Sly

Chapter Thirty Nine

"Sly!" Bricker came bursting into the room, jarring me from the doze I had fallen into. His strained expression in contrast to the calm Pettypiece who walked in after him. The boyish rouge I'd found beaten in the square months ago was tousled, shaken. Falling to a knee by the bed, his fine clothes were wrinkled and his mask was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm in one piece, calm down," I started, but he barely let his eyes sweep over me before scooping me up in a hug. I winced at the stabbing pain in my arm, and he pulled back to inspect it.

"You're bandaged. What happened?" he demanded.

"There was a fight."

"Obviously," he scoffed. "I heard the fighting outside but I wasn't able to get there in time. I didn't think too much when you ran out of the ballroom but when I couldn't find you . . ." His expression was no less than heartbreak, and it shattered me. I'd done it this time, the pile of lies was starting to topple, and it was hurting the people I cared about.

"Bricker-"

"Not another excuse," he said. "What happened?"

Pettypiece and I exchanged a look. Whatever the captain was thinking, it was kept well off his face and I had no idea how he wanted me to respond.

Sighing through my nose, I adjusted my arm onto the bedding. "I took a wound to the arm, but nothing that won't heal. I have to stay here to recover, it may be a few days. My fight was with Grethan."

"Grethan," Bricker seethed.

"Ahem." By now the captain had closed the door and was standing by. "I assume this is the person you sent for?"

"Yes, thank you so much, captain."

"Captain?" Bricker asked, and I noted the slight movement to put himself between us. Never trust a coin, and what bigger coin than someone who worked in the palace? If nothing else, he'd learned his lessons from Dirk well. "That's another thing. Is this who you've been conspiring with? He hasn't spoken a word to me other than to say you were looking for me. You wouldn't talk to us Sly, what's going on?"

"Please respect captan Pettypiece, he's on our side." My tired eyes flicked to the captian and then back to Bricker. "For the rest, I was sworn to secrecy. Things have gotten more complicated. What Davery stumbled on was important, and like it or not I was wrapped up in this so suddenly I couldn't avoid it. There was no telling anyone outside of these walls what was going on, I didn't say before for your own safety. I'm letting you in on it now because we need you. I need you."

Bricker's expression remained stone. "That's not an answer."

"I'm sorry, alright? Davery knew before he . . . he knew, ok? And he trusts what I'm doing. I'm sorry I shut you out." My voice cracked as it hung on the last word. "Please."

His expression finally softened, easing into the jovial lines I was used to. "Sly . . ."

"Bricker, is it?" Pettypiece broke the awkward silence, holding out his hand for Bricker. The two men stared at each other for a long minute before Bricker grabbed it and they shook. "I'm First Captain Arden Pettypiece, guard captain for the palace and the whole of the city of Unays. Miss Aylward has been an essential asset in an important investigation. Truly, we would not be where we are without her."

Bricker's eyebrows shot up as he glanced my way, and Pettypiece continued. "She speaks highly of yourself and your companions. We beg help today, there aren't enough of us and she trusts you could do a job for the good of Unays."

"A job huh?" All the aggression had left him, but he wasn't quite back to his usual smile yet. "How does the captain of the city guard not have enough people already?"