“One moment.” For a second Otto wondered if the servant was going to slam the door in his face, but instead he stepped aside and gestured for them to enter. “Wait here.”
“Here” was a small entry room that held a coat rack and table, but no chairs or other decoration gracing its off-white walls. It was extremely plain compared to Franken Manor. It almost felt like someone had started decorating, got sick of it, and stopped halfway through.
When the servant had gone to get his master Allen said, “Not terribly hospitable, are they? You’d think they’d want to suck up to the king’s closest advisor.”
They should want to and the fact that the servant at least didn’t made Otto all the more nervous. “I’m going to try and have a look around. As soon as you hear someone coming, let me know.”
Otto closed his eyes and tried to extend his sight again. He succeeded this time and began flying around the house. He examined a number of well-appointed bedrooms, several closets and storage rooms, and a fine kitchen where a cook and three helpers tended a large stove and the many pots and pans covering it. Another servant was cleaning upstairs.
He only got three-quarters of the way through his search when Allen said, “My lord.”
Otto opened his eyes and a moment later the servant in black returned with Mrs. Crow following along. She looked just as Otto remembered, portly, with perfect gray hair, a strand of pearls, and dressed in all black.
“Lord Shenk, this is a surprise.” Her voice was deep for a woman, but still pleasant.
“Mrs. Crow.” Otto offered a shallow bow of apology. “Please forgive the intrusion, but I was investigating a matter for the king and some information led me to your door.”
“I’m happy to be of any help I can to the Crown. Won’t you come to the sitting room? Bartram, be a dear and get us some tea.”
The servant in black bowed and departed. Otto and Allen followed Mrs. Crow to the next room to the right which held a selection of velvet-cushioned chairs situated around a square table. A cold hearth filled half of the far wall. A painting of a stern, hatchet-faced man hung over it.
“My late husband, Evenrude,” Mrs. Crow said when she noticed Otto looking at the painting. She sat and Otto took the chair across from her while Allen stood behind him. “How may I be of assistance?”
“During an investigation into the theft of military supplies, specifically weapons and armor, I came across a reference to your home and someone I assume lives here. Does the name or nickname Sin mean anything to you?”
A tiny flinch was the only indication that she knew what he was talking about. It came and went so fast Otto almost thought he imagined it.
Before she could form an answer, Bartram returned with a silver tray bearing a tea pot, two cups, sugar, and milk. He set them on the table, poured, and retreated to the corner of the room. Otto took his cup and stirred it with a strand of ether.
The thread instantly turned a sickly green.
Poisoned. Any doubts he might have had about the Crow family’s involvement disappeared.
Otto pretended to take a drink then set the cup back down. “You were saying?”
She stared at him and he stared back. The moment stretched to the breaking point. At last she said, “It might be referring to my eldest daughter, Alison. She sometimes goes by Sin, even though I’ve told her many times how much I hate that nickname.”
“I see. Is she home? I’d like to have a word with her about a gentleman of her acquaintance named Thomas. Tall, blond fellow, perhaps you’ve met him.”
She was getting more nervous by the second; the fine wrinkles round her eyes tightened and a single bead of sweat rolled down her face and stuck in a fold of fat on her neck.
“Bartram, go see if Alison is in her workshop downstairs. The dear girl has a fondness for carving, but I won’t have the mess in the main house.”
“Yes, madam.” The butler left through a door partially hidden behind a wall hanging.
Otto wasn’t sure what was stupider, a noblewoman that enjoyed carving or a noblewoman that would care about making a mess for the servants.
“I hope my silly daughter hasn’t gotten into anything untoward.” Mrs. Crow’s laugh sounded brittle.
Otto stayed silent. Whatever was going on, he was certain the woman knew all about it and was stalling for time. Time to do what was the question.
A few minutes later Bartram returned and said, “Mistress Alison would be delighted to meet with the king’s agent. If you’ll follow me, sir.”
