The Scepter Heist (The Dragon Rogues Book 2), page 16
Jonathan glanced over to Matthew. “It was a message for me. He wants to force me to take the job.”
“What’s the job?” Leland asked.
“He wants us to break into the Society and steal something.”
Leland’s jaw dropped. “He wants you to do what?”
“It’s not going to be easy.” Jonathan breathed out heavily, and he looked at the others. This was his team. These were his friends, as well.
“You’re right. It’s going to be impossible,” Leland said.
“We have to get past that belief and come up with a plan. He’s given us three days.”
“Or what?” Elizabeth said.
This was the part that pained him. “I don’t know. Three days, or else we find out just how far he’s willing to go.” As he looked at Leland and Elizabeth, Jonathan had a strong suspicion about what Heziah would do. And he had a good idea of what he would do in response.
“We could leave,” Leland said. “I could put you up for a little while—”
Jonathan shook his head. “He said he would know if we tried to leave. I have no idea how, but I believe him.”
“Then what?” Leland asked. “We do the job?”
That was what Jonathan had anticipated, but he could see from the others’ faces that they were less inclined to do that.
“We can get some protection,” Matthew said, “but we won’t be able to hire much. He cleaned us out. Then, when we were doing another job, he attacked me and grabbed Elizabeth, but I was able to get away.”
Leland gave a low whistle. “All of this to get us to take a job? Why couldn’t he have hired some other crew?”
“Revenge,” Elizabeth said.
“He’s just using you against me,” Jonathan said. “He blames me. Not you.”
“He’s a bastard,” Matthew mumbled.
Jonathan looked at each of them. “So we plan as if we have no choice. We prepare. Decide what our next step will be. If it comes down to it, we have to be ready to do the job. At the same time, I want us to decide whether or not we are willing to complete the job he’s required of us.”
“But why wouldn’t we do it?” Elizabeth asked. “Other than it being impossible. If he is really going to these lengths, then wouldn’t it just be better to take the job and be done with him?”
“It’s also possible that he will want to continue to use us, and I don’t know what he’s trying to get us to go after,” Jonathan said. “That might be the biggest issue. Whatever he wants, whatever Heziah thinks is valuable enough that he can’t go after it himself and needs us, is probably dangerous.”
“So you don’t know the target?” Leland asked.
Jonathan shook his head. “He didn’t tell me quite yet. He said it’s in the heart of the Society house, so it’s going to be difficult to reach, but it’s more than just that. I think he will use the job as a way of getting to us. At least, to me. There’s more to the job and what he plans.”
“It’s Heziah,” Matthew muttered.
Jonathan glanced around. “I’d like to get out of here. I don’t like the idea of Heziah having some way of listening in on us. I don’t know if he can or not, but if he hid some enchantments here, it’s possible that he knows exactly what we’re doing.”
The others nodded, and they all fell silent. Matthew had stiffened at Jonathan’s comment and grabbed the hilt of his sword, though Jonathan doubted that Matthew was going to do anything with the blade. Not unless he had an opportunity to go after Heziah directly. And that, unfortunately, was not going to be easy.
Once they stepped out of the home and into the street, Leland glanced back at it and whistled. “Had I known you were going to end up in a place like this, I might’ve stayed.”
Jonathan smiled sadly. “You needed to get your mother out of here. I remember how determined you were to get her healed and to safety.”
“No one else would,” Leland said, his voice soft.
“You did the right thing, getting out of here,” Jonathan said. “Unfortunately, it seems as if the city, and Heziah, brought you back. But we will do whatever we can to ensure that you don’t get stuck here.”
Even as he said it, there was a part of Jonathan that questioned whether he was going to be able to fulfill that promise. He worried that it wouldn’t be possible.
Matthew guided them through the streets, weaving past a few closed shops and raucous taverns before Jonathan realized where they were going. He hadn’t been to the tavern that was their destination in quite a while—long enough that he didn’t think Heziah would know about it. That was the key. They had to be ahead of Heziah to keep him from knowing what they were doing and then interfering.
“I don’t remember coming here before,” Elizabeth said.
Jonathan nodded. “If you don’t, it’s likely Heziah doesn’t know about it either. At this point, we have to assume that he is aware of every place we’ve been, even if he wasn’t with us.”
Matthew pulled the door open and waited for them to go inside. The tavern was quiet, the kind of place Jonathan had once enjoyed visiting. Soft murmurs came from a few people at tables, a mandolin player near the back strummed gently and sang a mournful song that fit Jonathan’s mood, and the waitstaff swept in and out of the kitchen.
Once they each took a seat, Leland looked around. “I think I like this place.” He stared at one of the waitresses, who showed him a bit of cleavage. Jonathan clapped him on the shoulder and laughed.
While they waited for their server to come over, Jonathan leaned forward. “Let’s begin with planning. We have to come up with a way to complete the job and keep ahead of Heziah. I suspect that he gave you both some information about what he wants from us?” He looked from Elizabeth to Leland, but they both shook their heads. “Maybe he didn’t do it intentionally, but I know Heziah. He was drawing you into his plan, but he also wanted to pass on some information.”
