Page 94 of Wanted: Rogues and Bards

“Puppy?” Fenric threw out an arm to catch Lirion before he could fall into the young man. “I thought you were hitting the pubs with Rain and Mal after finding an inn?”

“Er, well, I did. Or I was. But we got separated and we agreed if such an occurrence happened, we would reconvene at the inn. Oh, yes, Malfas got us rooms at The Greasy Gull Inn.”

“Sounds lovely,” Fenric muttered. He should have sent Belstrom for the inn. Rain and Malfas had a knack for picking the absolute worst places imaginable. Usually because they thought the name was funny or because there was a busty wench hanging around out front.

“Also, when I was at the last tavern asking questions, someone suggested a man by the name Tookie? And gave me directions but, um”—here Maxie looked about him with a very obvious I-be-lost-as-hell face—“I think I got turned around?”

“We are looking for Tookie, too. You’re in the right place, I think. Or close to it.”

“Excellent! Um…should I go with you and Lirion?”

“Sure, no reason not to.” Rather, every reason for him to join them. If Maxie was going to wander around, Fenric would prefer it if he stuck nearby. Maxie lost in Baza was a disaster that hadn’t hit yet.

With a very serious expression, Maxie asked, “Should I use the eyes on him?”

“Fucking hell no. No, okay, do not.” Fenric shot a dark look at Lirion, and the incubus had the gall to flutter innocent eyes at him in return. Lirion had practically created a monster.

“But it’s highly effective!” Maxie argued.

Lirion nodded. “He’s right. It is effective.”

“That’s very much the fucking problem.” Maxie was so good at the skill that Hapi, their ever-stoic elf, had almost crumbled in their practice sessions. Fenric caught Maxie by the shoulders and steered him in the right direction. “Just walk, okay? Don’t use those eyes on people. No one here has immunity, and I’m not fighting off an entire street.”

Fenric ignored the sputtered protests and steered them down the street and into another market. This one, though, had proper buildings instead of moving carts and cloth stretched overhead. He followed the instructions and found the right door. Even with the sun having retreated for the day, the door was eye catching, with its bright white paint and a yellow umbrella that took up half the door.

Shadefinder. Perfect.

He let go of Maxie only once they had passed through the doorway, which turned out to lead to a single room with a small, dark staircase winding up the side. It wasn’t very large, but then, Tookie didn’t need a lot of room. The couch, two chairs, and even the fireplace were half the size of normal ones. The only large item was a map of the city dominating most of one wall.

Oh, and Tookie, of course.

Tookie was a goblin, which was obvious from his green skin, pointed ears, and bulging golden eyes. However, Fenric had always suspected the man had dwarf in his ancestry somewhere because he had an impressive white beard, which wasn’t something most goblins could grow. As if to compensate for his lack of hair everywhere else, he kept the beard well trimmed and braided, right down to his navel. It would have been impressive if the man wasn’t three-foot flat.

“Tookie,” Fenric greeted with a smile. “It’s been a while.”

“That it has, that it has,” he replied, his voice low and gravelly. Tookie didn’t rise from where he was ensconced in his chair but waved them inside. “Close the door, come in. Who are your companions?”

“I’m Lirion.” He bowed his head slightly and offered a polite but cool smile.

“I’m Maxie,” Maxie said with a short bow. “A great pleasure, sir.”

“Well, aren’t you well mannered? How the hell are you friends with Fenric? The pretty one doesn’t surprise me, this rogue has always been about collecting pretty baubles, but well-mannered isn’t his forte.”

Fenric shot him a middle finger only for Tookie to laugh.

“Oh no, he’s wonderful. He saved my life and then took me under his wing.” Maxie cast Fenric a soft smile as he took a seat on the couch. “His friendship is something I might never be able to fully repay. Try though I might.”

Tookie blinked at him, studying his expression, then turned to Fenric and accused, “Are you corrupting him?”

“It would be far better if I were the one corrupting him. Sadly, I’m not. Let’s move on, shall we, to why I’m here. We’re looking for a sex ring run by Count Pierres.”

Tookie looked at him for a long moment. “You gotta narrow that down.”

A frustrated sound nearly escaped him, but Lirion quickly interjected, his tone surprisingly hard and sharp. “He’s got a succubus named Aria in the group.”

Wincing, Tookie immediately switched to thieves’ cant. “For you, chalant. Fancy the barmecide?”

Shit, was the situation so bad that even in the privacy of his office, he would only speak of this in thieves’ cant?