Suddenly Yamar was by her side. Kay had never been gladder to see him. “Ladies,” he said respectfully, “I apologize for intruding into your conversation. I need a brief word.” He looked meaningfully at Kay. The women sniffed, offended, though Kay thought one or two glanced at Yamar with hungry eyes. And eyed her jealously. They moved on to other sport, still traveling as a pack.
Yamar guided Kay to a quiet corner. She managed to make it across the room, only bumping into people with her flared skirts a few times. “What is going on?!” Kay asked in a fierce, hushed voice as Yamar turned to face her. “Why am I here?!” She glared meaningfully around the room and ended with a gesture at her ridiculous dress.
“Not my call,” he said. “In fact, I’m not much in favor with Enos right now. Not after you left that fight last night without giving him his moment. And I let you. That’s why he sent Owen Loric to get you instead of me.”
“The bald Wrang who practically tore my arm off? Threatened me with imprisonment?”
“I’ve mentioned before, Kay, I’m not the only one Enos confides in or listens to.”
“So Enos has some sort of plan in place. And this is it?! Humiliate me into falling in love with a child?” Kay dropped her voice back to a whisper as a few heads turned. “And what’s the deal with that committee? Are they really trying to take over my caseload? Fuck that.”
“Kay, I’ve got about one minute before the Dynasty arrives and my presence starts to offend more than it has already. I’ll be brief. I told Enos about your caseload as an excuse for why you left.” He raised a hand to forestall her protest and shook his head. “Less than a minute, Kay. He came up with the committee idea on his own. A way to stay close to you, maybe impress you. I don’t know, he seems serious about helping you. He’s not really a bad kid. Just a little reckless, which isn’t good for either one of us. I had no idea the dinner invitation would follow. The committee won’t hurt, it might even help. I’ll be the Dynasty lead so we’ll work it together. And we’ve got a hell of a lot of resources you don’t ordinarily have access to. I’ll be in touch tomorrow. Anything you want me to get started on tonight?”
“Can you get me out of here? I know some rats will be reacting to the bodies left out on Sethro Street. The kind of rats that might have a girl in hiding and be feeling the heat.” When Yamar shook his head, Kay sighed. “Then it’s the same thing I’ve been telling you for weeks. Ewan is our best lead but I can’t get the Home Guard to care about the murder of a Farrow despite how nicely you’ve been asking them.”
“I stop asking nicely tonight,” Yamar replied.
“And the link among the four. I’ve got a feeling Jenna Weiss is key to this, but there are others. And I can’t figure what links them. You got the names from the panel meeting?” Without waiting for an answer, she pressed on, her face darkening. “Did you know there was a contract out on me?”
Yamar nodded.
“You told the Home Guard? And asked them to keep an eye out? You can’t do that, Yamar. You put me in danger. That’s the kind of thing Enos would do.” She shook her head, tired. “You know, I’m hoping this exchange will go both ways. I’m not just opening my files to you.”
“You keep files?”
“Well, not so much, but you know what I mean.”
There was something to the look on Yamar’s face. “What?” Kay asked. “What is it?”
“It’s probably nothing,” he replied, but he looked around to make sure they weren’t being overheard. “Be careful with where you use this name, but have you heard of the Gyudi Dynasty?”
“Never.”
“They ruled before the Melor. And the Melor have done everything they can to erase their name from history. But it’s been surfacing a lot recently. The Wrang are up in arms about it. Not sure if it is the bleeding edge of a rebellion,” his voice grew so quiet at that word, Kay could barely hear him, “or what. I doubt it is connected to the missing children, but keep your eyes open.”
He straightened. “Now, I really need to slip out. Good luck. Don’t forget to start with the salad fork.” He gave a smile as Kay’s eyes widened in alarm.
Yamar had retreated a few steps when Kay called out to him. “Yamar,” she said, “the Pathfinders are chafing at the blade restriction.”
He nodded slowly. “We can discuss it tomorrow.”
As Yamar melted away a booming voice from the front made Kay jump in her skirts, “Gentlemen and ladies, the Melor Dynasty Family.”
Through the crowd Kay could see the grand double doors at the front opening. The entire crowd bowed in unison, Kay catching up only a second late. They held their heads low as the Melor entered. When all the guests straightened, Kay could see the full splendor of the Dynasty Family.
They were led by Jios Marin, the Dynasty’s Voice. He issued any proclamations and led formal events. Supposedly a representative of the people, he was in reality a deeply entrenched member of the Dynasty in all but name, his power second only to Yostre Melor. The Dynasty Head himself was not in attendance this evening or else he would have led the procession. After Jios came Cyrus, Yostre’s eldest brother, followed by Hammond, a younger sibling. Kay was eager to catch a glimpse of him. Abi had been dating Hammond and leveraging his influence to pull herself up several stations at the Palace. He was handsome with neatly trimmed, greying hair and a strong chin. The two sisters of Yostre followed, Sesla and Jan. They had held off on marriage to retain their names, a common strategy among the family. The next generation was led by Tems Melor, Enos’s father. He had four brothers and sisters, three of which entered the dining hall together. Enos and his older brother Mattis were the last of the formal Melors, though there was a smattering of cousins and slightly more distant relations before the parade ended.
