“What?” Tilly and Alison asked in unison.

“This isn’t just a student level competition” Silver said, leaning back and crossing his arms behind his head. “I don’t think munchkins are going to have much of a chance against experienced Tinkerers.”

“Not to mention I don’t work for you.” Tilly glared at Angel.

Silver grabbed a bread roll and tossed it to her. “Eat.”

Tilly paled and hurried to follow his instructions. Silver gave Angel a wide grin. “Your silence tells me you think they can actually win.”

“I don’t have a very high opinion of the Tinkerers teaching at the Academy right now,” Angel said. “I suppose I’d have to check one of their classes to be sure, but they seem to be out of touch with rune carving. If that’s the level of competition we’re up against, I can get at least one of these two up to speed. How long do we have?”

“Five days,” Silver replied, splaying his fingers out as if he were examining his nails. For all Angel knew, he might have been.

“Do you know what they’re expected to do?”

“Make some sort of device. They won’t release what it is until the competition begins, but it’s something that should only take a few hours.”

“That limits it quite a bit. I was going to teach Alison anyways, so that works for me,” Angel decided. “But it depends on if she’s willing to do it. I might have been a little hasty – if she’s not willing, I’m not going to force her. Tilly doesn’t get a choice. Until Dalliah rescues her, she’ll either be doing what I say or nothing at all.”

Tilly glared at him through a mouthful of bread, but Angel had her in a corner and she knew it.

Silver clapped Alison on the shoulder and gave her a dangerous smile. “I’m sure she’s on board. Right, girl?”

“If Angel is sure,” she muttered, twiddling her thumbs. “I’ll try, at least. It can’t be worse than my classes.”

“Don’t threaten her to get what you want,” Angel said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “You have a startling lack of manners.”

“Bah, it’s not like she’ll be in danger. This is just a way for her to strive for greatness. I’ve been talking to Lilian. Your own master did far worse.”

“I’m not my master.”

“Never said you were,” Silver replied, raising his hands. “Don’t worry. Even if some trouble rises up from this, I can handle it before… Alison, was it? Before Alison gets involved.”

“It’s okay,” Alison said, giving Angel a shaky grin. “Master Wind Snake is right. If you’ll teach me more, then I’ll do anything. Losing horribly at a tournament is a tiny price to pay.”

“The first thing we need to fix is your attitude,” Angel said with a defeated groan. “But if I’m doing this, you’re getting roped in as well.”

“Me? How so?” Silver asked. “I know nothing about Tinkering, and I couldn’t possibly waste precious hours of my day learning.”

“Vanessa said she’s gotten more into the Hunting side of things,” Angel mused. “That means you’ve been at least half decent at teaching her how to defend yourself. You’re going to do the same for these two. Particularly Alison.”

“Hmm,” Silver said, leaning in close and peering at Alison. “Because this one’s getting bullied? I could just kill the kids, you know. That would be easier for all of us.”

Alison’s eyes widened.

“He’s joking.” Angel sent Silver a sharp look.

“Right,” Silver agreed, pulling a ring off and examining it with a bored yawn. “Definitely.”

“You’ll train them,” Angel repeated. “They’re both welcome to leave if they want to, though. Just set time aside every day and go until they ask to stop. If one doesn’t show up, it’s on them. Deal?”

“You drive a hard bargain,” Silver said. “Just for everyone other than yourself. Really, you’re making me feel like a selfish miser. Fine, I accept. I’ll train the kiddies so long as they can handle my methods.”

“Good. I won’t force either of you to work with Wind Snake,” Angel said, suppressing a snicker at the name, “but I do highly recommend it.”

Tilly turned her nose up, but he could see interest in her eyes. Alison nodded nervously.

The waiter pushed the door open and swept in with a plate piled high with food. He set it on the table and vanished once more.

“This is why I love this place so much,” Silver said. “I couldn’t ask for better service. I don’t think I’ve ever learned the name of a waiter, and I don’t plan on it. Eat, everyone. I’m not going to get a refund if something is left unfinished.”

Not a single person at the table was foolish enough to refuse that offer. They devoured the food, polishing off every last morsel over the next hour. It was a sizable amount, but Alison and Tilly both proved to be able to eat far over their weight class.

Once they’d finally finished, they headed out of the Smoking Cauldron. Silver slipped the waiter several coins as they passed him in the stairwell. Angel and the girls returned to his workshop while Silver split off, claiming he had business to take care of in the city.

“Let’s see your progress with the flame rune,” Angel said, sitting Alison down in his chair and handing her a scribe.

She gathered her concentration and put the tool to metal, carving. Tilly, who’d deployed her portable chair and had been ignoring them once more, peeked at the other student’s work. A flicker of surprise washed over her features.

Alison leaned back and handed Angel the finished the rune to inspect once she’d finished. His eye twitched. It wasn’t perfect, but the rune didn’t look like it had been drawn by the same hand that he’d seen yesterday. Alison’s rate of improvement was incredible.

“This will work,” Angel said. “Well done, Alison. What do you think, Tilly? I saw you looking.”

The short girl pressed her lips together. “It’s fine, I guess. Bottom half of the class, if I had to guess.”

“But not the worst,” Angel confirmed.

Tilly returned to glaring at him.

“I want you to keep practicing this,” Angel said. “Draw as many times as you can every day. Each time, figure out what you can improve from the last one and focus on that.”

“Okay,” Alison agreed, beaming at the backhanded compliment that Tilly had given her. “Should I start now?”

“No.” Angel grabbed another piece of metal and drew ten runes on it. “You’re going to learn these instead.”

“All of them?” Alison asked, taken aback. “In a day?”

“It’s just lines, Alison,” Angel said. He carved a few words of explanation under each of the runes. “The difficult part is knowing how to string them together and what they do. Don’t connect anything yet. Just practice it. I expect you to be able to do these by tomorrow.”

Alison’s hands tightened at her sides. She set her features and gave him a confident nod. “Right. I’ll do that.”

“What about me?” Tilly asked.

“Oh? You’re willing to learn under me now?”

Tilly fixed him with a flat stare. Angel chuckled and gestured at the scrap metal in Alison’s hands. “You can show up at her room and ask to use that.”

Tilly’s lip curled. “Why can’t we do it at my room?”

“Ask Alison, not me,” Angel replied. “It’s hers, though. She gets the final say.”

Alison glanced from Angel to Tilly. Then she cleared her throat. “That means he wants us to go.”

She rose to her feet and gave Angel a bow before scurrying out the door. Tilly’s artifact chair folded itself up and, with a final frown, she darted after Alison. Angel reclaimed his chair with a grunt.

“Blue, do you have a stealth mode or something?”

“If you are referring to a mode of operation where I do not emit light, then the answer is no,” Blue replied. “It is integral for my movement and function.”

“Bummer,” Angel said. He glanced at the box of relic runes he had in the corner of his shelf, but his mind was foggy from all the work he’d done over the past few days. He let his head fall back and let out an annoyed grumble. “Say… do you know how to play dice?”

“I have not had the opportunity to learn such a thing.”

A wicked grin crossed Angel’s lips. “Would you like to?”