Shadow Found (The Shadow Accords Book 6)

by D. K. Holmberg

Hoga shrugged. “Think what you like,” she said. “But I recognize the blade, and there aren’t many places that would use trellis flower on a blade. A violent way to die, I think.”

  Carth looked at Hoga, hoping for something more, but the woman didn’t say anything else.

  Marna nodded to the two soldiers that had remained silent during the exchange, and they both grabbed Hoga and led her back out the door and into the storm. As Marna started to follow, Carth grabbed the woman’s arm.

  “You lost somebody.”

  Marna’s face remained neutral, but her posture stiffened, enough that it became clear that Carth was right.

  “You think she’s responsible now?” Carth asked.

  Marna sighed. “I don’t know if she’s responsible, but if she is, then she needs to pay for what she did.” Marna started to pull free of Carth’s grip before pausing and turning back to face her. “How certain are you that she was the one responsible for sending women out of the city?”

  “As certain as I could be.”

  “How?”

  “Because she tried to do the same to me. I got free. I went back, I helped free the others.”

  Marna stiffened even more, becoming practically as still as stone. “You… rescued others?”

  Carth nodded. “Who was she?”

  Marna let out a slow breath. “My sister. She was taken, like so many others from Asador have been taken. She was lost, and I’ve thought her dead. Hoga made it seem like you…” She shook her head. “It no longer matters.”

  “I didn’t harm those women,” Carth said.

  “I believe that now.”

  “She might still be alive, though I can’t be certain,” Carth said. “I’m sorry, but it’s true. I wasn’t able to save everyone.”

  Her shoulders relaxed, as if the fight had gone out of her.

  “When was she taken?” Carth asked.

  “A year ago. Perhaps a little bit more.”

  “Did she know what you did?”

  Marna shook her head. “My sister was a seamstress, wanting nothing more than to own her own shop. She was quite skilled. She was never involved in anything else.”

  The timing was close enough that Carth wondered if it was possible. Could she have saved Marna’s sister?

  “Where are those you saved?” Marna asked.

  “Most who wanted to return to the city did. I offered them safety, and I’ve done my best to keep them as well protected as I can. Up until recently, I had been successful.”

  “You said most returned to the city.”

  Carth nodded. “Most did return to the city.”

  “What of the rest? What happened with them?”

  “They went to a city along the coast. It’s a place where I’ve offered them ongoing protection. Some have chosen to stay there, some have chosen to move on.”

  Marna took a deep breath. “You’ll go to Neeland?”

  Carth hadn’t had a chance to think about it, but suspected that she would. She needed to know whether Hoga was right, and whether the sellswords might have been responsible for what had happened in Asador. Could they have sent an assassin to do this? She needed to find Timothy, and he had given her a way to reach him, but she hadn’t expected to need to use it. Certainly, not so soon.

  But what other choice did she have? She intended to see to it that she had the answer she needed. If it required her going to Neeland, she would do so. Especially if she had no other way of ensuring the sellswords didn’t make another trip into Asador. She needed to somehow ensure that they didn’t think to take another job, if in fact they had taken this one.

  “I ask, only because if you do go, I would go with you.”

  Carth had considered many possibilities, but none of them involved Marna being willing to come with her. Having her along would be valuable. With her skill, her ability to fight with whatever enhancements she had, she would make a powerful ally. But… what proof did Carth have that she wouldn’t betray her? How would she know that she could be safe from Marna? A journey to Neeland would take at least a week, possibly more. She would have to study maps to determine how far it was from here, and would need to leave her network alone in the city for that entire time. She didn’t worry quite as much about that, but she didn’t want Marna to know that she was gone.

  “I will ensure no one harms your people while we’re gone,” Marna said, almost as if reading Carth’s mind. “But I would ask that we visit this village where you left the women before we make the trip to Neeland. I need to know if my sister is there.”

  Carth glanced at Alex. Without Lindy, she needed someone she could trust in the city, and though Alex had shown no interest in taking a greater role, she had proven that she had the necessary strength with the way she confronted Hoga.

  “It’s fine,” Alex said. “You need to do this. Whatever you need of me, I’ll do it.”

  She couldn’t help but fear that it would lead to Alex’s death as well.

  Carth turned her attention back to Marna. “I will accept your help.”

  19

  The ship rocked beneath Carth’s feet, sending her from side to side. Carth had long ago learned to roll with the waves, no longer feeling them the same way she once had. Now, she barely slipped on the deck, keeping her grip on the wheel.

  Marna stood at the railing, leaning over it, occasionally vomiting. When Carth had forced her out onto the sea, using the shadows to press the ship away from the shore, she hadn’t recognized how hard a time Marna had while sailing. Then, she’d only gone at a slower pace, not even enough to get far out on the sea. This time, she was sailing north along the shore, making her way towards Praxis.

  “It’s easier if you stay closer to the center of the ship,” Carth said.

  Marna glanced back at her and wiped her arm across her mouth. “Easier? How long did it take you to adjust to sailing?”

