So much for a bit of rest, he thought.
Twenty-five
Reva luxuriated on the warm sand, the sun’s heat caressing the skin on her chest. The sun filled her with a deep, comforting warmth as she watched the fishing boats in the harbor from the beach. Aavril leaned over and nibbled her chin, whispering to her softly.
“Reva, my love.” Nibble. “Let me take you away from all of this.” Nibble. “We can sail the seas of Ados together.” Nibble.
“I have a job here,” she temporized. She liked it when he nibbled her chin.
“A job? Pah.” Nibble, nibble. “I can offer you adventure.”
“But I don’t like adventure,” she countered. “And I love my job.” She started giggling, his nibbling was beginning to tickle.
“Hey, stop that!” Aavril said.
“What…?” Reva blinked her eyes open. She saw a large, reptilian head bending down and nibbling at her chin. The creature radiated heat and was nestled comfortably on Reva’s chest.
“I said stop that!” Hands reached down and picked the creature off of her. “Bad, Ember,” scolded Ansee, shaking a finger at the fire salamander. The creature didn’t react, other than to continue staring at Reva with small black eyes. It had black skin that glistened with long, red, flame-like streaks down the body, a broad, flat head and a wide mouth.
“I’m so sorry, Inspector,” Ansee turned away from Reva. “She nibbles at me like that to wake me up when she’s hungry.”
Reva sat up in the bed as Ansee walked across the room, placing the fire salamander on the floor. He reached up onto a shelf and pulled down a box. “I sure hope she didn’t bother you,” he said.
Reva looked around the room. She was sitting on a simple bed, a straw mattress sitting on a wide bench protruding from the wall. The room was irregularly shaped, with nearly no straight lines or corners. There was a tear-shaped window over the bed and another, larger window across the room. To her left were several niches and shelves surrounding a solid wooden door. To her right the wall curved inward, creating a separation between the living space and another room—probably the kitchen. A large fireplace was set in the wall, a mixture of red bricks and large river stones, and it looked to share a hearth with the kitchen. The walls were a rich brownish-gold color and numerous shelves and niches were formed into them. These held a large variety of books, from simple string-bound copies to massive, leather-bound tomes, as well as scrolls and loose parchment. Knick-knacks and small baubles of sea shells and gemstones competed for space with a profusion of lizard statues. These ranged in size from smaller than her hand to one that had to be half a pace long. They were carved from a variety of stones and woods and a couple appeared to be cast in bronze and pewter.
Reva turned to the sound of crickets and saw Ansee dumping a few of the bugs on the floor by Ember. They started hopping and Ember gave chase. “Just a snack for now,” he said. “I’ll give you your meal later.”
He put the box back on the shelf and turned back to Reva. He was still in his Constabulary uniform and looked tired. “How do you feel, Inspector?”
Reva was still looking around the room. She was clearly in Ansee’s flat, but she couldn’t recall how she’d gotten there, or ended up in his bed. She saw her armor and weapons draped on the back of a chair by the fireplace. She strained her memory back, trying to recall the last thing she could remember. The image came slowly…a stuffy room…Ansee looking at her with wide eyes…his hands glowing blue…
“You shot me with a lightning bolt!” she accused, the memory coming into sharp focus.
“It wasn’t a lightning bolt!” Ansee retorted. “And I touched you, I didn’t shoot it at you.”
“You attacked me!”
“You were attacking me at the time! And I didn’t mean for it to happen, it was purely instinct. Besides, it was for your own good.”
“My own good? How in the hells is attacking me with a gods damn lightning bolt good for me?” Reva stood up, hands clenched, bare feet standing on a rough wool rug.
“I told you, it wasn’t a lightning bolt—that’s a totally different spell. And it was for your own good because of this.” Ansee tossed something at Reva. She caught it. It was the tin she used for her Wake. She opened the tin and saw that it was empty. “You took my stuff, too?” Disappointment filled her, but only a little. There wasn’t the deeper craving she’d experienced before, just a subtle longing that she was able to put aside for now.
