“Ebudae?” Pelya asked, concerned again.
“There are men entering the estate.”
“How soon til we get there?” Frath asked. He looked out the window.
Sir Imbra slid open a piece of wood above him that allowed him to talk to the driver. “How much longer?”
“We’re almost there, Milord.”
The estate didn’t ask Ebudae what to do. It had standing orders given at the time it had been built. Three men were grabbed by willow trees and ripped apart. The last ran away from the trees into one of the ponds. The fish only got in a few nibbles before the creature at the bottom gulped him down.
“Never mind,” Ebudae said weakly. “They’re gone.”
“They’re gone? What does that mean?” Sir Imbra asked with a frown.
Ebudae debated how to answer the question. “You don’t want to know. Let’s just say that no one is allowed to trespass on Pallon Estate.”
She didn’t know how hard it was for the knight not to pursue the question.
The carriage pulled up to the gate and they went inside. Tina greeted them at the door and handed Shade to Ebudae when they walked in.
“Isn’t it supposed to make us sad when we’re around it?” Pelya asked.
Ebudae nuzzled its cheek while debating whether they should go into the sitting room, to the conservatory or somewhere else. “Only if it thinks you’re a threat. It’s in my arms, so it won’t bother anyone.”
“Milady,” Sir Imbra said. “If you don’t mind, I shall go back to the temple for the night. There are supplies I want and I must let my companions know where I’ll be.”
“Of course.” Ebudae curtsied quite well even with a bunny in her arms.
“I will return shortly after dawn.” He bowed and left through the door Tina reopened for him.
“I’m going to leave for a while too.” Frath turned to leave without explanation.
“Daddy!” Pelya spread her arms incredulously. “Please tell us where you’re going and give me a hug first.”
He blushed and gave her the hug she had ordered. “I’m sorry. As far as where I’m going, a couple of the people I have in mind to work for Ebudae are usually up at night. You two get some sleep. I won’t be gone long and I know where my bed is.” He was about to leave, but snapped his fingers. “Oh. I’ll tell them to inform the squirrel what they do. If you can have the estate let them in?” he asked Ebudae.
“Of course. Thank you.” Ebudae answered with gratitude.
“You’re welcome.” With that, he was gone.
“What do you want to do?” Ebudae asked Pelya, ignoring the bunny that was licking her hair affectionately.
“I’d love a bath and sleep.” Pelya’s shoulders slumped in exhaustion as she relaxed for the first time that day.
Tina had already shut the door. Hearing the request, she dashed toward the stairs to draw them a bath in Ebudae’s suite.
“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Ebudae said with a smile. They followed Tina up the stairs.
Chapter 25
The night air was cooler than it had been for weeks, a fact for which Frath was thankful. It was also nice to be alone again to sort things out in his mind. Frath didn’t like being around people, even though spending the day with his daughter had been one of the best in his life. It occurred to him that storming a warehouse, meeting an intelligent creature called Rojuun, freeing slaves and trying to gather evidence to save Pelya from getting sent to jail wasn’t what most parents would consider a lovely day with their children.
Pelya was a wonderful young woman. She was also beautiful and brave. Those facts terrified him because it meant she would always be in danger and not every danger in the world was obvious. Sometimes danger came from those who seemed like allies, but turned on a person when they were most vulnerable. It had happened to Frath often in the orphanages and even in the Guard. He had become leery of everyone.
As he strode along the streets toward the Yaffen Shop District, Frath considered Ebudae. He didn’t worry about the young lady ever turning on Pelya. The young wizardess was the oddest young woman he had ever met, but it was that unusualness that made him trust her. The two girls had a bond unlike any he had seen before. He was sure they would even die for each other.
Sir Imbra was a holy knight. Frath, for the most part, hated anything to do with religions. He especially hated priests and knights who tried to ram their beliefs down a person’s throat using a holy scepter or sword to pound it in. Sir Imbra was different though. He worshipped his goddess in his own way and treated others respectfully. He was also truly honorable rather than using the word honor to beat the weak senseless while visiting brothels and wielding power for personal gain. Frath admitted to himself that he honestly liked the man. He also believed that Sir Imbra would protect Pelya with his life.