“Are you saying he’s trying to help us?” Leland asked, and he looked up at the waitress as she glided over.
They quickly ordered drinks and food, and Jonathan reluctantly fished out the remaining coin he had. They would have to scrimp, or else they might have to take another job—something he was not thrilled with at this point. Not while Heziah had them on a countdown.
When she was gone, he leaned back. “I don’t think he’s trying to help us, but he is trying to influence us,” he went on. “And he’s trying to force us into a job that is generally impossible.”
“Does it have to be just the four of us?” Leland asked.
“I don’t know. We can try getting additional help…” Jonathan began. He had a hard time thinking of who else he would trust with the job. “But I don’t know if he will permit it. It depends on what he sees.”
Matthew was watching him. Jonathan could already tell the direction of his thoughts. Jayna had proven that she was unwilling to get involved, so going to her wouldn’t help them. He doubted that Matthew understood that. Jonathan knew in his heart that she was not going to be willing to help.
There were others they could go to. He and Matthew had cultivated sources, and they had a list of different people who could be assets. This kind of a job, though…
This job was incredibly dangerous, and if anyone heard they were heading into the Society, he knew how they would react. They would turn down the job in a heartbeat.
But they could deal with that later.
First, a plan.
“To start with, we need to know the layout of the Society house,” Jonathan said. “Then we have figure out what we need to do there. And then we have to find out if we can uncover anything inside the house that could help us. We’re going to have to get through it, down to this storage location somehow, and find a way of getting to a section that Leland says is off limits to anybody not part of the Society.”
Even talking about it, the job seemed impossible. Jonathan hadn’t felt that way about breaking into Vileforn’s house, though perhaps he should have. That job should have been impossible as well.
“This is going to be one of the most difficult jobs I’ve ever taken,” he told them.
“Maybe not the most difficult,” Matthew said, glancing to Elizabeth and Leland, “but it’s not going to be easy.”
“So, we need to figure out what he wants, as well,” Elizabeth said. “I could keep an eye on him. At least, I could if I know how to find him. I could use a facade—”
Jonathan shook his head. “We aren’t getting close to Heziah. He’s going to make it quite clear what he wants. I think he knows what we have to plan here, and he intends to dole out information only when he feels like we should have it. We need to be ready so that when we learn what he’s after, we can take action.”
They might have to distract Heziah, and it might even involve getting what he wanted, but increasingly, Jonathan wasn’t sure they could do that.
He looked at each of the people with him. “What do you know about the Society headquarters?” he asked Leland. He was likely the only one of them who had any experience.
Leland frowned deeply. “When my mother was sick, I would go in periodically to help her get healed, though they weren’t always responsive to me. It wasn’t just the cost, but it was finding a sorcerer willing to attempt it.”
Jonathan remembered the argument that Leland and Heziah had when they were working together, and about Leland’s feelings on sorcerers. Given his experience, that was all understandable. Jonathan was starting to have a similar feeling about sorcerers.
“Can you sketch out what you remember of the floor plan? Even a little will be helpful.”
Leland nodded. “I remember pretty well.”
“The floor plan isn’t going to help us enough,” Matthew said.
“I know,” Jonathan said, “and we are going to need more than just the layout. Once we get inside, we’ll need to know their defenses, but a floor plan is a start.”
The server set down their drinks and food. Leland grinned at her, and she gave him a sly smile in return before leaving them.
“You know, you can talk to her,” Jonathan said to him.
“She wouldn’t want anything to do with me.”
Jonathan snorted. “You mean because you’re rich?”
Leland looked up. “That’s not what I—”
“Or maybe it’s because you aren’t skilled. Then again, you are,” Jonathan added, chuckling softly. “You don’t always see it the way we do, but you have a definite skill set that we need. You just have to be confident in your own skills, and what they bring to the table.”
Leland looked over to the woman. “I’ve always been so focused on my mother that I never really think about myself.”
“And you have helped her,” Jonathan said. “When all of this is over, you’ll eventually go back to her. But at some point, you’re going to have to think about yourself.”
Leland stayed silent.
“Of course, when this is all over, we’re all going to have to think about ourselves.”
“Assuming we succeed,” Matthew said.
Jonathan held his gaze, but Matthew wasn’t wrong. Assuming they succeeded.
Increasingly, Jonathan started to wonder if the team they had would be enough. The four of them might be capable, but it would certainly be better if they had one more—somebody with the kind of skill that Heziah wouldn’t anticipate. A sorcerer who had power.
Jonathan knew that his sister wouldn’t agree, but he also didn’t think he could refuse to go to her. At this point, they needed all the help they could get.
Not only would Jayna have the power to counter Heziah, but she might even be able to get the Society to work with them.
If she agreed.
That was the part he didn’t know.
“Are you ready?” Jonathan asked, looking at the others. “We can eat and drink, but we’re going to get down to business. We are going to come up with a plan before we leave here tonight.”
