Knight of Shadows, page 24
Rezkin donned the disguise of a hooded figure, a warrior whose face was perpetually in shadow with a large raven upon his shoulder. Then he stealthily entered the room and seated himself in another chair by the fire without Atressian’s notice. He waited patiently for Atressian to look up, but the man was engrossed in his reading material. Seena stretched and flapped her wings, and the rustle finally roused Atressian. The man startled and jumped to his feet dropping the tome on the floor. Rezkin remained where he was as he stroked Seena’s long neck.
“Who are you, and what are you doing in here?” shouted Atressian and a mage ward appeared around him.
Rezkin inwardly cringed at the volume of the man’s voice. He did not want others to come investigate. This conversation was better had in private.
Rezkin used illusion to deepen his voice. “Please, sit, Atressian. We have much to discuss.”
Atressian drew himself up. “I will do no such thing. Who are you? How did you get in here without my noticing?”
Rezkin ignored the man’s questions. “You have made several attempts to contract with the Black Hall to dispose of both Wellinven and Tieran Nirius, have you not?”
“I have done no such thing,” huffed Atressian.
“Do not deny it. Yes, you made use of an assortment of assumed names and intermediaries, but I know it to be you.”
Atressian’s lips pursed stubbornly then his shoulders dropped. “You are he, then? You have come to fulfill the contract?”
With an edge to his voice, Rezkin commanded, “Sit.”
Atressian slowly lowered himself back into his chair then looked at Rezkin expectantly.
Rezkin said, “If I had come to fulfill your contract you would never have seen me.”
“What then?” asked Atressian. “Why are you here?”
“I have come to secure a counter agreement.”
Atressian looked at him with suspicion. “What sort of counter agreement.”
“I know of your mistress and her daughter—your daughter.”
Atressian’s face paled. “How could you? No one knows of them.”
“I did not take you for a fool, Atressian. Of course people know of them. You are a duke. Your movements never go unnoticed. Caydean has been blackmailing you. He was keeping them under guard, threatening them, in order to secure your cooperation.”
“What do you mean was keeping them? What has happened to Eliza and Zenia?”
“They are safe—for now.”
“You have them?”
“I do, and if you want them to remain safe and unharmed, you will do as I command.”
“Who are you?”
“I am known as the Raven.”
Atressian clenched his fists in his lap. “I have heard of you. What is it you want from me?”
“You will set aside your petty grievances with Wellinven and work with him. You will agree to cooperate with the empire, and you will agree to contact Cael.”
“Is that all?” Atressian said mockingly. “You ask me to sacrifice the kingdom.”
“In addition, you will drop this nonsense of your claim to the Ashaiian throne.”
“I will not! The crown belongs to me.”
“Eliza’s and Zenia’s lives depend on it,” said Rezkin.
“You think I will give up the throne for a mistress and bastard daughter?”
“I know you will, Atressian. You may carry no love for your wife or elder son, Fierdon, but I know you love Hespion, Eliza, and Zenia. You would not wish harm upon any of them.”
Atressian tensed as Rezkin stood. He said, “You have your orders. See that you follow them. I will be watching closely.” As Rezkin left the room, he immediately changed his illusion to that of a servant. Atressian appeared in the doorway a moment later peering down the corridor in either direction. Rezkin was pleased to have gotten away so easily and yet disappointed that there were no guards present. It was much more difficult to protect all the dukes if they did not attempt to protect themselves. They were not aware of the assassination attempts, however, so they had not been put on high alert. They no doubt felt they were safe within the Wellinven castle.
Seena scampered ahead of him as Rezkin made his way to the second tower where waited Duke Darning’s quarters. He allowed himself into the suite and found the duke’s manservant dozing noisily in the chair by the door. Rezkin withdrew a needle laced with a sedative from a small vial in his belt pouch and stuck it into the man’s neck. The man never woke.
Rezkin crossed the sitting room to venture into the bed chamber. When Darning finally arrived nearly an hour later, Rezkin surprised him with his presence. The duke entered the suite and found his manservant peacefully napping, then he looked up to find the Raven staring at him from across the room. The duke’s first reaction was an admirable one. He sent a ball of lightning streaking toward Rezkin. Rezkin did not dodge the attack, instead allowing the lightning to strike him. It sizzled around his body in glowing arcs before dissipating to no effect. Darning sent another ball of lightning at him with the same result. Then he turned toward the door either to run or call for guards. Rezkin snapped his power into action, casting a shield ward between the duke and the door, trapping him inside the suite.
The duke railed against the ward for a moment before turning back to Rezkin. He said, “Who are you? Are you here to kill me?”
Rezkin answered, “If I wanted you dead, you would already be dead.”
“Well, what is it you want?”
“I have something for you, something I think will be of great interest to you.”
“And you could not have given it to me through the regular channels?”
“I am afraid not, Duke Darning. I had to make sure you personally accept it.”
The duke swallowed hard. “Very well. Hand it over and be gone.”
Rezkin withdrew a scroll tube from where it was tucked into his belt and held it up. Darning looked at it, blinking a few times, before saying, “That is it? That is all you have for me?”
