Trick of Shadows (The Duskhunter Saga Book 2)

by Sara C. Roethle

  He nodded slightly, his gaze intent on my face. “I smelled no humans around the corpse, nor did I recognize the scent of the vampires.”

  “So what does this mean?” I pressed. “How close are we to a vampire war?”

  He arched a white brow. “Dear Lyssandra, we are already at war, just a more subtle war than those waged by mortals.”

  I wasn’t bold enough to think that me being sent away could have anything to do with the ancient’s murder. Was I actually thinking of the slaying of a vampire as a murder?

  I scowled. “So you are at war then, we knew this was coming. Why travel all the way to Silgard to tell me? There’s nothing I can do to help you until I solve the murder here. Even once I return to Castle Helius, I may not want to help you.”

  He splayed one palm against my horse’s pen near my shoulder, leaning forward but not quite touching me. He never seemed to touch me unless I was dying and needed to be saved. “For now, we are on the same side. We both want to prevent the slaughter of mortals. So I do believe you will help me, whether you want to or not.”

  I tucked my arms in tightly against my body to keep from being too close to his hand. “You are insufferable.”

  “You spoke of a murder here,” he continued like I hadn’t spoken. “Perhaps if I help you solve it, you can return to aid me more quickly.”

  I stiffened. “I don’t need your help. You know nothing about being a hunter.”

  “You are training that other hunter, the one you seem to be sharing a bed with tonight. Surely you can tell me enough that I may be of use.”

  I ignored the subtle insinuation. If he wanted to think something was going on with Steifan, then so be it. It made no difference. I wanted to tell him to go drown in a swamp, then I realized that he might actually be useful.

  “You have thought of something,” he said, watching my expression.

  “There is something you could do to help, but you will do it only to help solve a murder, because it is the right thing to do. Not as a favor where I will owe you something in return.”

  He leaned a little closer and lowered his voice, “Name it, and it will be done.”

  I rolled my eyes to hide my discomfort, ignoring his cool breath on my skin. “I would like to find the murdered woman’s journal, but my worry is that if her husband finds it first he will burn it, if he hasn’t burned it already. If he has, search her room for anything suspicious.”

  His brows raised and he leaned back. “You would like me to break into a mortal’s home?”

  I nodded. “It’s one of the large estates up the hill. You should be able to follow the smell of rotting corpse. I imagine her body will not be burned until tomorrow.”

  He smiled tightlipped, hiding his fangs. “Very well, I will fetch it shortly. Where will you meet me once the task is done?”

  “Steifan and I will be out searching the city for vampires. I imagine you’ll be able to find me.”

  His palm still braced beside me, he leaned forward again. “There are many vampires within the city, Lyssandra. Be careful what you dig up.”

  “Would a vampire ever pay a mortal woman for blood?” I asked abruptly.

  My question seemed to catch him off guard. He took a moment to think about it. “Perhaps, if one was in jeopardy of being discovered, and did not want to flee their territory.”

  “Have you ever paid for blood?” I regretted the question as soon as I asked it.

  The edges of his mouth ticked up. “Dear Lyssandra, I never pay for something I can easily get for free.”

  With that, he was gone, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I patted my horse’s cheek, then left to find Steifan. I didn’t know how long it would be until Asher returned with the journal, so I’d just have to drum up trouble as quickly as I could.

  Chapter Five

  A few hours later, Steifan and I walked down the quiet nighttime street. I had relented and told him about my meeting with Asher. Better to explain it while we were alone, rather than explaining it once Asher showed up with the journal. If he showed up with the journal. It might already be gone, leaving us no other clues.

  “I can’t believe he followed you all the way here,” Steifan said, breaking the silence as we meandered down an alleyway. I had sensed vampires a few times, but we were yet to come close enough to seek them out.

  “He didn’t follow me,” I snapped. “He only sought me out after the ancient was killed.”

  “Yes, because a young huntress will surely be able to figure out a vampire murder. He probably just wanted an excuse to see why you were in the city.”

  I held out my hand, sensing a familiar vampire coming near, and I wished Steifan had not chosen now to start this conversation. Asher had probably heard every word.

  Steifan reached for his sword, not understanding my silent warning.

  I turned and looked back the way we’d come. Asher now stood roughly twenty paces away, having approached us as silent as only the dead can manage.

  Steifan visibly relaxed, which was unnerving. One should never relax around a vampire.

  “Did you find it?” I asked as Asher moved near us at human speed.

  He produced a small, leather-bound journal from within his coat pocket.

  My heart skipped a beat. Could it possibly be this easy? Would we find the answers to Charlotte’s murder tonight?

  Asher reached us, but did not offer the journal.

  “Was it difficult to find?” I asked.

  “No, the husband had already found it. He was preparing to burn it when I arrived.”

  “Did you kill him?” Steifan blurted.

  Asher glared, and Steifan stepped back. I found myself glad to not be on the other end of that silver glare.

  The vampire turned back to me. “I was forced to bespell the man. I tried to question him, but his mind proved surprisingly strong. I hope this will hold the answers you seek.” He lifted the journal in his hand.

  I reached for it, but he pulled it away.

