32. Spiders Out of String

Awakened by movement among eggshells, Kinch discovers Bully Boy—and then Sesta, his Assassin-Adept handler, alive and warded with heat sigils. In a rock cleft, Sesta questions Kinch about the wreck and the poisoner he killed, then lays out the plan: if rescued or if they must row, Kinch must take the cat; above all, he must get them to Oustrim without delay and tell no one she lives.

When Norrigal approaches the grotto, Sesta melts into the rock’s shadows. Kinch hastily pretends solitude as Norrigal notices the cat’s improbable survival. He improvises a magical explanation and deflects questions. Norrigal presses closer, and Kinch, wary of Sesta watching, suggests moving to the far beach to be alone.

After Norrigal departs, Sesta tests Kinch’s independence; he pushes back, warning her not to harm Norrigal or the cat will die with her. Amused, Sesta allows him his “treat.” Kinch chooses patience over sex, but spends a long, affectionate night kissing Norrigal on the cold beach before they return at dawn.

Back at camp, tempers flare: during the night Sesta stole and ate Malk and Gormalin’s entire catch, leaving only bones. The quarrel simmers but proves minor beside what comes next. Two days later, goblins arrive, transforming their precarious refuge into an imminent threat.