"Yes, and killed Garon. She had already dealt with Othoro. It would have gone according to plan if the woman wasn't there. We tried to kill her, but she escaped. I made a mistake and used my magic to knock her out of the sky," my suspect said. Well, I supposed he wasn't a suspect anymore. This was damning evidence.
"So she knows you use magic. Double shit. But you think Dust killed her?"
"Yes, and he lacks my... elegance with such things. Her sisters will discover the body in the city and will connect it with what happened at the shipyard."
"It seems less that you are here for advice, and more likely here for a favor." The other man laughed.
"You are my ears. We are a few months away from this all being over. They will have to come up with a new idea, and we'll have a few more years to plan our escape."
"I'll let you know what I hear. Are you sure you don't want to just do this Dust's way?"
"I'm sure. That is a last option, of course, but you and I both know what it will do to the city."
"Yes, but it will expedite things," the other man said.
"Have you spoken to him recently?" the man who had tried to murder me asked.
"Last week. He wanted me to warn you not to get in his way."
"Ha. Figures."
"He did ask when I spoke with you last. It is a shame you two can't work together on this."
"Not going to happen. Our views are not aligned." The criminal spat the words.
"Agreed, but doesn't mean I can't wish. Tell me about the Potentia."
"She was slippery. Dodged my archers and then evaded my scattergun. I thought she would have died when I hit her with the magic, but she crawled out of the lake and killed four of mine."
"Impressive. Do you know who she was?" the second man said.
"I didn't recognize her. I believe she was new. They just promoted a handful."
"I have reports on the new ones. Here, let me grab them. What did she look like?"
"Young. Long brown hair. Very pretty," the dark voice said, and I realized I was pressing my ear hard against the door.
"Very pretty? I don't think you've ever said that about a woman," the second voice said with a laugh, and I heard paper shuffling.
"Ha, don't get romantic on me, uncle."
"Why not? About time someone found you a woman. You won't take the time to do it yourself," the second man laughed.
"I can give you several reasons; most important is that the girl is probably dead."
"Oh, so you have your heart set on her, huh? I kind of guessed it from the tone of your voice when you said she evaded your shotgun," the man laughed, and I heard what sounded like a hand slap a knee.
"What? No, uncle, I'm busy with this war. Also, the woman is a Potentia. I want no fellowship with the Priestess' attack dogs."
"I would guess that woman's name is Anelia Orba. Here is the file I have on her. Do you see the sketch? Was that her?" I heard papers rustle on the other side of the door.
"Yes," the dark-voiced man said.
"Ahhh. I guessed correctly," the other man snickered. "She is in Ocellina's nest. Isn't that strange?"
"No. It isn't. That explains why she was at the shipyard. There isn't much in your file."
"She is new, Ash. Grew up in the Sunrise orphanage on level twelve. Has a twin brother who is a tailor's apprentice. Ranked middle of her training class. Was probably going to wash out this year, but got selected."
I felt my heart skip a beat when the unknown man talked about me. It wasn't as if Potentia were the celebrities of the city, but there were only three hundred of us, and I supposed that criminal organizations would want to keep records. I wondered how much information they had on my sisters. After I arrested the tall man, I would need to confiscate the paperwork from his co-conspirator.
"I'm surprised by that. She was talented," the tall man named Ash said.
"Maybe the training classes are getting better?"
"No, you weren't there. This Potentia is skilled. She flew upside down, avoided a volley of arrows, then dodged a scattergun blast that I aimed perfectly, took a hit from my magic that should have burnt her to a cinder, and then killed four of my warriors." As the deep voice spoke, I tried to keep the feeling of pride out of my chest.
"So what do you think?"
"She's a plant, probably. Someone in her nest might choose to confide in her because she is new, then she'll report back to the Priestesses. Or she might be the new muscle on the shipments. That would explain why she killed Othoro. These murders are stressing his operation," Ash said.