“I think you will find that it is enough,” said Rezkin as he tossed the scroll tube toward the duke.
Darning fumbled the catch and had to stoop to pick the tube up from the floor. With shaky hands, he opened the tube and unrolled the contents, which were several pages of information. He glanced at Rezkin, then moved to the table in front of the settee to peruse the contents. As he read each page, his brows rose toward the ceiling higher and higher. Eventually, he looked up and said, “Is this true?”
Rezkin nodded in the affirmative even though most of it was not true—at least, nothing confirmed. The papers detailed a plot between the Jereans, Sandeans, and Channeríans to divvy up the kingdom of Ashai at the conclusion of a joint campaign. The proposed new borders went straight through Darning lands. Although the entire plot was fiction, Rezkin had used actual correspondence and intelligence to design it to appear authentic.
Darning said, “Who are you?”
Rezkin bowed with a flourish. “I am called the Raven.”
Darning was silent for a moment before saying, “Why would a criminal overlord bring this to me?”
“Because you need to know the consequences of your proposed actions. The neighboring kingdoms cannot be trusted to ensure Ashai’s autonomy. Your only hope lies with the empire.”
Darning released a mirthless laugh. “And this empire will respect Ashai’s autonomy?”
“The empire is already led by the rightful king of Ashai. Ashai’s autonomy is not in question.”
“Do you speak of the dead emperor or Tieran Nirius?”
“Does it matter?”
Darning rubbed a hand down his face. “No, I suppose it does not.”
“You must lend your support to the proposal to coordinate with the empire and contact Cael.”
Darning’s suspicious gaze slid to Rezkin. “Why do you care?”
“For the same reason all Ashaiians should. It is in my best interest.”
Rezkin left Duke Darning’s suite satisfied that he had gotten through to the man. He had no need to visit Wellinven or Marcum since they were already of the mind to coordinate with the empire. He adjourned to the disused room in the sixth tower that he had claimed, and for the first time in several weeks, he slept soundly. That night, he was visited by another of his dreams.
He opened his eyes, and beside him lay a white-haired beauty with silver eyes. Those eyes turned wide as saucers upon seeing him, and her mouth formed a pert little ‘o’. Then tears filled her eyes and one rolled down her cheek.
Her voice was husky as she said, “Why do you haunt me?”
Rezkin lifted a hand and wiped away her tear. He was suddenly overwhelmed with emotions he had never before experienced, at least not to this degree. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and hold her close. He pulled her to him, and she came willingly. She crushed her lips to his, and he trailed his hand over the sheets, down her back to the curve of her buttocks. He pulled her in tightly as their tongues entwined. She pushed against him then rolled on top of him. Rezkin did not fight her despite the compromising position. For the first time since his youth, he did not feel threatened by a woman. He realized he trusted Azeria with his life.
Tendrils of guilt dug into his heart as his blood heated and his breath quickened. He trusted her, but she could not trust in him. Rezkin gripped her shoulders holding her back and breaking their kiss. He gazed into her confused eyes and made a decision. He said, “I need to tell you something.”
“Cannot it wait,” she murmured as she tried to kiss him again.
He held her back then sat up so that she was straddling his lap. The sheet fell, and he realized she wore nothing beneath it. With great effort, he drew his gaze away from her exposed breasts and said, “I need you to know something that must stay between you and me. You cannot tell Entris. Azeria, promise me.”
Her brow furrowed in concern. “Tell me what?”
“Promise.”
Her gaze was filled with questions as she stared at him. Finally, she said, “I promise.”
For the first time in memory, Rezkin felt anxious. He released a breath and said, “I am alive.”
Rezkin awoke with a start. Something had alerted him. He looked down to see Seena curled up sleeping peacefully at his side. She cracked one eye, looked at him, then rolled over onto her back exposing her belly. A moment later, she sniffed the air. Her eyes pooped open. She leapt to her feet and arched her back holding her wings aloft. Her attention was riveted on the door. Rezkin crept toward the door and eased it open. Peering into the darkness, he saw nothing but an empty stairwell. He listened for any sound of movement. After a moment, he thought he heard the slightest footfall—a mere scuff that would normally have gone unnoticed.
He padded down the stairs with a dagger in his hand and Seena at his heels. He had taught her to move as silently as he did, not an easy feat with a dragon. When they reached the next landing, Rezkin tried the door, but it was locked. He continued down the stairs as he listened closely. The dawn’s first light peeked in through the arrow slits, but for the most part, he was enveloped in darkness. He reached the base of the tower without encountering anyone and began to wonder if the sound had been his imagination. Still, he would investigate. The sixth tower was attached to the curtain wall by means of a wooden bridge that could be dropped in the event of an attack. As it was, the tower could provide a means of entry into the castle if someone was skilled enough to scale the wall. That was why he had chosen that tower in the first place.
Rezkin searched the castle for over an hour before going to the kitchen to ensure no one poisoned the food. The general and dukes convened for breakfast in the dining hall, and Rezkin watched the servers carefully, ensuring that he knew them all. Then he returned to searching the castle for the intruder. It was then that he saw someone he did not recognize darting into the stairwell of the sixth tower.
