Night took forever to come.

Throughout the dull morning, Sebastian and the others passed the time by watching old French television shows and playing card games with Remy. He claimed to have found the deck in the corner store he and Olivier went to. Apparently, the owner had given it to him for free.

The deck holder was worn and riddled with tiny holes. The once-black cardboard had turned gray with age. Its only interesting feature was the golden jester logo on the front.

Sebastian wasn't really one for card games. He also wasn't for one for sitting around and doing nothing. He wanted—needed—to go out and do something. Anything. If he had to watch Remy beat Ajax in another game of spades, he was going to lose his mind.

So, when night finally did come, he jumped at the opportunity to head to the bar to find out the identity of the wine merchant. The seller was their best bet at getting to Thania. The other members of the Eldenarian Council—such as Chieftain Naidini of House Oseda and Fire Queen Kasumi of House Doragon—were much farther away. If they could warn House Aegeon, it would give allow them to warn the others as well.

They needed to get on that boat as soon as possible before his father changed his mind and killed them all.

Sebastian, Ajax, and Olivier were currently walking down the sidewalk to the tavern while Imogen and Remy stayed behind. The boy wasn't old enough to be permitted into bars, anyway, and Sebastian was still angry with Imogen after their earlier debate.

She acted like she knew him. Like he was some book for her to read and analyze.

But she knew nothing. That's what he kept telling himself. She was wrong.

The moon was gone from the sky above. The yellow light from the streetlamps was just enough to allow Sebastian and his companions to see where they were going. He knew this was a fairly small village, but would it have killed them to have better lights?

"So, how're we going to find this person?" Ajax asked. "We can't just walk in and ask for the magic wine guy."

Olivier cracked a smile while Sebastian rolled his eyes.

"We're not going to do that," the older man said. "We'll walk in, take a seat, and listen for a bit. If you pay enough attention, you can find out anything."

Sebastian hoped he was right. He had done enough sitting around for the day. It was time to set things in motion. He wanted to be in Thania by the end of the week at the latest. Ideally, he wanted to get there in the next few days, but that wasn't exactly realistic.

His father would be planning his next move soon—and that would be to acquire another Eldenarian artifact. Sebastian already knew which one he was going for; the gauntlet of the sea, the item belonging to House Aegeon. The house was home to the water elementalists, sailors, and healers of the world.

The gauntlet was a beautiful piece of metalwork. Engravings of tridents, waves, and sea creatures decorated the silver arm guard. Sebastian had seen it a few times in person, as he often accompanied his father to the Eldenarian Palace for the occasional council meeting.

Sirus wore the gauntlet everywhere he went. The artifact was said to control the power of the sea.

Sebastian had yet to see it in action.

"Looks like we're here," Ajax said. He grinned as he pushed open the wooden doors. "I hope they have good beer. I haven't had a pint since I left Hodvekt."

"The drinking age in America is twenty-one," Olivier pointed out.

"Just because I was born in Oregon doesn't mean I'm an American. My people and I don't even exist to them." The ginger snorted. "Besides, those are Ordinaire laws, not mine."

Sebastian cracked a smile and followed the brute inside.

Cigar smoke hung in the dim air. Ambient lights came from the ceiling and fixtures on the wall. Along with the dark wood countertops and old furniture, they gave the establishment a rustic vibe. Almost every table inside the bar was occupied. Laughter filled the building as people sipped their alcoholic beverages.

Sebastian surveyed the faces of those inside. He couldn't tell if any of them were magicians or not. Apart from the marks on their palms, there was no distinguishing feature between magicians and Ordinaires.

Olivier led them to the bar counter and the three of them took up a seat.

The man behind the leather-topped divider peered at them with keen eyes. He was washing the inside of a rag with a rag, his stare trained on the trio as he did so. He had a scruffy beard and stringy hair the color of dark oil.

"Haven't seen you three around here before," he said, his voice thick with a French accent.

"We're new to town," Sebastian replied shortly. He kept looking around the bar in hopes of spotting their wine merchant.

"I figured." The man set the glass down and leaned forward. "What house?"

Sebastian exchanged glances with Olivier and Ajax. They looked just as confused and surprised as he did.

"How did you— "

"You look like one of those Thauvins. Are you?"

He gulped. He had almost forgotten his family was one of the most popular amongst the magician community. He didn't think people would know his face, though.

Olivier cleared his throat. "I think you can help us with our predicament."

"Oh yeah?" The man grunted. "And what would that be?"

"We heard there was a wine seller from Thania in town," Ajax answered. "We were wondering if you knew where we could find them."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at the man beyond the counter. He didn't recognize him. Though, he did spot the faded silver mark burned into his palm. It was faint, but his eye was trained to see things like that. He was a magician. A Solair, to be exact.

"You're talking about Luka." The man laughed. "He's upstairs." He tilted his head. "What business do you have with him? You don't really look like customers of his."

"We weren't really interested in buying any wine," Olivier said with a wry smile. "We just needed to speak with him."

"Alright." He glanced at Sebastian. "What'd you say your name was, boy?"

"Sebastian," he replied through gritted teeth. "Sebastian Thauvin."

"Thorian's boy, eh?" He mumbled something under his breath. "Ever since Pierre died, this village hasn't been the safe haven it once was. We no longer get protection from the werewolf and vampire clans in the area."

"Sorry?"

The man snorted. He moved from behind the counter and motioned for the three men to follow him. They passed through the bar and arrived at a hallway leading up to the second level of the building. The stairwell led to a slightly opened door.

"Luka's in there," the man said. "I'll warn you, though. He's a bit...busy."

Olivier nodded. "Thank you... I don't believe you ever introduce yourself, my friend."

