Once

by Alyson Serena Stone

  It really wasn’t like Ryanon to seek him down like that unless she really did think there was something wrong. She normally was right about things that were going on in the slums.

  The only downfall about most of Ryanon’s issues was that they usually required some form of research. Dak cursed himself once again for not being able to read better than he did.

  He flung the reports back down on his desk. They would have to wait until more. For now, he thought that he had earned a few hours' worth of rest.

  The rest of the morning was not any better. It was snowing so heavy that Dak could not take his men outside to train and they had to train inside under the watchful eye of the king. To make matters worse, Vicar had decided to join the session. He seemed to enjoy gloating at every flaw Dak’s men made. Plus, it didn’t help that Dak could not correct the prince without being punished himself.

  Vicar lowered himself down next to Dak, who was watching the men to see which ones would be making the journey to Trelia. “You know, it’s such a shame that you couldn’t keep up with all of the duties,” Vicar said.

  Dak frowned as he watched Jual take another man down. “You know, it’s such a shame that you only try to pick a fight with me when the king is around to save you.”

  Vicar shook his head, laughing. “Well, it’s not my fault you weren’t born right. I’m just merely stating the facts.”

  Dak eyed his brother. “If you think the princess is going to fall in love with you, you are completely mental.”

  Vicar smiled. “Just keep telling yourself that and we’ll see what happens in the end.”

  Dak rolled his eyes and snorted. “In order to win someone’s heart, you have to first be human.”

  Vicar’s eyes narrowed. “No one said I was going to win her heart, all I have to do is kiss her.”

  “It’s called true love’s kiss.”

  Vicar waved Dak away. “That’s all just politics. Everything is all about politics, don’t you know that?” He slowly got to his feet. “If you were any kind of Captain of the Guard you would have caught Lord Lowis Goldspire’s killer by now. Seeing as you haven’t, I think I am going to have to have a chat with the privy council about your current job assignment.”

  Dak snorted. “Yeah, right, and who is going to put up with you?”

  Vicar’s lips slowly curled into a smile. “Well, I am told that you are very replaceable. I’m sure there are many young noblemen who would love a chance to serve their prince.”

  Dak watched as the Crowned Prince stuttered away. Just one flick of his wrist, he could send his dagger flying right into the back of the prince’s head, and give them all a break from his insufferable attitude.

  However, Vicar was right about something. Dak did need to come up with some kind of suspect for Lord Lowis Goldspire's murder. If this went on for too long, people would start asking questions and all eyes would turn to him. He had gone this long without being found out and he wasn’t about to let it all far apart now.

  He did have a job. Some low life crime lord had been marked and he would make the prefect victim.

  There was just the matter of coming up with a convincing story. How was he going to shift the focus off of Ryanon? How was he going to make everyone forget about her? There had been more than one way for the killer to get into the room. Maybe he could spin it so people believed the killer came in through the window after the whore had left. It could work.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Dak could feel King Teodric watching him. There was something in the king’s eyes that sent a chill down his spine.

  Maybe Ryanon was right about him and there was something up.

  Dak slowly got to his feet. “That’s enough!” he bellowed. Everyone in the room froze and turned to look at him. “Hit the showers! Be back here tomorrow at first light!” Without even waiting to see if the orders were carried out, he turned on heel and marched out the door.

  If there was anyone in this castle who wanted to gain something on the king, it would be Queen Amberfall and he had a pretty good idea as to where she would be. Then, he was going to have to find Ryanon and see if she wanted to go hunting.

  Dak opened the library’s grand doors. The smell of old books and knowledge poured right into his lungs. Every bit of the room was lined with stacks of books, just waiting for someone to discover their rich secrets.

  A few Scholars lingered toward the front of the library, but there was no sign of Amberfall and her guard.

  Nodding to the Scholars, who were giving Dak confused looks, he pressed on deeper into the library. He really hadn’t spent a lot of time here growing up. Books made him feel really stupid, but he did respect all that they held.