Otto stood and looked at Mrs. Crow. “Do join us, madam. I may have questions for you as well.”
“Oh, no, I have trouble with the stairs.”
“I’m sure you’ll manage,” Otto said in a tone that made it clear he wouldn’t accept no for an answer.
Her brittle smile fractured, but she got up anyway. Otto motioned for her and Bartram to lead the way. He and Allen followed them through the side door and down an undecorated hall to a flight of steep steps. Flickering firelight from the basement illuminated the steps enough that they could descend without fear of misstep.
At the bottom was a room holding a scarred wooden table, a chair, five men counting Bartram and two women counting Mrs. Crow. The second woman was stunning, maybe five years older than Otto. She wore all black leather including pants that appeared painted on. She looked like sin, that was for sure.
Two of the men were rough-looking thugs and two more had ether glowing around their bodies. The thin protective barrier marked them as wizards of modest power, he guessed six or seven threads’ worth of ether protected them. They were above average in strength for wizards that hadn’t broken through their personal barrier, but nothing he couldn’t handle.
There was a strangled noise behind him.
Otto turned to see a tall blond man, Thomas he assumed, holding a knife at Allen’s throat.
“Well, your lordship, you said you wanted to talk.” He turned back to find the younger woman smiling a wicked smile. “Let’s talk.”
Chapter 22
Otto studied the collection of characters surrounding him. It was an odd group for sure. Cleaned up and put in proper clothes, Alison would fit right in at a noble’s ball. Her thugs, on the other hand, wouldn’t find work answering the door in Gold Ward. The wizards were the biggest surprise. For some reason, Otto had never considered that wizards might work for an illegal organization like this. Though given how they were treated, he couldn’t be too surprised.
He gathered a little ether in his hand. The instant he did, one of the wizards smashed it with an ethereal whip. “None of that, now,” the wizard said.
“Best behave yourself if you want your friend to live through this,” Alison said.
“I don’t especially care if you kill Allen.” Otto shrugged. “He’s a useful ally, but hardly a friend. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if I had to replace him, but it would be a nuisance. If your blond boyfriend does cut Allen’s throat, I’m going to gut him like a hog and roast him over an open fire. Now, if we’re finished with the threats, let’s get down to business.”
“You’re hardly in a position to be giving orders,” Alison said.
“Why, because you’ve got two wizards watching over me? I assure you those two weaklings can no more stop me from killing all of you than your threat to murder Allen can. The only reason I haven’t done it yet is the hope that we can settle this in a peaceful manner. Your organization might be of use to me. If you prefer to skip straight to violence, I’m happy to oblige.”
Alison stared at him as though not entirely sure if he was insane or serious. Clearly this wasn’t how she imagined the discussion going.
“Don’t pay him no mind, Sin,” one of the wizards said. “Anders says he can only use a single thread of ether at a time.”
“Did you send him to blackmail me, Anders I mean?” Otto asked. “Was he acting on his own or was that one of your schemes?”
“What happened to him?” Alison ask
ed. “Anders is my second and a valuable asset.”
“He’s quite dead. I melted his brain and burned his body to ash.”
“Liar!” the second wizard shouted. “Master Anders would never lose to someone as pathetic you.”
“Shut up,” Alison said before turning back to Otto. “He’s really dead?”
“He really is.”
“What a waste. I warned him not to get involved with the nobility. Nothing good ever comes from it. They have too many resources and the power of the law behind them. It’s never worthwhile.” She sighed and shook her head. “Poor Anders. He never listened. You understand I can’t allow you to get away with killing one of my people?”
Otto raised an eyebrow. “Violence it is then?”
“Boys.”
The two wizards forged the ether into tentacles and lashed them at Otto.
He conjured a barrier and the tentacles shattered against it.
Before they could recover from their surprise, he wove a twenty-thread whip and slashed at their necks.
One tried to block and failed.
