The Forgotten: A story in the world of The Dark Ability

by D. K. Holmberg

  “Why are you—”

  “A killer?” I asked.

  She blinked slowly. Her eyes did not change.

  “You’re the Reader,” I answered and turned away.

  “There are some things even I cannot Read,” she said. “They are places buried so deep they’re like a different language to me. To go there and to understand would damage us both.”

  I shifted my focus to peer around the room, taking in the shadows. Light from the lantern flickered. Motes of dust hung in the air mixing with translucent smoke. Even the walls had a certain glaze to them.

  “You wonder if I enjoy what I do.”

  I looked over at her. The darkly lacquered chest was open. Pale blue light washed out. Her hands froze in the act of rustling through its contents, but not before sounds of her sorting reached my ears. I heard clothing mostly but there were other sounds mixed in. Coins. Clank of wood. A strange jingling. Mostly I wondered about the glow.

  She nodded once. Her lips tightened and lines drew around her eyes. Nothing else about her moved.

  “Can you tell by Reading?” I asked softly.

  Her eyes flared darker green, darker than my own. I didn’t look away. I felt a sense not unlike that of a gentle breeze that seemed to blow through my mind, leaving a startling clarity, as if a layer of dust had been disturbed. Light seemed to shimmer, the lantern surging, and shadows slipping under the door shifted.

  Cael finally shook her head.

  I smiled and stood, the dart working between my fingers, rolling across callouses before coming to rest on my fingertips.

  “Sometimes I do,” I admitted.

  Then I flung the door open and flicked the dart, sending it far down the hall. I heard it strike and pulled the door closed quickly. A trio of thunks struck the door as I closed it. Readying another pair of darts, I readied my Sight.

  Cael took a sudden step back, gasping softly. Interesting. With her focus directed at me, she had not sensed the others outside the room. At least there were limits to her abilities.

  “Gather quickly what you’ll need.”

  I shifted my stance, pulling my sword from its sheath while I palmed a few darts, pausing to dip them into the small vial of remaining terad toxin. With more time, I’d prepare additional toxin, but as it was I had to rely on the terad toxin I’d previously readied. Left long enough after mixing, it lost potency. I couldn’t guarantee these darts would kill, but at least they would slow any who might be after us.

  “There are too many,” Cael said.

  “Can you disguise yourself?”

  “Such focus leaves me vulnerable,” she answered.

  I didn’t fully understand but didn’t push, curious what she felt as she read. Did she know that the women below were likely dead? With each worth five gold, there was little incentive to keep them alive. Were any of those women actually Cael’s friends?

  “All of them,” she whispered.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, knowing I shouldn’t be surprised by how easily she read me. The emotion in her voice told me she had not experienced much death.

  “That’s why you searched for me outside the tavern.”

  There was no anger in her tone, just acceptance. I admired how quickly she adapted. “We should hurry. Word spreads quickly in Eban. Others will come. It doesn’t matter to Orly who completes the job, only that it’s done. For twenty gold he’ll want proof.”

  “There’s only the one door.”

  I smiled. “That’s what they’ll expect. They haven’t learned that you have help.”

  “And when they do?”

  “We should be long gone by then.”

  I saw the flicker of green and knew that she Read me. Her eyes widened, color fading. I’d not seen another from my home with eyes quite like that.

  “Galen?”

  I didn’t answer, pulling the door open and throwing myself to the side.

  Three slender knives sunk into the door. Unadorned lorcith.

  Damn.

  There was only one person in Eban I feared and I had counted on him still working in Cort. Lorst’s return meant there was another assassin like me in Eban. Cael’s glamour would not provide any protection then.

  “Galen?” Cael said.

  I ignored her as I glanced down the hall. The corridor was empty except for a figure lying on the ground at the far end of the hall. A small lantern hanging halfway down the hallway burned with a sooty flame that darkened the ceiling. A shimmer of smoke hung on the air. Three other doors lined the hall, each closed. I wondered briefly if the rooms were empty.

