by Joe Jackson
“Gods,” Kari muttered. She stared at the ebon tower while the bazaar flowed around her, and Kari wondered if the killings could in fact be sacrifices to power a portal similar to the one Eli had described. Kari was far from familiar with dark magic or sacrificial ceremonies, so she wasn’t sure whether the assassin murdering people would have the same effect as sacrificing them upon an altar. It was something she couldn’t dismiss, though, particularly if it turned out that Kaelin Black was really behind the entire affair and working to summon a demon king – possibly one he served, no less. Even if Black was innocent of any wrongdoing, that still left the possibility that BlackWing was doing it instead.
Kari headed toward the temple district, and once more the citizens cleared out of the demonhunter’s path. She figured someone in either Zalkar’s or Kaelariel’s churches would know something about sacrificial ceremonies and dark magic, and she wanted to make sure she alerted both priesthoods to her suspicions. If either Black or BlackWing were attempting to summon something, her first guess would be Achirun, since the demon lord kept a church not far from the Earl’s black tower. Nobody knew who Achirun was a vassal to in the underworld, so it was entirely possible he served or at least worked with Sekassus, which would better explain the presence of a syrinthian assassin. Kari’s pace quickened when she considered the dead now numbered near to thirty; she couldn’t imagine how many more it would take to power a portal in such a situation.
The clearer streets of the temple district made for an easy jog to the intersection where her deity’s church stood across from One Small Favor, but Kari halted her hastened steps when Marshal Saracht approached. From what Kari could tell thus far, the marshal was as fine an officer of the law as any of those in DarkWind, but Kari honestly had to wonder how much she could trust the man. Despite his attitude and the duties of his position, he ultimately answered to Kaelin Black, and if Kari couldn’t trust the marshal’s employer, she wasn’t sure she could trust him either. She was put even more on her guard when she noted he was armed now, despite the fact that he still wore the same style of suit as when they first met.
“Lady Vanador, I was hoping to find you near the inn. Might I have a word?” he asked courteously as they met in the intersection. Several townsfolk eyed them briefly, but the people seemed to know better than to nose into the marshal’s business, and gave the pair their privacy.
“Has your boss had anything built in the last few months?” Kari asked.
Saracht seemed surprised by the question. “Has my boss had anything built?” he repeated, and he took his hat off briefly to scratch at his short, black hair before replacing it. “Such as…? Speak plainly, Lady: what is it you’re asking?”
Kari was amazed at the strength of the man’s stare, as though he were trying to pull the information out through force of will. The spectacles only intensified the effect, and Kari imagined he must be quite an interrogator when he had criminals in his clutches. She glanced futilely toward the black tower, hidden by the inn, but his gaze never left her. Kari started to speak, but stopped herself as she thought about it; she didn’t want to blurt anything damaging or provoking in the middle of the street. Kari gestured for the marshal to follow her, and he didn’t even hesitate as she strode into the church of Zalkar. She wondered briefly if he served the god of law as a law enforcement official; such would mean she could place a lot more trust in him.
The interior of the church was quiet and nearly deserted. There were only a couple of young acolytes tending to it, so Kari turned in the shadowed entryway and met the marshal’s stare evenly. “I was thinking that all of these murders may be to power some sort of dark portal, likely to usher a powerful demon or even demon lord through,” she said, and the marshal made no attempt to mask his surprise. “Unless Black has…”
“Lord Black, or Earl Southwick,” Saracht interrupted.
Kari considered him for a few moments but ultimately nodded. “You’re right,” she said apologetically. She stood in the home city of a high-ranking noble, and she had to admit to herself that she was letting her disdain for him cloud her judgment on many things. To address him casually, even just to his marshal, was insulting, and came across as very disrespectful. Kari knew she had to tread much more lightly if she wanted to keep things civil, and that she also had to be careful not to alienate the Earl, on the off chance he was innocent of wrongdoing. “As I should have said, unless Lord Black has a summoning chamber or some other type of portal already prepared, then I’d guess he would’ve had to build one recently, before the murders began,” she began, but the marshal’s expression brought her train of thought to a halt.
“You believe Lord Black to be behind all of this?” he asked incredulously.
Kari held her hand up. “I’m not dismissing any possibilities at this point,” she said. “Until I know for sure what the relationship between Lord Black and BlackWing is, I have to go on my Order’s assumption that they might be the same person. I don’t mean to say Lord Black is untrustworthy, just that I can’t afford to trust him fully yet, if that makes sense.” Marshal Saracht nodded his head, and it was clear he was making an effort to see things from Kari’s point of view. “Now, do you know if he has a summoning chamber, or maybe had one built recently?”
“Nothing of the sort that I’m aware of,” the marshal said, and he took his hat off, stepped into the church proper, and sat down on one of its benches. He spun his hat slowly and absently as he held it before him. When he turned his dark eyes back up to Kari, he continued, “I understand why you don’t trust Lord Black, and your Order’s feelings on him. I imagine it must be difficult for you to trust me as a result. However, you don’t fully understand the function of my position. I am a marshal: technically, I am supposed to be under order of the King, but since the King pays little enough attention to what goes on in our parts of the country, I am instead the Duke’s man. So while I work with and answer to Lord Black, I am not beholden to him. I have the authority to arrest and depose Lord Black, and that power comes from the Duke. So when I tell you that I will help you in any way possible, I mean it.”
