Masters of Deception

by J C Kang

  Reaching the opening, she ran through into what looked to be the back alley. At the far end, Sameer and the half-elf were helping a man hobble away.

  Dashing faster on reinvigorated limbs, Brehane caught up with them on the side street.

  Sameer turned to her, his expression surprisingly concerned for an Ayuri Paladin. “Did you find Makeda?”

  Brehane pursed her lips. Apparently the treacherous assama hadn’t come this way. Had Teacher Dawit conspired with her? From what Makeda had said, probably not. “No, have you seen my teacher?”

  “Over there.” Jie pointed.

  Brehane followed the finger.

  Teacher Dawit beckoned from half a block away.

  Brehane’s insides squeezed up. Would he have enough energy to confront her after using so much magic in the gambling den? She hung a step behind the half-elf and Paladin. “Where are you going now?”

  “The South Seas brothel,” Sameer said, “to rescue Sohini.”

  The boy was single-minded. Why would a woman need rescuing from a brothel, unless she was spending all her money? She looked up to Teacher Dawit, who was strolling over as if he hadn’t just unleashed devastating magic.

  “There you are,” he said. “Did you rescue Makeda?”

  Brehane studied his expression. There was no guile there, only concern. He must not have known about the Pyromancer plot against her. She shook her head. “Come on, we’re going to help the Paladin rescue his lady friend.”

  He frowned. “You are just a student, not even a candidate yet. You do not give me, a teacher, orders. Not here. I’m not going anywhere until we find Makeda. You don’t even like the Ayuri.”

  Didn’t she? Sameer had proven reliable, for a man and for a Paladin. Not only that, it would provide an opportunity to experience how he shifted the Resonance when he fought. “I am going to help him.”

  “No,” Dawit said. “This is none of our business. We are here to track down Adept Melas, and he was neither with the Acerbi, as the Diviner claimed, nor at the brothel. Come.”

  Brehane’s eyebrows clashed together. “You are a man. Teacher or not, you do not give me orders.”

  His lips tightened. The expression was not one of anger, but one of scheming. Since when did Aksumi men scheme? Did he know about Makeda’s plans after all? Maybe he was going to lead her into a trap. Would it be safer to keep him close, or get as far away as possible?

  Chapter 20:

  First Aftermath

  Trudging back to his carriage, head still heavy from fatigue, Cassius wondered if Brehane had gone to her death, and he was unwittingly complicit. But had been no stopping her, and the tarot cards suggested that she had to go, and he could not. At least she was protected by a Paladin master and apprentice, a Mystic teacher, and maybe the mysterious half-elf.

  Still, in his many years of Divining, never had the messages been so ambiguous. The Traitor card, combined with the climbing sun about to meet the Traitor star, portended multiple betrayals.

  Who would betray whom? There was no love lost between Makeda and Brehane, but it seemed more like a petty squabble. The Paladins? Would one of them turn on Brehane? They had no reason to. The half-elf Jie? The cards he drew marked her as a viper in a nest of snakes, interpretation ambiguous. Or were there other untold betrayals waiting to happen, making noon an auspicious time for the Paladins to parlay with the Acerbi?

  He had to protect Brehane. If not because she was beautiful and enchanting, then because she was the key to pitting the Bovyans against the crime families, and eliminating their threat to the pyramid. He lengthened his stride.

  “Signore Cassius,” De Lucca called.

  Cassius looked up from the pavestones.

  De Lucca beckoned from his own carriage. “We had not yet finished discussing the Bovyans.”

  Cassius would’ve grinned if it wouldn’t make his head ache so much. Even in his mental fog, he’d been able to talk De Lucca in circles, giving Brehane time to find out about the De Lucca family from the whoremaster’s homely sister. Knowing how his father connected to the letter Jie had acquired might reveal more about his goals than the Gods’ Whispers had so far.

  Curses! In his torpor, he’d forgotten to ask Brehane about her conversation with the sister. Sighing, he met De Lucca as he climbed down from the carriage.

  “So, are we in agreement that hiring the Bovyans as pyramid guards will save us money?”

