by Joe Jackson
Once Kari had put Little Gray to bed, she made her way to the Silver Chalice. The night was lively, and the inn was loud even from a distance. Before she had even set foot inside, Kari could see that it was full to near-capacity, and the cheering and clapping from within was in time to the music of a bard troupe. It’d been a while since Kari enjoyed the night life of Darkwind, but the longer she was away from it, the less she missed it when she had the opportunity. These days, she was finding the prospect of sitting in front of the fire with her mate appealed to her far more than going to a rowdy tavern or inn, and she had to wonder: Am I getting old?
The interior was warm, even with the windows open, compounded by the press of so many people gathered within. Kari got fed up with the noise and the crowding within the first minute, but once she laid eyes on Amastri sitting at her usual table, Kari decided she’d just have to deal with it. The half-elven woman’s green eyes focused on Kari as well, and she beckoned to the demonhunter without delay. Before Kari reached the table, Amastri had dismissed all the men seated around her, and the servant of Koursturaux patted the chair beside her rather than gesturing to the one across from her as usual.
Kari sat close to Amastri, and the half-elven woman leaned over so she could be heard without shouting. “You chose an interesting night to come speak with me, Lady Vanador. Our throats are sure to be raw by the time we have finished speaking.”
“Do you mind going somewhere a little quieter?” Kari asked.
Amastri shook her head. “I do my work here for more than just the atmosphere,” the half-elven woman returned. “As hard as they try, very rarely does anyone manage to overhear anything said in this place. I am certain of the security of our meetings here, but I would not put my faith in any other place we could meet.”
Kari looked sidelong at Amastri, wondering if the half-elven woman already knew that Kari was investigating a mole within the Order. “So, you know why I’m here?” Kari asked.
Amastri glanced at her briefly before returning her attention to the bard troupe on the other side of the inn. “I do not have the faintest idea why you are here,” she said. “I have already relayed your response to Her Majesty, but no other response has come from her yet. So unless you are here to change your mind, I am ignorant to your intentions.”
“That’s a first,” Kari muttered, but Amastri’s sharp ears caught it and she laughed. “I wanted to ask about Turillia…the half-syrinthian, half-succubus I killed a few months ago.”
“What of her?” Amastri asked, her attention fully upon Kari now.
“I thought I saw her a couple of times while I was on Mehr’Durillia,” Kari said, leaning close to the pointed ears of the half-elf. “I don’t know if they’re common, or if she might have been reborn on Mehr’Durillia; I’ve heard some of your kind are reborn there.”
Amastri chuckled. “Common misinformation,” she said. “And bear in mind, Lady Vanador, that those like Turillia are not my kind. I assure you, whoever you saw was not her; she is quite dead, and ripples are even still making their way across the land in the wake of your having slain her. As I understand it, the Ashen Fangs are still reeling from the loss.”
“The Ashen Fangs?” Kari repeated. “Who are they, an assassin’s guild?”
“Not exactly, but that is as good a description as any, I suppose,” the half-elf returned. “I probably should not tell you any of this without requiring a payment, but you intrigue me, Lady Vanador, so I will tell you what I know. A half-syrinthian, half-succubus is considered an abomination among the serpent-folk, so accordingly, they are extremely rare. What you saw was more than likely…Turillia’s sister.”
Kari sighed. “She has a sister, too?” she muttered. Amastri was clearly curious to what she meant, so Kari added, “I already ran into her mother in Si’Dorra.”
“The Vandrasse,” Amastri said with a nod. “Her Majesty suspected you might encounter her during your travels, but with the protection of the Seven Days’ Grace and the fact that The Vandrasse is not welcome in any other realm, Her Majesty believed you would be safe. Failing that, Her Majesty believed you would prevail if a contest of power were to take place.”
“Why is she called The Vandrasse?” Kari asked.
“It is believed she is a master of reptilians, whether folk like the syrinthians or something more feral, like a dragon,” Amastri said. “Certainly you noticed the tattoos that adorn her body? It is believed they give her power over those of a reptilian nature, and that is how she was able to bear half-syrinthian children when such a union would normally never take place. Her social station in the realm of Sorelizar is also believed to be partially based on this. She is a vicious creature, and it is unclear to those of us who live outside Sorelizar’s borders just how powerful she is, or what her exact station is with regard to King Sekassus and his court.”
“Guess I’m glad my kind aren’t reptilian, no matter what we might look like,” Kari said.
Amastri smiled, but didn’t add anything right away. She remained silent while the troupe took up another tune, a lively number that soon had the other patrons stomping feet and clapping hands. Kari looked around at all the oblivious people who apparently had no idea that there was a broker from the court of a demon king sitting right amongst them. Here Kari was, fighting with words and deeds to protect the people from the kings of Mehr’Durillia, and her own people had no idea there was even a danger right in front of them.
“So Turillia’s sister…I assume she’s going to try hunting me down?” Kari asked once the music paused again. “Do you know her name so I have an idea of who I’m dealing with?”
“Seanada Te’Montasi,” the half-elven woman answered.
“Shen-AH-dah Tay-Moan-TAH-See,” Kari repeated slowly.
