by Logan Jacobs
“There’s no time to get new outfits done up, I’m afraid.” The noblewoman tapped her chin with one perfectly manicured nail. “Then again, going as you are now might be better. It’s authentic, it’s daring, it’s fresh.”
“Maruk doesn’t smell very fresh to me,” Lavinia commented under her breath.
Yvaine seemed to come to a decision, and she clapped her hands.
“You’re a guild, it’s only fitting that you look like one,” she said with a decisive nod. “It would be silly to dress you up in ruffles and ribbons like circus pucas.”
On my shoulder, Merlin gave a disdainful snort.
“But I like ruffles,” Maruk muttered.
“Can we at least take baths and change?” Emeline asked. “My socks are stiff.”
Yvaine pursed her lips and considered that. “I must say, I think the blood and dirt adds a certain je ne sais quoi,” she said finally, “but I do not wish for you to be uncomfortable all evening. If you would like to go get cleaned up, I can arrange to have lunch ready for you when you’re finished.”
“Yes, I’m starving!” Lavinia said emphatically.
“Thanks, Yvaine,” I told the noblewoman. “Are you sure we’re not imposing?”
“Imposing?” she echoed. “Nonsense! How many times do I have to tell you that you’re always welcome here, Gabriel? Besides, you’d be doing me a favor, really. Everyone knows about your guild, you’re famous in Ovrista, and all my friends are simply dying to meet you.”
“Well, when you put it that way, how can I say no?” I grinned, and Yvaine leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my cheek.
“Excellent!” the marchioness said with a bright smile. “Go on and get changed if you’d like, then, and I’ll meet you in the solarium for lunch.”
Rezo took us up to our rooms then. I was grateful for the opportunity to get properly cleaned up, and even more grateful for the food Yvaine provided afterward. While we ate, the noblewoman gossiped about the other nobles who would be arriving soon for the soirée and the recent affairs of court. Apparently, there had been something of a scandal recently when it was revealed that a certain baroness had been caught selling forged paintings.
“She won’t be coming, of course,” Yvaine assured us. She smoothed down a strand of her already perfectly smooth dark hair. “I always knew there was something up with her. She always tried too hard to please, you know, and her table manners! Positively gauche.”
Yvaine took a sip of tea, and I decided that now was probably the best opportunity to ask her if she or any of her staff knew anything about the bandits we were hunting. I wouldn’t likely get a chance later tonight.
“Speaking of felonies,” I said, “we’ve been trying to track down some bandits who we believe are planning a heist in Ovrista in a few days.”
“My goodness,” Yvaine gasped, and her gray eyes were wide as she pressed a hand over her heart. “That’s quite serious.”
“If only the city council or the guard saw it that way,” Aerin sighed.
“Well, is there anything I can do to help?” Yvaine asked.
“Maybe,” I replied as I took out the papers and the map. “Do you or your guards know where any bandits might be hiding out in the area?”
I was really just hoping Yvaine’s guards might know the approximate locations of one or two of the groups we were after, but the noblewoman plucked the heist notes from the table and unfolded them. Almost at once, her brows furrowed in a puzzled frown.
“What is it?” I resisted the impulse to jump out of my seat. The look of recognition of Yvaine’s face was unmistakable. Had her guards come across one of the copies of the notes?
“This swan symbol, it looks quite like the seal of a man I once knew,” she responded. “Previn was his name... Lucius Previn. He came from a prominent family in Ovrista. His father, Augustus, used to be on the council, and everyone expected Lucius to follow in his footsteps.”
“What happened to him?” I asked. I’d noticed that Yvaine had only referred to this man in the past tense.
“Oh, it was a terrible scandal,” the noblewoman replied. “He was accused of having made off with a fortune from the city coffers. He was furious and claimed over and over that he was being framed, but of course, there had to be a proper trial either way. The court date was set, and the very next night, Lucius vanished. No one in the city ever saw him again.”