  Cassius would’ve shaken his head if it didn’t feel like his brains would leak out. “The Bovyans weren’t even around when the Elf Angel gave us the sacred duty. They never suffered slavery under the orcs. They can’t understand the importance of protecting the pyramids. Not only that, they believe it is their people’s Divine mandate to bring all the North to heel. I don’t trust them, and neither should you.”

  “Does it matter? As long as we carefully set out their terms in contract, and keep their bellies full and their loins empty, they will do what we say. That’s the way they are.”

  So naïve! Cassius snorted. “How can you be so sure?”

  “Watch how today unfolds. Every last Bovyan’s contract with the crime families expires today, and their new contract begins with me.”

  Cassius’ heart just about leaped into his throat. That’s what made noon an auspicious time. De Lucca was creating a future just as Cassius did with the merchants. “You plan to suppress the crime families.”

  “Not just suppress. Wipe out.” He turned his hands over, examining his perfectly manicured nails. “I’ve been pitting them against each other for months now. Weakening them. Making them ripe for the Bovyans to squash beneath their capable boots.”

  Cassius shook his head, sending flares of pain into his temples. Phobos had conned him. The Mafia had never been a serious threat to the pyramid, and the Bovyans were going to attack them whether or not Cassius kept Brehane in Tokahia, anyway. They’d secure the Signores’ good will, who’d then vote to hire them as pyramid honor guard. And still… “Even if that were the case, there aren’t enough Bovyans currently in the city to take on the entire Acerbi family.”

  “Maybe not.” De Lucca’s grin looked like that of a sadist at a brothel catering to those tastes. “But I played another card.”

  Another card… Cassius jaw dropped. “You never sent Sohini to Don Acerbi’s, did you? You never even met her.”

  Clucking, De Lucca shook his head. “The Gods’ Whispers don’t all reach your ears, apparently. Yes, Sohini came to me, seeking refuge. From what, she didn’t say, but she apparently has a soft spot for prostitutes. I told her about the crime families’ treatment of their whores, and she helped undermine some of them. I did tell her about Don Acerbi, but I never saw her again after that.”

  “But you did send the Paladins, by telling them Sohini might be there.”

  The sadistic grin returned. “And, because of your rash Aksumi friend, I was able to send a pair of Mystics, as well. You, of all people, should know the benefit of getting others to do your dirty work.”

  Cassius’ lips pursed. All of his arrangements were negotiated in secret, yet it seemed like De Lucca knew. Still, it might work out for the better. The Mafia, long a thorn in the Signores’ side, weakened. Brehane and Makeda, not in any real danger from the don.

  Or were they?

  Horns blared out in a sequence. The pattern repeated, closer this time. A fire.

  Cassius squinted in the direction from which it came. Thick curls of smoke rose in the distance, much larger than the line of smoke from the makeshift funeral pyre the Paladins had made. It looked to be coming from the entertainment district.

  In the general direction of the Acerbi stronghold.

  Brehane. With a quick glare at De Lucca, Cassius darted to his carriage and climbed in. He tapped the driver’s shoulder and pointed. “To the entertainment district. Hurry.”

  The driver snapped the reins. The carriage lurched into motion, perhaps leaving Cassius’ brains behind, based on how his head hurt.

/>   De Lucca yelled over the rattle of wheels on pavestones. “You’ll thank me for this, when the crime families are gone. You’ll trust the Bovyans, and it will save us all money.”

  Trust the Bovyans? Maybe they’d prove themselves true to their contracts, but no doubt they’d find ways to twist them, like a snake-tongued barrister. De Lucca clearly didn’t realize they’d undoubtedly replace the Mafia as a threat to the city. To the pyramid. Maybe they were the ones responsible for the fire.

  And Brehane and Makeda were caught in it.

  “Faster,” he urged the driver. Though, with his fatigue he would be useless to help, beyond barking a few orders.

  The driver snapped the reins, and the horses picked up pace. If Cassius’ head had hurt before, the rapid bumps and jostles now made it worse. The sound of panicked shouts grew louder. The scent of smoke thickened. The trickle of men with soot-covered faces became a rush. The fire horns blared, but less frequently.

