fill; they had an attenuated pairbond, not complete as Sacred Banders knew it,
and Janni was uncomfortable with the innuendo and assumptions of the other
singles, and Niko’s unsated needs as well.
The silence come between them then gave Stealth his chance to find the girl’s
red time-shadow, a hot ghost-trail to follow south-west through the Maze…
As the moon climbed high its light shone brighter, giving Maze and then Shambles
shape and teasing light; colour was almost present among the streets, so bright
it shone, a reddish cast like blood upon its face, so that when common Sanctuary
horrors lay revealed at intersections, they seemed worse even than they were.
Janni saw two whores fight for a client; he saw blood run black in gutters from
thugs and just incautious folk. Their horses’ hoofbeats cleared their path,
though, and Maze was left behind, as willing to let them go as they to leave it,
although Janni muttered at every vile encounter their presence interrupted,
wishing they could intervene.
Once he thought they’d glimpsed a death squad, and urged Stealth to come alert,
but the strange young fighter shook his head and hushed him, slouched loose upon
his horse as if entranced, following some trail that neither Janni nor any
mortal man with God’s good fear of magic should have seen. Janni’s heart was
troubled by this boy who was too good at craft, who had a charmed sword and
dagger given him by the entelechy of dreams, yet left them in the barracks,
decrying magic’s price. But what was this, if not sorcery? Janni watched Niko