"You’re shaking, Silas. It’s distracting," Kaela whispered.
Her blade didn't just touch my skin—it bit. One wrong twitch and I’d be painting the gold-leaf floor of Varric’s vault with my own throat.
Varric didn't even stand up. He sat on his mahogany throne, swirling a glass of amber liquid that probably cost more than my father’s entire estate. He looked at us like we were two stray dogs fighting over a bone.
"Now, now," Varric purred. "Kaela, dear, don't kill the boy yet. He’s the only one who can open that book. I’d hate to pry it from a corpse—too much blood on the pages."
Kaela didn't move the knife. She leaned in, her breath hot against my ear. I could smell ozone and old leather. "Tell me what you bought," she hissed. "The Ledger didn't just move us. You traded something. What was it?"
I couldn't breathe. My mind felt like a library after a hurricane—half the shelves were gone and I couldn't remember where the books went.
"I... I don't know," I choked out. "It just happened."
"Liar." She pressed the blade harder. "You’re a Quinn. You’re bred to lie. Here’s the deal: tell me the truth, or I give Varric exactly what he wants and walk out of here with my sister’s contract in my hand."
Varric chuckled, the sound dry as parchment. "She’s got you, Silas. Tell me, does the book feel like power? Or does it feel like a leash?"
I looked at the Ledger. It floated inches from my chest, pages fluttering. Gold light bled from the spine, pulsing like a heartbeat. I didn't have time to mourn my memories. I had to play the hand I had.
"I didn't buy a trip, Kaela," I gasped.
Kaela’s eyes narrowed. "Access to what?"
"The vault's security," I lied. My heart hammered against my ribs. "The Ledger recognized the gold in this room. It didn't move us here—it moved us *inside* the perimeter. Varric thinks he’s safe because his guards are outside. But we’re already in the kill zone."
Varric stopped swirling his drink. His amusement turned to a cold, sharp curiosity. "A bold claim. But my security is absolute. There is no 'kill zone' for guests."
"Then why," I snapped, "is your head of security screaming in the hallway?"
Silence. Absolute and heavy.
Then, a muffled explosion rocked the vault. Dust rained from the ceiling, coating the gold bars in grey grit. Kaela flinched. Her grip on the knife wavered for a fraction of a second.
I didn't wait. I slammed my hand onto the open page.
*Trade: Current Position for Tactical Advantage.* *Cost: 24 Hours of Physical Stamina.*
No flash. Just a sickening tug in my gut, like a hook pulling me through a straw.
In a heartbeat, I wasn't under Kaela's knife. I was ten feet behind her, leaning against a cold marble pillar, gasping for air. My legs felt like lead. A crushing fatigue hit me so hard I nearly collapsed.
"What the hell!" Kaela spun, her blade slashing through the air where my neck had been. She stared at me, eyes wide with fury and shock. "You... you just..."
"Told you," I panted, sliding down the pillar. "Access."
Varric didn't look panicked. He looked fascinated. He set his glass down with a deliberate click. "Impressive. A spatial trade. But you’re exhausted, Silas. You can't keep this up. And Kaela..."
He flashed a predatory smile. "You’re still under contract. Kill him now and hope I’m generous, or realize your 'employer' just became the most valuable asset in the room."
Kaela didn't look at Varric. She looked at me. The tension was a physical weight. She stepped toward me, boots clicking on stone. She didn't raise the knife, but she didn't lower it either.
She stopped inches away. I could see the small scar on her chin, her pupils blown wide.
"You played me," she whispered. Anger was there, but so was a spark of respect. Or maybe she just realized I was a more dangerous tool than she'd thought.
"I survived," I replied. "There's a difference."
She reached down and grabbed my collar, yanking me upward. My face was inches from hers. I could smell the metallic tang of blood and rain.
"If you try that again without telling me, I'll cut your tongue out and sell it to the Ledger myself. Understood?"
"Crystal," I managed. My lungs were burning.
"Good." She dropped me back onto the floor with a thud. She turned to Varric, voice turning cold. "He’s not giving you the book. Not for free."
Varric laughed, a booming sound that echoed through the vault. "Free? Nothing is free in this city. But I’m a businessman. Silas, give me the Ledger and I’ll wipe your family’s debt. Every copper. You’ll be a rich man by morning."
I looked at the book. It was humming now, a vibration I could feel in my teeth. It wasn't a tool. It was a predator. It wanted a bigger trade.
"I don't want to be a rich man," I said, pushing myself up with trembling arms. "I want to be the one who decides who stays rich."
Varric’s smile vanished. "Arrogance. A Quinn trait. It'll be your downfall."
He snapped his fingers. Four men emerged from the shadows. Enforcers. Heavy armor, jagged blades, and eyes that looked devoid of souls. They didn't speak. They just moved in—a wall of steel closing in.
Kaela stepped in front of me, her blade humming. "Get behind me, idiot. If you have any more 'access' tricks, now's the time."
"I'm out of stamina!" I yelled.
I scrambled to open the Ledger, flipping pages frantically. I needed anything that could stop a charging Enforcer. My eyes landed on a scrap: *A fragment of a guard's loyalty.*
Useless. A scrap. But the Ledger didn't see scraps; it saw value.
*Trade: Scrap Loyalty for Temporary Chaos.* *Cost: The memory of my first kiss.*
I didn't hesitate. I didn't even remember who the kiss was with—some girl in the village ten years ago. The trade triggered instantly.
One of the Enforcers stopped dead. Then he turned and drove his blade straight into the thigh of the man next to him.
"What the—!" the second Enforcer screamed, stumbling back.
Kaela blurred into motion. A whirlwind of steel. She sliced the first man's throat before he could register the betrayal. But the other two were already on us.
One lunged. Kaela parried, the impact sending a shockwave through her arms that nearly knocked her off balance. The other didn't go for her. He went for me.
He was faster than he looked. Before I could blink, his hand clamped around my throat, lifting me off the ground. My feet dangled. Air vanished. My vision blurred.
Varric watched from his throne, sipping his drink. "The problem with trading, Silas, is that eventually, the house always wins."
The Enforcer's other hand pulled a short, heavy-bore pistol. He didn't aim for my heart. He pressed the cold muzzle directly against my forehead.
*Click.*
The hammer cocked back.
In the corner of my eye, the Ledger flared a violent, blinding crimson. A new prompt appeared, shaking with urgency:
*CRITICAL THREAT DETECTED. EMERGENCY TRADE AVAILABLE: BUY THE BULLET?*