by M. Gregg Roe
Aliva did get a little carried away that evening while the two of them were kissing. Even that was enough to trigger her demon instincts. Afterward, at Stanley’s suggestion, she cast Recovery on him and was able to use the spell to restore some of the energy that she had stolen. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was a start.
♦ ♦ ♦
Aliva smiled as she entered A-Dora-ble Dresses just after noon. As she walked through the shop, Dora looked out from the curtains that gave entrance into the back room and motioned her to enter. Aliva went through and seated herself in the single chair in front of Dora’s desk. She soon began to worry as Dora simply sat across from her repeatedly pursing her lips and looking very uncertain.
“I had a long talk with Priestess Branwyn,” Dora finally said. “She vouches for you, so I’ll give you a chance. I’ll pay you two silver a day if you do good work. It will be mostly sewing, but I may ask you to watch the shop sometimes.”
“That’s fine,” replied Aliva. It was better pay than she had expected.
“Good.” Dora pushed back her chair and stood. “Let’s go upstairs. I’ll give you the tour and then put you to work.”
By the time they got to Dora’s sewing room, which overlooked the street outside, Aliva was beginning to worry. Dora’s bedroom, kitchen, and dining room were all a mess. Even her spare bedroom was unkempt. Thankfully, the sewing room was different—clean and well-organized with a number of shelves and cabinets.
Dora walked over to one of the tables and pointed. “Here is your first project. It’s a dress for that weird girl Petra who doesn’t seem to like you very much.”
“No,” agreed Aliva. “She doesn’t.”
Dora waved at the table. “It’s all here: the pattern, her measurements, the fabric, and the thread to use. All the tools you’ll need are in the cabinets. There are finished dresses in the shop if you need a reference. Any questions?”
“No. I’ll get right to work.” It was a chance to patch up things between Petra and herself.
“Good. I’ll check on you later.”
Dora walked out and Aliva started her first real job.
25
‡ Questions ‡
Kora was waiting for her when she exited the front entrance of Xlee’s Martial Arts Academy. Audrey now felt comfortable attending the advanced class. She had gotten to know both Randolf and an older woman named Safira as a result of sharing teaching responsibilities with them. She would never completely fit in because of her special combat training, but she was content for now.
“You’re leaving tomorrow?” asked Kora as soon as she was close. Grasapa had told the class that Audrey would be absent for a while.
“Probably. It depends on how things go in the morning. At the resurrection.”
“Resurrection?”
“Yes. It’s someone who has been dead for about a year. A skeleton we found in Glasston. That requires the LifeStaff, apparently.”
“I see,” said Kora, but she looked surprised. “I didn’t know that was possible.”
Audrey shrugged. “I don’t know how it works, but Grasapa wouldn’t be here to teach us if it wasn’t.”
“I know that Grasapa isn’t from the Witch’s City, but I don’t understand.”
Audrey wished that she hadn’t mentioned it. Explaining it all was complicated and it sounded unbelievable. “Grasapa is from outside Andoran’s Realm. And she was dead for … a while. She was brought back with the LifeStaff.”
“I’ve never heard any of that,” Kora complained. “And I’ve been studying here for years. How do you know?”
Audrey still knew hardly anything about Kora because of how quiet she normally was. But she was certainly talkative now. And inquisitive.
“Because Draymund and Almera were directly involved in recovering Grasapa’s body,” she explained. “They told me.”
Kora frowned at her. “That sounds preposterous, but I can tell that you’re not lying. Is that why Grasapa has that odd accent? Her husband and daughter have it too.”
“Yes. She grew up speaking a different language.”
“There are other human languages?” Kora seemed to be full of questions.
“Yes, but it was derived from our language.”
“How do you know all this?” she asked with a bewildered look. “I thought I was educated.”
“Almera had me read several books when I first came here. About the Witch’s City and Andoran. But the rest came from people I met here. Like Grasapa and Medea.”
