by Andrew Rowe
The use of that note might have been a coincidence — Aayara wasn’t the only one who used musical symbols, of course — but it was worth noting.
Jonan mentally labeled all of the robed figures based on their mask symbols and resolved to look them up later.
Flower Mask stepped forward. “This is the newcomer?”
“Not a newcomer, exactly.” Mairead waved for Jonan to step forward, and he did. “Vincent is visiting from our division in Velthryn.”
“Here to beg for more support?” Sword Mask asked.
Jonan shook his head. “Not at all. I’m here to report something important. Something that needs to go to the top of the chain.”
“We’ll determine if that is necessary,” Gem Mask replied. “What can you tell us?”
“Precious little.” He had to measure his words carefully. “You’re aware of the failures about ten months ago?”
The hooded figures looked at each other, then looked back to him. “Your division reported that as a success.”
He shrugged. “Political talk. It was a limited success. Some pieces remained on the board.”
“This is the first I’ve heard of such a thing.” Sword Mask folded his arms. “Are you meaning to imply that we were given inadequate information before?”
Jonan shrugged. “I don’t know exactly what you were told, but the fact of the matter is that we lost agents and left a mission incomplete. I have an important update to deliver on that subject. Given how pressing certain issues are with Velthryn in the coming months,” he left that line to linger for a moment, “I’m sure you understand the need for everything to be perfect.”
There was a moment of silence. Some of the figures leaned in to whisper to each other.
Jonan heard them anyway.
Velas hadn’t managed to teach him much sound sorcery, but amplifying and focusing his hearing was among the easiest spells possible.
“This is likely about the Theas incident,” Gem Mask whispered. “I was under the impression that was being dealt with by a third party.”
“Some random underling shouldn’t know about that. And I’ve never heard of this ‘Vincent’ before.” Sword Mask replied.
Flower Mask replied. “He’s probably one of Sterling’s. That man is awful about keeping secrets. I don’t know why he’d be coming back here, but we need to know what he knows.”
Mairead smiled and raised a hand. “Can we head in and deliver the report directly?”
“What’s your connection with this, Miss Caelan? I wasn’t under the impression you had contacts with the Velthryn branch.”
Jonan waved a hand. “I approached her. My superior listed her as a first-layer contact for this city. I wasn’t just going to show up here and talk to you without an introduction.”
Mairead shot him a questioning look. That wasn’t quite what they’d discussed before, but now based on the whispered contacts, he wanted to create an impression that he was already well-established in their organization.
Fortunately, she adapted quickly. “He followed proper protocol. He hasn’t reported anything to me directly, but he made it clear that this is a correction, and that needs to be addressed by a proper authority.”
“A correction...?” Gem Mask folded his hands. “Of what nature?”
“I am pleased to report a successful historical correction. Two, in fact.” Jonan smiled. “I am, of course, required to deliver the evidence of something of this magnitude directly.”
“Evidence? What exactly do you have to deliver?”
Jonan grinned. “Two coffins. Occupied.”
Chapter XVI – Velas IV – A Variety of Silks
Velas had a variety of skills, but waiting patiently was not among them.
It might have been the safer option to lie low and wait for Jonan to bring her the answers she needed, but that simply was not her style. And beyond that, she had certain obligations and loose ends to take care of.
As Aladir and Lydia made their way out of the city, she stepped out from behind a tree and into the center of the road. They both reacted quickly, reaching for weapons before they realized who they were looking at.
“Velas.” Lydia lowered her cane, shifting back to a neutral stance. “Where have you been? Rialla has been looking everywhere for you.”
I bet she has. Especially given she’s currently the most likely suspect for another Silk trying to replace me.
“Been a bit busy.” Velas gave a strained smile. “Things went bad with my little investigation. I asked our mutual friend to send you a message.”
“He did, but it was painfully vague.” Lydia folded her arms. “You could have at least written a note yourself. Would have helped verify that you were actually safe. A message from him might have just been buying time to hide a body.”
“Please. You think that scrawny boy could handle me?” Velas laughed.
Lydia wrinkled her nose. “Poison doesn’t care how strong you are. As I’m certain you know from experience.”
Velas had plenty of ways to deal with poison, but she didn’t need to let Lydia in on that.
Instead, she simply nodded and tried unsuccessfully to look apologetic. “Fine, fine. I’ll be more careful. The important part is that I’m here now, checking in.” She patted her arms. “See? Fully intact.”
Aladir took a few steps forward and poked her. “Seems like it.”
“Hey!” Velas smacked his hand aside. “What was that for?”
“Checking if you’re actually here.” Aladir smiled. “That’s easy enough to fake.”
“True enough.” She sighed. “Look, I’m sorry I vanished for a while. But I’m going to have to do it again.”
“Reason?” Lydia asked.
“I’m being hunted by someone dangerous.”
“All the more reason you should come with us.” Aladir gestured toward the road. “Harder to find you out there, and we’ll have considerable protection.”
Lydia shot him a look and Aladir went silent.
“Protection?” Velas snorted. “I don’t need protection. I need to find the person who is looking for me before they find me.”
