The Stage is Set

The Inn

THERE WAS still a modest amount of money left in Tytania’s stash when they returned to the main street. Zosia kept her eyes sharp, passing over the many intriguing souvenir shops and restaurants to look for an inn.

They found one right away, an impressive three-story building with a large wooden sign shaped like a bed. After finding out that it didn’t have rooms with locked doors, Zosia led them further up the street to another building boasting rooms for rent. Tytania heard the price from the attendant and scoffed out loud before dramatically steering Zosia back outside.

“Highway robbery,” Tytania cursed beneath her breath, “in broad daylight! They’re giving thieves a bad name.”

“If you say so,” Zosia fought the urge to smile. “Come on. Let’s keep looking.”

They ducked in and out of several more inns, taverns, and even a renovated ship warehouse with hundreds of open bunks that offered no privacy whatsoever. Zosia’s anxiety about finding a place before nightfall was just starting to overtake the burn in her calves when Tytania called out excitedly.

“Oh, here! This is the one, I can feel it.” Tytania pushed open the door to a quaint-looking building.

They had come all the way to the edge of town; the building in front of them looked more like a house than an inn. Zosia eyed the two small gardens on either side of the door and their eclectic arrangement of flowers before she spotted a small plaque. A simple but charming bed had been chiseled into the wood. The inn’s windows were open, allowing the sea breeze to brush against the collection of stained glass bobbles and ornaments pinned to the window panes. They spun slowly, reflecting the golden light of the setting sun.

“It had better be the one,” Zosia replied with a smile. “It’s the last inn in town.”

An elderly woman in a pink apron met them inside, ushering them into a lobby that appeared to double as a living room. Upon finding that they had a room available for a modest fee, Tytania and Zosia gave each other a look of approval. They paid for one night and followed the innkeeper up a flight of carpeted stairs. She brought them to a room at the end of a long hall.

“Sorry, dears,” the innkeeper said as she unlocked the door, “there’s just the one bed. I hope that won’t be a problem?”

“Not at all,” Tytania said with a grin, slipping forward the second the hefty door swung back on its hinges. Her immediate gasp caused Zosia to peer after her curiously.

The room was small but lovingly decorated. A four poster bed sat across from a window that stretched three panes along the wall. It overlooked a small garden on a cliff, with nothing but the ocean reaching out to the horizon beyond.

“I hope it’s to your liking,” the innkeeper said with a smile. “I’ll leave you two to enjoy. Dinner is an optional extra charge. If you’re interested, stop by the kitchen in an hour or so and we’ll put something together for you.”

Zosia thanked the innkeeper, who gave a small bow of her head and ambled back toward the lobby. Zosia closed the door softly behind her. As she did, she noticed not only the keyhole in the door, but an additional deadlock. She slid the heavy metal bolt into place with no small amount of delight. When it clicked shut, Zosia felt as if yet another weight had been removed from her shoulders. Her earlier happiness was now comfortably matched with a sense of security she hadn’t felt since she had arrived in Partyn, or perhaps since she had landed in Rivain what felt like forever ago.

This wouldn’t be over until they had safely disembarked on distant shores, of course, but for the moment, Zosia felt she could finally relax. She glanced at Tytania.

The other woman stood at the window with her hands on her hips, staring out to sea. When she looked back at Zosia, the evening light basked her features in rich warmth. The sunlight melded into her skin and teased out streaks of gold in her sunset-colored hair, bringing light to her emerald eyes. “Yes?”

Zosia realized she was staring.

“I think I see a safe box beneath the bed,” Zosia said hurriedly. “Do you want to put the crystals there?”

Tytania hummed, reaching into the tight band of her pants to retrieve the crystals from where she had put them earlier. Without her bag and with far less practice stashing things on her person, Zosia had felt the crystals were more secure in Tytania’s possession and had returned them just before they had arrived in Irdien.

Tytania’s hand emerged with the pouch. She threw it up in the air, caught it, and then—without warning—tossed it to Zosia.

