Morning proved that none of them had slept. Kormac at least forced a pleasant smile and a "Good morning" past his lips. Eirena looked around the inn at all the new faces and tried to find some kindness or warmth in them, but found them all lacking. Alexa kept a hand subtly within reach of the crossbow on her hip; she did not like the way a man seated at the bar kept looking at their group.

As for Lyndon, he stood silently by the doorway, waiting for Alexa.

Kormac pulled her aside. "He was talking in his sleep last night," the templar murmured. "He is more troubled than any of us imagined. Are you certain about this?"

"Not at all. Do you see that man at the bar? The one in the red cloak?"

Kormac nodded. "What about him?"

"He has been watching us. I don't know who he is, but be on your guard, no matter where you go in the city. Do not allow Eirena out of your sight, and do not let her lose sight of you."

"No harm will come to us." Kormac folded his arms. "What of you and Lyndon?"

"For now, I will follow his lead."

"What if something should go wrong?"

Alexa sighed. "Then I suggest you be prepared to spirit yourself and Eirena to our immediate rescue."

Kormac chuckled. "I suspect we'll just get in your way. You'll have the both of you rescued without a fight."

"Would that I had your confidence."

"Would that I had my own." Kormac pressed a hand to his chest and bowed his head. "I swear to you, my friend, I will not leave either of you behind."

Alexa offered a half-smile. "You are a good man, templar."

"And you are a good friend. If you do not come back from your errand, I will place full blame at his feet."

The hunter glanced at the thief, leaning against the doorframe, shoulders slouched and hair a mess. She turned back to Kormac. "Do me a favor," she said, "and don't put any more blame on him. He'll do plenty of it on his own."

Kormac followed her gaze to Lyndon. "Yes," he said, his voice very soft. "Yes, I imagine he will. We'll wait to meet you here at sundown."

"We're heading to talk with a man named Douglass," Lyndon explained as they walked through the Kingsport streets. A trail of fog hugged at their boots. "He's a decent sort, least he was last I talked with him. He doesn't deal directly with the Guild, but he's an informant for everyone. He trades details for money, and sometimes the other way around."

"Does he know your history with Rea?"

"Most everyone I worked with did." Lyndon didn't sound proud. "When she married Edlin, I had more than a few people asking just what mischief I had up my sleeve. Truth is, I just watched them say their words. Angry as I was with both of them, they were happy. That day at least."

"We will find her and learn her reasons."

"You keep saying that. When we've found her and I've got my answers, I expect that you'll stop."

Alexa respected his request. Silence hung between them as they walked through the cool morning air.

Lyndon grimaced, wrapped his coat tightly around his shoulders. "No, don't do that. Talk to me. Scold me. Tell me this is stupid. Just, don't stop talking."

"Tell me what sorts of people we're about to deal with."

"Criminals, liars, thieves, killers. They're a reasonable lot once you get to know them."

"And Douglass is not one of them?"

"Like I said, he informs but doesn't hurt anyone."

"So you trust him?"

"As far as I could throw him, maybe, and he's not a small chap." At the raised eyebrow she directed at him, Lyndon sighed. "No, I don't trust him, but he's got no reason to lie to me, not about Edlin."

"And why not?"

"Edlin was one of the city guard, at least until everything went wrong. Douglass passed messages between us."

"He and your brother were allies?"

"They were friends. Douglass got people to look the other way for a long time. When Edlin went into the dungeons, Douglass offered to spread the word that I wanted him broken out."

"Didn't you?"

Lyndon nodded. "Yes! I'm not a monster. I was sick at what happened. Thing was, the Guild had fingers, eyes, and ears everywhere. Even if I'd wanted to get Edlin out, even if I'd had the coin to do it, no one was willing to take the risk."

"You were."

"I'm one man," Lyndon said. "What the hell can one man do against odds like that?"

"I used to ask myself the same question," Alexa replied. "When I was younger, and afraid of my own shadow."

Lyndon winced. "I see your point."

"I kill demons, Lyndon, but that doesn't mean I don't have a few secrets of my own."

"Well, by day's end, I imagine I won't have any."

"Then I'll keep what few I can for you."

He slowed their pace. "Douglass works out of that warehouse," he said, pointing to a sturdy, well-maintained building. "Let's get started."

They approached the building, and Lyndon's hand hesitated for a moment over the door. He looked at her. "Whatever happens today, I hope you don't hate me by the time we're done."

"Your secrets are safe with me."

"I'm not sure I'm safe with you."

"You likely aren't," she said.

He chuckled uneasily, rapped his knuckles against the door. "You really are terrible at this honesty thing."

