by Devyn Jayse
"Don't be afraid to tell them you need time to yourself," Cora said.
"I can let them know if you're scared of hurting their feelings," Penny added.
"No, please don't. I can let them know. It's just such a new feeling to be so wanted by people." Kay chewed her bottom lip while blinking back tears. "I feel guilty because I actually feel happy despite everything. I didn't think I would like it here."
Penny nodded. "That's okay. It's a good community. There are a lot of women here who want you to succeed, and they will help you."
Kay gave us a weak smile. "I know, and I feel worse because I keep thinking if my mother had known such a place existed... I mean, we knew it existed, but if she truly knew what it was like to live here, then maybe she wouldn't have..." Her voice trailed off.
Cora removed that fanciful scenario from Kay. "She knew. She chose not to be here. She wanted to make easy coin. It would have made such a difference if she had been ready to earn her living working hard, but she didn't want to."
Kay looked torn as she realized the truth she had to accept.
"Sometimes, people choose the easy way out," Cora said with a shrug. "You cannot change the past, so learn from it, and embrace a new future."
"I will," Kay said. "I want to. But I need to know who killed her."
"Knowing won't change anything," Cora warned.
"I realize that, but knowing would mean we have a chance at stopping him from killing others. And it would feel better knowing that he is stopped."
"Don't pin your hopes on that," Cora said. "It won't change that she's gone."
I could see Cora didn't mean to sound callous. She was trying to keep Kay from having false hopes of vengeance. She was attempting to get Kay to come to terms with her mother's passing and to get back on the road to rebuilding her life.
"They'll find the person who did this," Penny said.
"He's already killed before and likely will kill again," Kay said.
"Vin will find out who it is."
"Your brother didn't like my mother." Kay let out a shaky laugh, wiping her eyes.
"That doesn't matter. He'll do what's right. And if he can't, then Dare will find out who's behind the murders." Penny turned to me, her face shining with trust.
"That's right. She's the one who figured out who was attacking you." Kay turned to me, hope reignited in her face.
Behind her, Cora gave a heavy sigh and eyed me with pity.
"Yes, she figured that out, and she'll find out who killed your mother," Penny vowed. "Won't you, Dare?"
"Please discover who he is," Kay pleaded.
"I'll do my best," I replied as I watched the hope kindle in the faces of the two young girls.
That sealed my fate.
I had to find out who the murderer was.
10
Sitting at my regular table at the tavern, I thought about my visit to the shelter. I had already begun looking into the murders, but conversation with Penny and Kay on the previous day had instilled in me a renewed desire to find the killer and stop him. I wanted to give Kay that peace, along with the families of the other victims.
I wondered if Ragum had told Blaze he'd seen me at Miss Ruby's, but I decided not to borrow trouble. I knew I would hear about it the second he found out.
Blaze stepped into the tavern. Speak of the devil. He looked straight at me, as if he knew my thoughts were about him.
Don't come my way. Don't come my way.
He made a beeline toward me.
I sighed. There goes my chance at a peaceful dinner.
"Didn't I tell you not to look into the murders?" Blaze asked without preamble, seating himself at my table.
"You did," I said in as calm a voice as I could muster.
Blaze waited for a long beat and then asked me, "And then what did you do?"
"I looked into the murders."
"Why?" So much frustration in one word.
"Kay asked me to." I would try to leave Penny out of it for as long as possible, which didn't look likely, considering the mood he was in.
"You don't know Kay. You don't owe her anything," Blaze snapped, his eyes dark.
"Penny asked me as well." Having no way around it, I had to use the younger-sister card and hope it bought me some leeway.
Blaze growled. "I told Penny to stay out of it."
"She wants to help her friend. Surely, you can understand that."
"We are helping her friend. We're following up." Blaze slumped in his chair and pushed back a strand of hair that had escaped his hair tie, tucking it behind his ear.
"Have you found out anything new?"
Stone cold silence. His eyes were hard.
"You don't have anything to lose by me looking into it." I raised my cup to drink.
The look he gave me made me nervous. "You'll get in the way," he snarled. "And then we have to keep watch over you because we know you'll manage to get yourself in trouble."
I snarled back, "Why do you assume I'll get in trouble? I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. I have a sword and know how to use it. I've protected Penny. Don't treat me like a child."
"I'm not treating you like a child," he protested.
"Do you have Ragum followed anytime he goes anywhere?"
"I don't need to. Everyone keeps an eye out for him. Nobody's learned to do that for you. No one will rush to your defense if you need help the way they would if it was Ragum. You haven't built a relationship of trust with people here, and until you do, you have to be followed so that if you get in trouble, we can help you quickly."
I blinked at him. That was a lot of information to sort through in a short time. I pushed it to the back of my mind to think it over later. Then I tried to win his support by saying, "I can keep you informed about anything I find out."
I could see him considering my proposal.
To further convince him, I added, "And I will come to you with any theories I have if I suspect someone."
Watching him think it through was agonizing. A fleet of expressions crossed his face.