Zosia lurched forward to catch the priceless treasure before it hit the floor. Not that that would likely damage the crystals, but still.

“Hey!” she hissed. “Be careful.”

Tytania shrugged, already moving around the bed. She hopped onto the edge and her eyes widened in delight as she sunk into the squishy comforter. She fell back, sinking into the cloud-like bedding with a look of bliss. “Loosen up, Zosia. They’ll be fine.”

“It’s not a matter of being fine, it’s a matter of care.” Zosia crossed her arms, looking down at the parts of Tytania that remained visible. It was as if the bed had swallowed her up in a way that seemed both comfortable and inviting. The assortment of blankets and plush pillows made it appear cozy, but the bed itself was quite large. This was probably for the best, as they would be sleeping in it. Together .

Zosia clutched the pouch a little tighter to distract herself. They were going to be doing a lot of things together for the next few weeks until they got to Lythenor, and, Zosia had to remind herself, the most important of those things was watching over the gems.

It was worrisome how little Tytania seemed to care about the crystals. They were both their responsibility and obligation, the thing that secured their safe return to the Under, the preservation of their reputations, protection for their families, and a hefty reward. The crystals were essential. Why Tytania was treating them like yesterday’s leftovers was beyond Zosia.

Tytania peered up from the bed, sighing as she took in Zosia’s expression. “Don’t think for a moment that I care about those rocks.” She shifted to lean up on her elbows, her ponytail slightly looser after her roll in the sheets. Strands of silky pink fell over her shoulders. “The fun of those gems was stealing them. They're no longer interesting to me.”

The frown on Zosia’s face intensified. It was a ridiculous, but also an extremely Tytania thing to say. Zosia rubbed her thumb over the leather pouch thoughtfully. The jewels should be important to Tytania, too. Unless...

“You never told me earlier.” Zosia stepped closer to the bed, staring down at Tytania. “What is your reward from the Under?”

Tytania laughed. One of her hands reached up to fall onto a pillow above her head. “Nothing.”

Now Zosia knew she was lying. There was no way any sane person would risk their lives on heists and be sent all over the world for nothing.

“You don’t have to tell me,” Zosia said, trying to keep her tone neutral. “But don’t lie to me.” There was no reason to be angry. Suspicious, sure—but angry? It wasn’t fundamentally wrong to keep personal, non-business-related secrets. Right? Zosia pushed back against her emotions, not liking the stewing feelings in her chest. “We’re partners, aren’t we?”

That finally got a slightly more serious look from Tytania. She shifted, rolling a bit until she was at the edge of the bed. She propped her head up on one palm as she stared up at Zosia. Her ponytail hung loose now, barely clutched in the ribbon hanging from her back. All it would take was one little pull to free her hair. Zosia wasn’t sure why that seemed important enough to note.

“I’m not lying,” Tytania insisted, unaware of Zosia’s wandering thoughts. “I don’t care about money, and I don’t need any favors from the sketchy Under. The drama and excitement are the reward for me. Honest.”

Zosia studied Tytania closely, but couldn’t see a lie or even teasing in those startlingly green eyes. In fact, in a rare display, Tytania looked wholeheartedly earnest.

“Besides.” Tytania must have picked up on Zosia’s uncertainty because any hint of her usual theatrics was gone from her voice. “It’s who I am, Zosia. A star, remember?”

The words were cocky, but something in Tytania’s voice told Zosia they were anything but. Instead, it sounded almost like an excuse—a heavy layer of stage makeup put on again and again, until traces of it remained even after a hard scrub.

“You really… don’t want anything?”

“Nope. I don’t need it.”

Zosia swallowed. Against logic, she found herself believing the other woman. It matched with everything she knew about Tytania—from her crazy stunts, to the delight in her eyes at the crime scene, to how she craved the spotlight, wherever it might come from. The idea that she did this for the pure thrill of it did not seem that far-fetched.

