The Reluctant Assassin Boxset

by Thomas K. Carpenter

  "I suspected those to the left of Eleanor. Jax in particular. But he didn't give any tells," he said.

  She rubbed the back of her neck. "It's doubtful he would give any. Once the initial surprise was over, they would keep their intentions hidden. Did you learn anything else?"

  He considered the encounter, running it through his head for other clues.

  "Eleanor was genuinely surprised, and while she doesn't like you, she takes her responsibilities seriously." He paused, catching a twinkle of mirth in Priyanka's eyes to let him know he was on the right track. "So if she didn't know, then the Black Council didn't know about the Gurken's hiring, though it doesn't rule out a rogue member."

  "As Halfdan said, even while retired they enjoy their politicking. What I have to figure out now is why the Gurken was hired. What was the purpose of taking those heads and preserving their thoughts?" she asked aloud, then glanced back to Zayn. "Enough intrigue for the day for you. You may return to the Honeycomb, but stay ready, I may need you at a later date."

  Chapter Nine

  Second ward near the sky, November 2014

  Game of Lies

  Nervous excited laughter carried through the second years like a shiver of pleasure as they waited for Instructor Pennywhistle to explain the task. Classroom work was intense, but lacked the danger of the challenges the instructors threw at them. It'd been a few months since the last one. Zayn stood in the back with his teammates, contemplating the scene before them.

  They stood in a high floor of a skyscraper near the Spire around evening time. The mammoth tower was so close, Zayn had to press his face to the window to get a glimpse of the blinking lights at the top that kept planes from flying into it. No one had explained what was going to happen, but the ladder leading up through the ceiling to the roof did not go unnoticed.

  He'd only been in Invictus for a year, so it was strange how used to the city he'd gotten. He looked out the side window to see it come alive with lights as night descended, a far cry from his hometown of Varna, which seemed to fade into shadow as the sun set. It wasn't his home, but he didn't feel like he'd wandered into the wrong place every time he looked out a window.

  "I overheard some fifth years this morning going on about how excited they were to be on the administering end of this challenge," said Skylar in a low whisper.

  "Hopefully they're not pining to see me fly or anything. I wouldn't make a good bird," said Vin, staring apprehensively out the window.

  "But you'd make an excellent rock," said Skylar.

  "I see pain and embarrassment in our future." Portia looked to Zayn. "You're quiet this evening."

  He blinked. "Sorry, I guess I was zoning out. I was up late studying last night."

  Zayn pushed more faez into his sensing imbuement, which brightened the world around him. His awareness came up, as if he'd just drank a double espresso, but he knew it wouldn't last.

  "You're up late studying every night. Do you ever actually sleep?" asked Skylar.

  "I think he sneaks out to meet up with Sofia. If I were sleeping with her, I wouldn't hide it. I would proclaim it to the world," said Portia, holding her arms up as if she were singing on a stage.

  "For the record, Portia, you have slept with her, and you two were so noisy I couldn't sleep," said Skylar, her lips pursed with amusement.

  Portia tilted her head, putting a fingernail on her lower lip. "Sí, I guess that is true. She must have been a disappointment for me to forget. Never mind, he's not sleeping with her, but that still doesn't explain what he's doing each night."

  Zayn was saved from having to admit he was actually studying when Instructor Pennywhistle arrived, silencing the chatter. She was wearing a floor-length black denim skirt, a black turtleneck, and her hair in a high ponytail, pulled so tight it turned her cheekbones sharp. The dark-rimmed glasses she wore did little to hide the circles around her eyes.

  "You're all liars. But not very good ones."

  The class laughed in response, though Zayn sensed her heart wasn't in the playful joke.

  "Last year you learned how to manipulate people, simple magics to affect your target. But as we've said time and time again, not everyone will be as easy. It is one thing to influence the guy driving your taxi or doing your taxes, but it's another thing entirely to compromise someone who is ready for you, and has hardened themselves with magical countermeasures.

