The Dragon Rogues, page 10
As he looked back over his shoulder at Vileforn’s palace, he knew that his sister and the other sorcerers were there, which meant that he had to be careful. Sorcerers could place enchantments around the palace, and around the vault. His team would need strength in order to overcome those enchantments. They would need skill.
Unfortunately, he didn’t think an enchanter—and their enchantments—would be enough.
Maybe they really would need a sorcerer.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jonathan lingered in the shadows of an alley, staring out over the small hillside and peering down upon Vileforn’s palace again. The crowd moved past the alley, unmindful of the fact that he was there watching.
“You didn’t even ask her to take the job?” Matthew asked, standing at his shoulder and looking past him.
“How was I supposed to ask her to take the job when she made it clear that she doesn’t approve of the kind of work we do?”
“I was hoping you might get a little more information out of her.”
“What kind of information?”
“Oh, maybe about why Vileforn is keeping so much gold in his vault?” Matthew said. “There’s a reason for that.”
“You’ve seen the palace, right?”
“It’s more than just that, Jonathan. Something doesn’t feel quite right about this.”
“It’ll feel a whole lot better when you have all the money you could ever need.”
Matthew was quiet for a moment. “I just think you might need to ask her a few difficult questions. She’s going to have to help. After what you did—”
“I know what I’ve done for her,” Jonathan said, looking away from him. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to put her into that predicament either. We have to find another way.”
“Four sorcerers, though.”
“Four sorcerers.”
“You do realize that the job just got exponentially harder.”
“It was never going to be easy,” Jonathan said.
“Not easy, but at least there was the likelihood that we might succeed. Now we won’t even be able to use enchantments to get past whatever the sorcerers have placed. Gods, depending on how skilled they are, we might not even be able to do anything to get past what they have placed.”
“There will be protections, but I’m sure we can come up with a way to get beyond them.”
“I see. You’re sure of it. The great Jonathan Aguelon. The Dragon.” He shot Jonathan a look. “I guess that makes it all the better now. We don’t have to worry about the fact that there are four sorcerers protecting his palace.”
“I didn’t say that we don’t have to worry about it. I’m just saying we can find another way.”
Matthew folded his arms across his chest. “What other way are you thinking?”
“Well, off the top of my head, I was thinking maybe we might be able to manipulate my sister into taking the job without her realizing what she’s doing.”
As soon as he said it, he hated himself for it. Jayna wouldn’t forgive him.
“Are you kidding me?” Matthew said with a sarcastic chuckle. “Manipulate your sister. That’s your plan?”
“I’ll admit, it’s not a good one.”
“‘Not a good one’ is an understatement. Gods, Jonathan. I would expect more from you. I assumed you’d thought this through.”
“I have. It’s all I did while I was imprisoned.”
“This is all you did.”
Jonathan shrugged. “Maybe not this, exactly. I’ve been thinking about getting back at Vileforn.”
“I know you’re skilled at what you do. You and I have done countless jobs together, so there’s no question that I trust you implicitly. You’re smart. The problem is, Jayna is even smarter. She’s probably the smartest person I’ve ever met. Why else do you think she was selected to the Academy at such a young age?”
“I know.”
“And this is the person you want to try to manipulate?”
“It’s not that I want to manipulate her,” Jonathan said.
“Then we need to come up with something else.”
“If it’s not going to be enchantments, then we have to find a sorcerer.”
Jonathan stepped out of the alley and turned away from the palace in the distance. He had been studying it for the better part of two days, and though he now understood the patterns of the comings and goings within the palace, he didn’t know much more than that. He had seen his sister and another sorcerer leaving, but no others.
It was time for him to come up with an alternative.
“What do we have in the way of contacts who might be able to help us?” Jonathan asked.
“I don’t know that you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for.”
They passed a pair of sorcerers, and Jonathan turned and watched them as they walked away. He had to be careful. “Then maybe we just rely on enchantments.”
Enchantments could be powerful depending on who created them, and they could counter nearly anything a sorcerer could do. Jonathan had seen powerful enchantments before, certainly strong enough to overwhelm even the most skilled magic, but typically enchantments were of a very specific type that countered a very specific spell.
“No,” Matthew said. Jonathan slowed and glanced over to him. “I’m not doing a job like that. Not where there’s a maybe. You and I both know better than that. We prepare better than that. A maybe isn’t the means to success.”
“There might not be another means to success, not without a little bit of risk.”
“What you’re suggesting is more than just a little bit. It’s a lot of risk. Both of us know that’ll put not only you and me in danger but Elizabeth and Leland too. They took this job thinking we had a plan.”
“They took the job wanting a payout,” Jonathan said.
“That’s not what you’re after?”
Jonathan shrugged. “I want the money, but that’s not the most important thing for me.”
“But it’s the most important thing for them. Don’t let them lose that. Not with what you’re asking them to do.”
“I won’t.”
They’d been walking for a while when a strange feeling near him made his skin tingle, leaving the hairs on his arm standing up again.
