by Cait Ashwood
The room rapidly took on the emotional equivalent of a prison. “So, I’m stuck here?”
“For now.” He shrugged. “I told you it wasn’t sunshine and daisies.”
And yet I still chose to come, because I was afraid of going home. Lily sighed. At least home had windows.
“Thank you. For going to get my things, I mean.” She wandered into the room, her fingers trailing over the stone.
“Yeah. Not sure you should be thanking me.” He moved to the door, pulling something from his pocket. “I’m going to lock you in this time until my father knows you’re here. I’ll be back soon.”
Lily’s eyes widened, but it wasn’t like she had much choice. She nodded, trying to keep her heart from racing away from her as the door closed and clicked shut. What have I done?
Chapter Twenty
Jasper stared at a crack in the boulders. There was nothing to give it away to a casual observer as anything more than a natural formation. Even knowing what was behind those rocks, Jasper had a hard time making himself believe this was the entrance to the lair of his family’s greatest enemy.
“You’re sure this is the place?” The assassin hadn’t wanted to leave his protégé, especially with Audrey hovering about, but he’d agreed to attend this little field trip, provided it was quick.
Hound grunted an affirmative, saying nothing.
Zaddicus had chosen his compound well this time. It wouldn’t be anywhere near as vulnerable to attack by explosives. The entrance was in the mountains, surrounded by hard stone that wouldn’t hold any trackable footprints. And if the guy is intelligent at all, there will be miles of tunnels before even getting to the main passageways. Jasper frowned, shaking his head. If Lily was in there, it was going to take a miracle to get her out again.
“This is weird... there’s not much of the taint here at the surface, but it runs deep, like a well.” Amelina had been deep in her trance for at least ten minutes, exploring Zaddicus’ den.
“How deep?” Ace’s voice, normally a tenor, was reaching deep into the baritone range. He knelt on one knee with his arms crossed over his chest, scowling at the entrance like it personally offended him.
Amelina narrows her eyes, slowly shaking her head. “It’s hard to tell. I don’t have experience with judging depths.”
“There’s no phase marks here.” Jasper expanded his scan to more of the surrounding area, but he still didn’t see evidence of the comings and goings of others.
Hound’s tattoos flare to life and he quickly confirmed Jasper’s claim. “That’s a good point.”
“They must be able to phase past the rock, at least to an extent.” Jasper drummed his fingers on a stone in front of him. Jasper and five adults hunkering behind a boulder and slithering around on their bellies might be a humorous sight to someone that didn’t know what was at stake. As it was, it reeked of desperation.
Hound grumbled under his breath. “Too risky to go in blind. We’d have to explore on foot first.”
Ace sighed, running a hand through his hair. He was the most accurate phaser in service, and even he seemed unwilling to try it.
“Amelina, can you tell if Lily is here?” Jasper chewed on his lower lip, hoping his half-sister wasn’t being subjected to Zaddicus’ horrors as they spoke.
The woman shook her head. “There’s a signal that might be her, but there’re other half-breeds as well. Wherever she is, it’s well-shielded. I can’t get through.”
Zeche flicked an annoyed glance at Jasper. “If she is here, what exactly are you planning to do about it?”
“Well, before we decide to do anything, facts are always helpful.” I know I’m the junior member of the team here, but give me some credit. No use planning a rescue mission if she isn’t still here. They could have moved her, well hell, anywhere.
Zeche grunted, turning his attention back to the crack in the stone.
Jasper switched into a sight he used rarely, one that picked up on magnetic fields. As a Tracker, it was important to be able to tell when nature could be interfering with your other senses. There was nothing, no tell-tale flashes of yellow, to alert him. “There’s no magnetic interference here. The phase depth must be limited by ability and knowledge of the area, not interference.”
“Phasing underground.” Hound blew out a frustrated breath. “Never would’ve thought of it.”
“That’s precisely why it works.” Zeche sounded grumpier than usual, his tone nothing but snark.