  "And then there's the other side of it. Detecting the lie. Knowing how to spot a bullshitter. You should have completed your reading of volumes three through five of The Illustrious Arts of Deception. You will apply what you've learned in today's lesson. This will require balance, your senses, and most importantly, your brain. You'll need to learn how to use them in concert to survive.

  "But I don't want to ruin all the fun with boring explanation. I'll let you figure it out when you get upstairs."

  She pointed upward, and a queasy feeling went through Zayn's midsection. He didn't mind heights, but standing on the top of a fifty-floor building was something entirely different.

  "To give you all a little extra incentive, the team with the best score will earn a weekend off from everything, and I mean classwork, dinner duties, everything."

  A collective murmur of anticipation rose through the second years. Everyone wanted to win the reward.

  "As always, there's a penalty for being last. The team at the bottom gets to pick up the duties of the winning team." Groans were stifled as Instructor Pennywhistle held up a small coin. "But if anyone can make it to the end and defeat me, I will give you my Portal Tether, which can save you in a time of great danger. Though I'm not worried about losing it, since no one has ever even made it to the final station."

  Zayn had been feeling drowsy, but mention of the Tether gave him a boost. Winning the group competition would be great for his team's morale, but defeating Instructor Pennywhistle and earning the Tether might help him against the Lady. He had to do everything possible to win it.

  The other students spoke quietly amongst themselves, motioning to those around them that they were the ones that would win the challenge.

  She clapped her hands once to get their attention. "Eddie, you're up first."

  Eddie raised his arms in victory as if he'd already won, receiving hisses from the rest of the class.

  After moving to another room behind a heavy door, the other second years clustered together and started talking about the challenge.

  "We have to win," said Skylar. "I don't remember what the inside of my eyelids look like."

  "They look like this," said Vin, closing and opening his eyes very exaggeratedly.

  "I might sleep an extra hour or two, but I think I'd use that time to get ahead on classwork," said Portia. "It's not like it's going to go away."

  "Don't remind me," said Skylar. "But at least for a few short days I could forget. What about you, Zayn? What would you do?"

  Zayn glanced around at the other teams. Everyone was talking about the weekend off.

  "No reason to talk, since we haven't won anything," he said.

  Skylar was about to give a retort when her name was called. "Damn. Either Eddie won quickly, or he lost quickly."

  "Do we really have to wonder?" asked Vin.

  "Wish me luck!" said Skylar, skipping towards the ladder.

  After Skylar left, everyone went quiet. Every few minutes, another name would be called. Before each one, Zayn's stomach roiled like the ocean in a storm. He tried not to look out the window to see how high up they were, but it was hard.

  At the quarter and half marks, Vin and Portia were called to the ladder. He gave them each a fist bump before they went up. Almost two hours passed before he was called. He was one of the last second years to go. He wiped his hands on his jeans before climbing up the ladder.

  A gust of wind made him squint as he reached the roof, immediately looking around for where he needed to go. It wasn't completely dark, but the dim light had blurred the edges of everything distant. He made it a ha
lf-turn before he saw his destination and his stomach dropped into his knees.

  A fifth year named Justin was standing on the building across from the one Zayn was on. Justin gave a friendly wave with a stupid grin on his face.

  When Zayn reached the edge, he saw two thin boards that went across the gap. There was about eight feet between them. Zayn had a good idea of what he needed to do, but just no idea why there were two boards.

  He climbed onto the ledge between the two boards and looked down, but as soon as he leaned forward, he had to pull back because the yawning expanse seemingly tried to suck him over the edge. He stepped away, reeling from the experience.

  His hands were sweaty and his breath came in labored heaves. He tried to shake the adrenaline from his arms, but they quivered with nervousness.

  "It's really far down," said Justin.

  "I can see that," said Zayn.

  "Take my advice. This goes a lot smoother if you don't think about how far it is to the bottom. Or look—definitely don't look."