Kora nodded. “Councilor Mardan’s wife. I met her once, and she did have that same accent.”
“Yes. It’s all … kind of complicated.”
“I can see that,” she said with a dazed expression. “I’d like to know more, but I have work tonight. I need to get home and prepare.”
“Okay. I’ve got to go too. I need to pack.”
“All right. Have a safe trip, Audrey.”
“Thank you, Kora.”
Audrey prayed that by the time she returned, Kora had either forgotten about it or had gotten the full story from someone else. It really did sound completely unbelievable. But she also felt somewhat smug. When it came to knowing about the broader world, she actually knew more than someone who had been properly educated and raised in a big city. That was something to be proud of.
♦ ♦ ♦
It was Isadora that led to Gabriel’s downfall. The sight of her at the market—wearing a revealing dress that he recognized and accompanied by Almera—startled him, and he made a huge mistake.
“You used that one before!” exclaimed Mianna gleefully. “Last month. I got you!”
He had no choice. “Very well,” he stated. “I will dine with you.”
“Finally!” said Mianna with a self-satisfied smile. “The Blue Hammer Tavern. Tomorrow at dusk. I’ll meet you there.”
Gabriel nodded. “As you say. I will see you then.”
Mianna walked off smiling and was promptly replaced by Marryn, who he suspected had witnessed everything. It was more bad luck. “Congratulations,” she said with a fake-looking smile. “You’ve got a date with an older woman.”
“I have,” he admitted. “But it will only be dinner.”
“You’re not going to walk her home?” It sounded like an accusation.
“I will offer.”
“You will,” she said, sounding confident in her prediction. “Then she will invite you in and you will be too polite to refuse. Make sure you’re wearing clean underclothes.”
Gabriel always wore clean underclothing, but he knew exactly what his sister was implying. He opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted.
“Who’s that with Almera?” she asked, pointing to her right. “She’s beautiful. You should date her.”
He really just wanted his sister to go away. “That is Priestess Isadora from the Temple of Kyran where Siljan studies.”
“Her? Siljan said she was horrible. Look!” Marryn was pointing in a different direction now. “It’s Ariel!”
Gabriel watched as his sister sped off, dodging around people in her haste. He turned to head back to the Witch’s Castle and saw Saxloc standing nearby smiling. “Who is that woman you have a date with?” he asked. “She looks familiar.”
It was disappointing that Saxloc didn’t know who she was, but not really surprising. “Her name is Mianna. She and several others clean your home three times a month.” Mianna was actually the one that washed Saxloc’s clothing.
“Oh,” he said, looking embarrassed. “That’s why she looks familiar. I know you get asked out all the time. Why did you accept?”
“That, my friend, is a long and embarrassing story. Shall we go and practice while I tell you about it?”
“Yes. That’s why I’m here. And to see if you are interested in attending the resurrection tomorrow morning.”
Gabriel suddenly realized why Isadora had come to the Witch’s City. “Yes,” he replied. “I would very much like to witness it.”
♦ ♦ ♦
After a meal that was both unusual and superb—Isadora had insisted on cooking—Saxloc went for a stroll with Audrey around the grounds. It was a clear night with a slight breeze, really quite pleasant.
Isadora’s visit had solved the two problems that were causing Audrey so much anxiety. Violet and her baby were fine, and Audrey had accepted Isadora’s advice to simply turn down Erwin’s marriage proposal. No longer constantly worried, she was acting like her usual self once again.
“You’re really going to turn Erwin down?” he asked. It wasn’t what he had expected. He thought she would try to postpone the decision.
“Yes. Isadora advised me to be decisive and not to lead him on. I’ll make it clear that I’m not ready for marriage, but that I’m still interested in him. And since I’ll be in Rohoville soon, I’ll tell him to his face instead of just sending a letter. I think that’s better.”
It wasn’t the ideal outcome in Saxloc’s opinion, but it could have been much worse. “Yes,” he agreed. “It’s better to discuss something like that in person.”