“I’m having what remained of your Wake tested by the Alchemists at New Port,” Ansee said.
“You’re testing my Wake?”
“Yes. I think it’s necessary.”
“Why?”
“You were becoming erratic. Increased aggression. Paranoia. I guessed you’d only been on the stuff for a day, two at most. You weren’t yourself.” Ansee sighed and sat down in the chair.
“I lost my sister to Wake,” he said softly.
“Wake can’t kill you,” Reva countered. “I’ve taken it plenty of times.”
“Yes it can. Maybe not directly. Maybe not quickly. But if you use it long enough it will affect you. You become paranoid, hear voices. You are also susceptible to suggestions.” He looked down at the floor. “My sister used Wake for nearly a year, maybe longer, before it got to be too much. She started acting strangely, hearing things, telling us that people were after her. Then one day she threw herself off Queen’s Bridge. We never did find Elenor’s body.”
Reva shook her head. More memories from this morning were coming back: the altercation outside of Pfeta fey Orung, her fear that Inspector Pflamtael was going to get the case. “But I just started taking the Wake yesterday,” she admitted.
She wondered what kind of damage she’d done as she looked around Ansee’s flat again. “How’d I get here?”
“I opened a gate and had Constable Ghrellstone bring you here. I then covered for you the rest of the day.”
“What time is it?”
“Getting close to sunset.”
“What? You mean I’ve been out for the whole day?”
“Yeah,” Ansee said sheepishly. “Sorry. My shock spell should only incapacitate somebody for a few minutes. But I think in your case, once you were unconscious, your body took over and decided you needed to get some rest. How do you feel?”
Reva rubbed a hand through her hair. “Pissed off.”
Ansee looked shocked, so she added, “At myself. I don’t like not being in control and I let that happen.”
Ansee nodded his understanding. Most Constables liked to feel in control. There was a rumbling, gurgling sound that came from Reva. She laughed. “I guess I’m also feeling hungry.”
“That I can fix.” Ansee stood up and headed into the kitchen.
Reva walked to the chair and found her boots, sitting down to pull them on. She didn’t bother with the puttee.
“I hope you like fish,” called Ansee. “I picked up some bluefin on the way home.”
“Fish is fine,” Reva said. She stood up and almost tripped over Ember, who was chasing one of the crickets across the room. She walked into the kitchen.
It was neater than she expected a bachelor kitchen to look. The fireplace extended through the wall from the other room, and on this side there were iron hooks and rods for hanging pots and things for cooking. The room was sort of oval in shape, with the fireplace on the right. Next to it was a small door, which was open, and Reva saw it was a lavatory. Counters had been formed from the walls growing out horizontally, while niches and shelves were formed above and below. The counter wrapped around to a door on her left. A trapezoidally-shaped window was above the counter next to the door and Reva saw a small balcony outside. In the middle of the kitchen was a small square table with two chairs. Reva walked around the table to look out the window. She saw another small table and a chair on the balcony as well as a view l
ooking across the river to the port. The sun was setting off to the right and high clouds were turning red and purple in the waning light.
“Nice view,” she commented.
“It’s one of the reasons I love this place. I can sit out there and watch the sun set and lanterns being lit across the river.”
Reva turned from the window. Ansee was wrapping the fish in large pieces of seaweed and placing it in a deep iron pot.
“Though I’ve not had a lot of time to enjoy it since joining Acer Division.”
“Yeah, we can be a bit hectic on any sort of a normal life.” Reva found some pewter goblets on one of the shelves and a bottle of wine. She poured the wine, a rich red color, and handed one of the goblets to Ansee.
“Thanks.” He set the goblet down as he cut fresh rosemary, adding it to the pot, along with sea salt, some sprigs of dill, and a pinch of some spice Reva didn’t recognize. “In Nul Pfeta we tried to leave well before sunset. It isn’t always safe for Constables there after dark.” He was about to add a long, thin red pepper to the pot, but stopped. “Do you like spicy food?”