Magic.
Jonathan followed the mysterious sensation he had, and it brought him toward the building. Out drifted the sounds of music, the steady din of voices, and the bustle of activity. He knew immediately what this was. A tavern.
“The Roasted Duck?” Matthew looked over at him. “If you’re looking for a meal, I have better places we could try. This isn’t one I would consider on the top of any list. It might even be on the bottom of most lists.”
“Why?”
“I’ve been here once. No more than that. And you know how I feel about taverns.”
“I know you like your ale.”
“I like my food. The ale is a side benefit.”
Jonathan chuckled. “You know, considering how trim you stay, it’s surprising how much you eat.”
Matthew shrugged. “What can I say? I’m lucky like that.”
The inside of the Roasted Duck was dingy and dark, the kind of place Jonathan knew that Matthew never frequented. His friend preferred taverns on the nicer end, ones that were better lit, with musicians and with more attractive servers. Mostly, though, Matthew liked places where the cooking was of better quality. Jonathan could tell from simply walking into the Roasted Duck that this place was not up to Matthew’s standards.
“We can go somewhere else,” Matthew muttered.
“I’m not here for the food.”
“If you’re not here for the food, you certainly can’t be here for the ale. Why are we in this place, then?”
“Because we…”
Jonathan swept his gaze around, finally settling on a man hunched over a table near the back wall. Three empty mugs of ale sat stacked in front of him, and he leaned forward with head bowed, his lanky hair falling toward the tabletop.
This was where he had felt the sense of magic. He never knew the source of what he detected, but in this case, he couldn’t help but feel as if this was where it guided him. Why this man, though?
He walked forward, and Matthew stayed close behind. Several of the patrons sat grouped at a single table where they were playing dice, staying away from the source of the music. The only one sitting alone was the table Jonathan headed toward.
He stopped two paces away, studying the man for a moment. He could still feel the energy from him. He didn’t think he was mistaken.
“Hey there, friend,” Jonathan said. “Mind if we join you?”
The man grunted but didn’t say anything.
Matthew rested a hand on Jonathan’s shoulder, and he glanced back at Matthew.
“What is this?” Matthew mouthed.
Jonathan winked. He pulled out a chair at the table, sat down, and studied the man. He was thin. Gaunt, really, with dark hollows under his eyes. His hair looked as if it hadn’t been washed in several days. Weeks, possibly. Jonathan wrinkled his nose. The man stunk of ale, along with something he couldn’t quite place—a stench that permeated everything.
“I don’t want any company,” the man said.
Matthew grabbed another chair and took a seat next to them, a deep frown on his face. Did he have any idea what they were dealing with? Probably. Knowing Matthew, he likely had a sense the moment they had come here.
Jonathan cleared his throat. “I just wanted to see if—”
The man looked up sharply. There was more clarity in his eyes than what Jonathan would’ve expected. “I said I don’t want any company.” He slammed his hands down on the table. The empty mugs of ale bounced up in the air. A burst of energy slammed into Jonathan, throwing him back and tipping him out of the chair.
Matthew sprung to his feet faster than Jonathan could react, already unsheathing his sword. Jonathan scrambled up and held out his hand, trying to calm his friend before he did anything foolish.
“What are you doing, Jonathan?” Matthew asked.
“I’m finding our fifth member.”
“Him?”
Jonathan regarded the man, who had turned his attention back to the empty mugs. “Why don’t you go and see about getting us some ale?”
“I told you there are better places to drink,” Matthew muttered, though he turned away and headed toward the counter where a single barmaid worked.
Jonathan pulled out the chair and set it right again before taking a seat. He moved closer carefully, watching this man as he did. “My name is Jonathan Aguelon.”
“Don’t care.”
“I can see that. I can also see that you’re fully interested in your mugs of ale. I’ve asked my friend and colleague to see about getting another mug or two for your table. In the meantime, I thought the two of us could talk.”
The man glared up at him. “I don’t want to talk.”
“I get that. I understand that you would rather be doing anything else. I just figured—”
Another burst of energy slammed toward him, but Jonathan was ready. He tapped on a small enchantment in his pocket, and the power washed over and around him. At least he was able to stay seated this time.
“An enchantment?” The man grunted. “You are going to waste all the power in it if you stay here.”
Jonathan grinned. “Is that because you have an endless supply of enchantments, or is there another reason?”
The man muttered something under his breath that sounded distinctly like a harsh swear, and Jonathan smiled more broadly.
“I need someone with your particular skill for a job I’m contemplating.”
“I don’t have any particular skill.”
Matthew appeared and set down three mugs of ale on the table. The man’s eyes widened, but Jonathan leaned forward and grabbed one. Matthew took another, leaving only one left.
“Consider this to just be three friends having a drink in a tavern,” Jonathan said.
“We aren’t friends.”
“What’s your name? Let’s start there.”