  Leaning back into the room to grab Cael, I froze.

  Lorst stood across from her, slender blade in hand, wrist set to strike. Dark haired and lean, more wiry than myself but just as tall. He was dressed in a thin black shirt and tight fitting pants. A small dark pack nested along his back, just the glint of the handles of his knives visible.

  I flicked a dart anticipating his speed. I did not anticipate what he did next.

  Lorst simply vanished, flicking out of existence, reappearing three steps back.

  Damn.

  Sliding. Incredibly rare and an ability I’d never heard about before studying with Isander. I hadn’t known Lorst could Slider. Probably how he travelled so quickly between Cort and Eban. A useful skill, especially for an assassin, and explained how he snuck into the room.

  “Galen,” he said, turning and smiling. “There’s enough coin in this for us to split.”

  I shrugged. “I need supplies.”

  Lorst frowned and Slid back a step. I saw it as a flicker of movement. A slight shimmer bloomed just as he Slid back into view, barely noticeable.

  “And I need the coin,” he said.

  His knife sliced straight toward my face. I turned, slapping it out of the air with the back of my sword. I dared not touch Lorst’s knives with my bare hand; like my darts, toxins coated the surface.

  Behind me Cael gasped. I wished she’d have the sense to drop to the ground and get out of view. Lorst was quick and I didn’t know when he’d send one of his blades toward her.

  I heard the soft rustle of fabric as she went to the ground and smiled.

  I flicked another dart toward Lorst.

  He was fast and slid to the far corner, reappearing with another pale shimmer, and flung a knife at the same time. It came at my shoulder and I turned, slashing with my sword and knocking it to the ground. I flickered another dart, this time aiming in front of him, anticipating the Slide.

  I saw the faint shifting of light as he Slid back into view, dart impaled in his arm at the same time I felt his knife slice through my cloak. I didn’t have time to check if it cut flesh. I would likely be dead soon if it did.

  Lorst dropped in a heap. His breathing slowed, growing harsh. At least the terad toxin remained effective.

  “You did well staying low,” I said. “I’m not sure why Lorst hesitated when he first Slid into the room, but you were lucky.”

  She looked over at a smear of blood on the floor and nodded. “It was you.”

  I smiled darkly. “I know. Come,” I said, pulling her from the ground.

  She swayed slightly as she stood. Pale green eyes were wide and her breathing was heavy. As I felt the pull of her I suddenly realized the control she exerted for me not to desire her constantly.

  She watched Lorst but I heard his breathing fade and knew he had little time left. Another time and I might have mourned him, but not now. Cael bundled her belongings into a small bag, tying it tight.

  I noticed the soft blue glow at the bottom of the bag, vowing to learn what she hid within later. “There will be others.”

  “Like him?” she asked.

  I glanced over at where he lay. My dart stuck out of his forearm and the skin around had grown an angry red. Had he moved? Prudence was the only course with an assassin like Lorst. I readied another dart. It was my last.

  “Not like him,” I said. “Skilled nonetheless.”

&nb
sp; I suddenly sensed a shift in the shadows behind me and spun, flinging the dart just as the door began to open. I heard the man gasp as it struck his hand, sinking through his wrist, and he fell without another sound.

  “Galen?” Cael whispered.

  I turned. Lorst was gone.

  Damn.

  The toxin had sat too long, its effect fading, and now I lost him. He’d recover, the terad toxin having no real long term effects, and come again. Little unsettled me, but the idea of him hunting Cael made me nervous.

  Worse, Orly would soon know. Once my price was set, I would be hunted along with Cael.

  “We must leave now,” I said.

  In the hall, we had to step over the man lying there. He was dark skinned and short and wore a pair of long knives across his back like swords. Another knife had fallen to the ground in front of him. The hilt was covered with intricate scrollwork. The fact that I didn’t recognize him worried me.

  I kneeled next to him and check his neck. He still lived. Given long enough he might wake to chase us. He had a look of competence about him. I took his knife and plunged it through his back. He died without a sound. At least the toxin worked well enough for that.

