The Dragon Rogues, page 8
“It is a matter of experience and familiarity. With the right supplies, you need only try for a short while.” She looked up at him. “Though I suspect you feel as if that was longer than a short while.”
Jonathan nodded. “It did seem like it took quite a bit of time.”
“Do you know how many combinations there are with this sort of key?” She held it up and ran her fingers along its teeth. “For each ridge added, you increase the number of combinations possible. In order to unlock a lock, you need to find the precise combination, or a near enough approximation of it. That is why you need someone like me. You need someone with the experience of working with locks, who understands and knows how to caress them.”
Jonathan looked over to Matthew. While the woman certainly understood locks and seemed to be technically competent, the way she did it wouldn’t lend them speed when it came down to completing the job.
“Thank you for helping with this lock.” He handed her a few coppers, probably less than she would charge, but she hadn’t needed to go anywhere, and it hadn’t taken her all that long to do the job. It was better to pay her than to leave without doing so. She might remember a strange request, but she would definitely remember someone who walked away without paying for her services and time.
“Is that it?” the woman asked.
“That was all I needed.”
“If you need anything else, you can always return for my assistance.”
Jonathan nodded, and he motioned for Matthew to follow him out of the shop. When he stepped out into the street, he held the door open for a moment longer than he would otherwise. A faint stir of movement came from near him, and the tiny amount of blur made it difficult for him to track whether anyone was even there. Still, he believed Elizabeth had snuck out of the shop.
Jonathan leaned against the front of the building. “I’m not sure she’s going to be the right one.”
“Why not?” Elizabeth asked, shimmering for a moment before appearing next to him.
“She’s skilled, there’s no doubt about that, but she doesn’t have the right…” Jonathan wasn’t exactly sure how to describe what felt off about her, but he had enough experience with pulling together teams that he trusted his instinct.
“We can go try this other one I know,” Matthew said. “He is a little… different.”
“Like her?” Jonathan asked, nodding toward the shop.
“Just different.”
Jonathan followed him, and again they meandered through the streets. This time, they reached a run-down section of the city. This area was more familiar to Jonathan from his time in Ishan before his imprisonment. He had pulled jobs in a few places along this street. Several of them were buildings he’d slipped into, where he’d taken sculptures or paintings or other valuable items. There were even a few taverns around here that he had visited in the past.
After walking for a bit, Matthew stopped at a small building. There was no sign over the door, no markings to indicate where they were. Only a number. Jonathan wasn’t even sure what street they were on and had no way of knowing what this number correlated with.
Matthew flicked his gaze past Jonathan. “Remember: you will find him a little different than the other one.”
He pushed the door open, and Jonathan followed him in. There weren’t walls decorated with locks. There wasn’t anything here other than a man hunched over a desk, swearing softly to himself over and over again.
“Just a minute,” he called.
Jonathan glanced over to Matthew. “This is who you want us to have a look at?” he muttered.
Matthew nodded.
The man behind the counter continued tinkering for a few more moments before finally looking up at them. When he did, his face twisted in a hard frown. “What do you want?”
Jonathan arched an eyebrow at that kind of reaction. Out of his pocket he pulled out the same lock he’d tested the woman with, which he’d relocked, and set it on the counter. “Do you think you can help us with this?”
The man turned his attention to the lock. “Where did you get it?”
“My home.”
“Really?” He grinned slightly. “You happen to have a lock made by Devlin Change?”
“I don’t know who that is.”
The man grunted. “He doesn’t know who that is. Gods’ balls, what have I gotten myself into?” He said the last bit to himself, and Jonathan couldn’t help smiling. He flipped the lock around in his hand, turning it from side to side as he examined it.
“Do you think you can open it?” Jonathan asked.
“A lock by Devlin Change is not the easiest to open, but I should be able to.”
He started working, and unlike the woman, he used a lockpick set. He flicked through the tools, pressing each into the lock and twisting. As he worked, he muttered something under his breath that Jonathan wasn’t able to hear.
He looked over to Matthew. His friend only arched a brow and shrugged.
After a few moments, the man held up the lock, but it was still closed. “I can do it, but it’s going to take a lot more time. You can leave it here if you need.”
“That’s all right. We were just wanting to see how long it took you to open.”
He slammed his fists down on the table. “A test? That’s what this was about?”
“Somewhat,” Matthew said. “Don’t worry. You were the first one to identify the lockmaker.”
He flashed an irritated smile. “Like I said, I can open it but it’s going to take a little more time.”
Jonathan turned and started out of the shop.
“If you want speed, Leland is your best bet,” the man called after him.
Jonathan paused in the doorway and glanced over to Matthew, who said nothing.
When they stepped outside, Jonathan regarded Matthew. “Leland?”
“That has to be Leland Frackle. He works for the city. He has a bit of a reputation, but…”
“But what?”
“I didn’t have him on my list,” Matthew said.
“Why not?”
“Because I didn’t expect that he’d be someone I could use for this.”