The crowd was elated by their entry. It was a big deal to be dining with the Dynasty anytime, but especially one of the nights the Fire Eye was open. Each evening’s event would have been carefully curated and managed. Every floor above them would be host to parties. And everyone in this room would have the bragging rights of having shared a table with the Dynasty as they climbed the stairs.
The crowd began moving towards the long, immaculately laid out banquet. Kay followed at the tail end of them, her heart beating wildly in her throat. She had no experience with formal dining, the closest being table service at a bar or the few times Abi had dragged her out to a restaurant. What Kay wouldn’t give to have Abi by her side right now. Instead she was surrounded by unfamiliar and unfriendly faces. “I don’t suppose anyone would tell me what a salad fork looks like?” she said under her breath.
…
At least Enos hadn’t insisted she sit right by the Dynasty. Or maybe he didn’t have the sway to pull that off. Instead she was at the far end of the table, surrounded by guests who were perhaps at the lower end of the importance scale in the room, though Kay never would have picked that up based on their dress, which was beyond lavish. The jewels around the necks of the ladies could have easily fed every orphan in Celest for years.
It appeared her tablemates were not thrilled to be in the presence of a mixed-blood and they made it clear with a coldness Kay was sadly accustomed to. She was left dining virtually alone as the women on either side turned away from her and the couple across the table, after one loaded look at Kay’s clothing and make-up, had quickly engaged each other in conversation. So Kay was relegated to listening in on the small talk of the women next to her, which predictably turned to the Farrow.
“They are complete animals.” The speaker was an older lady, teeth flashing as she efficiently took down a series of oysters between her words. “I heard there were three dead bodies, right out in the open. In the middle of the day! I told my maid she’s no longer allowed in the Lagoons.”
“Why would she ever go there?” Her friend was distracted by the process of spooning oysters onto her far older husband’s plate.
“She has family there. I told her she can meet them elsewhere.”
“Not with the security we’ve got in place. Also my head maid is a bit of a dragon. The others live in fear of her. Keeps them in line.”
“I heard the Jeslers took a Farrow maid.”
The first speaker sniffed. “Well, they certainly will save some money. And they’ll need it when she robs them blind.”
Kay turned away in disgust. She fussed with the silverware for a moment, then leaned forward so she could see down the long table. The Dynasty were all clustered on the opposite side, red and gold silken clothes lighting up that end of the table like a fire.
A sharp voice distracted her as the woman on her right spoke. “You know, it’s an insult to the host if you don’t eat.”
“I’m sorry?” Kay said.
“It’s rude.” She was loud, and now some heads were turning. Eyes ran over Kay, taking in her franticly applied makeup, her lack of any jewelry, her features more in place on the streets of the Lagoons than at a table which fed the Dynasty. “You’re not just embarrassing yourself, you know. You’re embarrassing all of us. Have some dignity.”
Kay bit back a sharp response, instead lowering her eyes to her plate. She felt surrounded. She hadn’t asked to be here. She’d done nothing to offend. She reached for anger to fill her up, but she was hollowed out. She was tired, the long nights getting to her. It was unfair. Why had Enos done this?
She carefully plucked an oyster from the table, still feeling the eyes on her. Suddenly the one she wanted beside her more than anyone was Ewan Silas. He had a way of skewering others, quietly, in word and deed, making their prejudices and irrationalities seem as silly as they were. He had been so even-tempered in the face of gross injustice, a skill she’d strengthened as he’d worked for her. As he’d subtly trained her without ever calling attention to it. And now he was dead, and she was here alone.
Kay was struggling to fight tears rising behind her eyes. Wouldn’t they love that? The ultimate break in decorum. Tears shed at the Dynasty’s table. As she fought to bring herself under control, a server leaned over her, refilling water glasses, and a note was dropped into her lap.
She stared at it in disbelief for a moment. Probably a threat or an execution notice, the way her evening was going. As the attention of those around her had seemed to wander away, Kay discretely spread it open on her lap.
It was a few lines in a familiar looping handwriting Kay recognized, and that recognition brought an immediate surge of relief. It was a hand reaching out to help, one that was somehow always there when she needed it the most. Abi was in the building, watching Kay’s back as best she could.
Sorry I can’t be there to personally remind you how very deeply you are loved and admired. Drinks soon? (P.S. I love your dress! It’s so you.)
She must have been the one who sent Yeni to help Kay. Abi may no longer be working for Kay, she may be off doing her own thing, but she still managed to come through just when Kay needed a friend.
