by Jackson Lear
There were too many people around us to risk much of a fight, but they could have an arrest warrant – legal or not – that would buy them some favor with the locals. So, I had another go at faking an accent. “What the fuck are you doing, sleeping on the job?”
The weathered one wasn’t all that impressed. “Which general works out of Kirswell?”
“Aegus.”
The weathered one grumbled. I guess he didn’t know the real answer either.
“Which river does it connect to?”
“Tailus.”
His lips peeled to the side, edging into a smirk. “The Tailus doesn’t even flow through Kirswell’s province.”
“Like I give a fuck. Who do you think I am?”
“You’re a guy with a thousand marks on his head.”
“Oh? What’d I do?”
“Killed a few friends of the people who hired me.”
I laughed, almost to the point of needing to wipe a tear from my eye.
The bounty hunter snarled so badly that the pressure against his teeth could’ve been enough to shatter them. “What?”
“Vanguard didn’t even send their own people after me?”
His expression dropped in an instant. So did his friend’s. I guess they hadn’t been expecting a confession that quickly.
I left Erast with three spells prepared, each one taking the best part of a week to ready. One which would trip an opponent, one that would allow me to jump higher than normal, and one to knock an opponent flat on his ass in the middle of a crowded street.
“Bezoa.”
The quiet one slammed to the ground, his back taking the full force of the fall.
I sprinted the fuck out of there, no doubt leaving them to re-think their plan of attack. They wanted me more than I wanted them. I dove around a corner and came to a stop, turned back, waited. They trudged after me, lowering their weapons so that bystanders wouldn’t identify them as a problem.
I pulled back to another corner. They took a wide approach. Cautious. Gesturing to each other. A tight unit. Well trained. Well practiced.
I ran, used the silk hook to climb up onto one roof top, and used that as a short cut to the other side of the road. Did that a couple more times and I was as good as gone.
Chapter Twenty-Five
One of the only leads I still had on the assassin was Liana and Reesa’s mentioning of Lycyx. It was by no means easy to find since Lycyx wasn’t the most common of gods in the province, but there was a single temple one mile from the governor’s mansion.
The peculiar thing about Lycyx temples is that they aren’t so much built, as they are simply dismantled and moved from one city to another. Obviously, there was a first one an age ago, and as her influence spread there came a need for additional places of worship. An entire wall was removed from the temple, broken down and carried across hundreds of miles to a new site. The missing parts were filled in and on it went, using bits and pieces from one temple or another to help build the next one, so that each building had some direct connection to the first temple of the warrior goddess.
I knew none of this back then, but it did spark my curiosity, as I stared at a window-less disjointed slab of rain-drenched white façade. The wall seemed to have several warps with it, making me feel a little dizzy just looking at it.
The inside was bare. No dais. No seats. No cushions. Just a crude wooden statue of a naked woman bound to a stake, engulfed in painted flames.
I coughed. No one was there. I strolled around. No one was there. I reached the only other door in the building. Knocked. No answer. Pried it open. It appeared to be an office and bedroom. A simple bed lay against the wall. An uninspiring desk sat opposite. Simple furniture and a tatty rug on the cold stone floor. I peeled the rug back, found a narrow trap door, laid the rug back in place.
I was on my way out when a gentle voice spoke to me.
“You’re not a worshipper.”
I turned, startled by a robed, barefoot woman walking towards me. Lines across her face and more gray in her hair than color.
“What did you steal?”
“Nothing.”
“You just let yourself into my home with your knife.
“I was looking for someone. A short man. Thin. Covered in tattoos of Lycyx, constellations, and scripture. Works for the governor and has money to spend, yet likes to keep to the shadows.”
She held her eyes on me, bored, a non-worshipper intruding on her time and space. “You best try elsewhere.”
“He’s already looking for me. If you can get a message to him, I’d greatly appreciate it.”
She made no effort to acknowledge my request.
“Tell him he wasn’t as careful as he thought he was.”
I headed back to Lavarta’s house, hopeful that there might be another message for me hiding under a rock. Zara caught me reaching through the gate.
“You keep that up and you’ll lose your hand.”
I snapped back, surprised to see her on the street having been confident that no one had followed me. “Is she in?”
“No.”
I peered through the bars. “You’re sure? Because if you’re out here then she could be in there without you knowing it.”
“I’m pretty sure. I just walked her to the council.”
“And you left her there?”
“I can not enter. Not legally. Besides, she asked me to come find you. I figured you would come here after running from the two bounty hunters who forced you from your inn.”
“You’ll have to be a bit more specific.”
“Witnessed by a dozen people. Two adults and a kid, all sporting an Erast accent, all looking for you.”
I shook my head at her. “Doesn’t sound familiar. Anyway, perhaps you can help. I’m looking for the name and address of someone who should be quite easy to find, with the right records. And, since you can read, you should be able to read those records when we find them.”