Jonathan nodded to Elizabeth, who followed them and resumed holding on to her facade, keeping herself concealed within it. He turned to Matthew. “If you know how to find this Leland, then we should go.”
Matthew frowned. “I don’t know that he’s going to be much help.”
“Even if he’s the one?”
“Listen, Jonathan, he works for the city. Which means he works for the king. Stable work like that, especially for a locksmith…”
“I get it. I understand. I’m just saying that if there is anyone who can help us, then we need to go to them. Isn’t that what you thought with Elizabeth?” Jonathan nodded to her. “No offense. You’re just a little younger than our typical sneak.”
She shot him a hard look. He turned away from it, suppressing a grin. Despite himself, he found that her irritation amused him and reminded him of how he’d been when he was younger. No, that wasn’t quite right. It reminded him more of his sister when she was younger. She had much the same temper as Elizabeth. Then again, she would never have taken part in a job like this. She didn’t care for these kinds of jobs, or for his role in any of them.
“Fine. I’ll take you to Leland,” Matthew said.
They marched through the city, taking a circuitous route until they neared some of the older government buildings made of solid stone. Many of them carried the markings of the El’aras, people who had been expelled from the city—and these lands—long ago. The governmental buildings were the only ones that really carried any of that styling. Most of the others in the city were newer, built since the Reclamation.
Matthew paused in front of one of the larger structures, which housed the city administration—at least as much of it as could fit inside. It was only two stories high, with small, slotted windows, but it had an imposing feel to it. An arched doorway with El’aras writing scrawled along the surface served as the main entrance.
Once inside, Matthew paused at an alcove to ask where to reach Leland, and they headed toward the back of the building. They walked down a side hall that was situated off another side hall. The tiny office was hidden, but as soon as they knocked and opened the door to Leland’s invitation, Jonathan had a feeling they were in the right place. It reminded him somewhat of the woman they had visited, with locks everywhere. They were all different types, all different makes, and all different ages.
The man who sat on a stool in front of a bench was probably the same age as Jonathan. He was of average height and build, with shaggy brown hair. Thick glasses hung to the tip of his nose. He glanced up when they entered.
“What can I help you with?”
“Are you Leland Frackle?” Jonathan asked.
“That’s me. Are you here on city business?”
Jonathan flashed his widest and most engaging smile. It was the one he had practiced while imprisoned, and the one that had worked on most guards. “We’re here on behalf of the city. We have a lock that was removed from one of the outer buildings, and we understand it’s a Devlin Change manufacture, but we unfortunately don’t have a key. There are several of its kind on the building, and we’re looking for a way to open them.”
Leland reached out, and Jonathan handed him the lock. He twisted it for a moment, little more than that, and the lock popped open. He fidgeted with something in his hand, though Jonathan couldn’t see what it was. He handed a slender stone rod over to Jonathan. “Here you go. Those old Change locks can be difficult. They stick. The only good thing about them is that they tend to have a master key. This one should get you in.”
Jonathan and Matthew shared a long look.
This was their guy. He’d opened the lock as if it were nothing, no challenge to it whatsoever.
“I’ll be honest, Leland,” Jonathan said, “we aren’t really here with the government. We need a lockpick with a particular set of skills.”
Leland stiffened and peered over at them. “Why?”
“We have a difficult lock that must be opened. Sadly, I can’t share with you the contents the lock is safeguarding, but I can tell you it will be worth your time.”
Leland turned away. “I’m not interested.”
“I can see you have a stable position here. And I understand you wouldn’t want to jeopardize that. The thing is, we could use a man like you.” Jonathan saw Matthew watching Leland with a question in his eyes, though he didn’t say anything. “What will it take to make it worth your while?”
Leland grunted. “It’s got to be more than twenty gold coins. Any job like that—”
“Twenty gold. It’s yours.”
The man turned toward him slowly. “What was that?”
Jonathan shrugged. “You said twenty gold would make it worth your while. I will personally guarantee the job will be worth that much. Perhaps even more.”
Leland flicked his gaze past Jonathan. At first, Jonathan thought he looked over to Matthew, but that wasn’t the case. He looked beyond both of them and out into the hallway. Elizabeth had remained outside the administration building. She hadn’t wanted to come in, which Jonathan figured was probably for the best. Given what he had seen from her and how often she used her facade to shield herself, they would run the risk of government personnel recognizing that a sneak was inside. Sneaks weren’t regulated like the Sorcerers’ Society was, but they weren’t necessarily embraced either.
“Well?” Jonathan asked. “Will you take a job for twenty gold?”
Leland turned his attention to them, nodding. “You’ve got yourself a locksmith.”
Jonathan smiled. “Good. I’ll send word about when we’ll meet.”
He and Matthew headed out through the administration building, neither of them speaking. Only once they were out on the street did Matthew look back, concern etched in his eyes.
“What is it?” Jonathan asked. “I can see there’s something troubling you.”
“It’s something that should be troubling you too.”
“Why? That he opened the lock that quickly?”
