Shadow Hunted (The Collector Chronicles Book 1)

by D. K. Holmberg

  With a flash of the flame, she burned off the effect of the elixir. “I think this will work. How long will it last?”

  Boiyn shook his head. “Perhaps a few hours. Maybe longer.”

  “Are there any potential side effects to it?”

  “Such as?”

  “Such as the emptiness that I felt. Will that remain?”

  “Do you feel it now?”

  She breathed out in a heavy sigh, focusing on what she could detect. There was no evidence of the emptiness there, but a memory remained. She thought that she could still call it forth if she needed to, but there was no reason she could ever imagine needing to feel it. She wanted it gone. She wanted it to be nothing but a haze.

  “I don’t feel it.”

  Boiyn shrugged. “None of these should have any lasting effect. The enhancements are never meant to be permanent. One’s body will always manage to take care of the compounds used. After all, they are natural.”

  “As opposed to other things that you can create that are unnatural?”

  “There are some who would prefer unnatural measures.”

  “I don’t know what that would even mean.”

  “Pray that you do not, Carthenne.”

  16

  Carth snuck through the darkness, keeping the shadows wrapped around her. She didn’t know whether the guards stationed around the plaza would recognize her, but it was a cloudy sky, hiding the moon and making it an ideal time for her to sneak toward Jenna, still trapped in the stockade.

  She had Alayna and Linsay watching from the side, though if archers fired on her, there would be little that either of them could do. There were enough guards stationed around the plaza that Carth didn’t think that she could take them all out before the archers took a shot, which meant that she attempted to sneak forward and administer this elixir, or else she had to try to break Jenna free.

  When she reached her friend, she realized that Jenna remained awake. Her eyes were wide, still with the wildness within them. Little had changed, other than the pile of fruit now had vegetables added to it. Strangely, someone had thrown a carrot at Jenna. Carth imagined that must’ve hurt when it struck, and considering the placement near the others, she didn’t doubt that it would have hit its mark.

  “Jenna,” Carth whispered as she approached.

  Jenna didn’t move, but her eyes did, darting toward Carth, and she stared at her. There was no recognition in her eyes, nothing that would tell Carth that her friend knew her. Could she really be so far gone?

  “Drink this,” she said.

  She tried holding the elixir up, but Jenna snapped toward her, practically biting her hand. Carth withdrew, but only a little, not wanting to make too many movements. Anything like that would draw the attention of the guards watching from above. They might not be able to see through the shadows, but then again, it was possible that they could.

  How was she going to convince Jenna to drink the elixir?

  As Carth reached for her friend, Jenna snapped again.

  She wasn’t going to be able to get to her, not without adding her shadow magic.

  Carth wrapped bands of shadows around Jenna, and she stopped moving. Her eyes continued to dart around, looking everywhere, but as Carth approached, reaching for Jenna, she tried lunging, using the already minuscule slack in the stockade, and failed.

  “I’m so sorry, Jenna,” Carth said. She reached for her friend’s mouth and tipped her head to the side, forcing the elixir down her throat.

  Carth leaned back on her heels, watching.

  If this were to work, Jenna would settle herself, and then… maybe then she would be able to calm down enough that the constables would release her. Carth waited, counting to herself, thinking through how long it had taken for her to feel the effects.

  She didn’t have to wait long. An emptiness settled into Jenna’s eyes that matched the hollowness that Carth remembered all too well.

  Slowly, carefully, Carth released the connection to the shadows, letting them ease off until they were no more. She kept herself concealed by them, but waited.

  “Jenna?” she whispered.

  Jenna blinked, but she said nothing.

  Carth took a step forward. “Jenna?” she asked with more urgency.

  Jenna simply stared. What had she done? Would this work? She needed for Jenna to have calm for the constables to release her, but not the kind of calm that prevented her from speaking.

  Carth waited. And waited some more. After a while, she began to realize that it might take far longer than she had intended. She slipped back into the shadows, making her way toward Alayna. She handed her one of the vials. “If she begins to become wild again, use this.”

  “And if she doesn’t?” Alayna asked.

  “If she doesn’t, we have to hope that she begins to speak and that the constables deem her calmed enough to function.”

  “And what of you?”

  Carth sighed. She should stay with Jenna, but there were other things that she needed to do, especially if she thought that she might find out what the Collector was after. If it really was an Elder Stone, then she thought she had to find it first before he did. But first, she wanted to find him. She needed to meet him and gauge what kind of threat he actually posed.

  “I’ll be doing something stupid,” Carth said.

  “I wouldn’t expect anything else,” Alayna said. “Carth…”

  Carth nodded. “I know. I’ll be careful.”

  “That’s not it. What happens if this doesn’t work?”

  “If this doesn’t work, then we will do everything we need to in order to rescue Jenna. I’m not leaving her here, and not like this.”

  “How long are you willing to leave her?”