“You work for the Duke?” Kari repeated. She folded her arms across her chest; this was an interesting development.
“Ultimately, I answer to His Grace,” he confirmed. “In the course of my duties, I am expected to work with the Earl and safeguard his home city and county. However, when his orders or desires go against those of the Duke, my duties to His Grace supersede my duties to Lord Black. You should also consider that the Duke has much respect for the Demonhunter Order on account of his lineage, and so on matters that draw the attention of the Order, my authority broadens.”
Kari didn’t react to his last declaration immediately, still hung up on what he’d said about answering to the Duke over Lord Black. If that was true, and Lord Black still trusted the marshal enough to keep him by his side all the time, such would point to Kaelin Black either being truly innocent, or unbelievably devious. Kari wanted to give it some more thought, but she perked back up. “His lineage?” she repeated. “Who’s the Duke of Sutherland these days?”
“I thought you would know,” Saracht chided her playfully with the barest hint of a smile. “His Grace, Krycyd Jalar, is a descendent of one of your Order’s greatest champions.”
Kari was surprised to hear that. While Turik Jalar had sired several children with his mate, none of them had become demonhunters. If she recalled correctly, some of them had followed the path of the paladin and joined a militant paladin order called Avengers, who served the Ghost similarly to how demonhunters served Zalkar. The name James Jalar came to mind, and Kari remembered reading in Typhonix’ books that he was head of the Avenger Order, but was killed in the Apocalypse. She guessed Krycyd must be James’ son, following in his father’s footsteps as a paladin, and lineage as a Duke. If what the marshal said was true and he served the Duke, and the Duke was part of the Avenger Order, then Kari could rest a lot easier having the marshal and his men work f
or her.
“So I can trust you?” the demonhunter asked rhetorically. She was answered with a simple nod, but the strength of Saracht’s eye contact carried as much weight as a spoken oath to her. “I need to know if any of what my Order suspects is actually true: if your boss is a criminal, if he conspires with demons, if he’s really the head of the Black Dragon Society, and if he’s in bed with this assassin, one way or another.”
The marshal stood up and put his hat back on, and he gestured toward the door. “While such questions demand in-depth answers, Lady Vanador, all I can say on those matters is not to my knowledge,” he answered, stepping outside. “I understand the suspicions that surround my lord, and the reputation he has been saddled with throughout much of his life. However, for as long as I have served him, never once have I witnessed him committing a crime, ordering a crime committed, conspiring with demons or their servants, working with the Black Dragon Society, or speaking with this assassin in any way. And he is certainly not BlackWing. If he had done any one of these things, I would have arrested him, as I explained. Perhaps there were other things that made your Order suspect him back in the days of your first life; on that, there is little I can say. However, I can tell you what I know of one of your Order’s suspicions: the priests of Achirun are only allowed to stay in the city because Lord Black calls upon their services in rendering justice. You will find their ‘church’ sees few visitors outside of those seeking representation before the law. All that being said, I have long suspected that much of Lord Black’s reputation stems from the fact that he is the only half-demon in a position of nobility, a fact that has irritated his fellow nobles for centuries.”
Kari hadn’t really considered that, even after speaking to Kaelin Black directly. Since she had worked extensively with serilis-rir and serilian-rir since her resurrection – not to mention the fact that she was mated to one – she’d largely forgotten how poorly they were treated before Kaelariel’s rise to power. It was entirely possible that everything attributed to Kaelin Black was propaganda aimed at having the only “half-demon” noble removed from power. She found it improbable, but it wasn’t impossible, and she was half-tempted to put some stock in it simply based on the marshal’s words. As hard as it was for her to trust Lord Black, she couldn’t deny that it was becoming more and more likely that he was innocent of any wrongdoing where this syrinthian assassin was concerned, at least.
“So what was it you wanted to talk with me about?” Kari asked. She realized she hadn’t talked to the priests in Zalkar’s church before following the marshal out the door, but she was glad to have spoken with him. His words had already helped to quell a few of her fears, and if everything he said was true – and she had no reason to feel otherwise anymore – then now she could focus her efforts away from Kaelin Black.
“There has been another killing, and I would like you to have a look at the scene,” he answered, gesturing for her to accompany him. “My detectives have already scoured the scene for clues, but I would like the perspective of a demonhunter to see if there is anything we’ve been missing. At the very least, you’ll have the opportunity to see if the killing fits anything you know of ritualistic murder.”
“Let me get one of the priests from the Unyielding’s church; they’ll know more about ritual magic and what we’re dealing with,” Kari said, and the marshal readily agreed. “I need to let them know what we’ve found out so far, as little as that may be.”
The marshal followed Kari toward the church, and she was at least relieved that he’d said he wasn’t aware of any portals being built. Still, that left the possibility that BlackWing had, or was building, one. “Are you aware of anyone else building something big, like a portal?” she asked. “I’d guess there would be a lot of stone being purchased and delivered, and masons being hired to work it somewhere within the city.”
