when the dust settles

Of course. My hands grip the rough iron bars of the cell I'm in. Of course he showed up. Letting go, I huff and turn to my fellow captive.

"You," I sneered, jabbing my finger at him. "You just had to ruin it didn't you."

Alex is leaning, unbothered, on the wall opposite me. His curly orange-red hair has fallen over his eyes, but I could most definitely see his smirk.

"You're welcome!" He pushed his hair back and winked. "But in all honesty you did most of the work."

I manage to bite my tongue as I turn back to the hallway behind the jail bars. I had been so close to telling the unsuspecting party goers that they had stepped into a trap. So. Close.

"Why are you always getting in my way!?" I whisper yell, not daring to actually raise my voice in this place.

"Get in your way? Are we joking?" Alex's smirk has fallen, replaced by disgust. "Every time I try to do something you always swoop in and-"

"Oh no no no," I laugh angrily, "that one time with the apprenticeship does not count!"

"I worked really hard for that!"

"I did too!"

A moment of silence falls. I had spent months trying to get that position when Alex decided he wanted it too. The copper smith ended up giving it to someone else entirely because we were "too distracted with petty rivalry". If only he knew the half of it. I wasn't petty, Alex was just unbelievably annoying!

"Well, I still need to warn them." I say.

"You mean we?" Alex steps beside me, surveying the hall as well.

I shoot a glare at him before digging into my pocket and retrieving a spare piece of wire. Bending and twisting is much easier with tools but my fingers got the job done quick.

I reached around the bars and carefully inserted the makeshift key. I wiggled it until it caught onto something and turned. With a light click, the lock to the cell opened.

I stuffed the wire back into my deep pockets and stepped out into the damp hall. Above, scattered lanterns tossed their light to and fro, barely illuminating the passage ahead.

I started walking, but after a handful of seconds I paused and reluctantly turned around. "Are you coming or not." I whispered.

Alex peaked his head out of the cell, a smile wide on his face and a playful glint in his eye. "I thought you'd never ask!"

"This isn't a game." I said, already regretting the invite.

Step by painfully loud step, we continued down the hall of empty cells.

"Would you happen to know where you're going?" Alex said after a long while of walking.

Suppressing a huff, I adjusted my tunic. The guards who had thrown us in this bug infested cage had taken away my cloak and satchel, something they would regret if I had any say about it. No one, and I mean no one touches my bag and gets away with it.

"Yesterday, I saw some of those guards entering a passage in the east alley of the Berry Hotel. If I counted my footsteps correctly and my sense of direction stays true, then we should be heading there now."

There's a pause then Alex speaks again. "You know, I give you less credit than I should Ravi." He laughs, "that is if you actually pull it off."

"So it's you and not we now?" I turn on my heels and Alex nearly runs me over.

He stumbles backwards and then shrugs, stretching his face into a questioning smirk.

I roll my eyes and turn back around. "Do you have any information?"

"No, but if I did it would be better than yours." He's walking beside me now, sauntering along like he isn't the most annoying person I've ever known.

Just ignore him. I think, trying to stay focused. I have no way of telling what time it is, but if there is still a chance to warn the guests in the new art gallery, and alert Mr. Berry to what's transpiring underneath his hotel, I need to hurry. Or we I should say.

"Look," I say, stopping again and turning back around. "If we're going to do this together, then you need to..."

"Let me guess, stop bickering, listen to you, oh and stay out of the way?" His permanent grin fades, replaced by something I can't quite place. "Trust me, I've heard since we were ten years old, Ravi."

I frown. "I was going to say listen for foot steps." The silence that follows is almost tangible. The way he puts it makes me sound like a jerk, but... well maybe I haven't always been very patient with him, but that's just because he always gets in the way. And maybe - just maybe - I have always been a little bit jealous. Alex has a way of making everything fall into his lap while I have to work endlessly for the opportunity.

"We need to work together." I say begrudgingly.

Alex's grin returns, "Whatever you say!"

I could work with that.

We continued on and on, until I began to doubt if we would ever find the end. Then, finally, a wall appeared.

Set into the stone was a circular iron door. Around the handle and through a notch in the wall ran a thick copper chain connected with a somewhat smaller lock.

"Hmm," Alex crouched to examine it. "Looks like a juniper."

I groaned. Juniper locks were crafted by master artisans and notoriously hard to pick due to the retracting prongs on the keys and the walls in the lock itself.

"Any ideas?" I crossed my arms. My spare wire would be useless. A shiver of worry caught me.

Without a word, Alex sidestepped, still crouching, to a link in the chain. Grasping it firmly he bent it open and slipped the link to the right off. The whole chain fell clattering to the floor.

Alex stood and flourished his hands, "Tada!"

Never in my eighteen years of life have I ever felt that dumb.

"Copper," I said shaking my head. "What's the point of the juniper lock if you can bend the chain?"

"We can't all be geniuses," He pulled the door open and motioned for me to go through.

On the other side was a narrow flight of steps. As I ascended in relative darkness, I couldn't help but think back on all of the times Alex and I had fought over the years. Most of it seemed pretty pointless now. I kept walking and found a similar, unlocked door waiting at the end of the stair case.

Maybe I was being petty. I pushed the door and burning sunlight momentarily blinded me. The sound of horses and carriages was in stark contrast with the silence of the underground, and the fresh air was rejuvenating. I blocked the oppressive sun with my hand and turned to Alex who was closing the door behind him.

"Alex," I started, "Maybe we got off on the wrong foot."

"We've known each other are whole lives." Alex crossed his arms, apparently unbothered by the surge of blinding sunlight.

I pursed my lips and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I can be over bearing sometimes."

Alex laughed, but it wasn't mocking like it normally was. He ran a hand through his flaming hair. "And I'm sorry I may or may not try my hardest to make you angry because you always seem so cool and collected when I'm not." He paused. "You know, I always thought you were the coolest when we were little."

"You weren't that bad yourself." I said looking down at my hands. "I think I was jealous of how popular you were."

"How popular I was?" Alex's hand shot to his chest in a thoroughly offended manner.

I rolled my eyes but I couldn't keep a small smile off my face. I offered him my hand.

"Partners?" I said, "For now?"

Alex shook my hand, his palm warm and his grip gentle.

"Friends." He nodded.

I wasn't entirely sure about that, but I couldn't do this alone. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad to have a friend.

Finally I conceded.

"Friends."