Potabeau leaned in his creakiest chair, feet propped up on the desk, twirling a quill between his fingers. Behind him, the large obsidian window framed Grin Hollow’s bustling streets. What had started as a necromancer’s lair was now a thriving, if peculiar, city. Skeletons mingled with the living, enchanted lanterns lit cobblestone paths, and the air was filled with a cacophony of life and undeath working in chaotic harmony.

  Across the desk sat Lilac, who had been the no-nonsense owner of the most popular tavern in town, *The Laughing Skull.* for a few months. Her arms were crossed, and she was giving Potabeau a glare that could curdle milk.

  "I’m not running for mayor," she said flatly.

  Potabeau gave her his most disarming grin. "Oh, come on, Lilac. You’d be perfect! You’re smart, people like you, and you’ve got that whole ‘don’t mess with me or I’ll throw you out of my tavern’ vibe. It’s leadership material!"

  "I already have a job," Lilac replied, pointing a finger at him. "And it doesn’t involve wrangling skeletons or dealing with angry townsfolk complaining about hauntings. That’s *your* job."

  "Correction," Potabeau said, leaning forward and dropping his feet to the ground. "It was my job. But Azrath and I have bigger problems to deal with now."

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Lilac raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Bigger than running the weirdest city on the continent?"

  "Much bigger," Potabeau said, his tone turning serious. "The Crusade is burning its way across the region. They’ve already torched three villages and ‘purified’ a dozen others. It’s only a matter of time before they come here."

  Lilac’s expression darkened. "And you’re leaving?"

  "We don’t have a choice," Potabeau said. "Azrath thinks he can weaken their 'divine' agenda with some standard necromantic countermeasures, but that means we need to stop their vanguard before they reach Grin Hollow. If we don’t, this city won’t stand a chance."

  Lilac tapped her fingers against the desk, frowning. "And you think I’m the best person to keep things running while you’re gone?"

  "I know you are," Potabeau said, his grin returning. "Look, you’ve kept the tavern in one piece through three bar brawls, a poltergeist infestation, and that one time Azrath’s skeletons decided to throw a surprisingly well attended ‘quiet party.’ If you can handle that, you can handle a little politics."

  "A little politics?" Lilac shot back. "You mean dealing with the Guild of Dark Cobblers, the undead labor union, and the farmers who think the skeleton scarecrows are stealing their chickens?"

  Potabeau shrugged. "Details."

  Lilac let out a long sigh, leaning back in her chair. "This is insane."

  "Welcome to Grin Hollow," Potabeau said with a chuckle. "Insane is kind of our thing."

  She stared at him for a long moment, then muttered, "Fine. But only because someone needs to keep this place from falling apart."

  Potabeau clapped his hands together, beaming. "Knew you’d come around. Don’t worry, I’ll leave you my mayoral sash. It’s got sequins!"

  "Get out of town before I change my mind," Lilac growled, but there was a hint of a smile on her face.

  As Potabeau strolled out the door, whistling a jaunty tune, he muttered to himself, "She’ll do great. Besides, with Azrath and me out there, it’s not like we won’t be in constant danger. What could go wrong?"

  Grin Hollow’s future was in Lilac’s hands now, and as Potabeau left to face the urgency of the Crusade, he couldn’t help but feel a little hopeful. After all, if anyone could keep the city from descending into madness, it was Lilac. Probably.