Ladya shivered as she made her way back to her rooms. She met Kat there. “Keep an eye on our ‘spider,’” she said. “I believe he wants to murder me in my sleep.”

Kat, tall and beautiful like herself, a good learner and equally as sadistic as she, bowed. “But why not simply kill him, Mistress? Would that not be safer?”

The younger woman was robed, her usual tight leather and cinching strings not visible. One would never know she kept a deadly whip underneath those garments. The thought made Ladya smile.

“No,” she said lazily. “He may still prove useful.”

“May I end him when we’re finished here?”

“Hmm,” she hummed dreamily. “Perhaps, if the opportunity is made easy. I quite wish to be rid of this place.”

“I too, want to be gone from here.”

“Stay on your guard, Kat. A battle is near. I can sense it in the army. Our esteemed First Spear is preparing for an attack on the temple.”

“Isn’t it impossible?”

“Certainly, but I believe it’s all a ruse for his assassins. The Emperor will be flushed toward us here at the harbor. We shall see, my sweet thing. Now, after today, I wish to depart with our gold quickly. Prepare for our voyage. Bayule, I hate ships.”

Kat bowed, ever the supplicant. “As you wish, Mistress.”

Perhaps being gone from here after today was too optimistic. In any case, Hukama would still have to pay her base fee. Should his army be attacked by magic users, it was up to her and Kat to deal with them, which would increase her pay considerably, not to mention provide her with sources of magic.

If I can capture them.

Many of them had been set loose, to cause fear and horror within the populous. Weeks ago a large shipment of her spiders had been delivered into the city in secret. Once Hukama took control, his men would root them out and destroy them. Keeping the local inhabitants safe from such horrors would surely make the people of Yukai City more amenable to his occupation.

A smart general, she thought, a smile coming to her face. Perhaps a part of her was enjoying this whole affair, though there were too many tedium’s for her to truly enjoy it.

Ladya felt exposed without her fortress. Once she was paid, she wanted to be gone—to begin building her new mansion.

Perhaps a castle had always been a little too much.

She watched the taller, younger woman walk into the adjacent room. She’s growing up, Ladya thought. She was a capable warrior, and a decent witch, but Ladya had been holding back her arcane secrets from her apprentice for years. Don’t grow up too fast, my deer.

The girl was simply too useful to the witch. And… it was quite possible Kat could one day surpass Ladya in magical ability. The very thought rankled her with jealousy, so she pushed it from her mind.