by Katie Roman
Without another word, she pushed through the crowd and went up the stairs into a room Jim Little had given her for her service to Grace. Thom stood waiting inside with several lamps already lit.
“Idiots,” she said as she closed the door.
“They are just anxious for justice.”
Kay frowned and sat on her bed. Thom sat down next to her. “Are you anxious for the same?”
Thom shook his head. “He is gone and his murderer is dead. I have all the justice I want.”
“I am sorry, Thom.” Kay took one of his hands and held it.
“I will mourn properly when this is over. Right now we need to figure out what to do with these fools.” He took his hand back and laid down on the bed to stare up at the ceiling.
“Did you notice they only want someone who is not of their stock?”
“No one wants to risk their life for this. They are perfectly happy letting you go up against Robert of Escion, or for Grace, letting her get caught for treason.”
“They are too impatient and too spineless.”
Thom chuckled. “I am surprised you are not actually planning a coup. I have seen your temper get the better of you more than once.”
Kay looked sidelong at him and gave him a shove in the ribs. “Certainly. I like control, but even I know that what Grace and Drake are planning takes time. Being impulsive is going to get the Lane burned to the ground. And I wouldn’t need to plan a coup, because Grace offered her role to me. I didn’t want it then either.”
“Poor girl, stuck in the one position no one would dare take right now.”
“She’s not a leader, not in the way Marcus was. She won’t burden anyone else with her responsibilities. She doesn’t sleep anymore. I’ve offered to take some of her watches, to spy on the Serenity Place guard house, guard Erickson, anything, but she insists I’m the one who needs to rest.”
“She was a good Death Dealer because she relied on herself and her duties never required help. But she will kill herself as Queen of Thieves, and having killed Kara, I am sure she’s being eaten alive with guilt.”
“Does she always grieve so over enemies?”
“Each person she has killed is a wound on her heart that never heals. She is not the killer queen the people want.”
Kay tutted and shook her head. “Nor should she be! They think they need a killer at the head of the Guild, but what they need is a planner. Someone who will break into the grain stores and get people out of Redbank.”
“Someone smart enough to take a guard captain hostage rather than killing him?” Thom offered.
Kay stood up and began pacing the room. She felt her heart speeding up as she thought of the ungrateful louts who wanted her to wrest power away from Grace. Certainly the young woman had her flaws. She was naïve and self-righteous, but she was level-headed enough to see that Glenbard needed order and peace, not chaos and murder. Kay wanted to rush back downstairs and beat Wulfric over the head, show him what a bloodthirsty leader looked like.
Thom sat up. She was aware he watched her, but she continued her pacing. “Should we tell Grace about what they said?” she asked, finally stopping.
“She has plans and they are good ones, but they just need time to percolate. For now, let them believe you are going to challenge Grace. It will buy her time to get her plans in action. I will warn her, though, just so she doesn’t think you actually plan to usurp her.”
~*~*~
Ridley slept in Glenda’s store room, having cried herself to sleep. Grace went into the cellar with a waterskin and some cold broth. She didn’t have anything else to offer the guard captain. The torch at the bottom of the stairs remained the only light available.
Erickson’s hands had been untied, but his left wrist was still fastened by a chain to a spot on the wall, with a reach of about a foot. He’d been provided a bucket to use as a privy and judging by the smell, he had made good use of it. His facial expression was unreadable, but Grace could feel his eyes on her as she came into the cellar.
“I have some food and water for you,” she said. “Can I trust you will not attack if I hand them over?”
“No.”
Grace stayed by the stairs. “Then you will have to wait until the morning when someone can restrain you and I will force feed it to you.”
“You will be punished for this when His Grace catches you.” Erickson’s voice was hoarse. Glenda wasn’t lying when she said he had screamed himself stupid earlier.
Grace shrugged, not wanting him to see how nervous that idea made her. She sat down on the bottom step and placed the water and broth on either side of her. Though she couldn’t see Erickson well, she still wanted to watch him.
