The Executioner's Apprentice (The Executioner's Song Book 2)

by D. K. Holmberg

  “Don’t really know. It wasn’t hard work. Most of the buildings weren’t heavily guarded.”

  “How much did they pay?”

  Seamus shook his head. “No, that’s not how it works, Shuffles.”

  “I’m not trying to ask so I can take your money. I’m asking so I can figure out how valuable the job might have been.”

  Seamus glanced over to the others in his crew, pausing as he looked over to Rock, before leaning forward and lowering his voice even more. “We got ten silver drebs for each one we placed,” he whispered. “I kept half, split the rest with the crew.”

  “Just to sneak in and put something into these buildings?”

  He nodded.

  “What were they?”

  “Can’t say I even know. Really strange-looking things, they were. Look like a little bucket with a strange tail on it. They had a handle, and I was told not to shake them. Dangerous, you see.”

  Finn closed his eyes. “Could you draw a picture of one?”

  “I’m no artist, Shuffles.”

  “Could you?” Finn asked, opening his eyes.

  “Maybe I could. I suppose if it’s that important to you. Not like I can go and do much about it now. All of them have been delivered. We were on the last one when I slipped. The crew took care of the rest of it. I hobbled over to your place, though I stopped at a few surgeons along the way. Hell, had I known better, maybe I would’ve gone straight to the old hangman myself.”

  Seamus raised his hand, and the dark-haired woman came over, keeping her gaze on Finn as she did. She leaned close to Seamus, and he whispered something in her ear, her brow furrowing. She nodded once, slipping away before returning only a few moments later with a piece of paper and a bottle of ink along with a pen.

  “You’re well supplied here,” Finn said.

  “You know how crews run,” Seamus said. He looked up at Finn for a moment. “Well, maybe you don’t. Anyway, I’ve got to keep everybody working together. That’s the key to the job, you know.”

  He started drawing, and it wasn’t long before he finished. He slipped the paper over the table to Finn, who took it and studied it.

  Finn had only seen the item once, and it had been damaged at that time, but not so damaged that he didn’t recognize it.

  It was the same thing that had been found in Sweth’s home. The same item that had started the fire that had burned an entire section of the city.

  “You said you put a dozen of these all throughout the city?”

  “Yeah. I tried to get more work. Pretty easy job, you see, but there were others involved too. I tried to corner the market on this but didn’t nail it down in time.”

  Finn just stared at it. How many of these items were in the city? How much of the city was going to burn?

  “I need to know everything you can about the man who hired you.”

  “Listen, Shuffles. I like you. I think you’re an interesting guy. You got a story, and that’s something I like. But I can’t really tell you too much. Got a reputation to uphold and all.”

  “I’m sure you do,” Finn said softly.

  “And I wouldn’t have said as much as I did were it not for that card. I didn’t make the arrangements for the job. Somebody else pulled my crew in. They were coordinating the whole thing.”

  “I need to know where you placed them.”

  Seamus leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. He flicked his gaze to the woman, who took a step toward Finn. Rock stood off to the side, saying nothing.

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Shuffles.”

  “I need those names. If you don’t, then—”

  The woman was there at the table in little more than a blink of an eye. She was quick, but Finn had been ready for her, and he scooted off to the side, jumping to his feet. He had the table between him and Rock, and the door just at his back. He didn’t want it to go down this way.

  “This thing…” Finn said, pointing to the piece of paper on the table. Finn had dragged it toward the end of the table as he got to his feet. If nothing else, it was coming with him. “… is responsible for the fire in Jorend.” He looked from Seamus to the woman and finally to Rock. There were a few others in the tavern looking in his direction, so Finn suspected they all worked with Seamus as well. “And you placed a dozen of them. We need to find them before the entire city burns.”

  Seamus started to grin before laughing. “Damn, Shuffles. That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think? Who’s going to pay to have somebody place items like that throughout the city?”

  “Somebody who wants to see it burn,” Finn said.

  “Nah. Now, I don’t know everything that you been involved in, but from the way I hear it, the bastard you lit on fire started that fire. Everybody said he likes to see the flames.”

  “I don’t think that’s what happened,” Finn said.

  He thought about the things that he had learned from Sweth. He had focused on his role as scribe, but that wasn’t even the key. Sweth wasn’t from the city. He hadn’t owned the home. That had been Fol.

  He was the key.

  Finn looked across the table, getting Rock’s attention. “Was it the Client?”

  Seamus started to laugh, glancing from Finn to Rock. “What are you going on about now?”

  “Was it the same person?” Finn asked, but Rock ignored him. “I need to know, Rock.”

  Rock took a step toward him, leaning on the table, lowering at Finn. “You’re the reason the King died. You’re damn near the reason that I almost hanged. You think I’m going to tell you anything?”

  “You will if it means saving the city.”

  Rock grunted. “Why would I care about saving the city?”

  Finn looked at the others and realized that he wasn’t going to get any answers from them. He backed toward the door. “I’m going to need those names,” he said to Seamus. “You can deliver them to the executioner’s home. If you don’t…”

  Seamus leaned forward, locking eyes with Finn. “What happens if I don’t?”

