by Bronwyn Eley
‘Stay quiet, keep close.’ His eyes bored into mine. I nodded. ‘Let’s go.’
The iron gates swung open and I followed Rennard as he took an immediate left. His head was high, but he kept off the main streets where possible. With each step, he brought us closer to the streets I knew so well. I wanted to beg him to stop before it was too late, before someone recognised me.
‘Your home is near here, is it not?’ Rennard asked.
Taken off guard by his question, I peered around as if to confirm this was, in fact, my neighbourhood.
‘Yes, my lord.’
He paused. ‘What was your favourite thing about living here?’
‘In this part of town, my lord? Or in Edriast?’
He considered, but only for a second. ‘Both.’
‘Well –’ I sucked in a breath, conscious that my answers had to be believable but coated in positivity. ‘There’s a sense of community that I love. You see the same people every day and you build a rapport with them.’
He nodded. ‘And my city?’
There were many things about his city that I despised. The magic. The Shadows. The class structure. But that wasn’t exclusive to Edriast. The magic was a fixture of our reality now, and the class structure was a system as old as time. There was little Rennard could do to change these things, with perhaps the exception of the Shadows. And he would never change that.
‘The security,’ I said finally. ‘Of your working system, my lord. There is something comforting in knowing you will always have a job and income.’
Rennard nodded. ‘I refuse to endure idlers in my city.’
I said nothing to this, and we fell into silence as we descended deeper into his city. Before too long, I realised where he was headed, though it made no sense. He pulled us into a quiet alley and rested against the wall. I lingered, my back to the busier streets, hoping to stay hidden.
‘Do you know where we are?’ he asked.
‘The Slip,’ I responded. It was hard to mistake the slanting streets, worn buildings and unique smells that lodged in your nose. The cheerful hum of rowdy patrons drifted down every street, through doors that remained open long into the night.
‘Gamblers, drinkers, loose lips and high spirits,’ Rennard said as his eyes travelled over the scene behind me. ‘It’s perfect.’
Perfect for what?
My mouth suddenly went dry as dust. What was he doing in this part of town? How many times had he pulled a similar stunt?
‘Do you know the area well?’ he asked.
‘Not really, my lord.’ It was a lie. How many times had I come here to fetch Elias?
‘Down this street, on the left, is an establishment called the Four Taverns. Have you ever been there?’
‘No, my lord.’ Truth.
‘Well, that’s about to change.’
I stared in numb shock as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of coins. He turned my palm up and pressed the warm metal into it.
‘Walk through the door, buy yourself a drink, meet new people.’
‘My lord?’ It was all I could bring myself to say.
He lifted his chin, closed his eyes and shook his head, silencing me. After a moment, he opened his eyes again. ‘And find out anything you can about a man named Bellamy.’
‘I don’t understand –’
‘Don’t be obvious. Talk to people, ask them about their lives, buy them a drink if you will,’ he continued sternly. ‘And then pose a question: if I’m looking for someone in particular, who do I speak to?’
‘Bellamy?’ I asked.
‘Exactly. He sometimes goes by Bell as well.’ Rennard smiled humourlessly. ‘I don’t care if it takes hours. You find something. You find someone. You bring it back to me.’
‘Bring Bellamy back?’
He shook his head. ‘I don’t expect you to find him anywhere in this city. I want information.’
‘It would help, my lord –’ I paused, testing the waters. ‘If I knew a little about this Bellamy so I’m not going in there blind.’
Lord Rennard’s face set in a scowl. He took a deep breath. ‘All you need to know is that he is an enemy of this city. Now, go. I will wait here for you.’
My mind was buzzing with confusion and possibility. This hadn’t been in the job description. Lirr said I would accompany Rennard on any errand he requested, but I never imagined playing spy for him. Still, I couldn’t refuse.
‘Oh, and Kaylan?’
I stopped mid-stride and turned to see Lord Rennard watching me with a steely gaze, still leaning casually against the wall, as if this were completely normal.
‘Come back to me.’
