The cold stone of the merchant plaza offered little comfort to a spy. Bowen pressed his back against a wide marble pillar and watched the entrance of Leo's private pavilion. The bustling crowds of the City of Gods moved past him in a continuous stream of silk robes and polished armor. Novice gods haggled over cheap weapons and minor healing draughts while Bowen focused entirely on his target.
The heavy mahogany doors of the pavilion swung open. Bowen held his breath and shrank deeper into the shadows of the pillar.
Three young men walked out of the building. Bowen recognized them immediately from their high school classes. Kael walked in the center while Vance and Stellan flanked him. They did not look like the terrified novices who had begged for protection a few days ago. They carried