  He waved a member of the fire brigade down. “How far have the fires spread?”

  The man stopped. “It’s contained to Don Acerbi’s headquarters.”

  Don Acerbi’s territory was full of wooden buildings. It didn’t seem possible for a fire to be contained so quickly. Even the fire brigade leader had worried about the district. Cassius tracked the aqueduct lines. One serviced the area, but the average time for the fire brigade to mobilize wouldn’t have allowed them to control the fire so quickly. He tipped his hat, and motioned the driver to continue.

  Though smoke hung heavily in the air around the Acerbi headquarters, the flames looked to be limited to a single block. The walls and roofs had collapsed, leaving the row houses a mass of jumbled beams and rafters. With their faces masked against the smoke, fire brigade members formed a line, passing water buckets to douse the rubble. Several bodies lay in the street.

  Cassius’ stomach roiled. Were Makeda and Brehane among the dead? Covering his mouth, he jumped off the carriage and tentatively worked his way to the first body.

  A member of the fire brigade ran over and dipped into a bow. “Signore, the fire is under control.”

  Cassius nodded. “Good work.”

  “It wasn’t just us. One of the Aksumi used her magic to weaken the flames. I’ve never seen the like.”

  Relief washed over Cassius. Makeda must have helped with her Pyromancy. “Where is she now? Was she with her cousin?”

  The man shook his head and shrugged. “We saw only her, and she ran off with the Paladins.”

  Cassius’ heart sunk. Even though Makeda must be safe, Brehane was unaccounted for. With the fire brigade member following, he went over to the first body.

  It was a local man, his face and garish clothes smudged by soot. He hadn’t burned to death. The next couple of men looked the same. Each time, Cassius’ stomach roiled, threatening to rebel.

  “Signore Cassius.” The male voice carried a thick accent.

  Cassius looked up from another victim to find the Aksumi Mystic. His heart sunk into his stomach. “Master Dawit. Have you seen Makeda and Brehane?”

  “Brehane escaped.”

  A weight, like the Forger of the World’s Anvil, lifted off Cassius’ shoulders.

  “Thankfully, Makeda is not among the dead I have seen so far.” Dawit gestured toward the string of bodies behind him.

  Thankfully, Cassius would not have to look at those bodies, now that Makeda and Brehane were both accounted for. “The fire brigade said that Makeda helped them.”

  Dawit’s forehead scrunched up. “That doesn’t sound like her.”

  “Well, that’s what they said.” Cassius snuck a look at the dead. “The victims don’t look burned at all.”

  “The smoke burns your lungs.” Dawit tapped his chest.

  Cassius shuddered. The idea of dying, unable to draw a breath…he added smoke inhalation to drowning and hanging on his list of ways not to die. “Where did you see Brehane?”

  Dawit’s lips pursed. “Here. She went with the Paladins to one of the mobster brothels.”

  Could it have been Brehane, not Makeda, who helped the fire brigade? Or maybe they were together. “Which brothel? Why?”

  “The South Seas. Still chasing after the Paladin girl.”

  That brothel belonged to the Acerbi. Perhaps some of what De Lucca said about Sohini attacking the Acerbi held a kernel of truth. “Why did Brehane go with the Paladins?”

  Dawit harrumphed. “She wanted to help them.”

  Cassius cocked his head, sending a sharp pain flaring in his skull. “I thought she hated the Ayuri.”

  “I thought so, too.”

  Cassius looked to the skies. The Betrayer might not be visible now, but at this time of day, it still hung close to the sun. More betrayals were bound to happen. If he weren’t so exhausted, he might listen to the Gods’ Whispers. His gaze shifted to the smoldering remains of the Acerbi den. Hopefully, Makeda had escaped and was with the others.

  “I am going to the South Seas,” Cassius said, gesturing to the carriage. “Would you like to ride with me?”

  “I am going to stay here and make sure Makeda isn’t among the dead. I’m sure the Teleri will be more ingratiated to you if you deliver both of them, alive.”

  Cassius stared at the Mystic. The old legends of the Great Wars told of Aksumi plucking thoughts from the minds of those around them. Now, it looked like Dawit had uncovered Cassius’ own treacherous plans.

