She nodded, her eyes distant as she took in his words. “I suppose you’re right. I don’t trust him in the way that I do you or Ephraim, but I believe I trust him more than anyone else after that.”
He sighed. He understood where she was coming from, Hamlet had helped her, but he felt she was being naive. Hamlet was clearly manipulating her, offering her something resembling friendship. He could only hope the eventual realization that Hamlet was indeed an emotionless killing machine would not cause her harm.
“We should get going,” he muttered.
Liliana nodded, then rose to help him stand. He was doing much better now, but was still extremely sore. She retrieved his satchel from the ground, slipping the strap across her shoulders, then returned to his side.
Together they walked to the barn door and let themselves out. The cold air stung Arhyen’s face and sore body, but was refreshing none the less. They walked in silence until they reached the primitive dirt road. South would lead them back toward London Bridge, so they would go north. There was a dock there often used for smuggling goods into the city. In the beginning of his career he had assisted in a few smuggling operations, and could only hope some of the men he’d met during that time still worked the area. If he could find someone to trust him, he might be able to buy Liliana and himself passage in exchange for a promised favor at a later date.
They walked on in silence, accompanied by the whistling wind and the clomps of their boots on the hard-packed mud. Occasionally a farmer’s wagon, stacked high with hay or toting crates of chickens, passed them by, but no one bothered them.
“I’ve been thinking,” Liliana began, breaking the drawn-out silence.
Arhyen glanced at her, then motioned for her to go on.
“Well,” she said, hesitating. “When we get the chance, I think I’d like to visit my father’s grave, and I’d like for you to come with me.”
Arhyen lifted his eyebrows, not in surprise that she wanted to go, but that the task was at the forefront of her mind with everything else going on. “Of course,” he answered finally, “whatever you like.”
She nodded. “I feel like it’s important. He may not have treated me like his real daughter, but he was also never cruel. Then he died alone, and was left where he fell to decay for months before he was finally retrieved for burial. I have to wonder if anyone has even lain flowers upon his grave. I think-” she cut herself off, glancing over at Arhyen. “I think perhaps I am far more lucky than he ever was,” she finished evenly. “And I also believe I am far more lucky than other automatons, and I owe much of that to him.”
Arhyen took her hand and gave it a squeeze. Though he detested Fairfax Breckinridge for treating Liliana like a thing, he was also grateful to him for creating her in the first place. “As soon as we get the chance, we’ll get some nice flowers and place them on his grave together.”
She smiled warmly at him.
They walked on for several more hours, both in high spirits despite the circumstances.
“Come now Albert,” Arhyen pleaded. “For old time’s sake.”
Albert crossed his burly arms and stared down at Arhyen, which was easy to do since he was nearly a foot taller than him, and twice as wide. His dirty, salt and pepper hair had begun to thin since the last time Arhyen had seen him, several years before.
“It’s not me you have to convince,” Albert bellowed, wiping at his sweaty face and bushy eyebrows. “The boat doesn’t belong to me.” The huge crates he’d been busy moving were all stacked neatly on the small vessel prepared to cross the Thames that evening, where they’d then be smuggled through a sewer entrance into the city. A few men worked on loading the remaining crates at the other end of the small dock.
Arhyen glanced at the distant coast, debating his odds of swimming across. The river was even wider this far north, far enough that he could barely see the city walls in the distance. He gulped. There was no way he’d make it across in his current state. “So who do I have to convince?”
He glanced warily over his shoulder for a second, assuring himself that Liliana remained concealed behind one of the many shanties bordering the dock. Smugglers weren’t known for their respect toward woman, so he’d asked her to remain out of sight until it felt safe.
“The boss won’t be here until nightfall,” Albert replied gruffly. “Feel free to wait.”
He turned his gaze up to the slowly dimming sky. Nightfall wasn’t far off, so it wouldn’t hurt to wait. If it ended up a waste of time, at least it would only be a small waste. He returned his sights to Albert. “Is there anywhere a gentlemen of little means might procure a meal around here?”