She shrugged. "I've never lied to you."

"No, that isn't what I… oh never mind." He knocked on the door again.

A small door opened, a woman's voice inquired who he was. Lyndon turned up his charm. "Dear lady, are you acquainted with one Trader Douglass? I'm an old friend, and I'd dearly love to see him. It's an urgent matter, I trust you might let us in?"

The door opened, and a stout woman stood behind it, her gray hair tied back in an elaborate braid, her face smooth and youthful despite her hair color. "Lyndon," she said, and he offered her a broad grin.

"Giselle! Darling, you look positively radiant. I haven't seen you in—"

"What do you want, Lyndon?"

"I was rather hoping to chat with Douglass, if he's around."

Giselle looked over Lyndon's shoulder at Alexa. "This isn't a brothel," she told Lyndon icily.

"Ah, no, you're mistaken, this is—"

Alexa stepped forward, bowing her head. "I am a friend of Lyndon's. We are here regarding a personal matter."

The older woman looked her up and down. "You're this thief's friend?"

"I am doing my best."

Giselle looked at Lyndon, a smile creasing her face. "Doing your best, eh? That sounds about right. This boy'll drive you half-mad before you decide you're better off with him around than out where someone else could use him."

Lyndon grinned. "Giselle is a very old friend. She watched out for me when I first started out, made sure I wasn't up to too much mischief."

Giselle shut the door behind them. "Why are you asking after Douglass?"

"I need to speak with him. As my friend here said, it's a personal matter."

"Everything's personal in Kingsport, Lyndon." Giselle folded her arms. "Who'd you steal from?"

"No one," Lyndon protested.

"I'm sure." Giselle looked at Alexa, whose attention was drifting around the room and the small assortment of other people; none of them looked like merchants. "You don't look like a thief. More like an assassin. Let me guess, someone hired you to kill him because he stole a young girl's virtue and nipped off with her dowry as well."

"Not precisely," Alexa said, smiling faintly, drawing her eyes back to the older woman.

"No?"

Lyndon sputtered. "Haven't you heard what happened in Tristram? In Caldeum? What about in Westmarch just recently?"

Giselle stood up straighter. "If you're talking about the undead plague, yes, we heard all about it. Had our share of those nasty creatures turning up in our streets. Thing is, the Guild took care of most of it. I suppose we stopped worrying once that happened."

"Where is Douglass?"

"He might not be too happy to see you, Lyndon."

"Why not?"

"His information has been troubling lately. People are selling all sorts of secrets. Things best left hidden or unknown. If I were you, I'd leave Kingsport before things get ugly."

Lyndon sighed. "I need to speak with him, Giselle. Please."

She shook her head. "You'll never learn. You'll keep at your petty pleasures and your games. You forget what happened the last time you—"

"It's about Edlin," Lyndon hissed. "Please. Tell Douglass I need to talk to him about Edlin."

Giselle pursed her lips. "Wait here." She disappeared into another room and returned a short time later, gesturing for them to follow. "Lyndon, please remember he's heard some terrible things lately. He might not want to hear anything about your brother."

"Believe me, I didn't want to hear it either."

Giselle left them alone, and Lyndon looked at Alexa briefly. "Thank you," he murmured. "For what you said back there, about being my friend. I think that softened her up."

"I told you I wouldn't lie to you."

He fumbled with the cuff on his sleeve. "Yes, but, but what if I ask you to, then what—"

"Lyndon. Please focus."

He frowned at her. "What's got into you?"

"There is a woman in the corner, in a red cloak. She has been watching us."

She felt him freeze. "Bloody hell," Lyndon whispered. "Sereda."

"Who is she?"

"Someone very dangerous. We should leave." Lyndon's voice trembled.

Alexa caught his sleeve. "Do not move. Do not give her any indication you have seen her. Tell me who this woman is."

"An assassin, she works for the Thieves Guild."

"Do all assassins wear red cloaks?"

"Only two that I know of, and Parrish is the other."

"There was a man wearing a red cloak at the inn this morning. He was very interested in our group."

"Damn. He saw Kormac and Eirena then."

"No doubt." Alexa looked at the direction Giselle had gone. "How much longer?"

"Soon would be better."

Lyndon fidgeted. "Damn it. Sereda's here, Parrish was at the inn. Damn, damn, damn."

"Stop moving. You're drawing attention."

He exhaled air in a long hiss. "We need to get out of here."

"I agree."

"We can't fight our way out."

"No?"

"No, not against these odds. We'll be slaughtered if we try." He looked around for an option when Giselle reappeared.

