“Go to Hell, Redsong. Pick the one you like.”
Jubilee took the blow of those mocking words, though. “Sheld, I’m sorry. I was so scared, I wasn’t paying attention.”
“I’m just mad.” Saeldian reached over to pat Jubilee’s shoulder. “I shouldn’t have let all that gold distract me. Now we’ve got to pull a jewel theft in the middle of a party, improvising the whole time since there’s not enough time for a plan, all because I took the misdirection.”
“Misdirection?” Jubilee asked. “What do you mean?”
Some mistakes really were forever, as Osalor said. But why was Saeldian tangled in this one? Did the Zhentarim call Kell and Saeldian on the same job by coincidence?
Not a chance. But Saeldian answered as if their scheme-spotting mind weren’t running on full sail. “Both Briona and her bravo, Mariel, had illusions on them. I noticed. So while I tried to subtly figure out what they were hiding, they got me with the spell they didn’t want me to see.”
“Classic misdirection,” Kell said.
And Saeldian shouldn’t have fallen for it,that syrupy toneshouted. They ignored him. Using that cantrip had been clever, and the vowstone was fey magic. Saeldian should have figured out that those vowstones were fey magic from a mile away. Why would the Zhentarim be dealing in that? “There isn’t enough time to bicker. We have to case the location—”
“Saer Briona gave us the floor plans,” Kell said.
Think. They had to think! “We need cover identities, something that wouldn’t be a disgrace to wear to a party this exclusive—”
But why was this scheme so perfectly timed for when Kell just happened to be in town? That was obvious—they wanted Saeldian and Kell. But why?
“I only wore that starlight gown once, and it’s perfect,” Jubilee said. “It’s just the lads we have to worry about.”
“No time to get us into lord’s garb,” Kell said. “Front door, servant side, then. Any objections from our expert grifter?”
Ass.“Won’t work. The Tarms only use temporary staff vetted by their own servants. You couldn’t blend in the way you could with someone less careful. If we could figure out who those temporary servants were, then find out where they live, and then get them out of the way for the night, so you two could impersonate them—”
“But then they wouldn’t be paid,” Lorzok said. “They didn’t do anything wrong; why should they suffer?”
“You’re right,” Jubilee said. “It wouldn’t be fair to them.”
Saeldian huffed out an exasperated sigh. “It’s also too complicated. We can’t waste all that time trying to find a couple of servants.”
Zhentarim didn’t hire deserters. They took care of them—for good. If Saeldian was smart, they should be walking out the gate of Waterdeep with only the coin in their pockets right now.
No. They’d need a moment unseen to slip away. They kept a pack stowed in the trunk under the window in their room in Righthoof Manor.
“We’re not vagabonds,” Lorzok objected. “We came for the celebrations, and we brought festival garb.”
They all moved to the left to let a carter pass them, her cargo sealed with bright tags from the dockmaster. The sacks smelledlike sweet dried herbs. Kell waved in answer to the carter’s nod of thanks. “It’s easy to get into a Goldenight party. The whole point is to show off how extravagantly generous you can be. If I can’t charm my way in, even a little underdressed, then the door’s guarded by automatons.”
“I don’t think Lady Tarm isthatwealthy,” Jubilee said.
Saeldian had to play their part. “Is your garb fine enough that you will look like nobles of Waterdeep in them?”
“No,” Lorzok said. “They’re well made, not high fashion.”
“We’ll come up with something,” Kell said. “Not servants, not lords…entertainers. Do they only hire second cousins of the scullery for that?”
All Saeldian would have to do was grab a couple of things and be on the road. Not the road. Too close to sundown, but there was a sailing tide right when the party would start. Enough gold to the right priest would buy a cursebreaking—
Saeldian stumbled as their vision went black. Pain lit tiny flames on their fingertips. Their right foot couldn’t hold on to the ground, and that was so strange, they only realized they were falling when someone caught them.
Someone strong. Who—what was happening—
The vow. The vow bound in the stone they carried. The vow that Saeldian wouldabsolutelyuphold, of course! Saeldian wouldn’t dream of trying to escape. They had promised to bring the Kiss of Enduring Love back to where it belonged as fast as they could, and they would use every trick in the book to make it happen, whatever it took.
The flames of pain snuffed. Strength flowed back into their limbs. Saeldian had sworn a fey oath before, but not one that hurt so much at even the thought of breaking it. Their vision returned, and Saeldian beheld Lorzok’s concerned face as he held them in his arms.