“Yes. No.” He sighed. “I don’t know. It’s not so much that he unlocked it that quickly, it’s how he unlocked it.”
“He has some sort of master key.”
“No, Jonathan. He made some sort of master key.”
Jonathan looked down at the stone rod in his hand. As he squeezed it, he felt a hint of warmth within. It was a telltale sign, one that he should have recognized sooner. He had been imprisoned for too long, though.
“Aw, damn.”
“What is it?” Elizabeth asked, separating from the side of a building and joining them. Jonathan hadn’t even been aware that she was there. She really was talented.
“The man we just asked to join us has his own magical ability,” Matthew said. “He can enchant keys.”
“So?”
“We just need to keep him from getting the Society’s attention. Sorcerers tolerate sneaks. The kind of magic you use is subtle and instinctive. They don’t tolerate anyone else, and certainly not anyone who’s made enchantments without the Sorcerers’ Society’s blessing.”
“Maybe we just keep it from them,” Elizabeth said.
“That will be the plan,” Jonathan said, then turned to Matthew. “So, then. We found a locksmith.”
“We found a locksmith, but are you sure this is the one?”
Jonathan turned the key in his hand, running his fingers along its surface. “I think he has to be the one.”
CHAPTER SIX
The inside of the tavern was full of activity as a minstrel sang and swayed, leading a fast-paced tune and stirring up movement. The tables were relatively new and made of solid wood. Jonathan settled his elbows on the arm rests of his comfortable chair, glancing around as the crowd danced. Several men in one corner tried to keep up a game of cards, but dancers kept bumping into several of them, which disrupted their game. Or at least it seemed to. Servers wound through the patrons, carrying ale and food, before returning to the bar that ran along one side of the tavern. Some workers slipped into a hidden door leading back into the kitchen. Every so often, the door would open and send a gust of air into the main area, carrying the smells of smoked meat and baked bread out to him.
Jonathan tapped his foot along with the music and sipped his ale, though he was lost in his thoughts. They had almost found their entire team. Almost. They had only one person remaining. Unfortunately, the final position they had to fill was going to be the most difficult.
“The last one is on you,” Matthew said.
“I know.”
“You have any idea where to start?”
“Not really. We need to find an enchanter who either is in debt or just needs money.”
“For a skilled enchanter, that will be incredibly unlikely.”
Jonathan nodded. Enchanters who had talent were highly compensated. And had connections to other enchanters in the city. The idea that they would be able to find somebody who needed money was going to be difficult.
Not impossible, though.
Most jobs he pulled needed magical enchantments. And finding someone able to make them—quickly—or had contacts for the kind of enchantments they might need was often difficult.
“We could gather our own enchantments,” Matthew said. “We’ll probably need to do it anyway. With the right enchantments, we should be able to bypass anything in Vileforn’s home. You know, we might need a sorcerer.”
“I’m not so sure. The last time I made an attempt, the enchantments were effective.”
“If he has sorcerers under his employ, we’ll need more than just enchantments. We’re going to need somebody who can actively counter them. Which means we need a sorcerer,” Matthew said.
Jonathan nodded. “Maybe, but I’d like to try and do it without going down that road. At least, as long as possible.”
“I have a list of sorcerers who’ve worked with the underground before. It might not be fully up to date, but we could start there and figure something out.”
Jonathan looked over, a smirk forming. “You and I both know that isn’t going to be much of a list, which is why we need to stick with enchanters.”
“Maybe not.”
He sighed, knowing what his friend was getting at. “Why don’t you just say it?”
Matthew forced a frown. “What do you think I want to say?”
Jonathan shook his head. “You want me to ask her.”
There was a moment of silence. “It does seem like a reasonable request. She is your sister after all.”
Jonathan hadn’t seen Jayna since long before he’d gone into prison. She’d gone off to the Academy, heading down her path toward the Society, and she hadn’t approved of him or his friends. She was probably thrilled that he had ended up in prison—where she had always claimed he’d eventually find himself.
“A sister who doesn’t care for this line of work. One who wouldn’t approve of this, and who works for the very man whose home we intend to break into.”
“Now that you say it, it does sound like a great idea for you to go to her.”
“I think you don’t really know the definition of a great idea.”
Matthew shrugged. “I know Jayna, and I know she wouldn’t want anything to happen to you. I told you that I’ve seen her.” His brow furrowed, and he rubbed a knuckle along one temple. “That’s about all I remember, though. I think I was drinking too much when I ran into her.”
“You?” Jonathan asked, frowning. That was unlike Matthew. He wouldn’t turn down a mug of ale, but he didn’t seek it out like so many others did.
“I don’t know why I can’t remember anything other than the vaguest of details. But you can go to her.”
“I don’t know that I should. She’d probably try to keep me from taking the job.”
“You don’t have to do it.”
Jonathan took a sip of his drink. “I don’t have to, but I want to. Take this job and we don’t have to take any others. The cut for all of us is… well, it’s more than I’ve ever considered.”