"He'll see you," the older woman said. "You don't have long. In fact, I suggest you restrict your visit to 'hello' and 'good-bye.'"

"Why?"

"Because he doesn't want to see you Lyndon," Giselle said sharply. "Seems he might know what news you're bringing his way already."

"Giselle, whatever you've heard, whatever you think it is he's told you, you have to let me explain."

Giselle stared at him for a long moment. "You are going to regret walking in that door, Lyndon," she said quietly. "I think I'm going to regret opening it even more. Come with me, the two of you, and move quickly."

Giselle led them to a separate room, a cataloging room, filled with wine and brandy barrels, dried fish strung neatly on twine draped along the walls, and neatly organized merchandise ledgers. In the middle of everything was a large man seated at a desk, making notes in one of the ledgers, a money box and small coin purses scattered around his table.

"Douglass?" Giselle called his name. "I've brought them."

Alexa and Lyndon looked at one another. Something was off about the old woman's tone, suspicious, her voice too high-pitched. Lyndon took a deep breath, stepped forward. "Douglass. Old friend, listen, I need to talk to you, and—"

For such a large man, the trader moved like a viper, rising out of his chair, his hand the size of Lyndon's head, reaching out and crushing his throat as he pushed the thief against the wall.

Alexa drew one of her crossbows, prepared to kill the man, but Giselle stepped in front of her, a knife in hand. "Don't push me, girl," Giselle said, her voice hard, the stout old woman showing some fire beneath her outward appearance.

Alexa admired that, but shifted her aim to the old woman's heart. Giselle stopped, slowly lowered her knife.

The hunter heard the large man make a sound of protest, audible over Lyndon's choking gasps for air.

"Release him," Alexa said firmly. "We are here on a personal business matter, and nothing more than that."

"You're so blinded by this fool that you'd believe a word he says?" the large man rasped, his voice strained and hoarse, not matching his size.

"I believe with my eyes," Alexa said. "What do you believe, old man? Lies and rumors? Or what you hold in your hands and write in your books?"

Lyndon choked, "Stop helping!"

The large man looked at Lyndon, released his grip. Lyndon collapsed to the ground, coughing, his shoulders shaking as he massaged his throat. His assailant turned to Alexa.

"And just who are you?" he asked.

"I am here for him."

"You're just here to talk?"

"Lyndon has questions."

"Put your crossbow down, and maybe we'll talk."

Alexa looked at Giselle. "Are you going to attack me if I do as he asks?"

The older woman shook her head.

Alexa dropped her arm, holstered her weapon.

The large man looked at what he could see of her hood-shadowed face. "Haven't seen your kind in this city in a very long time," he said. "Not very welcome here."

"Demons are unwelcome everywhere. Where I go, a monster is not too far ahead of me," Alexa responded.

"Huh. Self-awareness. Not many hunters have that."

"Why did you attack Lyndon?"

"Yes, Douglass," Lyndon rasped from the floor, "do tell."

"Heard some rumors," Douglass said. "Maybe I let my feelings get in the way."

"You call that 'maybe?'" Lyndon sounded hysterical.

"I wouldn't've killed you. choked you cold, yes, but not killed you. not until you explained why."

"Explained why what? What in the hell are you talking about?"

"Giselle mentioned this was about Edlin," Douglass said, resting his hand on the desk, easing down into his chair.

"It is. He's dead. I know who killed him."

Douglass looked at Lyndon. "I was told you killed him."

Lyndon paled. "You've known me since before I could pick a damned pocket. You've known my brother longer. Do you truly believe I would ever… no, no, we are not having this conversation." He struggled to his feet, looked at Alexa. "We're leaving. I'm not going to listen to this."

Alexa stopped him. "Why did you believe Lyndon was responsible?" she asked Douglass.

The old trader shook his head. "Had a reliable source tell me. I said it couldn't be so, but there was some evidence, mostly words, enough to convince me."

"Who is your source?"

"That hardly matters."

"That source could be the responsible party."

Douglass gave them a hard look. "No. That's… that's even harder to believe."

"It was Rea," Lyndon said. "Rea told you."

"She sent one of the lads, Vann. Handed me the signed letter, stamped and everything, told me what you'd done. I called her in, asked her to explain herself. She told me you'd arranged for his release, someone paid a lot of money to move him to Westmarch, and you'd done the deed. She was devastated, Lyndon. How could I not believe her?"

Lyndon pursed his lips. "Perhaps because Edlin was stabbed in the heart, and I don't use knives."

Douglass bowed his head. "I believed her."

"Edlin died here in Kingsport," Alexa said. "I've seen enough corpses to know the difference between fresh dead and not."

