The Last Light (The Wandering Inn, #5)

by Pirateaba

“I asked Pisces to put his [Invisibility] spell over me. I’ve been hanging around here all day.” Ryoka rubbed at her backside. “It was a pain in the ass, and I kept having to deal with assholes trying to sit on me, but I saw what I needed to. Lyonette’s not the problem, Erin. Those two are.” She jerked a thumb at Safry and Maran. The two [Barmaids] looked suddenly apprehensive. “We didn’t—” Ryoka rode right over them. She seemed to be enjoying the moment, in the way only the detective unveiling the mystery at the end of a case, or a judge handing down a sentence could be. “I watched everything, Erin. Safry and Maran brought in humans so they wouldn’t have to serve Drakes and Gnolls as often, they can’t tell non-Humans apart, neither of them will go get water, and they take breaks when things are busy. Oh, and they’ve been grade-A assholes towards Lyonette all day.” Lyonette’s jaw dropped. She hadn’t expected this! But it was a relief to hear Ryoka say all of that. More than a relief. Erin stared at Ryoka. Her eyes slid sideways to Safry and Maran, who were both looking uneasy. Erin thought, and then looked at Ryoka. “Okay, they’re in the wrong. But—” “Safry pushed Mrsha.” It was just a little detail, slipped in. Erin was still formulating her next word when it hit her ears and reached her brain. She stopped. “What?” “I didn’t—” Safry backed up as Ryoka turned to her. Ryoka was grinning, but it wasn’t really a grin, more like a rictus of bad feeling. “Right, it was just a l...