There was a lot of useless information floating around Vex’s brain because of what Otter and Rua had done to free her from her armor. She knew that Otter put way too much stock in the idea that colour contributed to fvour – firmly believing that purple was the best of them all, with pink being a close second. Or a story about how a chicken one time lived without a head for eighteen months. Or how if you put buta root into a mixture of salt water and crushed maroa shells, the resulting liquid would produce a cycling colour change and pleasant aroma that was euphoric and sted hours. She knew that Rua thought clouds of all things must weigh thousands, if not millions, of tonnes because of how much water they contained, which just seemed absolutely ridiculous.

  And one of the most useless bits of information that was floating around in Vex’s head that now seemed terrifyingly relevant was how dangerous Kwan Il-Su was at video games.

  Vex herself had never had the pleasure of meeting him, but she knew him better than most. His current look was very K-Pop. Finely chiseled good looks, somehow giving him both a soft and hard edge at the same time. Hair that effortlessly looked luxurious and a joy to run one’s fingers through. He was tall and well-muscled, but not bulky.

  This was not the Kwan Il-Su of Vex’s memories. This appearance was entirely a fabrication of the game. The regur Il-Su was shorter, a little more shabbier. More real.

  But both versions had the same look in their eyes. That predator’s look, as if he’d found something tasty and was ready to swoop in and take it.

  Vex tried not to gulp, tried not to stare at the knife in his hand. His other hand was hidden in the folds of his cloak. If Otter’s memories were accurate, he’d have another weapon there, and it’d be the one he would use if things came down to that.

  “Rua’s getting all the guests today,” Jua said. “She’s not here. Shoo.”

  “I know she isn’t,” Il-Su said.

  Of course he’d know. He would’ve received the exact same invite from Holt that the rest of them had, and had probably deliberately declined it in order to… what? He had a goal, being here while Rua wasn’t. But what was it?

  “Otter is, though,” Vex said.

  “She isn’t. I’ve been watching the house for two hours, just to be safe. I know they’re both out. They likely took ‘Sunny’, whoever that is, with them as well. Meaning, it’s only locals here.”

  Okay. So, he didn’t know everything. That was good. But how could she use that? It wasn’t like she could take him in a fight. Dude knew all about jiggle peeking and strafe tapping and crosshopping. Vex wasn’t even sure what those things were.

  But he was standing right in front of them. Even with the knife out, an obvious threat, he clearly wasn’t here for a fight. That wasn’t how Il-Su did his thing. He preferred striking before his opponents even knew he was there.

  “You’re Kir’s new errand boy,” Jua said, recognition coming over her. “Right. The Sassian. Not many of your kind on the Isnds. Your eyes make you stand out.”

  Right. His dark eyes. Normal for his Korean heritage. But they looked a little too bck. Almost as if there was no difference between his iris and pupil. Weird cosmetic choice.

  “I do serve at Kirhae’s pleasure. And frequently her displeasure. I’ve come with a message.”

  “Yeah, I don’t care. Reyna, throw this clown out.”

  Leilynn made a squeak of fear. How old was this version of her? Not an adult. A child, stuck in an adult’s body. Kind of like how Vex felt in some ways.

  Reyna, Jua’s bodyguard, took a step forward, and Il-Su sighed dramatically.

  “It doesn’t have to be like this,” he said.

  “I assume this is about Pruana Isle,” Jua said. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told both my sister and her idiot father. No, they can’t set up there. End of discussion.”

  “That’s not what I’m here for actually,” he said, a smile fshing on his face. “Or rather, it is, but not the way you think. See, my mistress has already sent a staging force there, and her men are in the process of setting up Stormcallers. It’s already hers. She just sent me to let you know the decision’s out of your hands.”

  “Reyna, I changed my mind. Don’t throw this fool out the front door. I’m going to need to deliver his head personally.”

  “No,” Vex blurted, and Jua looked at her, as if suddenly remembering she was there.

  In that moment, Il-Su drew a hand crossbow and loosed a bolt directly at Reyna.

  His cloak caught on the weapon, not falling away as cleanly as it would in a video game. He’d probably done this move hundreds, if not thousands, of times without real world physics, and expected video game ws to apply. It was the only thing that saved Reyna’s life. The bolt took her in the cheek instead of between the eyes.

  Reyna apparently had no soul power fuelling her, no Tenacity shield to block the arrow. That was normal for most, but an oversight in a bodyguard for one of the most important people on the Isnds.

  The bolt didn’t kill her, but she fell to one knee, clutching at the wound as blood poured from her face. Jua found her feet, sprinting across the room to get to her spear. A thrown knife struck her, gncing off her Tenacity.

  Vex froze.

  Her heart hammered in her chest, and she didn’t know what to do. Some part of her told her to get into the fight, to attack Il-Su, get in close and limit his advantage.

  She had memories of what to do. But they were all mixed and matched, a jumble that didn’t make sense together.

  And she was afraid, so very afraid.

  Il-Su got another two knives to strike Jua’s shield, ricocheting off harmlessly. She ignored them, taking up her spear at st, and rounded on Il-Su.

  Vex’s mind watched it all in numb terror. Everything felt detached, clinical, and so very much above anything she could help with. She just wanted to hide away somewhere and cry, to call for Rua and have her make it all go away.

  But Mama wasn’t there. Not even Otter. It was just her and a woman that pissed her off, another woman that terrified her, and a dangerous killer.

  It was just all too much for her brain. And all she could do was watch and observe.

  Jua likely expected Il-Su to try to close the distance between them now that she was armed, get inside her reach before she could ready herself. Instead he turned and fled the room, ducking out the door and smming it shut behind him.

  “Coward!” Jua yelled, and gave chase.

  The sound broke Vex out of her reverie.

  “Stop!” she shouted. Her voice came out strained, but strong enough to half the other woman.

  Jua looked between her wounded bodyguard, to her sister cowering in a chair much like Vex herself, and finally said, “Why?”

  “He’s… he’s repositioning. I know how he fights. He wants you to follow so he can spring a trap.”

  Jua paused, considering. A scream erupted from the room outside. A woman’s, probably Liaru or another servant.

  Jua swore, and then headed for the door. She kicked it in one smooth motion and rushed into whatever waited for her. The door swung closed.

  Vex’s whole body went tense as she waited for the sound of battle. Not steel on steel, but a sudden cry of pain, or a body hitting the floor. Il-Su didn’t like fair fights. It was how he won.

  But there was nothing. Just silence.

  She wanted to just find a hole and climb into it and wait for it all to be done. But even as she trembled, she stood. She didn’t know why, or how she found the courage to do even such a minor thing. But she had to go check and see if Jua was fine, or to tend to Reyna’s wound, or just reassure Leilynn with whatever lie she could come up with.

  She made it two bare steps before Il-Su leapt into the room by a window, throwing a pair of knives as he did.

  Vex reacted. She didn’t have Rua’s or Otter’s muscle memory or their bravery, but she did have some of their combat experience. So while her movement was awkward and not as fluid as either of theirs would be, she managed to get an arm between one of the knives and Leilynn.

  It bounced off her Tenacity, shattering her puny shield in one blow, but she kept Leilynn safe. The same could not be said about Reyna. The second knife found its home, burying itself into Reyna’s chest as she struggled to rise.

  Vex stared in horror as Reyna fell over.

  “Nice block,” Il-Su said. “But your shield’s done for. Be a good girl and side back down, or the next one finds your throat. We both know you’re not a fighter, and you’re not on the list.”

  Which meant Leilynn, who he’d just attacked, was.

  Vex sucked in a calming breath, steadied herself as well as she could, and stood between Il-Su and his intended target.