  Zayn resisted the urge to flip him off. "So what's the catch? Two boards, and I have to pick the right one?"

  "You got it. One of them is designed to fail when you're at the center. The other is perfectly safe. Assuming you don't lose your balance," said Justin.

  At that moment, a wind gust moving between the buildings blew in his face, coaxing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up.

  "So which one is safe?" asked Zayn.

  "That's for me to know and you to find out," said Justin. "But know that you only have ten minutes to reach Instructor Pennywhistle, and there are three stations including this one before her. You can't modify the boards, and you can't try and jump the gap, but otherwise, everything else is fair game."

  The nature of the challenge became clear to Zayn. "So I can ask you questions about which board to take and then I have to figure out if you're lying or not?"

  "Bingo," said Justin.

  "Great," Zayn muttered to himself. He blew a big breath out and surveyed the two boards and then Justin. The fifth year had a smirk on his face. He was enjoying this far too much for Zayn's liking.

  Zayn amped up his sensing, listening to Justin's heartbeat through the veins on his neck, watching his expression for little tics. Figuring out if someone was lying wasn't hard if you knew what to look for and had a baseline to check against. A lie detector machine worked on that principle. He would have to do the same, though at an unfortunate distance. It would have been much easier up close.

  "Hey, Justin, what was your last name again?"

  "Nichols. Justin Nichols."

  When Justin spoke, his heartbeat stayed relatively calm, which was to be expected. If this were controlled circumstances, he might have asked more questions, but Justin knew the lying game as well as Zayn, so he couldn't push too far.

  "Thanks, Justin. I just wanted to know who to thank when I get past you," said Zayn.

  Justin made an exaggerated coughing laugh. "Ha. Not only are you not getting past me, but your team is in last place."

  Once again, his heartbeat stayed steady, which didn't bode well for his team if that was true, but at least was another data point for the real question. He thought for a moment before he worded the question.

  "Which board should I use to cross the gap?"

  Justin blinked, turned, and pointed to his right, which was Zayn's left. "That one."

  Though it didn't change a lot, Zayn detected a jump in his heartbeat, which suggested a lie.

  To further test it, Zayn moved first towards his left and the board Justin had suggested, catching a twitch at the corner of his mouth and a brief rightward glance from his eyes.

  "Thanks, Justin," said Zayn, moving back towards the right board.

  While Zayn was fairly confident he was correct, there was enough doubt to make his traverse emotionally perilous. Zayn took a deep breath and looked at the board, which suddenly looked much smaller than it had a few moments ago. He tried to concentrate on where his feet would go, but all he could see was the tiny streets so far below.

  "You can always give up," said Justin. "No harm in quitting. Some of your fellow classmates did."

  A bird cawed to his right, hovering on the wind. He could taste bile in his mouth as he fought the urge to step away from the ledge. But the smirk on Justin's face kept him steadfast.

  He stepped onto the board, immediately having to stabilize with his arms out when a gust of wind pushed him. Zayn stopped and stared at the board to muster some courage. His whole body tingled with numbness, as if he were having an out-of-body experience.

  When he realized he still had his sensing imbuement amped up, he backed it off, which reduced the terror that was lurking at the corner of his mind, waiting to seize control. With every detail in full focus, he centered himself, but right as he stepped forward another gust of wind hit him crossways. Zayn growled under his breath, using his imbuements to keep his balance.

  Each step was its own struggle, a personal battle not to slip to his knees and cling to the board for life. But once he was a quarter of the way out, he realized there was no reason to go back, and he wasn't sure he wanted to try and pirouette.

  As he neared the center, the board bowed, bending a good foot downward. The hair on the back of his neck rose in anticipation of the snap and the rapid plunge to the earth. But step by step, he made his way across, until his foot touched the roof on Justin's side.

  "Hoping I would fall?" asked Zayn.

  Justin scowled, shoving his hands into his pockets. "You won't get much further."

