Victims

A handful of men were left on the Princess, and a smaller handful still would come with Serenica to the Blue Girl to protect her and subdue the lady of the house. Spade said he could manage, that he was an expert in violence.

Serenica brought her gold and her friends to the Blue Girl.

"It's terrible to have others fight for you," she complained to the Admiral, who was not feeling up to the challenge of fighting the city watch.

He had sprained his shoulder and despite Serenica's best efforts had been unable to heal in time.

"Fighting is terrible in general," he said and took a sip of his coffee.

"You're a pirate and you dislike the sight of blood?" Serenica merely wondered. She didn't laugh.

"It's my least favorite thing about this." He left her to go sulk in a corner.

Serenica caught a glimpse of a familiar dress that now seemed almost tacky in its imitation of northern fashion. Helen was a copy of something that didn't truly exist, and even as Serenica loved her to death, she saw for once the frivolity in her friend's life, all those things that were forced and unnatural compared to the way Myorka or a woman like her did things.

Serenica smiled and slid towards Helen.

When the socialite became aware of her presence, she squealed and jumped to hug Serenica.

"Of all the people – you, tonight! You look like death!"

"Thank you, I feel like it," Serenica said, petting Helen's hair.

The woman had lost a lot of weight since the last time. Her cheeks were now hollow, her bosom smaller and there was an awful dullness in her eyes.

"What's happened to you?"

A shady corner hid them from the pirates. Helen bought them both some red wine, but it tasted awful and was good for one thing only.

"Kinley's been making everything so damn hard here," Helen said and took a big gulp. She was drinking like a man or a fish or both. "I've had to answer questions about you. I hope you don't mind – I didn't say a thing. But suddenly everyone who supported me has turned away from me and I can't get by. You can probably see that. How about your story?"

Not able to contain herself anymore, Serenica said:"I've been to Aja."

"Aja Vana?" Helen perked up instantly.

"Yes. I've met cannibals. I suppose you haven't heard who I work for?" Serenica grinned, hoping to ignite the spark of life in Helen's eyes again.

"No, tell me." The socialite drummed on the table with both hands.

"Spade." Serenica stretched herself, bragging with her body language.

Helen laughed out loud and Serenica got a bit annoyed. This was not a laughing matter to her. Spade had made her a different person and she could appreciate that.

"I'm serious. I can arrange you two a meeting if you want to." She retreated into a position that made her look almost injured.

"No, no, I believe you. It's just been so lonely and chaotic here without you, but you haven't exactly gone back to your normal life, either, have you." Helen chuckled darkly and ordered another drink.

The Blue Girl was full that day. All kinds of scalliwags resided around the sticky tables, occasionally tumbling over and spilling more ale on the already filthy surfaces. Serenica couldn't possibly have felt more disgust.

In order to forget their failures, she called for diluted grog to be served to all of her men. In fact, the liquid had been diluted twice and would have been unsuitable for pirates, if it hadn't been mixed with the strongest blackcurrant juice known to man. Apparently these men were partial to sweetness. Serenica found herself shaking her head instinctually. She had to fight herself to not appear nervous. There was something very wrong about the way things had happened, but she couldn't tell why. She half expected Kinley to appear behind her with a ritual dagger aimed at her belly.

"It's time," the Admiral whispered to her. "The bystanders are too drunk to function. Get your friend out of the building."

"You need to leave, now, Helen," Serenica said.

"Why? Are you tired of me?" Helen asked.

"Tell me - how good of a fighter are you?" Serenica snapped. "Things are about to get really ugly. I will not have you around when shots are fired."

The socialite understood finally, but as she was leaving, she gave Serenica a kiss on her cheek.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too," Serenica replied.

"What are you people up to?" a cheery drunkard asked her. "I thought the great Serenica Ingram had left Neul for good."

"The pies are just too good." She looked at the Admiral. This drunkard was stalling them.

"I can agree with that. If I buy you one, will you remember me fondly?" The man laughed like an idiot.

"I can promise all kinds of things but you won't remember any of them." Serenica prepared to shove the man away from her.

"That's fair. Let me treat you in any case. You have been sorely missed, but apparently the pirates pay you well." The drunk man offered his hand.

"Better than Neul ever did, if I'm honest." Serenica sighed.

The first mate glanced around. It was time to shake things up a bit. They didn't want any innocent victims, but if the merry drinkers didn't have any sense in them, there was nothing to be done about it.

"That's all a girl needs, is it not, some adventures and a lot of gold."

The man was still grinning and spreading his sweat around with his grubby hands.

Serenica was about to say she had been a grown woman for some time now, but she was interrupted by a loud bang. Someone was trying to open the door to the cellar, but the door was heavy and slammed shut with the power of his own weight. The lady of the house looked at the man staggering in front of the door, pulled a pistol out of her many pockets and shot him in the back.

A complete and total chaos broke loose. The dead man's friends got up from their seats, but so did Ainar the doorman with his notably strong arms, and with a slap of his hands an attacker stumbled over his own legs. Serenica didn't know if it was because of witchcraft or booze. Ainar could be capable of many things that were considered to be beyond the reach of ordinary people.

The pirates looked at each other simultaneously, as if trying to decide how to take part in a fight that quickly escalated into shots being fired and missed at the rate of six per second.

"Wait!" Serenica screamed.

Everyone froze. Apparently the best Neul had to offer was still the best. They listened to her. They feared her.

Not letting this newfound power go into her head, Serenica announced:"There is only one of Ainar and only one of the lady. The bloodbath you people are so willing to begin will end with no one to supply you with booze, if you do decide to go for it. Instead – here's a man of reason, William, tell us – what do you think? Why is that door worth a human life?"

The Admiral shot a dark look at her and walked towards the door.

He was not wielding his pistol, but Serenica kept hers aimed towards the lady of the house and John kept Ainar on his toes. The first mate was free to go through the crowd undisturbed. He opened the door.

Serenica was sitting in an angle that didn't let her see much of what was in the room behind the door. What she did see didn't as much shock her as it confirmed her expectations and made her feel numb, betrayed.

There was an object she had once owned, a small wooden frog she had kept next to her window at her old practice.

Behind the frog there were boxes, arranged in a manner not unlike the mess a person moving from their apartment would make, or perhaps it was more appropriate to compare the disorder to a thief's stash, for that was what it was. A basement full of stolen magical items.

Serenica felt red hot rage build up inside her, forcing her to get up and disarm the lady with a suggestive movement of her gun. She pushed herself close to the woman, close enough to smell the soap on her skin.

"How did you get those items?"

"I know nothing," the lady said, but Serenica stuck the barrel of her pistol into the woman's mouth.

The panicked whimper melted her heart enough that she took the gun out and said:"Don't mess with me. If you have any information, it might spare your life."

"A man in black comes here every new moon and brings his stuff! I swear I didn't know! I was merely supposed to keep the door shut at all costs!"