"Get behind me," Kaneia hissed at Zericho, stepping forward.

Zericho spluttered, but the guard captain was already squaring her shoulders, taking another step. "What is this?" she demanded gruffly.

A pair of onyx eyes flashed over the guard before focusing on Zericho. The hand that wasn't holding the scimitar had Lief's good arm pinned to his side, leaving free the one that ended just above where the boy's elbow would be.

It was the same man from the prison trial, with the long black coat, golden band on his finger, and ginger hair twisted up around his head. That, along with the feline Aster he'd had before, indicated someone of noble rank, but everything else about him—from the few scars on his face to the fact that he'd been trying to free prisoners at a trial—said outlaw.

"This is one of the thieves from today's event," the red-haired man said, still looking at Zericho even though his words seemed to be addressed to Kaneia.

"He's the guy who tried to free the prisoners." Lief's voice sounded nervous, even in her head.

Zericho met her brother's light green eyes briefly, giving him a nod—both to agree and to offer what support she could.

"I thought you might be interested," the man continued, glancing to the guard. "Especially because he was working with her." He nodded in Zericho's direction.

Kaneia turned in the thief's direction, a victorious glint in her eyes. "You were 'only working with your brothers,' eh? Why does this particular teammate of yours look nothing like you?" It was true; Lief's ash blonde hair and pale skin made a stark contrast to Zericho's jet black and dark brown.

"Darshek's okay, look."

"Step brothers," Zericho clarified distractedly. Her eyes flicked to Lief's nervous ones, then to the side where he was looking. When her gaze landed on a large crow with well-groomed feathers, she let out a silent breath of relief.

"Ah," Kaneia grunted, turning back around—presumably without noticing where the two thieves had been looking. "And you," she addressed the man with the scimitar curtly. "Are you aware that you are also a criminal, and so I find your capture of another one to be underwhelming?"

"Uh-huh." He shrugged, although the blade stayed perfectly still at Lief's neck. "It's almost like I'm actually here for someone else, and don't really care what you think."

Kaneia didn't move. "Whatever business you have, it can go through me."

"And go through you it will, if you keep standing in her way." His eyes returned to Zericho's. "Let's get to business, shall we?"

Zericho stepped up next to the indignant guard. "I can give you a hundred-crystal coin to let him go right now," she said, figuring it was best to get to the point. "That's all I have."

The man rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Do you remember the conversation we had earlier?"

She continued to watch him flatly, because obviously she remembered it, and she wasn't going to be treated like a four-year-old.

"That was my best opportunity to free my crew. People I've worked closely with for most of my life, and who mean more to me than just about anything. And now they're going to rot in prison for the rest of their lives, and yes, it will be the rest of their lives, because people like that aren't ever let free, no matter how many empty trials they're brought to, how many times they're paraded before people who don't understand what their lives even mean. That's what's going to happen to you as well, and your brother, and the other one, once they inevitably find him." He gestured to the guard captain. "No matter what she's told you, you know your life is over as soon as you finish whatever she or Lord Calla wants. They don't let people like us back onto the streets."

"He's not wrong," Lief admitted, sounding like he was trying to sound calm.

Zericho knew that. She'd known that from the moment she'd turned around and seen House Calla's seal on that helmet. Now, this man hadn't seen the desperation and sincerity on Annavhe's face, but his words could still very well prove true. It just didn't really matter, because working with Annavhe was still the best chance she had.

Holding the man's gaze, she asked, "Yeah, well, what am I supposed to do about it?"

"If you'd be willing to help me get my crew back, you and your brothers can stay with us indefinitely, share in our supplies, and take a portion of everything we gain."

She blinked. Is he crazy? "You are aware that I'm still under the full supervision of House Calla's guard captain, right?" she asked, nodding at Kaneia. "In fact, if you want your crew freed, isn't she the first person you should be talking to?"

He huffed out a laugh. "Now that they've been sentenced, they're under the full control of the Sun Guard. Yes, if persuaded, this guard could argue for their release, but without sufficient reason it would accomplish nothing. However, they aren't valuable enough to warrant an increase in security, even if she were to warn the Sun Guard of our plan—which I have hardly discussed in any detail."

"What makes you think you have any power here in the first place?" Kaneia butted in. "And what makes you think Zericho is going anywhere when I'm here to stop you?"

"With respect, you don't stand a chance." He turned back to Zericho. "I'm not going to kill your brother, no matter what you decide. But I do hope you'll at least think about my offer." With that, he opened his arms, stepping back.

Lief spun around, foot landing straight in the man's stomach, before he ran to the side, distancing himself from both his previous captor and the guard.