But to not want anything else… Did she not have family? No home? Nothing? Zosia studied the woman in front of her as if seeing her for the first time. If she was telling the truth, and Zosia was inclined to believe it more by the minute, Zosia couldn’t help but feel sad for her. For all her glory and stardom, the path Tytania walked seemed like a lonely one.

“Oh, come on, Zosia,” Tytania’s face didn’t change, but it didn’t have to. Zosia had seen beneath the mask and had found the truth within the enigma. A mask was pointless once you knew what rested beneath. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Tytania, I…” What? What could Zosia say? That she thought she might understand Tytania’s addiction for the spotlight? That maybe the other woman just wanted attention, just wanted love? But that was a rather impertinent thing to say to someone; it wasn’t her place to label or sort the other woman like this—Tytania wasn’t a crime that she had to put the pieces together and solve. Zosia hadn’t even done that since the academy, anyway. These days, her job was making sure things stayed safely in the shadows. Perhaps Tytania’s history was one such thing—better left quietly behind, so the woman could stand strong in the spotlight she so enjoyed.

Tytania waved her hand in the air in a clear dismissal of the conversation and turned slightly, rolling away from Zosia.

“How about this—don’t give them to the Under. You keep the jewels. Alright?”

“What?” Zosia stared at Tytania’s back.

“I’m serious. Take them. Keep them. Throw them out the window—whatever you’d like.”

The pouch of jewels suddenly felt very heavy in Zosia’s hand. “You’d seriously let me keep them?”

Tytania glanced back over her shoulder, not a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. “Yes.”

Zosia’s grip tightened on the pouch. The crystals were worth a lot of money. Forget having enough funds to move her mother into a better care facility, with these crystals the bills from the doctor would never be a concern again. She wouldn’t have to go far away on such risky assignments but would instead have the freedom to pick and choose jobs that interested her. In fact, she wouldn’t have to work at all if she didn’t want to.

Well, assuming the Under didn’t hunt her down first.

“I have to ask you, though,” Tytania said, her serious tone pulling Zosia back from her frenzied fantasies. Tytania’s gaze locked on Zosia, making her feel like she was suddenly pinned in place by a spotlight. “If you did take the crystals, would you be satisfied?”

Zosia let the words trickle through her mind. She had enjoyed her studies and training at Minthol’s Academy. She had a knack for the paperwork, no matter how complicated, and she was good at keeping things organized and noticing details. When she graduated with honors, she had been pleased to find several offers for employment and had chosen the highest bidder.

Sure, it was ironic that the top client turned out to be the same criminals they had been trained to hunt down at school, but Zosia had found that she didn’t really care which hand passed over the money. It wasn’t like the law offices in Lythenor or the Partyn Police Department were stellar places to work, either. She thought of the department she had just left, managed by a chief who should have retired years ago and a mayor who would do anything to be reelected. Every organization was self-serving in its own way. Zosia had simply picked the best option from a bad assortment.

But as she felt the weight of the pouch in her hands, full of gems that offered an infinite world of possibility, Zosia couldn’t help but wonder. Maybe it was time to stop serving others and start working for herself.

“Hypothetically speaking, if I were to keep these,” Zosia said, eyeing Tytania, “I would feel the need to compensate you for your share. You helped me get them, after all. You deserve a piece.”

“Oh?” Tytania raised an eyebrow, her usual light nature sneaking back in. She rolled back toward Zosia. “How very just for a criminal.”

Seeing the smirk at the edge of her lips made Zosia feel lighter too. Or perhaps it was the thrill of a new path opening up, or the heady allure of the treasure they possessed. She shrugged playfully.

“It’s a shame then,” Zosia said, pressing a finger to her chin as if thinking, “that you don’t want anything.”

“Whoa whoa,” Tytania said, sitting up straight. The bed creaked as she moved. “I said I didn’t want anything from the Under. That doesn’t mean I don’t want something from you .”