“And now his seal is showing up in a bandits’ code,” I said. “Maybe he came back.”
Yvaine shook her head sadly.
“About a month after he disappeared, some belongings of his were discovered washed up on the shore near Sarroca,” she informed me. “Some city officials went to investigate, and the sailors there told them that Lucius had been lost at sea. His father was so ashamed by the whole affair that he never even held a funeral.”
“What happened to the money?” Aerin asked eagerly.
“Did he really steal it?” Emeline chimed in.
“The money was lost,” Yvaine answered, “and to this day, the nobles still argue amongst themselves about whether he was guilty. Some believe that his having fled was evidence enough that he’d stolen it, but he was always a popular one, and he still has friends who insist upon his innocence.”
I frowned. If Lucius was dead, who was using his seal now? Had he somehow become a hero among the criminals of the region, that they would organize themselves under his seal? It couldn’t just be a coincidence that the swan stamp appeared on all of the notes.
I wanted to ask Yvaine more about it, but just then, Rezo appeared in the doorway and gave a little bow. “My lady, the other guests have arrived.”
Yvaine stood quickly, and the rest of us scrambled up as well. “My, how the time has gone by! We’ll be right there.” As Rezo bowed again and slipped away, Yvaine turned to us, her gray eyes glittering with excitement. “Oh, I cannot wait to introduce you all! Come on now, let’s greet our guests.” She linked her arm in mine and strode purposefully out into the hall, and I could hear the rest of my guild following us.
While we’d been eating and talking, the afternoon had descended into early evening, and the estate had been transformed yet again. The lights that ran along the corridor cast the place in a stunning glow and made the polished floors seem made of gold, and through the tall windows, I could just glimpse the trees in the purple dusk, and the tiny lights that glittered like wisps among their branches. The piano I’d heard before was now accompanied by a variety of other instruments, and I could hear the band playing a lively song, and the rhythmic clatter of the dancers’ shoes on the marble floor as we approached the ballroom.
Though I hadn’t given it much thought before, I suddenly felt self-conscious about appearing before all of Yvaine’s noble friends. I knew that Yvaine intended to introduce us as rugged adventurers, but would the others expect more from us? I had taken a few dancing lessons before my high school prom, but that was the extent of my expertise. Would the present company understand that with the exception, perhaps, of Maruk, most of our talents lay in killing and maiming, not quickstepping? I suddenly felt grateful that Yvaine had at least allowed us all to bathe. If we ended up stomping on anyone’s feet, at least we wouldn’t do so smelling like the sewers.
Two servants stood on either side of the grand double doors to the ballroom and opened them for us with a little flourish. The marchioness gestured to the others to spread out on either side of us, and then, with her arm still linked in mine, she strode forward confidently into the room.
Pale blue curtains with gold fringe were pulled back to show slivers of the indigo night through the dozens of tall, narrow windows that lined the walls on either side of the long ballroom. Six shimmering crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling and candelabras set in sconces between every window held the evening’s darkness at bay and cast the ballroom in dazzling gold light.
I thought I remembered Yvaine saying something about this party being exclusive, but there had to be at least f
ive or six dozen people here, not including the waitstaff or the band. They swirled across the floor in a blur of rich hues, fine fabrics, and glittering jewelry, with the cheerful and carefree expressions of people who had never really had to work for anything but were accustomed to this sort of incredible luxury.
The moment we entered, however, the dancers stopped and turned to us, and then the band cut off their playing as well, and there was a moment of awed silence as the guests tried to make sense of what they were seeing. Of course, our presence had not been advertised, and well, in our armor and mage robes, we stood out. Still, as I stood there and stared back at the astonished faces before me, it occurred to me that even if we’d had time to have formal outfits tailored, we still wouldn’t have fit in here. The difference between us and these people went deeper than how we dressed, and I was certain that any one of them could sniff out an imposter in a second.