Jasper glanced at Amelina, surprised to see her eyes glowing purple again. He jerked his head at her and the other men quieted, waiting to see what else she might find.
She was out of it for half an hour, an extraordinarily long time for the task. About ten minutes in, Hound grunted, switching to the taint sight himself.
I’m not even sure they could modify Amelina’s taint levels at this distance, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful. Hound was the only one in the group that had been forcibly tainted without it being bred into him, and aside from the half-breeds, he was the strongest taint user they’d had. Audrey had cured him when she conceived Brana, of course, but he still maintained a healthy respect for those with the taint and knew better than anyone else what it could do.
Amelina came to with a shuddering gasp that scared the shit out of Jasper. Ace’s hand landed on her shoulder and he stuck his face in hers until she met his gaze. Her breathing was labored and her skin was coated in a thin sheen of sweat, the artery in her neck hammering visibly.
“What is it?” Jasper’s voice was gentler than Hound’s, and the pair had worked together enough through the years to know who was the best to speak in which situations.
“They’re...” Amelina paused to swallow and glance around nervously. Her voice was even quieter when she continued. “They’re not being controlled.”
Jasper blinked, certain he was missing something.
“How is that possible?” Hound’s brows furrowed and he stared at the crack as if it would decide to bless him with an answer.
“I don’t know. They’re all tainted, but no one is pulling any strings.” Lina sounded scared, and that worried Jasper. Lina was a survivor of the Order’s sixty-year imprisonment. She was in her early fifties now and had been born under his rule. If he’d managed to do something that spooked even her, they were in trouble.
“He fixed his problem.” Ace shook his head, muttering under his breath.
That’s right. His plans fell to shit last time because he lost control of his men through the taint. If they follow him willingly, however, then it doesn’t matter if he gets distracted. They’ll continue following orders.
Zeche tilted his head at the rock. “This boy with Lily. You said he appeared to be a half-breed?”
Jasper nodded. “Read just like all of ours. No offense, Amelina.”
She inclined her head graciously, waving a hand to shut him up.
“Makes you wonder what he’s been up to, and how he’s bound them to him.” Zeche was silent for a time, then shook his head. “Still, none of this helps us predict his next move.”
“Well, we have a motive,” Hound snorted.
Ace nodded his head in agreement. “He wants the Order.”
“No, I don’t think he does.” Jasper had a thought, and it was quickly racing around in his mind, finding others and beginning to form a theory.
Ace raised his voice. “He took your sister--how much more proof do you need?”
Jasper frowned at his father. “A boy took my sister, and he may or may not have been acting under orders. It could have been strict opportunism, a chance he couldn’t pass up.”
Hound shook his head. “Regardless of how they found Lily, the truth remains that she’s in their custody now. If he’s not after the Order, he’s making a damned bad showing of it.”
Amelina finally spoke up. “He could be holding her to use for negotiations.”
Or he could be waiting for the equinox. Nausea bubbled in the pit of Jasper’s stoma
ch at that thought. She’d been so nervous about having to serve this term. She hadn’t said as much to his face, but she was his sister. He could tell when things bothered her. If they couldn’t recover her in time, it was about to get so much worse than she ever could have imagined.
Zeche glanced at the other men, weighing their contributions before looking over at Jasper. He raised an eyebrow, eyes intent as he spoke over the disapproving murmurs from Ace and Hound. “Speak your mind, boy.”
Jasper shook his head quickly, trying to chase away the negative thoughts. “Was there any evidence of other taint users in Ebonwallowe?” Jasper hadn’t seen anything personally, but his schedule and attempts to keep up the charade of normal activities hadn’t left him much time to investigate.
Hound began to speak but his voice came out hoarse. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Not that we’ve seen.”
Zeche shifted. “We monitor more than just the taint, but Rowan normally checks places outsiders would frequent. He’s not reported anything, either.”
Jasper nodded, glancing at his father. “What about anywhere else?” As a Seeker-in-Training, he technically wasn’t supposed to be aware of general troop movements. Being Ace’s son had its perks.