Reva laughed. “Yes, I love it. Aavril brings home so many exotic spices from his trips. Mother and I have acquired quite a taste for hot and spicy food. I had to avoid adding spices to the meal you missed the other night, just in case you didn’t like it.” She took a drink of the wine. It had a bold flavor with an undertone of blackberries.
Ansee added the pepper. “I like to be adventurous with food. Most traditional meals seem to be bland in my opinion. There’s a restaurant over in Bay Grove that serves Southern Nephrin cuisine. They use a pepper that’ll burn a hole in your tongue.” He put a lid on the pot and placed the pot over the fire. Ember came in and walked into the flames, curling up among the coals.
“I’ve heard of the place but not eaten there yet. Maybe the next time Aavril is in port I’ll take him there. He’s always claiming he can eat anything, no matter what it is, or how spicy. He calls it his ‘sailor’s’ constitution.” She laughed and took another sip of the wine.
“So what happened after you so casually attacked me?”
Ansee paused from cleaning mushrooms and vegetables for a salad. “There wasn’t anything casual about it. I told you, it just sort of happened. I worked with Thea and the others to finish collecting evidence and performed some interviews with some of the other members of Pfeta fey Orung. Luminary Sedgeworth really hates you now, you know. He said he was going to see you thrown out of the Constabulary.”
Reva groaned. Another reminder of how the Wake had betrayed her.
“I really didn’t learn anything new,” Ansee said as he continued to prepare the salad.
“Like with Lady Ochroma, Thea and I decided not to perform the Speaking ritual. I doubt Aucarii’s soul would have been in any state to tell us anything.”
Reva nodded her agreement. After what had happened with First Magistrate Avecath she wasn’t ready to try the ritual again, which was why they’d not used it with Lady Ochroma. The plaintive wail of Avecath’s soul still gave her a chill.
“Anyway, I took the evidence back to New Port and spent the rest of the day writing up my notes and comparing the auras I collected. So far they all match. The same killer—or at least the same magic items—were used to perform all three murders.”
“And you’ve already looked for matches in our archives?”
“Yes. Though there’s not a lot to compare them to. Our killer’s magic isn’t a match to any of the few auras we have collected.”
Reva sighed and shook her head. “I wish we had a better collection. It would make our job easier, I think.”
“I wish the Sucra would share their collection,” Ansee groused. “I’ve heard it’s got every aura from every spellcaster in the city. Maybe even the Kingdom.”
“We don’t have their resources. Or their morals.” Reva had heard those rumors, too, along with tales of how the auras were collected.
“Well, without some luck I won’t be able to trace where the magic came from. I know the killer is using a potion to make use of gaseous form to make his escapes. Probably he used a potion as well for the fog he used in Lady Ochroma’s attack. Those are easy enough to come by if you have the crowns to spend.
“Obviously, the sword is magical. Whether it’s just enchanted to be better at killing, or has other properties, I don’t know. It’s possible he has a ring or something else that is enhancing his speed and agility, maybe even making him more skilled with the weapon.” A spicy aroma from the baking fish was filling the small kitchen as Ansee finished making the salad.
“Maybe it’s the mask,” Reva said. She pulled some plates down and set the table. As she did so, she filled Ansee in on what she’d learned from Rhoanlan. Ansee listened as he lit some candles and a large oil lamp.
“That could be a possibility. The mask certainly could be imbued with magic, allowing the wearer to benefit only when it was worn.” He stopped, realizing he was stating the obvious. He busied himself with setting the salad and balsamic vinegar on the table. “Did Rhoanlan say anything else?”
“He said that the enamel pins we found on Lavalé and Tala—”
“The one with the tree and stars, with the one black star?”
“Yes.”
“We found one like that on Aucarii’s body too.”
Reva grabbed a strand of her hair, taking this information in. “He said those pins with the black star are a symbol for a secret order within Pfeta fey Orung who are plotting to overthrow the King for the dark elves.”
