
Bright Moon Clouded by StormsTen years ago, I found Barrett Sloan on the Laningarde waterfront.
I limped from door to door, begging for scraps, and managed to nurse him back from the brink. Later, he grew ambitious and began venturing into the rough harbor districts behind my back.
During the day, he hauled cargo on the docks; at night, he bounced at underground casinos—all to scrape together money for my leg surgery.
When I found out, I pounded his shoulder in fury. "Are you out of your mind? We can barely pay rent, and you're talking about fixing my leg?"
He just gave a goofy grin. "You deserve to shine on the dance floor, not stay trapped in a wheelchair."
He took beatings as a sparring dummy, fought in illegal bouts, and even took a bullet for a mob boss. That cold-blooded ruthlessness eventually earned him a spot as the rising star of the powerful Veragard gang.
Then, two pieces of news hit the docks at once: he finally had the money to fix my leg, and he was marrying the gang boss's daughter.