Blood of the Righteous

I Prefer to Eat Alone

After a quick stop at a tavern to pick up a bottle of sweet wine and a few orders of beer-battered fish and onion rings, David headed back to the inn. He stopped by Gabriel's room and knocked on the door.

"Gabriel, I brought some dinner."

Gabriel opened the door, looking very somber. "Thank you, brother. If you don't mind, I'd prefer to eat alone. My apologies."

"Think nothing of it. I have to talk to El, anyway, and you have to prepare yourself."

Gabriel nodded. "I have to win this, or die trying. If I lose, promise me you will take El and get her back to Avonshire."

David smiled. "No need. If you fall, Sir Marcus won't live through the night. I'll even make it look like an accident."

Gabriel gave him a blank look. "David, I'm serious."

David put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "So am I."

"Very well," Gabriel said.

David could tell he didn't believe him. Gabriel said his goodbye, thanked David once again for dinner, closed and locked his door.

He walked across the hall to Eleenia's room and knocked. El opened the door.

"Oh, that smells delicious!" she said, picking out the largest piece of fish and stuffing it in her mouth. After the first bite was down, she slowed in her eating. "So what did you get while you were out?"

David moved the small pile of books on her desk off to the side and laid out his new set of lock picks. "Beautiful, aren't they?"

"The question is, will they work?"

David nodded. "I tried them out. These are nicer than Dunkirk's."

They ate and drank wine chatting into the night. El told David of Janelle, Holle, and their friendship, and how she and Gabriel didn't get along, while David talked guild politics and life at sea, stories that Eleenia couldn't seem to get enough of.