“You’re killing him!” I said, panicked now. I rammed my shoulder into Braggi’s side, trying to knock him down. At that moment, a loud double click sounded. Braggi froze, his smirk evaporating. Behind him stood a tall boy around my age, maybe a few years older—ruddy hair, a broken nose. The too-clever fox. He had a c****d pistol in his hand, the barrel pressed against Braggi’s neck. “I’m a gracious host, bloodletter. But every house has rules.” Host. So this must be Belvia. He looked too young to be a captain of anything. Braggi dropped his hands. The giant sucked in air. The girl rose to her feet, still clutching her chest. They were both breathing hard, and their eyes burned with hate. “That’s a good fellow,” Belvia said to Braggi. “Now, I’ll take the prisoner back to her quarters

