Mourningbird (Empire of Masks Book 3)

by Brock Deskins

  “Yeah, what happened? The duke bang some broad so hard her mask fell off and he found out she was a man?” Marina asked.

  “The city leaders were attacked en masse. Several naval officers and someone of great importance is dead. War has been declared.”

  Marina screwed her face up and leaned back as if assaulted by a bad smell. “War? Who in the Tormented Plane declared war?”

  “Me.”

  Dorian had been subtly drawing Martin’s soul into the stone before he jerked the control spike out of his neck. He used some of the stolen energy to turn the gush of blood into a gory tendril. The streamer wrapped around the goon’s neck, choking off his shout as well as his life.

  The Necrophage whipped his hand forward, sending a shadow lash coiling around Marina’s throat all within the same blink of an eye. Dorian heaved on the lash and rushed forward, meeting his prey halfway, and jammed the control spike into the back of her neck.

  The gang boss went rigid, her eyes unblinking as she stared ahead, no longer concerned about the two dead men in her room or their killer. The door burst open, and the second of her bodyguards rushed in, weapon in hand. He pointed a short blade and a pistol at Dorian.

  “Everything is fine,” Marina said.

  The guard’s wild eyes shifted between his boss and the two dead men. “What happened?”

  “Nothing that is your concern. Clean up this mess and leave me.”

  The man glared at Dorian. “If he’s done something, you give me a sign, and I’ll take him down.”

  “Dorian is our ally, a very important one. You will treat him as you do me. Do you understand?”

  The big man wagged his head. “No. Not really.”

  “Which is why I’m in charge and not you. I give the orders, and you follow them. Do you understand that?” Marina asked, her voice flat but still with an air of menace.

  Her bodyguard thought a moment before nodding. “Yeah, I understand.”

  “Good. Just drag out the entire carpet with the bodies and leave us be. Dorian and I both need to rest.”

  “Yeah, boss.”

  The man grabbed the rug upon which Martin and his cohort’s bodies lay, folded over the edges, and dragged the burden through the door, closing it behind him.

  “You did very well, Marina,” Dorian said. “You can sleep in the chair. I’ll need to harvest more souls, but it can wait until tomorrow. You clearly have plenty to spare.”

  ***

  Conner answered the knock at the door that he had been anticipating all morning. “Good afternoon, Inquisitor,” he said in a formal greeting.

  Bertram tucked his mask under his arm and frowned. “I would think by now we would have put all the formalities behind us, Conner.”

  “Yes, well, one can never tell where one truly stands even with those whom they consider the closest of friends.”

  Bertram shifted his gaze over Conner’s shoulder. “Does this odd revelation have something to do with you answering your own door again?”

  Conner’s teeth ground together before he forced himself to relax, his shoulders slumping. “Forgive me. It has been an extraordinary series of events. Please, come in.”

  “I am glad to see you have recovered from whatever injuries you suffered last night,” Bertram said as he followed Conner into the parlor.

  “You as well.”

  Bertram’s hand reached up and stroked his throat out of reflex, his airway becoming tight for a moment out of sympathetic response. “Not entirely, but I do not have the luxury of a long convalescence.”

  “I don’t imagine so. What exactly happened last night?”

  Bertram sat on the sofa across from Conner’s plush chair. “That creature sent a soldier wearing a bomb into the meeting I was having with the other city leaders and seniormost naval officers.”

  Conner’s eyebrows arched toward the ceiling. “This soldier was complicit?”

  “Not willingly I don’t think. There was a vacant look in his eyes, like a man sleepwalking. Not only can this Necrophage wear the skin of another person, I believe he can force his will onto others like a puppetmaster pulling strings. I think this is how he destroyed our flagship as well. The man had a spike embedded in his neck similar to the one I found at the site of the airship’s destruction, only more intact.”

  “That is a terrifying thought.”

  “You have no idea. The creature himself attacked us moments later. He killed most of the naval officers and…Farelle Vanos.”