"Or it could be she is lucky. Not everyone is as paranoid as you, nephew. They have hubris. That is how we will win."
"Perhaps you are right. I might be looking too deeply into this Potentia."
"Probably because she impressed you. I understand," the man Ash called his uncle laughed. "Let's hope that her luck ran out and Dust did a good job of disposing of her body. I'll let you know when her sisters begin to investigate."
"Thank you. They will replace Othoro. I guess it will be someone from the upper levels. Maybe a son of one of the Priestesses. Garon's children will take over management of Ver Lake, and the new representative will visit them in the next few weeks," Ash said.
"I'll let you know if I hear anything. Where are you heading?"
"I need to find this murderer," Ash's voice was already dark, but it seemed to drop to a menacing growl.
"Oh?"
"Thanks for the info," Ash said, and I heard some chairs slide across the floor behind the door.
I moved a few dozen feet away from the shop and then leapt into the air. My Alula transformed into feathers, and I lifted into the sky on a chance burst of wind. I glanced down from my glide and saw Ash leave the front of the blacksmith's shop. The man glanced around the street to ensure he wasn't being followed and then walked toward the sixth level of the city.
I sighed when I realized that I wished Fallon was here. Potentia procedure instructed that I should arrest the suspect and take him to the nearest nest. There was no problem with me doing the deed by myself, but I knew that the man Ash had magic. He looked strong, and I suspected he could fight extremely well.
He was also a criminal, and it was my duty to bring him to justice.
I was a Potentia. I swore an oath to uphold the law of our city and protect its citizens. I glanced around at the streets of the bright city below me. There were no guards, so I would really be on my own.
"Doesn't matter. You can do this Anelia," I said to myself.
Then I dove.
Chapter 12
I was like a hunting falcon shooting toward a rabbit. My wings pulled back slightly against my torso, and I got ready to pull them up at the last possible moment. Ash was oblivious to my dive, and as I streaked closer to his broad back I felt a serenity fill me. I'd get first strike, and it would be the last one of the melee.
My wings spread out as I drove my knee into his right kidney. I didn't want to kill Ash, but my attack would probably destroy the organ and knock him unconscious. His back bent around my knee like a snapped bow, and I almost felt bad for the murderer. My empathy only lasted for half a second. The man had tried to kill me a few times and had ordered the death of Garon Mitus. This man was one of the criminal lords who dwelled in the city like barnacles on the rotten underside of a ship, and he didn't deserve any niceties.
The muscular man tumbled to the ground with a cry of agony. His body seemed to seizure for a second, but I had already bent his thick right arm around his back, cuffed his wrist, and then leveraged my knee on the back of his neck. He flopped again, and I didn't know if it was from the shock of my knee, or if he was actually trying to escape. His movement didn't really matter. The other loop of the cuff wrapped around his left wrist, and I had him.
Ash must have possessed extreme pain tolerance. He should have been rendered unconscious, or at least be in shock from the pain. Instead, the man struggled against my handcuffs and attempted to toss my body
off him by rolling over.
"You are under arrest for the murder of Garon Mitus, the attempted murder of a Potentia, and the transport of illegal goods through the city." I shouted the words in his ear and was surprised at the confidence I heard in my own voice.
"Mhhhh," he groaned in agony. His body seemed to relax for a second, and then he bucked wildly again. The man almost knocked me off his shoulders, but I still had his left wrist in my hand.
"Do you want to keep this arm?" I asked as I twisted his left wrist away from his shoulder.
He immediately stopped thrashing, and I heard him moan into the dirt of the road.
"This is what is going to happen. I am going to stand away from your shoulders. You are going to remain on the road. If you attempt to move, I will injure you with my sword. Do you understand?" I had been taught extensive joint manipulation so that I could transport suspects safely, but Ash was probably a head taller than me, and each of his arms looked thicker than my leg. Caution was important.
"Do you understand?" I twisted his wrist half an inch in a way it wasn't supposed to move, and the man gasped. Then I saw his head nod onto the dirt road.