“Is it true?” he asked after a considerable silence. “Did His Grace really ally himself with that wench, Kara?”
“She was an assassin sent by the king. I met her in Arganis trying to kill Prince Drake.”
Erickson made a noise like a strangled laugh. “Then she’s probably the one that did in Duke Brayden a few months ago. There was a man I wish could’ve been in Glenbard for this madness.”
“He wouldn’t have played along with His Majesty’s plans or Robert’s soldiers taking all the food. It is probably why he was killed.”
Erickson said nothing else and Grace didn’t bother to engage him in any further conversation. She must have drifted off, because suddenly Erickson called her name.
“What?”
“Someone’s upstairs.”
Grace listened and heard voices arguing in the shop above. She got to her feet, feeling stiff from sleeping as she had on the steps.
Upstairs, she found Ridley arguing with two men Grace recognized as some of Marcus’s thieves, Levi and Seth. “Is there a problem?” she asked.
“We want Erickson. His guards killed three last night ‘cause you kidnapped him,” Levi said, his voice gruff and hard. “We want to string him up in the market so they know what we do with folk that terrorize the Lane.”
“He needs to pay, same as Kara,” Seth said.
Grace looked to Ridley and saw her friend hang her head. She probably agreed with them, but her loyalty to Grace kept her from joining in the conversation.
“If you kill Erickson and turn him into a display for crows, it will only lead to more Lane deaths. Erickson is a brute and a fool, but he is more useful to us alive.” Grace put her hand on her sword hilt, ready to fight them back if they rushed for the stairs.
“You ain’t got the stomach to be queen. Marcus woulda never let that wretch live through the night.” Seth moved forward menacingly.
Grace unsheathed her sword slowly, letting the sound of metal leaving its scabbard fill the shop. “Marcus would have taken an ear or a finger from the fool who thought they could bypass his word and his law. You are right, though; I am not Marcus, because Marcus would not give you a warning. Go home, cool your heads, and forget about Erickson…or risk broken bones or worse.”
With a roar, Levi rushed her. Grace moved to the side, hitting his thigh with the flat of her blade as he passed. With him closer now, she could smell ale coming off him in fumes. Seth moved to attack, but Ridley caught him in the jaw with the hilt of one of her hidden blades. Enraged, Levi tried to attack again. Grace produced her own hidden blade and sliced at Levi’s arm, making a small rivulet of blood appear.
“It ain’t worth it,” Seth managed through his wounded jaw.
“We’ll be back, you uppity bitch.” Levi grabbed his friend and dragged him out of the shop.
Ridley came to stand next to Grace. “They won’t be back. They’re drunk cowards.”
“Everyone is just on edge; afraid I am not going to do anything about our bleak situation.”
“Are you?”
“I have a plan. I just need to see Captain Moore first.”
Twenty-Three
Grace woke with a start. She had fallen asleep on the floor of Glenda’s shop when Kay took over the watch just after two in the morning. She didn
’t mean to sleep, not when there was work to be done, but somewhere between making tea and reviewing her maps she must have drifted off. Her back was stiff and her body hurt. The pain in her jaw had lessened, but the hurt in her chest remained. She rubbed it mindlessly while her brain fought to come fully awake. Her stomach cramped and growled. She was so hungry her hands shook slightly.
“Come on, Grace,” Thom’s voice drifted through her foggy thoughts.
He sat next to her and offered her a cup of tea and a plate loaded with food. Fresh bread, an apple, a dollop of goat cheese, even a bit of chicken. This was too much when others were still going hungry. Grace took only the apple.
“It’s all for you,” Thom said, pushing the plate closer.
“There are children who need that more.” Her stomach growled again.
“And you need your strength. You’re not sleeping enough, so the least you could do is eat more.”
Grace took the plate and set to work, feeling better with each bite.
“What is the news across the city?” she asked as she ate.
“His Grace is looking for Erickson. Discontent grows on the Lane, but with a real Queen of Thieves in place, it remains a dull grumble rather than a riot. Though,” Thom paused suddenly.
