Page 116 of A Yulean Sister’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped

“What did you do?”

I told him everything about the disastrous trip to see Maralda.

“So, you lied to us all?” he asked once I was done.

“I didn’t mean to,” I tried to defend. But who was I kidding? “But yeah.”

“I don’t get it,” Bramwell said after a few moments. “You’ve never lied to us, why this time?”

I took a steadying breath. “The person I got the job from said he could tell me what happened to Tungesten.”

Bramwell’s look of shock mirrored my own when I’d first been told. “Why didn’t you tie him up and bring him back to the ship? I’m sure Connie could have got it out of him.”

“We’re not like that,” I reminded him. “And it seemed like an easy operation. And then everything… happened.”

“And now you won’t get the necklace off, not unless you hand her over.”

“Never,” I growled quickly.

“We wouldn’t let you,” he assured. “I think if you took away my tailor I’d drown you myself.”

“But now she’s upset, and rightfully so. I just hope after some time to cool down, she’ll forgive me.”

“Only time will tell,” he said. “But I think she will.”

I only nodded.

“But we should go tell her,” Bramwell said. “She’ll want to know.”

“You’re right.”

We went outside and towards the inn.

It was a bit rowdier today, definitely harder to find someone. After some fruitless searching, I asked the barkeep if Sage had gotten a room upstairs. Maybe she was sick of how loud it was.

“The woman you were with last nigh’?” He asked. “Yeah she was here, but she left.”

“Left?” I parroted.

He nodded. “A bit ago, with some blonde man.”

My heart was in my throat. I knew she wouldn’t leave with just anyone. “Did she want to go?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t let anyone walk out of my bar if they looked uncomfortable,” he asserted. “She went on her own.”

I started spiraling. Where could she have gone? With who?

“Adrian,” Bramwell said. “Pull it together. We have to find her.”

“Did you see which way they went?”

He shook his head. “But they were talking about the tavern up the street. About five doors down.”

We were out of there in a flash, making our way to the next tavern quickly. This one was way less busy, and it was obvious she wasn’t here.

I approached one of the barmaids. “Have you seen a blonde man and woman in here recently? She’s in a black dress.”

“No one like that tonight,” she said.