“I know a bookseller who would be ecstatic to have it. I don’t know how he missed the listing.”
“Well, I reviewed the offers closely, and rejected all from established businesses or individuals with verifiable backgrounds; yours was the only suspicious one.”
“Really? What gave it away?” he asked, very motivated to know in what way he had revealed himself to her. He tried to be diligent in keeping his identity secret, because it was linked to the lives of people that he cared about.
“The mailbox address was newly opened, that’s always a flag. Hmm...what else? Oh, you’d been dead for a week.”
“The certificates of death in that region don’t get filed until six months after burial because…”
“True, but the family still held services, which were in public record.”
“I didn’t think anyone would check that.”
“No one does,” she grinned and he joined her.
“Think I can still use it, though?”
“I wouldn’t, if I knew I was looking for me.” She tilted her head, her eyebrow lifting slightly when he chuckled at her boast. “But, you might risk it otherwise. I can give you some more recommendations for your underground lifestyle, if we have time later.”
“You don’t mind helping out an escaped criminal?” he asked, noting the second time she checked the hour.
“I am directly opposed to aiding criminals. Fortunately, I don’t have contact with any.”
“Why don’t you give me the rest of your message, before your boyfriend comes home.”
“Good idea. And, he’s my fiance.”
He raised his eyebrows at the news and then smiled, “Congratulations, Aorin.”
“Thanks. It took us a long while to find someone compatible, someone who could tolerate my particular oddities, but it was worth the wait. Anyway, he’s not involved in the Scere, so I don’t want him exposed to any...you know…”
“Any of it,” he filled in, nodding his head. He knew from experience that ignorance could be a gift you didn’t want to look in the mouth. “So, what is it?”
“I was contacted by Soshia through Temper, who thought that if someone could find you, or rather, if there was someone you would be willing to meet if contacted, it would be me. I am actually a little honored, or at least gratified, to find that she was right…”
Scythe nodded, “You are about it, Aorin. I trust you. I might have come for Temper, too. Perhaps. I’m not sure. Anyway, what do they want?”
“There is some kind of trouble in the Scere, or with the Scere, something at the upper levels. I wasn’t told what it is, but Temper was adamant that I find you. She seems to think you could help them out, maybe with your power...I don’t know. Anyway, they want to meet with you and ask your help with an assignment.”
Scythe sat back in the chair and considered the situation. He had not left the Scere in good standing. There was a good chance that, if they got a hold of him, the Scere as a body would, in response to his unlawful actions, take one of a number of undesirable actions. They might either turn him over to the authorities for the crimes he had committed five years ago, imprison him indefinitely in one of their own facilities, or they might try to force him to work for them again. However, it wasn’t the Scere that was asking for a meeting, two people that he had entrusted with his secrets and with his life were, and, when things had been difficult, they had proven themselves trustworthy.
Still, it didn’t sound like it could be something quick and easy, which meant another delay in returning home. He had already been gone too long, which meant that he wasn’t carrying his share of the responsibilities there; that was something he had sworn he would do, a promise that meant a lot to him.
Half to himself, he said, “I really need to head home...I’ve been neglecting my okin.”
She gave him a thoughtful look that was made slightly mischievous by the addition of a thin smile. “It’s been good for you, hasn’t it?”
“What?”
“Belonging to them. You’ve grown warmer. You smile more and laugh more. I like this side of you. Maybe you should go home and let the Scere handle its own problems.”
He nodded, but didn’t answer because there was one more aspect of the problem that hadn’t been resolved yet.
After another moment, she shook her head, knowing what it was because she knew that part of him as well as anyone. It was a trait they shared. “You are almost helpless in the face of a mystery.”
He shrugged a shoulder, loosening a tight muscle and turning his head slightly to stretch another in his neck. It was true. He wanted to at least know what difficulty would make them go to such lengths to find him, especially Soshia, who knew what his specialty was. Soshia would want him because she knew he was a hunter. Which meant there was a hunt. For information, for a person, for a connection, for a solution...it could be anything. Whatever it was, it was sure to be a challenge: something they hadn’t been able to do on their own, with all their significant resources. A challenge like that was something he hadn’t had in a while.
Inside, he was tugging at his own leash, the scent of the fox already filling his head. He wanted to race after it, feel his muscles surge and his paws carry him forward, pushing against the ground with enough force to launch himself with each step. The air which stood still for everyone else became the wind that blew across his skin when he ran through it after his prey. The sharp senses he had honed for that very purpose fed him his favorite meats: the sight of a print, disturbed earth or broken twig stood out like the full moon in the night sky, the sounds of its passage sought him out and pulled him after, his knowledge of the land and the holes hidden in it scattered and reassembled themselves over and over to make an increasingly clearer picture in his mind of where it could be headed, the smell of its fear in the breeze told him he was close. Even other animals, startled by its flight, usually ran in a direct line away from it, tracing a path that he could follow.
