Vraylor was happy enough to stay at the tavern, drinking an ale as the sun began to sink in the sky. Maevus hadn't wanted to brave the crowds again, instead choking an several inconsequential questions before surrendering to the awkward silence as they waited for the streets to clear.

The master hadn't demanded an immediate answer from her. He had told her to really think about if she could trust the guild.

Not him, but the guild.

But now the tavern was beginning to fill up and the streets were beginning to empty. Maevus flushed when she realized she had no way to pay for the meal, but Vraylor slapped down three silver coins without a word.

They stepped out into the cooling evening air, and Maevus breathed out a silent sigh of relief when they found the streets mostly empty, people hurrying home.

She fought a smile as they passed a few boys playing chase. Their mothers stood nearby, chattering about the city's latest gossip.

The peace of the evening exploded when a horse whinnied and pounding hooves sounded against the cobblestones. Soldiers shouted as they spurred their horses on.

Most of the boys scattered. Maevus' heart stopped as one tripped.

Before she could so much as cry out, Vraylor had burst into action. He darted out into the street, the horses barely a yard away, scooped up the child and dove to the side, but not quickly enough. One of the women screamed as a horse clipped Vraylor's shoulder, sending him and the child spinning to the pavement.

The soldiers thundered past, none of them checking their speed.

Maevus, her heart pounding in her throat, looked across the street to find Vraylor still on the ground. The wailing child was cradled to his chest, scared but otherwise unharmed.

She started across the street, but stopped dead when one of the women ran up to Vraylor. The child was ripped out of his arms, the woman clutching to the boy. The look on her face was a mix of fear and anger. Bewilderingly, it seemed to be directed at Vraylor.

When he looked up at her, the woman stumbled back a few steps, still clinging to her son. Her face paled even further with fear.

Calmly, Vraylor got to his feet. He touched a finger to the brim of his hat, then walked away without a word. His stride long, he reached Maevus. Before she could say anything, he grabbed her elbow and began to haul her down the road.

It wasn't until they were out of sight that he let her go, and Maevus stopped dead.

"What the hell just happened!" she burst out, incensed. "Why did she look at you like that?"

"Probably recognized me from the Games," Vraylor murmured, idly inspecting his hands. "Knew I'm an Encant."

"But you just..." She trailed off as she really got a chance to look at him.

His hands were scraped and bleeding, his shirt torn at the elbows from trying to shield the boy. He grimaced when he tried to shrug. With a bitter smile, he said, "You didn't really think Queen Selna just passed these new laws because she felt like it, did you?"

"I..." Maevus bit her lip. She genuinely had no idea why the new laws had been passed. She hadn't cared to know.

What did the reasoning matter if the laws were unjust anyway?

Vraylor pressed at his shoulder, still moving his arm gingerly. 

Finally Maevus let out a little sigh. She very much doubted anything was broken, but getting hit by a horse sounded about as fun as slamming into a brick wall. Reaching in toward her magic, she tugged at Medella's thread.

The green dragon was about the size of a large dog when he appeared in a puff of green smoke. He yawned, stretching his feathered wings out wide, then tilted his head at Vraylor, clicking his beak.

Vraylor let out a soft, "Huh," then raised his eyes to hers. "How many?"

Maevus stroked a hand down Med's back, making him chirp in delight. As he nuzzled his beak against her hip, she said, "Eight."

The low, impressed whistle he let out was more gratifying than she cared to admit. 

She held up her hands, watching as they were shrouded in a soft green light. Vraylor blinked once, then held out his own hands. He didn't so much as flinch when she pressed against the abraded skin, smoothing the healing magic over the injury.

"That's handy," he murmured, watching as the skin repaired itself beneath the green glow, leaving nothing but a streak of dirt and blood behind. "I'd almost forgotten about that little skill."

Maevus moved to his shoulder, closing her eyes as she pressed the magic through his skin to the burst blood vessels that would have otherwise created a rather nasty bruise. Vraylor sighed in relief. 

"Why were those laws passed?" she finally muttered. 

Vraylor didn't answer at first, moving his shoulder and flexing his hands. After an approving nod, he looked at Medella. The dragon gave him a beady-eyed look and disappeared with a shriek as soon as Vraylor took a step toward him.

He raised an eyebrow at Maevus, but she only shrugged. "It's a relationship, not slavery." She narrowed her eyes. "They deign to come when I call, but I'm not their master."

All that earned her was a droll stare before he looked toward the darkening sky. "Come on," he beckoned. "It's not a good idea to be out too late. Especially for us."

They began walking again and she asked, "Are you going to answer my question?"

"What do you think happened, Maevus?" he said, voice bitter again. "People were afraid, and for good reason."

Maevus scoffed at that, but he waved off her disbelief.

"About a year ago, Encants descended on Valmor. Dark Guild Encants. And they unleashed a reign of terror on the city."

She gaped. "Dark—"

"Guild." Vraylor nodded, grinding his teeth before he shook his head. "Nobody had any idea. Encants like those had never banded together before. They just rode into town one day and started painting the streets red."

"Why?" she breathed, horror grasping her heart in a cold fist.

Vraylor shrugged. "I never cared enough to ask the ones I caught."

That nearly made her shudder. Regardless of her personal feelings toward the guild-master, she could sense how powerful he was. His magic roiled within him, its reserves vast and deep. And with his particular Charm, she almost pitied any Encant who ran afoul of him.

"It didn't matter that the guilds in the city were the ones to drive them out." Vraylor took of his hat, scrubbing a hand through his dark hair before he replaced it. "Bad feelings had been brewing for a while. It was just a decent tipping point."

"But the queen can't just go around punishing people for what someone else did!" Maevus objected. 

His grimace wasn't just bitter this time. A deeper emotion played across his face. A painful one. "The queen can do as she wants. That's the privilege of being queen."

Maevus shook her head, but he didn't give her a chance to launch into more protests.

"Besides." He sighed, the sound weary. "I would imagine it was more the Royal Council than the queen."

This shocked Maevus more than anything else. After meeting Queen Selna personally, it was nearly impossible to believe anyone could override her. She muttered as much and Vraylor turned to her.

The entrance to the Carneri Guild sat just a few yards away. The street lamps cast the world in flickering golden flame, but a shadow fell across the master's face.

"Not everything is what it appears, Maevus," he said, his rough voice grave. "Particularly in Valmor. Remember that."

A flicker of fear went through her at the warning, making the threads around her heart tremor in response.