The next morning, Gideon awoke to the sound of three dwarves running around his apartment. Unfortunately, his head only seemed to hurt worse than the night before. Flinn had walked home with him last night, and Gideon had collapsed into bed—thankfully, Thora had been up by then. Getting to sleep in his own bed had been a small relief.

Today was a busy day for the three cousins, as they were off to their aunt’s wedding. By the time Gideon got up, Brynn was in the shower, Thora was eating some toast, and Flinn was sitting on the couch wearing a suit. Gideon had never seen him dressed up like that in all the years he’d known him.

“Looking sharp, Flinn. Thanks again for your help last night.”

Flinn smirked behind his beard and shrugged. “Don’t mention it. Wait. Do mention it … when I come to visit this inn of yours. I expect a suite, pal!”

“Me too,” Thora said from her place in the kitchen. She was eating the toast without a plate—all the dishes were still piled in the sink—and was showering the floor with crumbs. Gideon was glad he was moving out soon.

“You didn’t do anything, Thora!” Flinn exclaimed.

She stuck her tongue out at him, then resumed eating her toast.

“I’m not a business expert,” Gideon said, “but I’m pretty sure I should try to make some money before giving out freebies. Though we could use a bartender, Flinn, if you ever get tired of working for Brew Brothers.”

Flinn sighed. “I was tired of working there my first shift, pal. I’d love to be able to brew my own drinks, anyway, rather than serve someone else’s swill. But I don’t think I’m willing to work for free like you are.” He grinned. “Let me know when you can afford to pay wages, and I’ll consider it.”

Gideon nodded. “Fair enough. Hey, don’t you guys have a wedding to get to?”

“As soon as Brynn finishes wiping his ass!” Thora shouted in the direction of the bathroom.

As if that was the cue he had been waiting for, Brynn emerged from the bathroom, one towel wrapped around his beard and another around his midriff, then walked into Flinn’s room and closed the door behind him. “Just a minute!” he called.

“How about you?” Flinn asked Gideon. “You gonna be all right today?”

Gideon smiled. “I’ll be fine. I just needed to sleep on it. Last night I was a little worried, but it was because I was still thinking like I used to. Part of me was still the scared, desperate, and honestly stupid kid who took that loan in the first place. The kid who was so desperate to escape he tied himself down even more. But things are different now. This time I’ve got a card or two to play.”

“I’ve never seen you like this,” Flinn said, raising an eyebrow. “You sure I can’t help you out?”

“You’ve got your aunt’s wedding to go to,” Gideon said, grinning. “Don’t think you can get out of it so easily. Besides, this is something I need to handle myself. I put myself into this situation, and now I’ll get myself out of it. But thank you, Flinn. I do appreciate it. I’m going to pack my stuff while you’re gone. So, Thora, you can crash in there again if you want.”

“Hey, thanks,” she said. “Maybe I’ll have to come see this inn of yours. I might even pay for a room.”

“My Uncle would appreciate that.” He turned to Flinn. “I’ll put my share of the rent on the table when I go. Sorry to leave on such short notice. Again.”

“Nah, I’m glad you’re getting out of here,” Flinn said. “I always knew you couldn’t stay forever. I don’t expect to, either.”

Brynn emerged wearing a suit of his own, though it didn’t fit as well as Flinn’s. Brynn looked around the room, from Thora, to Flinn, to Gideon, and then raised an eyebrow.

“So what are we waiting for?” he asked, and Thora rolled her eyes.

“I’m getting a new communicator today,” Gideon said. “I’ll leave you my number.”

“You’d better,” Flinn said and hugged him tightly.

Three suitcases.

Ultimately, that was all it took to pack everything he needed or wanted in his new life. He’d packed his books, most of his clothing, and a few mementos. A photo album from when he’d been a child, before his mother had passed. A framed photo of him and Yvette Astorwyn, his oldest friend, standing next to one of the city’s canals. He felt guilty when he thought how long it had been since they’d talked, but pushed it out of his mind as he carefully wrapped the photo in a shirt and placed it in the suitcase.

As he cleaned out the drawer of his nightstand, his fingers closed around one last item. When he drew it out, he couldn’t help but grin.

Simple Wand

Manufactured by Sorcerer’s Sanctum, Inc. “That’s no mere mage, that’s a sorcerer!”

Grants +1 to Willpower when held by an attuned wielder.

Spells with a range of ten spans or less are cast with +2 Brilliance and have 25% bonus accuracy.