She held a dead-eyed stare at me for some time. “You do remember that Miss Kasera asked me to come find you?”
“I hadn’t forgotten. I’m looking for one of the most decorated spy masters from Ispar who now works as Gustali’s private assassin.”
Zara rolled her eyes at me. “You got that information without even learning his name?”
“He gave a fake name to the person I spoke to. Commander Kariss, or something similar.”
“Who was that?”
“That one? Artavian’s father. The other one? A prostitute.”
“I see. You come to Torne and one of the first things you do is consort with prostitutes.”
“Says someone who claims to be an infiltrator for money.”
Zara bit down on the worst news she was likely to deliver that day. “I should warn you that you’ve been invited to dinner. Tonight.”
“That sounds lovely, but I am busy.”
“Yes, the commander has been wondering aloud just what kind of trouble you’re causing when I’m not around.”
“Has something happened?”
“Something, yes. A messenger came by the house earlier. She extended the full invitation of dinner to Commander Lavarta. He seemed to take the news so poorly that he required me to witness the invitation as well. ‘The governor requests Commander Lavarta, Miss Alysia Kasera Lavarta, Raike son of Raiker, and Zara …’ you don’t need to know the rest, ‘to join him for dinner tonight at his residence.’”
Despite hearing the words correctly it still didn’t quite sink in. “Me?”
“I know. I’m beside myself with joy as well.”
“The messenger said this?”
“She did.”
“And Alysia …?”
“Thought it was a terrible idea.”
“And you?”
Her eyes seemed to fall heavy at that moment, like she was bored and tired at the same time. “Guess.”
“I see.”
“Do you?”
“Yes. Once again I am flattered, bu
t I do travel a lot for more job so it’s not an ideal time for me to settle down into something serious.”
She shook her head at me and muttered in her native tongue.
“Who else will be there?”
“Since Lieutenant Gustali lives with his father I imagine you will finally get to meet him as well, along with his fiancée.”
“So it will be a dinner full of veiled threats and false niceties.”
“Luckily the commander and Miss Kasera grew up in Ispar. They are used to it. You will be skewered alive. Though, with any luck, your removal from polite society means that you might not actually notice the insults hitting you.”
“Has Lavarta dined with the governor before?”
Zara raised an eyebrow at me. “That’s your main concern? Not that they know who you are and are actively turning the tables against you?”
“I know that Lieutenant Kace is the only one I gave that name to, so that’s handy. Has Lavarta dined with the governor before?”
“Yes, but never socially. Governors and generals will dine with their officers as often as necessary to find out what is happening among the lower ranks and to prevent a mutiny from rising. Spouses are always left at home. This time it’s different.” Zara shifted into a glare as though I was supposed to be able to read her mind.
“It sounds like a trap.”
“It is.”
“If either of the Gustalis are behind Artavian’s death then inviting Alysia and Lavarta out of their home so they would be kept occupied for several hours sounds like a perfect time for a sneaky bastard to enter their property and either steal something useful or plant something incriminating.”
“I agree.”
“Then I suggest we fake a ‘too good to be true’ letter that is ripe for stealing. Hopefully Artavian’s assassin takes the bait, sneaks in, and I’ll be able to run my blade through his throat.”
“And kill someone in the commander’s home?”
“Kill an intruder in the commander’s home, yes. If he gets away then his ‘too good to be true’ letter will help you find him later.”
“A plan with many flaws,” said Zara.
“It’s open to adaptability.”
“If someone wants the commander dead they don’t really need to find a letter in his office to justify it. They can just kill him when he’s exposed.” She turned, almost ready to leave.
I asked: “How do I see Alysia before dinner?”
“You can’t. She’s working.”
“Doing what?”
Zara gave me a ‘seriously?’ look, then sighed. “She’s co-authored a bill that – if passed – would send more money and more opportunities to the orphans of Torne. These bills are popular among the newest councilors as a way of showing others that they are community-minded, but they are poison to everyone with experience, since it means it’s less money going to other areas of the city. Areas that they deem far more important. She’s doing what she can today to win enough votes.”
I must’ve stared at Zara for a moment too long.
“You didn’t know that about her?”
“I knew she was a junior councilor.”
“That’s what councilors do; they pick a cause and try to grab as much of the treasury as they can to succeed.”
“Will she win?”
“Not even close. But not every failure is a defeat. She’ll know how everyone negotiates and what they want in return. If she’s smart about it she’ll learn what everyone’s causes are – since everyone has many – and with any luck she won’t gamble everything on a long shot that will ruin her chances for the next bill she tries to get passed.”
“But there’s still a chance that she’ll succeed?”
