The Stage is Set

The City of Partyn

Streets

“SHIT!” Zosia yelled, throwing the door open so hard it slammed into the side of the carriage.

She pushed Tytania inside, half-hoisting the taller woman up and into the coach box. Zosia’s hands came away wet, her pale skin and sodden bandages a frightening red beneath the harsh glare of the street lamps. Zosia didn’t stop to worry about it as she leapt into the carriage after the other woman, grasping at the door and yanking it closed behind them.

“Hey—” the driver started, opening the small window to scold his unexpected passengers, only to freeze at the sight of them. His eyes widened at their bloodied clothes, illuminated by the moon crystal dangling on a chain in the middle of the carriage box.

Zosia slammed her hands on both sides of the small window, cutting off his view of Tytania. “Drive!”

“Uh, where—?”

“Just DRIVE!” Zosia yelled.

The carriage boy disappeared for a moment and time froze for Zosia—until she heard the crack of the reins. Their carriage lurched down the street, leaving the museum and the cry of the alarm horns echoing behind them.

Zosia spared a look at Tytania, who was settling onto the opposite bench. Her mask was long gone, torn off at some point in the struggle. She was wearing a martial police uniform that she had, apparently, acquired the night before. The once-crisp material was torn at the shoulder and flecked with blood that was hopefully not her own.

Tytania studied her arm like one might observe a novel that had caught their eye in a bookstore. She held it out in front of her, eyeing the scarf wrapped tightly around the limb. The cream-colored fabric had turned a worrying dark. Despite this, Tytania didn’t look particularly perturbed, even as the carriage jolted and shook beneath them and the horns sounded too close for comfort. The little moon crystal swung frantically on its chain above them, causing shadows and light to chase each other around the tight space inside the carriage.

Tytania’s seeming nonchalance for their nightmarish situation didn’t do anything to ease Zosia’s spinning mind. In fact, it only gave her something else to worry at. She wondered if the other woman might be faking her calm. Then again, even if she was, what did it matter?

Breathe , Zosia told herself, sucking in air. She took a precious moment to recollect her thoughts, sweeping across her mind like an arm scattering unnecessary paperwork from a desk. In the momentarily empty space, she scanned for a particular memory—recalling paperwork and documents too valuable to keep, even in code.

Finding what she needed, Zosia crouched on the bench, peering through the small window to the driver’s bench. She called out to the driver and recited an address.

The driver didn’t reply, but the carriage veered off the main road, clanking down a backstreet.

Zosia settled back into her seat with an anxious sigh. She chanced a look at Tytania.

The other woman, unfathomably, was smiling. She flashed her signature grin to Zosia even as she cradled her arm. “Well, that was exciting.”

Zosia was dumbfounded. After a moment she hissed, “ Exciting? Are you crazy!” She sucked in another breath, which did nothing to calm her thundering heartbeat. “I told you to be careful. That was the opposite of careful . It went horribly.”

Horrible was the understatement of the night. The mayor himself had arrived at nightfall, with a battalion of his own personal guards in tow. They were nothing like the lackadaisical police force—the mayor’s guard were trained mercenaries, prepared to kill. Zosia had tried to talk a way out of it, but Chief Ainsley had cowed easily, no doubt happy to hand the responsibility for the final jewel over to someone else.

In a mockery of last night, the positions had been the same—but there were no easy-going police officers in the exhibit when Tytania had arrived. Instead, she had been met with a vicious group of thugs who had been instructed to kill on sight. Zosia had snuck away from her position outside to try to find Tytania and warn her, but not having known the thief’s plans for arrival or infiltration, the task had been impossible.

The pursuing ensemble could not have gone worse. Unable to find or get a message to Tytania, Zosia had smashed light crystals wherever she could, trying to cause a distraction. Tytania had arrived dressed as a member of the police’s martial guard, ready to blend in. To be fair, such a ruse likely would have worked on the police, but it was hopeless against the mayor’s battalion in their armored plate and ‘attack-first-ask-later’ methodology.

The chaos hadn’t been enough to prevent direct confrontation and it had quickly became them against the guards in the darkness of the museum. There had been fighting and no small amount of broken glass. The two of them had barely managed to escape—thanks to another dose of sleeping gas and the unlocked door in the East Wing.

Zosia sighed, pressing her forehead against the trembling window of the carriage. The cold felt good against her building headache, but did nothing to remedy their situation. The mission was a failure and now they were on the run. It was a complete nightmare.