  Conner sagged in his chair and leaned forward. “Bertram, I am very sorry. I know the pain of loss as well as anyone.”

  Bertram narrowed his eyes and leaned forward as well, his posture one of challenge, not sympathy. “And what exactly do you know of my loss, Conner?”

  Conner flinched away, cursing himself inwardly for his slip. It was an amateur mistake, brought on by a flood of emotional turmoil over recent events.

  “Conner, I consider us friends, but if you want to remain as such, it is time to drop the pretenses. You apparently know about my father, as I know Felicity is not your niece and Mr. Cleary is far more than a valet. Let us come clean so that we can help one another instead of getting in each other’s way.”

  Conner’s head dropped against the chair back as he stared at the ceiling. “What would you like to know?”

  “Let’s start with Mr. Cleary. Where is he? What happened between you two?”

  “Mr. Cleary is no longer under my employ. He betrayed me in the most unforgivable manner you can imagine. Should you happen across him in your duties, I would consider it a personal favor if you put him down like the rabid dog he is. As to what happened, that is a long and sordid story.”

  Bertram wore his inquisitor’s face, betraying no more emotion than if he were wearing his mask. “What is Felicity to you? I am certain she is not your niece.”

  Conner dropped his eyes to the floor. The thought of revealing Lilliana’s, Kiera’s, he had to remind himself, existence, terrified him. “She is my daughter.”

  Bertram’s stony façade shattered. “What? How? Is this another daughter you kept hidden?”

  “No, she’s Lilliana, the girl I thought I had lost, which brings us back to Mr. Cleary.” Conner told Bertram about how he had rescued Cleary from the gallows and the work they had been doing ever since. “It turns out he was the one who killed my wife and hid my daughter in Wayward House.”

  “Dear gods,” Bertram said. “I can’t even begin to imagine what you must be feeling.”

  “I’m not even sure what I feel. I only just discovered the truth last night, and I am a bit overwhelmed.”

  “She saved my life last night. It is one of the reasons I wanted to come by today, but obviously I could not properly express my thanks while you kept this secret.”

  Conner leaned forward, clamped a hand around Bertram’s wrist, and stared him in the eyes. “You know this cannot become public knowledge, don’t you? No one, not even your uncle, must ever find out the truth of her identity.”

  Bertram frowned but nodded his agreement. “You still think my uncle had something to do with your wife’s murder?”

  “I do not know what part, if any, he has played, but I do know something is foul within the palace. He is too close to Nimat. In fact, I have evidence of him, or someone with access to the treasury, making payments to Nimat, starting just after he succeeded his brother.”

  “You said you wanted us to work together? Then help me find out who made these payments and why. Maybe they are simply bribes to maintain the peace, but perhaps it’s to keep someone from talking. Do that, and I will help you find out the real reason behind why someone is keeping watch over you and if there is indeed a plot to overthrow your uncle.”

  Bertram sighed, looked down, and shook his head. “I’m not sure that’s the greatest threat right now. Given the attack last night, Rastus has divided the fleet, sending half of it to Nibbenar, and the others are providing a picket line between them, us, and Vulcrad.” />
  “Why did he do that? This creature is here in the city, not Nibbenar, and what good are airships considering this thing’s methods of operation?”

  “He thinks this Necrophage is just a prelude to a full invasion, and I have no reason to doubt it. It’s the only thing that makes sense. He exposed himself in an attempt to kill every city’s leader, which would have thrown the cities into chaos had he succeeded. The only reason to do that, short of simply for the enjoyment of anarchy, would be to weaken us all for an invasion.”

  Conner nodded along with the inquisitor’s reasoning. “And this is what everyone decided was the right course of action?”

  “No. Esmerelda in particular was unhappy. She is certain that if an invasion is coming, then Nibbenar will be their first target. She was even less pleased with my uncle making this unilateral decision without consensus from the other heads of state.”