  The Trelian section was tucked back in the back; this much he knew. His father had wanted to ban the books completely, but the Scholars begged him not to, claiming that they one day may be able to break the curse and wouldn’t be able to if all the knowledge was gone.

  Voices filled Dak’s ears as he lingered in the shadows. The fairies were speaking so softly that his mere human ears could not pick up on their words.

  Coughing loudly, he stepped out of the shadows.

  Amberfall and her guard stopped speaking at the sight of him, staring openly at him. The guard even went as far as to shove the books they were reading behind his back.

  “The plague,” Dak said, coming closer. “Is there any chance that it could have been captured and spread to the common population through food?”

  Amberfall and her guard exchanged looks.

  “What do you mean?” the guard asked.

  “I have a source who claims that people in the slums are becoming ill as a result of the plague,” Dak went on. “My source also claims that the people were healthy until they went to the ball and now are dying.”

  Amberfall slowly sat her books back down. “I guess it is possible.” She flipped one of her books open. “There’s not a lot on it, but something like that can actually happen. At least, I think it’s possible.”

  Dak peered into the book. The letters just seemed to blur together. “I guess.” He blinked, looking away from the book. “How much have you looking into this?”

  Once again, Amberfall and the guard exchanged looks. Dak really couldn’t blame them for not trusting him. He was, after all, the captain of the guard.

  “We really haven’t gotten anything past common knowledge,” the guard said. “There really isn’t anything on the strength of Nightstone’s magic and we strongly suspect that even Moonbeam, the leader of the Iron Fairies, doesn’t even know.”

  Dak frowned. “So, Nightstone isn’t even the leader of the Iron Fairies?”

  Amberfall nodded. “No, she’s not. Moonbeam has been the leader for as long as I can remember, but even she cannot gain any control of Nightstone.”

  “Is Moonbeam the one responsible for the Iron Fairies appearing?”

  Amberfall shrugged. “It’s really hard to say. Moonbeam is evil, but she prefers to be left to her own devices.”

  Dak leaned against the shelf. “And no one has seen Nightstone since the curse, right?”

  Amberfall nodded. “Yes.” She opened the book she was holding. “Look here.”

  Dak leaned forward, peering at the book. There was picture that looked like Trelia’s main palace. It must have been taken right after the curse, because it was still graced in the full glory of Trelia. The golden arches still shone in the early morning sun, the white, marble columns were not yet laying on their sides, and the stained glass windows were not yet broken. Plus, no cameras or drones have been able to get through the wall of thorns in recent memory.

  However, it was not this pristine palace that was the main attraction. There on top of one of the highest towers was a wicked looking purple and black creature. It snaked around the tower; its sinister yellow eyes stared right into the camera. The long, white fangs dipped down over its snarling lips. If Dak did not know any better, he would venture to say that the creature was smiling at t
hem. He peered a little bit closer. There in the background, almost invisible in the shadows, was a pair of brilliant wings. He had heard the rumours, but this was something else seeing it in person.

  Dak looked away from the book. “Can fairies can into things like that?”

  “You might as well go ahead and say it, Captain Morninghelm,” the guard replied. “We might as well get ready to face it.”

  Dak gave the fairy a dark look. Why didn’t Amberfall stop him from talking like that? “Fine, dragon.” Shooting one more final look at the guard, he turned back to Amberfall. “Can Nightstone really turn into a dragon? We’ve all heard the legends, but is it really true?”

  Amberfall nodded to the picture. “I think the picture speaks for itself, Captain Morninghelm.”

  Dak cursed under his breath. It wasn’t as if this mission was going to be easy as it was, but through in a dragon and it was sure to be hell. “And I suppose you are going to say the same thing about the plague?”

  Amberfall closed her eyes for a brief moment, then slowly opened them. “I think you are going to find that your king has a lot more secrets than you first thought. If you really want the answers to all of your questions, you are going to have to look deep in your heart. Is your king that sinful?”