“There’s always a chance. But the vote isn’t until next week, which makes the timing of tonight’s dinner all the more awkward. If, say, something happens to her reputation or if the confidence in the commander’s ability to command comes under question then both of their careers will be dead for years. All it takes is for one trusted ally to fuck things up for them.” Zara’s eyes pierced me like a hawk. “So tonight, for her sake, you’re going to behave yourself in front of the governor. You’re going to give her the opportunity to wine and dine him so she can use her connections wisely, and you will keep your mouth shut.”
“You have my word.”
Zara held her breath before saying: “Forgive me for being a little skeptical.”
“Understandable.”
“Good. Because even the wrong word from you tonight could lead to you being arrested.”
“I understand.”
“And you can already be arrested for giving false evidence and for obstructing justice because you lied to Lieutenant Kace.”
“Will he be there?”
“I don’t know. But if there is one thing to remember it’s this: there is only so much Miss Kasera is able to risk to save your life.”
“Thankfully you will be there to help.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. I might be the one having to stop her from throwing everything away to save you.”
That one stung, I admit.
“Just … don’t do anything that jeopardizes your life. Or hers. Or especially mine.”
“I will be the quintessential gentleman, whatever that means.”
“Good. Because you know those two bounty hunters from Erast that don’t sound familiar? If they catch you looking into the Gustali family, and if you try to reason with them into letting you go in exchange for some blackmailable information on the Gustali family, then this all comes back on Miss Kasera and the commander.”
“I wouldn’t let that happen.”
“No?”
“No. I am nothing if not a reasonable person.”
She cocked her head to one side. “You would never blackmail the governor or his family?”
“Oh, that I would certainly do. But I wouldn’t blurt out everything I know to some asshole with a knife just because he threatens my life.”
“What if they came from your old company?”
I stifled a smile. “Then I would probably tell them a great many things, but none of it will be useful for them.”
“What if they wanted you to return?”
I was unsure of how to answer that one.
Zara lingered for a moment, watching me. “Be here no later than one hour before sunset. Wear something ...” she looked me up and down, “... else.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Despite Zara’s wishes to stay away, I found the council building. Better still, I found Alysia was strolling through the plaza with a gentleman much older than myself. She walked with the smiles and enthusiasm of a young daughter telling her father of all the reasons she should be treated like an adult. The gentleman had so little concern that he brushed her off without a second thought. Together they walked, one doing a lot of ignoring, the other not quite a bastion of negotiation.
They reached a set of stairs heading into a monolithic building. The gentleman held his hand out to her, the, ‘I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do,’ look, and headed upstairs.
Alysia stood at the foot of the building, watching the gentleman walk away, and held herself as still as possible. She turned, her attention on nothing in particular, and trod back the way she had come.
“Alysia?”
She jumped. Spun. “Raike? What … is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine, as far as I know. I spoke with Zara, she told me about tonight. What about you?”
She grumbled and lied through her teeth. “I’m fine.”
“And that guy who wasn’t giving you the time of day?”
Alysia’s shoulders slumped with defeat. We strolled away, her keeping her voice down, me scanning the crowd for troublemakers. “What do you know about politics?”
“I know that a lot of politicians act the way mercenaries do after looting a palace of its wares. They’ll drink, imbibe, screw everything in sight, spend money like it will
last forever, and walk around with some kind of invisible armor protecting them. Easily corruptible and just as easy to honey trap and blackmail. But about politics itself? Little.”
“Well, imagine sitting down with sixty liars and deal-breakers who get offended when you want them to honor the deal you two made but they won’t because someone offered them something completely different and instead of telling you that your deal is off they blame you for wasting their time because you didn’t know that someone else was going to be a lot more persuasive than you were, as well as being blamed again for wasting their time because you should’ve known that they had accepted a closed-door deal without telling you and yet you’re there still trying to make some kind of compromise, and all the while you’re getting riled up because they act like they know everything about everything except for remembering to use a little common courtesy, especially when they’ve decided that your deal is off without ever telling you, leaving you standing in front of them like an idiot and learning of all this for the first time and being blamed for wasting their time because it wasn’t their job to tell you it was your job to find out!” Alysia grunted and shook her fists by her side.
We walked on in silence.
I broke it first. “Say the word.”
“No.”
“I’ve dealt with more deal-breakers than you have.”
“That’s not how a democracy works.”
“Seems inefficient.”
She grunted again. “I’m sorry. The worst part is when they talk to me like a child or brush me off like I only got this position is because my family pulled a tonne of strings thanks to my father being one of the governor’s generals.”
“Your father is one of the governor’s generals and your family did pull a tonne of strings to get you here.”
“And it’s the same with the rest of them! There’s only ten or so members of the high council who don’t have a mother or father already in a position of authority, yet the other fifty believe that they got their start in life only because they worked hard enough to be offered the chance to study in Ispar and then they supposedly worked harder than everyone else to end up back here. Bullshit. I’ve read half of their doctorates. They’re nothing but giant sacks of …” She trailed off, needing a moment to catch her breath. “Sorry. Today was not a good day.”
