He found Ilanna’s gaze fixed on him, curiosity burning in her eyes. He saw the questions etched into every line of her face—she wanted to know his secrets, at any cost.
The time could one day come when he shared those secrets—the Night Guild could prove powerful allies in his war against the Abiarazi—but not today.
“Your city is safe, Guild Master,” he said with a nod. “The murderers are eliminated, the demon in chains.”
Ilanna gave him a tight smile, a hint of tension in her expression. “I can’t wait to explain all of this to the King.” Her eyes flicked to the chained demon on the ground. “And trust me when I say I’d rather face a demon than try to explain this mess to Duke Phonnis!”
Chapter Forty-One
Ilanna would never admit it aloud, but she felt a deep-rooted sense of relief to find King Ohilmos alone in his private study. After the last days, she’d rather swallow molten steel than put up with Duke Phonnis’ irascible nature.
What the King lacked of his brother’s physical strength, he more than made up for it by being far less of an infuriating prick. Truth be told, Ilanna actually almost liked the man—insomuch as any criminal could like a monarch that could have her executed and her friends murdered on a whim. Perhaps the fact that he wasn’t prone to emotional outburst proved part of what made Ilanna place her trust, what little she could spare, in him.
“Your Majesty,” she said in a quiet voice.
To his credit, King Ohilmos didn’t quite jump—the feather quill slipped from his fingers and ink splotches stained the page, but he didn’t knock over the glass wine carafe sitting on the table beside it. “Master Gold.” A small grin spread his face. “I take your presence as an indication that you’ve managed to clean up the mess?”
“Have I ever failed you, my King?” Ilanna swept a courtly bow, a sardonic smile on her lips.
King Ohilmos snorted. “To hear Elodon speak, the fact that you still draw breath constitutes a failure.” He held up a hand to forestall Ilanna’s biting retort. “But I am not my brother. I do not share his feelings toward you. And if, as you say, you’ve dealt with whoever is behind this recent spate of murders, I’ll once again consider myself wise for sparing your Night Guild all those years ago.”
Ilanna’s smile froze, hardened. Not enough years had passed for her to forget the horror of watching everyone she knew being sent to the executioner.
“Tell me.” King Ohilmos steepled his fingers and leaned forward in his stuffed armchair. “Who was it?”
“Lord and Lady Chasteyn.”
The King’s face did a little dance of surprise, his eyebrows rising as his jaw fell open. “Lord and Lady Chasteyn?”
Ilanna recounted everything—from finding the corpse of her Fox apprentice to the Guild’s encounter with the Hunter of Voramis to the discovery of Baronet Wyvern’s body to the battle with the Gatherers to the final confrontation in the Chasteyn manor. She left out the part about the demon-hunting—that might prove a bit too much of a stretch for the King.
King Ohilmos’ eyes sparkled. “The Hunter of Voramis, eh?” He rubbed his slim hands together, his raspy voice edged with excitement. “What’s he like? Are the legends about him true?”
Ilanna rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t shoot lightning out of his arse or piss venom, if that’s what you’re asking.” She paused, a pensive frown on her face. “And yet, I think having met him face to face, the legends fail to do him justice. Let’s just say that I’m glad none of my people were behind these murders.” The Night Guild would have fared poorly had the Hunter truly wanted them dead.
King Ohilmos was about to say something else when the door opened and Duke Elodon Phonnis strode into the room.
“Brother, wait until you hear what the Night Guild did to the Chas—” He stopped in his tracks, eyes narrowing to hard slits as he caught sight of Ilanna. “You,” he growled. “I was just about to tell His Majesty about the mess you and your cutthroats left in the Chasteyns’ manor. Not to mention Baronet Wyvern turning up dead.” He bared his teeth in a furious snarl. “You’ve gone too far this time, Guild Master.” He spoke her title with a tone that did little to conceal his disdain.
“I’ve gone precisely as far as necessary,” Ilana snapped, her tone as sharp as his. “The King asked me to clean up the mess—a mess your Praamian Guards proved incapable of even stopping, much less finding the culprits responsible—so that’s precisely what I did.” She turned to the King. “There will be no more ritual killings. The Gatherers are dead, and the Chasteyns dealt with.”