He loved to hunt. For years, he had mostly lain around, with only a few little rabbits to chase after. Now that Aorin had given him the scent, his teeth were aching for a fox.
“I guess I could at least meet with them…”
Aorin shook her head again and strode over to the communications panel in the hallway.
-----------
“You’re investigating the Families?” Scythe asked, frowning. He looked around again at the room where they arranged to meet him. It was a small dining area adjacent to a gathering hall that was not hosting any events that day. The three of them sat at the table farthest from the door: Scythe and both high ranking members of the Scere L’ Hedeler, the ex-Watcher Temper and Soshia.
The Kin Families were a group of wealthy, influential families that were second only to the King in terms of the power they wielded. When they bound together, they could even force his hand in certain issues. Their members and the people that followed their direction from the lesser families were present and active in all areas of the government. It was a common belief that, in some instances, the Families and their respective factions decided what law was passed even before the first piece of paperwork was submitted, or what judgments were given before the cases were brought to the courts.
“Yes, we need you to help us determine which of the Families are spearheading recent attacks on us. We believe that there are several, perhaps as many as eight…”
“Maybe we should back up a bit,” Temper suggested. Soshia nodded and signaled for her to continue. “We were not able to prove which of the Families beyond Kelreig’s line were behind the attack on the capital, despite our greatest efforts. We never got one thing on Tiburon. And, perhaps due to their success on that night…”
“Success? They failed to get the King. I thought that was their objective. The attack was a distraction…”
“The assassination was part of the design, but it was not their main interest. The King was a target because he stood in the way of their objective, which has become very cle
ar in the years since you disappeared. They are going after the Humans. The raids on the capital and on the outlying regions were very successful at driving public opinion further down the road it had already been set on; the whole thing has been a negative campaign against them. They want all Humans completely unregulated and stripped of their natural rights.”
Soshia added, “We thought originally that powered Humans, particularly bordertown residents since that is where the populations are concentrated, were their only interest, but now it has become clear that the entire race is in jeopardy.” She handed him a tablet and he quickly opened and scanned the contents of the first cache. “This is a brief summary of our findings so far.
“Of coursed we suspected this, because of the laws that have been passed, but we did not foresee them redirecting their efforts and coming directly at the Scere...” Temper explained.
Scythe finished for her, “Because your cabinet has been hidden in the shadows for generations. But how could they take down an entire government entity?”
Soshia said, “They are using the same tactic that has been working for them in their campaign to undermine Humans: smearing the reputation of the entire group. They are bringing up charges of corruption and illegal fund use, unethical practices, personal attacks on key members, whatever they can to weaken us politically. There are talks of confiscation of our files and inspections of our facilities…This we can not allow.”
“I thought the Scere was shrouded, that nobody even talked about it. How are they getting around that?”
“Very deftly. In recent years they have crept up on us, taking small steps at first and then graduating to leaps. The first year it was just minor things like accidentally dropping a name or referring to the cabinet. Then, there were more formal actions, following money trails to us...the raids caused many questions to come up formally in hearings that required the Scere to respond on record. Within three years, the Scere went from hidden to exposed. Now we stand openly scrutinized by the legislative and judicial bodies.”
“And the King?” Scythe asked, looking at Temper, who he knew was a cousin of the Blood Dragon, ruler of the Kin.
“He is not in a position to officially interfere, as everything has been done according to the procedures set forth by the law, but he does what he can. He is divided on the issue, and that helps our enemies.”
Scythe commented, “Ten years ago I would have been thrilled to hear this. The fall of the Scere. It is incredible that you called me here to help you defend it. Okay, let’s get down to business, I have two questions. One, what do you think I can do for you? And, two, why exactly would I?”
Soshia answered, “We need your ability to interrogate several figures. With your skills, we can cut quickly to the heart of the conspiracy. You know this. In fact, we…” She gestured to Temper who nodded in agreement. “...both believe that the charges brought against you after the raid on the capital were done in large part to both expose the Scere, as you were an agent, and eliminate you as a Scere tool. They knew that you would be a threat to their plans. One key member would be all it took to ruin everything for them.”
“We talked about that at the time...but we didn’t know who or why,” Temper said. “Remember?”
“Yes.” They had noticed that it had been strange how quickly the charges were brought against him and how expertly everything was manipulated to get him incarcerated immediately. He and Temper had hypothesized that an outside force, beyond the standard police investigation, was moving things in the background to ensure either imprisonment or execution. Unfortunately, they hadn’t had a chance to figure out more than that. Shortly after, he had escaped. “Then, I disappeared.”
“Yes, and it is clear now that your disappearance was a boon to them. In jail, you might have still been some use to us. However, your absence was a decided victory for them.”