"Good," I said. I waited a second or two, and then I cautiously slid from my position on Ash's shoulders. I almost expected him to try and roll again, but he followed my orders and lay on the ground.
"Can you breathe?" I asked as I kneeled by his left elbow. My hand was still on that wrist, and I put some pressure on the limb so that he knew I could break it.
"Yes," he gasped through obvious pain.
"I am going to turn you over into a sitting position. You will roll with your right shoulder. Do you understand?"
"Yes," he grunted.
I took my left hand off of his wrist and pulled on his right elbow to roll him over. His head went to follow his body, and I wrapped my right hand around the side of his neck to control the movement.
Then he was sitting with his ass on the street, legs spread out in front of him, and his hands cuffed behind his back. I almost wanted to stop right there and pat myself on the back, but I'd have plenty of time to congratulate myself later. I wasn't out of danger yet. I still needed to get him locked in one of cells at the nearest nest.
"Do you have any weapons?" I asked, but the man just grunted.
"Do you have any weapons? If I find one, it will upset me." I had my finger on his neck, and I felt his pulse beating rapidly.
"Dagger on my belt at the left hip. Pistol under my coat at my right hip," he said with a pained huff.
I put a little more pressure on his wrist, and he hissed between his teeth while I ran my right hand down his chest. The gun sat in a leather holster on his right hip where he said it would be, and I drew the weapon out carefully. I glanced at the pistol when I pulled it past his chest to check that the hammer was down, and I marveled at the detail. It had silver etching on the flanks and a dark-stained wooden grip. I guessed the weapon probably cost more than seven months of my salary. I tucked the barrel into the front of my belt and then ran my hand over the other side of his muscular torso.
I pulled a simple, but long dagger from his belt and slid it into mine, and then I checked the rest of his body for weapons. I suspected that he had a dagger in his boot, but I didn't want to risk letting go of his wrist to investigate. I should have checked his legs while I had him on his stomach, but I had been too afraid to let go of his arm.
"I am going to take my hand off your wrist and stand you up. Will you comply?" Our training had enforced steps for arresting an individual. Part of the coaching was to tell them what you were going to do and then ask them to cooperate.
"Yes," he grunted, and I moved my right hand to his shoulder and my left hand to his leg.
"On three. One. Two. Three," I counted each number while I pushed on his left knee to rock his body. He stood on three, while I lifted my left hand to his left elbow and obtained another joint lock.
"Now we walk," I said as I held his arm in a twisted position.
"Why am I being arrested?"
"I already told you. Keep your eyes forward." I twisted his arm a bit, and he came up on his toes as he walked to escape the pain.
"Where are we going?" he asked, and I was surprised that his voice was so soft.
"The local nest. Then you will be put in a cell until I file the charges."
We walked for another five minutes, and the man didn't speak. We got a few curious glances from citizens strolling through the wide streets, but it was close to dinner time, and I knew that most of the people who lived on the lower levels needed to sleep early so they could rise when the suns were in their lowest position.
"Are you Anelia?" he asked as he tried to turn his head.
"Eyes forward," I said as I twisted his elbow a bit to enforce my command. It was another ten minutes of walking to the nest, and I was surprised that I hadn't seen any city guard yet. I would have felt a thousand times better with an escort.
"You are wondering why there are no guards around. It is a shift break. That is why I walk through this part of town. The guards are all in the nest getting briefed. It usually takes fifteen minutes, but one of your sisters has a birthday today. Beallutte, I believe. They will be later than usual." His voice was a dark growl that made my ribs vibrate.
Ten more minutes of walking. I could do this. Just stay calm.
"You heard my conversation at the blacksmith's?" he asked as we walked past a tavern filled with loud ranchers.
"Eyes ahead, please." I twisted his arm to make him walk on his toes with a gasp.
"I felt as if someone was following me. Were you in the mine?"