"Claude." He grinned, revealing his crooked teeth. "I own this place. It's not much, but it's all I got. Not everyone can be born into one of the seven houses like your friend over here."

Ajax cleared his throat. "I was also born into one of the seven houses."

Claude gave the big lad a once over. "I don't doubt it. House Brynjir?"

"Until the day I die."

The man nodded. "Well, I'll leave you to it. If you need anything, you know where to find me." He shuffled past them and returned to his perch behind the bar counter downstairs.

Sebastian turned his attention back to the door. Finding Luka, the wine merchant, had been easier than he thought. Now, all they needed to do was convince him to take them with him back to Thania.

He drew in a deep breath and pushed open the door in front of him.

Sebastian wished he hadn't opened it.

Two women and a man with blonde hair were tangled together on a four-poster bed in the center of the room. Giggles left the women's mouths while the man caressed their bodies. Their clothes were strewn across the floor, along with their decency.

He recoiled at the sight.

Ajax knocked on the already opened door. The girls shrieked and jumped up from the bed, scrambling for their garments and covering up their naked bodies.

The blonde man, who Sebastian assumed to be Luka, sighed as he sat up. Clad in blue underwear, he stood up and grinned at the three men in the doorway.

"I wasn't really expecting any more visitors tonight." His gaze lingered on Sebastian longer than the boy would've liked. Luka licked his lips. "But there's always room for more."

Olivier stepped forward. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Luka. But we didn't come here to engage in those...activities."

Luka grabbed a white shirt from the ground and began buttoning it up. "Oh no?" He arched an eyebrow. "Wait a minute... You're Pierre Moreau's brother. Olivander? No...that's not it. Olly?"

"Olivier."

"Right, right." Luka peered at the pair beside the man. "And who might you two be?"

"Ajax Washington," the tall battlemage announced. "Son of Achilles and Catherine Washington, chieftains of House Brynjir."

Luka suppressed a smile. "You could write a whole book with that introduction." He turned to Sebastian. His face darkened when he noticed the violet mark in the boy's palm. "And you must be Sebastian."

He scowled. Why does everyone know who I am?

"What gave it away?"

"You look just like your father."

His frown deepened. He hated it when people told him that. No matter how many times he heard it, it would never be true to him. Never. For his entire life, he'd been compared to his father. Everyone always said he grow up to be just like him. They thought it was a good thing. But, to him, it was the worst thing he could ever become. He never wanted to be like that man. Not if he could help it.

"We need a favor," he said, his voice sharper than his vayrir.

"What kind of favor?" He sat down and draped one leg over the other. The women behind him moved back onto the bed. They kissed at his neck, cheeks, and ears. He smiled. "You can join us if you'd like."

"No thanks." Sebastian averted his gaze. "We need to get to Thania. You've got a ship. Take us with you when you leave."

Olivier shot him a pointed look, to which he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. The man shook his head before turning to Luka. "If you wouldn't mind, we could really use your help. We've got some important information to bring to Lord Sirus' attention."

"What kind of information?"

Ajax opened his mouth to answer but Sebastian discreetly kicked him in the shin. He ignored the glare from the other boy before speaking.

"I'd rather keep that private."

He wasn't sure if this person could be trusted. Not completely. He had trusted Jasper Caldwell back in Las Vegas and that almost ended up with him being killed. He wouldn't make that mistake again.

"If I'm going to help you," Luka began, "I'd like to know why I'm helping."

Sebastian pursed his lips. He exhaled and ran a hand through his black hair. "Fine. My father is currently trying to collect all seven of the artifacts. He already has three. We need to get to Thania and warn Sirus before he gets to him first."

Luka paled. One of the women behind him froze, her eyes wide. "Thorian is not the man you want to cross. If he finds out I helped bring you to Thania, he'll slaughter me and everyone I've ever cared about."

"He won't find out," Sebastian said.

"He always finds out."

The man had a point.

"If you help us get to Thania, we can stop Thorian before he has to chance to exact revenge against you," Olivier said.

Luka tugged at his fingers. "I don't know... What do I get out of this?"

Ajax drew his brows together. "Do you have no honor? No integrity? The fate of our world is at stake and you're worried about personal gain."

He held his hands up. "I'm a trader. A damn good one at that. I didn't get to be where I am by doing favors that don't benefit me in any way."

"Think of it this way." Sebastian glared at him. "If you don't help us, you'll wish you did."

"Threats? That's not very sexy."

Sebastian's mouth twitched. "Listen up— "

Olivier placed a hand on his shoulder and urged him to keep his mouth shut. "It is everyone's best interests if we prevent Thorian from collecting the Eldenarian artifacts. He's a tyrant and a murderer. If he gets his hands on all of that power, there's no telling what he could do."

Luka shrugged. "From what I've seen, Thorian is trying to bring our kind back to where we belong. I liked Pierre, really, but he wasn't what we needed. Your father is. He'll return our kind back to its former glory."

Sebastian had half a mind to punch the man in the face. 

"I think you should reconsider," Olivier suggested.

Luka paused for a moment. "I don't think I will." He walked over to the door and gestured toward the hall. "If that'll be all, I have some business to attend to." He winked at the girls on his bed. 

Sebastian cursed at him before stomping out the room, his features twisted in anger. Ajax and Olivier followed behind. Within seconds, they were back outside in the cool, night air. While walking back to the inn, Ajax rubbed the top of his head and sighed.

"Well, that didn't go as planned."

"No," Olivier said. "I didn't."

"So, what now?"

Sebastian shook his head. If Luka wouldn't help them, they would be forced to take matters into their own hands.

"We're getting on that ship," he told them, his gaze darkening as he walked. "With or without his permission."