Rafael turned toward Derek and Tyler.

  “Can you explain in earth terms what’s going on?” Rafael asked.

  “Grizzizzik chose to multiclass without our knowledge,” Derek said, folding his arms.

  “Chose a warlock. Pact of the blade, from the sound of it,” Tyler said. “Whatever deity he swore to must have been powerful. There might be a clue to how a deity managed to come from the Shrouded Domain to earth. This could open up a lot of possibilities.”

  The tent door was thrown open by Ezekiel pushing Grizzizzik inside.

  “-and I don’t appreciate the blatant mistrust you have in me that makes you think-”

  “We overheard everything,” Ezekiel snapped.

  “There’s no way you overheard everything,” Grizzizzik said.

  Ezekiel stopped pushing him and Hraktar stepped forward, folding his arms, ready for Ezekiel to ask him to restrain the rogue. “Calawit made it so we could hear what you said,” Hraktar said.

  “But…” Grizzizzik hesitated. “But I was far enough away from her enchantment.”

  “There’s a rule when dealing with rogues,” Calawit’s gravelly voice said. “Always let them assume you’re less powerful than you are.”

  Grizzizzik frowned. “Wait, then what is your range for that enchantment.”

  Calawit didn’t miss a beat. “One inch past where you were.”

  Grizzizzik’s face hardened, but only for a moment as he noticed Hraktar taking another step. “Okay, um… look, it’s not what you think.”

  “I trusted you,” Ezekiel said. He said it with all the heartbreak he felt. Enough for Grizzizzik to tear his gaze from Hraktar to focus on the cleric. “Not only that, but I told everyone else they could trust you. That when you were ready, you would come to us. Your friends. We have proven ourselves for a year that there is little you could do that would make us kick you out of the group, unless you did things in secret.” Ezekiel had his hands in his hair, and Rafael noticed some movement. Nick had slipped into the tent, staying close enough to the door to keep the flower petals from cocooning him.

  Grizzizzik looked like he wanted to say something, but forced himself to stop. No doubt a trick to keep himself from revealing what they didn’t already know.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  “Do you need me to hold him upside down?” Hraktar asked.

  Ezekiel paused, but only for a moment. “No.” He took another step toward Grizzizzik. “Why didn’t you tell us you signed a contract with a deity?”

  Grizzizzik narrowed his eyes. “Because you’re a cleric. And you would have stopped me.”

  Ezekiel sighed. “I suppose it depends on the deity.”

  Grizzizzik placed his tongue over his teeth, saying nothing.

  “Grizzly Bear, it’s imperative we know what deity you contracted with,” Clarissa said. “This is not something you can keep a secret.”

  Grizzizzik continued to stay silent. Evelyn turned toward Nick.

  “Do you know?” Evelyn asked.

  Nick nodded, his eyes remained on Grizzizzik.

  “Then tell us,” Derek said.

  “I can’t,” Nick said, his eyes never leaving Grizzizzik’s. “That, unfortunately, is part of the contract. Only Grizzizzik can tell.”

  “Damn you,” Hraktar whispered, glaring at the rogue. “You barter people’s lives far too easily. Look at that boy’s face, his injuries. Look at what you’ve forced him to do. Nick could have died because of this. He’s just a boy!” Hraktar’s tone got louder and louder, until he was shouting the last part.

  “It was his choice,” Grizzizzik hissed. “It had always been his choice.”

  “You forced me into a corner,” Nick said, taking enough steps forward that the flowers began the cocooning process. “So yes, I had a choice, but not much of one.”

  “Are you going to tell us or not?” Ezekiel asked, placing a firm hand on Grizzizzik’s shoulder.

  Grizzizzik was glaring at Ezekiel. The rogue remained silent as Nick’s cocooning finished. Nick took a few steps forward. “Grizzizzik.” His voice was much softer. “Ezekiel will keep you from fighting if you don’t say something. Everyone knows that if we fight a strong enough battle, you’ll level up too. They need to know what deity is handing you the sword before they allow you to level up. You have to tell them, or else they will stop you from fighting.”

  Grizzizzik shook his head. “They can’t stop me. I’ll just go off on my own.” Hraktar pulled out his great sword and placed it against Grizzizzik’s neck. Grizzizzik stiffened, then glanced at Ezekiel. “Are you… going to stop him?”

  Ezekiel hesitated, and in that hesitation, Grizzizzik grew very still. Ezekiel spoke, his voice quiet. “Perhaps not die, but… the way you’re acting makes me believe you swore yourself to a dangerous deity, and if that’s the case, it might be better for us all to make sure you were hogtied back at camp.”

  “He’s… not,” Grizzizzik said, glancing at Hraktar. “He’s not a dangerous god.”

  Nick snorted, and that was all anyone needed to know. Rafael didn’t even realize Evelyn had unsheathed Clarissa’s scimitar until he heard the noise and watched her heading for Grizzizzik. Grizzizzik didn’t notice until Clarissa grabbed Evelyn’s elbow, keeping her back. Evelyn tried and failed to break out of Clarissa’s grip.

  “Tell us, you son of a bitch,” Evelyn said, her voice as murderous as her gaze. “Tell us, or you will have to fight off both me and Hraktar.”

  Grizzizzik tried to find the humor in it all, but he was swiftly running out of it. Hraktar moved his great sword closer to his neck, and the rogue gave a gasp of fear. “Chaos.”

  At first it didn’t register for Rafael what Grizzizzik meant. He thought the rogue just said a random word. The rogue let out an annoyed sigh, glancing at the sword at his neck. “I… pledged my services to Chaos.”