It was the Edgewise that saved her.

Calponia didn't hold out much hope of not being dragged out into the endless fog, certain whatever waited for her in that nether place was not friendly. She fought for her life, trying to catch herself on any object or body in her way, knocking two of the mindless zealots off their feet. It barely slowed her progress and the thread drew blood as it cut into her skin. She could feel the cool mist on her face when the whine of wood moving over wood cut through the chaotic sounds of the fight. With a groan that vibrated the ground beneath her, a plank of wood shot out across the gaping hole in the Edgewise's outer wall, catching her at chest level.

The impact drove the air from her lungs but it held her, anchoring her at the precipice of safety. Calponia braced herself around that plank of wood, planting her feet on either side of the doorway in a highly unflattering position as she clawed at the string tangled around her arm. Another vicious yank made her cry out, certain her arm was going to slice off at this rate when the actual door of the tavern slammed open.

The zealots paused and in an eerie synchronized movement turned as one to the door. In a flourish of chain-mail and silk, Lady Agatha sauntered into the room, lifting an antiquated pistol she shot without warning. Unlike Captain Ravelock's gun, this one fired more old fashion ammo, and whatever it was made of, the first zealot it struck went down like a wet sack of cement and stayed down. The woman tossed her blond curls over her armored shoulder and pulled the naked sword from the hanging loop on her waist.

She winked at Calponia before she did a spinning flourish, the blade flashing overhead. Mesmerized, Calponia saw the moment the woman's sword snagged in the air, a momentary flash of dozens of invisible threads identical to the one slicing into her arm. A thunderclap boomed through the room, ringing in her ears before the zealots fell in an inert heap.

Calponia's stare of awe was cut short as the tugging on her arm gained new painful urgency. Distracted by her arm being torn off, she missed the Munch's entrance until he plopped down next to her, using the plank to prop up the bone rifle as he looked through the scope into the fog. He made a 'tch' sound and pulled the trigger. In the same moment, Lady Agatha's sword swung like a pendulum in front of her, so close she swore her fingertips kissed steal. The tension vanished and Calponia tumbled backwards straight into someone's arms, yanked back against a chest that felt like granite.

Molars and incisors burst from the barrel like buckshot. Calponia viciously prayed the asshole got a face full of teeth. A post-battle lull fell over the Edgewise, full of gasping breaths. Ravelock stumbled to the bar, muttering black curses as he searched for an intact bottle. Lady Agatha knelt down by one of the fallen zealots, wrinkling her nose with disdain. Munch shuffled back, keeping the bone rifle trained on the swirling fog as more boards slowly slid across to seal the gap. Calponia finally let out a breath when the final board notched into place, providing a thin barrier against the unknown outside. Her movement caused the arm around her waist to tense. She looked up at Eugene's face, shocked by the pallor of his skin. The vampire's jaw was clenched tight, his nostrils flaring with small, shallow breaths.

"Eugene," she said, attempting to squirm out of his hold. The movement made her wince as fresh blood gushed from the slices spiraling up her arm. Blood dribbled down her arm. The blood. Shit, shit, shit, shit. Calponia froze, watching his irises flare a brilliant crimson, as she called herself nine brands of stupid for ending up in these situations.

Eugene's jaw flexed. He closed his eyes. "Agatha," he spoke through his teeth, the strain in every line of his face. The woman looked up, cursing as she rolled to her feet. Eugene opened his eyes as she approached, meeting Calponia's briefly. "I'm sorry."

The moment Lady Agatha was close enough, he tossed Calponia into her arms, and blurred. The only mark of his passing was the Edgewise door slamming shut in his wake. The woman caught her in a gentle grip, hissing in sympathy at the deep bloody whorls up her arm. Calponia couldn't give a fig about her arm. It wasn't the worst injury she'd managed in her life.

When Eugene looked at her, she barely noticed the bloody shade of his irises. There was so much shame, regret, and pain in that bleak expression. Not to mention the huge gaping wound in his chest.

"Oh my god," she gasped, horrified. "He wasn't healing, and he just took off."

Lady Agatha's fingers hooked under her chin, forcing her to look into the taller woman's stunning face. "He needed to feed, pet, and he showed remarkable restraint in leaving despite the free meal in his lap." She hooked an arm around Calponia's shoulders, as if worried she'd bolt off into Sanguinheim. Though her worry for Eugene was a fine distraction for the rising fiery agony in her arm, Calponia wasn't exactly eager for a return trip to his world. "Come on, let's get you patched up so you aren't so appetizing when he returns shall we?"

The Edgewise gave a final shiver as fresh plaster settled into place. It was if the hole had never been, except they still had a room full of dead zealots. Dead again? Re-dead? It didn't matter. Calponia couldn't look at them without shuddering. She let Lady Agatha sit her at the bar while Captain Ravelock slid a glass of dark cherry colored liquor in front of her.

"Drink up, dove," said the pirate, nursing a drink of his own. Calponia caught the exchange of raised brows between the lady and the pirate but she ignored them, reaching for the glass. She was never a big drinker for obvious reasons, but right now the numbness of a harsh drink seemed to be exactly what she needed.

She'd should have known better by now.