  Chapter 21:

  Realizations

  Despite the fatigue from a lack of sleep and overuse of the Vibrations, and his heartbeat throbbing in his temples, Sameer strode ahead of Jie, Brehane, and Master Anish. He couldn’t get to the South Seas soon enough, to save Sohini from whatever the Mafia had done to her.

  Unfortunately, Giovanni, the late Don Acerbi’s accountant, still hobbled from his brush with death. They’d already taken five minutes to cover what should’ve taken two. Had he not promised to guide them there and get them past the brothel guards, it would’ve been faster to leave him behind.

  He would’ve been safe with Dawit, who’d kept up his search for Makeda. When asked if she’d seen her cousin, Brehane’s lips sealed tight.

  Even as most citizens fled away from the conflagration, men from the fire brigade carrying pole hooks and buckets of water ran toward the smoldering mob headquarters. They slowed his progress toward the South Seas even more, as he paused on the side of the street to let them pass.

  Stumbling to a stop, the accountant pointed down the row house-lined street. “The don’s men!”

  Less than two blocks ahead, two dozen ruffians with determined expressions jogged down the middle of the street. Despite De Lucca’s claim of Bovyans working for the Mafia, there were none. Pedestrians made way, pressing themselves against the buildings on the side.

  Tired as he was, Sameer tightened his grip around the rapier. It was far too straight and thin to execute many of the naga techniques. Still, it was better than being unarmed against so many.

  Giovanni pushed Sameer’s hand down and looked to the others. “Let me handle it.”

  Sameer’s jaw clenched. They’d saved him, but that didn’t mean the criminal wouldn’t turn on them now. They continued walking half a block before Don Acerbi’s men ran up.

  “Mister Atalia,” one of the men tipped his hat. “What is going on?”

  “An attack on the headquarters!” Giovanni turned and pointed back in the direction they’d come. Plumes of smoke still ribboned up.

  The men nodded and hurried to the gambling den.

  Sameer sighed. What had they done? How could Dawit have been so careless to start the inferno with his sorcery? Most of the buildings here were made of wattle and daub, and stone, but if they were anything like the mob den, they had wooden supports. If not for Brehane’s magic calming the flames, maybe the entire city would be reduced to rubble, for all he knew about fires.

  “There weren’t any Bovyans in that group,” Jie said.

  The accountant s
cratched his chin. “Maybe they are protecting the brothel. There are certainly plenty on the don’s payroll.”

  “Or maybe,” Brehane said, “clients want to enjoy strapping young men like these Bovyans.”

  What? Sameer joined in the others in staring at the young Mystic, who just shrugged. Everything about her self-assured tone suggested she wasn’t joking.

  Jie turned back to the accountant. “How many Bovyans work for the Acerbi?”

  “Twenty-two.” Giovanni gave an emphatic bob of his head.

  “How is it none were guarding the don?”

  “He has a trusted inner circle, and he preferred to keep them at the brothels to keep order, since everyone knows better than to start trouble at his headquarters. Until you came along.”

  Sameer snorted. Honor among thieves.

  Jie flipped a curious black dagger with a serrated edge in her hand. “That means we will encounter them at the South Seas.”

  “No, wait.” Giovanni coughed and held up a finger. “Now that I think about it, I think their contracts expired today…” He looked up at the Iridescent Moon, now waxing to its first crescent. “At noon.”

  Maybe that was why Cassius had recommended the noon hour. Resuming their walk, Sameer turned to Master Anish. “What happened, Master? After you Commanded Don Acerbi to speak, I thought the issue was resolved.”

  Brehane nodded. “I sensed it, a shift in the Resonance. Similar to our charm spells.”

  Master Anish stroked his beard. “Yes, I felt it, too. Something compelled the don to order the attack. His mistake. He and his henchmen got what they deserved.”

  Sameer turned and gawked at him. “What about the innocents?”

  “Gamblers.” Master Anish shrugged. “The world won’t miss them.”

  Sameer’s stomach churned. How uncaring. How…un-Paladinlike. “I don’t think—”