His head went flying in a fountain of blood.
The second tried to dodge and failed.
Otto cut him in half at the waist.
In the stunned silence that followed, Otto flicked his ring and bound Allen’s captor. He walked over, removed the knife from Thomas’s hand, and repositioned the arm holding Allen in place, freeing him.
“You okay?” Otto asked.
“Perfectly, my lord.” In a lower voice Allen asked, “You were just kidding about not caring if they killed me, right?”
He actually sounded pained at the suggestion that Otto wouldn’t value his life. Otto had pegged him as more practical than that.
“Of course. If they thought I cared, you’d have been in even more danger.” Otto offered him the dagger. “Kill him if it makes you feel better. He’s certainly of no use to me.”
“It’s a little close to dinner time for murder.”
“Suit yourself.”
Otto turned back to find the other thieves still standing where he’d left them. No one had even tried to draw a weapon. A wise decision on their part.
“Now that we all know where we stand,” Otto said. “Perhaps we can try to have a civil conversation.”
Alison’s arrogant smirk was long gone now. The blood had drained from her face making her appear even paler than before. “Let me start by apologizing for stealing from you. It wasn’t personal. The female clerk was just too easy a target. If you wish, I can try and recover your goods.”
“The weapons and armor have already been recovered and the smugglers you hired executed.”
She winced. “Our buyers will not be happy.”
“Tell me more about these buyers. They’re from Lasil I understand. Where did you meet?”
“We’ve never met them directly.”
There was a creak on the steps behind him. Otto spun and found Mrs. Crow looking to make a quick escape.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Otto asked.
“You two have so much to discuss. My legs are getting tired, so I thought I’d rest upstairs. You don’t expect an old woman to stand on this hard floor forever, do you?”
“You’re welcome to sit on the floor,” Otto said. “Move another step higher and I’ll make you drink your own tea.”
She blanched and dropped back to the floor.
Otto turned back. “Is she actually your mother, Alison?”
Alison laughed. “Hardly. She’s just some stupid actress I hired to be the face of the family. And my name’s not Alison, it’s Sin, just Sin.”
The thugs behind her were getting restless. One started inching his hand down to the shortsword on his belt. After Otto’s demonstration earlier, you’d think they’d have known better. Then again, the muscle was seldom hired for their brains.
“You might want to warn your people not to do anything stupid,” Otto said.
Sin looked back. “Knock it off, you two. I’m trying to get us out of this alive.”
The thugs slumped and sat on the floor.
“Now, about the buyers,” Otto said.
“Right, we never met them. An old business associate of mine mentioned some buyers in Lasil were looking for good-quality weapons and were having trouble buying them thanks to the portal being shut down. There was good money in it if we could get the goods past the tax collectors on the border.”
“Hence the smugglers.” Otto was starting to get the picture now. “And who is this associate of yours?”
She laughed though it sounded strained. “You’ll never believe it. He’s a tinker that travels the country. You’d be amazed what he picked up here and there.”
“Let me guess,” Otto said. “Big guy with a beard and covered wagon?”
Sin’s eyes widened. “You know him?”
“My father tortured him to death yesterday. Your associate was a Straken spy. I doubt there was even a buyer in Lasil. He just wanted to deprive the kingdom of weapons to help his masters. And you played right into his hands.”
“But the smugglers had our payment,” Sin said.
“No doubt spoils from the many bandit raids over the past weeks. It seems you have less to offer me than I’d hoped. How large is your organization?”
“If you count the pickpockets and cutpurses that pay us a percentage maybe fifty. The numbers change depending on who’s in jail. My main crew is fifteen, twelve now, not to mention I’m all out of wizards.”
Otto brightened. “Speaking of magic, how did your wizard create the barrier surrounding this villa? It’s excellent work. I assume Anders handled the spell.”
“Not exactly. Anders found this ugly statue in a shop. He said it was magic and that it would protect us.” She barked a laugh. “What a joke.”
