by Drae Box
She looked to Raneth. “What are we going to do? I can’t get you out.”
“We should try and stop them from being a threat to us, get the key off them and find out if they have anything to do with Lodema or are acting on her wants. I’m willing to take on their leader if needed,” said Raneth.
“You mean kill them?”
“Aldora, if it means we’re safe, yes,” he said, stressing the word ‘safe’.
“I like Raneth’s admittedly basic plan. Except for the part where he still needs to get out of those old shackles,” stated Pedibastet. He stood at their feet, ears twitching. “He is very much like a cat. You must take on threats, Aldora, and you must get rid of them. Even if it is just a territory issue, you should not back down.”
“This isn’t exactly our territory, Pedi,” said Aldora.
“No, but the principle is the same. You don’t let threats stick around to bother you when they’ve started it. And a Giften should always finish a fight as the victor.” The Prince of the Cats paused and turned to face one of the other entryways into the chamber. “Someone is coming this way,” he warned, his voice lowering, before he sped under the table and chairs. Aldora gave Raneth a quick look over.
“I’ll be alright,” he said. “Go and hide too. Just be quick with the Dagger if it gets dangerous, OK?”
“I’ll be right there,” promised Aldora, pointing at the dining set before sprinting over to it and hunkering down behind the chairs and table.
The first of the cannibals entering the room wore the wig of finger bones that Raneth had mentioned. She led two others into the room, talking calmly to them and paused in front of Raneth, turning her back to Aldora. Don’t touch him, thought Aldora as the cannibal placed her hands on her hips.
“Make sure you don’t ruin the heart. We need that for Tommy’s initiation into the pack.”
“Yes, ma’am,” replied the larger of the men standing close to the woman. “I’ll make sure the knives are cleaned this time. Don’t want to throw up again.”
“Nobody does,” stated the woman firmly, before turning to look at her companions. “Get the pit cleaned out. I’ll be back with the newlings.”
Aldora watched as Raneth gripped the chains of his shackles and launched his feet off the ground, wrapping his legs around the woman’s waist. She grabbed at his left foot as the other Cannis surged forwards. The cannibal twisted, holding his foot as she turned to face him. I have to help now! Aldora crept out from behind the table, drawing the Dagger of Protection as Raneth let go of his chains.
“Prey should not fight back,” growled the Cannis. She released Raneth’s foot and slammed a fist into his gut.
Aldora came up behind her and shoved her shoulder into the woman, then kicked the back of a knee as the nearest Cannis started to turn to face her; he went down. Aldora backstepped as the third Cannis prowled towards her, taking a small blade from his belt as the other male climbed back to his feet.
“Disarm him,” warned Raneth.
The female ran at Aldora. Aldora sidestepped, kicking the woman’s back as she passed. The Cannis tumbled forwards, but righted herself. The man with the knife lunged. Aldora shrieked and brought up the Dagger; its blade slammed against his.
“Duck! Kick back!” snapped Raneth.
Aldora ducked and kicked a foot behind her. She heard the female Cannis fall, something clattering to the ground. The other male was running at her now, and the first Cannis swept his blade towards her face.
Aldora swept the Dagger into its path, pushing the blade back before ramming her own into the gut of her attacker. Lightning burned into his body, flinging him across the room and smashing him against the wall.
More footsteps caught Aldora’s ears as the runner slammed into her, knocking her to the ground. The Dagger zapped him, flinging him back from her. He groaned. She looked up and saw newcomers stepping over him, all drawing their weapons. She lifted herself onto an elbow, the Dagger’s gold blade reddened with blood. She heard the rattle of the bone wig and bracelets at her side as the female Cannis shook her head, gesturing for the new cannibals entering the room to pause their movements.
The Cannis with the bone wig backed away from Aldora’s side, her own knife clattering to the floor. She held her palms out to Aldora. The Dagger Bearer watched her closely. Just because you’ve dropped your weapon, that doesn’t mean you’re not a threat, she thought, her chest heaving as she rested against her elbow. Aldora sat up, keeping the Dagger pointed at her. She glanced in Raneth’s direction.