Albert snorted and glanced around. There were no cafes in the desolate area. “I take it you mean, are there any kind men willing to share their own suppers?”
Arhyen smiled. “For old time’s sake?”
Albert’s massive shoulders slumped with a sigh. “Well you did save me from being caught by the Watch. I suppose that merits a meal.”
He nodded happily as he scanned Albert’s face, gauging how much he could trust the man. “Would it be worth two meals?” he inquired.
Albert’s eyes widened. “You have a travel companion hidden somewhere around here?”
Arhyen subtly gestured back toward Liliana’s hiding place. “Let’s take a walk.”
Albert glanced at the men milling around further down the dock, paying them little mind. “I suppose I have a few minutes,” he agreed.
The men walked together away from the water’s edge, toward the empty shack where Liliana hid. As soon as they were out of sight of the other men, he called softly for her to reveal herself.
She popped up from behind a high patch of vegetation, startling Albert until he realized the third presence was just a petite, red-haired girl. He loomed over her, encasing her in his massive shadow, then held out a meaty palm toward her. “Pleased to meet you,” he drawled, then gave Arhyen a mischievous wink as Liliana placed her hand in his.
Liliana flicked her nervous gaze to Arhyen. He nodded to her that it was alright, then she beamed up, way up, at Albert. “Pleased to meet you too,” she replied sweetly.
Gently letting go of Liliana’s hand, Albert turned back to Arhyen. “You didn’t tell me your hidden companion was so lovely. I think I might be able to grant your passage afterall.”
Arhyen frowned. “So you had the authority to do so all along?” he growled.
Albert snickered. “I just needed the proper motivation. Helping such a lovely young lady is much more fun than helping you. Plus, the Boss will want to help her.”
He sighed. He’d forgotten what a pain in the arse Albert could be. “You said something about meals?”
Albert snickered again, then gestured toward one of the larger shanties across the dirt road. “The crew will be eating in there, none of them will mind if you join, as long as you help to load a few crates after.”
Arhyen glanced at Liliana. He’d wanted to avoid her spending too much time around the gruff men, lest a fight break out, but he supposed none would likely go against Albert, given he could pound them straight through the dock with one fist.
The trio made their way toward the shanty as the sun finally disappeared, and the first of the stars twinkled overhead. It was a nice, clear night, they were about to get a hot meal, then would gain free, covert passage into London.
Perhaps their luck had finally changed. Arhyen cringed as he stumbled on a rock, the movement tugging at an incision in his abdomen painfully. Perhaps not.
Chapter 19
The wood of the boat creaked and groaned with its heavy load of cargo as it slowly made its way across the Thames, while Arhyen suppressed groans of his own. He’d only helped to carry a few crates, but it had taken a major toll on his battered body. Liliana sat on the deck beside him in the darkness, leaning her back against one of the crates. He’d caught her watching him several times, worry clear in her expression.
He took her hand from her lap and ga
ve it a squeeze. “We’re almost there,” he whispered over the gently lapping water. “Then we’ll find a place to rest.”
She nodded and returned the squeeze. “Then we’ll help Ephraim,” she whispered back.
He smiled at her to mask his worry over the situation. He had no idea how to help Ephraim. Hell, he had no idea how they would even help themselves.
The boat shuddered as it bumped against the earth on the city side of the Thames. The three men on board hustled forward in the darkness to hop over the edge, then began tugging the boat more solidly onto dry land. The Boss, as Albert had referred to her, stood near the back of the boat, scanning their surroundings for any sign of detection.
Arhyen had been surprised to learn the leader of the small smuggling operation was a woman with icy blonde hair and pale blue eyes, but he didn’t mind. She’d taken an instant liking to Liliana, and was more than willing to help another woman braving her way through the business, as she’d put it.
Finished with her surveyal, the Boss -as Arhyen continued to think of her, since she’d never given her name- gestured for he and Liliana to leave the boat.
