grimace. “The Pearl was the only place I thought I might find you.”
Relief rolled over Niko. He wasn’t alone. He hadn’t even realized he’d feared that until now. He gripped Yasir’s shoulder. “It’s good to see you.”
A grin brightened his face. “And you. Navigating Vasili’s moods was a nightmare without you. Come, I know someone we can trust.”
A maze of narrow back alleys snaked through Seran’s tightly packed backstreets. Yasir stopped at the door of a small, narrow flat-roofed redstone house. It was one of many similar houses strewn along the street, each leaning against the other like dominos about to fall.
Yasir’s knock had barely rattled the door when it swung open. Yasir smiled nervously at the young man who had answered. “Liam… I—”
Liam reeled off a string of words in Seranian, ending with a vicious slap across Yasir’s cheek. But that didn’t slow his verbal tirade. He ranted some more, flung a hand at Niko, and stormed back inside the house, leaving the door open.
“Friend of yours?” Niko asked, eyebrow raised.
Yasir rubbed his cheek. “He said to go in.”
“That’s not all he said.” He followed Yasir into the narrow corridor. Liam was the same man Niko had seen arguing with Yasir at the Yazdans’ gathering. Clearly, they had some heated history.
“It’s fine,” Yasir said, seeing Niko’s frown. “We’re just… I’ll explain inside.”
The small interior spaces opened into a larger open-air courtyard area, shaded from the sun by the larger building next door. The little rooms and make-do furniture reminded Niko of his own cottage.
By the sounds of clattering coming from a kitchen area, Liam was either finding a knife to stab them both or making tea. He emerged moments later with a tray topped with a steaming silver teapot and quaint little cups. The thunder on his face hadn’t eased, especially when he gave Niko a once-over.
Niko winced. “I’m sorry—”
“It’s not you,” Liam said, dumping the tray on a small table. The cups rattled. “Mint tea. For guests. The proper way to greet friends.” Liam shot Yasir a scathing glare.
He’d removed his hat and coat and rolled up his sleeves. He looked more like the silk merchant Niko had first met months ago and less like the captain persona he’d lapsed into in Seran. He also looked like he wanted to crawl inside a hole and stay there.
“Liam, this is Nikolas—”
“I know who he is, precious.” Liam tutted and flicked his gaze up to Niko. “He thinks I’m an idiot.” Liam poured the tea and clanged the teapot back down. Then with a huff, he sat back in a chair, crossed his legs, and cradled his tea, staring at Yasir as though waiting for… something. Niko assumed that something would be an apology for whatever Yasir had done to clearly piss him off.
“I had to leave quickly,” Yasir began. “There wasn’t time—”
“You up and vanish, with no word. Again! And then you come here, with this piece of Yazdan meat,”—he flung a hand at Niko again—“no offense.”
Niko kept his head down and sipped his tea.
“Then show up at the funeral with a Caville prince, no less! Half the time, I don’t know where you are or who you’re with, but why should I?”
“It’s… difficult.” Yasir helped himself to some tea and settled awkwardly in one of the chairs. Niko had never seen him so wooden.
Liam huffed again and rolled his eyes. “It always is with you.”
A moment of awkward silence sucked all the heat out of the room. Yasir cleared his throat. “We just need somewhere to stay for a few days, somewhere safe.”
“It’s fine.” Liam’s tone had softened some. “Really. It’s always fine, you know that. I just… A letter, something?”
Yasir nodded. “I’m sorry. I promise. Next time I’m delayed, I’ll send a letter.”
Liam’s lips thinned. It was clear Yasir hadn’t always kept his promises in the past but also that Liam cared deeply for him, deep enough to forgive.
The silence was back, as heavy as ever. Maybe they needed some alone time.
“The tea is lovely,” Yasir said, taking a polite sip to emphasize his point. He cleared his throat. “Well, anyway…” He set his cup back on the table and stroked his goatee. “Niko, tell me what happened. Liam won’t repeat anything we say. I trust him with my life.”
Niko nodded, trusting Yasir’s judgment, and told him all of it. How Vasili had appeared and apparently walked straight into a trap. How Alissand had sprung that trap, and now the prince was missing. “Can you perform the