Zosia flicked another glance over to Tytania. The thief had crossed her legs, lounging back against her seat—with that grin still firmly in place.

“Please tell me,” Zosia groaned, “what you have to be happy about?”

“Contrary to what you may believe, Zosia,” Tytania said, her voice light, “I actually think it went quite well.”

Zosia could only blink at her. So much for being eccentric, she’s actually lost her mind.

“Well, alright,” Tytania glanced up as if thinking, then continued, “the finer details of the scene may have veered off track, sure, but where’s the fun without a little improv?” She tapped a bloody finger against her chin playfully. “But all in all, I’d say the performance went well.”

“ Well!? ” Zosia echoed, her voice rising. She closed her eyes, then tried again. She glared at Tytania as she hissed, “We both got outed. Even if I hadn’t been seen running around with you by the mayor’s personal guard, I disobeyed a direct order from the chief. And your arm is busted. How are you going to hold your sword? How are you going to perform?”

Tytania shrugged, nonchalantly. “It wasn’t all waste. I had a dashing detective rescue me. That was new.”

“They had explosives, Tytania!” Zosia cried, trying to get the severity of what happened across to the other woman. “If I hadn’t intervened, you might have died , and…”

Zosia stopped, the words caught in her throat. And

I couldn’t let that happen.

In the moment, she had panicked. Overwhelmed with the idea that Tytania might not survive the heist, she had jumped right into the fray. Danger aside, it had blown her cover as an undercover agent. Her career was ruined, and not only here in Partyn. She knew the police branches talked; they would definitely gossip about a turncoat within the force. It was no longer safe for her to pose as a detective anywhere on the continent of Glorin.

All of that hadn’t mattered in the moment. Concerns for her own career and safety had vanished the second it looked like Tytania was in danger.

Zosia pressed her fingers to her forehead. She looked tiredly at Tytania. This woman is going to be the death of both of us.

Tytania returned her look coyly. “And?” she prodded, tilting her head slightly.

“And it was a complete failure,” Zosia finished. A failure of epic proportions, at that. It wasn’t only tonight’s haul they had lost—with both the police and the mayor’s battalion hot on their heels, they didn’t have time to go back to the theater or wherever Tytania had been staying to get the rest of the crystals. Zosia didn’t even suggest it; they needed to flee from Partyn and get to safety as quickly as possible.

She fell back against the seat. Yelling at Tytania had released a small bit of the tension built up inside of her. With it gone, Zosia felt like a curtain without a rod or string. There was little else to keep her from crumpling.

Tytania continued to smile, one finger tapping lightly against her leg.

Her lack of reply, especially when she so loved to talk, caused a flicker of doubt in Zosia’s mind.

“It was a failure.” Zosia blinked at her across the carriage. “Right?”

Tytania gave a little shrug. She shifted, laying her good arm over her injured one, to tap provocatively at the belt around her waist.

Zosia sat up. The belt looked empty. She couldn’t have.

It had been so chaotic in the dark room—the sounds of explosives ringing, the yells of the thugs, people screaming, the shattering of glass… there would have been no time to locate and find the final jewel among the mess.

But the look on Tytania’s face…

“You—”

The carriage jerked, causing Zosia’s jaw to slam shut. Her teeth echoed painfully as the carriage proceeded to bump alarmingly. Sore and annoyed, Zosia peered through the window at rough dirt streets. These could only be the back roads of the workers district, one of the poorest parts of the city.

After a few minutes of painful jostling, the carriage slowed to a halt.

“Where are we?” Tytania asked lightly.

“Doesn’t matter,” Zosia replied, pushing the door open as she glanced up and down the road. A single lantern, long overdue for a change of crystal, flickered pitifully a hundred yards away. The rest of the street was dark but blissfully quiet.

Zosia held out a hand to help Tytania down. “We won’t be staying here long.”

A cough sounded from above them. The young carriage driver looked down with a frown, his hand outstretched.

“Of course,” Zosia said, reaching for her bag. “Here’s—”

Her hand closed around empty space. She stared blankly for a moment as she recalled the chaos in the dark. There was a hazy memory of throwing her baton, then using her bag to whack someone over the head. After that was a blur of light, noise, and panic.

Whatever had happened, the bag was long gone—along with her notes, tools, and money.

Damn it. Zosia’s mind began to scramble. We have to—

“Here you are. Plus a bit extra for your trouble.” Tytania drew a small pouch from inside her sleeve. The coins clinked as she counted them into the driver’s outstretched hand.

