“No, I had to make a hasty departure. I got these from the bazaar.”
“What happened?” Cyn demanded again.
“Your dear friend Juri punched me in the face. I woke up in a cell.”
“What?!” Cyn roared.
Kimu, in the process of lifting a pie to his pie-hole, paused and gaped at me.
“How did you get free?” Cyn asked.
Kimu snorted and took a bite.
“I'm a thief,” I said.
Cyn blinked.
“That dickhead didn't check you, huh?” Kimu asked with a mouth full of food. “What a moron.”
“No, he didn't.” I laid a reassuring hand on Cyn. “I'm all right. I always have my tools with me. I simply picked the lock and walked out. The idiot didn't even post a guard in the dungeon.”
“He put you in the fucking dungeon?!”
“Did you not catch the part where I said I woke up in a cell?”
His stare went molten, and not in a good way.
“It's fine, Cyn. I understand. Juri's worried about you, and I wouldn't tell him where you are.” Then I grimaced and added, “Though I owe him a broken nose.”
“Ouch.” Kimu winced.
“I will break his entire face,” Cyn growled as his hand went to my nose.
I pulled back. “It's still healing.”
Cyn dropped his hand. “I shouldn't have let you go. A bunch of Shanba priests have nothing to do with this.”
“Yeah, it was a foolish errand, but it was the only clue we had. I thought it might lead to something.” I shrugged and grabbed a meat pie out of the bag. “Here.” I handed it to the King. “They're beef.”
“Thank you. Did you eat?” Cyn asked as he took it.
“I'm about to.” I swung off my cloak, grabbed the last pie, and went to sit on the bed.
Cyn joined me. “This is delicious.”
“Yup, we eat well in the Forgotten,” Kimu said. “You know, when we have the coin. Though we thieves don't need money.”
Cyn chuckled and took another bite. “I'm quickly becoming accustomed to criminal behavior. You're a bad influence.”
“Who? Me or Kimu?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said.
Kimu and I chuckled.
“Well, I'll leave you to it,” Kimu said as he dusted off his hands and stood up.
I got up and walked Kimu to the door. “Thanks for staying with him.”