Chapter 8
With each step, I left the pain of the Relic behind, a temporary relief. I looked at the coins in my hand as I walked. Three silver coins were enough to draw a lot of attention in a place like this. Perhaps that was his intention. I could buy many friends tonight, friends who might have the information Lord Rennard so desperately wanted.
Bellamy.
The name burrowed into my memory, searching for recognition. It felt familiar, an oddity that I would surely remember, but I couldn’t recall anything specific. Lord Rennard had given me little to go on, but it set my mind reeling. An enemy of this city. An enemy of Lord Rennard, he meant.
That likely meant one thing: treason.
Why did Rennard involve me? Why would he put such sensitive information in my hands, along with a hefty fund, and send me off to prod drunks for information? I sucked in a deep breath as I neared the Four Taverns. The doors were wide open and light streamed out onto the street, darkness beating in and out as patrons inside crossed the doorway.
He must be desperate.
Even though I knew nothing of the situation, I knew enough. I knew that a man named Bellamy had caused threat to our esteemed ruler’s life.
Worse, that man was at large.
The Four Taverns was bursting at the seams with clientele. My legs froze. What if someone inside knew who I was? Worse, what if Elias was inside? Fear played with my mind as I imagined being discovered by my younger brother.
I took another deep breath. He wouldn’t be inside. Even if he was, would it be so bad? Would seeing my family bring me down like a rotting wall, or would the fire of my old life, my old self, surge through me again?
I considered ignoring Rennard’s threat. I could turn around right now, flee in the direction of home, take these silver coins and whatever else we had and escape the city. But it was a foolish dream. I wouldn’t get past the city gate. Even if I somehow managed to surpass the levels of security, some visible, others surely hidden, I knew nothing beyond these walls. I hadn’t once set foot outside. It would be suicide. And not just my death, but my family’s, too.
I took a step inside the tavern, immediately slipping on a sticky substance coating the floor. My left foot slid sideways and I latched onto the first thing I could: a man. He tipped backward, drink spilling all over us. His hand flew out and gripped my arm from beneath, steadying us both as he worked to level his drink. He saved about half, glanced at it and then at me, before chuckling low and deep.
‘I like a woman who knows how to make an entrance.’ He flashed his crooked teeth before dropping my arm.
‘I’m sorry.’ I wiped away some of the residue that covered my jacket.
‘Ah,’ he shrugged. ‘Your nice coat is going to gather a nasty stench. You best wash that.’
‘I will,’ I assured him.
He waved a hand in the direction of the bar. ‘Heller behind the bar will fix you up with some water, if you want to wash it off now.’
‘I’m alright.’ Turning my body slightly, I suddenly felt the weight of the Ediann crest burdening my chest. Why hadn’t Rennard insisted I change completely before venturing out on his special errand?
‘You don’t want to sit in that stink.’
‘I’m fine,’ I said hurriedly. ‘Thank you, though, for the thought.’
; He shrugged, downed the rest of his drink and smiled crookedly again. ‘We all smell the same, anyway. No one will notice.’
A smile tugged at my mouth. He could have yelled, demanding I replace the drink I spilled, but he did no more than smile at me. I looked at his empty glass, remembering why I was here. My entrance may have been somewhat less than graceful, but it played right into Lord Rennard’s plans.
‘I bet no one is as clumsy as me, though.’ I gave my best innocent smile. ‘Let me buy you a drink.’
‘Darling, we’re in a tavern. Everyone is clumsy,’ he chuckled, waving a hand. ‘You don’t have to do that.’
‘Please, I insist.’
‘Well, I know better than to argue with someone who goes around insisting!’ The man waved a dramatic hand in the air, his booming voice drawing attention from the people near us. ‘Lead on.’
While I was generally not inclined to drink, I purchased two mugs and headed over to the corner he had tucked himself into. The barman had given me a long look when I handed over a silver coin but, thankfully, had said nothing.
Pressed against the warm wood, I leaned my full weight against it, hoping to take as much pressure off my aching legs as possible. All the seats were occupied and half the patrons were standing, which didn’t seem to bother anyone but me.