The liquid smelled sticky. An overpowering syrupy sweetness clung to the inside of her nostrils like tar. Off putting, but she tossed it back. The second it hit her tongue, she realized she'd made a grand mistake as the entire inside of her mouth went numb. Calponia gagged on her mouthful as that wave of numbness slammed against the back of her throat. She felt the wave ride down her esophagus, spreading like ink over her senses. She was unconscious before her body tumbled back into Lady Agatha's waiting arms.

The woman scowled at the pirate. "You are a right bastard, Ravelock."

"Captain, and I don't think either of us want her awake for this next bit, dove," he replied, lifting Calponia up at the ankles as one of the Edgewise's overturned tables righted itself.

"Got'er kit," said the Munch, plunking the first aid box in a nearby chair as the two gently set their charge down on the freshly polished wood.

The Edgewise was too quiet. Mack stuffed the photo into his vest pocket, certain once he left this room, it would vanish once more, from the tavern and possibly from his mind. The photo would physically anchor the memory, remind him of the mystery of it and why he was so bloody pissed when he found it again, but for now, he had to see how the others fared. He stepped over the threshold of that broken empty room, the door sheepishly clicking shut behind him. Something subtle and soft, nudged inside his mind...

The Edgewise was too quiet. Especially after that ruckus. Mack muttered to himself as he trampled down the stairs. The sight that greeted him made his guts clench. The floor was littered with dead things. A pile of plaster and shards of wood marked where some force had punched through the outer wall of the Edgewise.

How had their assailant breached the tavern's protections? What were they after? Why was his apprentice bleeding and unconscious on the table?

"For the love of--I can't leave her alone fifteen minutes," Mack snarled.

The moment he joined Lady Agatha's side, he was grateful his apprentice wasn't awake as the knight continued to glue her flesh back together.

"She'll have an interesting scar," said Lady Agatha without looking up, "but with a bit of Ambrosia gel and Merlin's wax, she'll be fine. She'll smell like a dragon's shit house, but she'll be fine."

"What happened?" Mack frowned, looking over his apprentice for further injury, relieved to see aside from her ravaged arm, she appeared relatively intact, except for the suspicious red stain at the corner of her mouth. He caught a whiff of the sickly sweet scent, scowling. "Who gave her Ogre Cordial?"

The pirate coughed into his whiskey.

Lady Agatha clucked her tongue against her teeth. "She was still on her feet Mack. Didn't seem to realize she'd been sliced to the bone." She pressed a final section of separated skin together, carefully sealing it with Merlin wax and a smear of foul smelling Ambrosia before she faced the tavern master. "Whoever attacked the Edgewise had a target. The zealots were a distraction force for their puppet master getting their threads on her."

"Nearly pulled her straight into the fog," muttered Ravelock.

"It was my fault," said a faint voice from behind the bar.

Mack peer over the bar at the miserable transvestite currently sobbing on the floor. He sighed through his nose, begging the celestial saints for patience. "Nonsense," he said. She flinched at his voice, sharp as a slap across the face. Mack leaned on top of the bar, pouring a thimble full of his own Ogre Cordial. "The Edgewise is a safe haven across the realms. You were terrorized and manipulated by someone willing to exploit that promise."

Cesario swallowed, wiping the wetness from her face as she climbed to her feet. There was a gruesome crusted scab on her side, the motion raining bloody Ambrosia flakes all over the polished hardwood. "You are mopping my floor."

A weak smile twitched the woman's lips before her eyes swiveled upward. "Is Prospero--"

"He'll live. His sons, however," Mack sucked on tooth, rubbing a thumb along the side of his glass. "'Fraid we need you back in uniform."

A pair of leather gloves slapped on the bar. "I shall be accompanying you to the realm," said Lady Agatha. "Pass the bottle of chartreuse please."

Cesario blanched at the woman. "You can't be serious."

Lady Agatha raised one delicate brow, snagging the bottle of green liquor for herself. "I am quite aware of the backward mindset of your world, my dear. I've met you."

Cesario crossed her arms over her extremely bound chest. "You've seen me here, not on Arden."

Mack held up a hand as the lady knight opened her mouth to retort. "You'll either need to acquire male garb or corsets and lace. Arden isn't merely backward, it's archaic in ways that will set your teeth on edge, Lady Agatha."

The woman sipped her chartreuse, a cat's smile on her lips. "Be that as it may, if the Inquisition breached the Veil of Verona, you will need me."

"She' wake," mumbled the Munch from the corner of the room. Mack forgot the diminutive man

was there.

On cue, Calponia sucked in a breath, coughing on the fading numbness in her throat. The group gave a collective wince as she rolled off the table and hit the floor with a thud.

"Shouldn't have left her there," said Ravelock.

"Excellent observation Captain," sneered Mack, sauntering up to his foul smelling apprentice with an ease that belied his worry. "You alright, Cal?"

Her muffled voice floated up from beneath her tangled hair. "Why do I smell like a dead dog?"

"Lady Agatha needed to use Ambrosia gel on that arm. I would be terribly grateful if you avoided loss of limb while I took care of other matters."

There was a pause before Calponia loosened a string of curses that left him mildly impressed. Her good hand slapped on the table as she levered herself upright. "My mouth tastes like antiseptic and pie filling."

"That would the Ogre Cordial," said Mack, his shoulders sagging with quiet relief at the surly expression on her face. If she was pissed off, she would be fine. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I want to hit something," she grumbled.

"Well, you're about to get your chance."