The trader trembled. "She swore she'd seen him not two days before she showed up here. The walking dead were starting to reappear. She said she was almost glad he was being moved, glad he wouldn't be caught in the dungeons. Then she said what you'd done, and—"

Lyndon scowled. "You believed a lie, you old bastard, and you nearly killed me for it."

"Wouldn't be the first lies your family's told me, would it?"

"She killed my brother," Lyndon snapped. "She murdered him, and made me find him like that, surrounded by thieves and killers, and left the knife with a note, just so I'd know she did it."

Douglass swallowed. "Explains a few things, I suppose." He looked at Giselle. "Sereda still out there?"

"She is."

"Damn. Parrish?"

"No. Last I heard, he was scouting the docks."

"Kormac and Eirena are still at the inn," Lyndon muttered to Alexa. "We have to leave."

"You won't get out the front," Douglass said. "You won't survive. The back door opens to the dock. Make a run for it, you just might make it."

"What? You don't want me walking into an ambush?"

"Your friend here seems decent, Lyndon. I wouldn't want honorable blood shed on your account."

Lyndon clenched his fists. "Where is Rea?"

"That I can't tell you."

"Douglass, where is my dear sister-in-law?"

"So long as Sereda and Parrish are running around, you'll never find her. You've been running a long time, Lyndon. Maybe it's time you let the chase end."

"What did they do to you?" Lyndon's voice shook. "I used to know a wily old codger, traded information, tipped folk to jobs, but never hurt anyone. Man I knew didn't run or hide. What did the Guild to you, Douglass?"

"They made me believe a lie about a boy I've known most of his life," the trader said wearily, looking straight at Lyndon. "They took my faith in one of the few friends I have. What more could they possibly take from me?"

Lyndon looked around the room. "Where's that back door?" he asked.

"Behind those crates, through the floor. Watch your footing; the ledge will catch you, and then you crawl out the other side. Run, Lyndon. The Guild's changed. They're nothing like you remember."

A heavy hand knocked on the trading room door.

Douglass looked at Giselle, who began to make her way there. To Lyndon and Alexa, the old trader said, "I wager that'll be Sereda. Run now."

They escaped just as the door opened.

They made their way along the docks, hurrying back to the inn. "If Parrish was there earlier, he's probably not gone too far," Lyndon said, huffing as they ran. "If we're lucky, he's left the others be."

"We're never that lucky."

"You're not wrong. Bloody Guild, bloody hell, bloody Douglass, bloody lies. Damn it all."

"Lyndon! Focus on the task at hand!"

"I am bloody focused!"

"No, you are far from it."

Her calm almost drove him to scream. Instead, he swallowed it, and hung a sharp right, dashing up a ramp and into the main streets, his coat fluttering behind him. She was at his side moments later, and together they raced to the inn, arriving in time to see a slender man in a red cloak be thrown through the front door.

Marching through the shattered door was the furious form of Kormac, his fists bunched, and his scowling face doing nothing to alter Lyndon's opinion of him as a humorless twit. However, when Lyndon caught sight of the red-cloaked man's bloodied face, he thought Kormac might be useful in certain circumstances.

Alexa called out to the templar. "I see you didn't let him out of your sight."

Kormac snorted. "Hardly. The bastard tailed us all morning." He looked over his shoulder. "Eirena! Are you all right?"

The sorceress followed him through the doorway. "Yes. I was trying to light him on fire, but it seemed a bit foolish."

"Well, you did quite well, I think. I may have to train with you at some point. I could use some practice avoiding magic attacks."

"I would be delighted."

"Oh would you two bloody snog and get it over with," Lyndon muttered, marching over to the red-cloaked man. "Hello, Parrish," he purred, crouching on the ground.

The man lifted his bloodied head, looked at Lyndon and groaned. "Knew I should've told Sereda to do it herself."

"Brilliant plan as always, Parrish. You are so deadly, and yet so very, very stupid. I mean, really, what did you do? Attack them in the bar?"

Parrish turned an odd color of scarlet. "I… didn't think they'd fight back."

"And you are the second best assassin in the Thieves Guild. One is amazed that they survive."

"Lyndon," Alexa said. "Find out what he knows."

"Oh. Right. Parrish, old chap, you, despite having been a right bastard in attacking my friend and Kormac – he isn't my friend, I'm not too terribly cross about you attacking him—"

"Lyndon!"

"Right. Right. Parrish. Old friend." The assassin yelped as Lyndon pressed a razor-sharp arrowhead to his throat. "Where is Rea?" the thief asked, his voice steady and devoid of humor.

Parrish whimpered.

