"This is who you're working for?" Draz hissed between gritted teeth. "I knew you were a bastard, but I never thought you'd stoop this low."

"You should know by now, Draz, that all coin is created equal," Xeiren replied with a casual shrug. "Your lack of understanding regarding such a basic concept is the reason you failed as a thief."

Claire looked over and saw flames flickering between Draz's fingers. She reached out to place a placating hand on his forearm. When he turned to meet her gaze she shook her head, attempting to dissuade him from doing anything rash.

"You're late," Xeiren called out. He set his wine glass down on the table and rose to his feet. "I don't appreciate being made to wait."

"I was merely giving you a chance to enjoy the scintillating company," Sevik replied. As he drew closer, Claire's eyes were drawn to the place where she had removed his arm from his body. In its place was a writhing mass of shadows resembling an arm which swung lazily at his side.

Xeiren smirked and strolled towards Sevik whose steady approach had carried him far too close for comfort. "How generous of you," Xeiren replied, "but your tardiness will cost you. An extra ten percent on top of what we already agreed."

Claire felt her heart skip a beat. Xeiren truly intended to hand her over to Sevik for a handful of gold? She glanced at Draz who was regarding the entire situation with a fire blazing in his eyes.

"About that," Sevik said with a casual shrug. "I'm afraid circumstances have changed.

"Changed? I sincerely hope you aren't attempting to cheat me, Master Zukal, it would not be in your best interests to do so I assure you," Xieren replied, his hand dropping casually on his hip. Mere inches away was the hilt of his sword and it would only take a single motion to have it drawn and pointed at any number of important places on Sevik's body.

"You really didn't think I was going to pay you such a heinous amount for such a menial task did you?" Sevik asked with a shake of his head.

Xeiren smirked and Claire heard the hiss of steel as the blade was drawn from its sheath.

Sevik chuckled. "Now, now, no need for such hostilities. As much as I am enjoying your company, I would much rather spend the remainder of my evening with someone far prettier," his eyes met with hers and Claire felt a shiver of apprehension creep down her spine. He extended his hand to her. "Claire, shall we?"

When she didn't immediately move to join him, Sevik frowned.

"You aren't going to make me beg, are you?"

His fingers curled inward and his hand dropped rather suddenly.

Before she could speak, the ground beneath her feet suddenly disappeared. Blackness swirled up in an attempt to engulf her as she felt herself falling. Twisting around she managed to catch the edge of the hole just as Draz grabbed hold of her arms to keep her from falling further.

"Draz," Claire gasped, trying to pull herself out. Every time she thought she had a solid foothold, the ground gave way beneath her feet and she wasn't able to gain any traction. "Get me out--" Without warning something unseen latched around her ankle giving it a hard jerk causing her to cry out as she nearly lost her grip.

"I won't let you go," Draz assured her, his hold on her arms tightening as he pulled back against the shadows determined to drag her into the darkness "I won't."

"Draz your hands," Claire gasped as twin crimson stains began to seep through the cloth wrapped around his palms.

"Don't worry about it," he replied though Claire could tell by his expression that he was in a great deal of pain. She pulled back against whatever was trying to drag her down which only prompted it to jerk at her ankle again. This time Draz slid with it, his knees skirting the edge of the hole.

Claire could feel the vine-like tendril winding its way up her calf for a better hold. She knew she couldn't hold on forever, her arms were already aching with the strain of holding herself up.

Somewhere Sevik was laughing, a borderline maniacal sound that seemed to resonate throughout the courtyard. Out of the corner of her eye Claire could see the shadows moving and watched with widening eyes as the shades peeled themselves away from the walls and squeezed themselves out of cracks and crevices.

"Shades, Draz," Claire managed, prompting him the glance around them.

"Perfect," he muttered. "Ay, pirate king, we've got company."

Xeiren spared a brief glance over his shoulder before returning his gaze to Sevik.

"You should know better than to attack a man in his own home," Xeiren declared, the sword sweeping lazily through the air as he strolled towards Sevik.

"And you should know better than to make a deal with a devil," Sevik replied. "Give me what I came here for and I shall leave you to your kingdom of street rats and petty criminals."

