“Why would they be concerned about that now?”
“Superstition,” Master Meyer said. He looked over to the gathered Archers, shaking his head. “They likely feel that given his treasonous background, he is a danger for spreading that to others.”
Finn smiled. “They can’t be serious.”
“Unfortunately, there are many superstitions that linger. That is but one of them.” Finn looked over to the Archers and remained there for a moment. After a while, he climbed down the steps of the Raven Stone, waiting for Master Meyer to join him.
When he did, he looked back at the Raven Stone. “I feel like I’m beginning all over again.”
Meyer nodded. “I’m not surprised you would feel that way. Take whatever time you need this afternoon, and meet me this evening to discuss your study plan going forward.”
Finn just nodded. He had not had a dedicated study plan since he had started working with Master Meyer, and it surprised him that the man would suddenly decide to do so.
Perhaps it shouldn’t, though.
Finn had started away from the Raven Stone when a familiar figure strode toward him through the thinning crowd.
Finn waited for Esmerelda. Her white dress flowed as she moved, almost shimmery. She flashed a wide smile at him. “I understand this is the first time you wielded Justice.”
“You knew?”
She smiled at him. “I know many things, Finn Jagger. Did you enjoy it?”
It was a strange question, but it was appropriate as well. “I don’t know that I would say that I enjoyed it so much as I understood the necessity of it, if that makes any sense.”
“It makes perfect sense. You did what was needed for your people.” Esmerelda smiled.
“I haven’t thanked you for the card.”
“There was no need to thank me for it.”
“It helped.”
“I suspected it would,” she said.
“How is Jasmine?”
Esmerelda cocked her head to the side, smiling slightly. “Would you like to pursue her?”
It was a strange question, but at the same time, Finn wasn’t exactly sure that he had an answer. “I don’t know. Should I?”
“She would be receptive to it, I imagine, but I don’t know if she is a suitable match for you. A man like yourself needs to be challenged, Finn Jagger.”
“I don’t know that I need to be challenged so much as to find somebody who would be willing to spend time with an executioner.”
“Perhaps that’s it. If you would like me to make the arrangement, I am happy to do so. Now that she’s settled in with the people, she would be permitted to spend time with others.”
“You have to permit it?”
“Only if she wants the necessary time.”
Finn looked over toward the hegen section. “I think I would like that.” It was about time that he have an opportunity to spend time with someone. There was something about Jasmine that helped take his mind off what he had to do. Maybe it was her lack of concern at his responsibilities, or how she managed to find a glimmer of hope in everything, despite what she’d gone through. Either way, he wanted a chance to know her better.
Esmerelda watched him, and he couldn’t read the expression in her eyes, though it seemed to him she hesitated a bit. “I will have her visit you,” she said.
He nodded to himself. It had been a while since he had spent any time with a woman. The last time had been when he had been in the Wenderwolf, and even then, most of those women were paid by Annie to ensure her clients stayed in the tavern, occupied, and perhaps more than that.
“Thank you,” he said again.
“Of course.”
She eyed the Raven Stone for a moment, and Finn could practically see the question in her eyes, a desire to make her way toward the Raven Stone and perhaps claim whatever prize the hegen wanted.
The Archers remained, blocking access.
“They won’t be able to stay for long,” Finn said.
Esmerelda glanced over. “I’m not so sure that is a prize my people would claim.”
“What part do you need?” He paused, frowning. “Is that not the right way to describe it?”
“I suppose you could call it a part,” she said, smiling slightly. “We would prefer to refer it as one aspect of the power of life.”
“I don’t know that I would call it the power of life so much as I would call it the power of death.”
“You are not one of the people.” She glanced over to the hegen section before turning her attention back to Finn. “I will speak with Jasmine. I suspect she will be quite pleased to have an opportunity to visit the city. Perhaps you will have someplace you could show her. I imagine you know many such places of interest.” She smiled at him again and started away.
“Will you help me again if I need it?”
She gave him a sly look. “I think we can agree that our arrangement will be as needed.”
As needed. He had no idea what it would take for him to need her services again, but he began to wonder if perhaps he would. At what point will I be able to do my job on my own?
He thought he was getting closer. When they had been outside of the city in the village, that had been him. Master Meyer had facilitated it, and because of Master Meyer, he had removed Mistress Elaine from her role in the village, but Finn had been the one to find the guilty party, and Finn had been the one to carry out the execution.
Maybe Master Meyer was right. Having an opportunity to travel outside of the city, to experience places beyond Verendal, simplified his job. The role of executioner was more complicated than he had ever imagined, and in a place like Verendal, situated as they were on the edge of the kingdom, it became even more complicated.
Finn could do it, though.
Not only could he do it, but he wanted to do it.
Maybe that was the most important part of all.
He started back toward the city, passing through the Teller Gate and back to his responsibilities. As Master Meyer had said, now that the threat of the magister and Bellut no longer hung over him, he truly could resume his responsibilities. And he truly could progress as an executioner. Finn was no longer the thief with the threat of execution hanging over him.
Now he could be an executioner.
Read the next book in The Executioner’s Song: The Executioner’s Blade.
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Author’s Note
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for reading The Executioner’s Apprentice. I hope you enjoyed it. If you would be so kind as to take a moment to leave a review on Amazon or elsewhere, I would be very grateful.
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D.K. Holmberg
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Series by D.K. Holmberg
The Chain Breaker Series
The Chain Breaker
The Dragonwalkers Series
The Dragonwalker
The Dragon Misfits
The Dragon Thief
Elemental Warrior Series:
The Endless War
The Cloud Warrior Saga
Elemental Academy
The Elemental Warrior
The Dark Ability Series
The Shadow Accords
The Collector Chronicles
The Dark Ability
The Sighted Assassin
The Elder Stones Saga
The Lost Prophecy Series
The Teralin Sword
The Lost Prophecy
The Volatar Sag
a Series
The Volatar Saga
The Book of Maladies Series
The Book of Maladies
The Lost Garden Series
The Lost Garden
The Executioner's Apprentice (The Executioner's Song Book 2) Page 41