Peace is illusory. Below the surface of society, there is always a dark underbelly.

~Gwyddion, God of Illusions

Nadia played her role, and Crow didn’t really trust her but the other women felt sorry for her after hearing her life story. They had so much sympathy that they even forced Crow to help her develop a new cultivation method. The problem was her aura was not something he was comfortable with.

Regardless, she came along when they went to the academy to learn more about the tower. He knew Nadia had a higher ranked Shield than all of them but didn’t mention it to the others. Her knowledge of the tower was greater, too, because she entered four years earlier than they did.

He also took his revenge on Acco when they did their morning martial practice. Even Otto pummeled him for calling himself a son of Maddox.

Weeks passed, and it was possibly the most relaxed he’d been since leaving Oiche. He didn’t interfere with Nin’s business except to help when needed. The elders of the city council never appeared before them. Commander Drock had sent updates to Mara, which caused him to arch an eyebrow at her. He trusted her but wanted to know if the man was trying to pursue her. It was unknown what his motive was in contacting her, but after hearing the man might be related to the Teonet clan, he put it out of his mind.

Relaxing in the back courtyard, he’d actually spent time Soul Carving. The miniature figurines he made didn’t have faces, so he wasn’t sure who they were. It’d been a long time since he’d carved, and his ability had transformed. There was euphoria when he Soul Carved now, and he’d be lost in the motions and never noticed that his eyes had turned silver.

Once he came out of his trance, he stared at the wooden man. In his hand was an unusual looking sword, but the thing that caught his attention the most was the clan marking on its chest. He’d felt a sort of uneasiness while looking at it and suddenly exploded upward.

“He dares…” Crow sneered and rushed back into the café. Seeing Nin, he growled, “where’s Acco?”

“His room,” Nin didn’t mess with him because she saw Crow’s face.

“ACCO!” Crow bellowed, shaking the building with its force.

“Can you not do that?” Nin asked, and seconds later, the Astrologer appeared.

“Track Mara, now! And I want to know who this is when you find her,” Crow tossed him the figurine.

“You don’t have to ask him. That’s Eric Loushe, but the underworld knows him as Rift. He’s the head of the Vana Syndicate. His territory is the northeast part of town,” Nin informed him.

Crow’s eyes were dark and hooded. “Go, Acco. If anything—”

“No threats, I’ll protect her,” Acco said and disappeared.

“Get Otto back here.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Since the city doesn’t want to interfere, I’ll take care of the problem.”

“Crow, you have to be careful. That man has the backing of the council. More than that, they know you are with us, and we’ll all be implicated. I’m all for burning them to ash, but trust me. I won’t let anything happen to her, and I’ll make sure they disappear. Can you do that?”

Crow grit his teeth but couldn’t bring up enough anger to glare at her, and he felt his rage dissipating. “How long?”

“Give me two days. If I can’t destroy them in two days, we do it your way.”

“My way being…?”

“Fire and ash. Cleanse the world of their stain,” Nin’s toothy grin reminded him that this woman was a dragon. Her way of thinking was not normal, but hearing her words, he grinned.

“Two days,” Crow said softly. Then handed over more of the figurines. “All of these people are involved. Make sure they pay too.”

Nin took a dozen small wooden figurines from Crow, and her eyes grew round upon seeing them. She had no idea what kind of ability Crow had, but she recognized at least four of the faceless people. It was the small details he added that gave it away. Not wasting another moment, she ran off, coordinating her people.

Song Lin arrived near Crow. Her hand snaked around his arm, and she hugged it to her chest. He turned to her and pressed his lips to the top of her head. “If it was me, would you do the same?”

“If it was you, I’d have given her an hour before I did it my way.”

“Why?”

“Mara’s been by my side these last few years, and I’m very aware of her capabilities. Even if I did nothing, I’m confident she’d escape. Your talents are different.”

“I will tell you a secret.”

“Hmm?” Crow looked into her dark eyes, curious.

“I’ve spent a lot of time studying poisons as you requested. They wouldn’t have been able to capture me,” Song Lin chuckled lightly. “That’s also a warning to you. Better not disappoint me, or you’ll regret.”

“Damn, I’m not sure if I’m turned on or scared out of my mind.”

“Come with me. We’ll find out which one if we go upstairs,” Song Lin dragged him up the stairs and pushed him into her room. While he couldn’t completely relax, she took control of him, and he could not fight against her. It wasn’t just the sex. Song Lin’s hands were like a gift from the gods as they massaged his tense body. Her slender fingers pressed against his flesh, infusing it with her Qi, so his muscles melted. In her hands, he felt like he’d reached a relaxation point where his mind could drift into an enlightened state. What exactly was this massage technique?

An hour later, most of his anxiety was released. Standing up, he got dressed while Song Lin remained curled up on the bed with the blanket partly covering her naked body.

“Are you really Lin’er?” Crow asked, and she giggled uncontrollably.

“Get going, doofus. I’m going to nap for a bit before dinner,” Song Lin said as she languidly stretched and pulled the blanket over her head.

Crow stepped out of the door and saw Acco’s haggard face.

“I’ll forgive you this time since you needed that,” Acco said. “Mara is fine. She is being held at some manor with a lot of guards but provided you give me a distraction, I can pull her out undetected.”

“Let Nin know. She said she’d resolve this issue in two days.”

“And if she doesn’t?” Acco saw Crow’s narrowed eyes and swallowed hard. “Right, dumb question.”

“Acco, I want to know everyone involved with that bastard. Everyone,” Crow ordered. “I’ll be in the back courtyard cultivating for the next two days. No need to coordinate with me. I trust Nin will handle it, but you must be ready to pull my wife out of there if anything goes wrong.”

“Got it.”

“And Acco?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.” Crow walked away.

Acco stood there stunned for a few seconds before a big grin stretched across his face, but that smile froze and broke moments later. He sighed.

“Why do I feel like I’m his pet dog?”