“None of the lookouts have reported any suspicious activity.” Ace raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for the theory. A lot of kids didn’t have parents that respected him, but Jasper was lucky on that count. If he had something valid to say, Ace would listen to him.
His final suspicion confirmed, Jasper took a deep breath. “Lily’s inn wasn’t far from the brothel district. As improbable as it may sound, I think her encounter with the tainted man was sheer chance. We haven’t seen a single person leave here, nor are there any supply or wagon trails leading to this location.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “I believe the entire organization is underground, and whatever they’re after, it isn’t up here.”
Hound shook his head. “What else could they want?”
Jasper bit his lower lip, glancing at Ace and looking quickly away. Being a Tracker gave him access to more of their histories than the typical Seeker, and way more than any civilian would ever get their hands on. Still, he’d delved beyond even those he was allowed, straight into forbidden territory. It was a betrayal of his father’s trust, but it might help them now. “We lived underground once. Maybe we left something behind, something he wants.” It was hundreds of years ago, but who knows what kind of stuff was needed to survive in the darkness. It was the only thought he had.
Ace’s brows furrowed and Jasper knew that if they weren’t watching the enemy compound, he’d be getting one hell of a tongue lashing right about now.
“That might actually make some sense.” Amelina paused, gathering her thoughts as the four male gazes landed on her. She shifted uncomfortably. “I guess we dismissed most of what he said as insane ramblings if we bothered to listen at all. He always spoke of us as his greatest trial. He often went on about how we would assist him in his ‘glorious return.’ I guess the question is... where is he returning to?”
Five pairs of eyes returned to the crack in the stone.
“That’s what we need to find out,” Jasper murmured, the words bouncing around the inside of his skull after he said them. He’d never thought to figure out whose line the infamous man had descended from. Of course, he might not be allowed back in the record rooms for a while after his obvious transgressions.
Ace’s expression grew grim. “That’s the problem. No one knows.”
Jasper raised an eyebrow. “What, the records were lost? Destroyed?”
Hound pushed off from the ground into a crouching position, his grave brown eyes boring into Jasper’s. “Where Zaddicus is concerned, there are no records, and there never have been.”
Jasper almost missed the pursing of Zeche’s lips. Whatever the assassin knew, he didn’t want to share with the rest of the class.
Probably because Amelina is here. The Seekers were trained to keep things as simple as possible for the Order. Considering that Zaddicus had imprisoned Amelina for most of her life, whatever Zeche had to say would likely upset her. I’ll have to check back with him later.
“Well, we’re not learning anything else out here behind this rock. Let’s head out.” Ace stuffed his hands in his pockets and waited. Covering their tracks was important, but only the Trackers could manage it.
Jasper dug a stone out of his pocket and offered Amelina his arm. Zeche moved behind him, placing an arm on his shoulder. With a nod to Hound, he phased them out, erasing their trail as he went.
Chapter Twenty-One
It’s about damned time. Rowan stretched his legs and eased himself off his cot as Zeche entered the room. He’d been given an official room at the Tower, albeit a temporary one. They’d even honored his one request, that it be as far away from Audrey as possible. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about her, and until he had time to figure it out, spending time with her wasn’t something he wanted to do.
“How’d it go?” From his posture, not well.
“We know where the kid jumped after snatching Lily. We can’t verify she’s there. They phase through solid rock. Obviously, there are openings within, but unless we can get someone in there, we’re blind.”
Rowan had many skills, but infiltration and long-term stealth missions weren’t on the list. “So, who can go in?”
Zeche shook his head and shrugged as he paced around the room, poking at anything that could grab his attention.
Rowan sat back down, waiting. When Zeche got like this, it was because he was thinking. Interrupting him only earned his ire, so Rowan was content to wait.
“The kid has an interesting theory.”
Jasper? This oughta be good.
A knock at the door interrupted Zeche’s report.