  “Probably longer than it will take you. I suspect some of the compounds Hoga mixed for you are causing the side effects. You’re probably feeling the effects of the waves more acutely than I ever have.”

  “I haven’t taken anything in the last two days,” Marna said. “I wasn’t sure how they would affect me while sailing. Besides, I figured that having you on board, I didn’t need to worry about protecting myself.”

  Carth started to smile. “I saw you taking a dose this morning,” she told Marna.

  The woman’s mouth tightened. Then she turned back to the railing and continued emptying her stomach into the sea.

  The seas were choppy, heavy wind blowing out of the north making the waves larger than any Carth had sailed on in some time. She used the shadows to buffer them somewhat, knowing that without that buffer, Marna would be in even worse shape. It helped speed them along as well, sending them gliding through the sea, the rapid pace driving them forward.

  “How much farther until we get there?” Marna asked.

  “Praxis is probably three days by land from Asador.”

  Marna looked up at her. “By land.”

  “By sea, it’s no more than two.”

  Marna backed away from the railing, then stood near the mast. “I won’t fault you if you choose to return to Asador,” Carth said.

  “I told you that I would travel with you to Neeland. I’ll stand by my commitment.”

  Carth nodded silently. She suspected that once Marna had checked out Praxis and discovered whether her sister was or wasn’t in the village, she would refuse to go on with her. Carth had to admit that it did make her a little less anxious traveling to Neeland with the idea of Marna coming with her. It was worth the risk sailing here. The delay was only minor. Carth could take that time. It helped keep her from getting too angry.

  Marna suddenly covered her mouth and raced back to the railing. Carth looked away as she continued vomiting, giving her that privacy.

  The village of Praxis loomed on the shore. Carth anchored in the small bay, rolling the sails up and tying them tightly. The ship was difficult to sail with
one person, but she discovered that it could be done. Marna had not been much help, though Carth had not really expected her to be. The woman barely managed to hang on.

  “Why aren’t we sailing all the way to shore?” Marna asked.

  “Too shallow. We’ll row the rest of the way in.”

  Marna weaved around the deck of the ship, making her way towards the port side of the ship. She looked over and noted the small dinghy tied towards the aft of the ship.

  “You intend to row us in with that?” she asked.

  “I think you’re going to find sailing in with that is easier than sailing in with the Goth Spald. At least with this, you’re in control. It’s actually better when you’re closer to the sea.”

  “I have a hard time believing that it will be better when we’re close to the sea.”

  Carth laughed softly as she made quick work of untying the dinghy and lowering it into the water. She grabbed a pair of oars and jumped into the dinghy. She waited, holding a line. “Are you coming?”

  Marna sighed and slowly made her way over the railing of the ship before climbing in. Once Marna was settled in the dinghy, Carth quickly rowed them to shore.

  When they reached the shore, Marna climbed out of the dinghy and stood still on the rocky shore, taking deep breaths. Her eyes were closed, and her hands were clasped in front of her. She breathed slowly, in and out, before turning back to Carth. Color had returned to her face, and strength seem to have returned to her. Whatever she had taken seemed to have worked quickly.

  “Why here?”

  Carth shrugged. “It was close. It was accessible by the sea. It was a place where the women would be safe.”

  Marna frowned at her. “That’s all you care about? You just want the people to be safe?”

  Carth shrugged. “I won’t stand by while others are harmed when I can do something. I’ve been given many gifts, I’ve seen others I care about hurt when they attempted to run from their abilities,” Carth said, thinking back to her parents. That might have been the biggest driver for her. Her mother must have been descended from Lashasn, and with that, she should have been able to defend herself. She should have been able to call upon the flame, but she hadn’t when she was confronted by the Hjan.

  Had she only defended herself, would she still be alive today?

  Her father had left Ih-lash, abandoning his people, only to be drawn back in. Had he attempted to continue his connection to his people, had he not run, thinking to protect Carth, would he—as one of the shadow born—have been able to help?

  Carth had to believe that he could have.

  And now they wouldn’t know.

  “You are not who I expected,” Marna said.

  “What did you expect? Did you think that I simply wanted power?”

  “Have I told you how I took over my position?” Marna asked. Carth shook her head as they made their way along the shore. It was rocky here, leading to a sharp cliff rising high overhead. Carth knew the trail up and into the city. It was a difficult climb. There was access to Praxis, but not easily. That protected these people for the most part.

  “How did you assume control of the smugglers?”

  Marna started to smile. “It’s a little bit more than only the smugglers. I’ve not always been the one leading the smugglers. I used to work with my sister. She ran her seamstress shop, and I worked with her.”

  Marna smiled as her eyes took on something of a faraway look. “I never was all that good a seamstress. She tried to teach me—the great elder god knows that she tried—but I didn’t have the same steady hand, or the same patience. What I did have was a mind for the business. I helped her find cheaper supplies so that she could charge the same for her work but make more money. I helped her find more and more suppliers willing to negotiate. Eventually, that put me in contact with some less-than-reputable people.” Marna shrugged. “I soon realized how disorganized their organization was as well. I continued working for my sister, but on the side, I helped organize the smugglers. Now, we have a network, one where nothing moves through Asador without me knowing. Most of it moves through the way the council would like, getting taxed the way they would like, padding their pockets, and we keep the scraps. We skim off the top, taking little enough that we avoid too much detection.”