They quickly stumbled to their feet, then hurried toward the front end of the boat. Noting the three men still waiting on the dry land below, Arhyen climbed over the wooden edge and lowered himself to the ground gingerly, then held up a hand for Liliana. A hand she didn’t need, as she effortlessly hopped down, landing on the damp earth with barely a sound.
The Boss, who’d followed behind them, nodded down at her in approval, then hopped down in much the same manner. “We’ll be meeting our guys here,” the Boss explained, “but the sewer entrance is about an hour’s walk that way,” she pointed in between south and west.
Liliana said her thanks as Albert clamped his meaty hand on Arhyen’s shoulder. “You do know you owe me a favor now,” he said with a wiggle of his salt and pepper eyebrows.
The Boss snorted. “On the contrary, they both owe me a favor.”
Arhyen held out his hand for hers. “One we will gladly repay,” he said graciously, laying a brief kiss on her gloved knuckles.
Seeming satisfied, the Boss retrieved a softly glowing lantern from one of her men, then handed it to Arhyen. Tugging the hood of her cloak further forward to conceal her features, she gestured for the duo to be on their way. Arhyen and Liliana hurried off into the night, toward a city where they were both fugitives of the Crown, and of the criminal underworld. Arhyen knew they were fools to return, but at least they were fools together.
Liliana plugged her nose as they crept through the dark sewers. While the underground passage closely resembled the drainage canals she and Arhyen frequented, the smell was another thing entirely. As soon as they’d entered through the unlocked grate nestled near the city wall, she’d realized why the smugglers used the route. No officers of the Watch would willingly investigate such a foul environment.
Though she could see quite well in the dark, she was grateful for the glow of their borrowed lantern, as it would not do to misstep and fall into the putrid water flowing down the middle of the corridor.
They walked in silence, following a few twists and turns to stay in the larger main corridor, while avoiding the small side passages that likely led to dead ends.
“Here,” Arhyen whispered.
She stopped directly behind him and looked up. Sure enough, there was a circular sliver of light above them, denoting a sewer grate. Arhyen handed her the lantern, then placed his hands on a rickety steel ladder mounted into the wall. Though he let out no grunts of pain, she could tell the following climb caused him discomfort.
Reaching the top of the ladder, he pushed against the sewer grate and slid it aside. Peeking his head up, he scanned his surroundings for a moment, then pulled himself up to the surface. Liliana quickly followed, not wanting to spend a moment more with the stench.
They ended up in an unremarkable dark alley surrounded by tall brick buildings.
Liliana looked up at Arhyen in question.
“I have no idea where we are,” he breathed. “Perhaps we can find a way into one of these buildings to rest.”
Liliana nodded, before they silently crept down the street, looking for a building entrance. Soon enough, they found a set of steel doors leading into one of the dark buildings.
Arhyen habitually patted the front of his borrowed clothes, then frowned. “I forgot I don’t have any lock picks,” he admitted with a cringe.
“In your satchel,” Liliana assured, worried about his seemingly befuddled state. Hopefully he was just tired.
He searched the satchel hanging from his shoulder and found the picks, then clumsily set to work, taking much longer than usual. She was about to offer him aid when the lock finally rolled over. Avoiding her knowing gaze, Arhyen opened one side of the steel doors, took a peek inside, then stepped back and gestured for Liliana to enter.
She did as she was bade, taking in her surroundings as they went. The building housed several large printing presses, surrounded by cluttered desks, and stacks of newspapers.
“What luck,” Arhyen whispered, shutting the door behind them. He moved with his lantern toward the nearest stack of papers, then lifted one into his free hand.
Liliana continued to inspect their surroundings until Arhyen gestured for her to join him. “You’ll want to read this,” he muttered, holding the newspaper out toward her.
She hurried to his side and took the paper, now incredibly curious. Scanning the front page, she noted the date. It must have been the latest edition, ready to go out first thing in the morning.