  “Do you still think she might have been the one to have you followed? If so, then it’s possible that she chose to do so in an effort to replace Rastus with you. With you and Lysse being close, that gives her a direct line to you and strengthens her ability to win you over to her reasoning.”

  Bertram tilted his head back and groaned as he scrubbed his face with his hands. “Gods I hate politics.”

  “It has gone beyond politics, Bertram. This is now the life and death of entire cities, and what would a good leader do to protect his, or her, city and its people?”

  Bertram levied a heavy gaze on his host. “Absolutely anything.”

  “Anything? Regicide? Fratricide? Killing the family of a nosey inquisitor who won’t stop inquiries that could implicate him in horrible crimes?”

  Bertram bolted up from his seat, stalked around to the back of the sofa, and leaned heavily onto the back. “You cast a very dark shadow.”

  “Shining a light on things often does.”

  “Do you know Adele Wiebe?”

  Conner searched his mind and shook his head. “The name does not ring a bell.”

  “Her son is the one I killed in a duel not long ago. She is the one who sent the assassins after me.”

  “Ah.”

  “She’s dead now.”

  Conner nodded. “You have a reputation for strict reprisal.”

  “Only I didn’t do it. I was going to try and make amends. Guards found her body below one of the garden balconies early this morning, not far from where we had our meeting, where we were attacked. Esmerelda was quick to blame the creature for killing her, only I chased after him, and he went nowhere near where she died.”

  “Could he have killed her before?”

  “I don’t think so. I traced Arnaud Newell’s, that’s the man the Necrophage was impersonating, movements from the ballroom to the meeting. He would have had to go out of his way to run into Adele. There was no reason for him to kill her unless she had seen him shed his skin, and that was nowhere near where she died. Esmerelda was last to arrive at the meeting. She could have pushed Adele over the rail.”

  “Because she tried to kill you, which would have ruined her plans for Lysse.”

  Bertram nodded. “That’s as good an excuse as any. And if she was willing to kill her cousin, I see nothing that would prevent her from killing Rastus if she got the chance, especially if it means that I take the throne when he’s gone.”

  “What do you want to do?”

  “There is no way I can get close to the embassy. Esmerelda has too many eyes on me. If you can get Lilliana inside, maybe she can find evidence of her treachery, if there is any. I in turn will help you find anything that exists linking my uncle to his brother’s, or your wife’s, murder.”

  Conner frowned, displaying his dismay. “You understand that you are asking me to put my daughter in a great deal of danger.”

  “Tell me again what she was doing out dancing in Little Thuum the other night?”

  “You are as bad as she is,” Conner said with a sigh. “Fine, I’ll ask her if she’s willing to do some snooping. Do you have any idea where to start looking for my wife’s killer?”

  “Did Mr. Cleary give you any information about who hired him?”

  “None, other than his orders, which I have read a hundred times.” Conner pulled the piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to the inquisitor. “He swears that he told me everything he knows about who hired him, which is useless. I would bet my last dram that the messenger died shortly after delivering his instructions.”

  “I’m sure you’re right,” Bertram said as he studied the paper. He turned the page over and held it up to the light overhead. “Did you see this?”

  “The thumbprint? Yes. It appears the author touched the ink before it had dried and marred the page.”

  “They say that no two prints are exactly alike, and this one has what appears to be a scar on it.”

  Conner nodded. “I saw. Maybe you can ask everyone in Velaroth to show you their thumbs. I’m sure that won’t take long.”

  Bertram shrugged. “It’s something.”

  CHAPTER 30

  “You just missed Bertram,” Conner said as Kiera appeared from her day’s training with Surri.

  Kiera’s mouth twisted up and one eyebrow arched toward the top of her head. “That’s funny, I don’t feel like I missed him. Wait, I think I feel it now…” She cocked out her left hip and broke wind. “Nope, it was gas. Close though!”

  Conner shook his head. “You are certainly a class act.”

  “Classy, sassy, and a little gassy. I got it all, baby!”