“No, as I said, I’m not aware of any such thing being built, whether by Lord Black or anyone else,” he answered. “However, once we deal with this murder scene, I will set some of my men to investigating the possibility.”
Kari nodded. If they could eliminate the possibility that a portal had been built or was in the process of being built, then that would at least rule out the murders being a ritual to summon a demon king. That in itself would be a relief. Still, Kari couldn’t shake the feeling that the killings played into something much larger, and she wondered if her own life being taken would factor into it somehow. She recalled her earlier thoughts, and swallowed uneasily as she realized twenty-nine murders had now been committed.
Chapter XIV – Demon Against Demon
Sherman, Katarina, and Sharyn were already at the scene. They were standing outside chatting lightly, and Kari guessed they had already taken a look. They greeted Kari but didn’t stop her, and she headed inside with the other two men in tow. Devin Sanstrom had come personally to see if he could find any signs of either dark magic or ritual sacrifice. He explained that his acolytes and the younger priests of the church wouldn’t have the experience necessary, and Kari was glad to have the elder priest along. The marshal, too, seemed glad for the priest’s assistance, though that left Kari wondering why he had never asked for the church’s assistance before now. It revived a little of the doubt she’d felt over his allegiances, and left her to wonder whether he had deferred to Kaelin Black’s distrust of her church when investigating the murders.
The scene was somewhat familiar: a lone shopkeeper stabbed to death after hours in his own establishment. The shop was narrow and simple, and Kari moved to an open corner of the room, from which she could get a good view of everything and take the scene in as a whole. With only one body, it wasn’t the same as when Aeligos had accompanied her to Charlie’s Boarding House in DarkWind. Still, she took careful note of the body’s placement in the room and the fact that there were no signs of struggle whatsoever. The body was far from the front door, located toward the back of the shop, but not behind the counter. Unlike the mess in Charlie’s Boarding House, this had been an actual assassination: no struggle, no hesitation, just hit and run. Once she was done studying the setting, Kari moved over toward the body itself.
Devin was using divination incantations to detect foul magic or ritual, but Kari saw little in his expression that suggested he’d sensed anything yet. She crouched down near the body, across from Marshal Saracht, and noted that there was a single wound under the sternum, likely an exit wound from being backstabbed with one of the assassin’s straight blades. There were no signs of burns – or, more accurately, rot – around the wound to suggest she had bothered using that necrotic venom, but then death had been a certainty regardless, considering where the poor soul had been stabbed.
Kari looked at the victim’s face more closely: human, probably mid-thirties and well off, but hard-working. She sighed; it was such a waste, and she couldn’t see anything on the surface that suggested killing this particular person could’ve served any demonic purpose. It was a dry goods store, and Kari assumed the marshal’s men had already scoured the scene to determine if anything was stolen. She figured she already knew the answer: the succubus had committed the murder, but she wasn’t doing it for material gain. She checked the body’s neck for bite wounds, but there were none; the succubus hadn’t even bothered draining the man’s life force. Grasping for some other explanation, Kari looked back to Devin as he completed his divinations.
The elder priest sighed but offered a quiet prayer for the deceased before he rose to his feet and met Kari’s stare evenly. “Nothing in my divinations suggests there was anything mystical about this killing,” he said, and Kari straightened out before him. “A strike through the heart could suggest a ritual sacrifice, though what sacrifices I am familiar with always involve removing the heart, not simply destroying it. My apologies, Lady Vanador, but if this is some sort of ritual, it is something I am unfamiliar with.”
“It does seem to be the work of our assassin,” Kari said, as much to the marshal as to the priest. “Th
is seems a lot more…controlled, though: when she killed the members of the Guild in DarkWind, they were butchered – stabbed and slashed far beyond what was needed to kill them. This man was killed with a single thrust that I don’t think he ever saw coming.”
“Any thoughts on why?” Saracht asked.
“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Kari returned with a slight shrug. “There’s got to be something that connects all the victims – even the ones in DarkWind, unless they were just in her way trying to get to…‘Lord Black.’ This man was simply killed, not bitten or drained of his life force. What can you tell us about the other victims?”
“As I mentioned yesterday, they don’t fit with the typical pattern of serial killing, as you seem to be asking,” the marshal answered. “The victims have been of both genders, several different races, and with no connections in creed, occupation, or anything else we’ve noticed. Whatever it is about these folk that causes the assassin to target them, we can’t figure it out.”
“What about…I mean, were they all virgins?”
Devin swung his gaze to the marshal. “That could be the one clue you missed,” the priest said. “Virgin sacrifice has long been a part of dark magic.”
“I’ve no idea,” the marshal said quietly, glancing down at the victim. “I know that Mr. Haddris here was unmarried, but whether or not he or the other victims were virgins…I don’t even know how I could find that out with any certainty. Perhaps, for the moment, we should pretend as though they all were; how does that affect our investigation and your hunt? What are we looking for?” To Devin, he added, “The Lady was asking me if Lord Black had anything built in recent months that might suggest a portal or, I suppose, an altar. What say you on this?”