Reanna seemed like a nice enough goddess, but he belonged to Distra, the Goddess of Sorrow. She was an odd goddess to worship, one of the Hushed Gods Pelya had read about. Frath hadn’t told Pelya that he wanted to read that book in the lost temple just as much as Sir Imbra did.
The biggest problem with the idea of following Reanna was that all of her worshippers seemed to smile all the time. They liked daylight and happy thoughts. Distra didn’t mind that Frath only smiled around Pelya. She didn’t mind that Frath liked walking alone at night. In fact, those qualities were probably the reason she had hammered his head as Ebudae had put it so eloquently. Her ability to touch his mind whenever she pleased was why the irises of his eyes remained like amethyst gems. Frath belonged to her and he had come to accept it.
Shadows cast by lanterns and moonlight danced on the walls to his right. They urged him to move to the other side of the street to avoid danger in a nearby alley. He did as they suggested and heard a man curse from beyond. It was one of the more useful side effects of being God-Touched. Danger was easier to overcome if one knew how to avoid it, especially since he still hadn’t taken the time to put on his chain shirt.
The Yaffen Shop District was a small district in Dralin south of the Merchant District and east of the Orphan District. If a person wanted to find a magical item, they would go to Wizard’s Mall. If they wanted anything exotic, they would go to the Yaffen Shops.
It was said that no two shops in the district were the same. Frath knew it to be true because he had spent a day and night looking at every single building in the district. There were two specific places he was visiting to find workers for Ebudae.
Frath had a knack for finding the most unusual people. Sometimes while walking around, other times while on duty. He had met Pelya’s mother, Sheela, at the Eastern Gate District while on duty. It wasn’t really a gate as Dralin had no wall, but it didn’t prevent the city planners from naming it that.
He also had a tendency for rescuing people. It was how he had met Lady Pallon and how he had met Erma. What Ebudae didn’t know was that he was the one who had found Tina for Lady Pallon. The people he was going to hire for Ebudae were others he had met or saved. The two qualifications they would have were that they were good at their jobs and they would be loyal to Ebudae.
Bubbo was a heavyset young man who had reached Dralin by extraordinary means. He also cooked the best food Frath had ever tasted. He liked to eat the food he made, but that wasn’t the reason he couldn’t keep a job. Bubbo had a sister, Poolu, who had an uncontrollable tic and a random propensity for swearing at nothing in particular. That sort of thing was bad for business, so they had been fired from every job they had, even though Poolu was an extremely hard worker too.
A rundown shop selling a variety of fried potatoes was at the edge of the District. It wasn’t very successful, but the crazy old woman running it didn’t care. She hired Bubbo to help her cook the potatoes and gave the siblings a small room in the attic in return. Frath ran up the rickety stairs outside of the building and climbed up four sketchy pieces of wood nailed into the side of the shingled roof to get to a large shuttered window. Luckily, th
e roof was at a very gentle slope.
He knocked on the shutters and was greeted by a string of invectives that made no real sense. “Shut up, Poolu!” Bubbo yelled in a roly-poly voice. “Who’s there?”
“It’s Frath.”
“Frath! Come in.” The shutters opened outward, causing Frath to move his head back to avoid being smacked in the face. “Come in, come in. It’s good to see you friend.” Poolu barked out a swear word. “Shut up!” Bubbo yelled at her. In a friendlier tone, he welcomed Frath. “Have a seat and stay a while.”
The only place to sit was the window ledge. Bubbo plopped himself on the lone bed while Poolu took the only chair. There was a table, but it had things on it. “I have a job for the two of you,” Frath said. “It comes with room and board much better than you have here.”
“They’ll fire us the first time I lose control.” Poolu’s shoulder twitched and she twirled strands of her short brown hair around a stubby finger.