“Yes?”
“Some thieves went to Kay, asking her to take up as the Queen of Thieves.”
“To usurp me?” Grace asked incredulously. She swallowed hard, finding it a difficult task. Could she fight off Kay if she needed to? She looked toward the cellar, knowing Kay was still on watch.
Kay does not want it, she thought. “Kay said no, right?”
Thom nodded affirmatively. “She led them to believe she is considering it. We know you are under duress, but it does us no good if you hear that Kay is plotting against you. We have placated them for now, but they want action.”
“Then we must allow them to do small things. I will give the order that they may return to their thieving ways, but that they must only harass Escion soldiers and those loyal to Erickson. If they can pickpocket some coin purses for a few days, we can buy ourselves time while we work out our plans.”
“A wise choice.”
Grace continued to eat in silence.
~*~*~
Nathaniel spent most of his time inside since being jumped by Kara’s men. Julian Brach’s home was peaceful, at least. The Golden Road guard captain lived well and took care of his guest. His wife doted on Nathaniel, making sure he was comfortable, yet he itched to get back to the Lane and try to repair the damage Kara caused. At night, when Julian returned from duty, they discussed how they would wrest power from Erickson and restore order. It didn’t help anyone if the people were afraid of the Guard.
He was thrilled to be at the King’s Beard tavern in Serenity Place that morning. Not because he looked forward to being among his fellow guards again, but because he had been summoned by the new Queen of Thieves. Thom himself had delivered the message. It was true, all true. Kara was dead and Grace Hilren had taken her place. Grace was honorable and would help put things to right.
Nathaniel scanned the small breakfast crowd at the King’s Beard. It was mostly off-duty guards, but one red-headed woman sat near the fireplace, warming her hands. She was small, with an ill-fitting green dress on.
Nathaniel approached, asking, “Ma’am?”
She turned her face up and he immediately recognized Grace’s gray eyes. She gave her hair a tug and it shifted awkwardly on her head. “A very pleasant dressmaker thought I should go out in disguise.”
Nathaniel pulled her from the seat and hugged her. The off-duty guards whistled and shouted, but he ignored them. He felt Grace’s arms wrap around his waist, her head barely coming up to his shoulder.
He let her go and pulled up a seat to sit across from her. “So…the Death Dealer,” he said, keeping his voice low. “I should have guessed. You were always so bruised and battered when I tried to court you. I just thought you were clumsy or had bad luck.”
She grinned. “The less people who guessed, the better.” She leaned in close.
“I am glad to see you in one piece. I saw your name on a list issued by the crown,” Nathaniel breathed quietly.
“An unfortunate side effect of saving a prince who had fallen from favor.” The smile fled her face, all pretense to a pleasant conversation leaving with it.
“Did you really kidnap Erickson, murder him, and then hide his mutilated body?”
Grace looked horrified at the suggestion. “I have him under guard in a cellar. I stole his keys, but I certainly didn’t mutilate him.”
Nathaniel let out a breath, relieved. He would help Glenbard throw out Robert of Escion, but he didn’t hold with murdering in cold blood. “I received your message from Thom in the late watches. You need my help?”
“Marcus worked out a few plans as we sailed back here from Nareroc, and his death shouldn’t be the end of them. But I do need your help, and soon. The Lane is getting restless.”
“What exactly do you need of me?”
“Yourself, Captain Brach if he will agree, spare guard uniforms, and any men you trust.”
“An interesting array of items, but I can manage some, though the uniforms may be a bit difficult. But if you have Erickson’s keys you can just get into their store houses. They will be Serenity Place uniforms, but does it matter what district you get?”
She shook her head. “Do you suppose you can get to Merchant’s Way this evening?”
“I am followed whenever I leave Brach’s.” He motioned with his head toward the door. A stocky man had followed him when he left the house.
“Thom can help you lose him and bring Brach if you can. We are meeting at a dressmaker’s shop. Her name is Glenda. Arrive at sundown and tell her you are ordering a dress for the queen of grace and beauty.”