Finally, he accepted my bargain. "Fine. As long as you tell me as soon as you know it. And if you don't, the punishment will be of my choosing."
"Punishment?" I narrowed my eyes.
"Of course. If you're promising to act like one of my men, you'll have to be accountable for the penalties as well."
"Deal." That was much easier than I had thought.
Suddenly appearing more relaxed, Blaze leaned back in his chair. "What did you think of Ruby?"
I realized how worried he had been about me, which was a disconcerting feeling. "She's not what I expected."
"She liked you very much."
"Did she, now? How do you know that?" I wouldn't have thought he'd had time to hear it from her unless he had passed by that night.
A flush rose to my cheeks. I didn't want to think of that.
If Blaze noticed the flush that heated my face, he didn't mention it. "She didn't throw you out of her office. If she hadn't liked you, she would have done that. From what I heard from Ragum, you lasted quite a while."
"Yes, we had a nice chat." I was glad I hadn't been thrown out. How humiliating would that have been?
"Did you find out anything interesting?"
"She thinks the killer is one of her clients, but she won't share her list." I said more bluntly than I had intended.
Blaze blinked at me. "I see." He tilted his head in curiosity. "Did you press her to share her client list?"
I nodded.
He let out a low whistle. "And she still didn't throw you out of her office? Impressive."
A frown crossed my face. "Why?"
"A madam's most prized possession is her list. For you to ask for it with no repercussions is rare indeed. She must have really liked you."
"Or she just wanted to toy with me," I muttered.
"Why do you think that?" Blaze said with interest.
Once again, I was blunt. "I think she's after you an
d wanted to see the latest person who was reportedly close to you. She wanted to see who I was."
Blaze laughed. "No, she's not. Ruby and I are friends."
"Someone wants to turn it into more," I muttered under my breath.
"What's that?"
"She wants more."
Blaze shook his head. "I think you're seeing things that aren't there. Ruby knows what kind of woman I'm interested in. We had that discussion a long time ago."
I narrowed my eyes at his obtuseness. She might pretend she was fine being just friends with him, but some women would never take no for an answer. They always believed men would change their mind in the end if the women tried hard enough to catch them.
"Whatever you say." I gave up.
"I'm serious. I know what I want. And it isn't Ruby. It's someone else."
I wondered what kind of woman Blaze was after. I would have asked but didn't want to ask questions I wouldn't like hearing the answers to. I plastered a smile on my face and told him about Kay, Penny, and the shelter.
11
A curse escaped me as my dagger slipped through my fingers and fell to the ground. I bent down to retrieve it.
"What's wrong?"
I turned around. Oscar was standing near the door. I wondered how long he had been there, watching me as I practiced.
"I'm getting slower. I haven't been training as frequently as I used to, and my skills are becoming rusty." I tossed the dagger up in the air, catching it deftly that time. Maybe I perform better when someone is watching.
"Do you follow a daily set of exercises?" Oscar asked.
"Yes, I go through the sword maneuvers, but I have to find a partner to practice against soon, or I'm going to be useless the next time someone attacks me," I confessed.
Tobin had been my partner, along with the other guards in the castle. So far, I hadn't met anyone in the Blights who could help me maintain my sword skills.
A thoughtful expression crossed Oscar's features. "I may have someone for you."
"Do you know how much they will they charge me?"
Coin was still tight, so I wanted to save as much as I could from my jobs. I couldn't afford to spend it all.
"The man I'm thinking about is a regular customer. I think he will enjoy the task. It would be a break from his routine. And for men like him who are regularly bored, I believe he would jump at the opportunity and not require payment in return. In fact, he may ask to pay you."
A grin broke out across my face. "That would be an added perk. I'd be grateful just for the practice, however."
"I'll send him a message later today," Oscar promised.
Checking my dagger to see if it was clean of dirt, I brushed it once more against my tunic and slipped it back into its hiding spot. Several small daggers were secreted on me, hidden from sight, along with my sword.
"Here's Morris," Oscar said, looking behind me.
Turning around, I found Morris ambling toward us. He raised a hand in greeting, a great big smile on his face. He wasn't carrying any packages, so I guessed he was there for a social visit.
"He's been visiting a lot recently, hasn't he?"
"Yes, his wife's traveled to the outer territories, so he has more time to fill now," Oscar replied.
"Hello, Dare! Hello, Oscar!" Morris said when he got near us. "What are you doing out here in the sun? Don't you know it's bad to get too much sunshine?"
"Not everyone tries to hide from the sun's rays like you."
"They should if they knew any better. But really, why were you out here? You should be in the store."
"Dare was training," Oscar told his friend.
"Dare was finding out how rusty her skills have gotten," I said with a grimace.
"Haven't you been practicing?" Morris asked. "I thought you knew you had to work daily if you're to maintain your skills."
I made a face. "Not as much as I should have been."
"You should find someone to spar against. I'm useless, or I would have volunteered. I just enjoy looking at weapons. I'm terrible at actually using them." Morris turned to Oscar. "Surely, you must know someone who can train against her."