  Finn just shook his head. He had to play this differently. A man like Seamus needed him to lose the friendly act. That wasn’t going to get the answers Finn needed. It was time for him to be the executioner. If he didn’t, the city would suffer.

  “People are going to die.”

  “People die all the time. An executioner would know that.”

  Finn thought about discussing the hegen card, but he had a feeling Seamus wasn’t going to be swayed that way.

  There wasn’t any way for him to get through to him but authority.

  It was time he accepted that.

  He’d been trying to strike a different balance, wanting to have friends, relationships, but maybe that wasn’t in his cards.

  Finn had to be the executioner.

  “If you don’t, then your enterprise here is going to be severely impeded. I will make sure the Archers investigate every single bit of what’s taking place in the Wandering Hog, along with following you constantly.” He glanced to the crutches leaned up against the table. “You won’t be hard to keep track of. And maybe we bring you in for questioning. You can ask Rock what it’s like when we bring you in for questioning. I can guarantee you that you will give me those names.” He back toward the door. “You have until morning.”

  Finn pulled the door open, stepped outside, and slipped across the street to a darkened alleyway, where he lingered, watching.

  He didn’t have to wait for long.

  Half a dozen people slipped out of the tavern, heading down the street, including the dark-haired woman and Rock. They all went in different directions, but Finn followed Rock. He was easy enough to follow, and Finn didn’t even have to stay that close to him.

  It wasn’t until he turned a corner, stopping at a darkened building where he tapped on the door that Finn slowed. When the door came open, Wolf poked his head out.

  Finn stayed pressed up against the darkness, hoping that he hid himself as well as pos
sible. Rock might not see him, but he had little doubt that Wolf would be alert and looking for others. There was something about the building that struck Finn as odd.

  It was small, at least compared to the others in this part of the section. The front of it was painted with dark colors that didn’t stand out very well in the night. The air had a strange odor to it, almost one of smoke, and reminded him a little bit of fire ash. Wolf made a motion to Rock, and he slipped along the street with Wolf, disappearing.

  Finn was tempted to follow but worried about doing so. Following Wolf was more dangerous than following Rock. Instead, he hurried up to the door and glanced along the street before pulling it open only a crack.

  The bitter scent of something burning drifted out of the inside of the building. He’d smelled it before. Finn breathed it in slowly, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. There was no light other than a soft glow somewhere deep in the building. He looked to see if there was anyone inside.

  At first, he thought the room empty.

  Finn pulled the door open and stepped inside.

  A shadow moved at the end of a narrow hallway.

  Finn tensed, leaning against the wall, wishing he had his old darks for concealment. This was the kind of job Oscar had always been good at, not Finn, but he needed to know what Wolf had been doing. Still, the sensible thing to do would be to gather several Archers to investigate.

  The shadow disappeared.

  Finn’s heart started again.

  He stepped forward.

  A thudding in the distance caught his attention. He waited, but it seemed to be at the end of the hall and behind another door. There was one more door along the hall, but he couldn’t tell where either led.

  Finn couldn’t stay here long.

  Still, there was the smell he’d detected. As he breathed it in, he realized what it was.

  Fire ash.

  He looked around the inside of the room and made out a table along one wall with something resting on top of it. Finn hurried over to the table, sneaking as carefully as he could to avoid the others discovering his presence.

  When he reach the table, his eyes widened.

  It was the same device Seamus had just drawn for him.

  The sound of thudding feet came from the back of the building.

  It was time to leave before he couldn’t get away.

  Finn looked behind him. There was no sign of Wolf. Not yet.

  He grabbed the item and raced toward the door he’d entered. Finn started out when he saw movement along the street. He couldn’t get out that way.

  Finn closed the door, backing quietly into the room. He had to find another way out.

  Then back to Meyer’s house.

  The door at the end of the hall came open.

  Finn raced toward the other door along the hall and reached it just in time. A small kitchen opened up. A lantern rested on a narrow counter. A small stove radiated heat. Another door on the opposite side of the room caught his attention.

  The thudding of footsteps came toward him.

  He hurried across the kitchen and yanked the door open quickly, stepping out of the door and into an alley as the door behind him came open.

  He ignored the shout behind him and clutched the strange object to himself as he raced along the alley, his heart pounding rapidly and a cold sweat on his forehead.

  Finn had to get back. Meyer had to know about this.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  He didn’t stop running until he reached Master Meyer’s house, his heart pounding in his chest and sweat pouring down his brow. Wolf was involved. Rock was involved.

  And it was all tied to the fire.

  Not just tied to the fire. It was an attack on the city.

  He’d known Wolf hadn’t just been interested in figuring out how to get revenge for what happened to the King. There had to be another angle. He just hadn’t thought this would be it.

  When he reached the gate leading into Master Meyer’s home, Finn paused, looking along the street before stepping inside. He hurried into the home, pulling the door closed and racing down the hall. Everything was dark. He knocked on the door to Master Meyer’s office but found it darkened and empty.

  This couldn’t wait.