The boy—the little shit—bit one suspiciously. After a moment he nodded, pocketing the coins into his oversized coat. With one last judging look, he swung around in his seat. The carriage jostled away down the street.

“How much stuff do you have on you?” Zosia asked, eyeing Tytania. The woman’s clothes were slightly baggy, large enough for things to be hidden within, but a whole pouch? It must have been strapped on tightly to have survived the scramble.

“Enough. And then some.” Tytania smiled. “It’s a theater trick.”

Zosia found herself relaxing slightly, just enough to give a small smile back. Perhaps the other woman was a bit more prepared, in her own impulsive and unpredictable way, than Zosia gave her credit for.

“Well?” Tytania asked. “Where to next?”

“Wait a moment. Just to be sure.” Zosia shifted her weight back and forth impatiently until the carriage had turned the corner at the end of the street. As soon as it had vanished into the dark, she grasped Tytania’s good arm and pulled her down the alleyway to their right.

“Oh,” Tytania gasped. “So rough! Dragging me into a dark alley like this, you’re very forward, Zosia.”

Zosia ignored her, too focused on counting the dirty windows pressed into the walls of the tight space. A cat peered curiously at them from a windowsill, watching them with round eyes as they passed.

Zosia stopped at the sixth window on the right. She reached up to tap against the dirty glass. Her knuckles rapped seven times against the dark window.

Tytania leaned forward. “What kind of—”

“Shhh, not so loud,” Zosia hushed. She turned to Tytania with a raised eyebrow and whispered, “Did they not tell you about the backup plan?”

“Maybe they did,” Tytania whispered back, standing on her tiptoes. With her height advantage, she would be able to see further than Zosia could. “But I must’ve tuned it out like I always do when an agent comes to visit. They take the haul, give me new instructions, and that’s that. Boring stuff. Honestly never thought I’d need a backup plan.”

Zosia rolled her eyes knowing Tytania couldn’t see it in the dark. The sheer audacity of this woman, who thought she could waltz and dazzle her way out of any situation. She really was the opposite to Zosia, who liked to have things planned and staged carefully.

Still, Zosia couldn’t deny that the confidence of the other woman was striking. She didn’t dare tell Tytania that, though. The woman’s ego was already bigger than the Grand Opera and Theater.

“That’s why it’s a backup ,” Zosia whispered. “For when things go wrong.”

Tytania shifted closer to Zosia. Her next words were a warm gust against Zosia’s air, chasing away the chill of the night.

“But that’s why I have you,” she whispered cheerfully, “to make it alright.”

The creak of an opening door prevented Zosia from replying; she startled as the sound echoed through the night. The noise was followed by a small pool of light spilling into the alleyway. Somewhere in the darkness, the cat hissed disgruntledly.

A cloaked figure stepped into the alley, shutting the door quickly behind them. They clutched a lantern with a small moon jewel embedded inside. It threw long shadows along the grimy walls.

Zosia took a hesitant step forward, only to be outpaced by Tytania. The taller woman placed herself firmly between Zosia and the approaching figure.

What is she thinking? Zosia was slightly startled at Tytania’s positioning. She’s injured. Not to mention that we’re not on stage—she’s not a prince, and I’m not some helpless noblewoman.

Beneath the thoughts was a sneaky warmth in her chest. While Zosia could only guess at the other woman’s intentions, the action felt rather protective.

“Greetings from above,” Zosia peered around Tytania’s shoulder as she called to the figure. She was absolutely certain she had the address and the code right, but it was best to double-check.

After a tense moment, the figure replied. “And greetings from under.” Their voice was gravelly and androgynous.

Zosia relaxed slightly. She stepped next to Tytania, who gave her a masked nod.

The figure pushed the light forward, putting their own face further in the shadows. “What can I do for you, friends?”

“We need an exit from Partyn.” Zosia said, squinting against the light of the lantern.

The person pulled the light back toward themself, brushing the shadows away to reveal a young face beneath their hood. Their brown eyes scanned them up and down, lingering on Tytania’s arm. “I see that.”

Tension hung in the air.

“Immediately,” Zosia added, putting force on the word.

The figure pulled their gaze away from Tytania. “Very well. It was already arranged, just in case. You’ll need this.”

They reached beneath their cloak, fumbling for a moment in their pockets. The light made it hard to tell, but it almost looked like their pants were inside out. Perhaps they had been thrown on in a hurry—which made sense, considering the late hour of their unexpected guests.

“This will get you to the coast. I know a driver who transports… discreet cargo.”

