Empire of Shadows

3.

"You absolute idiot boy!" Dante threw her arms around Ketil and he winced as she hugged her slight body to his. "I should skin you alive for all this trouble!"

"Dante, my ribs. I broke my ribs." He whispered and she took a step back, hitting the doorframe of the Spire. She grabbed her lantern there illuminating them in soft red light.

She punched his arm hard and he winced again. "It serves you right! Coming home half-broken and with an... escort! Ketil Østberg, I thought I taught you better!"

Vasco raised his hand, "excuse me, may I have a moment to speak? I saved his life."

Dante put her free hand on her hip. "Well, what are you then, escort?"

"He's one of us. Dante's riesun too." Ketil took a shaky breath. "Where's Raziel?"

"Raziel was shot in the leg, trying to escape the panic that you caused." Anubis appeared on the internal stone steps of the Spire, her head lifted with a slight frown pulling at her lips. "You killed the Mistress Weeping, but you almost got all of us killed in the process. If I had to guess, they will be giving every escort a thorough interrogation. You really have no sense of self-preservation, do you Ketil? It's really a shot in the dark with you, isn't it?"

"If I might," Vasco lifted his hand, "I was the one to kill her. Ketil was blamed for my actions."

"Let them both in." Anubis stepped away from the door and shook her head. She had changed her masquerade dress into something dark blue and simple that hugged the curves of her body but gave her no real shape. Ketil had made it for her three years ago for what he said was a Polarian holiday. His careful stitch-work at the bottom was gone because in a moment of panic where the edge caught on something during a heist, she ripped the entire bottom off. It now only reached slightly below mid-calf. It was still a thing of beauty, if he did say so himself.

Vasco helped Ketil inside as he stared up at the clock tower in wonder. "You people live here? It's beautiful. And to live so close to the Inquisition?"

"The Town of Kantloe," Ketil muttered, "is very loose on their morals. As long as we supply the goods."

"We're just one happy family of freaks and curios." Dante replaced the lamp on a peg in the wall and turned to Anubis. "See—" she gestured to Ketil "—you should've let me come! I could've been a crucial part of the team."

"Dante," Anubis warned.

"No, I'm not saying you're wrong, but I could've help—"

"Dante, you are not strong enough to assassinate anyone," Anubis said with a certain finality. "You have more morals and ethics than the majority of us and you could not kill a man who held a knife to your throat. Shut the door, we have things to discuss. First of all, what is this escort doing inside of the Spire? We have rules."

Vasco pulled off his mask to reveal a soft face with carefully drawn cheeks and an aquiline nose. His dark hair was pulled into a low ponytail that defined the edges of his forehead. "My name is Vasco Dracon. Servant of the night for eight years."

"He's riesun," Ketil muttered. "Killed Weeping and saved my life, I think."

"There's no think about it, he definitely saved your life." Anubis muttered, stepping down to stare into Vasco's dark eyes. "Curious thing what you did back there."

He extended his hand, "curious is what I do."

Anubis shook her head, "if I take your hand, I kill you. I'd prefer to know if I should kill you first before proceeding."