“That’s reckless.” Lydia frowned. “And if it’s tracking that you need, I’m the one who should be doing it.”
“Thought of that. I don’t have anything for one of your tracking spells to hook into. Not yet. Maybe I’ll come to you if I find something and my leads dry up before you get back to town.”
“We could be gone quite some time,” Aladir noted. “You’ll be on your own.”
“No, I won’t be.” Velas shook her head. “I have backup.”
“The ‘scrawny lad’ you dismissed a moment ago?” Lydia adjusted her glasses.
Velas gave a shrug. “I’m not asking him to fight someone for me. He’s good at what he does. And I think we have a lead on the location of the Shrouded One.”
“And you were going to tell us about this when?” Lydia took a step forward. “That’s pretty important.”
“Easy, there. We just found out, and I need to verify it. I’m going to do it soon. But, in the spirit of cooperation, I’ll tell you what I know. Rumor is that she — and they said ‘she’ — is on the top floor of the Crescent Thorn, at least some of the time.”
Aladir looked at Lydia. “That’s a holy site. She must have considerable influence if she’s up there.”
“Noted.” Lydia turned to Aladir. “Perhaps we should all head there before we leave? This seems like an important enough opportunity to delay our other task.”
“Let me handle it. As Aladir said, it’s a holy site. I can get in. A couple of paladins aren’t going to make it through the front gates without causing suspicions. If you spook her, she might flee.”
“That’s a fair objection, but we could lay a trap for her. You could lure her outside, perhaps, or flee to us if you get in trouble or injured.”
“If you set up anywhere nearby, you’ll be noticed. I honestly don’t think this is worth your time.
My lead could turn up nothing.”
Lydia glanced between the two of them, then nodded, mostly to herself. “Aladir. Stay here. Coordinate with Velas. Velas, try to lure the Shrouded One back to Aladir so that you can confront her as a team.”
“That’s going to make this more difficult for me, not less.” Velas sighed. “But I suppose having a healer on-hand in case things go badly isn’t terrible. Fine. I’ll handle it. But you’re going to have to be cautious, Aladir. If you’re caught looking suspicious right outside, it’s going to make things much messier for me.”
“I’m rethri. If I throw on some dark clothes, no one in the city is going to give me a second look.”
He had a point.
“Okay. We’ll make it work.” She turned to Lydia. “Where are you headed?”
“Wrynn Jaden. She supposedly has information that might help us. And Taelien is with her.”
Velas felt an unexpected tightness in her chest. “Wait. Sal? I knew he was in the region, but…”
“He’s on an unrelated assignment. Or, one that we thought was unrelated, at least. Aladir can fill you in on the details. I’m going to get going.”
“You going to be safe on your own?” Velas asked.
“As I said, I’m going straight to where Taelien is located. And Asphodel should be there, too.”
Velas hesitated for a moment.
Lydia must have caught something in her expression. “You look like you have something you want to say.”
“Mm… Lissari keep you healthy.”
“You too.” Lydia raised an eyebrow, but said nothing further. “Take care of her, Aladir. And yourself.”
“Always.” Aladir gave Lydia a nudge. “See you soon.”
***
“Let me send Jonan a message to inform him we’re going to have company. Then we’ll get you some new clothes.”
“No need, I already have a civilian outfit.” Aladir motioned to the backpack on his back.
“In dark colors?” Velas raised an eyebrow. “You don’t seem like the type.”
“Black is one of the Tae’os Pantheon’s colors, you know. Blue and silver are more prominent, but it’s still one of them.”
“Sure, but you worship Lissari. I’d expect more green.”
Aladir laughed. “I’m a paladin, not a divine fashion model.”
“Is that an actual occupation?”
“It could be.”
Velas snorted. “That’s quite an image. Anyway, give me a minute.”
She wrote Jonan a note, then used the mirror to send it.
“That’s quite a useful device.” Aladir motioned to the mirror. “Have you considered making one that conveys sound?”
“Yeah, but it’s not the best medium for it.” She thought about her earrings, but managed to avoid reaching up toward one of them. She wasn’t sure how much she wanted Aladir to know. “You sure you want to be with me and not with Lydia?”
“The mission is what matters. And frankly, you’re much more likely to need healing.”
“I’m pretty sure I’m offended by that.”
Aladir shook his head. “Don’t be. You’re simply on a more dangerous assignment. It’s not a reflection of your abilities.”
“Fair enough, I suppose. Wait, was that a mirror pun?”
“You’re bright to have noticed.”
“Ugh.”
The puns continued until she found a suitable place to hide.
***
Velas introduced Aladir to Jonan, but it wasn’t necessary — they’d met before, if only briefly.
Jonan kept giving Aladir strange looks, but that wasn’t out-of-character for Jonan, so Velas tried to ignore it and focus on the plan.
“I’ll hit the Crescent Thorn tonight. Aladir, you’ll be waiting a few blocks away, inside this blacksmith shop.” She pointed to the map. “You may want to check it in advance. Jonan, can you introduce him to that adjutant?”
Jonan ran a hand through his hair, then took off his glasses to wipe them with a rag. “Yes, but please be cautious about including Mairead or Taer’vys in this. We don’t really know their angle.”