“Then I will.”
“Are you sure that you don’t want me to come with you to Farmerton?” He felt he had to make the offer again.
She shook her head. “No. I’ll be fine. I’ll travel there with Ariel and Isadora and then take a caravan back. Besides, what would you do if you had to spend several days in Farmerton?”
Saxloc thought about it. “Throw myself in the lake? Discover I really like farming and settle down there?” He smiled at her silly grin. “You’re right; I’ll stay behind. Just be careful.”
“I will. And I promise I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too, except when I’m out with Rosalind.” he joked.
She tried to hide it, but he could tell that his mention of Rosalind bothered her. “Saxloc, what’s the plan if the skeleton isn’t this Bianca woman?” She was changing the subject, but he could hear the genuine worry in her voice.
He paused a moment to give the question serious thought. “Whoever it is won’t have any equipment. Or clothing for that matter. But if they’re a spell-caster, they might be a danger. Preston can probably cast a Silence spell on them, but Isadora is right. You are our best weapon in that case. You can subdue them and prevent them from casting any spells.”
“I’ll do my best. I know all kinds of ways to render people unconscious.” Audrey grinned and asked, “What if it’s an evil version of Grasapa?”
Saxloc laughed. “Then we will be in big trouble. Should we ask Grasapa to come too, just in case?”
“No, but I’m glad that Gabriel is available.”
“I agree. He’s interested in seeing this as well. It’s too bad that Hankin is out of town.”
“It is,” she agreed.
They continued walking along in silence, eventually ending up outside Audrey’s cottage. “Would you like to come in?” she asked. Her sultry expression left no doubt what was on her mind.
Saxloc was sorely tempted, but he had promised Rosalind. “I’m sorry, but no.”
Audrey narrowed her eyes. “Really? You’re going to refuse? I’m leaving tomorrow, I’ve already taken AP powder, and I’ll let you use rope. I won’t tell Rosalind if you don’t.”
It was the mention of rope that was now firing Saxloc’s imagination. “Rope?” he asked, knowing that he had already lost.
Audrey flexed the fingers of her right hand and then made a fist. “Yes. Get inside before I start making use of my Shorinken training. Now.”
Saxloc complied. If Rosalind ever found out, he could always say that he had no choice.
♦ ♦ ♦
Natalia considered what approach to take before opening the windowless iron door in front of her. Inside was a surprise, a gift for her from her co-workers. Sasha, the woman whose message to Buris had indirectly led to Natalia’s gruesome death, had finally been caught. Because of her height, Sasha had been passing herself off as a man. Natalia found it easy to picture. The woman was relatively flat-chested, with a plain and unfeminine face.
The room before her didn’t officially exist. The entire level wasn’t shown on the building floor plans. It consisted of cells, storerooms, jailer’s quarters, and the interrogation room. The entrance to the level was both well-hidden and known to only a few. The cells were clean and comfortable, which made the contrast to the room where Sasha was now being kept even greater.
Other than the door, the interrogation room was all smooth stone. That made it easier to clean up afterward. Drains in the floor also helped. The only piece of furniture was an iron chair bolted to the floor in the exact center of the square room. The chair had hinged pieces that could easily be used to secure the limbs and torso of the subject. Sasha was awaiting her in complete darkness—another tactic to aid interrogation.
Natalia picked up a glow-cube from a nearby shelf and shook it vigorously. She transferred it to her left hand and yanked hard on the door’s handle with her right. She squeezed through, allowing the springs to close it behind her. The stench of urine caused her to wrinkle her nose as she held up the glow-cube to illuminate Sasha. The woman was clad in a dark gray shirt and brown pants that were wet at the crotch. Her boots had been removed and tossed aside. She had been searched, but a single knife of poor quality had apparently been her only weapon. Sasha now had much shorter hair that had been dyed brown, but the dye was fading and blond roots were beginning to show. It certainly didn’t look like an expert disguise, but that might be a ploy. Even wetting herself might be a ploy.