"You think quite highly of yourself. Give me what I'm owed and I'll consider letting you leave here alive," Xeiren replied, "but all you'll take is your life. The girl is no longer part of the deal."

"I'm afraid that's just not an option," Sevik replied, the shadows that had replaced his missing arm formed into a long blade of shadow.

Another forceful pull nearly caused Claire to lose her grip and drew her attention back to the more immediate danger. As she gazed down into the blackness, a thought struck her.

"Draz," she said, trying to keep calm. "You need to light it up."

"What?" Draz asked, his voice strained.

"The shades, you're the only one who can drive them back," Claire insisted.

"No, I can't," Draz replied. "I told you that I won't let you go."

"What does holding on matter if the shades get to us first?" Claire asked, gritting her teeth as the tendril began to tighten around her calf, squeezing to the point of producing pain. "Go, now, hurry, or else everyone is going to die."

Or worse.

Draz looked like he wanted to argue further but finally nodded.

"I'll be right back," he said. "Hold on, okay?"

Claire nodded, digging her fingers into the soft earth to try and get a better hold before Draz relaxed his. Even as he began to rise she could feel herself slipping, another whip like tendril coiling around her other leg, grasping like fingers, desperate to drag her down.

She said nothing, gritting her teeth against the pain. "Go," she demanded when Draz hesitated.

Draz finally turned and rushed towards the shadows, flames flickering between his fingers in preparation. The last thing Claire saw before the earth crumbled away beneath her hands, sending her tumbling downward into darkness, was fire as it flared brightly through the garden.

"Gotcha," a voice called out as something wound around her wrist abruptly stopping her descent and sending pain pulsating through her shoulder.

Claire looked up to see a woman with her booted feet braced on either side of the hole, her face framed by a wild mane of firelit curls. In her hands she held the rigid handle of a whip, the end of which was lashed around Claire's wrist keeping her from falling further into the black abyss.

"Don't you worry, we'll have you out of there in a jiff," she called.

The braided leather began to glow a muted orange before the light snaked down her arm like a living thing and wound it way around her waist and towards the shadows which still clung to her legs. The light flared brilliantly, filling the space and causing Claire to lift her free arm in order to shield her eyes. An audible hiss followed, like water being poured over a flame, and suddenly Claire was free.

"A little help over here, Jonas?" the woman called out and Claire realized it was the woman Xeiren had introduced her to earlier that day. What was her name?

"Coming, Luci," a deeper, male voice replied and a moment later another face appeared floating above her like some sort of spectre. Jonas reached out and grabbed hold of the whip. He pulled upwards and when Claire was close enough, he reached out and grabbed hold of her hand.

"Ma'am," he said with a slight tip of his head before hauling her out entirely. She stumbled forward but Jonas caught her around the waist and pulled her against him to keep her from falling over. The fire erupted all over again and she let out an unexpected cry of pain.

"The hell, Jonas, you squeezin' the life outta her," Luci said. "Let her go you big brute."

"It's my shoulder," Claire managed as Jonas eased his hold. Luci stepped forward and motioned to the neckline of the robe.

"May I?" She asked and Claire nodded.

She sucked in a lung full of air when the woman's fingers came into contact with her skin and little stabbing jolts of pain radiated from the points of contact. Luci drew back the layers of the robed gown exposing deep, purpling bruises along her collar bone. She cursed under her breath. "Looks dislocated," she said with a scowl.

"I can set it," Jonas replied, "it'll be quick, but it's going to hurt."

"Of course it needs to be set," Luci said. "Really, Jonas, the girl can't walk around with one arm all dangling and useless."

Jonas offered her a pointed stare before turning his attention to Claire. "I'm not about to manhandle her, Luci. Maybe she'd prefer if her fire friend did it."

At the mention of Draz, Claire felt her heart leap into her throat. In all the chaos he had slipped her mind. Jonas' comment had brought Draz, and Sevik, crashing back to the forefront of her mind.

"Where is he?" Claire asked, "Where is Draz?"

Jonas said nothing, instead he motioned behind them and Claire turned to see Draz and Xeiren standing side by side facing off against a single, common threat -- Sevik. What shades hadn't been outright killed by Draz had been driven back and they now acted as a barrier, the shadow master at their center.