“She even admits to killing two of Praamis’ nobles!” Duke Phonnis stepped toward his brother. “You ought to lock—”
“Brother.” King Ohilmos’ voice was soft, yet hard enough to interrupt the Duke’s tirade before it started. “Why not confirm what she says?”
Duke Phonnis stopped mid-sentence, mouth agape, face red with fury. “What?” he finally managed to spit out.
King Ohilmos gestured toward Ilanna. “She has said where you will find the bodies of these Gatherers, along with proof of their actions. I’m certain that is enough to help you believe at least some of what she says. As for the rest…” He shrugged his slim shoulders. “Master Gold knows what will happen if we discover she is lying about the Chasteyns and Baronet Wyvern.”
Ilanna stood straight. “Send your men, Duke Phonnis.” Her voice was cold, restrained. “See the truth for yourself.”
Duke Phonnis glared at her, at the King, then back at her.
“In the meantime,” Ilanna told the King with a wry smile, “how about a glass of that wine? It looks like that Nyslian red you’re so fond of, and we both know just how good it is?”
The wine tasted all the sweeter for Duke Phonnis’ indignant scowl.
* * *
Ilanna sighed and dropped into her chair, pressing two fingers to the bridge of her nose. The headache hadn’t yet faded even though she’d left the Duke’s presence an hour earlier.
“I take it the meeting went well,” Ria said from behind her.
Ilanna turned to find the Ghandian standing in the doorway that led to the Guild Master’s bedchambers. Rest had diminished the drooping bags beneath her eyes, freshened her umber-colored cheeks, and brightened the twinkle in her eyes. It seemed Master Phoenix had taken advantage of Ilanna’s absence to catch up on much-needed sleep.
“Understatement of the year.” Ilanna shook her head. “A full hour spent ignoring the Keeper-damned Duke’s glare until his men finally confirmed what I told him about the Gatherers. You should have seen his face once he realized his plan to shut us down failed. He looked like he’d just had all the lemons in Praamis shoved up his arse.”
Ria chuckled. “The perks of being Guild Master, eh?” She came to stand behind Ilanna’s chair, her fingers working at the knots in Ilanna’s shoulders.
“Oh, Keeper’s teeth, that’s amazing!” Ilanna moaned.
“Being Guild Master can’t be all bad,” Ria whispered and placed a teasing kiss on her ear lobe, sending a shudder down Ilanna’s spine. “You’ve got a lot of good things to enjoy as well.”
Ilanna’s happy moment shattered when a knock sounded at the door. She bit down hard to keep from shouting curses at whoever was stupid enough to interrupt her, but instead barked out. “What?” Not much better.
The door opened to reveal a very nervous, very pale-faced Darreth. “Er, forgive me, Guild Master, but, er, he’s here again. Says he wants to see you.”
Ilanna’s gut tightened, but she kept her face a mask of calm. “Send him in.”
Darreth swallowed and glanced at Ria. “I could send for Master Serpent if you need more—”
Ilanna rolled her eyes. “If he was coming to murder me, I highly doubt he’d wait patiently for you to announce his presence.” She reached up and squeezed Ria’s hand, still resting on her shoulder. “And Ria’s more than capable of protecting me from one pesky assassin.”
“Pesky, eh?” The Hunter’s deep, gra
velly voice drifted into the room a moment before he pushed past Darreth. “That’s the first time I’ve been called that.”
Darreth gave a little half-squeak and recoiled, then darted back to the safety of his desk. Ilanna felt Ria’s hands tighten painfully on her shoulders. Whatever Ria had against the Hunter went far beyond his legend as an assassin.
The Hunter strode into the room with a cool confidence—well-earned, Ilanna had seen during his fight with Lord Chasteyn—and came to a comfortable standing rest in front of her massive desk. He fixed her and Ria with a calm gaze, a small smile on his lips.
To Ilanna’s surprise, Ria spoke before the Hunter did. “In my country, they whisper of your kind, Okanele.” Her grip on Ilanna’s shoulders relaxed, and she strode around to the front of the desk to meet the Hunter face to face. The assassin towered over Ria, but the Ghandian women showed no sign of fear. “You are death-bringers, soul-stealers, sent by Inzayo Okubi to consume the spirits of mankind.”