“Whether or not she wants to kill you, I cannot say for certain, but if her mother attacked you and you saw Seanada several times, I would assume she seeks your blood as well. It is hard to say with certainty; I know little of the Ashen Fangs or their workings. Matters involving them are left to other members of Her Majesty’s court.”
“The thing that really made me wonder is that I was pretty sure I saw her when we…,” Kari started, but she stopped herself from mentioning the Temple of Archons. She tried to hide her original words behind a grimace, and blew out a sigh. “Not long after we fought Taesenus, and my brother-in-law was crippled. But when I tried to chase after her, I couldn’t find any tracks, not even in soft soil.”
“So you suspected maybe you were seeing things?” Amastri asked, apparently having believed Kari’s bluff. “Did anyone else see her, either after your fight with Taesenus or while you were in Sorelizar?”
Kari stared at the half-elven woman. Amastri was such an expert at inferring things and reading peoples’ body language, to the point where she seemed to understand the unspoken just as well as what was said. “Danilynn and Sonja saw her when we were in Sorelizar,” Kari said, remembering to keep her bluff, “but no one else saw her in the syrinthian valley.”
“It would seem rather odd that she was able to chase you here,” Amastri said. “It is no simple matter for people from Mehr’Durillia to come to Citaria, certainly without cause.”
“But what if Sekassus sent her to kill me?” Kari asked.
“King Sekassus would not likely employ her to do so,” the half-elf answered. “At this point, Her Majesty believes King Sekassus wishes to kill you himself, and on this, I concur. It may be that she has been sent to capture you, but you fought Turillia; do you suspect someone with that level of fighting prowess would be sent merely to capture you? I think not. If King Sekassus wishes you dead, he will move directly against you, not send a patsy.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” Kari muttered, rolling her eyes, and Amastri laughed so jovially it drew the attention of several other patrons. They smiled at the beautiful half-elven woman, but went back to their business without prying into her affairs. “Has your king found out anything regarding Taesenus yet?”
“Not yet,” Amastri said. “Rest assured, you will be among the first to know when I hear anything from Her Majesty. Her Majesty understands your personal stake in this, and I believe she will be well pleased to allow you to address the matter for her.”
“You both have my thanks on that,” Kari said evenly, though she didn’t meet Amastri’s eyes. She didn’t want the half-elven woman to read the murderous intent behind Kari’s words. Taesenus was going to pay a terrible price for what he’d done, whether it was what Koursturaux wanted or not. If the demon king was willing to help or reward Kari for exacting her revenge, then that would be a bonus. But Kari had no intentions of letting Koursturaux or Amastri know she felt that way; not at this point, anyway.
Amastri cleared her throat. “Excuse me if I overstep my bounds, but how are your efforts going with regard to your new estate? I understand it will be quite expensive to repair the house and take over the workings of the business.”
Kari raised an eyebrow. “You’re not thinking of offering me a loan, are you?”
“Not personally, of course,” the half-elf said with a smile. “But I am certain something could be arranged if you required aid.”
Kari waved a hand dismissively. “My brother-in-law is helping me with that.”
“I understand,” Amastri said. “I will be in contact when Her Majesty finds information about Taesenus and his whereabouts.”
Kari nodded. “Just do me a favor? Make sure she knows I’ve only refused her invitation because of this,” she said, patting her lower belly.
Amastri smiled again. “I will, though I must say, you would be far safer in Her Majesty’s palace than your own home,” she said. “Enjoy your evening, Lady Vanador. I expect I will be contacting you again soon.”
Kari bid the woman farewell and squeezed out of the inn as inconspicuously as she could. She was starting to find her relationships with Amastri and Koursturaux puzzling and intriguing, especially when she considered she’d told the demon king to shove something up her backside so recently. Kari was still a little nervous that the demon king might seek some sort of vengeance for the insult, but at the same time, she felt it was truer than ever that the demon king saw her as a tool and was desperate to put her to use. Kari simply kept in mind that the more the demon king tried to manipulate her, the more she could manipulate the demon king in return.
Chapter IV – Ripples Upon Water
Kari walked the familiar streets back toward the campus of the Order. Her head was still swimming with everything she’d spent the majority of the morning going through. As planned, she had hired a cart to take her and Typhonix out to her estate so he could take a look at things. Though he had trouble seeing everything from the back of the cart, he was able to get a good idea of the lay of the land and the work the house was going to need. It would have been easier if he’d been able to get up and walk through the house and view the land from the balconies, but since he hadn’t made an issue of his paralysis, Kari kept her mouth shut.
Typhonix had spent the next few hours stunning Kari with knowledge and connections. Several representatives from merchant guilds met them at the estate, and Kari listened while Typhonix went over the figures in his ledgers. Kari had suspected it was going to take a lot of hard work and maybe even blood to convince someone to give her a loan to fix up her land and its house. Instead, she had stood by, speechless, while Typhonix got the guilds to compete over who was going to loan her the money. Kari knew Aeligos was a sweet-talking swindler, but after her meeting, she thought Typhonix might be just as good at it in some regards.