  That was the heart of the matter, wasn’t it? Alayna was worried that Carth might leave her in a similar way. “If I could ensure that Jenna wouldn’t be harmed trying to rescue her, I wouldn’t leave her even this long,” Carth said.

  “You can’t use your shadows to obscure your rescue?”

  “I can use the shadows, but I still don’t know how well they can see through them. And if they can see through them, I don’t know how much time I would have to act before they got to her.”

  Alayna considered Carth for a moment. “I know that you wouldn’t leave her if you didn’t have to. It’s just that it’s so difficult for me to see her like this.”

  “Thank you for staying with her,” Carth said.

  She slipped away from the plaza, staying in the shadows. As she did, she hurried along the street. She moved slowly, focusing on her S’al magic and on a particular signature within it. Searching in this way was slow and tedious work, but it required much less strength than if she were to push out blindly with her S’al magic. If she did that, it would expend significant strength and leave her weakened when she might need to be strong.

  The city of Keyall wasn’t that large, but it was large enough that it took quite a bit of time for her to navigate through it. She started near the Collector’s compound, thinking that if nothing else, she might find Talia there. She didn’t detect her signature as she approached, so she continued on. Carth wound slowly through the city and was surprised when she came across the signature near what appeared to be an abandoned part of the city. The homes here were rundown, and many had missing windows. There were broken signs, nothing like what she had expected to find, especially given how tidy the rest of the city had appeared. Carth moved slowly along the street, focusing on her connection to the S’al as she detected Talia.

  Carth wrapped shadows around her and stepped through the door. She wasn’t surprised to find it unlocked.

  She stood in place for a moment, letting her eyes adjust. She pulled some of the shadows away, parting the darkness so that it was easier for her to see more clearly. As she turned, looking for the sense of Talia, she heard a soft laughter near the back of the room.

  “Whatever you’re doing with the shadows is noticeable here,” Talia sai
d.

  Carth lowered her connection to the shadows and turned to face Talia. “I wasn’t trying to conceal anything other than my presence. I didn’t know how many you might have with you.”

  “There’s just me,” she said.

  “Why here? This doesn’t seem like a part of the city where I would’ve expected you to spend your time.” Carth approached, and as she did, she noticed that the bruise on Talia’s cheek remained. It was just as dark and angry as it had been when she had first seen it. That made it less likely that Talia had been trying to fake an injury to play on Carth’s sentimentality.

  “What do you know about me? What makes you think that you know anything about where I might spend my time?”

  “I’ve spent enough time with people like you.”

  “People like me?”

  Carth nodded. “Like I said, if you would come with me, I can show you others I have helped.”

  Talia grunted. “Like the woman who’s now strapped in the stockade?” A dark smile parted her full lips. “I think that I would prefer to find my own way to safety, thank you very much.”

  “I will see Jenna out of those chains.”

  “If you haven’t noticed, the constabulary here is not particularly swayed by arguments such as I suspect you made. They are very much black and white when it comes to what they perceive as the law.”

  “So I can tell.”

  “Is that why you’re here? Did you come to offer me another chance to join with you?”

  That would have been reason enough for her to have come, and in another time, she might have come after Talia like this. This time, she had a different need.

  “How do you avoid the constabulary throwing you in the stocks?”

  “They leave those who work with Rhain alone.”

  “Leave them alone? Or has he bought them off so that they will leave him alone?”

  Talia met her eyes. “They equate to the same.” She shook her head slowly. “He likely knows that you are here. Which means that he likely has someone listening to me now. And that likely means that everything that I say to you will get back to him. Do you think that I am so interested in having a matching bruise that I’m willing to share with you what I should not?”

  Was it fear or something else that drove Talia? Carth had seen fear, but that didn’t seem to be the case. She could work with fear, could offer safety and protection, but again, that didn’t seem to be what would motivate Talia.

  What would it take? Why was she working with the Collector?

  “Let me tell you what I know. I found what I thought were smugglers stationed in the village not far along the coast.” Talia’s eyes widened slightly. “When they tried to capture me, I broke free, and when I returned to that village, I found it abandoned. The smugglers—or whatever they are—have disappeared to another location, but they claim that the Collector is searching for something they call an Elder Stone. Tell me if I should go on.”

  Carth met Talia’s gaze while at the same time pushing out with her connection to the S’al. Were there others listening in? She no longer doubted that her shadow magic might be at least partially ineffective in Keyall, but she didn’t know whether her connection to the S’al would fail as well. If it did, that meant that others could be listening.

  But she didn’t think that her connection to the S’al had failed that much. She had found Talia using it, which meant that if anything, it was the one part of her magic that was consistent.

  “The Elder Stones are nothing but rumor,” Talia said.

  “That’s what I hear, but it seems as if your Collector is putting quite a bit of time—and energy—into finding them. That’s not the sort of thing that one does when they are working with only rumors.”

  “Why are you here, Carth of C’than?”

