice.
Not a reward.
A warning.
I kept reading.
Celine.
999 gold.
…
"…Right."
…
I looked at the sketch.
Then the number.
Then back again.
…
Leader.
No name.
No description.
No record.
Just—
All prior engagements resulted in casualties.
1500 gold.
…
My grip tightened.
Not hard.
Just enough.
No record.
That wasn't unknown.
That was erased.
…
I looked at the total.
3859 gold.
…
I set the paper down.
Carefully.
Like it might bite.
Took one step back.
Then another.
"No."
Rael looked at me.
"No."
I pointed at the page.
"No."
"Kael—"
"That is not a bounty list."
My voice was steady.
Flat.
"That is a graveyard with numbers next to it."
…
Silence.
…
"500 gold means people like us don't come back."
I tapped again.
"999 means people better than us didn't come back."
My finger rested on the last line.
"And 1500—"
I looked at her.
"—means no one even knows why."
…
Swallow.
…
Rael picked up the file.
Read it.
Put it down.
"We are not hunting them."
I stared at her.
"We are finding Mira and Senna."
"That list is attached to them."
"It points somewhere. That's all."
"It points into something that kills people for a living."
"Then we move carefully."
"Carefully doesn't help if you're already outmatched."
"Standing still doesn't help either."
…
I exhaled.
Looked back at the paper.
At Celine.
At the sketch in my pocket.
Mira drawing that face over and over.
Not for money.
For something unfinished.
…
I thought about Mira.
Captured.
Still thinking.
Still planning.
Because she doesn't stop.
I thought about Senna.
Her book.
Still open.
Waiting.
…
Clench.
…
I picked up the bounty list.
Folded it.
Put it in my jacket beside the sketch.
"This is a lead," I said.
"Not a target."
Rael didn't argue.
"We move with that."
A beat.
"If we run into them—"
I tapped my jacket.
"—we don't play hero."
She looked at me.
"We'll decide when we see them."
"Rael."
"One thing at a time."
…
"Tch."
…
I turned back to Polla.
"Anything else. Recent movement."
Polla reached back.
Clack.
Pulled out more pages.
Set them down.
"Last confirmed sighting. Verath's Crossing. Fourteen months ago."
She slid another page forward.
"Three days ago. Missing persons report. Same pattern. Filed from Verath's Crossing. They followed the trail east."
…
I went still.
"They're here."
"Yes."
"Another party."
"Their commission is on the board."
…
I turned.
Looked across the guild.
Four people.
Not locals.
You could tell.
The way they stood.
The way they watched without looking like they were watching.
…
I looked away.
Filed it.
Looked back at Polla.
"Thank you."
She nodded.
Went back to work.
I gathered the pages.
Turned.
Rael was already at the door.
"Where do we start," I said.
She didn't look back.
"We move."
…
I followed.
Behind us—
the four from Verath's Crossing didn't look up.
Not yet.