Ultimately, she ended up with a loan from a producer of oils and fine wines who had long bought the estate’s products from the DeSales family and the Duke. His company and the guild it belonged to had considerable financial power, and they offered Kari the loan at a discounted rate in exchange for reciprocal discounts on her harvests. Ty, being much better with numbers and math, negotiated a good deal with them, one that left both sides happy. Kari’s profits for the first five years would be lower than Typhonix had estimated, but there would be no cost out-of-pocket for fixing the home or repairing its road and walls. In short, everything would get done without Kari having to worry about it, which was what she had hoped for. Typhonix had taken such a weight from her shoulders, and Kari was immensely thankful.
Typhonix had also arranged for the little-used portion of land near the road to be paved so that a row of flats could be built. He explained to Kari that having the workers live right on the land – by their choice, of course – would increase productivity at only a marginal cost, with that cost being included as part of their compensation. When Kari considered how expensive it was to buy a house or rent a flat in the city itself, it made a lot of sense to her. Ty was calculating how much of a raise Kari could afford to give the workers, as well as what percentage of their pay would be provided via the flats. He was having a grand time doing the math and paperwork, and though Kari didn’t quite understand that, she was glad to see his attention focused on what he could do, instead of what he couldn’t.
What amazed Kari was that none of it cost her a single coin. She was still astounded by the depth of the gift she’d been given by the Duke of Sutherland, and all on account of simply doing her job. She hadn’t expected any reward for her work in Barcon – not even her promotion to the rank of Hand of Zalkar, and especially not becoming Grand Commander of the Order – so to receive extremely profitable land felt strange. She wasn’t sure she’d even know what to do with all of it if not for her brother-in-law’s assistance. In the back of her mind, she couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that just a few years earlier, when they’d first met, Ty had hated her.
Eli and Danilynn were supposed to meet with Kari around midafternoon, but until they came, she was free to do her actual job on the campus. She had a few questions for one of the priests, but she didn’t want to bother the Council itself with personal matters, even if they did have to do with her job. She made her way to the temple, but before she entered the building, she could see the syrinthian “prisoners” exercising in one of the fields the recruits normally used, so she headed that way. Se’sasha was with them, and the priestess rose to her feet and bowed her head to Kari respectfully. The others did likewise, and Kari smiled at Se’sasha. “What are you all up to?” Kari asked the priestess.
The wording confused the syrinthian woman briefly. “Simply stretching and getting some exercise while we have the use of the grounds,” Se’sasha answered. “Lord Allerius was kind enough to allow us outdoor time under watch of your hunters, and we’re happy to have the opportunity to get some sunshine and fresh air.”
“You’ve been staying with them under house arrest?” Kari asked. She knew Se’sasha was staying on the campus, but she assumed the priestess would be put in a normal dormitory. To find Se’sasha was staying in the guarded bunkhouse with her charges was surprising. Kari wanted to make sure it was by choice, and not by someone’s orders.
“I wish to lead by example,” the syrinthian priestess answered. “My people seek to prove their worth to you and repent for their work against you; I will join them in this. Until such time as they have earned your trust, I will live with them and the consequences of their actions. In the meantime, Lord Allerius has given us leave to help tend to the grounds, the cadets’ laundry, and even to teach what we may regarding our homeland to the young hunters.”
Kari was impressed with Allerius’ initiative, though she wasn’t sure why it surprised her; after all, he had been Grand Commander before Kari outranked and replaced him. She was glad he was not only taking charge of the prisoners, but putting them to use and letting them work to earn the Order’s limited trust. It would be some time before Kari could really put any faith into any of them, but then she considered her plan to capture the mole. If she were to use one of the syrinthians as a decoy and they adhered to and carried out her plan as ordered, she might be able to trust them that much more.
There
was still much work to do and things to put in place before she even considered mentioning that plan to anyone outside the Council and her family, though. Se’sasha could be trusted, but Kari didn’t want to have to worry that the syrinthian priestess would accidentally reveal the plan to her charges. It was better that Kari wait until the entire plan was complete and ready to be put in motion, and then she could reveal it to one of the syrinthian girls and have her make the choice without being able to speak of it to her companions.
Kari studied Se’sasha, clothed in a crimson, figure-hugging silk dress, and could see that the woman was recovering well from her imprisonment at Sekassus’ hands. While she was still gaunt even for one of the lithe snake-folk, her cheeks were slowly filling in, along with her belly and the flesh over her ribs. It was apparent that she had been starved, even at first glance, but she was definitely recovering. And that was to say nothing of the priestess’ spirit, which seemed to radiate the warmth of Sakkrass – or Ashakku, as she called him – that Kari was so familiar with as the deity’s adopted daughter.
“All right, I’ll let you get back to your exercise,” Kari said at last, realizing she was daydreaming while the attention of the entire group of syrinthians was fixed upon her. “Enjoy the day.”
She was surprised when nearly all of them responded Yes, ma’am, and Kari had to work to keep a grin from her face. Se’sasha bid her farewell, and Kari returned to the temple and made her way inside. None of the priests were present, just the young acolytes tending to the altar and cleaning, so she left and crossed the campus to the housing. Several of the priests lived on the campus, so Kari entered the commons of their dormitory.