Zosia paused, tapping her finger. This was all theoretical, of course, but now she was curious. “And what would I be able to get for you that the Under couldn’t?”

“Come on, Zosia,” Tytania drawled, the smile spreading on her lips. “I thought that one would be obvious.” Tytania shifted on the bed, pulling her knees beneath her so she could sit up taller. They were now eye-to-eye. “In exchange for my assistance getting the crystals, I’d ask for just one little thing.”

“Name it,” Zosia replied. Selling even a single crystal would cover almost any expense, and they had six of them. A carriage, a house, a mansion—she could buy it for Tytania. Although those are all things the Under could provide...

“A kiss.”

“I—” Zosia froze.

Tytania blinked up her, her gaze playful and her lashes lowered. The smirk lingered on her lips, but she wasn’t laughing anymore. Kneeling on the bed with dark eyes and rumpled clothing from her antics, Zosia would be lying if she said she didn’t find Tytania enticing right now.

What Zosia should have done was ask if Tytania was joking. She should have laughed, and kept the mood light and friendly as they moved on. But perhaps it was everything that had happened between them in the past two days catching up, or the heady power of a fallen Empire’s treasure she held leisurely in her hand. Perhaps it was Tytania’s own sparkly allure, that aura of specialness that blurred the lines of mundane reality into stardom.

She could take her pick of excuses. Beneath them all, Zosia felt a simmering craving—she wanted to give Tytania what she asked for, not just to acquiesce, but because Zosia wanted to kiss her again.

Zosia stepped forward, close enough that her knees pushed into the comforter. The pillowy blanket melded against her with no resistance at all.

Like a hunter hesitant to startle their approaching prey, Tytania didn’t move. She watched Zosia raptly from her position on the bed.

“You did mention earlier that you like…warmer rewards.” Zosia’s voice was quiet. Part of her still couldn’t believe she was doing this, that she would let herself be pulled along by Tytania again. The other part of her was yelling that it was about time.

“You remember correctly,” Tytania said, her voice low and sweet.

Zosia swung one knee, then the other, up onto the bed. Although the blankets were just as soft as they had looked, her attention was firmly fixated on Tytania as she kneeled in front of her.

“Are you sure, though?” Zosia asked. She reached out to brush her fingers against Tytania’s thigh.

Tytania mirrored the action, her hand skimming lightly against Zosia’s blouse. The pads of her fingers rose and fell over the silky fabric, teasing the row of silver buttons down Zosia’s front, each one quivering in her wake.

Zosia swallowed. “One kiss, in exchange for six of the most valuable treasures in the world? Seems like a steal.”

“It is,” Tytania breathed as she leaned forward. “It’s a steal for me.”

Zosia laughed softly, her breath mingling with Tytania’s. She went to lift her hand, only to remember that she was still holding the pouch. The jewels suddenly didn’t seem all that important. They were made of stone, after all—they could wait.

She tossed the pouch carefully aside. It landed somewhere on the comforter and sunk in; out of sight and out of mind.

That got a delighted grin from Tytania. She pressed forward, pushing one of her knees between Zoisa’s. She then wrapped her hand around Zosia’s hip, tugging the other woman closer.

Zosia let herself be handled without complaint, although she was very aware of the pleased smirk on the other woman’s face. Zosia found she wanted nothing more than to wipe it off—so she did.

As her lips met Tytania’s, the explosion of heat in Zosia’s chest was stronger than any alcohol. It felt like a flame crystal had been dropped into her heart, setting her insides ablaze. She rested a hand on the other woman’s thigh, only to soon find her fingers digging into fabric and flesh as the kiss intensified.

It felt way too soon that Tytania was pulling back. Zosia wasn’t ready—air be damned, she wanted more. The hand that wasn’t kneading into Tytania’s thigh lifted to tangle in pink hair before Zosia could stop herself. Tytania’s barely surviving ponytail finally slipped free of its hair ribbon as she wove her fingers in. She used her newfound grip to bring their lips together once again.