The man looked up briefly, flicking his gaze to Matthew and then to Jonathan before snatching the last mug. “Heziah Obran.”
“As I told you, I’m Jonathan Aguelon. This is my friend Matthew Veran. All we’re looking for is an opportunity to discuss a job with you.”
“What kind of job?”
“The kind that would benefit from your particular skill set.”
Heziah lowered his gaze back to the ale. “I’m not interested.”
“Because you’re so busy,” Matthew said.
Heziah looked up, and a burst of power rumbled away from him. Jonathan’s skin tingled. Heziah’s power wasn’t completely focused, not the way it could or should be, but he had magic. For what they were going to do, even a little bit was beneficial.
“I’m busy. Now leave me.”
“You haven’t even heard anything about the job,” Jonathan said.
“I don’t want to.”
“It pays well.”
“Oh, I’m sure. You’d love to offer me a silver or two to see what I might be able to make for you.”
Jonathan shook his head, leaning forward. “I’m not interested in having you make enchantments for me.” Well, not completely interested. Those could come later, once they decided whether Heziah would be of much use to them. “I’m interested in what you can do. I have a different ask of you.”
“Really? And how much might this pay?”
With Leland, the promise of twenty gold had been enough. With Elizabeth, it had been more about pride, giving her the opportunity to demonstrate her particular talents. Not that she didn’t want the gold too. How much would it cost for Heziah?
If Jonathan was right, this was a man who had once been incredibly well-connected and powerful. All of that had changed, leaving him in a much worse place. He was in a tavern like the Roasted Duck, which said something else. Then there was his appearance. Gaunt, wasted, poor. He had gone from a status of wealth and power to destitute. Even if Jonathan knew nothing else about him, that was more than enough for Jonathan to think that he might be able to use Heziah’s skills.
“We’re offering others on the crew twenty gold for their participation. For someone with your talents, we might be able to bump that up to twenty-five gold. That is, if your share of the cut isn’t even more than that.”
Heziah held Jonathan’s gaze for a moment. “Twenty-five gold. What exactly does this entail?”
“I’m afraid I can’t share the details with you until we know whether you’re on board. In the meantime, know that I am serious when I make an offer.”
“I’ve had other offers.”
Jonathan gave a slight nod. “I’m certain you have. Have you had any like this?”
“Fools have come to me before thinking they could buy my services.”
“I’m sure all they wanted were enchantments.” Jonathan smiled. “Not that I can blame them. I imagine that any enchantments you make are incredibly powerful.”
“I do all right.”
“As I said, I’m quite certain you have other offers. Anyway, I’m not after your enchantments. If I were, I would go to somebody else within the Sorcerers’ Society.”
Heziah grunted. “If that’s what you want. You’ll find that they will only lie to you.”
Jonathan tipped his head to the side, regarding him for another moment. A sorcerer who didn’t care for the Society? That was new. Which meant there was more to this story.
“If you do this, you’ll have the opportunity to prove that you’re better than other sorcerers in the Society.”
“How many others?”
“At least three.”
Heziah looked up and drank from the mug of ale. “Somebody like that is quite powerful. That could only be…” His lips pressed together in a tight frown. “Everett Vileforn. That’s who this is.”
Jonathan shrugged. “Like I said, I will share more when you take the job.”
“What do you intend to do to Vileforn?”
“I don’t intend to do anything to him.”
“What do you intend to take from him?”
“Nothing he’ll miss.”
Heziah leaned back. “Well, I could use twenty-five gold.”
“Does that mean you’ll take the job?”
“It means that I could use twenty-five gold,” Heziah said.
Jonathan smiled. “We will meet at the Half Pint tavern in two days. I know it’s not quite like the Roasted Duck, but it’s a place we know.”
Heziah grunted. “I know the place.”
“Excellent. Then we’ll be waiting for you.”
Jonathan carried his mug of ale toward the door, then hesitated. He had intended to dump it out, but there might be a better way of drawing Heziah into the job. Small favors added up over time. He took the mug over to the barmaid, set it on the counter, and motioned to Heziah in the corner. “If he’s still sober enough to walk over here, he can have it.”
Matthew glanced back to the man before setting his mug on the counter as well.
When they were back on the street, Matthew shook his head. “I thought you wanted him alive.”
“Maybe it’s better if we seem generous. At least this way he will be more inclined to work with us.”
“I think the promise of money is enough for him.”
“Maybe.”
“You think it might be something else?” Matthew asked.
“I can’t really tell. He’s a tough one to read. It might just be the money, but it might be the idea of trying to prove himself against the sorcerers. Either way, it’s to our advantage.”
“If he shows up.”
Jonathan glanced over, grinning. “You need to have more faith. He’ll show up.”
“If.”
Jonathan chuckled, and they started off down the street. They meandered, gradually making their way toward Vileforn’s palace again so that it was just visible in the distance.
“I do have a question for you,” Matthew said.
“What is that?”
“How did you know he was there?”
“What do you mean?”