Nathaniel laughed. “How subtle of you.”
Grace went red under his smiling stare. “She does work with Queen Bethany and we wanted to avoid any mistakes. It was Glenda’s idea.”
Nathaniel took her hands and kissed the fingertips. “I only jest, my lady. I will wait for Thom to escort me tonight.”
“Aye, and with that,” she raised her voice to a normal level. “Thank you, Captain Moore. I know you will find my baby.”
“A strawberry-blond lad with green eyes and freckles,” Nathaniel said, picking up her cue. “Waist high, six years. I will alert the guards of Seafarer’s Way, Rogue’s Lane, and Serenity Place, Miss Turner.”
Grace curtsied and headed out of the King’s Beard. Nathaniel stayed by the fire, waving nonchalantly to his follower. “Hungry children go missing sometimes,” he said by way of explanation.
~*~*~
Thom made Ridley join him at the graveyard just outside the city limits. It was located near the southern gate and was set aside on a large plain where little tombstones and bare trees dotted the landscape. It was not as maintained as the small graveyard in the temple district, but it served its purpose.
“I don’t want to be here,” Ridley complained as they marched to the little headstone.
It was really less of a headstone and more a misshapen rock. Grace had seen to it that Kara was buried properly, but did not award the woman nice things in death. Her name wasn’t even carved in the rock. Instead someone had carved “She died as she lived” and then the date of Kara’s death.
“I still say she deserved it,” Ridley said, and defiantly crossed her arms over her chest.
Thom watched her to see if she would spit, but she just stared sullenly at the rock. “The gods smile on those who forgive their enemies.”
“They’ve already turned their backs on us, so who cares if they smile now? It is not as if we’ll be able to see it.”
Thom pinched her upper arm and Ridley yelped and stepped away from him. “Show some respect or else spirits will follow you home.”
“You sound like an old grandmother.”
“You sound like a petulant brat.” Thom pin
ched Ridley’s arm again. “Say what you need to say to her. It’ll do you good.”
Ridley fixed him with a death stare but he ignored it. He had already come to the grave once to tell Kara what he thought of her. The words were not kind, but he felt better saying them. In the end he forgave the rock, knowing if it wasn’t her, it would have been someone else who killed Marcus in the end. It was the life they chose.
“This is stupid,” Ridley whined, though her voice broke. Since her parents had died, Marcus had acted as her father. Thom put a comforting arm around her shoulder. She would say something eventually. Ridley wasn’t one to keep her emotions bottled up inside.
“You took my Papa away,” she said at last, her voice small and her shoulders sagging. “I have Thom still, but it was Marcus who pulled me out of the gutter and you killed him, you bitch. And for what? King’s gold? A chance to run the Lane? You motherless cur! I bet no one loved you a day in your whole rotten life, and that’s why you took away someone we all loved.” Ridley tensed up the more she spoke. “You’re lucky Grace killed you fast. I’d have made you suffer a long time for what you did.” Ridley made a sound like she meant to spit on the grave.
Thom put a hand over her mouth, feeling her warm spit against his palm. “None of that. Behave.”
Ridley nodded her consent and Thom released her mouth. “You ruined Glenbard,” she added, and fell silent again.
Thom towed her away from the grave, the cold breeze biting into their clothes as they left the cemetery. Ridley said nothing the entire walk back to the Angel.
~*~*~
Glenda kept rooms above her shop. They were well furnished and cozy, if somewhat small. “I keep a house in Serenity Place,” she explained as she set out a tray of goat cheese and hard biscuits. It wasn’t much and she’d used her rations for it, but Grace appreciated the gesture. “I use these rooms if I have a lot of work to do. It’s easier walking downstairs than coming from the house, especially in these times.”
Grace picked up a biscuit, broke off a piece, and rolled it between her fingers. Crumbs fell off and onto the burgundy rug under foot. “Thank you for all of this. I never thought a chance encounter would prove so fruitful.”