In between the hot presses of their lips and teeth, Zosia could feel Tytania’s smile. When Zosia finally had to twist away to suck in air, she felt the other woman’s laughter beneath her fingers.

Zosia looked up, flushed and ready to say something in her defense, only for Tytania to press a finger to her lips.

“I believe,” Tytania said. “I only bargained for one kiss.”

“Are you complaining?” Zosia said around Tytania’s finger, unsure whether or not she should be offended.

“Never.” Tytania pushed lightly against Zosia’s bottom lip, the pad of her finger tingling on the already flushed skin. “I’m used to getting more than expected. I am a thief, you remember. In fact...”

Tytania’s other hand snuck up beneath Zosia’s uniform, her fingers surprisingly cool against Zosia’s heated skin. “I might be tempted to take a little more.”

She replaced her finger with her lips for a deep press against Zosia’s mouth. Tytania turned her head slightly, pressing a series of quick kisses down to the corner of Zosia’s mouth. “Who knew you’d be so eager? I’m going to take full advantage for as long as you’ll let me.”

Zosia didn’t deign that with a response. There was nothing she could say to defend herself, not when she craved more. Like the undoing of a dam, all of her restrained want for Tytania was spilling out.

And so what if she was a little pent up? Zosia found she wanted to continue what they had started in the carriage—no, the dressing room. Or perhaps before. All of Tytania’s teasing, all of their almosts were enough to make a woman go mad. She could make a very reasonable case and pin the blame on Tytania later. Right now she just wanted .

Instead of speaking, Zosia withdrew her grip from Tytania’s thigh and hair to grab the other woman’s shoulders. She dipped her fingers beneath Tytania’s jacket and pulled back, tugging the outer layer down and off.

Tytania hummed her approval as she slipped out of the garment, tossing it away. As soon as it was gone, her hands were back on Zosia, snaking beneath the hem of Zosia’s blouse and sending shivers across the bare skin of Zosia’s stomach.

“You know,” Tytania said, leaning in so her breath was hot against Zosia’s ear. “I’ve wanted this since long before Marzena. Probably the first heist—no, at the Under. The introduction. You and your smug superiority, that uniform—it’s all really hot. You're so intense. Open like a book, sure, but that's hot too.”

Zosia flushed. That long...?

She could remember their first introduction, way back in some hovel beneath the streets of Lythenor. Zosia had still been wearing her graduation robes, clutching the very generous offer for a first mission. Tytania had taken the hand she had extended and, rather than shaking it, had pressed a flirtatious kiss on her knuckles. In hindsight, Zosia should have known right then and there that she and her heart were in trouble.

“Stop reminiscing,” Zosia scolded with no bite in her voice. “We’re here now. Make the most of it.”

“Oohh!” Tytania crowed, her gentle touches against Zosia’s sides becoming more intense as she grazed her fingernails against the heated skin. Zosia gasped at the sensation, her hips shifting closer to Tytania. “Just what I wanted to hear.”

Zosia’s shirt was up and over her head before she knew was what happening. Her bra immediately followed.

Tytania whistled lowly, raking her eyes down Zosia’s chest, lingering heavily on Zosia’s breasts. “It’s already worth the wait—”

Tytania was cut off by Zosia’s hands tugging at her shirt. Tytania laughed as the top came off, tossing it somewhere alongside her jacket and Zosia’s clothes. She was left bare from the waist up, wearing nothing more than the bandages around her arm.

Zosia paused, her breath coming heavy as her eyes raked down Tytania’s body—the beautiful curve of her breasts, the rise and fall of her rib cage. Zosia took her in until her eyes caught on Tytania’s bandaged arm. The mostly healed cut on Zosia’s own hand hadn’t been bothering her at all, but if Tytania’s newer wound still hurt, then perhaps physical activity wasn’t a smart idea right—

“No more thinking,” Tytania said right before she stole another kiss. She took Zosia’s hands, gently guiding them to her waist. “Unless it’s about how to get rid of the rest of these.” She gestured playfully at their pants.