“He was right to a certain extent. The magic creates a barrier that prevents wizards from spying on this house. It’s possible he didn’t fully understand what he’d found. So much knowledge has been lost since the time of the Arcane Lords. Show it to me.”
Sin started for the steps then paused. “What about Thomas?”
Otto looked at Allen. “You’re certain you don’t want to kill him?”
“Yes, but…” Allen punched Thomas twice in the face then kicked him in the groin. “The first two are from the serving girl at the White Pony. The kick was from me.”
Otto grinned and ended his spell. Thomas collapsed and curled up in a ball. Sin continued on her way. At the top of the stairs she let him catch up and walked along at his side toward the center of the villa.
Sin stroked his arm. “Thomas isn’t going to be much use for a few days. Do you have plans for tonight?”
Otto pulled away from her. He already had a wife that hated him, he didn’t need a mistress that might cut his throat in his sleep. “The statue?”
She pouted but opened an oak door. Beyond it was a large, nearly empty room. The only decoration was a round end table with a foot-tall statue of a knight in armor that crackled with ether. Threads ran into it then back out the shield and up into the barrier.
Remembering his lessons, Otto conjured a plug and placed it on the foot of the statue. The flow of ether stopped and over half a minute the barrier vanished. When the statue appeared fully normal, he picked it up and tucked it under his arm. It seemed this wouldn’t be a complete waste of time after all.
To Sin he said, “Here’s my offer. Your thieves will stay away from anything related to the war or owned by the Frankens. Any information you pick up that might be of value, you pass to Allen. Work against me, my family, or the Crown and I’ll find you and kill you along with anyone that’s ever worked for you. It’s a one-time offer. Pass and I burn this villa to the ground with you and your fellows inside.”
“You are a tough negotiator, my lord. Of course I accept. My people are at your disposal.” She licked her lips and ran a hand down her ample chest. “As am I.”
“Good. Turn ar
ound and lift your hair off the nape of your neck.”
She gave him a slightly confused look but complied. It really was a lovely neck, pale, smooth skin over lean muscle. He formed a thin blade of ether and carved a rune into her neck, drawing a pained hiss. Next he charged it with magic until he could sense it in the ether.
“There, all done,” he said. That was five people he’d marked, each with a unique rune, plus the three runes he used to mark teleportation sites. Too many more and he’d have trouble keeping track of everyone.
“What have you done to me?” Sin asked.
“I put a mark on your neck, a magical one. With that I can find you anywhere you might run or simply kill you with a thought. It’s not that I don’t trust your word, but after all you are a thief. Check in with Allen once a week at the Thirsty Sprite, and welcome to the team. I have every confidence we’ll have a long and productive relationship.”
Her smile was sour and beaten. Otto hoped she stayed beaten. It would be a shame to have to kill someone so lovely.
Chapter 23
After a long, exhausting day, Otto made his way to the palace. There was only an hour until sunset and long shadows lay over everything. A chill hung in the air, arguing that winter would be here before they knew it. All the magic he’d used had left him on the edge of exhaustion. Nevertheless, he dared not skip meeting with Wolfric. If he got word that Otto was back in the city and hadn’t come to see him the first day, he’d be upset. Besides, a meal at the palace was bound to be more pleasant than one at home.
At the side entrance he usually used, the two men on duty snapped to attention and ordered the portcullis raised for him. Gone were the days of him having to explain himself or bind his sword. His new title made everyone snap to when he showed up and his magic made them afraid, even not knowing exactly what he was capable of. Had they known, he doubted anyone would have been able to meet his gaze.
Otto put the guards out of his mind and resumed his trudge across the courtyard to the main keep. Just inside the massive structure a servant appeared to take his cloak and guide him to the library where the king waited. He barely registered the journey and next thing he knew he was surrounded by books.
The Great Northern War (The Portal Wars Saga Book 2) Page 12