If that’s Audrey bringing me another sandwich, so help me--
He wrenched open the door and Jasper stood on the other side. Rowan stood frozen for a moment, the knob in his hand. “Uh, what’s up?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Not who you were expecting, I take it?” Rowan didn’t answer, but that didn’t seem to bother Jasper. “I was actually wondering if Zeche was here.”
Rowan shrugged. Zeche had a way of being or not being exactly where he wanted to be. If his master answered, then he was here. If not, then Rowan could let Jasper search the ‘empty’ room.
“I am.” Zeche emerged from the shadows, crossing his arms over his chest.
Jasper glanced at the open door and the occupied hallway behind him. “Mind if I come in?”
Rowan glanced over his shoulder at Zeche, who shrugged. “Yeah, sure.” He pulled the door open a bit further, but Jasper still had to turn to the side to slide in. He didn’t seem bothered by the tactic, so Rowan leaned against a wall, crossing his arms over his chest.
Jasper glanced at him briefly before fixing his attention on Zeche. “When Hound mentioned the records, you seemed to disagree with him. Is there something I should know?”
Zeche raised an eyebrow. “That was rather... direct.”
“I’m making every attempt to be calm and practical, Watcher, but that is my sister out there. If you have information that can help, I need to know.”
Rowan cleared his throat. “Half-sister, don’t you mean?”
Jasper flicked him an annoyed glance. “I don’t split hairs when it comes to my family. She’s been my older sister my entire life.”
“Enough.” Zeche pulled out a stool from the table and straddled it, facing them both. “Hound’s statement wasn’t entirely correct. In all the Seeker literature, there is exactly one reference to Zaddicus prior to his appearance shortly after Audrey’s arrival.”
Oh, is that what we’re talking about? “Which was?”
“He was listed as a sponsor for a Seeker currently in service.”
Jasper frowned. “Why would Hound bother to hide that?”
Zeche picked at a nail. “To protect the Seeker in questi
on. The man has proven himself beyond the shadow of a doubt. He’s not connected to the enemy.”
“So, you know who it is.” Jasper sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Well, as long as someone is monitoring the situation, I suppose I have to be content with that.”
Rowan snorted. “You’re not going to press for the info?”
Jasper blinked. “If Zeche was going to tell me, he would have already. Anything else is a waste of my time.”
“If you say so.” Rowan thought for a second. “Zeche said you had a theory. Spill it.”
Jasper looked him up and down. “Why?”
Rowan pushed off the wall. “Because while she may be your sister, she’s my twin.”
“Oh, have you decided to actually join the family, now? Or is that only when it’s convenient for you in an argument?” A smirk tugged at Jasper’s lips and it took everything Rowan had not to punch it right off his face.
Zeche broke the tense silence. “Zaddicus is a threat to humanity, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Watchers. He has a right to hear the theory if you’re of a mind to share it.”
Jasper glared at Rowan a moment longer, then took a deep breath and let it out. “Fine. Zaddicus’ target isn’t the Order, or even the Chosen as far as I can tell. There’s been no activity, no movement, and no surface supply trails or really any connection to the surface aside from the guy that took Lily. I think that was more a chance encounter than anything else, but if we’re going to predict his movements, we have to know what his target is.”
I think I got the condensed version. “And his reasoning is sound?” He asked this of his master since he really didn’t feel like pulling more information out of Jasper. He hated being confined to his quarters and left out of the reconnaissance efforts. While he wasn’t sure of his footing with his mother, he felt like he knew Lily, at least peripherally.
Zeche pursed his lips. “It is possible, yes.”
“Then we need to identify potential targets. Make up a list, and slowly start ruling them out.” Thankfully, all of that could be done from the comfort of a desk. He was physically sound, but his body was still recovering from the near miss. He tired easily with physical activity, but sitting at a table and pouring through records wouldn’t be too taxing while he regained his strength. He might even miss the attractive healer’s aide that had been stopping by and slathering his back in ointment, but such was life.