Jonathan leaned over a piece of paper with quill in hand and several empty plates resting in front of him. They had dragged a second table over. The waitress mostly left them alone, though she did flash Leland a broad smile from time to time, which he happily returned.
“I’ve drawn what I can,” Leland said, turning his attention back to the page. “This is all I know. The upper level is pretty straightforward. At least, the way I remember it.”
The sketch showed a hall with more pathways branching off it. Leland had caught sight of a staircase leading down and another leading up. Given what Jonathan had heard about the Society, he suspected that upstairs would lead to the private quarters of some of the sorcerers. That wasn’t where they needed to go. They would have to go down. The problem was that Leland didn’t know anything further.
“We’re going to have to have somebody else confirm the floor plan,” Jonathan said. “I have a resource that might work.”
“You don’t think I’m telling you the truth?” Leland asked.
Matthew shook his head and took a long drink of his wine. “It’s not a matter of telling the truth. It’s about whether the floor plan has changed since you were there before. When it comes to the Society, I wouldn’t be surprised if they altered things every so often given that they have the ability to do that. We have to be careful.”
“I can go and see what I can uncover,” Elizabeth said. “I could tell them that I was interested in their enchantments.”
“Careful there,” Jonathan said. “Don’t mention the enchanters. The Society doesn’t like to admit that there are others selling enchantments. They like you to believe that you can come to the Society for all your magical needs.”
“But those sorcerers are part of the Society.”
“They are, but they aren’t,” Matthew said, taking another drink of wine and wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. “Some of those sorcerers were part of the Society, but they were separated as well. It’s complicated, and I know it’s hard to understand.”
Jonathan nodded. “And they don’t like the enchanters either.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Elizabeth said.
“None of this makes any sense. Not unless you are in the Society itself.”
“So, I find a reason to go to the Society, but not for enchantments. Maybe I can go in and talk to them about healing someone,” Elizabeth said, glancing over to Leland. “It’ll have to be somebody they don’t know, and I’m going to have to look as if I can afford it, but I think we still have enough coin for that. At least, I hope so?” She looked over to Jonathan, who nodded. “I will get as much of the layout as I can so we can confirm it.”
“Somehow, we’re going to have to figure out what’s on the lower levels,” Jonathan said.
That was the real challenge. Getting into the Society was not going to be the hardest part, though it would be difficult to do so without notice. Once they were inside, the issue was getting to the protected area.
“And whatever protections they have,” Elizabeth said.
Jonathan nodded. “Which is why we go to Jayna. If this goes the wrong way…”
“What happens?” Leland asked, glancing from Jonathan to Matthew. “What happens to us if this goes the wrong way?”
“Then we’re trapped by the Society,” Jonathan said. “None of us wants that.”
He closed his eyes, trying to work through what needed to happen. He had a basic map of the Society house’s floor plan, which was helpful, but it wasn’t enough. They would need to know what magical protections were there. How else would they know what to incapacitate? If they knew what was waiting, it was a relatively simple matter to get enchantments that could counteract them, but the problem was that there was always a possibility that something might have changed. Much like the floor plan could change.
And if they weren’t prepared…
They could bring in hundreds of enchantments, but if they didn’t have the particular one that offered protection against what they encountered, then they would find themselves at the mercy of the Society. That had to be the reason Heziah wasn’t willing to do it on his own. Well, that and the fact that they might detect him.
“We need to see the protections ourselves,” Jonathan muttered. “I’m not sure what we will find, but we might need to start testing the perimeter.”
He looked around. Elizabeth picked up a piece of bread and chewed it. Leland stared at his waitress friend. Matthew watched Jonathan.
“We need to get a better idea of what he’s after,” Jonathan said. “One of us has to do that.”
“One of us?” Matthew snorted, taking another drink of wine. “I think we both know who’s better equipped for that. I’ll start digging. I can check with some of my resources and see if he has made any suggestions about what he wants. Whatever he’s after, it’s likely that he intends to move it.”
Jonathan wasn’t so sure. That would be the case in a normal job, but this was far from normal. He nodded anyway. “See what you can come up with, and I’ll do the same.”
“You might get played again,” Matthew said.
“I might.”
Jonathan hated that it was true. Since getting out of prison, he had not been in control the way he was used to. It wasn’t just this job. It was also the Vileforn job, where he had been used. And now, with this one, he couldn’t help but feel as if this was more than just about Heziah.
“Why don’t you begin working on some options for us?” he said to Leland. “Figure out something that can help us with locks, and perhaps other enchantments. I know that’s not normally how it works for you, but the Society might be more susceptible to your talents. They do think they’re impervious.”
“For good reason,” Matthew muttered.
“Which is why they believe they don’t have to worry about anybody sneaking in,” Jonathan said.
Matthew shrugged. “Because they don’t.”
Jonathan ignored him. “So see what you can come up with,” he said to Leland. “When you’re done, I will see if I can’t find an enchantment we can test it on.”
“I still don’t know if I have that kind of talent. But I’ll try,” Leland said.