  Marna trailed off and looked over at Carth. “Why are you laughing?”

  “Not what you said, just your choice of words.”

  “What? The fact there we’re keeping things from the council? Enough moves through that they earn plenty of income off what they’re taxing. Even that damned university makes plenty off what they’re moving. I just ensure there’s an appropriate market for those who can’t quite afford the rates the council would set.”

  Carth had to smile. She couldn’t even disagree with the intent. The woman wasn’t taking from anyone other than those who already had money. In that way, Carth actually respected what she was doing.

  “I spent some time in the north. A place called Nyaesh.”

  Marna nodded. “I know of Nyaesh.”

  “When my parents died, I lived on the streets. I was taken in by a nice couple who sought to protect me. They took in others like me, though I don’t know that I ever learned quite why.”

  That wasn’t entirely true. Vera and Hal had work to protect the descendants of the Reshian, trying to keep them safe within Nyaesh. They thought they could keep others safe by keeping them in the city. For the most part, they were right. Carth had been safe, however briefly that had been.

  “When I was there, when I was first learning to use my abilities, I would collect scraps from those with more than me.”

  Marna began to laugh. “You were a thief?”

  “I don’t know that I would’ve considered myself a thief, but that’s what I was. I thought I was taking what I needed, that I was only doing what others would have done. Most of those people didn’t miss what we took.”

  “And what did you do with your earnings?”

  “Most of it I gave to Vera. She used it to buy our protection. I didn’t know that at the time.”

  “Why are you here?” Marna asked.

  She had stopped, not making her way up the rocky incline towards Praxis. Instead she fixed Carth with a hard gaze that studied her.

  “Many reasons, but mostly the vow I made to some dangerous people.”

  “What vow was that?”

  “One where I was determined to see that they stopped hurting those I cared about. I wanted to see that they stopped hurting others who were powerless to stop them.”

  “And you intend to do this yourself? You intend to see that they don’t harm others?”

  Carth nodded.

  “How are you able to ensure these people’s safety?”

  Carth glanced at Marna before starting back up the slope. “Because I’ve shown that I’m willing to kill them, and I might be the only one who can.”

  Carth picked her way up the slope, not bothering to look back to see if Marna would follow. She heard the woman’s heavier breathing as the incline became steeper, but Marna didn’t say anything more, leaving the questioning alone. Carth wasn’t sure how she would answer more questions if Marna asked them.

  The woman deserved answers, and Carth was surprised to find that she was an interesting conversationalist as well. In that way, she seemed to have more in common with Lindy than just the cut of her hair and the complexion of her skin.

  When they reached the top of the rock, Carth hesitated, waiting for Marna.

  “You never told me what you intend in Asador,” Marna said.

  Carth turned back to Marna, looking past her and towards the sea. The sky was a darkened sheet of gray. Massive waves rolled in from far out on the sea, crashing against the shore. The Goth Spald rocked in those waves, seeming so small from her position up here. She turned her attention to Marna. “I don’t intend to seek power, if that’s what you fear.”

  “No? I think that you’ve already acquired power, don’t you
? There is power in the knowledge you’re acquiring, isn’t there?”

  Carth could only nod. That was the kind of power she sought. She didn’t want to rule in Asador, but she wanted access to knowledge, the kind of knowledge that would help her defeat the Hjan if it came to it. But she didn’t want any more power than that.

  “You can keep your smuggling ring and its power,” Carth said. “That’s not what I’m looking for. I’ve never wanted to take that away from you, or those you’re working with, but I will make sure that you don’t harm those that I care about.”

  Marna offered a hint of a smile. “I have no doubt that you will.”

  They continued towards the village. Praxis was comprised of many thatched roofs, stout river rock walls, and even a low wall that surrounded the village itself. There was a certain quaintness about it, one that she appreciated more the longer that she was in Asador.

  “You might not want it, but you do have power,” Marna said.

  Carth glanced over at her as they approached the village. She hoped that Praxis would hold her sister, if only to have made Marna’s trip worthwhile. She doubted that Marna would travel along with her to Neeland, and even if she did, she wasn’t sure that she could be trusted. The only way that would change would be if her sister was in Praxis. Even then, it wasn’t a given that Marna could be trusted.

  Carth thought the likelihood of her sister being in the village was low. If she was a successful seamstress, it seemed that she would’ve returned to Asador, to those she knew, those who cared about her and worried about her. That she hadn’t… that made it likely that Hoga had been responsible for another loved one’s death.

  “The only power I seek is that to keep those I care about safe,” Carth said as she entered the village. There was nothing else for her to say.

  20

  Carth made her way to the village. Marna followed her, saying nothing more than what she had said before. Carth felt a hint of anxiety about what they would find. Would Marna find her sister? Would it matter?

  They were met at the gate by a pair of women, who stopped them.