"Tell me, and I'll make it painless. Much kinder than what she did to Edlin. Did you watch when she killed him? When she murdered her own husband? Did she buy a knife with all the gold I've sent over the years? Or did she steal one from a thief and make it seem like poetic justice, a guard accused of helping thieves dying from a thief's blade?"

"I don't know," Parrish moaned. "I don't know."

Lyndon dug the point of the arrow beneath the assassin's jaw. Parrish wailed.

They were attracting a crowd, but the stone-cold gazes were directed at the assassin, not his would-be killer. Alexa wondered if perhaps the Kingsport citizens were tired of living in the shadow of human monsters. At the same time, she did not want to see Lyndon go down this path.

Eirena broke her out of her thoughts. "He is going to kill that man. Please, stop him."

"I agree," Kormac rumbled quietly. "This is not right."

Alexa caught sight of Lyndon's face. Expressionless, his eyes seemingly far away but focused on Parrish's terrified features. The assassin blubbered, crying names, words that meant nothing to the hunter, but she could see the growing line of red across his throat.

She stepped forward, touched Lyndon's shoulder. "He's told you what you wanted to hear."

"No," the thief said, "he hasn't. tell me where that murdering bitch is, Parrish, and I will kill you quickly."

Parrish sobbed. "The, the old cathedral! B-beneath! Beneath, Lyndon, please, in Akarat's name, stop!"

"Akarat's not listening," Lyndon said, and dropped the assassin to the dirt. He stood up, brushed off his trousers, and placed the bloodied arrow back in his quiver. "I'm going to the cathedral. Are you coming?"

Alexa looked at the assassin on the ground. "They've attacked our own. I won't stand by and let that go unpunished."

"No. I can't follow this course. You cannot answer rage with more rage. This is wrong," Kormac said.

"No one asked you," Lyndon said. "I've never asked you a damned thing. Stop questioning everything I do."

"You nearly murdered a man in front of me. What am I to make of you now?"

The thief spat: "The same thing you've always thought: nothing. That is what you think of me, yes? You view me as the worst of all people, because what I am doesn't line up with your pleasant little worldview. We've lived through darkness and walked through the hordes of Hell. What could I possibly care for your opinion of me?"

Kormac shook his head. "This is not you."

"You don't know me," Lyndon said. "You know nothing about me." He looked at Alexa. "I am ready to finish this. If this is what she wants, I'll take the fight to her."

"And what about what you want?" the hunter asked him.

He looked at her, the coldness returning to his eyes. "You understand revenge," he said. "She killed someone precious to me, and she used the Guild to do it. I intend to take the Guild from her. Will you help me do this?"

"Don't," Kormac said. "Don't go down this road."

"They've already tried to kill us once. One failure won't make them give up. I will take the fight to her, and I will take the Guild away from her. I didn't ask for your help, Kormac, I asked for hers." Lyndon kept his gaze on the hunter. "My friend, please. You're the only one I trust."

"Then we move on the Cathedral," Alexa said. "Wait for me a moment."

"I won't wait too long," Lyndon replied. "Make it fast."

Kormac scowled. "He's gone mad," he muttered when Lyndon was out of hearing distance. "He'll get you killed."

Eirena hesitantly nodded her head in agreement. "This will not end well. I'm afraid one of you won't come back."

Alexa inspected one of her crossbows. "There is another assassin, a woman called Sereda. she may be waiting for us. I need you two to follow at a distance. Don't come into the cathedral, but I imagine we may need you before this is over."

The templar nodded grimly. "I don't know what help I can be, but I'll be ready to heal you if you make it out."

Eirena's smile was tense. "When you make it out," she corrected.

"You have more faith than I do in this plan," Kormac said.

"He said he hoped I wouldn't hate him by the day's end," Alexa said, looking at Lyndon's back.

"If you don't hate him, I will hate him enough in your stead," the templar said.

"Kormac, don't fuel this fire," Eirena pleaded.

"I am sorry, but can neither of you see the darkness surrounding him?"

"I see it," Alexa said, "but I remember when I carried that same darkness."

"What if you cannot save him?" Kormac asked, catching her arm as she moved away. "What if a man falls so far from what he is that he cannot be pulled back?"

"You believed yourself to be filled with sin, and yet you retained your humanity," Alexa said.

"That was different."

She pulled away from Kormac's grip. "I walk in darkness every hour of every day, Kormac. I have to believe that someone not consumed by vengeance can be brought back from the brink."

"And what if you can't bring him back?"

"Then I will live with those consequences."

He gave her a sympathetic look. "We'll follow at a distance, my friend," he said. "And we will be waiting for you to return."