“The key,” he suggested softly.
Aldora turned her attention back to the leader of the Cannis. “Give me my boyfriend back,” she ordered, climbing to her feet. “Now.”
“Yes,” said the woman slowly, glancing towards one of the more muscular males loitering in the chamber. “The key, give it to her.”
The man nodded, watching Aldora intently for a few moments before he approached, a hand sinking into his trouser pocket. Raneth’s shackles rattled as he moved slightly, catching Aldora’s attention. Not wanting to turn around and check on him with the other man closing on her, she took a cautious step away from the Cannis.
He hesitated, looking to the woman in the bone wig, and received a nod. He nodded back, knelt on the concrete and placed a small key on the chilled floor between him and Aldora. Then he eased back, giving Aldora ample room to approach the key without being in his reach.
She drew near, her attention jumping between each of the nearest Cannis. With slow deliberation, she lowered to a squat and plucked the key from the floor. Then she backed up towards Raneth, keeping her eyes on her opponents, the Dagger’s gold blade dripping the last of the dying man’s blood.
OK, should be safe to turn my back on them now. Raneth and Pedi will be able to warn me if they try anything so I can use the Dagger. Aldora turned, her shoulders tensing and her grip on the Dagger tightening as she took a step towards Raneth.
She watched as he looked past her, watching over her protectively even though he couldn’t do anything to stop them. I suppose he could use his gift, she reminded herself, glancing over her shoulder at the Cannis. They watched her silently, and a cold chill ran down Aldora’s back as she realised how easily they could have overpowered her without the Dagger at her disposal. Raneth pushed against his shackles, trying to force them closer to her so she could reach more easily. She lifted herself onto tiptoe and freed him.
The royal official rubbed at his wrists before stepping past Aldora. He’s going for the woman, she realised. I know he’s been trained hard but taking on all of them with nothing but his fists and gift? That’s too dangerous. He’ll get himself killed. And I thought we wanted to see if they knew Lodema somehow? She reached out and grabbed his nearest elbow. “No,” she said.
“What?” asked Raneth, frowning at her. “I need to keep us safe for the assignment.”
“Wait, please. Just another minute or two,” requested Aldora softly.
Please, Raneth, she thought. “I’m the one with a blade.” She watched as his blue eyes twitched side to side, eyeing her closely, before he relented and took a step back, loitering protectively at her side. His hands curled into fists at his side. No doubt a silent warning to them, she noted, before stepping closer to the other woman. “My partner wants to kill you,” admitted Aldora.
The Cannis leader lifted her finger bone wig from her head and inspected a few of the bones nearest where her left ear would go. She yanked one free and held it out to Aldora.
“For staying his hand,” she said. “I am Chara. We’re the Cannis, or so the city calls us.”
Aldora gingerly took the finger bone and inspected the bleached bone, noticing an odd engraving scratched into it that looked like a square that had gone wrong on the last corner and curled in on itself instead as a swirl.
“Keep that on you. We won’t harm you if you have it, and we will do as you ask. If others of our pack ignore the bone, we’ll see them punished. You’ve ou
r word on this,” added Chara, before lowering her head to Aldora.
Aldora shifted uneasily on her feet as the other Cannis joined in. Why are they being so helpful now? She glanced at the Dagger. Could that be why? She’s scared to let her people go against me? Or have I earned some sort of respect because of it? Raneth would know, but I can’t ask him in front of them.
“Ask them about Lodema,” whispered Raneth as Pedibastet warily eased out from under the table and crept closer to them.
“Chara, I’m Aldora, the Dagger Bearer,” said Aldora softly. “You and your people know the city inside and out, right?”
Chara nodded.
“We’re looking for a woman called Lodema. She tends to hide well, and may have something to do with odd deaths involving burns.”
“Yes. Where is the question, Aldora?”
“Do you know anything about her that could help us find her? We’re trying to establish if she has the Shotput of Power and to reclaim it for Giften if she has.”