Her eyes scanned further down until she reached the headline:
Captain of the Watch Admits to Long History of Corruption
The following lines detailed a rather unusual story. It seemed the Captain had admitted to overlooking a series of heinous crimes, and had even gone as far as framing a few individuals to cover for the true criminals.
She re-read the short article several times before turning to Arhyen. “What do you think it means?”
He shook his head. “I hope it means Ephraim and I have both been pardoned, though I can’t fathom why the Captain would suddenly admit to his crimes. At the very least, he’ll be imprisoned for life.”
Liliana frowned and looked down at the article again. Why, indeed. Had Hamlet perhaps found enough information to expose the Captain, but in lieu of turning him in, gave him the option to come clean? She didn’t see how he would have managed it, but it seemed the only likely possibility. She doubted the Captain had been struck by his own conscience so far into the game.
Arhyen took the newspaper from her hands, then gently laid it back on top of the neat stack. “Let’s get some rest,” he whispered. “We’ll need to be out of here at first light.”
She nodded numbly, hoping at least one of their problems had been solved. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the problem she was most worried about. She could not ignore Arhyen’s pained expression, nor the way he walked slightly hunched over. What consequences would his operations yield?
Her mind flitted over Hamlet’s advice that Arhyen would need to be examined by the LN’s surgeons. She knew he would never agree to it willingly. She also knew he might not have a choice.
Leaving her internal debate for the morning, she followed Arhyen to a roomy storage closet. He laid down his coat, and they snuggled together in the small space, shutting the door to conceal themselves.
Liliana nestled herself into the circle of Arhyen’s arms, eventually falling into a fitful sleep. She dreamed about throwing coins into a fountain with Arhyen and Ephraim, only they weren’t normal coins. They were all made of silver, scribed with the words Vita et Morte.
The next morning, after sneaking out of the printing office just as the delivery boys were showing up, Arhyen and Liliana covertly made their way across the city. Hoping the Watch no longer sought their whereabouts, they decided to risk returning to the apartment for fresh clothes and supplies.
Lil
iana’s head was still spinning from the events of the past few days. After discovering Hazel and her human experimentation, and learning of corruption in the Watch, she’d felt that nothing could surprise her. Yet, the Captain’s confession did. She hadn’t expected one of their largest problems to be so easily solved, but there were still plenty more to worry about. They would still need to figure out what to do about Allistair Walmsley, and she would need to ensure Arhyen survived his injuries long enough to do so. Preferably longer.
It was nearly midday by the time they reached the front door, and both were utterly shocked to see Ephraim standing outside. He had deep bags under his eyes, but otherwise seemed no worse for wear, dressed in his usual charcoal slacks and coat, with a black fedora covering his short blond hair.
He held a white envelope in this hand.
“So you are alive,” Ephraim mused upon seeing them.
“For now,” Arhyen muttered, giving Ephraim a pat on his shoulder before turning to unlock the door. “I hope your presence means we are no longer wanted men?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder.
“Indeed,” Ephraim replied as the trio went inside. “At least, we are not wanted by the Watch.”
Once the door was shut and locked, Ephraim handed Arhyen the white envelope.
“What is it?” he questioned, as if the envelope might contain some sort of minuscule trap.
“There was one on my doorstep as well,” Ephraim said with a frown. “Open it,” he instructed as Liliana stepped over the trip wire to put the kettle on.
She returned to Arhyen’s side just as he tore the paper of the envelope. He withdrew a folded piece of paper, accidentally dropping a small silver object that had been concealed within. Liliana knelt to retrieve it, then stared at the small silver coin in her palm. On one side was the Caduceus, and on the other was a dogwood blossom with the words Vita et Morte. It was the same coin found at one of the victim’s gravesides, as well as on Catherine’s person. Thinking of Catherine, she hoped Hamlet had remembered to set her free, though she couldn’t bring herself to be overly concerned about a woman who would betray her own children.
Clocks and Daggers (The Thief's Apprentice Book 2) Page 18