  The answer was yes. Dak knew that his father really was that sinful and if he didn’t do something about it, things were going to get out of control.

  He needed to kill something. He needed to let this energy out before he told Ryanon that she had been right. He really didn’t think he could stand her gloating right now.

  Chapter Seventeen: At the Crime Lord’s House

  " Jeremias Caskbrand, are you mental?" Ryanon snapped as she and Dak crept through Skalavik's darkened streets."He's the biggest crime lord around!"

  "And the perfect person to blame for the lord's death." Dak gave Ryanon a small smile. "Unless, you would rather confess now, because I have no problem with taking you into custody."

  Ryanon bared her teeth at him. "Is this even a paying job? You know I don't work for nothing."

  Dak stared up at the side of the building. "Yes, it is a paying job. I guess he has enemies somewhere who can actually pay our fees."

  Ryanon looked up at the building. Sure, it was tall, but it was far better to go through the roof tops than to linger in the streets. The streets had a rather nasty habit of talking and when people talked, they usually ended up dead.

  "Why now? You've been investigating this murder for how long and you've just now decided to make a move?" Ryanon gripped the bottom of the bricks. They were nice, with plenty of hand and foot holds.

  "Because things have changed," Dak muttered as he started climbing up the building.

  Ryanon followed his movements, before quickly overtaking him. She did not like having to come in behind him. The building's bricks were positioned just right that it was like climbing a ladder. Ryanon tisked the person who had built this structure. It was far too easy for someone to sneak into.

  They reached the top, climbing over the edge like a cat climbed a tree. Up here, Skalavik looked just as dark as ever. Little lights did dance every once in awhile, but the foul rot of human life over took what little beauty there was in the night. The ships' ghostly white sails fluttered in the night, while the pubs near them roared with life from the roughest of peoples. In the more respectable neighbourhoods, everyone was tucked safely into their beds, away from the evils of the world. The castle rose above ever other structure. It's light should have been a welcoming symbol, but it instead served as a reminder of who was really in charge of this foul land. There was no warmth coming from any of the sights.

  The night was a killer and most people knew that.

  Dak tapped Ryanon's arm, pointing to the alley below them. A group of people seemed to be making some kind of deal, but their voices were too low for them to make out.

  The two assassins feel back into the shadows, becoming creatures of the night.

  The buildings' rooftops ran rather close together. Ryanon found herself actually enjoying it as they jumped from rooftop to rooftop. Her boots were top of the line and they were certainly doing their job now. Not once had she stumbled, even with this much snow and ice coating everything.

  The cool night air beat into her face. They neared the end of yet another building.

  "The next one should be it," Dak muttered as he landed like a cat on the other side.

  Sighing, Ryanon leapt across the opening. Now, the fun times were going to start. There was a reason why she hated stake outs.

  Crouching down next to Dak, Ryanon stared into the poorly lit building. "Are we actually going to make the kill tonight?"

  Dak nodded. "That is the plan."

  Ryanon narrowed her eyes. It was sleeting again, making it next to impossible to see into the building. She could make the faint outlines of people, but could not tell if any of them were Jeremias Caskbrand . To move any closer, would not only expose them even more to the elements, but to any guards that would happen to be lurking around the building.

  Dak moved himself deeper into the shadows, groaning as ice beat off his skin. "We might as well get comfortable."

  Ryanon sighed. "I should have known that with this being your job that nothing was going to be easy."

  Dak hissed, before speaking. "I'm going to sneak around and look in some other windows. Don't kill me when I get back."

  Ryanon smiled sweetly at him. "I can't make any promises, my dear."

  Dak just gave her a rude gesture as he disappeared into the shadows.

  Sighing, Ryanon settled in, knowing that this was going to be a rather long and cold night. Dak was really going to have to pay her good for this one.