“We know of her, unfortunately. So does everyone in the city, whether they are aware of it or not,” stated Chara.
Aldora and Raneth glanced at each other.
“So spill the information already!” snapped Pedibastet.
Chara blinked at Pedibastet then hissed at him.
“Rude,” grumbled the cat. He looked up at Aldora. “Force her to speak, please. I want to get out of this place.”
Me too, decided Aldora, giving the cat a nod. “Chara,” she said. “Please tell us what we need to know. Where can we find her?” She wiggled the Dagger in her hand. Remember what this can do, she thought hopefully at the Cannis leader.
“There is no way you can get close on your own, even with your powerful weapon,” said Chara as she eyed the gold blade. “She works for the city overseer, or at least pretends to. Controls him, more like. We have seen her and her pack going in and out of his home, even though she has no business doing so, and all announcements from the overseer have come through his ‘personal assistant’ of late.”
“You think she’s pretending to be on his staff so people do what she wants?” asked Raneth.
Chara looked pointedly at Aldora, a hand settling onto her hip.
“A Giften criminal I chased once did something similar,” added Raneth, unfazed. “He ended up running a team of so-called mercenaries for hire. Murderers, in reality.”
Raneth’s probably guessing somewhere along the right lines, but how much so? Aldora raised her eyebrows questioningly at Chara. “Well?” she asked when Chara stayed quiet.
“That is what we believe. The building is protected by the inspectors, all of whom are unaware of her and her pack’s comings and goings. They sneak in around them.”
“Good to know, thank you, Chara. Where is this building?”
The leader of the Cannis glanced at one of her companions, who shrugged.
“Chara,” growled Aldora. “Where is this building?”
“They must mean the city overseer’s house. It’s behind the inspectors’ university, to the southwest,” said Raneth.
Chara stepped closer, a hand reaching for Aldora’s arm but the Dagger Bearer eased back from her touch. Chara’s hand lowered. “There is something else you should know, both of you. She did not start off as a bad person. When I met her, she had come for the city’s overseer because she believed he was responsible for the death of her child, a boy called Rocco. Whatever she does now is caused by that, or was to begin with.”
Aldora glanced at Raneth. How many of his criminals have acted out for love? she wondered, watching as her partner’s blue eyes darkened, his gaze lowered for just a moment before he looked at Chara. He didn’t trust her and Aldora couldn’t blame him. She glanced at his reddened wrists. They were lucky his skin hadn’t broken. She watched as Raneth pointed to his left shoulder with his right hand. “How do I get the anti-gift metal out?”
Aldora frowned, turning to face Raneth, then stepped behind him to inspect where he had pointed. Some blood was visible on his shoulder, but not a lot. She reached up and gently felt where the blood had dried to his skin. He shifted at her touch, shying away from her hand.
“We never designed our little metal injector to be undoable,” admitted Chara. “Perhaps a strong magnet.”
Raneth frowned at Aldora.
“No,” she said firmly. “She’s helping and she’s given me this.” She wiggled the finger bone in her hand. “Chara, your people came to our hotel. How did you find out where we were?”
“We were given the information by an instructor at the inspectors’ university,” said Chara with a one-shouldered shrug. “They’re used when somebody doesn’t want their identity to be found. It could have come from Lodema, or it may have been anyone who wanted you out of the way.”
Sounds like she thinks strategically, like Raneth, noted Aldora. She would have to, to be in charge of the Cannis and have the city so helpless against them.
Raneth grabbed Aldora’s arm and eased her back from the Cannis. “Aldora, you realise that could just as easily be Algernon? This could be a trap by him to get the Dagger. Remember Rena’s warning.”
Algernon? Could he really be behind everything bad that had happened to them in Newer? The Newer queen hadn’t trusted her commander, but what threat did she and Raneth pose to a man so powerful in Newer? And why does Raneth think it’s even worth mentioning? Yes, it seemed Algernon had ensured Raneth’s room in the hotel was searched but why? Was it really related to this? Aldora shook her head. “Later,” she said softly. She inspected her partner carefully, remembering his distinct lack of weapons. “Where are your sword and daggers?”
