Topp had to agree. There wasn't a single bone in his body that believed the sleazy priests would be able to conjure a god even if they handed Elysia over tied up in ribbons and bows.
A smirk stretched across his face as he pushed off the balcony. He didn’t care whether it worked or not. He was going to destroy this shithole. He pointed at Rollie. “Best advisor the Crown’s ever had.”
Topp finally hadhis sandwich of spiced roasted meats. Sauce dripped down his arm, and in between bites, he sipped on a cool rose mint tea. It was exactly what he had wanted.
At least it would have been, if he wasn’t eating it with an arrow pointed at his chest. The man staring at him had a strange handheld contraption loaded with an arrow, and he had no doubt it would hurt like the underrealm if the man decided to shoot him. Rollie, oblivious, was arguing with the shopkeeper in the common tongue they had all learned as children of the Crown over the price of powders. Powders that Topp was afraid to ask about but would undoubtedly cause destruction when wielded by Timmons.
All in all, not the worst evening he’d had. He took another bite and smiled with his cheeks full of meat at the sweaty, portly man still holding him at arrowpoint. He swallowed.
“What’s that called?” He gestured at the device currently dipping a little too low for his comfort.
The man just grunted.
Right. He glanced at Rollie, who was now fixing the shopkeeper with the famous Rollickus Timmonsyou’re dumber than shitstare while the man babbled about price margins and something about illegal substances.
Rollie marched over, knocking the man’s arrow device out of the way as he grabbed Topp and pulled him aside with his gaze hard on the shopkeeper. “How good are you at stealing?”
Topp looked at him. The man was dead serious. Wanted him to swipe the gods only knew what while the shopkeeper and grunting enforcer were close enough to smell their breath. How were smart people so dumb?
“Notthatgood.”
Rollie heaved a sigh through his nose. “Sorry about this.”
Topp’s brow creased, but Rollie’s pale hands were already launching him with unexpected strength straight into the enforcer. Their large frames tangled, arms grasping for balance and pulling down wooden shelving as they crashed. Spices and herbs poofed into a nose-tickling aromatic cloud, both men now sneezing as they rolled.
Rollickus was busy shoving goods into a cloth crossbody bag and yelling for Topp to get off his ass, but the enforcer had already wrapped a sweaty forearm around his neck, squeezing in hopes of cutting off his air. He was going to kill Rollie. Slamming his head backward, he broke the man’s nose and sent his elbow at a sharp, downward angle, driving into the man’s groin. There was a strangepewsound and rush of air, and then Topp let loose the roar of a wounded animal.
The bastard had fired that child-sized weapon straight into his ass from no more than a hair away. He shook off the enforcer and clambered to his feet, stomping on the weapon before ripping the arrow out of his ass and throwing it at the man’s face.
Chest heaving and blood pouring out his ass, Topp glared atRollie standing over the shopkeeper, who now had a smattering of a dark purple powder smeared on his face. Rollie shrugged. “He’ll be okay in an hour or two.”
Topp made a restrained noise and practically flung Rollie outside. They hustled through the masses of people, darting in and out of perfume- and sweat-scented bodies, squinting in the light of the lowering sun. Several streets away, they ducked under a colorful awning in front of a fruit stand with their hands on their knees and breaths heavy.
“Your buttock is bleeding.”
Unbelievable.“Yes, Rollie, my assisbleeding because you threw me at a manwith a weapon and no warning.”
Rollie stood with his hands clasped behind his head as he tried to catch his breath. “I needed those powders.”
“And I need to not die!”
Rollie let out a petulant sound. “Sorry.”
“I take back what I said about you being an advisor. You’d have me dead within weeks.”
Rollie’s head went side to side as he considered this before finally conceding. “That is possible. But that doesn’t negate me being an excellent advisor. Case in point, we got the powders we needed, and your butt will be fine.”
Topp wiped sweat from his stinging eyes. “Let’s just get back to the temple before you get us killed.”
Chapter 25
Elysia shiveredas the wind picked up, the muddy scent of the river tangling in her nose. Aidan stood at her side, hands behind his back as he watched the incoming boats expectantly. The dead were arriving. They always were, but this was the first time she was participating.
A battered wooden boat sailed ahead of the other smaller boats. Its side was slapped with bright white and blue paint that readFerryman Tours, One Coin.Standing tall in tan trousers and a light blue button-down with an anchor patterned silk scarf tied around his neck was a man with one foot propped against the edge of the hull, looking like he was sailing the high seas rather than the dark, oily rivers of the death realm.
The Ferryman’s boat slid up beside the dock, and he stepped easily onto the rickety wooden slats, his pockets jingling with the weight of coins. Hands shoved into her coat, Elysia kept her gaze on him as he strode closer.
“Well, it’s about time, isn’t it?” Sea-green eyes swept over her face with interest, and he stuck out a soft dusky brown hand for her to shake. Elysia politely shook his hand, murmuring a hello even as her attention was pulled back to the countless plain wooden boats gently rocking against the river’s current.