Oscar nodded. "I've already told her that. I'll be sending a message shortly."
"Yeah, you know you can't have a messenger who will get accosted and packages taken. Isn't that how Dare started delivering for you?"
Oscar gave a little smile. "Yes, it is, and she hasn't reached that point yet. She's still skilled with the sword, but she needs to keep a regular practice schedule."
I hadn't realized how important my impromptu sparring sessions with Tobin had been to maintaining my fighting skills. Only after spending several weeks without raising a sword--unless in response to an attack--did I realize how much I was missing out on lack of regular exercise.
"I'd be grateful for anyone to train against," I confessed.
"I'll let you know when he gets back to me."
"In the meantime, do you want to practice against me?" Morris asked.
"Really?"
"Yes, I know I said I was useless, but some activity is better than none."
"Even if you have to be outside in the sun?" I teased him.
"I can handle that if you keep my interest."
I guessed Morris was really bored with his wife gone. I gave him a wide grin. "Let's do this. Oscar, do you have a sword for him?"
Oscar frowned. "I'm not sure this is a good idea."
"You're right," Morris said. "It's a great idea! Come on now, get me a blade. A nice sharp one too."
"I'm getting you two wooden swords. I don't want Dare to skewer you in front of my store."
"She won't do that." Morris looked affronted. "What do you think I am? A novice? I have a few tricks up my sleeve. I may well beat her."
"I don't want any bloodshed in front of my store. You're getting wooden swords," Oscar said as he walked away from us, into the store. I took off my sword belt and placed my sword on the bench by the side of the door.
"Can you believe him?" Morris asked. "His store would benefit if either one of us got bloodied. It's a weapons store, isn't it? Wouldn't you want to buy those from a store that sold good ones? People should be fighting to the death in front of his store just to prove how effective his blades are."
I laughed. "I don't think that's the kind of reputation he's interested in."
"He should be after that. Sales would go through the roof. All the youngsters would be vying for a sword from The Fortune."
"He does quite well enough as is. And most of the youngsters don't have coin for the items Oscar supplies," I said in a reasonable tone.
"You may be right there," Morris grumbled. "Still, wooden swords! I haven't fought with those since I was living under my parents' roof."
"He's probably watching out for my safety." I said, trying to lessen the sting.
"You think I can't control my swings?" Morris instantly sounded insulted.
"No, no," I said quickly. "It's more like I may take a wrong step and place myself in front of your sword blow."
Morris did not look appeased by my explanation, but I managed to talk him into the benefits of using wooden swords by the time Oscar returned with them. He handed us one each. I tested the weight. It was lighter than my actual sword, which was a good sign. I would be faster.
"Are you ready?" Morris asked.
"Yes." I stood a few paces across from him, my wooden sword by my side. "Best out of three?"
"Agreed."
We waited for Oscar's sign. When he dropped his arm, we advanced on each other, and I raised my sword to strike at Morris. He defended quite easily. We parried, circling each other, testing each other's defenses. He had a longer reach than mine, but I was quicker on my feet.
He managed to strike the first blow, tapping me near my ribs. I winced at the contact.
"Happy that Oscar insisted on wooden swords?" Morris jibed.
"Yes," I said, nodding.
We recommenced our challenge. I scored
the second hit, slipping past his defenses to get him on his shoulder.
"That was a good one," he said. "You got me with that, thinking you were going to strike my leg but going for my shoulder."
I grinned at him.
He got the third.
We grinned at each other. When Oscar walked over to us and removed the wooden swords from our grasp, sweat was dripping down our faces. I was sure I looked a mess. My body was tired. A long time had passed since I had last worked out my muscles. I knew I was going to be sore the next day.
"That was fun," I said.
"Winning is even more fun," Morris teased.
"That last one was a lucky strike."
"Was it? Or was I just better? I hate to say it, Dare, but it looks like you could use a little training," he joked.
"I know it, and now my body knows it." I reached for the sky in a stretch and rolled my neck and shoulders.
"I'm sure you could get even more training down at the port from the different sailors that come in."
I raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to get me in trouble?"
Morris gave me an innocent expression. "What trouble?"
"Don't you think it would be strange for someone just to be wandering the port, looking for a fight? The Watch would be down on me immediately." I raised an eyebrow.
"But I would be entertained." Morris grinned.
I laughed. "So what's the news from town?"
Morris sat on the bench outside The Fortune. He leaned his head back against the wall. "Well, let's see. The bookseller may have some competition. A new store has opened up down the street from his. She says she specializes in rare editions, but I'm sure that won't sustain her store for long."
"Having more stores selling books surely can't be all bad," I replied.
"As long as there's a demand for it."
"People always want to read stories and be transported to different worlds. Or learn new things. I don't think demand will be an issue," Oscar said.
"Does she have any books from Shreperi?" I asked.
Morris frowned. "That's a good question. I don't know. I'll visit her and ask. Huh. That would be quite a find, wouldn't it? You did ask the other day if I had any books. Maybe I could find one for you."