“My friends,” Yvaine spoke up, her voice as clear as a mountain stream, and smiled out at the crowd. “I have the most wonderful surprise for all of you tonight. It is my deepest pleasure to introduce to you the members of one of the most famous guilds in Ovrista, whom I also have the pleasure to call my saviors and dearest friends, the Shadow Foxes.”
There was a beat of silence, and then suddenly, almost as though they all wanted to beat each other to it, the nobles began a flurry of bowing and curtsying. One woman in a dress that was so bright scarlet it almost hurt to look at rushed forward and curtsied again as she took me by the hand.
“It is such a gift to meet you at last!” she cried and she smiled at me as though she was my greatest fan. “Yvaine has told us all about you.”
Not to be outdone, several other men and women came forward as well to introduce themselves and gush over us before Yvaine shooed them off.
“You’ll all have your chance to make acquaintances,” she assured her other guests. “There’s no need to smother them so.”
With exaggerated reluctance, the nobles withdrew, the band started up again, and most of the dancers resumed their steps, though about a dozen people or so hung off to the sides, no doubt waiting for their chance to speak to us. I realized with surprise that I recognized one of them, a man in his mid-thirties with pale blond hair swept neatly back and a surprisingly stern expression. He was a member of Ovrista’s council. His name was Adler if I was remembering correctly.
I wondered if I could get a chance to warn him about the heist. He might be more willing to take us seriously than the older councilors had been, and if I could convince him of the imminent danger, he could see to heightening security in the city while I and the rest of my guild hunted down the other bandits. Before I could take so much as a step toward him, Yvaine tugged on my arm and inclined her head to the dancefloor with a smile.
I returned the noblewoman’s smile and resolved to speak to the councilor later. He wasn’t going anywhere, after all, and I wasn’t about to turn down a dance with such a beautiful woman.
The crowd parted around us as we made our way onto the floor, and I could feel all the eyes that were on us.
“I should warn you, I’m not a very experienced dancer,” I said quietly as I began to lead Yvaine in the only dance I really knew, the waltz.
“Handsome and humble,” Yvaine commented. “Rest assured, you’re already doing far better than many men I’ve danced with. You don’t even have to watch your feet.”
“Your generosity knows no bounds,” I replied with a smile. “Thank you.”
We danced for two songs before Yvaine insisted that we mingle.
“As much as I’d love to spend the entire night by your side, I must see to it that my other guests don’t feel left out,” the marchioness told me. “And I know all the ladies here are clamoring to meet you, you mustn’t disappoint them.” She gave me a wink. “Just don’t forget about me.”
“How could I?” I smiled as Yvaine left, but then I scanned the crowd again for the young councilor I’d seen before. Luckily, he didn’t seem to have moved from his place near the wall, and he watched the dancers with a sullen sort of expression. As I walked up to him, I wondered who could look so unhappy at a party and if there was something troubling him.
He bowed when he saw me and managed a polite smile. “Good evening, you’re Gabriel Vega, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” I wondered if I was supposed to bow back, but that felt strange, and now that we were talking it seemed the moment had passed.
“I’ve heard so much about you and your guild,” Adler said. “You’ve earned quite the sterling reputation in the city, recovering lost artifacts and slaying blood mages. It makes for an impressive resume.”
“Thank you. We’re doing our best.” I put on a friendly smile. “You’re Councilor Adler, right?”
“I am.” The side of Adler’s mouth twitched in a rueful smirk. “My claim to fame, such as it is, isn’t nearly as exciting as yours, I’m afraid. The only thing I’ve defeated is a mountain of paperwork, and it was a close call.”
Maybe it wasn’t good manners, but I didn’t want to waste time with banter.
“Listen, there’s something I think you should know about,” I said in a conspiratorial tone.
“What is it?” Adler asked with raised eyebrows at my suddenly serious demeanor.