Zosia accepted a small pouch with a nod. She tugged its drawstrings open quickly, eyeing the modest pile of coins—enough for passage—and two slips of paper that were likely tickets.

“Did you complete the mission?”

Zosia looked up from the pouch. “We’ll report the mission status directly to the Under,” she said, her gaze firm. She reached down to open her bag, only to be reminded yet again that it was missing. “You said you had a contact?”

“Uh, yes,” the figure said, slightly cowed. “Follow me.”

Their assistant walked around them, keeping a mindful distance as they headed further down the alley. Zosia nodded to Tytania, who shrugged amicably in reply.

As they walked, Zosia tucked the pouch securely inside her jacket. Losing her bag wasn’t a fatal error—not with her notes in a personal code—but it was an unfortunate loss. She had collected her tools carefully over her years at school, and some of them had been graduation gifts from Minthol’s Academy. She would have to go without for a while. Hopefully the token money in the emergency pouch would be enough to get them a bit further than far away from Partyn.

The alley intersected with a wider road, indiscernible from the street they had arrived on. A few tall lamps hunched over the wide road, but only every other one had a crystal inside. The road was a splotchy patchwork of dull light and shadow.

Their guide whistled once, sharply.

Zosia remained tense, staring down the street, but no one emerged.

Their guide whistled again.

Tytania scuffed her boots absentmindedly, rubbing against pebbles in the dirt, causing one to dislodge. She kicked it further into the road, where it clunked loudly against another stone.

Zosia gave her an annoyed nudge with her shoulder. Tytania pushed back, immediately wincing at her arm.

“Strange,” their guide said, and Zosia straightened up, half expecting a reprimand for their childish behavior, when the guide leaned further into the road. “She’s usually prompt. Although she’s got a reputation for being a bit—”

Zosia didn’t have time to wonder who ‘she’ was as the jangle of tack and the bump of carriage wheels sounded in the dark. Two horses emerged around the corner at the far end of the road, pulling a midnight black carriage behind them. The horses and their sleek ride came to a stop a few feet away.

A woman sat in the driver’s seat, dressed in all black to match her vehicle. A rimmed cap sat heavily over her cropped brown hair. Even in the dark, Zosia could feel her glare.

“You called?” she said to their cloaked guide, a bit too loud for Zosia’s comfort.

“It’s time for you to repay a favor. Under stand?” The emphasis on the first part of the word was not subtle at all, leading Zosia to briefly wonder how their organization selected its agents. She had assumed her diploma had spoken for her intelligence and discretion, but perhaps the Under took recruits without vetting them for subtlety.

A glance at Tytania, who was standing on her tiptoes as she peered into the carriage with open excitement on her face, further solidified that thought. Zosia resisted the urge to sigh.

“Whatever, just get in.” The driver gave them a brisk wave towards the carriage.

Zosia eyed the cranky woman and her carriage with trepidation. There was not an ounce of hospitality about the woman, despite her luxurious carriage. Putting their fate in the hands of such a grumpy stranger was not Zosia’s first choice, but it was currently their best option.

Their cloaked assistant leaned slightly toward Zosia, as if sensing her unease. “It’ll be alright. She’ll see you out of here safely.”

Zosia sighed. With no other choice, she nodded a thank you to their assistant and opened the door to the carriage. Zosia turned to Tytania, only to find the taller woman right in front of her.

Tytania grasped Zosia’s hand. “How exciting! We’re going for a joyride.” She wove her fingers with Zosia’s and, to Zosia’s surprise, led her toward the open carriage. “Detectives first.”

Too tired to argue and more than ready to put some distance between them and Partyn, Zosia stepped up into the vehicle. Tytania swooped in behind her, closing the door gently behind them.

The window to the driver’s seat opened and something whizzed into the carriage. It landed in Tytania’s lap.

“I don’t care who you work for.” The driver called. “But don’t get blood on my seats.”

Tytania held up the box curiously. In the light from the lamps outside, Zosia could see a medical symbol engraved on the box. Bandages .

“What about other fluids?” Tytania called back, tilting forward in her seat to peer through the small space to the driver’s seat.

Zosia reached across the carriage to gently shove her. Tytania clearly didn’t understand the predicament they were in. They could joke once they were far away from here.

Tytania, expecting it this time, bent quickly out of reach with a cocky grin.

At the icy silence from the driver, Zosia assured her, “We’ll behave. Please, let’s just go.”

With a gruff noise, their driver slammed the little window shut. A moment later, the horses tugged the carriage into motion and they were trotting into the darkness.