By the time Lukas returned, Humphrey was gone. Only Guard Captain Stefan Santana remained, wearing his casual, friendly smile. Lukas knew not to trust it. The man had proven himself two-faced. Lukas and the clones were fortunate enough not to see its ugly side yet, but he was sure that it would eventually reveal itself.

They discussed mundane topics, ranging from the weather and prices of citrus fruit—a big deal in a port city from what Lukas understood—to current gang disputes. He struggled to tell whether the man trusted him, just had a big mouth, or it was a disarming ploy. Lukas kept his wits about him, constantly scanning rooftops, passing alleys, and watchful eyes in the market square. If Stefan noted his wariness, he didn’t let it show.

Lukas’s mind leaped to the worst possibilities. After what he’d seen, he couldn’t help but think the man was leading him into a trap. As they walked, he mentally mapped escape routes, not just from wherever they were heading but from Iskander.

Even though Lukas no longer needed the regular courier job, he continued to have clone running packages. They didn’t do it every day, but often. The job helped Lukas stay on top of gossip, rumors, and street politics.

One of the most important bits of information that he had picked up, and not even many citizens seemed aware of, was that the port authority was a separate entity from the city guard. They had their own corrupt network. Lukas had tried to penetrate it but failed. He mostly wanted information on any valuable essences or shards entering the city. Far too many organizations got first pick at shipments, and most of the good pieces never made it to the markets. Lukas either needed to infiltrate said guilds, artisan unions, or mage colleges or lift the products as soon as they made it off the ships and were in storage on the docks.

Knowledge of how Iskander’s port functioned and connections with people in the authority’s ranks would also help him secure an escape route if needed. The Iskander guard controlled the city gate and checkpoints throughout the city—including those leading to the docks. There were clearly a few links between them and the port authority. Otherwise, the secret port would struggle to function, but it seemed the two security bodies were careful not to step on each other’s toes.

Guard Captain Stefan Santana led Lukas toward the eastern wall, angling away from the port. If Lukas needed to escape, he’d have a long way to go. It was a good thing he was already in a low-mass state. Agile. Flexible. Fast. Lukas didn’t want to get overconfident, but he believed outrunning Stefan and losing him in the chaos of the evening markets and nightlife was well within his capability.

Instead of heading into the less-traveled and run-down sections of the city as Lukas expected, they ventured into a busy, polished neighborhood. It seemed to serve ship officers, well-to-do adventurers, and affluent merchants. Outfits, builds, and equipment gave them away. Lukas wasn’t sure whether their presence was supposed to make him feel more or less secure. Blatant illegal activity was unlikely to occur among them—apparently, the guilds had some sort of code about supporting ‘their own kind’ before others. However, if a malicious character had a bunch of them in their employ, his chances of escaping would drop drastically.

“After you,” Stefan said, opening the door to a moderately busy pub. It seemed attached to a brewery. Carts laden with kegs and bottles rolled out of the open gate next to it. Lukas sighted barrels bigger than the mutated phaser within the compound.

“Thank you, kind sir.” Lukas played along with the guard captain’s amicable persona, following him to the building.

The bouncer, bartender, and servers nodded at the guard captain. Most of the patrons also seemed familiar with him. Stefan waved, laughed, shook hands, and even gave out a couple of hugs. He introduced Lukas to more people than he had the ability or head space to remember, leading him through the ground floor to the polished wooden stairs at the back.

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The establishment reminded him of a refined and well-maintained English pub. All surfaces had a sheen, and stuffed game animals decorated the corners and walls. Unlike taverns Elvis frequented with Kat, the air didn’t stink of stale beer and urine. The aromas of varnish, spices, and dried flowers filled his nostrils. The artwork and some of the weapons also caught Lukas’s eyes. He was sure each piece was worth more than any shard available in the markets. It wasn’t flashy, opulent wealth but more of a ‘think twice before crossing me’ kind of wealth.

Lukas half expected to be led into a private room occupied by a bunch of guards—uniformed or not—and a city councilman or a general of some sort. Instead, Stefan Santana stopped in the open, among a group of semi-formally dressed men and women, having a laugh over a giant noodle and seafood dish. A familiar face sat at the center of it all, the giant of a man Lukas had seen in the back alleys while following the guard captain. It was the same man who had offered to put down the crying young woman.

His outfit lacked elaborate designs, and he didn’t wear ornate accessories. However, Lukas had developed an eye for quality during his many window-shopping trips with the journal. The materials involved were undoubtedly of high quality and carried the sheen of alchemical treatment. His coat also featured rune-stitched strips that started at the collar. One went all the way down the spine, while two ran along the top of the shoulders before spiraling down the arm all the way to the wrist.

If it weren’t for Esther and Penelope’s guidance, he would’ve mistaken it for simple decorations. Lukas’s arcane senses had sharpened significantly over the past week. He didn’t have much range, and it wasn’t precise, but he had a good sense of when something was magical.

The air about the man and the closest of his companions was jovial but simultaneously, somehow, dangerous. Lukas couldn’t quite put a finger on i,t but his instincts told him to turn on his heel and march away.

“Captain Santana!” The giant man called, smiling and waving over Stefan. His demeanor reminded Lukas of the Lord of Brawls and Feasts: friendly but ready to rip off heads if the mood struck. “I was wondering if I’d have the pleasure of seeing you today.”

“I apologize, Mister Grey,” Stefan replied. His tone remained casual, but he stood straighter, shoulders squared. “Lukas Zaun is a hard man to find. Too many jobs and hobbies.”

“It's not easy establishing oneself in a new city,” Lukas said, slipping past Stefan and approaching the large man. One of the women sitting beside him moved to step in between them, hand moving for the slit in her long baby-blue dress. Mister Grey placed a hand on her shoulder, and she stopped, looked over her shoulder at him, and returned to her previous position. A smile returned to her lips, and she returned to her conversation with the man standing on the other side of her. “On top of that, my brother and I look like plague survivors. We just need to grind a little harder to make ends meet.”

“Oh, you don’t look that bad,” the giant man said. He nudged the woman who had gone for her weapon. “He’s rather dashing, isn’t he, Kelpie?”

“A bit skinny for my taste, but he’s got a decent face and okay shoulders,” the woman, apparently called Kelpie, replied.

“As for your financial problems, I might have the solution for that.” Mister Grey held out his right hand. It was twice as big as Lukas’s, and white scars crisscrossed the knuckles. “Edward Grey. Entrepreneur. Philanthropist. Collector of antiquities and people.”

“All nature of work is welcome.” Lukas smiled, shaking the giant hand. His own disappeared in the monstrous grip. If Mister Grey wanted to turn fingers into dust, it probably wouldn’t require much effort. “However, you should know that I already have a magically binding contract with the Cold Fire Sorceror, and my work with her takes priority.”

The Zaun brothers’ employ under Penelope was now public knowledge. It wasn’t just that they’d been seen together in public too many times. The city guard had their working relationship on paper, and they had registered the job with the guild network, making it official. It wasn’t a topic of gossip but of public record.

“Oh, I’m well aware of your commitments, Lukas. Working for me won’t be particularly time-consuming. It's not your courier or martial abilities I’m after.” Mister Grey nodded at Kelpie. “I have plenty of people for that.” He leaned closer. “It’s that soul ability of yours that I need.”