The Tales of the Wanderer Volume One: A Book of Underrealm (The Underrealm Volumes 4) by Garrett Robinson (elon musk reading list TXT) 📕

She took a bite of the bread on her plate. Then another. Then she started devouring it ravenously, as though her body had only just realized how hungry she was. Her tea was cold by that time, but she drank it down regardless. When she had finished everything on the table before her, she settled back in her chair with a sigh.

“Better?” I said.

“Somewhat,” she muttered. Then, to my surprise, she fished into a pouch on her belt and withdrew a copper sliver. She tossed it at me. It gave a heavy clink as it landed on the table, and then it rolled across the wood to bump my arm.

“The meal is paid for already,” I told her. “Keep your money.”

“Look at it, Albern.”

Her voice was as solemn as I had ever heard it. Frowning, I scooped up the copper. I looked at it carefully, but I could not see anything amiss. The face of Andriana the Fearless stared up at me.

Then I flipped it over. And still, I looked upon Andriana.

“Ha!” I said. “You see these every once in a while. It gets stamped with the same sign on both sides. I used to have a silver—”

“Latrine duty,” said Mag.

I looked at her, not understanding.

“In Northwood, before we rode out. You wanted to go after Loren. I wanted to ride into the Greatrocks. We played latrine duty.”

The full weight of what she was saying crashed down upon me. I went very still.

“A coin flip. I keep that copper around as a keepsake, a curiosity. But in that moment, I used it to cheat you. We would not be here if I had not lied. Latrine duty.”

I shook my head. “When you make an agreement …”

“I stacked the odds,” said Mag. “I wish I had not, Albern. I am sorry. You deserve better than—”

“Oh, be quiet,” I said. “Honestly, Mag.”

She bowed her head, avoiding my gaze. “Of course. I … should I leave you alone for a moment?”

“Of course not, you great ass.” I laughed. “Latrine duty.”

Mag’s eyes widened at my laugh. “Are you not upset with me?”

“Am I? I suppose so, a little. But …” I sighed and passed a hand over my eyes. “Mag, I … I told you much about the Greatrocks. With Loren, I mean, before I came to you in Northwood. But I did not tell you everything, because … well, because I was ashamed.

“Loren met me in Strapa. And when she came into my bowyery, she was with a Mystic named Jordel of the family Adair. A finer man I have never met in Underrealm. I could tell they were in some trouble, that they were going somewhere far and doing something important. And I wanted to go with them. Mag, I wanted to go with them so desperately. Yet when I offered my services as a guide, they refused me.

“That piqued my interest, and so I asked around. In no time at all, I discovered that they were hiding their true identity and trying to avoid notice. The Mystics were after them. And so I told the Mystics where they could be found. Soon they were on the run again, fleeing from those who wished to deliver them to the King’s justice—and then, who appeared to rescue them, but me. Again I offered my services, and that time they happily took me as their guide.”

Mag was looking hard at me. Guilt was still heavy in her eyes. “That is different, Albern. If you had not taken them into the mountains—”

“Jordel would never have discovered the Shades,” I told her. “And now Loren will tell the Mystics of the threat, and a great disaster will be averted. I did an evil thing. I betrayed them. And great good came from it. You did nothing nearly so dishonorable. And if we had not come here, Lan Shui would be facing these monsters alone. Instead, they have us. They have you. That means they have a chance.”

I pushed back my chair and stood. “If you have done evil against me, I forgive it. That may not entirely assuage your conscience, but if not, that is on your account.” I thrust out a hand.

Slowly, Mag rose to her feet. She took my wrist and shook. “Very well,” she said quietly. “Thank you.”

“You wish to thank me? Give me a week’s sleep, a barrel of your finest ale, and figure out some way to kill these vampires before anyone else in Lan Shui gets hurt.”

That forced a laugh from her, as I hoped it would. “I cannot help you with the first two. But … I may have thought of something when it comes to the vampires.”

That took me utterly by surprise. “You have?”

“The Shades’ magic summoned them here,” she said. “We know that now.”

“We do,” I said. “And it is an evil like I have never heard tale of, though I know many tales.”

“Yet evil may be turned against itself.”

I frowned at her. “How do you mean?”

Mag fixed me with a look. “The vampires hunger for the burning blood. And we mean to hunt the vampires.”

My eyes widened. “Mag, no.”

“Oh yes.”

I leaned heavily on the table. “Dark below.”

“No, this darkness is within,” said Mag. “Within the heart of Lan Shui itself. Let us invite our foes straight into that heart and let the darkness consume them.”

We went to find Yue before noon. After hearing of the plan, she looked about as convinced as I had been.

“You want to let them into the town,” she said, as though certain she must have misheard.

“With all the people hidden,” said Mag. “No one will be in danger.”

“Except whoever stands between the vampires and their goal,” said Yue.

“Which will only be us,” I said. In truth, I had to force a great deal of confidence into my words—this was Mag’s idea, and I was determined to support her, but my fingers kept twitching when I took my attention off them, as