It was Sasha’s eyes that interested Natalia. She walked up and used the glow-cube to illuminate the woman’s face. Sasha’s wide-spaced, gray eyes blinked several times as they adjusted to the light. Brimming with tears, they showed great fear. Aside from a light bruise on her left cheek, her face was intact. Natalia said nothing as she continued to stare intently.
“Please,” said Sasha suddenly, clearly struggling to speak. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you would be hurt. Can you make it quick? Please?” Tears had begun to run down her cheeks.
Natalia didn’t reply. She backed away and sat down on the floor, placing the glow-cube on the floor to her left. She was an experienced interrogator and also considered herself an excellent judge of character. And in this case, she had known her target for over two years. Sasha was someone that she had chatted with, gone to lunch with, and even had drinks with. It galled her that the woman had been spying on Novox the entire time, but their investigation had shown that Sasha had never been given access to anything of real importance. She had also, despite being good at her job, never sought a promotion. That was odd. A spy should have been trying to work their way up within the organization they were spying upon.
“I don’t know anything useful,” sobbed Sasha. “I never even met Buris or anyone else. I just sent and received messages. Please. Can you just … stab me through the heart or something? I don’t want to be tortured. Or raped.” Her eyes were full of dread now. “They told me that I’d be raped by everyone before they killed me. Over and over. I’ve never even been with a man.” She dropped her eyes with a look of shame. “I prefer women.”
That was a surprise to Natalia, although she couldn’t ever remember Sasha talking about a boyfriend. All of her instincts were telling her that Sasha was being truthful. Torture was unlikely to be useful on someone like Sasha. She was so weak-willed that it would serve no purpose. A different approach was clearly called for.
“Why didn’t you leave?” demanded Natalia harshly.
“I … the last message told me to. But I like it here. The Witch’s City feels like my real home now, not Zardis. I hated it there.”
“I was told you only had a few copper pieces on you. What happened to the rest?” With both a job and being paid to spy, Sasha must have accumulated a fair amount of money.
Sasha had a sheepish look as she confessed, “It was stolen. I never even noticed. I’ve been doing odd jobs, even begging sometimes. I don�
�t know what I was thinking. I knew either Novox or the Guild would find me.”
Natalia made up her mind. Sasha was either superbly-trained and a skillful actress or she was exactly what she appeared to be—a file clerk who made extra money passing on information. Natalia was nearly certain of the latter. Sasha might even get her old job back. It would be safer to keep her close, and she might serve as bait to catch other Guild operatives.
She picked up the glow-cube and rose smoothly to her feet. “Sasha, are you willing to tell us everything? Where you’re from? How you were recruited? Details of your training? Names of other Guild members?”
“Yes,” she replied, nodding eagerly. “Everybody uses false names during training, but I could give you descriptions.”
“Your questioning probably won’t be for a day or two. I’ll send someone to take you to a cell and get you some clean clothing.”
“Thank you, Natalia.” She was crying again, but there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
Natalia nodded at her and then left the room. She went to have a word with the man in charge of the cells. There would be no raping, not if she had anything to say about it. She had been raped herself when she was thirteen, and her attacker was the first person that she had ever killed. Sasha deserved punishment, but not that.
26
‡ Alive ‡
Audrey watched as Preston carefully removed bones from a sack and placed them on the floor. He wasn’t trying to place them exactly, but he seemed to be putting most of them in roughly the right locations. When he had finished, he took a blanket and covered all of the skeleton except the skull.
They were in a room below the Temple of Arwon that was about ten yards square, lit by two glow-cubes mounted high up on each wall. Audrey stood with Saxloc and Gabriel along one wall, all of them with weapons in hand. Isadora and Ariel stood along an adjacent wall. Isadora seemed nervous, but Ariel looked serious as she stood with both her scimitar and dagger at the ready.
