"Just one more Echo. Then we're good to go." Devvyn shook his head, half amused and half nervous. He bent down and snapped the crate's lid shut, making sure the latches clicked firmly in place.
He glanced at Aela with a worried frown. "This feels too easy."
Aela pinched his arm lightly. "Don't jinx it."
They picked up the crate together and moved quickly toward the warehouse. The salty air was thick with tension. They couldn't make any mistakes now. Not with the Echos in the backpack and not when they were so close. When they reached the building, the dim interior was crowded with four Hunters busily counting Echos stacked inside crates. The air was heavy with murmurs and the sound of papers shuffling.
Aela squeezed her eyes shut, then looked at Devvyn and silently mouthed: You jinxed it.
Devvyn groaned quietly.
They carefully set the Echo crate down among the others, the dull thud Echoing slightly in the quiet warehouse. Aela glanced at Devvyn, her brow furrowed in worry.
"What now?" she whispered, eyes darting around the room.
Devvyn hesitated, scanning the Hunters as they moved through stacks of crates, counting meticulously. He spotted one hunched over a pile of Earth Echos, methodically tallying numbers on a worn clipboard.
Taking a breath, Devvyn stepped forward and asked, "Hey, you need a hand with those?"
The Hunter looked up, surprised, then nodded. "Sure, I could use another set of eyes."
Devvyn gestured for Aela to join him, and they moved to his side, crouching down beside the crates. As they began counting quietly, Aela leaned in close, whispering, "We need a distraction."
Before Devvyn could answer, a sharp, piercing scream cut through the air from the far corner of the warehouse. Every head snapped toward the sound.
"Snake! I've been bitten!" a Hunter shouted, clutching his arm and stumbling backward.
A sleek, poisonous viper slithered swiftly out from under a toppled crate, its glistening fangs bared and tongue flickering. Panic erupted instantly.
The Hunter Devvyn had been helping yelped in terror, knocking over a nearby crate of Echos as he scrambled away. Crates tumbled, spilling their precious contents across the floor. Seizing the chaos, Aela's fingers darted to a one lux Earth Echo lying exposed. She slipped it quickly into the backpack without hesitation.
"Run!" Devvyn hissed, grabbing Aela's arm. As they bolted for the exit, he shouted back over the clamor, "There's a snake! Someone's been bitten! Watch out!"
Devvyn and Aela slipped off the dock and moved quickly past the shore, hearts pounding, nearly in the clear—until they rounded a corner and almost collided with a senior Echo Hunter.
The man squinted at them, suspicion already forming in his eyes. "What's all that noise back there?"
Devvyn reacted fast. "Snake bit someone in the warehouse," he said, voice calm but urgent. "It caused a bit of a panic."
The man scowled and waved a hand dismissively. "Tch. They'd better not have damaged the Echos." Then his eyes shifted to Aela, sharp and calculating. "You. Take this to Gaur." He pulled a folded note from his vest and held it out. "Black warehouse. His office."
Aela hesitated, shooting Devvyn a look. "I… I'm done working for the day."
The man's tone turned ice-cold. "You refusing direct orders?"
Aela stiffened. "No, sir. Sorry."
The Hunter narrowed his eyes and stepped closer. "I've never seen you before. What team are you on?"
"It's my first day," Aela said quickly.
"First day, huh?" he muttered. "I don't remember approving any new hires."
"Gaur hired us," Devvyn cut in, firmly.
The man gave him a long look, then finally shoved the note into Aela's hands. "Fine. Just hurry."
Then he turned to Devvyn. "You—back to the warehouse. Give me a status update on the Echo count."
As the man walked off, Devvyn turned to Aela and subtly reached for the backpack.
She shook her head firmly, barely whispering, "Too suspicious."
Devvyn nodded, understanding, then turned and walked toward the warehouse. Once out of sight, he circled around the building, slipping into the shadows at the back of the black warehouse. He crouched beneath a narrow window and peeked through.
Inside, Gaur sat at a battered table, chewing noisily on a piece of meat. Aela stood near the doorway, holding the letter in both hands. Her fingers were trembling.
"Read it," Gaur grunted between bites, a smear of sauce trailing down the corner of his mouth.
Devvyn watched tensely through the grimy window, crouched low as his breath fogged the glass. Inside, Aela unfolded the letter with trembling fingers and cleared her throat. She lowered her voice, trying to make it sound deeper and more gruff.
