Thia took a moment and healed herself before Jinnaari could. She hadn’t stood back this time. Instead, she dove into the middle of the fight. Her body was bruised and battered, yes, but she’d survived.

“Did Lolth teach you those moves, Thia?” Helix said, far enough away from her she couldn’t instantly reach out and grab his throat.

Tired of the constant barbs the Tabaxi had thrown at her during the fight, she lunged for him. Jinnaari grabbed her arm, stopping her. “No, Thia,” he said.

“I’m going to kill him,” she growled.

“He’s just trying to get under your skin. Stop letting him. Bahamut has a purpose for him. Trust in that.”

She snorted, “Bahamut may have a plan, but Kelemvor would love to have a discussion with him!” She watched as Helix grinned at her before rifling through a bag one of the creatures carried. The pressure of Jinnaari’s hand on her arm was enough to keep her from going after him, though.

“Thia, you’re not a cold-blooded killer.”

Closing her eyes, she forced herself to relax. The day had been a rough one. First Drozan had disappeared, replaced by some goblin named Gnat that carried a weapon she’d never seen before. It was loud, but effective. Pan was sleeping on a mine cart. Just as mysteriously, her cousin had disappeared as soon as a fight was over.

The entire time, Helix was talking about her and Lolth. What nerves she still had were raw, and the Tabaxi would not let up.

“Hey, don’t worry about him. You still trust me, right?”

She nodded.

“When the time’s right, we’ll deal with him. Until then, you need to ignore him. Lolth’s not coming out of the Abyss any time soon.”

“You sure about that? I hear She’s still wanting to make Thia Her bitch,” Helix called out.

Thia scowled at the Tabaxi. “He’s not worth the energy you’re wasting on him, Thia,” Jinnaari told her. “Come on. Moon’s already heading down the stairs.”

“Jinnaari?”

“Yeah?”

“What happens if we can’t find this purpose you say he has before we clear your name?”

“Don’t think that way. We will.”

She followed him down the twisted stone staircase. About halfway down, she whispered, “It’s getting lighter.”

He nodded, “I noticed. I’m able to see without any problems. Moon?”

The other Tabaxi turned around, “Yeah?”

“Be careful. Something tells me we’re going to have company at the bottom of the stairs.”

Thia felt something tap her on the shoulder. Twisting her head, she saw Helix’s tail move away from her. At the same time, his voice whispered in her ear. “It’s Lolth. She’s not done with you yet.”