“My guild and I found some plans for a heist on some bandits we killed. There are several groups involved, but we’ve only been able to track down two of them so far.” I took the notes out of my pocket and showed them to him. “We believe they’re going to stage it during the blood moon, and these are the houses they intend to hit. We tried to warn the city guard and the council, but they didn’t think it was serious. I was hoping you might be able to convince them to increase patrols or encourage people to take extra precautions, just in case we can’t capture all of the bandits beforehand.”
“Where did you say you got these?” Adler asked. He frowned as he looked over the papers.
“From two bandit leaders,” I answered. Did he not think they were legitimate? “The Fire Birds and the Shrikes.” I pointed out the emblems on the page. “Their marks are all here, by this swan stamp.”
“I see,” Adler murmured.
“Will you warn the council?” I pressed when he offered no further commentary.
Adler’s expression was sympathetic. “I’ll tell them,” he said at last, “but I can’t promise that they’ll heed me any more than they did you. I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s... thank you,” I said and I offered him a smile. “I appreciate you trying. Hopefully, we’ll be able to find the rest of these bandits before the blood moon.”
“Do you have any leads?”
I felt reluctant to admit that we didn’t, but Adler seemed to guess as much from my silence and put a hand on my shoulder.
“I wouldn’t worry too much. To be frank, it’s a miracle that these criminals were even able to get together and draw something like this up without slaughtering one another in the process. Your intervention may not even be necessary.”
I didn’t believe that, but I didn’t want to seem rude, so I smiled and nodded.
“You’d better get back to your adoring public,” Adler said with a nod to the dancefloor. “There’s a line forming.”
It turned out that he wasn’t exaggerating, and I was compelled to dance a few more rounds with several noblewomen before I was able to slip away again.
After a few minutes of searching, I found Lavinia by an open window with a glass of champagne. The rest of the partygoers had given the ladona woman a wide berth which I suspected she appreciated.
“Having fun?” the ranger asked with a teasing smirk when she saw me.
“I don’t think I’ve ever danced so much in my whole life,” I muttered.
Lavinia set down her glass and glanced over towards the door.
“Want to get out of here?” she asked, and her red eyes glinted mischievously.
I grinned back. “I’d love to.”
Chap
ter 9
Everyone else was too busy dancing or drinking to pay us any attention, so Lavinia and I easily slipped out of the ballroom and up the stairs to the bedrooms. I took the ladona woman's hand and led her into the room Yvaine had provided for me, and she grinned as she kicked the door closed behind us.
Lavinia pulled her hand free from mine and wrapped her arms around my neck to pull me in for a kiss, and I was more than happy to oblige. She smelled like the expensive soaps that Yvaine had stocked the bathrooms with, and her white hair was as smooth as silk as I ran my fingers through it and kissed her.
The beautiful ranger's tongue moved with mine, and she moaned into my mouth while her hands pressed into the back of my neck to pull me even closer, though we were already flush against each other. Not satisfied with just kissing, her hands quickly moved to my collar and she unfastened my cloak and began to undo the laces on the front of my shirt.
I followed suit and slid my hands down her perfect curves to undo the fastenings of her light armor, and we fumbled for a moment as we tried to undress each other without breaking our kiss. Somehow, though, we managed, and as Lavinia shuffled out of her leather bodysuit, I took a step back so I could admire her.
The ranger's red eyes glittered, and her full lips turned up in a smile as I trailed my gaze slowly down her body.
“Like what you see?” she teased, one eyebrow arched.
“Oh, yeah,” I murmured in response, and Lavinia took a step forward to close the space between us once again.
“Then do something about it,” she whispered against my cheek, and her hand brushed along my hip.
I grinned as I stepped closer and pushed her up against the wall.
“That's more like it,” Lavinia said, and her voice hitched as I slid my hand down between her thighs and slipped a finger inside of her. She was wetter than I had guessed, and she gasped as I pulled my finger a bit out of her tunnel so that I could rub at her clit.
Our mouths met again, and Lavinia pulled me as close as she could with my arm between us.