The Hunter shrugged. “It may be that those stories are true, or perhaps they are distorted by time, like so many other things you believe. I won’t defend the actions of my ancestors, for I have yet to meet one that isn’t a complete and utter bastard.” He grinned. “Yet the stories I’ve heard about the Night Guild haven’t exactly been flattering. The actions of one Guild member reflect on the others, but do not define them. What I know is that I am not like the rest of my kind.”
“I don’t know much about these Bu…Bucelarii,” Ilanna stumbled at the unfamiliar word. She stood and strode around the desk, extending a hand to the Hunter. “But what I’ve seen of you is enough to make me believe that you’re not the evil creature your legends say you are.”
“You might be surprised.” The Hunter gave a little chuckle as he shook her hand. “Just ask the Bloody Hand.”
Ilanna snorted. “Those vicious cunts deserved every bit of torment.” Her gaze darted to Ria. “They brought too much pain to this world.”
The Hunter nodded. “Indeed.” He held a hand out to Ria. “I will admit I was wrong in my assumptions about the Night Guild. Perhaps you are wrong about me as well.”
“I doubt that,” Ria growled. Yet, after a long moment, she grasped the Hunter’s hand. “But any man—or demon—who helps protect my family gets at least one pass.”
“Half-demon,” the Hunter corrected. “And I thank you for your generosity.”
“What will you do with him?” Ilanna asked. “Lord Chas—er, the demon?”
The Hunter gave her a small smile. “That is precisely why I came here today. I believe it a matter worth hearing.” He glanced around at the empty office. “But only for those who you are certain you can trust.”
Ilanna took Ria’s hand. “Anything you say here will be kept in the strictest confidences.”
The Hunter shrugged. “The truth will come out eventually, one way or another. Some will be unable to accept it, yet for those who do, it will place upon their shoulders a burden that cannot be ignored.” He fixed her with a solemn gaze. “Are you certain you wish to know?”
As ever, Ilanna’s curiosity burned like a raging fire within her. After everything she’d seen—the Hunter’s strange healing and shape-shifting abilities, Lord Chasteyn somehow surviving a slashed throat, the inhuman speed and ferocity of the assassin before her—every fiber of her being ached to learn the secrets dangled before her eyes. Burden or not, she had to know the truth.
She met the Hunter’s eyes. “Tell me everything.”
* * *
An hour later, Ilanna still struggled to believe everything she’d heard—twice. She’d summoned Jarl, Errik, Darreth, and Master Tyman to her chambers so they could hear the Hunter’s strange story. After what she’d learned, she’d need the help of those she trusted to figure out what, if anything, they’d do with the information.
“Keeper’s beard!” Master Tyman’s face had gone paler than usual. “It sounds too far-fetched to be real.”
The Hunter shrugged. “I know. But that doesn’t make it any less true.” He fixed Ilanna with a stern gaze. “Demons do exist, not just in Praamis, but all around Einan. They are more than just a threat to be defeated—they are the very key to our continued existence.”
Ilanna’s mind boggled. An ancient evil, a force of chaos, trying to break through to this world. A Serenii city built to protect Einan from the threat. It was too much to process—and something told her the Hunter had kept things back from her. He’d been correct in believing the truth brought a heavy burden.
“And what do you expect us to do with that?” Errik voiced the question she, and doubtless everyone else in the room, had been thinking.
“Nothing.” The Hunter shook his head. “That burden is mine to bear. But, perhaps, in the future, there may come a time when you could do more than just bring peace to your city. When that time comes, I will seek you out. Whether you choose to answer the call or not is up to you.”
Ilanna drew in a deep breath. “So let me see if I understand. You’re taking the demon—” She only hesitated a little at the word. “—to this lost city of Enarium, where you’ll lock him away in these mystical towers to feed the Serenii that’s fighting the Devourer?”
“That about sums it up,” the Hunter replied. “Yet, even with the iron chains, it will not be easy to keep the demon controlled.”
“You’re making the journey alone?” Ilanna asked.