Raneth inspected his weaponless waist. “Ask them.”
Chara drew closer. “His weapons were given to a weapon store through a drop-off point. We purposefully don’t keep them to hide our tracks.”
“How do we track his weapons down, Chara?” asked Aldora.
“It would be easier to purchase whatever will do for now.”
“That sword was designed by my mother,” grumbled Raneth.
His mother’s dead, remembered Aldora. “We should go,” she suggested.
Raneth slowly prowled towards the stairs where she and Pedibastet had come from, but walked with his back to the stairs. His eyes were on the Cannis. Aldora couldn’t blame him. If Stonefist hadn’t helped me... She gripped the Dagger of Protection tighter in her hand. She eased back with Raneth, watching Chara more than the other cannibals. They reached the stairs and the Cannis just kept staring. A shiver ran down Aldora’s spine. Why are they so, so odd? Was it part of their cult’s culture? She glanced towards the stairs. Raneth and Pedibastet had already reached the top, although Raneth had yet to climb into the room above. He was watching her, waiting. Protecting me. She gave him the briefest of smiles before she bolted towards him, taking the steps two at a time. He hauled himself out and Aldora snuck a look behind her. The Cannis weren’t chasing after them. She couldn’t even see them now. Raneth’s strong hands reached down for her and she let him pull her up.
They headed outside and the three Giftens sprinted from the odd little building. Raneth led the way, twisting and turning their path around the city until Aldora had no idea where the Cannis’ lair was in relation to them. He paused in an alleyway and Aldora sucked in a grateful breath. “Raneth, we only found this place thanks to Stonefist,” she said. “And don’t think you can tell me off for not going home.”
“I won’t. You’re stubborn.” Raneth clenched his jaw, making the joints stick out slightly, before he looked away. “I take it Stonefist told you how to get here but refused to help?” he uttered after a reluctant silence.
Aldora took his left hand in hers. “Yes. I’m sorry he let you down.”
“I’ve seen him do worse to his friends,” said Raneth.
“Newers are such horrible people,” stated Pedibastet as he strolled closer.
“Pedi,” hissed Aldora in a rushed whisper. “Behave.”
We need a plan, thought Aldora, looking up at Raneth. And it needs to be one somebody with Raneth’s training and experience can come up with. Or just… A better plan than anything I could come up with. “What do you want to do, Raneth? What would put you at ease?” asked Aldora. “I understand we’re in over our heads. There’s too many people looking for us now.” She shook her head. He’d warned her Newer was dangerous but this was too much. Her heart beat in her chest and she clenched her hands and jaw. She didn’t know what to do. She gave Raneth a hopeful smile. He was a Bayre and a royal official. Looking at his handsome face, she noticed he barely looked fazed by what had just nearly happened. He’d already moved on to their next problem, whatever he thought that was. “Raneth?”
He rubbed at the underside of his jaw as he thought. “Research,” he stated finally. “I want to check out the overseer’s home and see what information I can gather. Maybe put a bit of wind up Stonefist’s back and see what tumbles from his mouth too.”
“OK,” said Aldora, giving a slight smile and a shrug. Sounds simple enough. “How do we do that?”
“You’re not coming,” said Raneth.
“Excuse me?” uttered Aldora. “Why the heck not?”
“It’s getting too dangerous. I want you to head back to Regina’s and get an escort home. Isadore expects you to get home safely.”
“Raneth, if Lodema is behind all this, why on earth would you want to tackle this on your own?”
“I’m trained to.”
Idiot. Aldora checked on the Cannis; they were nowhere in sight. “And what about all these accidents you’ve had? Sinking ships, breaking your arm mid-assignment, the king being kidnapped when you were escorting him, your recent injuries before we came to Newer?” asked Aldora. “You’re better off with me, especially if she has a Weapon of Protection and you can’t get that anti-gift metal out of your shoulder.”
