Chapter 9

Outside the Black Salt Tavern, Zevander uses echolocation to track a hooded stalker. When the attacker’s shadow-tendril lunges, Zevander maims and kills him, confirming the Suvary sigil and motive—revenge for a slain bloodmage. He incinerates the corpse with sablefyre and pockets the bloodstone to erase all trace.

Hearing a struggle, Zevander confronts a Rapax abducting the spindling boy who had helped him. He summons his scorpion tattoo to cripple the man, then loses control as sablefyre erupts and burns the abductor to ash, nearly turning on the caged boy before Zevander forcibly reins the fire back under his skin. He frees and warms the boy but urges him to find shelter.

Traveling to The Hovel, Zevander heads to Madame Lazarine’s brothel to retrieve his sister, Rykaia. Despite the madam’s pleas, he pays to take Rykaia home. He finds Rykaia unconscious amid vials of tonics; he administers vivicantem to purge them. As she revives and resists, Zevander discovers fresh cuts—signs of firebleeding—though Rykaia’s memory of the client has been wiped, terrifying her.

A highblood client arrives with shackles; Zevander’s rage drives the man to flee. Zevander forbids Rykaia’s tonics, hoists her out despite her protests, and orders the madam to inform him if the cutter returns. When the spindling reappears with no family to claim him, Zevander pays Ze’Kyra to shelter the boy, who gives his name as Gavroche. Zevander departs with Rykaia, determined to keep her safe.