The man doubled over with a wheeze, gritting his teeth before standing straight again and sheathing the red scimitar. A second later, his face went blank, completely concealing that he had just been in pain. "Yeah, we could definitely use someone like you," he told Lief, "especially if I'm right and you have some sort of communication ability. We could also use you-" He gestured to the crow. "-and your trainer, wherever he's lurking. Oh, which reminds me." He reached somewhere inside his long coat and retrieved a green gem necklace that Zericho recognized as the one they'd stolen from Lord Silveress. "You can have this back if you work with me."

Okay, he's good. Zericho could definitely see how working with someone like him would be advantageous. He was also clearly trying to show off, which only added to how annoying she'd already found him, but she could deal with an arrogant asshole if it meant freedom and protection. But that was assuming he was being sincere, and he didn't seem any more trustworthy than Annavhe was.

"What's your name?" she demanded.

"Dust."

"Is there anyone else working with you on this?"

"The previous royal executioner, Imika. There's also my Aster, Quasar, and Imika's Aster, Tungsten—as soon as we can get a new body built for him."

"What's going on here?" Annavhe's voice demanded.

Everyone looked to the side to see him exiting the estate behind a young guard. The guard nodded to Kaneia, then stepped to the side, taking up an alert position.

"Thank you, Mianin," Kaneia told the guard briefly, before turning to her lord. "This is one of Zericho's two step brothers." She pointed in Lief's direction. "He was being held hostage by this man Dust-" She pointed again. "-who wants to hire them to free his crew, which are the people we sentenced to the Royal Dungeon today. He's also the one who corrupted the royal executioner."

Zericho was genuinely shocked when Annavhe's eyes lit up with hope. Turning to Dust, he asked, "You're a thief as well, right?"

Dust shrugged. "Something along those lines."

"How much money would you say you...acquire...in a given year?"

"My split, or what the crew brings in as a whole?"

"What the crew brings in," the lord answered quickly, like he was trying to seem authoritative even though he was clearly working in new territory. Zericho guessed he probably had no idea how being a thief actually worked.

"Thirty-six hundred crystal, easily."

That was a number that would have impressed Zericho about an hour earlier, before her eyes were opened to exactly how meaningless money seemed to be for the noble class.

"I'll give you double that."

Dust whistled. "Just for free? Thanks, I appreciate the support."

Zericho snorted as Annavhe scowled. "No, I want your help with something. At first, I thought you and Zericho were working together. But even if you weren't, the two of you together caused an impressive amount of mayhem, which is exactly what I need. So I'm willing to hire you both to work together." He glanced at Kaneia, before adding, "If you pass a trial run first."

Dust snorted. "Yeah, okay," he said, waving his hand. "I hate to break it to you, but money isn't going to do it for me."

He left the phrase hanging in the air, implying that the negotiations weren't quite finished yet.

"What will do it for you? I can give you almost anything. A portion of my inheritance for House Calla-"

Thankfully, Dust interrupted before Annavhe could divulge another long list of offers, possibly including marriage. "I want help freeing my crew."

The lord froze. "The ones that are being taken to the Royal Dungeon?"

"Yep."

"They're under the control of the Sun Guard now. There's nothing I can do."

Dust gave him a flat look. "You're a noble, and from the leading House of a Circle, no less. You have money and resources beyond anything Zericho or I could come up with in a lifetime. Think outside the box a little."

Annavhe shifted uncomfortably. "So, if I were to give you enough resources to free your people—assuming you're capable of doing so—you would assist in the task I want you for?"

"Assuming you tell me what I'm wanted for in the first place, and I agree to it, yeah."

Annavhe nodded. "If you pass the trial run, which Kaneia will explain, then I'll tell you all—including Zericho's brothers and the executioner, if they agree—what you're needed for. We can negotiate further from there."

"Done," Dust said with a nod.

Damn, he's desperate too, isn't he?

"Zericho, do you agree to try to work with Dust?"

Zericho gave the other criminal a dirty look. "I will warn you that he's an asshole and a showoff."

"So are most of your kind," Annavhe answered stiffly.

She glanced behind her to where Lief was watching.

"You agreed to helping a noble with something before he told you what it is?" he demanded.

She slipped her fingers into her pocket and pulled out one of the coins enough to let it flash in the sunlight.

Her brother's eyes widened. "Okay, so he's serious. Is he going to let us go if we decide not to help?"

She gave the smallest shake of her head she could, hoping most of the others wouldn't pick up on it.

"Then I don't think we have a choice. I'll get Darshek."

Zericho turned back to Annavhe. "We're in."

A moment later, the other brother appeared around one of the trimmed hedges that filled the estate's front garden. Unlike the apprehensive look in Lief's, his green eyes were glittering with excitement. Turning to Dust, he demanded, "You're a pirate, aren't you?"

Dust smiled slightly. "Something along those lines. Come on, let's go see what this trial thing is about."