"As much as I've enjoyed this little scuffle, I have other things to attend to. Fear not, Claire, we shall have our moment, you and I, far sooner than you think," Sevik called out as the shadows began to collapse in on him.

"Oh no you don't you bloody bastard! Not this time!" Draz shouted, leaping forward, flames erupting between his outstretched hands. Shades caught in his path screeched in fury and pain as he plowed through them to get at Sevik. By the time he reached the spot where Sevik had been standing, however, he was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn it! I swear the next time I see that coward I am going to set him on fire," Draz shouted, outraged that Sevik had once again managed to slip away. Suddenly he stopped and spun around. "Claire!"

"I'm here," she replied. "I'm fine."

Draz bolted across the garden and when he reached where she was standing he reached out and pulled her towards him into a hug before either Luci or Jonas could stop him. Claire let out a startled cry and felt a dizzying wave of nausea roll over her.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Draz asked.

"She's dislocated her shoulder," Jonas explained prompting Draz to release her almost instantly. Claire swayed slightly, the blossom of pain almost too much for her to handle. Jonas placed his hand on her other shoulder, steadying her.

"I told her I could fix it, but it won't be pleasant," Jonas said.

"Do what you have to," Claire gasped. "Anything has got to be better than this."

Draz caught her hand in his.

"Squeeze down if you have to," he said softly.

Claire nodded and closed her eyes as Jonas took hold of her arm. "It's going to hurt like hell because I'm going to move your arm, but it'll be over fast."

"Do it," she said.

Jonas took a deep breath, grasped her good shoulder with one hand and was about to guide the joint back into place when he was interrupted by Xeiren.

"If I may, I know a much less painful method," he said.

"By all means, Captain," Jonas said, stepping back.

Xeiren nodded and turned his attention to Claire. "This is going to be difficult, but I need you to relax."

Claire, who simply wanted the entire ordeal to be over with, nodded and took a deep breath, doing whatever she could to ignore the pain.

"You've made yourself quite the enemy," Xeiren said as he began to gently knead and massage the offended muscles. It was painful at first, but as the muscles began to relax, the pain began to fade as well.

"Yeah, well, he took getting his arm cut off pretty personal," Claire replied quietly.

"That was your handy work?" Xeiren asked, sounding surprised.

"Well, I was holding the sword that did the chopping," she said, still not quite certain she could take sole credit for the accomplishment. The sword had been acting on its own, she had just been along for the ride.

"Perhaps one day we can test your skills with a blade," Xeiren replied.

"One day," Claire said, hoping that day would never come. "Are you-"

Before she could finish the question she felt her shoulder pop into place, the throbbing pain fading to a dull ache.

"There," Xeiren replied, using one hand to support her arm, he used the other to loosen the sash tied around his waist. "All you needed to do was relax the muscles and your mind." He looped the sash around her neck and fashioned it into a sling.

"You'll want to take it easy for a few days, let the muscles heal, too much strain and it'll pop right back out again."

"Thank you," Claire replied.

"Of course," Xeiren said with a small bow. "Know that you owe me nothing, Claire, but I do have a favor to ask of you."

"What is it?"

"Don't trust him," Draz interrupted. "He's a manipulator. He'll say and do anything to get what he wants from you and in the end he will have you believing it was your idea."

"Draz isn't wrong," Xeiren replied with a devilish grin, an expression that was short lived, "except where betrayal is concerned. You see, Sevik promised me a great deal of money to locate and acquire you, Claire. Money he subsequently refused to hand over as you witnessed. I do not take kindly to being cheated. How do I find this man?"

"I wish I could help you," Claire said. "We have no idea where he goes."

"How unfortunate," Xeiren replied thoughtfully. "I suppose that leaves me with only one choice."

"What is that exactly?" Draz asked.

"Claire, you are the only connection I have to this man," Xeiren replied. "So I must keep you close by in anticipation of the shadow man's return."

"If you think you can keep me imprisoned here then you're mad," Claire protested.

Xeiren chuckled.

"You misunderstand me," Xeiren replied. "I've no intention of keeping you captive, I have not known you long, but I suspect one of us would be dead at the end of it all. I've been idle too long, it was why I took the job to begin with. I miss the joy of the open sky, the thrill of the hunt. I will join you instead, my ship and her crew are at your command."