‘Gidon,’ he nodded, with a smile, as he took the drink I offered him.
‘Kay,’ I replied, unwilling to use Shae as my cover again and knowing it was unwise to use my real name.
He slurped, beads of drink trickling down into his full beard. The rest of his coarse hair was tied back in a messy knot, strands hanging down his neck.
‘It’s my first time in here,’ I said over the roar of fire and crowd. ‘Is it always this lively?’
‘Most nights.’ Gidon took another sip. ‘Fours is one of the big three down in the Slip. You’ve got the Four Taverns, Irey’s and the Blackened Hull, which draws a lot of foreign merchants.’
Irey’s I knew. Or rather, Elias knew. I sipped at my drink, scanning the room. Who was I meant to talk to in here? What was I meant to ask?
What if I found nothing?
‘So, why this place?’ I asked. ‘Plenty of taverns around.’
His crooked smile seemed almost childlike as he took another glance at the excitement around us. ‘Different sort of energy down here,’ he shrugged. ‘Goes well with the drink!’
With a laugh, Gidon lifted his drink high in the air, sucked in a deep breath and opened his mouth wide. ‘Four more!’ he bellowed.
Barely a moment passed before the crowd bellowed back: ‘And another four!’
Every drink in sight then disappeared down eager throats. As Gidon poured his back, his eyes found my hovering mug, too far from my mouth for his liking. I tipped back the drink as quickly as I could. It stung, flooding my nose, and I sputtered. Trails of the frothy liquid tickled my chin as they inched further from my mouth. I wiped them away with my sleeve.
‘I can see why it might appeal,’ I coughed, wincing as my tight chest loosened.
‘What brings you here, then?’ he asked, snagging a young boy as he walked past with a tray full of empty mugs. We balanced ours on top.
‘I’m actually hoping to run into an old friend.’ I wiped the back of my hand across my mouth again, even though there was nothing there, giving myself something to do as I tried to hide my lie.
‘Not looking very hard, are you?’
‘Well,’ I huffed, ‘there are a few more people in here than I imagined.’
‘She a local?’
‘He,’ I corrected. ‘And I’m not sure, exactly.’
‘Right.’ Gidon eyed me as I swallowed and swallowed, working up the courage to say more. The moment passed when a man nearly twice Gidon’s size slid into the small space beside us.
‘She’s a bit young for you, Gid.’ The middle-aged man assessed me from behind a mess of hair, slicked across half his face.
Gidon elbowed him roughly in the ribs. ‘Don’t let your mind slip into the crack after your body,’ he grumbled. ‘Just making new friends.’
The man held up his hands in defeat, then stuck one out toward me. I took it, even though the rough, red calluses that covered his palm were less than appealing.
‘Min,’ he said.
‘Kay,’ I responded, withdrawing my hand.
‘Hey, Kay.’ Gidon nodded to me, and then jerked his head at Min. ‘What’s the name of your fella? Min here has an ear in most corners of the Slip and definitely in every tavern. Even the bad ones.’
‘What do you mean, “bad ones”?’ Min scoffed. ‘If they serve good drink, there’s no bad.’
Gidon waved him off and looked at me expectantly. Min followed suit, eyebrows shooting up and away from his eyes.
Lord Rennard hadn’t mentioned what kind of trouble I could get into by sticking my nose in this business. Still, whatever wrath I would incur from him for coming back empty-handed would surely be worse than the alternative.
‘His name is Bellamy, or Bell.’ The second the name left my lips, I felt exposed. I had no idea what the man had done or what I was getting involved in. But that didn’t matter to Rennard. I was just another soldier in his army, only with a soiled jacket instead of armour.
Gidon shook his head. ‘Not familiar. Min?’
I stopped my fretting, frozen by the look on Min’s face. He was trying to hide it with a gentle shrug and dismissive smile, but his eyes weren’t as good at lying.
‘Sorry, love.’ He shook his head. ‘Better luck finding him. Gidon!’ He punched the man in the arm. ‘I’ve lost my boy; help me find him, will you?’
Gidon shot me a glance and I gave him a kind nod. ‘It was nice meeting you.’