“Not this time.” Frath gave her a genuine smile, a rarity for Poolu. She smiled back thankfully.
“Where is this job, my friend?” Bubbo asked. “This attic is better than living on the streets and I don’t want to risk that.”
“Go to the estate of Lady Ebudae Pallon in the Merchant District. Tell the squirrel that you’re the new cook and maid. It’ll let you in.”
“Squirrel?” Bubbo asked in confusion. “Are you ill, friend?”
Frath chuckled in spite of himself. “No. I’m not ill. Lady Pallon is an odd person, but a wonderful one. Her grandmother died today and all the servants left.”
“Is there something wrong with her?” Poolu asked suspiciously. Then she spat out a curse word. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter.”
“She’s an odd person and a powerful wizardess. She doesn’t smile very often and she disappears for days. However, she’ll accept you both if you do good work.”
“We do excellent work,” Bubbo assured him. “Do you know the pay and the living arrangement? Not that it matters too much. Anything would be better than this.” He gestured around the small attic. A rat looked out from one of the two ceiling beams. It wanted to know too.
“I believe you’ll each have your own rooms in the servant’s quarters. I’m not sure what she’s paying, but it’ll be more than here, plus she has an excellent kitchen.”
Poolu began shoving things into a bag at the mention of the rooms and had it half-filled by the end of the sentence. Frath spun around on the ledge and made his way down the steps when Bubbo began packing another. No words were necessary, but that didn’t stop Poolu from swearing once more.
Ebudae would have a warm meal in the morning, but there was one more person Frath knew in the district that would be of great value. It didn’t take long to get to the bar where she liked to have a drink most nights.
A bouncer nodded at Frath when he walked in. It was a loud and busy bar even late at night, but there was little trouble as it catered to shopkeepers and their workers. He made his way past the tables full with patrons. Serving girls were busily delivering ale and simple foods from the kitchen to the patrons. They worked hard and earned a decent wage in return, a good job most would covet.
Kitta was a tall woman of six-feet when standing. At the moment, she was arm wrestling a shopkeeper at a table against the far wall. They had an audience cheering them on and exchanging bets. Frath could tell she was playing with the man. The shopkeeper had her at an advantage and grinned triumphantly. It was too soon though and Kitta swung it back around to slam on the table. Cheers mixed with cries of dismay while the victor was congratulated and the loser jeered.
Frath was tired, but he sat down in the chair vacated by the shopkeeper and put his arm forth. “Alright Kitta, how ‘bout you pick on someone your own size?”
She snorted. “Right. You have four inches in height and six inches around the arm. Find me someone my size and I’ll take you up on the offer.” Kitta was very strong for a woman. Muscles roped her arms and legs, extending into her neck. It was just short of being too much, but she was more handsome than beautiful. Brown eyes twinkled merrily and her dusky blonde hair was tied back in a tight braid.
Frath removed his arm from the table and sat back. The crowd went away disappointed. “How’s things, Kitta?”
“They’re not so good. Buy me a drink and I’ll tell you about it,” she suggested. Frath tossed a silver piece on the table and shook his head when Kitta asked him what he’d have. “You’re not much of a drinker, but that’s alright.” She ordered ale for herself and gave the waitress the silver piece. “I tried starting my own business around here. I know where to get things for a good price and sell them for a better price.”
“You’re the best,” Frath admitted. It was precisely why he came to her.
“That’s the problem. People are refusing to do business with me and I’ve received threats.” She leaned forward angrily. “I can take care of myself, but powerful merchants run trade in this city and it’s real easy to make people disappear.”
“I’ll be honest,” Frath said. “I’ve heard you were having problems from a couple of Guardmembers who patrol here. They told me you were out of money.”
She nodded without words. Frath could see that she was restraining tears. Kitta would never let anyone see her cry.
“Do you think you’ll be able to get it back together?”
Kitta stared into the mug of ale the waitress brought. “No,” she admitted.
“Want a job?”