“But they’re definitely investigating the Shrouded One?”
“Sure, at least on the surface. But if the Shrouded One turns out to be a ranking official in the Thornguard — which seems highly likely — Mairead might take the Shrouded One’s side.”
“And what about you? Wouldn’t you do the same?” Aladir asked.
Jonan paused to consider the question. “Depends.”
“On?” Velas asked.
“Who they work for. Keep in mind, I’m not actually a Thornguard. I simply work for someone connected with them.”
“That’s an understatement, but I’ll forgive it.” Velas sighed. “Fine. You don’t even have to be at the shop, if you need deniability.”
“Actually, I was considering going up with you.” Jonan cracked his knuckles. “I can help keep us concealed while we go through the building.”
Maybe, but…
She shook her head. “I’m not planning to go through the building.”
“Ah.” Jonan nodded in understanding. “Yes, I suppose that would be a more expedient route. And I couldn’t keep up. Should we try to do some long-distance scrying on the place before you head over there?”
“It’s a black spot for scrying,” Aladir explained. “Lydia had it on her list of places to look at for signs of Sterling.”
Jonan frowned. “That means they have someone with void sorcery. Or at least a void enchantment. That’s going to make this considerably more dangerous. Sterling could be there himself.”
While the other two looked nervous about that prospect, Velas found herself smiling.
Maybe I’ll get another shot at him soon, then.
“Perhaps this is a bad idea, if there’s any chance of Sterling.” Aladir glanced off to the side. “We could wait for the others to return.”
“Not a chance. Every day we wait is one more day they have to search for us. Proactivity is important here. Besides, Sterling isn’t infallible. Now that I know who I’m dealing with, I can prepare for him.” Velas glanced at the Heartlance, then toward Jonan.
“No.” Jonan shook his head. “It’s a bad idea.”
Velas rolled her eyes. “I’ll just bring it as a precaution. I won’t go straight after him. Promise.”
“Do you know if that weapon will work against a vae’kes?” Aladir gestured to the spear.
“Only one way to find out.”
She got a pair of disapproving looks for that line, so she raised her hands in a warding gesture. “Fine, fine. We can be smart about it.” She waved at Jonan. “You can throw an invisibility spell on me right before I leave then wait at the shop with Aladir.”
“The invisibility won’t last long if I’m not there to maintain it. I’m much more of a sight shaper than a caller, and I need to be near you to keep reapplying the effect.”
“I think I might be able to extend it myself, if it comes to that. But I don’t anticipate this taking long. This should just be a quick jaunt, in and out. I don’t plan to engage the enemy.”
“Void sorcery could wipe out the invisibility,” Jonan pointed out.
“It’s probably not covering the whole building. And if it is, I’ll get out fast. Very fast.”
“Even if you see the Shrouded One?” Aladir asked.
Velas hesitated. “Depends on the situation. I don’t expect her to be wearing an identifying badge. I might not even know if I’ve seen her. But I’ll plan to disengage if I’m attacked, and I’ll be prepared for a fight if I have to. Just in case.”
“Sounds safe enough. I don’t think we have to be overly worried about anything.” Aladir nodded.
Velas and Jonan exchanged looks, then Velas looked back to Aladir.
“Never say that.”
***
The stylistic slope of the Crescent Thorn made it easier to climb, at least for a motion sorcerer.
> Velas approached in the middle of the night, wearing the garb of her Silk identity. Unlike when she’d approached the Thornguard fortress, however, she’d brought the Heartlance with her. If there was any chance at all that Sterling was present, she wanted to be ready for him.
I’ve practiced for this. I can handle him.
“Eru volar proter taris.” A defensive field of essence surrounded her, powered by the dominion mark Jonan had helped her link to her old armor. She found using it a little frustrating, given her bad memories of the armor, but it had worked well enough against Susan Crimson. She wouldn’t turn down an extra bit of protection against whoever she was up against now.
Surge.
She blasted herself upward, along the side of the sloped tower wall. While driving the Heartlance into the side of the building like a climbing spike might have made the ascent easier, she decided against it. She didn’t want to trigger any defensive spells on the building or alert anyone that she was present.
She landed on a ledge, then jumped again. Fortunately, there were outcroppings with standing space for each floor.
I don’t know how anyone could live in a building with a slope like this. Must get absolutely nauseating.
Surge.
She boosted herself upward again and again, until she reached the top floor.
No windows or exterior doors on this level. They must have been at least somewhat concerned about someone using this method of entry.
She blasted herself upward to the roof, landing atop it. From there, she planned to search for a hatch.
When she landed, she discovered she was not alone.
Across the rooftop, Velas saw something uncanny. The woman wore silken veils covering her face and upper body and carried an oaken staff. The remainder of her garb was simple blacks, with a pouch and a few knives on visible on her belt. Two more knives were sheathed in her tall leather boots.
The build, the outfit, and even the woman’s casual stance were almost identical to her own.
Even the oak staff looks like when I had the Heartlance concealed, she realized. She’s an excellent reproduction.
Velas took a few steps closer, remaining cautious. She kept the Heartlance ready. “Silk, I presume?”