“The secrets of Enarium are best kept just that, a secret.” The Hunter fixed her with a stern nod. “Were the knowledge of its power to fall into the wrong hands—”
“End of the world.” Ilanna gave a dismissive wave. She turned to Jarl. “What if I asked you to go with him? What would you say?”
Jarl’s eyes widened slightly, and he gave a surprised grunt. After a moment, he lifted his huge shoulders. “For you, ‘Lanna, anything.”
Ilanna felt a surge of warmth at her friend’s words, and she squeezed his massive forearm in wordless thanks.
“You would send your man with me?” the Hunter asked.
“Men.” Ilanna shot a glance at Errik.
“I am Master Serpent.” Errik folded his arms over his chest. “I cannot abandon my House.”
“Nor would I ask you to.” Ilanna shook her head. “But perhaps you can recommend a Serpent you can trust.”
“Once, I would have said Kindan.” Errik’s eyes darkened, and he shot an angry glance at the Hunter. “But yes, I believe I can trust Tassat.”
Ilanna nodded and turned back to the Hunter. “I offer you what assistance I can, then.”
“Why?” the Hunter demanded, his eyes narrowing. “Why would you help me?”
“Because you helped me save my city.” Ilanna met his gaze unflinchingly. “And the Guild Master always pays her debts.”
The idea had been a spur-of-the-moment thing, but now that she’d given it a few seconds of thought, she knew it was the right thing to do. She’d never have taken down Lord Chasteyn without his help—bloody hell, she’d have sent her men to their deaths at the demon’s hand—so she owed him their lives.
“’Lanna,” Jarl said, “I know a pair of Bloodbears, too.”
Ilanna pursed her lips. Four men and a half-demon assassin to haul one chained prisoner across the continent, but given what she’d seen…
“So be it.” She nodded, then turned to the Hunter. “But you will underwrite the expenses of the trip.”
The Hunter smiled at this. “Perhaps I wasn’t that wrong about you, Guild Master.”
Ilanna shrugged. “My duty is to my people.”
“As is mine.”
“Besides,” Ilanna said with a sly grin, “you’re the Hunter of bloody Voramis. Calling your rates exorbitant would be a drastic understatement.” She lowered her voice. “And I’d know. I paid it out of my pocket.”
The Hunter cocked an eyebrow, his expression curious. After a moment, a slow smile spread his lips. “Lord Damuria?”
Ilanna couldn’t help being im
pressed. “How did you know?”
“I recognized Lord Beritane when he hired me to do the job. Which would make the rumors about him working for the Night Guild true.” His face darkened for a moment. “Though, it was Lord Damuria’s death that led to…” He swallowed before continuing. “…everything that happened with the Bloody Hand.”
Ilanna saw a strange look flash through his impossibly dark eyes. She’d seen the same expression looking back at her from the mirror when she thought she’d lost Kodyn in the fire. Who did he lose? A wife, a child? She ached to know, but she doubted that he’d offer that particular nugget of information. Someone close to him, that’s for sure.
The emotion disappeared in a moment, and the cool, collected expression returned. “I am glad to know the Night Guild has little in common with the Bloody Hand. It would have been…disappointing to find otherwise.”
Though he said it in a calm tone free of inflection, Ilanna could hear the unspoken threat. “And I am glad to know the Hunter of Voramis isn’t the demon they say he is.” She held up a hand before he could correct her. “The half-demon, of course.”
The Hunter chuckled. “Of course.” He turned on his heel and was about to leave the room, when he stopped and spoke to Errik in a low voice. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry about your man’s death.”
Errik’s scowl remained, but he managed a curt nod in acknowledgement—the closest to an apology he’d get.
“Farewell, Hunter!” Ilanna called after him. “May the Watcher guide your feet and strengthen your arm.”
“Farewell, Ilanna of the Night Guild.” The Hunter swept a little bow. “I look forward to the next time our paths cross.”
As the door clicked shut behind the Hunter of Voramis, legendary assassin, Ilanna knew without a doubt that if they ever met again, things would grow far more interesting.
Warning:
If you are ONLY interested in the Hunter’s journeys and the Hero of Darkness series, the story ends here (for now).
Darkblade Guardian Page 145