The door opened fully and a scarred man gestured us inside. The interior was surprisingly clean. It was a tavern that's mostly empty at this hour with only a few patrons drinking quietly, yet all of them armed.
We were led to a back room.
Barlow was a thin man with sharp eyes and sharper clothes. He sat behind a desk covered in papers, a glass of wine at his elbow.
"Victoria." He smiled without much warmth. "It's been, what, ten years?"
"Ten and three."
"You haven't aged a day. Still beautiful and still terrifying as always." His eyes moved to me and Adrian. "And you've brought interesting friends. Hadeon Ravana is it? The tournament runner-up and Adrian Celestius, the tournament champion. To what do I owe the honor?"
Victoria sat without being invited and we followed her lead.