  “Give it to me,” I demanded.

  “Promise me that after this murder is solved, you will help me discover who killed the ancient.”

  I lowered my hand. There was no use trying to snatch anything from a vampire. “I can make no such promises. I follow the Potentate’s orders, and he may have another mission for me.”

  He dangled the journal just out of reach above my head. “I don’t think you follow anyone’s orders, Lyssandra.”

  I put my hands on my hips, refusing to jump for the journal like a fool. “You know, people keep saying that to me.”

  “Promise me,” he repeated, “and the journal is yours.”

  I frowned. I didn’t like promising him anything, but I was already planning on looking into the murder. How could I not? “Fine,” I hissed. “I promise.”

  He extended the journal to me and I snatched it away, clutching it against my chest. “I would thank you, but I don’t want to, so for tonight, we are done. Where will I find you when I am ready to look into your murder?”

  He looked up at the stars visible between the roofs on either side of the alley. “I believe I will spend some time within the city. I see no reason to waste such a long journey.” He turned and strolled back down the alley.

  Steifan moved to my side as I watched Asher fade into the darkness. “Yeah, he definitely came here just to see you.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “Shut up, Steifan.”

  His laughter followed me as I retreated down the alley, making my way back toward the inn. As annoyed as I was, I was also excited to read the journal. When you needed to solve a murder, the mind of the victim was usually the best place to start.

  I sat on the wooden floor of our inn room, a flickering lantern near my curled up knee. On my other side sat Steifan, leaning over to peer at the journal in my lap. No, not a journal, a ledger. In rows were scrawled names, locations, and numerical amounts. Unfortunately most of the names and locations were abbreviated, but at least the dates at the start
of each new page were clear. We had taken off our armor to sit more comfortably, and had flipped through every page.

  The ledger went back months, the final day taking place two weeks ago.

  “Do you think this is a record of her,” Steifan hesitated, “trade contacts?”

  I smirked. “That’s a pleasant way of putting it, but we don’t even know if that rumor is true. What we do know is that this ledger was filled out nearly to the day she died.” I pulled my braid from being trapped between my back and the edge of the bed we leaned against.

  “How do you know which day she died? I assumed it was not as the duke claimed judging by the smell . . . ”

  I smiled, glad he’d noticed. “I know mostly from the smell, and the fact that she was moved. Lady Montrant claims she ended her friendship with Charlotte two weeks ago. That is about as long as it would take for a body to get to that stage of decomposition if it was left in a place warmer than the duke’s estate.”

  “Why do you think the duke is lying about her death?” he asked.

  I shrugged, still looking down at the abbreviated names in the ledger. “Who can say? I think he saw the bites on her neck and figured calling us here would be a good way to cover up what really happened. We would see the bites, hunt down the vampire, and the murder would be solved.”

  “So he didn’t count on us actually having brains,” Steifan said caustically.

  I laughed. “It is not an uncommon assumption. We are warriors, not scholars.”

  Grinning, he gestured down to the ledger. “So what do we do with this?”

  I lifted the book and flipped to the final filled-out page. “Just two names on this page. If she made these meetings, they might have been the last two people to see her alive. Tomorrow we try to find them.”

  Steifan read the page. “Well I’m not sure how we will locate S.D., but I recognize the second name, J. DeRose. At least I recognize the surname.”

  I tilted my head. “Odd, that she would mention a surname when most other names are abbreviated. Do you know any DeRoses in Silgard?”

  He cringed. “The DeRose family probably has around one hundred living members, fifty or so of which dwell in the city. Ignoring the children, maybe twenty-five.”

  “And how many with the first initial J?” I asked.

  “I could not say, but I imagine Bastien will know. The DeRoses are a prominent family.”

  I gave the ledger one last look, then shut it. “So tomorrow we will search for J. DeRose. We should get some rest now while we can.”

  He lifted a brow. “No more hunting vampires? I assumed you would want to go back out.”

  I stood. “Asher claims there are many vampires within the city, we may find one or two, but the chances of finding the one who bit Charlotte are slim. Now that the ledger has provided us with more to go on, I would rather rest, then pursue more likely angles tomorrow.”

  Still seated leaning against the bed, Steifan looked up at me. “Do you think Asher could figure out which vampire bit her?”

  I tossed the ledger on the foot of the bed, then retrieved the sheathed Seeing Sword where I had left it on the ground beside me. “Even if he could, I would not ask him.”

  “But you asked him to steal the ledger.”

  I leaned the sword against the head of the bed where I could easily reach it if we were awakened. “He wouldn’t be able to find the vampire,” I sighed. “A bite on a dead woman is not much to go on. Normally when a body turns up, we can hunt the area and find the vampire’s flock. But there are no territory lines here. We cannot pin a death to a certain flock just judging by the location. And like I said, I’m not sure the bite is what killed her.”

  He stood and straightened his shirt. “But if Asher could help, you would ask him?”

  I narrowed my eyes. “I asked him tonight, did I not? His presence may vex me, but I would not put that above solving this murder.”

  He held up his hands in surrender. “My apologies, I did not mean to imply as such.”

