If Esther had any thoughts on the matter, she kept them to herself. She had let Kwame in and stood aside. Penelope also watched Lukas with an amused but concerned look in her eyes. The latter of the pair spoke up first.

“Well, this means we can’t waste any more time. We have to leave Iskander as soon as possible. The question is how.”

“It won’t be easy,” Esther said. “There will be spies, assassins, and enforcers from the Iskander Guard and Grey Rats lying in wait. You’re going to struggle to reach the gate without a confrontation.”

“Do you still have any connections with any weapon-trading companies?” Esther asked, finally speaking up.

“Of course,” Kwame replied. “I’m always looking to upgrade and expand my armory.”

“Use your connections to find any vessel heading out tonight and secure two beds on them,” Esther spoke with an air of authority and command that Lukas hadn’t heard before. “Doesn’t matter where they’re going as long as the vessel is safe and the journey won’t be too long. Penelope and Lukas won’t have much time to pack or gather supplies.”

“I’m already packed,” Penelope added. “Three trunks. If I can get a cart or wagon, we can have it sent to the front gates.”

“It’s best if you leave first,” Esther told her. “Make your way to one of the nicer pubs or taverns on the docks and just wait there. They’ll give you a room if Kwame fails to find a vessel for tonight. And Lukas can—”

“I have to ask, Esther,” Kwame interrupted. “Are you asking this as a friend or the chapter master? Because it’s going to take lots of favors and probably a fair bit of crown to sort something of the sort on such short notice.”

The wizard sighed, glaring at the guild’s unofficial chapter master. “What if you ask as a friend?”

“Then, I’ll say no. We’re not close enough for you to ask something so big from me.” Kwame looked at Lukas. “I like you, kid. I really do, and you have value as a guild member. However, we’re not close enough for me to owe the merchants any favors.”

“Did Snake put you up to this?” Esther asked.

Kwame didn’t answer.

“Fine.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ll return as chapter master but finding my replacement will be my top priority. If Snake won’t take the role, I’ll have to bring in someone from another city.”

“What you do as our leader is your business.” Kwame grinned, heading for the door. “I’ll send a messenger once a vessel is ready and another for you, Penelope.” He bowed at the sorcerer. “It was an honor fighting by your side last night. May your future journeys and investigations prove as fruitful and successful as this.”

“And may your weapon collection keep growing,” Penelope replied, nodding at the man.

“I’ll go with him,” Bass declared. “We need to ensure the vessel is safe and knows who they’ll be carrying.”

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Do you not trust me?” Kwame asked.

“No,” the familiar answered.

Kwame left, leaving the trio alone.

“How do you lie like that about something so sensitive?” Penelope asked. “You’re so confident and smooth.”

Lukas shrugged. “Practise. You get good at lying when it proves necessary for regular survival.”

“That story will only get you so far, Lukas Zaun.” Esther shook her head. “A final drink before we go?”

“I’m pretty full, to be honest,” Penelope said, starting toward her quarters. “I need to double-check my luggage.”

Lukas created a couple of clones. “They’ll help you carry everything to the door.”

Once the sorcerer and clones had disappeared into Essther’s unusually large and ever-changing home, he withdrew the stolen tome from the journal’s storage space. He slid it across the table toward her. “This is for you. A thank you for all you’ve done for me. And for leaving retirement to get Kwame to cooperate.”

Esther chuckled, waving at Lukas dismissively. “They’ll get six months of my time. Less if I can find a new leader before then. The chapter runs just fine without me. They need a leader to rein in the young ones and improve their image, not for actual leadership.” She took the tome and studied the cover. Her eyes widened. “You stole this from the auction, didn’t you?”

“I did not!” Lukas exclaimed, feigning offence. When it didn’t get a laugh out of Esther, he chuckled. “I stole it from the witch. The clones grabbed most of what she had her date win. He dropped it all after transforming, and they knew better than to let it all go to waste. Keep it for your collection or for any future apprentice you might pick up.”

“You have no idea how valuable and rare this volume is,” she replied, leaving through the first couple of pages. “Or the secrets it contains.” Esther paused, studying Lukas’s face for a moment. “You’ve already copied this, haven’t you?”

Lukas nodded at the mage clone sitting in the indoor courtyard nearby, leafing through the journal. “I already have a clone studying it too. The physical copy has no use to me and I thought you might value it.”

“Don’t you think Penelope would appreciate it more? She seems like a bit of a collector.”

“She might, but our relationship is still professional and transactional. We’ll also be seeing a lot more of each other, while you and I might never meet again.”

“So this stolen tome that might get me arrested if the authorities ever find it in my possession is a goodbye present?” Esther asked.

Lukas nodded. “I’d be surprised if anyone you don’t want can get in here, let alone find something you don’t want found.”

“You’re not wrong there.” When she clicked her fingers, the tome floated off the table and shot away, disappearing among the pillars. “Thank you. I’m proud of everything you’ve accomplished, but still unhappy about the risks you took. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of how close you came to a lifetime of pain and torture. Soul scars are not to be taken lightly. I hope you remember that.”

Lukas nodded. “I may also have under-represented my role in taking down the witch. It might’ve been instinctual or accidental, but I’m sure Spellweaver played a role. Her second skin, defense, or whatever you want to call it, I think I destabilized the spell somehow and got it to fall apart after El-One damaged it. The lightning kept her from restoring the spell, and my sword finished the job.”

“And then caught on fire, almost burning you, correct?”

“Correct.”

“You’re lucky the Death Blaze didn’t make contact. You’d be branded by it for life, if not stuck with an almost untreatable injury. It's mostly other witches of equivalent or more power that can undo them, but most are unlikely to help. You’d be labeled a witch hunter.”

“On the bright side, I know how to counter and destabilize them, and get around their arcane senses.”

“Do yourself a favor, Lukas Zaun. Don’t let this victory go to your head. Overconfidence is what gets most otherworlders killed.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”