Page 592 of End Game

“The mage never sees you. He's focused on Cami one second, and your blade goes between his ribs the next.”

Micah studies the map. “He drops?”

“He drops.”

Dex points across the table. “Good boy.”

Micah's eyes snap up.

Dex goes perfectly still.

Cami makes a strangled sound.

Griffin closes his eyes as though he has developed a headache in real time.

I lift one eyebrow.

Micah's mouth curves slowly. “Careful.”

The tone is sufficient to make Dex reconsider his life choices.

I file that away for a context in which I am not currently responsible for a chuul.

“Griffin,” I say, returning my attention to the initiative list. “You're up.”

“Thank you.”

The fight lasts another forty minutes.

They kill the chuul with four hit points left on Dex, six on Cami, and just enough resources between them that everyone feels appropriately heroic without feeling invincible.

Griffin complains that everyone keeps getting behind him.

Dex tells him that is usually considered a benefit.

Griffin threatens to leave him unconscious the next time he drops to zero.

Micah eats almost all of both bags of cinnamon knots while pretending nobody notices.

By the time I finally close my notebook, the table is covered in dice, empty boxes, pencils, miniatures, napkins, and cinnamon sugar that Dex has somehow managed to smear across the lower half of his character sheet.

“That is where we'll stop.”

Dex groans immediately. “You can't stop there.”

“I can.”

“We are literally standing in front of the gate.”

“Yes.”

“You specifically described screaming on the other side.”

“I did.”

“You're a bad person.”

“I sleep comfortably.”