“I was forced to run,” Scythe said, keeping his eyes on Soshia, but noting Temper’s flinch. The King had feared Scythe’s ability, just as the Families did, and wanted it eliminated. Thus, he had secretly ordered Scythe to assassinate Cord, who had similar abilities and had proven his willingness to use them unscrupulously. The King had shown mercy in Scythe’s case, settling for life in prison instead of death.
Nothing about the deal had gone over well with Scythe or his family. Ian, Mercy and Scythe together had decided to take another route. They had decided to flee, and had been on the run ever since. They had been in hiding for four years, and in all that time he had avoided being recaptured with careful planning and limited exposure to the world outside of their remote country home. Now Soshia and Temper were asking him to risk himself, knowing that he would lose his freedom and probably his life if he were caught.
“That is irrelevant.” Soshia answered in her usual blunt manner. “We are facing a disaster here, and we need help only you can give. The Scere cannot be compromised. You know that they provide a service to the Humans that no other entity can or will provide.”
It was true. The fall of the Scere would be a catastrophe for all Humans. Already, the lives of the powered were being limited. The rest of the race would be easy to control if the Scere did not stand between the Humans and the Kin factions that sought to take control of them. If there were no protections for them, they would become the slaves of the Kin dominion, just as the rebels had prophesied in their pamphlets. The rebels, at least the sincere ones, not the puppets of the Kin corporations and Families, had fought the Kin because they believed their people had to become stronger in order to survive. Even if their methods were deplorable, weren’t their goals admirable? The Human government did nothing to combat the situation; it was itself a pawn of the Kin. He had often wondered later, after the events in Quo Ire were behind him, if it had been wrong to oppose the only group that would act in defense of Humanity.
He shook his head. If he took this job, he would have run the entire gamut: fighting the Scere, working for the Scere, and defending the Scere. He had fought the rebels, become an outlaw himself, and now he found himself recognizing truths in their claims and wondering if perhaps he should have stood with them all along. Each time he had taken a stance, he had done so in good conscience; he had believed in his choices. Had he been always wrong? Or always right? It didn’t seem possible to be right from opposite sides of the line. The line hadn’t changed, so he must have…
Soshia interrupted his train of thought, “We recognize the delicacy of your position, and will strive to protect your autonomy and freedom.”
He shook his head absently, still mired by thoughts of the strange path he had taken to arrive at that meeting, and said, “How can you guarantee that? I’ll be picked up the second I am spotted, especially in this city. It was fairly difficult for me to even make it here today.”
“We will bring them to you. You will be working in a secure location, conducting your interrogations and assisting in the intelligence work, as that is a specialty of yours as well. We have already assigned Aorin, since she works well with you, and Temple and I will take lead. You need not interact with anyone else.”
“I haven’t done much of what you are asking, since I left,” he said, sitting back and folding his arms across his chest. In fact, he had almost eliminated the use of it, especially when it was invasive and what he now considered unethical. He only did it when he felt it was necessary to safeguard himself or others, and only minimally then. Years before, he had come to a point in his life when he realized that what he was doing didn’t fit with the person he wanted to be. Now, he tried to live by a certain code of conduct; invading people’s minds, changing their thoughts, taking away their personal dignity in that way didn’t have a place in it, both because of what it did to them, and because of how it degraded him.
“We will keep it as narrowly focused as possible, and naturally you will have complete control over exactly how much you use your ability. Will you at least give us a week of your services? In that amount of time, we can bring in the key fig
ures we already know we can get the most valuable information from. It is possible that a week of your help will be all we need.” Soshia lay her hands on the table, with palms gently cupped and facing up, the formal Kin gesture of supplication and a sign that she was desperate for his help.
A week longer, plus another half a week to return home. He calculated the time because he already knew he would take the job. It wasn’t as good a hunt as he had hoped for, but it was something of a challenge. There were other benefits, as well. In addition to the reliable information about the fragile Human relations status, he would be getting access to the Scere database, access to several networks that normally he had to hack into with great care, and he would get to work with Aorin, whose brain he wanted to pick some more about protecting his underground lifestyle. It was too good an opportunity to pass up.
“I’ll require a significant fee,” he said, uncrossing his arms, pulling the tablet off the table and looking it over some more.
“Naturally. We are willing to offer you triple your usual payment, in deference to your delicate situation.”
“In deference to your desperate need,” he said, grinning. She was talking about a very generous amount of money. His family would definitely benefit from that large of a sum.
“That, too.”
Temper smiled, “I’m glad, Scythe, to have you in on this assignment. It will be good to work together again.”
Scythe nodded, “Just like old times, except no assassination orders.”
“And no jail cells. I was there quite a while before they found me.”
He sucked in a breath and gave her a rueful look, “Sorry about that.”
She shrugged, “I understood, of course. My cousin didn’t take it well, but then, he is used to getting what he wants.” She let a smile play in one corner of her mouth. “I think it was probably good for him to get a little shaken up. Anyway, I am grateful that you didn’t alter my memories. At least, I don’t think you did.”
Halfblood Legacy Page 5