  The whole way to the far side of the building, Zayn mulled Justin's behavior over in his head. Why would he want to see a fellow student fall to their death? While there were certainly some edge cases in the Hall, for the most part, the other students were pretty sane—a bit risk hungry, but definitely not the kind of sickos that wanted to see someone plummet fifty stories.

  He wrote it off as a defect of Justin's and approached the next section, his heartbeat increasing as he saw three boards, rather than two. Another variable in the lying game was not what he wanted. At least before, he had a fifty-fifty shot. Now his random chance of picking the right path was only at a third.

  Brittany Deloud, a cocoa-skinned girl from the suburbs of Detroit, stood on the other side. She gave Zayn a friendly wave and shook her mane of healthy black hair.

  "Hey Zayn, baby."

  "Hey Brittany."

  She gave him the biggest grin, and he knew what she was going to say before she said it, because she'd let him know in very clear terms that she was open to "testing out his imbuements."

  "I'm not above giving you a free pass if you're willing to take a trip on the Brittany Express," she said.

  Zayn blew a breath out his nose. Having a fatal prophecy attached to his love life was not making his life any easier.

  "I'm sorry, Brittany. I can't," he said.

  "You gonna be a Jesuit priest or something? Or you one of those guys who thinks holding it back makes you more powerful? Don't you know that's why we got this magic, baby?"

  "I am aware, and it's for none of those reasons," said Zayn.

  She sighed and shook her head. "You know how to disappoint a girl, don't you?"

  "Sorry, Brittany. You can still tell me which board if you want," he said.

  She pointed to the middle one, an answer that he believed right away because he'd been monitoring her like he had Justin.

  "Thanks, Brittany," he said.

  Making the first few steps made his palms sweat, but at least the wind had died down. He kept his attention at the ready for a surprise gust and was so focused on the board that he didn't look up at all until he was almost at the middle. A brief glance to Brittany warned him that something was wrong.

  As soon as he stopped, about five feet from the exact center, her smile died. He wasn't sure where he'd gone wrong, but he knew he was on the wrong board.

  "You almost had me," said Zayn.

 
"I tried. I tried," she said. "But you still don't know which board is good."

  "No, I don't," said Zayn, doing a pirouette and making his way back to the building he'd just come from.

  Brittany had her arms crossed and was shaking her head and humming. "You ain't getting past Brittany Deloud, so you might as well just give up now."

  Zayn paced along the edge of the building. He couldn't understand why they were so blasé about another student potentially falling to their death. He didn't know Justin that well, so he couldn't speak to his sense of morality, but he knew there was no way Brittany would treat his death so coldly. It was almost as if there were no real consequences to failing.

  He looked over the edge at the city far below. He could see cars, tiny little blocks with pinhole lights shining from the front, cruising through the streets. It was enough to give him vertigo.

  It wasn't a false view, he knew that much. The complexity of an illusion that large would require multiple mages to create and maintain, and would violate one of the basic teachings of the Academy: Simple is Better.

  He recalled Justin taunting him to look down, which was also a recipe to get him not to look. What was he supposed to not see?

  When he unfocused his eyes, he caught the edges of something below the boards. Looking closer, he realized what he saw: a see-through platform ten feet beneath the boards. It would be strong enough to hold his weight, but far enough down to give him a dreadful scare. It'd probably been enchanted to make it hard for him to see it.

  He took one look at Brittany's expression and knew he wouldn't get past with simple questions, and it would likely get harder. He needed a way to get to the truth, but the solution he came up with gave him the shivers.

  Three successive blasts of force magic directed at the place the barrier connected with the brick wall loosened it until it broke away and fell against the far building, held by the other end like a door on a hinge.

  "Zayn, what are you doing?" asked Brittany, mouth open, looking down at the now truly empty space below.

  "Which one is it? I don't have a lot of time. I'll pick one at random if you won't tell me," he said, putting his foot on the leftmost board.