  After wiping the blade clean, I handed it to Cael. She shook her head, trying to hand the knife back to me.

  “You need to be able to protect yourself.”

  “Not like this,” she said.

  I placed the knife back into her hand, cupping her slender fingers around the hilt, noticing how smooth her skin felt to my hand. “Sometimes the threat of a weapon is enough deterrence.”

  She took a deep breath, eyes surging varying shades of green as she considered. Finally, she nodded. I wondered what she had Read of me during that time.

  Pulling the door open, I stepped into the hall trusting that Cael would follow. I slowed as we neared each of the doors but did not see or hear anything unusual. That didn’t put me completely at ease but I didn’t want to waste time searching each room for potential attackers. I’d have to trust that with my Sight and with Cael’s Reading, we’d detect any others.

  A small trail of blood ran down the hall at the corner. A dark handprint stained the wall, smearing along the rough wood. Two more doors were on either side of the hall. One door hung slightly ajar. Lanterns hung on either side of the hall, softly burning. The dark soot they put off appeared thicker to my eyes.

  I wondered if the injured was someone after Cael or one of the women. Behind me, Cael’s breathing quickened.

  I reached the partially open door and kicked it wide, dropping low as I did. I held my sword loosely in hand, again wishing I had more time to prepare additional darts. Nothing moved.

  We still hadn’t come across anyone else killed by my darts. What had happened to the first attackers? The toxin shouldn’t have worn off that quickly.

  I motioned Cael and we slipped further down the hall. The trail of blood was thicker here, soaking into the wide planks of the flooring as it transitioned into the main room of the tavern.

  An upended table blocked transition from hall to the tavern. I leaned back against the wall, watching the shadows but saw nothing. The tavern stunk of smoke. If the Durven blazed, we could be trapped.

  Turning to Cael, I started to speak when she shook her head.

  “I don’t sense anyone,” she said.

  I nodded once.

  After lifting the table out of the way, I finally saw the body. It lay sprawled across the floor on its side, a growing pool of blood soaking into the floor. One of Lorst’s slender knives stuck out from his inner thigh. Even without the poisoned blade that was a fatal shot.

  I glanced at the man’s face, reassured that I recognized him. Talim. A thief usually, but as much coin as Orly offered turned thieves into murderers. I nudged his body, making sure he was dead, before stepping over. A distasteful expression contorted Cael’s mouth as she followed me.

  “This may be difficult for you,” I said as we entered the tavern. A thick haze of smoke hung about the room. I still hadn’t seen the fire and hoped the Great Watcher would let us escape before flames consumed the tavern.

  “This has already been difficult,” she said and stepped around me.

  I grabbed her wrist, holding her carefully. I couldn’t help but notice how smooth her skin felt. She didn’t fight as she turned, meeting my eyes. Hers were pale now with only flecks of green. How did she manage to make her eyes appear different shades of green? “This will be different.”

  Tables and chairs were upended throughout the tavern. Some were splintered, broken as if they had been heaved at the stone walls, others simply thrown to the back of the room. I found the fire as it burned in the hearth along the far wall, licking out along one of the upturned tables, working up its legs. Flames stretched to the ceiling, darkening the wood only. It would not be long before the entire tavern burned. And much of the neighborhood.

  I heard Cael gasp and turned to see three of the women lying in a heap, blood pooling from slit throats.

  “Was this…” she began but could not finish.

  “Not Lorst,” I said, shaking my head and motioned to a pair of men lying along the short bar.

  Each had a slender silver knife jutting from their neck. Both were men whose faces I recognized, men from the Eban underworld like Talim but without experience in killing. Men tempted and turned into killers by the promise of Orly’s coin. Nearly fifteen men so far, including myself.

  With sudden certainty, I knew I was missing something. This was about more than just Cael, about more than just a Reader. Whatever she had taken from Orly had made him send an army after her.