Zosia’s attention was back in full. “Easy. Lay down.”

Happy to oblige, Tytania fell back against the blankets. She looked up at Zosia, the invitation clear.

“Lift your hips.” Zosia eyed the waist of Tytania’s pants, noticing right away that the tight clothing was going to be more of a challenge than the rest of the outfit had been. Still, it was nothing compared to the corset.

Zosia hooked her fingers beneath the waist band, reveling in the warmth of Tytania’s soft skin.

“Any more pouches I should look out for?” Zosia teased as she peeled the fabric down, revealing more of Tytania. When her fingers reached the top of Tytania’s underclothes, she pushed slightly deeper, grabbing the undergarment and tugging it along as well.

Tytania laughed, although it came out slightly more strained than usual. Zosia loved the sound of it. “No, I’m out of pouches. Sorry to disappoint.”

“You do a lot of things— crazy things— ” Zosia said, and it took a mountain’s worth of effort to pull her gaze from the soft trail of hair that was widening the further the pants dropped. Above her, Tytania’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, her chest rising, and Zosia felt like she had never had a drink in her entire life. “—but you never disappoint.”

It was the truth. No matter what ridiculous plans Tytania schemed or exorbitant actions she took, she always delivered. She had managed to get every crystal she had been sent for while also performing at the theater. When it came to Tytania, everything about her was like walking on a tightrope—right on the edge of falling, yet never slipping. Zosia found she wanted to cling on and hold this storm of a person for however long she could.

“Guess I have a reputation to uphold, don’t I?” Tytania leaned forward, one elbow sinking into the bed so she could reach down and tug the rest of her pants off. They flew to join the rest of their discarded clothes.

Completely bare beneath Zosia’s gaze, Tytania’s hair draped over her shoulders, slipping across her skin to curl over her breasts. Her chest was rising and falling quicker than usual, and Zosia’s gaze dragged down the tight lines of her stomach to the where her thighs met. It was overwhelming how attractive she was. Zosia thought no one had ever been as gorgeous as Tytania was in this moment.

Zosia swallowed.

Tytania followed the movement with hungry eyes. “I’ll tell you what.” She shifted forward until she kneeled, leaning over Zosia so her hair fell around them in rivulets, like silken ropes entwining them together. Zosia didn’t know where to look when everything about her was so hot. “I’m going to thoroughly wreck your expectations and you. I’ll set the bar so high that no one else is ever going to come close.”

Zosia shivered. Locked in place yet unable to keep still, she trailed her hands up Tytania’s sides, urging her closer. “I’ll hold you to it.”

Tytania grinned.

Zosia lost track of things for a moment as the room spun, the beams of the four poster bed merging with the curtains as her naked back hit the bed.

With their positions flipped, Tytania was able to tug off Zosia’s pants in significantly less time than it had taken Zosia to remove hers. Before Zosia had a moment to feel embarrassed at her nakedness, her leg was up and over Tytania’s shoulder.

“Gorgeous,” Tytania breathed. She began pressing kisses along the sensitive inner skin of Zosia’s thigh. “Let’s see how much you can take.”

“Is that a challeng—” Zosia’s words broke into a moan. She trembled beneath Tytania’s lips against the sensitive skin of her upper thigh.

It wasn’t long before she was twisting a hand into the sheets, the other reaching out to tangle in Tytania’s hair, pulling the other closer and deeper.

Warmth exploded in Zosia, pinpointed in one location, yet so strong that she felt it across her whole body in mind-shattering waves of bliss.

Tytania took far more than her promised kiss. Zosia let it her take it eagerly. She lost count of the press and slide of those sinful lips against her.

In between moans, shudders, and the occasional switching of positions, Zosia became completely convinced that Tytania was right—nothing in the world could compete; no amount of money nor crystals could ever come close to what Zosia was feeling now.

Warm rewards were, truly, the best.