  He hurried up the stairs. When he reached the door to Master Meyer’s room, he knocked.

  Lena’s room was not closed. “Finn? Where did you go? You just left—"

  “I know. I’ll explain later. Go back to sleep,” he whispered.

  “What is it?”

  He shook his head. “You should go back to sleep.”

  “I haven’t been able to sleep that well. I’ve been trying.” She stood in the doorway wearing a thick robe, her arms crossed over her chest. Her jaw held an angry tilt Finn was all too familiar with seeing. As she opened the door, a hint of lantern light glowed from inside the room. It was just enough that he could see that she had not slept, fatigue burning in her eyes. Lena had been awake. “Ever since Mother—”

  “What is it?” Meyer asked, pulling the door open.

  Finn glanced over to his sister before turning to Meyer. “I need to talk to you. It’s urgent.”

  “What can be urgent in the middle of the night? There is no aspect to our job that is—” Meyer cut off as Finn held the device out in front of him. “Where did you get that?”

  “Apparently, crews were hired all throughout the city to place these in different buildings. You remember Seamus?” Meyer frowned. “You do remember him. Broken leg. He’d fallen off a roof while his team was placing one of these items inside of a building.”

  “I don’t understand,” Master Meyer said.

  Lena leaned over Finn’s shoulder. “That smells funny. What is it?”

  “I’m not exactly sure,” Finn said. “It’s an explosive of some sort. It’s responsible for burning the Jorend section of the city down.”

  Meyer stepped back into his room, closing the door. Finn stared for a moment.

  Could he really not see what was going on?

  Finn turned to his sister when Meyer’s door came back open. He’d gotten dressed, and he motioned for Finn to follow. “Downstairs.”

  They headed down the stairs, into Master Meyer’s office, and Lena went to light the lantern when Master Meyer shook his head.

  “Don’t.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  Meyer nodded toward the device Finn held. “Until we know what it is and how to counter it, we have to be careful we don’t unintentionally ignite it.”

  “We have to have some light to examine it,” Finn said. He looked around the room. “We could put a lantern on either end of the room, far enough away that we could examine it in the center of the room.”

  Meyer took a deep breath before nodding. “That might work.”

  He and Lena placed the lanterns, keeping them dimly lit but offering enough illumination into the room where they could see things better. Meyer had placed the device on a small table in the center of the room, and he pushed everything else out of the way.

  Finn approached slowly before realizing that wasn’t necessary. He’d already carried the damn thing through the city, going so far as to have run with it. If it were going to explode on him, it would’ve done so by now.

  It was made of a coppery metal, and it looked something like a teakettle with a handle on one side, a spout coming off the other, and swirls leading along the top, heading down the sides. A lid of sorts had been fashioned onto the top, and while Finn had run, that lid had not come free.

  “I’ve never seen anything like this,” Lena said.

  “I think it’s from Yelind,” Finn said.

  Meyer looked up, frowning. “Finn…”

  Finn shook his head. “You can discount my idea, but at least let me say it. Think about what we knew about Sweth, Master Meyer. He’d come from Yelind. He hadn’t been here all that long. And he’d been living in a rented home.”

  All of it fit in Finn’s mind. Yelind intended to at
tack the kingdom, starting with Verendal.

  “That doesn’t point to Yelind.”

  “No, but a device just like this had been found inside the remains.”

  “And there are rumors about Yelind attacking,” Lena said.

  Finn and Master Meyer looked over to her. “I haven’t heard any rumors,” Meyer said.

  Finn had.

  One of the jurors had mentioned something, but what was it?

  “I don’t know what to make of them, but Helda was talking to a man she’s been seeing.” Finn started to smirk, and Lena shot him a hard look. “He’s a farrier, and had been warned to be ready. Apparently, there has been activity to the south with Yelind. Soldiers gathering. From what he heard, King Porman planned responding by sending troops that way.”

  “That’s nothing but rumors,” Master Meyer said.

  “Sometimes, rumors have a way of being true,” Finn said.

  Meyer shook his head. “And most of the time, rumors have a way of being wrong. If they were true, you would have died a dozen different times before you came and served me.”

  Finn snorted as he turned his attention back to the device. “Fine. Maybe they are nothing but rumors, but this isn’t from Verendal.” He pointed to a series of symbols made on the top of it. They were worked into the metal on the lid, strange letters or markings that Finn didn’t recognize. “Have you seen anything like that before?”

  Meyer frowned. “No. I have not.”

  “Hear me out. I know you don’t want to believe it, but what if there is some plot on the city? If a dozen of these have been placed, and if what Seamus said was true and he wasn’t even the only one to have been hired to place these”—which meant there might be many times more than that—“we could have explosions throughout the city, fires just like we had encountered in Jorend.”

  “We don’t know that this will even lead to any sort of fire,” Meyer said.

  “But if it does?”

  Meyer took a deep breath as he shook his head. “We need to open it.”

  At least he was willing to investigate. Finn should be thankful of that.

  “Once we open it, then what?”

  Meyer looked up at him. “Then we will decide what comes next. One step at a time, Finn.”