The Sandman by Erin Kellison

revelers need a way to sustain their livelihoods. If they aren’t handled, and quickly, the violence will escalate until you find one of your friends dead outside your city. Someone is trying to play you. I recommend you change the game. That’s the only way to control it, and them.”
    He was still turning over his idea in his mind. Some of these people were vicious, out for themselves only. Killers, even. They had no conception of a greater good. Like that merc that Fleight had sent after Mirren and Vince.
    Rook tried to clear his throat again. “Not terrorists,” he croaked. “Mercenaries.”
    He got blank looks for a moment before Harlen sat back in his chair, eyebrows lifted in surprise. Mirren’s mouth was slowly tugging up, and Vince was licking his teeth.
    Maisie relaxed her shoulders. “You mean…?” Her brow furrowed. “But they’re bad.”
    Lots of people were bad. Rook had been bad once. So had Maisie. In fact, the only one who was all good at this table was Harlen, and at the moment, smeared in black blood, he looked capable of anything. Probably was.
    Harlen leaned forward again, his gaze intent. “What exactly are you suggesting?”
    The more Rook thought about the black market thugs, the more he thought they were the way to go. Maisie wouldn’t be at the mercy of a bunch of Darkside terrorists if the terrorists belonged to her.
    Maisie shook her head. “I can’t let stuff like…like—” she couldn’t seem to fill in the blanks “—happen here. Not after what I did when I worked for Lambert. I can’t hurt anyone like that again.”
    Rook looked to Viv. Everyone at the table would need to get used to her if this was going to work.
    Viv gave him a small smile. “I believe Malcolm is suggesting that we find a way to leverage your city for the cooperation of these very talented revelers. And many of them are very talented. Very. ” She addressed Maisie specifically. “Would you consider allowing them a place here, with any restrictions to business activity that you impose, in return for their services?”
    Rook nodded. Yes, that was what he’d wanted to suggest. Corey had given him the idea: they needed protection, but they would have it on their terms.
    Maisie frowned deeply. “You mean allow my dreamscape to become the new black market?”
    Viv’s small smile stretched up a little farther. “There are those who will prefer to take your city outright. A man was murdered in order to scare you. Few will believe this is a dreamscape at all, and once it becomes well known, they will try to control you—here, and in the waking world.”
    Exactly. Yes. She’d always be in danger. She’d need ruthless protectors. Killers, even.
    “We could plant Chimera here,” Harlen said. “Some of my Darkside Division.”
    Rook liked that, too.
    Maisie put a knuckle to her teeth. Her gaze was full of indecision.
    And yet everyone present knew that Maze City had to stand.
    “I have some suggestions if you’d like to hear them,” Viv said to Maisie. “As Malcolm has mentioned before, I have some experience with these people. Not to mention, my own leverage.”
    Maisie dropped her hand and sighed, then focused on Viv fully for the first time. “So we just let these… criminals come and go from my dreamscape?”
    Viv smiled. “They won’t stand for Oneiros meddling. They’ll kill anyone who messes with their bottom line. And although they may be nightmarish in some ways, they aren’t nightmares. We will, of course, have to enforce whatever restrictions you impose on their businesses.” Viv raised a finger. “I have a few people in mind to approach about that. But we’d need to act now before they make arrangements with people like Corentine.”
    Rook nodded with satisfaction. Viv had this, and Maisie had both Vince and Mirren for backup in case there was more trouble.
    Maisie looked straight into his eyes. “You really think—”
    “Yes,” he interrupted. “Use them.”
    She gulped and