“Once in a lifetime,” Will said.
“Shut up and get inside, before someone sees you.”
“Empty everything on the floor in the basement, please,” I asked.
“And one of you tell your mother you’ve survived!” Gort growled.
The Magnar brothers, Clover, and Kaiden dragged our stolen loot past me. Sushi had ditched us as soon as we pulled up. She was probably back in my room now, in her nest under the bed.
“Where is the mage girl?” Gort shut the door and slid the heavy bar in place.
“She was still fighting when we left.” I hefted my sack.
Gort took it from me and carried it into the basement.
“Think she’ll survive?”
“I don’t know.”
Fighting this duel was Isadau’s choice. The thing between Damaes and her was so complicated and screwed up, even the two of them couldn’t make sense of it.
It took us only a couple of minutes to dump everything on the floor, and we began sorting through it. I had already shown Tillmar’s contract to everyone so they would know what to look for.
I picked up the first scroll. Some sort of bill of sale . . .
An IOU . . .
Another IOU . . .
The letters crawled across the scroll. I blinked, trying to focus. There were other scrolls left in the vault. Other papers. We hadn’t gotten everything. There had been no time. What if the Butcher’s contract was left behind? What if . . .
It hit me all at once. The floor tried to slide sideways. I landed on the bench. It was that or I would pass out.
Gort’s heavy hand settled on my shoulder. “Breathe.”
I was trying.
“My lady!” Clover jerked upright.
I tried to say something and couldn’t.
“She’s fine,” Gort said. “If you want to help, find those damned papers.”
Clover bit her lip, crouched, and went back to digging. She and Will almost bumped heads.
“Even if the contracts aren’t here, we will find a way,” Gort said quietly.
“There is no other way. Not in time.”
“You will think of something. You always do.”
In my head, the city was burning.
Moments dragged on, slow and viscous, like cold syrup.
“Got Otrade,” Lute reported.
He leaned over a pile of papers and thrust a scroll at Gort. Gort took it and held it in front of me. Exactly the same as Tillmar’s contract, except for the names. I ran my hand over it.