“Secret order…” Ansee said quietly to himself. “Shit! Basvu strike me down! Fuck!”
Reva was taken aback by Ansee’s outburst. She hadn’t heard him swear before. It was enough to cause Ember to stir and crawl further back into the fireplace. “What is it?”
“Oh, I’m such a fool.” Ansee said. “With everything happening since yesterday it slipped my mind. How could I be so stupid? I’m a damn idiot!”
Reva reached over and grabbed Ansee by the shoulders. “What?”
“Yesterday while I was working in the archives I saw Senior Inquisitor Malvaceä and Aucarii together—though I didn’t know it was Aucarii at the time—and it was difficult to make the connection this morning since the head was no longer attached…”
“What?” Reva snapped.
“Oh, sorry. I saw Malvaceä and Aucarii yesterday. They were being careful not to be seen by Locera and entered a storage room down by the archives.”
“A storage room?” Reva raised one eyebrow.
“A storage room that has a secret door in it.”
“A secret room within Pfeta fey Orung and you’re just now telling me about it?” Reva asked.
“Hey—I was attacked yesterday. Give me a little bit of a branch here.”
Reva headed out of the kitchen and started putting her puttee on. “Come on,” she said. “Get your stuff. We need to check this out.”
“What? We’re going now? You don’t think Inquisitor Malvaceä is our killer, do you?”
Reva paused to consider this. “He’s ruthless enough, but no, I don’t think so. He’s got other ways to get rid of people. But I do think that Aucarii’s death, and the others, are linked to what’s in that secret room. We need to check it out, tonight.”
Ansee hesitated for a moment and then pulled the fish from the fire and doused the coals. An irritated and wet Ember fled from the fireplace with a loud croak of annoyance. Ansee went to his wardrobe to get his own gear.
“What the hell?” Reva stopped to stare at the array of daggers and knives hanging from the inside of the wardrobe door.
“I like to collect stuff,” Ansee said simply.
“Sure, like statues of lizards,” she waved a hand around the room. “This,” she pointed to the wardrobe, “is a bit odd.”
Ansee ignored her
and selected a long, thin dagger with a brass hilt and crossguard, and a set of three throwing knives. After a second consideration, he also picked up a small, short-bladed knife.
“Are we going to war?” Reva asked, strapping on her armor.
“We have a maniac—who tried to kill me yesterday—running around cutting people in half with a magic sword, and you say there’s a cabal of elves who want to overthrow the King and who are in league with dark elves. We’re at war.”
Reva smiled to herself. Ansee was more similar to Cas than she realized. Good.
Twenty-six
Senior Inquisitor Malvaceä adjusted the leather face mask to cover his nose and mouth. His face started sweating almost immediately, the day’s heat still lingering despite the sun setting just a few minutes earlier. The sky overhead was darkening and the horizon was a deep crimson color. It was about time to put his plan into effect.
I hate running ops on the fly, he groused to himself.
Three others stood with Malvaceä on a small knoll on the flank of Poplar Hill, overlooking Lord Constable Inspector Gania’s house. The house—actually a large villa—was located at the southern edge of Hill Grove, where it bordered New and South Groves. Two of the elves with Malvaceä were Inquisitors with the Sucra—Olsteinan was an Inquisitor while Aaron was a Novice. More importantly, both of them also belonged to the more secretive order Agera headed within Pfeta fey Orung. While clandestine operations and secret missions were the norm in the Sucra, this mission was too important, and too risky, to be trusted to any regular Sucra Inquisitor.
Some Sucra Inquisitors actually believe all that tripe about serving the King, Malvaceä reminded himself. Someday they’ll know better, but that’ll have to wait.
The two Inquisitors and Malvaceä accounted for three-quarters of the elves within the Sucra who knew the truth and were part of the order, not counting the Grand Inquisitor. Ilyanna, the fourth member, was undertaking her part of the mission tonight at New Port.
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