  A part of her wished that she had not revealed her name to Talia, especially if she was so tightly woven into the Collector’s plans, but another part, the part of her that wanted to help women like Talia escape whatever trap she was in, knew that it was necessary for her to have shared her name with Talia. If nothing else, Talia might be able to hear rumors of what Carth had done. They were rumors that she had been very intentional about fostering, wanting them to be spread so that others would seek her help—or fear her.

  “I’m here for the same reason I’ve traveled to other places.”

  “You think to rescue other people from the Collector?”

  Carth laughed softly. “Does the Collector have people who need rescuing in other places?”

  Talia stared at her.

  “Why are you working with him? I thought it was fear at first, and then I thought perhaps he might be paying you, but neither of those answers seems quite right. Is there another reason, something you don’t want me to know?”

  “Return to your lands, Carth of C’than. Leave these to people who know them.”

  “The Collector isn’t from here. Which means that you think I should leave them to the constabulary? Or should I leave them to the people who pretend to be smugglers?” Carth took a step toward Talia and lowered her voice. “If he is searching for an Elder Stone, I will stop him.”

  “As I said, you know so little about Keyall.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means what I said. Had you known anything about Keyall, you would understand, but you do not.”

  “You won’t deny that he’s looking for the Elder Stone?”

  Talia’s face darkened. “The Elder Stone is a myth.”

  “Does the Collector know that?”

  When Talia didn’t answer, Carth thought she had her answer.

  “I need to meet him.”

  Talia smiled. “Your desire for something will not make it happen. Alistan Rhain will only meet with those he chooses.”

  “He will choose to meet with me.”

  “I think not.”

  “No? Let me tell you what I’ve seen so far. He has attacked my ship, thinking that he might find some item on it. He has seen to it that my friend is captured by the constabulary. And he works against another group outside the city. There is more taking place in Keyall than you’re letting on, and I’m determined to know what it is.”

  “You should be careful, Carth of C’than. You have taken on more than you can handle.”

  “I’m good at that.”

  “You will get yourself killed.”

  “Maybe eventually. I doubt that will happen anytime soon.”

  “You don’t know him, not like we—”

  She waited, but Talia didn’t continue.

  “Not like you do? I know people like him, Talia. I have known many people like him. He thinks to claim power regardless of who else he hurts.”

  Talia stared at her. “As I said, you still don’t understand.”

  “Don’t I?”

  “He already has power. What he seeks is more.”

  Talia turned away and disappeared. Carth chose not to follow, knowing there was no point in doing so. She could track Talia if she needed by using her connection to her S’al magic, so it didn’t matter that she detected Talia making her way down the street and away from her.

  There was more taking place in Keyall than she understood, and that bothered her.

  It was time for answers, and if the Collector refused to meet with her, then she would draw him out.

  17

  Carth made her way toward the interior of the city, weaving toward the Collector’s compound. She needed to understand more about him and what he might be after, so that if it came to it, she would be better equipped to counter him and what he might do. She still didn’t fully understand what was taking place here. Was this all about the Collector? What role did the smugglers have? Those were the answers she needed to determine so that she could understand what side she needed to assist.

  And maybe she didn’t need to side with anyone. That was the other possibility, the one that Carth had not spent much time thinking through. If she was not mean
t to help either, then she would be better served simply abandoning Keyall and sailing away from here.

  The only reason for her to remain at this point was so that she could understand what impact the Collector and the smugglers had on the city.

  It was late, and a time of day when Carth often found strength, enjoying the way the shadows lingered. She wrapped them around her, unconvinced that they were ineffective here. There had been a few times when it had seemed as if her connection to the shadows had not been as useful as she was accustomed to, but that had to be the exception.

  She stared out over the compound, crouching atop a nearby building as she watched for movement. She needed to understand more about this Alistan Rhain. Where did he come from? What was he after? And was there any way that he could be useful?

  A few lights flickered in windows, but not many. There was no movement, nothing that would indicate who might be serving the Collector in his compound. If only Talia would help her, Carth might be able to understand what more he might do. She crouched for what felt like a long time, waiting for movement, anything that might give her some idea of who else might be coming and going in the Collector’s compound, but saw nothing.

  She needed to return to the ship. She needed to get back so that she could figure out what their next step would be with Jenna so that she could rescue her. It was a difficult balance leaving her, but if they didn’t, they would draw enough attention in the city that it would force Carth to make a decision about leaving before she was prepared.

  She crawled forward, preparing to jump from the rooftop, when a door to the home opened.

  Carth lowered herself carefully to the roof, holding the shadows around her but not dependent on them for her complete concealment. She still wasn’t certain whether the Collector was able to see through her connection to the shadows.

  The man who left the house was difficult to see. Shadows remained around him, though these were a part of the night, natural rather than anything unnatural. Carth waited, and as he made his way through the gate, he was visible to her. He had a dark complexion, similar to the sailors she had faced, and dark hair. She couldn’t tell if he was old or young. In the darkness, he could be either.