  I glanced at the small bundle she carried. Whatever glowed within was what Orly sought.

  There wasn’t the time to slow down to think it through. Only time to move and survive. Get Cael to safety. And then find out.

  A slight shift in shadows drew my attention. I turned, spinning with my sword held in front of me. I saw nothing but fire and smoke. “Cael?”

  She hurried over. I didn’t need to be a Reader to understand the emotion on her face: fear. This was a woman unused to uncertainty with her Reading.

  Flames now raced across the ceiling, filling the room with thick smoke. My Sight would not help once the smoke filled the room.

  “It’s time we leave the Durven,” I said. The tavern would soon fall. Probably the other buildings surrounding it as well.

  Time to escape and then learn what Cael knew, learn why Orly had already targeted me.

  * * *

  I stopped on the streets outside the Durven and turned to look. Bright flames lit the night, racing up the side of the tavern. Heavy smoke filled the air, adding the haze of the night. Firelight reflected off of the smoke to create a softly muted light. Were it not so deadly I would call it beautiful.

  Sounds of chaos—men running, children screaming, the heavy groaning of the Durven as the wood cracked and began to give way—filled the air. The distraction would help us escape but could not be counted on to last for long.

  “We need to leave the city.”

  The lack of other emotion as she nodded made me wonder how much of this she had planned.

  “You will accompany me?” she asked.

  I blinked, my breathing quickening slightly. Leave Eban but for where? Hiding her meant a larger city, otherwise she’d stand out and be quickly found. If not Lorst, then someone else. After tonight, the price on her would surely climb. Men would not stop at a chance for that kind of gold.

  Few options came to mind. To the north was Cort. The sprawling city was much like Eban, huge and filled with corruption. At least Orly didn’t control Cort as he did Eban. Cort could be comfortable for someone like me. Except Lorst worked Cort.

  Beyond Cort was the massive city Asazn. Cael could hide in Asazn if needed. Even Orly would struggle to extend his reach that far north. Looking at Cael, beautiful and dark, eyes now pale in the reflected firelight, I didn’t envision her in a place like Asazn.
It was a detestable city, darker and more run down than even Eban.

  I thought of exotic Jof to the east and discarded the idea. Cael would not fit in well in the dry desert. West led to Yilan and the ocean.

  “South,” Cael said.

  I looked over to see green flaring in her otherwise pale eyes. “I cannot go south,” I said.

  “Then I’ll go alone,” she said. “For it must be south.”

  The top floor of the Durven suddenly gave way, crashing to the ground below in a shower of sparks. A fire line had formed, men carrying buckets of water as they fought to contain the fire, but there was little that could be done to stop the Durven from burning.

  “Let me get you out of the city,” I said, “then we can decide where you can hide.”

  She touched my arm with one of her slender hands. I shivered as she did, her fingers like silk across my arm. “Once I leave the city there will be no hiding. I must head south.”

  “What do you have?” I asked. My eyes flicked to the pack she had slung around her neck. She cradled the contents to her side, one arm holding it tightly. The other hand held the long silver knife I had taken off the assassin. A hint of a blue glow radiated from the pack, possibly imagined.

  “Something of value only to me,” she answered.

  “I doubt that.”

  “Now you’re the Reader?”

  I tipped my head as I studied her. “Who are you, Cael?”

  She smiled and I felt a soft rustling around me head, like a breeze blowing. “Just a Reader, Galen.”

  Movement down the street propelled me into action. I pulled Cael along the streets of Eban. The light from the flames around the Durven faded the farther we ran. The city changed, too. Dark streets lit by poor-man’s oil slowly turned toward brighter sections of town. Ramshackle buildings became tidy shops. Instead of faded signs, lettering almost unreadable, now there were brightly painted storefronts.

  We encountered many people as we hurried away from the Durven. At first, most were dressed in well-worn clothes, some ill fitting, some tattered, more than a few simply dirty. Once I saw a couple carrying a small child covered in soot and wondered how close to the Durven they lived.