  The sleet was making the roof even slicker. As the hours clicked back, Ryanon's entire body grew numb. She shifted her weight every now and then with a soft groan, but it really didn't do anything. Taking each care to shift again, she got a small glance of the castle's clock tower. Two o'clock in the morning. They had been on this miserable roof for four hours and they still couldn't see anything.

  She did have to give Jeremias Caskbrand credit. For being a crime lord, he was in a pretty upscale part of town. His estate was fashionable enough to blend in with its surroundings, but still held that aurora that seemed to keep people away. In fact, in daylight, she would venture to say that it could pass off for a nobleman's house.

  There did seem to be a lot of people coming and going from the house, even at this late hour. Every now and then, she would catch the glimpse of a sword gleaning in the moonlight. So, not only was there a lot of people around, but they were heavily armed.

  She grabbed her knife as boots whispered on the ledge to her right. Dak nimbly slipped out of the shadow's cover, settling in next to her.

  "There's too many people," Ryanon muttered, lowering her knife.

  Dak nodded as he stared into the house. "I didn't even see Jeremias Caskbrand ."

  "Do you even think he's here?"

  Dak moved just a bit out of the shadows. To the common eye looking out, he would have been nothing more than just another darkened mass. “I say he is.” Dak crept back into the shadows. “It would just be poor business not to be on a night like this.”

  Ryanon eyed him out of the corner of her eye. “What do you propose then?”

  Dak’s eyes danced around the area. “There’s just too many guards for us to slip in and they are bound to recognize me. You’d stick out as well.”

  Ryanon scanned the side of the building. Sure, there were plenty of windows, but they all looked to be locked tight. Breaking one of them was bound to draw attention and there did not appear to be any places in the roof to enter. Plus, Dak was actually right. They could not just walk in through the front door playing the role of one of Caskbrand ’s business partners. They were all bound to know each other and what their business with the crime lord was.

  It was just completely hopeless.

  Ryanon’s eyes narrowed as a
group of men passed beneath them. She felt herself going back further into the shadows, while mentally cursing herself. She needed to pay better attention to her location. She hadn’t even thought about the alley below. If anyone passing were to look up, they would see them and probably alert everyone around them.

  Dak caught her eye with a nod. Without saying a word, the pair of them slowly climbed back up the side of the building with nothing more than a whisper of their boots behind them.

  Keeping low to the ground, they crept along the rooftops that lined the back of Caskbrand ’s house. Here the roofs were a little bit more uneven and with the snow and ice, it was far too easy to slip right off the edge.

  However, looking in from the other side was a lot safer. There was no alley directly below them. However, there was still no way of getting in. If anything, this side of the house was far busier than the other. Still one thing remained the same: there was still no sign of Caskbrand . All the curtains in the windows had been flung open clear around the house, so there was no chance of him hiding behind one of them.

  “Where is he?” Ryanon muttered. “Do you even know what he looks like? Maybe we could be looking right at him and you just got the wrong description.”

  Dak ran his hand over his rough cheek. “No, I’m not wrong. I’ve dealt with him before.”

  “How can you be sure it was really him?” Ryanon counted. “Maybe it could have been someone just claiming to him while he was hiding and watching the entire time.”

  Dak sighed. “Why do you doubt me so much? Can you tell me that?”

  Ryanon rolled her eyes. “What don’t you give me a reason not to doubt you?”

  Dak didn’t answer.

  Ryanon stared back into the house. There did seem to be a lot more people gathered now in what appeared to be a formal dining room. However, instead of plates of food lining the table, there were mounds of boxes. No one seemed to be touching the boxes, but they all had their eyes trained on them with complete interest.

  Then, a man stepped into the room. He wore a well-fitting tunic and pants, the shine of his boots could even be seen from this distance. His long dark hair was pulled back into a low, but prefect looking ponytail. His skin was flawless. He did not look like a crime lord, but a noble. There was no missing the gleaming sword at his side or the daggers that lined his belt. Everyone in the room seemed to stare at him as she walked past them; a few looked like they even actually bowed to him.