Vin was waiting for us.

  The guards had been nice enough to take us from the house to the underground stables in a goat cart. I wasn’t sure that it was completely them being nice, or they could have been trying to get us out of the city as fast as possible. The look on Vin's face gave me another option.

  They might have just wanted to drive the cart.

  “Is that for me?!?” Vin’s eyes lit up as he jogged towards us.

  Our escorts reached for their weapons and yanked on the reins to stop the cart.

  “Whoa!” I touched both guards on the shoulders and leeched off a good bit of their fear. It was bitter and left a metallic taste in my mouth, but it calmed them down. “That’s my brother. He’s not going to attack us.”

  “Are you sure?” The guard on my right smelled like ammonia.

  These two hadn’t been briefed on what was waiting for us down here. I wondered how many of the Dwarves actually knew that Vin had been playing around below their city.

  “It’s fine.” I jumped out of the cart, walked over to my brother and gave him a big hug. “See?” I turned back to the cart. “It’s perfectly safe.”

  The renewed look of terror on their faces and the snorting that was escaping from Starna prompted me to quickly turn around.

  Vin tried to get into a normal pose, but his claws were out and his mouth had been open like he was about to bite me.

  “VIN!” I glared at my brother whose laugh was echoing through the tunnels. “We’re trying to get them to like you! How is that helping?”

  It took a moment for my brother to compose himself. “They might be scared now, but they'll be telling this story for the rest of their lives.” He folded his lower pair of arms in front of himself while he shrugged. “Though I bet in their version, I killed you and they valiantly drove off the big bad Camadt.” He puffed out his chest. “I’ll probably be ten feet tall too!”

  “Now you’re just giving them ideas!” Starna walked past us to check on the mounts.

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  “They’re already saddled!” Vin called over his shoulder. “I got here late last night. Couldn’t get to sleep, so I got them ready about an hour ago.” He rubbed his arm. “Kibbles needed a reminder of who’s in charge…”

  “You bit the drake again?” I realized that probably wasn’t the best conversation to have in front of the two guards. I held up my hand before my brother could answer and give them any more nightmare fuel. I turned to the cart. “Thanks for driving us out here.” I stuck my hand in my pocket. “Do I owe you anything?”

  The guards looked at each other. The response was no. They were guards who were escorting a diplomat. What they’d done fell under the responsibilities of their job. While a less-than-honest person would have taken money, I doubted they’d try anything with my brother being so bite happy.

  “We’re good.” The lead Dwarf swallowed. “May your mug never be dry.”

  “And may you never have to pay!”

  The Dwarves looked surprised that I knew the comeback, but that put them a little more at ease.

  Vin waited until they were out of sight before turning his attention to me.

  “What happened?” He sniffed the air as if to emphasize his point.

  “Later.” There were still guards at the secret door that we were going to have to contend with. I wasn’t sure if they were going to be a problem or not. “Once we’re on the road.”

  “What’s the hurry?” Vin shook his head. “Something happen between you and the ice queen?”

  “I am not..!”

  “Starna and I are fine.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the paper that Karse had given me. “Here.”

  I climbed on my drake while Vin read the page.

  “Brother…” Vin folded the paper and put it in his jacket pocket. “How attached are you to the mage?”

  “Seriously?” I glared at him.

  “What?” The Camadt flashed me a toothy smile as he got on his mount. “Come on. You can’t tell me that you didn’t think about it.”

  I glanced over at Starna who was looking at me expectantly.

  “Yes, Sectum. Did you think about turning me in?” The ice mage glared at me.

  “Honestly..?” I tried to think back. I remembered thinking how much money that was and how most people could never make that much in their entire lives. “No. Only how to convince them it was a bad idea.”

  “And this is why we can’t have nice things!” Vin threw up his two upper arms as he rode past me.

  “Hey!” Starna yelled at him.

  “I said we.” Vin looked back at her. “Seriously, he gets the girl and I get the attitude. How did I get shafted?”

  “What happened with you and the Silver lady?” I tried to divert the topic away from me.

  “She already had too many men in her life.” Vin shrugged. “Didn’t need another.”

  I had a feeling there was a lot more to that story, but we’d wasted enough time. “Let’s get on the road so we can tell you about where we’re going next.”

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