  “You’re certainly exuberant. Perhaps Surri needs to extend your workout to bleed off your excess energy.”

  Kiera shrugged. “I’m no longer an orphan, I live in a fancy house, even if it’s a whorehouse, and when Surri tried to blow me off the top of the plum blossom pole, I blasted her between the tits with a lightning bolt. It’s just been a really exciting day for me.”

  “Is she all right?”

  “Yeah, it was a puny thing, but I’m pretty sure I gave her a third nipple. I’m still not sure how I did it. So what did Sah I’m So Much Better Than Everyone want?”

  “To thank you for saving his life, for one thing,” Conner replied, his voice low with a hint of chastisement in it.

  A broad grin split Kiera’s face. “What can I say, I have a soft spot for dumb animals. We should adopt a dog. I have a name picked out already.”

  “Let me guess, Bertram?”

  “You read me like a book.”

  “Yes, and unlike you, I don’t have to move my lips when doing so.”

  “Hey!”

  Conner grinned as Kiera’s smile faltered. “He has also promised to help me find the one who hired Mr. Cleary. In exchange, I offered your services in finding out if there is indeed a plot afoot to dethrone Rastus.”

  “So we’re back to that?”

  Conner nodded. “I’ve been giving it a lot of thought since Bertram left. If there is a conspiracy, then Esmerelda is most likely behind it, and if she is, I am certain that she will do something very soon in light of the attack. This would be a good time for you to slip into the embassy and see if you can’t find some written hint as to her plans. She will have to issue orders to her people if that’s the case, and with any luck, you can intercept them.”

  “Am I allowed to hit her?”

  “Stealth is best, but do whatever it takes, and be careful.”

  Kiera let out an evil chuckle. “Sweet.”

  Conner gave her a cross look. “The key is subtlety. The embassy is going to be on alert after the attack, so the best way to gain entry will be to pose as someone who belongs there.”

  “And I suppose you have someone in mind?”

  “As luck would have it, Donella Currant is a mid-level embassy staffer and frequent patron of my establishment. You and she are of similar height and shape. Of course she’s softer around the edges. She also has an appointment for tonight.”

  The corner of Kiera’s mouth quirked up. “So I steal her mask
and use it to walk into the embassy.”

  “Precisely. I will have her escort drug her so you won’t be terribly pressed for time.”

  “Sounds easy.”

  “The easy missions are the ones that usually go sideways, and you are not in any condition to fight. Once again, be careful.”

  “You worry too much. I’m as careful as I am—” she let out a loud belch “—classy.”

  Conner grunted. “That’s what worries me.”

  ***

  Kiera took a taxi and ordered it to drop her off in front of Nibbenar’s embassy. She wore Donella’s mask as well as her cloak, but she chose to wear her own reversible clothes beneath it. Kiera had taken the time to watch Donella through a spyhole, studying her bearing, movements, and voice. The woman spoke in a high falsetto chosen by some of the more snobbish highborn and so was easy to imitate should she be forced to speak. Between that and the muffling effect of her mask, she should be able to pass cursory exchanges.

  She nodded in reply to the few pleasantries spoken to her in passing and headed straight for Esmerelda’s private rooms. If she was to find anything implicating the duchess in a plot to kill Rastus, it would be there. Esmerelda was a master of political intrigue, and she would not be so careless as to leave a trail of her dealings like the pedantic Rastus had with his financial ledgers.

  Kiera found the hall she was looking for, the one on Conner’s map of the embassy she had studied, which led to Esmerelda’s rooms. Armed guards stood in pairs at every corner and intersection, and a small squad stood sentry just outside of the doors. Kiera cursed and ducked back around the corner, drawing a look from two soldiers standing at their post.

  She smiled and nodded at the men before casually strolling back the way she came. If she was to get into the duchess’ rooms, she would have to find another way in. Kiera stopped at a door around the next corner and tried the handle, but it was locked. She looked up and down the hall to ensure that no one was watching and went to work on the lock with her picks.