"It's… It's from the Council," she began, glancing up once before continuing. "To Commander Gaur of the First Echo Hunting Division…"
"Damn entitled Highborns," Gaur said. He tore another piece of meat with his teeth, chewing noisily.
Aela swallowed and kept reading. "The Council has noted a troubling shortfall in the Echo tallies reported from your division. Specifically, over the last three supply runs, the number of viable Echos delivered has been consistently below quota. If this pattern continues," Aela read on, "the Council will have no choice but to dissolve your current unit and assemble a new team better suited to the task. Your reputation and standing are at risk. Consider this your final warning."
Gaur paused, a bone halfway to his mouth. He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing. Then he continued eating, licking his fingers with slow, deliberate motions.
Aela pushed forward, reading the rest of the letter, her voice wavering slightly.
Then Gaur set the bone down. "Stop. Take off your cap."
She froze.
Her hand went slowly to the cap, then stopped.
Gaur stood.
Aela bolted.
She lunged for the door, but Gaur was faster. He slammed it shut just as she reached it, his arm slamming into place above her shoulder. With his other hand, he gripped her chin and turned her face toward the light. "I know you," he growled. "You're that little friend of Devvyn's. From the festival."
Outside the window, Devvyn cursed under his breath.
He pressed his back against the wall, heart pounding in his chest. What do I do? If I barge in now… I might make it worse. Gaur could use her as bait. Or worse, he thought, remembering that one time Gaur had cut off a Hunter's hand for stealing Echos from him. He clenched his fists, teeth grinding. Come on, think.
Inside, a sudden thud made Devvyn flinch. He peeked back through the window.
Gaur had thrown Aela to the floor. She hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the backpack against the floorboards. A sharp clang Echoed through the room, metal on metal.
Gaur froze.
"What's in the bag?" he asked, eyes narrowing.
Aela pushed herself up slightly, her voice flat. "Just Echo hunting tools."
Gaur didn't believe her for a second. He yanked the backpack toward him and tore it open, rummaging through the contents.
His expression shifted the moment he saw the Echo casings glinting inside.
"Well, well," he said with a low, amused growl. "Brave little thief, aren't you? Stealing from me."
He let the bag drop beside her and crouched down so they were face-to-face.
"Who helped you?" he asked quietly. "Was it Devvyn? Is he with you?"
Aela's jaw tightened.
Gaur smiled thinly. "Tell me, and maybe I'll let you walk out of here."
Aela looked him dead in the eyes—and spat in his face.
Gaur reared back, stunned. His hand moved faster than Devvyn could follow as he reached into his boot and drew out a short, curved knife.
Devvyn's heart seized. His blood turned to ice. "No!" he shouted, stepping fully into the window frame. "Don't touch her!"
Gaur turned slowly, his expression twisting into a cruel smile. "My little friend, Devvyn," he said. "I knew she wasn't alone." He pressed the tip of the knife gently to Aela's cheek. "Climb in," he said to Devvyn. "Or I carve a little lesson about stealing into her face."
Devvyn's hands trembled as he gripped the window frame. "Just—don't hurt her. I'm coming in." He swung one leg over, then the other, dropping lightly into the room. Aela's eyes met his, wild, terrified, angry. "Don't move." He said to her.
Gaur didn't move. "You've got guts, boy. I'll give you that. If you weren't stealing from me, I might've clapped for you. I knew there was a reason I liked you. Come here."
Devvyn didn't respond. He took a slow step forward.
Gaur waved the blade. "Closer."
Instead, Devvyn charged.
He hurled himself forward, slamming into Gaur's chest with his full weight. The two of them hit the ground hard, the knife skidding across the floor.
"Aela, run!" Devvyn shouted, grappling with Gaur. "Go. I'll catch up!"
Aela didn't hesitate. She scrambled to her feet, grabbed the backpack, and bolted for the door. Her footsteps pounded down the corridor.
Devvyn tried to roll away, but Gaur recovered fast. With a guttural roar, he grabbed Devvyn by the collar and slammed him against the wall. The breath left Devvyn's lungs in a gasp. He struggled against Gaur's hold and bunched up his leg to try to use them to push Gaur away, but it was no use. The man was a boulder.
Gaur raised his hand and slapped Devvyn. "Tell me how you planned it. You got three Echos without anyone noticing. Who else helped you?"
"I'm not telling you anything," Devvyn spat, his lip stinging. Lights danced in his vision.
The next moment, Gaur's fist slammed into his jaw. Pain exploded across Devvyn's face. He barely had time to gasp before another slap cracked against his cheek.
