Dishonour Among Thieves. Paul Durham

Rye, Quinn and Shady.

      “What’s going on around here? I’ve never seen so many children or animals in one tavern,” he grumbled. “And not one looks to be of the edible sort. Animal or child.”

      Rye took a step back.

      “Sorry,” she said. “I’m looking for a little girl.”

      “Is Fletcher Flood running an orphanage now?”

      “She has red hair. Carries a pink rag doll wherever she goes. She’s loud—”

      “Wait a moment. Pickle?” he asked.

      “No, her name’s Lottie,” Rye began, “although I can see why someone might—”

      “Yes, yes, Pickle. You know her?” the man asked.

      “Er, yes,” Rye said, shocked. “She’s my sister.”

      “Why didn’t you say so? In that case, come, come.” He waved a hand. “Out of the way, you deck rats.”

      As the sailors moved aside, Rye spotted the three-year-old on the shoulders of a hulking brute at the back of the crowd, her perch giving her a bird’s-eye view of the fighting. Lottie’s face beamed when she spotted Rye and she slapped the sailor on his bald head with Mona Monster until he lowered her to the floor.

      Lottie rushed forward and threw her arms around Rye’s waist with such force she nearly knocked her down. Rye kissed Lottie on her tuft of hair that always smelled like straw and syrup drippings, and for a moment it brought her back to the bed they shared on Mud Puddle Lane.

      Lottie pulled herself away and demanded, “Come,” tugging Rye by the sleeve to be sure there was no misunderstanding.

      She picked up a wire birdcage and hurried to the Mermaid’s Nook, placing it on the table in front of Abby and Bramble.

      “My baby blue dragon,” Lottie announced proudly as she opened its little door and reached inside.

      Rye and Quinn exchanged curious glances.

      “Lottie was very proud to finally learn to use her chamber pot,” Abby explained. “So for Silvermas we got her this … a baby blue dragon. As promised.”

      Lottie extended both hands. “Newtie!” she proclaimed.

      A rather small speckled lizard cocked its head and looked up at them. It seemed perfectly at ease in her hands.

      “It’s so little,” Rye said.

      “And brown,” Quinn added.

      “Him’s just a baby,” Lottie said with a roll of her eyes, as if she’d explained this a dozen times already.

      “Yes, Riley,” Abby said, nudging her gently. “It’s just a baby.”

      “He no be blue until he’s older,” Lottie explained.

      “Oh, of course,” Rye said.

      “Much older,” Abby clarified.

      Shady licked his lips at the sight of the little creature.

      “No, no, Shady,” Lottie said crossly, shaking a finger. “Mice good. Newtie – no eat him.”

      “Where did you find such a handsome dragon?” Rye said, looking at their mother and playing along. She had to admit, she’d never seen a lizard quite like this one in the bogs. He seemed to glisten in the light and had folds of skin, like fins, under each of his front legs.