"Save your voice. You will be answering plenty of questions once you are in your cell," I said. Ash must have been correct about the guards; I couldn't believe I hadn't seen a patrol yet. I didn't know if I had the clout to complain directly to this nest's captain, but this was unacceptable.
"What questions will you ask me?" Ash turned his head a bit, but he hissed when my fingers squeezed his hand, closer to breaking it.
"Why you killed Garon, why you stole those crates from the shipyard, what was the chemical in the vials inside the crates, and how you hid the wagon in the farmhouse." There were a dozen other questions I wanted to ask him, like his relationship with the man named Dust and how he could use magic, but I would save those for the official interrogation.
"Ahh, you don't know what is in the vials?"
"No, but you'll tell me when we reach the nest."
"Ahh," I still hadn't seen the man's face, but he turned slightly and I saw part of a smile on his lips.
"I can wait until you are secured. If you want to have a broken wrist, then you can continue talking," I twisted his arm again, and he flexed his chest and gasped.
We were in a denser part of the level now, and the five-story brick building that housed the local Potentia nest towered over the other adobe dwellings. My sanctuary looked as if it was only half a mile away.
"I am guessing you escaped through a tunnel under Rafa Manus' inn. You ended up in the mines. How did you find me there? It is the only piece of the puzzle I am struggling with."
"You are either deaf or you don't care about a broken arm," I sighed.
"I am more surprised that you didn't just kill me," Ash snorted.
"I am arresting you. It is not my role to determine your punishment. That is for the Priestesses."
"What if they told you to kill me?"
"I am not an executioner--"
"No, Anelia, you are a Potentia, but what if one of your Priestesses walked from around that bakery right there," he nodded with his head toward a building we were walking past, "and demanded that you draw your rapier and push the blade through my skull? Would you obey her order?" He tried to look over his shoulder at me, but I pulled on his arm so that he continued to face away from me.
"Your question is ridiculous. No Priestess would demand such a thing of me."
"But if she did?"
"We ha
ve a justice system. There will be a trial. You will be allowed to speak on your behalf, or we will provide someone for you. If you are found guilty, then you will be executed."
"But let us just assume that will be the outcome, anyway. From your testimony, I am guilty of murder and the attempted murder of a Potentia. I will be found guilty, and I will be executed. You would be saving everyone time by just killing me now. Especially if your Priestess ordered it."
"I am not an assassin or an executioner. I am a Potentia," I said to the man, and I almost wanted to spin him around so that I could answer him face to face.
"But Potentia serve the Priestesses."
"No, I swore an oath to protect the citizens of Petrasada."
"The oath you swore was to the Priestesses, Potentia," the man let out a deep chuckle. I couldn't believe he was laughing not even ten minutes after I'd almost broken his back.
"You are arguing semantics. Potentia enforce the laws made by the Priestesses. The same laws that protect the citizens of our city."
"So you wouldn't kill me if ordered to?"
"I would defend myself and defend a citizen of this city from any threat."
"I see," he said with a nod. "I was wrong about you."
"You wouldn't be the first."
The nest building was about two hundred yards away. In just a few short minutes I would have the man in his cell and could give my report to the nest captain. I recalled that her name was Giocana.
"I am afraid that I can't let you take me into that nest." His dark voice sounded apologetic.
"You don't have a choice. I'll break your arm if I have to." As I said the words, I remembered that the man had magic. I doubted that he could use any of his power while in handcuffs, but, then again, men weren't even supposed to be able to use magic. I had no idea what he was actually capable of.
"There are always choices, Anelia. Especially if you have prepared."
As he spoke, I saw a man step into the street from around the corner of a dry goods store. He was dressed in rancher clothes, but his flintlock pistol looked polished, and the barrel was pointed at me.
Ash's gun was cocked in my right hand half a second later, and I pulled the big man a few steps away in an effort to put distance between the rancher and my captive.
Wings of Justice (City of Light Book 1) Page 11