‘Thanks for the drink.’ He placed a large hand on my shoulder.
‘Anytime.’ I smiled tightly, drawing my arms around my stomach and slotting into the empty corner as he moved off with Min. Did I do this wrong? Should I have pressed Min further? The panicked fluttering in my chest told me he knew more, but if he wanted to say something, he would have.
I spent the next half hour speaking with a few more people. A young, extremely intoxicated woman. An ancient man with six empty mugs resting nearby. Two quiet men in the far corner. Each time I found the conversation becoming more constricted. I didn’t know how to bring up Bellamy without sounding suspicious.
I decided to take a break, resting against the edge of a fireplace, watching the crowd. Mere seconds passed before a warm, sweaty body pressed against my side, far too close for comfort. Unable to move away, I craned my neck and shot him a dirty look.
The man’s shoulder-length black hair obscured most of his face, but his dark eyes searched my face greedily. ‘What’s your name, love?’
His voice was cold but strong, like the wind that knocked down trees in the night. I shivered as his breath passed over my face.
‘None of your business,’ I replied curtly.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said indignantly. ‘Did I give you the impression you had a choice? What’s your name, love?’
‘What’s up your arse?’ I spat and turned my back on him. He chuckled as his bony finger hooked under my chin and pulled my face around so we were eye-to-eye. I flinched away and brought my hands up between us, stepping back as far as I could, ignoring the press of another body behind me.
‘Leave me alone.’ Gone was all humour. This was not part of my job, no matter what power was held over me.
‘I need your name.’ His face flattened, tone commanding. The urge to strike him tickled my palm. This was the wrong kind of attention I needed tonight. At this rate, I would have to leave – and tell Lord Rennard what? I couldn’t handle some creepy man’s advances so I fled? He would love that.
Yet there was something in this man’s eyes, a focus and attentiveness that didn’t fit. Unless ...
‘Why?’ I asked warily.
He took a step forward, even though there was barely anywhere to go. I sucked in a
breath, arms tensing, fists curling. ‘When silly little girls go around saying the B word, I need to know who they are.’
All my tension released and I took in the sight of him properly. I was right. That something in his eyes was not lust. ‘The B word?’ I asked. ‘As in “Bellamy”?’
His jaw tightened, eyes narrowing, as he let out a long breath from his nose. ‘Yes, that B word. So I ask again: what’s your name, love?’
The look in Min’s eyes hadn’t just been my imagination. He knew who Bellamy was and, instead of exposing himself, sent along the right person. I eyed the man before me. He was young, maybe ten years my senior, with a ferocious look in his eyes. Was this Bellamy? Lord Rennard said he didn’t expect me to find the man anywhere in this city, but there was always a chance he was wrong.
No. Someone smart enough to evade Lord Rennard and cause such a stir in him wouldn’t be stupid enough to hang in the local tavern and approach the one stranger who came in asking questions.
‘Kay,’ I said. ‘My name is Kay. What’s yours?’
He cocked a smile, head tilted slightly. ‘Why are you here?’
‘Looking for him, of course,’ I replied, careful not to use the B word again.
‘Are you acquainted?’ It was a test. He knew I had never met the man in my life – the smirk dancing across his lips told me as much.
‘I’ve yet to have the pleasure.’ I knew playing along was my best bet. ‘I was hoping to arrange a meeting.’
Pride flourished in my chest briefly, suddenly replaced by a dark knot. In doing my job, I was helping Lord Rennard get one step closer to Bellamy. And what did I know about him? Nothing. Lord Rennard had put me in the middle of a dance without me knowing any of the steps. Bellamy could be innocent, a victim I was helping put behind bars. Or worse.
Nevertheless, I cocked a brow at the silent man. ‘Well?’ I shifted my stance and crossed my arms. ‘Do I get that introduction?’
His smile was sinister, lacking any warmth, further betrayed by his canine-like teeth. ‘You get me. Best I can do.’
‘Lucky me,’ I grumbled, shifting again. I dropped my arms. ‘So, what now?’