She looked up with a frown. “What kind of a job?”
“Buying household goods like food and . . . whatever else a house needs. Doing some heavy lifting here and there and just being generally useful.” Frath wasn’t sure what positions Ebudae would need filled. What he knew was that Kitta was in trouble and needed somewhere to go. She was better than anyone at finding deals. Ebudae and her staff would need supplies.
“You know I don’t do anything illegal . . .”
“You know I’m a member of the Guard and wouldn’t ask you to.” Frath was a little irritated that she would suggest otherwise. His reputation was good.
“No, you’re right.” She reached over and gave his hand an apologetic squeeze. “Things haven’t been good for me, so I’m on edge. What’s the job?” Kitta took a drink of the ale.
The apology was good, so Frath explained the situation. “A friend of mine, Lady Pallon, died yesterday. Her granddaughter, Ebudae, is now the head of the house. The problem is that Lady Pallon poisoned her servant’s minds against the girl and all but one of them left.”
“Is there anything wrong with the girl? Perhaps the grandmother was right?” Kitta set the mug down and crossed her arms on the edge of the table. “I don’t know the situation, so I can’t judge, but I don’t want to go in thinking this girl’s a misunderstood angel if she has the personality of a carnivorous fairy.”
Frath chuckled. “She’s not an angel. Ebudae is an odd one honestly, but I like her. She’s my daughter’s best friend.”
“Well that’s a good thing then.” Kitta sat back and took another drink.
“I will tell you that she’s a powerful wizard. She tends to be gloomy and has an emo bunny for a pet. She disappears now and then without telling anyone where she’s going. The manor and the grounds around it are eerie and unnerving, but they’ll keep you safe.” Frath rubbed his face. He was getting tired. “She needs a seneschal to run the household for her. I’ve hired a cook and maid. Tina is Ebudae’s personal servant who will answer only to the lady, but everyone else will answer to you.”
“That sounds interesting, but I don’t know that I’m qualified.” Kitta shook her head and sighed. “There are servant guilds with trained people the nobility hires from.”
“And not one of them would work for the Pallon Estate. Ebudae wouldn’t accept them anyway.”
Kitta leaned forward again. “You have me intrigued. There’s more than you’re telling. Also, what’s the pay?”
&nbs
p; “I don’t know what the pay is. It does include room and board though.” Frath stood. “Go to the Pallon Estate in the Merchant District. Tell the squirrel that you’re the new seneschal. Give the job a try. If you like it, fine, if not, then so be it.” He got up from the table and walked away.
Kitta called out at the departing figure. “Wait . . . squirrel? What in the world are you talking about?” Frath knew she would be curious enough to check it out. He left the bar and headed toward the Orphan District and his secret entrance to the Forlorn District. Along the way, he stopped at a market that sold prepared food day or night.
It didn’t take long to reach the tunnel and enter the streets of the haunted district. The ghosts were lively in the moonlit sky, but they left him alone. Crows cawed their welcomes at him as he passed the rusted gate that lay on the ground and walked to the arched double doors, which were the same on the outside as on the inside. He entered the left one.
Purple flames danced above candles lined in holders along the walls and on tiered tables to either side of the statue. Black stone pews bordered a center isle with a violet runner that never became worn. Sometimes when he visited, the statue of Distra would raise its head and look at him with glowing eyes, but it remained motionless this time.
Frath recognized a difference in the way the shadows moved. There was someone inside. He put a hand on his hilt and moved forward. With any luck, it would be the man he freed from the wizardess’s cell. Then again, perhaps that would be a bad thing. It was hard to tell.
A hunched figure sat in the center of a pew to the left of the aisle, three rows from the front. It was hard to see him because he wore a black cowl and made himself small. Frath got the impression that the man was used to hiding.
Upon reaching the pew, Frath sat down. “I brought some food. Figured you might be hungry.” He tossed the pack on the bench halfway between them. “You don’t have to cook anything, it’s all ready to eat.”
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