Page 44 of Astarion

“Don’t pretend you knew who it was,” Violet said sullenly, rubbing her hand where Astarion had struck it.

“Petras sounds like a peacock in iron boots, and we’d never have heard Aurelia at all.”

She made a rude gesture, then clutched her hand. “Fuck, that hurts. I’m telling Father you broke my hand!”

“Why don’t you run along and do that, then?”

She narrowed her eyes. “I could tell him other things. Like the fact that you went into the Thieves’ Guild.”

Astarion stifled a yawn. “I know it’s difficult, but try to use your brain for something other than keeping your ears apart. Do you think he doesn’t already know I’m a member?”

Violet’s lips curled. She clearly hadn’t known.

“I am more curious as to why you followed us in the first place.” Astarion leaned against the wall, folding his arms. How much does she know?

She shrugged, unrepentant. “Dalyria and Yousen were clearly up to something. All that lurking and looking over their shoulders. I wanted to know what.”

Astarion glanced around for Yousen, but the gnome had vanished. Either he had found a wall to blend into or, more likely, he was scurrying back out of the Undercity as quickly as he could.

Well, I’ll find my way back eventually. I remember the graffiti, if nothing else.

“Anyway, I wasn’t expecting all this.” Violet leaned over the stone wall, looking down onto the mass of undead. “Pretty impressive.”

“Yes, yes.” Astarion waved a languid hand. “I suggest you leave, but if you want to swan dive into their midst, I certainly won’t stop you.”

“Let me guess…whatever you’re after is in that big black blob over there.”

Astarion wasn’t certain whether she truly didn’t know what he was looking for or she was simply lying to throw him off the scent. It was entirely possible that Dalyria and Yousen had discussed the whole plan without bothering to check the door for eavesdroppers. Plausible, even. Tymora, why must you surround me with incompetents?

“My dear Violet,” he said, “why would I share anything about my plans with you?”

She turned to study him through narrowed eyes. When she wasn’t doing her artificial childlike act, her gaze was alarmingly shrewd. While Astarion was taller and stronger—not to mention smarter—than Violet, and he was reasonably sure he could take her in a fight, he didn’t feel that a small ledge over a sea of skeletons was the best place to test that hypothesis.

“I could tell everyone else what you’re up to,” she said.

“Since I doubt you’ll find Aurelia, that leaves, what, Petras? Please, feel free.” He made shooing gestures. “Run along home and tell your big brother.”

He could actually hear Violet’s teeth grinding. He was increasingly certain she didn’t know that the blood of a god lay below. She had probably seen Yousen and Dalyria acting secretive and followed them impulsively, hoping to learn more. Astarion was a trifle annoyed with himself that he hadn’t spotted her sooner, but if Violet had a single skill, it was turning up at the most inconvenient possible time.

Though I suppose it could be more inconvenient. She could have appeared while I was dangling on a rope over the plaza, for example.

No, there had to be a better way down than that. Leaving aside that all the skeletons would see him descending like a foolhardy spider, ropes were much too easily cut. If he watched for long enough, he could likely spot a useful pattern—areas that were less heavily patrolled, guard shifts that changed on a regular basis. Unfortunately, that would require him to watch the skeletons, not Violet, and he certainly wasn’t going to take his eyes off her.

“Maybe I’ll climb down there and steal it myself,” she said.

“Please, feel free. I’ll tell Father you died as you lived: grossly overestimating your own abilities.”

“What’s that thing there?” She leaned outward, pointing to something on the ground.

Astarion, being at least a century too old to fall for that, kept his back firmly against the wall. “Describe it to me.”

“You’re no fun at all.” She turned and flounced away. Over her shoulder, she snapped, “I’ll find something better than yours. Just you wait.”

Astarion rolled his eyes but didn’t move from his position. He certainly wasn’t going to turn his back on her until he was very sure that she was gone.

Unfortunately, this meant that he was still standing in the same place five minutes later, when she dropped the thunderstone on his head.

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