  “And you will do well to not trust him either,” I forged on. “I may be his human servant, but to him, you are just food. Do not let down your guard around him, nor any vampire.”

  Steifan fetched the lantern from the ground, then moved around the bed to set it on the windowsill. “Believe as you like, but I’m quite sure he won’t harm me, because I am important to you.”

  I flopped down on the bed, nestling the back of my head against a pillow. “Every part of that sentence is irritating to me.”

  He walked to his side of the bed and plopped down beside me. “Are you more irritated that I am important to you, or that Asher so obviously cares?”

  There was no way I was answering either of those questions. “Remember when I told you to be careful around Asher?” I asked evenly.

  “Yes, that was only moments ago.”

  I smiled sourly up at the ceiling. “Well you should be even more careful around me, I’m just as likely to tear your heart out.”

  He laughed, then got up to extinguish the lantern.

  I shook my head, smiling in the sudden darkness. Steifan really believed I wouldn’t tear out his heart. Maybe I was going soft.

  Chapter Six

  As promised, Bastien met us in the square an hour after dawn. I almost didn’t recognize him without the duke’s showy livery.

  I said as much as he approached where we stood just outside the inn.

  Looking down at his boots, he tugged the hem of his tan tunic. “I reckoned you’d not like me drawing any extra stares.”

  I realized I’d embarrassed him, and it really was smart for him to dress in less conspicuous clothing. His tunic and breeches, while well-made, were unremarkable. He did not stand out in the markets, nor would he be noticeable amongst peasants. He would obviously still be recognized in the White Quarter, but there it would not matter as much. There everyone already knew what we were looking for.

  “You did good,” I said. I glanced at Steifan, wondering where to begin.

  We’d both had similar thoughts to Bastien on our clothing. I wore a midnight blue silk shirt and black leggings, while Steifan wore clothing nearly the twin of Bastien’s. While we were supposed to wear our armor with its insignia at all times on a mission, we were far from Castle Helius, and we might gain more answers if people didn’t realize we were hunters.

  Our swords and extra weaponry might still stand out, but most would think us mercenaries.

  I turned back to Bastien. “How much time can you spare us today?”

  He grinned. “I have the rest of the day off. Vannier requested I do whatever it takes to help you find the monster who killed Duchess Auclair.”

  My eyebrows shot up. Odd, that it was the servant pushing for justice rather than the husband.

  I glanced around the market, making sure no one paid us too much attention as I wondered how to broach the subject of J. DeRose with Bastien. By now the duke would have realized the ledger was missing, unless he simply woke up thinking he’d already burned it. Regardless, it was better to exercise caution and not let Bastien know we had the ledger.

  Seeming to realize my predicament, Steifan looked around me to Bastien. “For our first task, can you guide us to the DeRoses? My father requested we pay several notable families a visit, and I’m not sure where this particular family dwells.”

  Bastien’s expression fell. “I fear the DeRoses have gone out of favor. They fell victim to criminal activities and went destitute.”

  Steifan and I locked gazes for a moment. Why would Charlotte be meeting with a family that had fallen out of favor?

  “Is there a particular member of the family you were tasked to approach?” Bastien asked hopefully.

  Steifan’s bashful expression was almost believable. “My father only gave me a list, and did not fully explain the names. At the top of the list was J. DeRose.”

  Bastien nodded, easily accepting the explanation. “That would be Jeramy DeRose. I know the general area of wher
e he now lives,” he paused, his eyes flicking me. “It is not an area for a proper lady to be seen.”

  Steifan snorted, earning him a deathly glare. I turned back to Bastien before I could ensure I had wiped the grin off Steifan’s face. “I will be fine. Can you take us there?”

  Bastien glanced at the Seeing Sword. “Yes, I do suppose you can take care of yourself. This way.”

  We followed as he cut across the square, opposite the direction of the stables. He led us down a narrow dirt street bisecting small wooden homes, some with shattered windows, and some that never had glass to begin with. Occasionally we heard voices from within the homes, most seeming to belong to mothers and children, though sometimes a man’s voice was thrown in. These were probably the families of smiths, tailors, tavern workers, and the like. Farmers and peasants would live outside the city walls.

  We followed the interior curve of those walls now, as the homes slowly fell to disrepair. Eventually they were little more than shacks, the planks oddly spaced enough to barely keep out the elements. Thatched roofs were mostly rotted, with some gone entirely, showing the wooden supports beneath.

  There were more people out in the street here, some sleeping in the open beneath ragged piles of bedding. Two dirty, but healthy looking young men watched us closely as we passed. I didn’t miss the way their eyes lingered on mine and Steifan’s weapons, probably wondering if they would be able to take them from us.

  Bastien stuck close to my shoulder as we continued on. “We will need to ask someone, I don’t know exactly where Jeramy ended up.”

  My nose wrinkled at a familiar odor amidst the bouquet of unwashed bodies and excrement. “Perhaps, but let’s check this way first.”

  I veered right after passing a vacant home, with Bastien and Steifan close behind. The smell grew worse. I was getting a bad feeling.

  Just as I thought it, the Seeing Sword thrummed at my back.