Rezkin followed the stranger as he took the stairs two at a time. He could now hear the footsteps of his quarry, but he seemed to be getting no closer. With a burst of Eihelvanan speed he sped up the stairs, but the stranger still managed to stay ahead of him. When he reached the landing that led to the bridge he was breathing heavily. He caught sight of the stranger just as a black stream of energy struck him in the chest. Rezkin was thrown backward into the wall with a crunch. He nearly tumbled down the stairs before he caught himself. He struggled to sit up as his chest burned with a fiery pain that took his breath away. Seena perched on his chest hissing and spewing smoke toward the assailant. Rezkin climbed to his feet and was halfway across the bridge when he spied the man about to descend over the crenelated wall.
The man stopped and looked back at Rezkin with a sinister grin. His eyes were black as night, and he exuded a dark aura all around him. He said, “You can chase me, or you can try to save them.” Rezkin launched a throwing dagger at the man, but it fell to the ground uselessly when it encountered a ward. The demon said, “When the general and dukes gather, they will all die. You don’t have much time to save them.” Then the man jumped over the wall.
Rezkin hurried the rest of the way across the bridge and to the wall. He looked over the wall to see the demon running away far below. Rezkin had no means of following the man even if he did have the time. And time was a luxury he did not have. He was certain the demon had planted the explosives somewhere in the castle. His only clue as to where was that it would be near someplace where the men would gather.
Frustrated with having lost the assailant, Rezkin made his way back down the tower. Seena followed just as flustered as she flapped her wings with agitation. Rezkin did not know if she was truly bothered by the loss of their prey or if she were merely acting in response to his feelings.
The dukes and general had finished with their breakfast by the time Rezkin made it back to the dining hall. He knew that when they finished, they would gather in the war room to continue their negotiations. Hopefully, now those negotiations might lead somewhere thanks to his efforts of the past few days. In the meantime, however, Rezkin had to make sure they were not going to die. If the demon was to be believed, he had very little time to find the explosives and disable them—assuming he could disable them. Rezkin had never before handled magical devices that exploded, and he was not sure he had the necessary skills.
Rezkin went to the war room, which was presently unoccupied, and began his search. He had no idea what he was looking for, but he had made himself familiar with this room such that he would notice anything that did not belong. After a thorough search, he realized the explosives were not there. He was just leaving as Duke Darning entered the room. The other two dukes were arguing at the end of the corridor, and he had no idea where Marcum had gone. Rezkin had until they were all together to find the explosives. He hurried to the stairwell and looked up and down the stairs. Would the demon put the explosives above the war room or below it? Rezkin had only enough time to choose one, if that. Seena sniffed the air then darted down the stairs. Rezkin hoped she had caught the demon’s scent and followed.
He hurried to the room that was directly below the war room. The men could gather at any minute, and he had no way of delaying them. The room was a large space used for storage of furniture and all kinds of treasure in every shape and size. There were rugs and draperies, books and candelabras and serving ware, chests and crates stacked everywhere with only a narrow path around them. Rezkin had no idea how he would find the explosive items amid the mess.
As Seena sniffed the air and scurried amongst the items, Rezkin turned inward. He sought the vimara at his core and pulled it forward. Then he sent a tendril outward searching for anything that might answer back. After a few minutes, he decided a single tendril was insufficient. He widened the flow then wrapped it around himself to radiate out in all directions. He was seeking anything bearing magic. The first item that answered was nothing more than a bespelled music box. The next was a silver ladle. He moved through the room setting it awash in his power. He and Seena eventually converged on one section that held an assortment of magical items. Several of them looked as if they could be an explosive device, but he did not know how to tell what their magic did.
He picked up an urn and rolled it over in his hands. It gave off a strong magical signature, but this magic felt different from the other items he had encountered. Something about it felt off. Rezkin probed the other items and found three more with the same magical signature. Rezkin gathered the four items in a bag and sprinted from the room. He did not know for certain if he had the explosive devices, but he had a feeling about these items. They were meant to be destructive, he knew it. He ran with a speed beyond human ability back up the stairs and out of the castle. He sped across the front lawn and down the street toward the inner wall. He slowed as he approached the wall so as not to draw attention. Once through the gate, he tossed the bag over the side of the bridge.
Seconds after it left his hands, the bag exploded. The concussive force blasted Rezkin off the other side of the bridge. He plummeted into the icy water only to be battered by rocks as he tumbled down the falls. He gasped as his head breached the surface before he was dragged back under. His ribs collided with a boulder and then his hip with another. It was all he could do with his hazy consciousness to protect his head with a small ward. He emerged from the water briefly as he plummeted through the air, then he slammed back down into the flow and his back collided with another rock.
When Rezkin finally stilled beside the shore, he was far below the castle. The water lapped around him as he stared up at the morning sky. A bird soared high above him. It circled like a vulture looking for a meal. Then it began to descend. Something about it stirred a memory. This did not look like a bird. It had a long neck and an even longer, sinuous tail. And its wings were not feathered. Rezkin watched it descend until it landed somewhere to his right.