Kay looked up, the threat of tears a distant memory. The table seemed much less intimidating. A bunch of lower end nobles, dogs with no teeth, scared of the bodies that had landed on Sethro Street. She fought a smile as she imagined their reaction if they learned she’d been the one to put them there. Or better yet, imagine their reaction if she plucked the flame of one of the candles and floated it in front of their face. That would certainly make for a memorable dining experience. A juvenile thought, she knew, but not without its charm.
Yeni was on the other side of the table, working her way around refilling the water glasses and collecting spent plates. Kay made a slight gesture with her fingers, asking for a pen, and Yeni gave a tiny nod. One was thrust into her lap as Yeni walked by, and Kay quickly turned the note over and wrote Gyudi Dynasty? on the back. On her next pass, Yeni picked it up.
Kay folded her hands in the lap of her ugly, ill-fitting dress. She sat perfectly still, collecting herself, before she leaned forward and began filling her plate with the feast laid out before her. If she was going to endure this humiliating trial, she might as well get a good meal out of it.
Chapter 7. The Fire Eye Masked
After the dinner, Kay fled out of the front of the Palace, sweeping past the lines of nobility waiting on carriages, ignoring the eyes she felt on her. Enos had had no further tortures planned for her, apparently, or was too caught up in his Dynasty duties to force her to speak with him. It was a good thing, too. She didn’t trust herself to check her tongue, which could mean trouble if they weren’t alone when she let her anger loose on the privileged little shit.
After Abi’s mercifully timed note, Kay’s defenses had been fortified. But that hadn’t ended the assault from her tablemates, just limited its effectiveness. She was exhausted from enduring the slights, the humiliations they had seemed so focused on visiting upon her.
And it wasn’t just the dinner. Suddenly she was reporting to a Dynasty committee? Just like that? The words you work for us now, fetch rang in her ears. She was hard-pressed to imagine a scenario in which this helped her find the missing children. More likely the Dynasty would sweep everything under the rug when throwing their gold at the problem didn’t immediately resolve it. And then look for a scapegoat. It only took one guess who would be on the top of that list. The whole thing felt monstrous and unfair.
After a quick glance up at the night sky, Kay made her way out of the Palace District and into the busier Headwaters neighborhood. She enjoyed the slow stroll downward from the elevated Palace, studying the skyline as she went. The enormous cost of building vertically tempered Celest’s desire for elevation, and while every building seemed to strain as mightily for the sky as possible, only a few truly achieved a height to compare to the Palace. Devero Tower, the stronghold of the enormously wealthy Devero family, was one such structure in the distance. Kay briefly imagined the view from their famous Halo Balcony, designed to look as though it floated above the building’s roof, no doubt as packed tonight as the Palace was.
The streets of Headwaters were well-lit, crowded but quiet, a sort of hum as the unhurried end-of-day business and social transactions were conducted in low and even voices. The crowd was diverse. This close to the Palace, nobles in varying degrees of finery mingled with laborers and merchants hawking their wares so Kay didn’t stand out in her Palace dress the way she would in the neighborhoods closer to her office.
A brightly colored image just off the main street caught her eye and Kay stopped to look closer. It was another of the elaborate paintings of the Fire Eye which had sprung up around the city this year. She was marveling at its beauty, though no substitute for the real thing in the sky above, when she got the first inkling she was being followed. A glimpse of a shadow in an alley, motion where she expected stillness, and the old, familiar feeling came over her.
She’d let her mind wander, let her anger at Enos and relief over her momentary escape from the Dynasty take over her senses and dull her to more immediate threats. She ignored the shadow and pressed forward, eyes now alert and scanning the busy street as she weaved through the evening crowds. The skirts she wore felt cumbersome and the dress left her arms bare to the cold wind, something she’d also neglected to notice until now. She felt vulnerable, exposed. Who would tail her? It could be someone sent by the Palace crowd, a noble curious about her presence at the long table. Or someone reporting to the Dynasty itself. But it could just as easily be one of Vascal’s minions. She’d want a look before she lost whoever it was.
Kay was considering which of the narrow side streets would offer the best opportunity to double back when abruptly the crowds parted in front of her. Startled noises of fear and disgust accompanied the sudden movement, and Kay looked up to see what had scattered the people. Before her stood a man dressed in form-fitting black from head to toe, a painted mask on his face. He was moving straight towards her in a strange, rhythmic loping stride, his back hunched, his mask pointed unerringl
y in her direction. The mask was hypnotic, and it took Kay a long, bewildered moment to make sense of what she was seeing.
It was painted with an image of the Fire Eye, wrapping across the face, centered where the man’s left eye would be. There was no hole in the mask there, only on the other side where she could see the movement of a watching eye. The mask started just above his forehead and rounded down to a sharp point at the chin. The bright colors of the Fire Eye stood out in the dimly lit streets as it moved towards Kay.
Kay decided she’d seen enough to shape a course of action. She turned and ran as fast as her ill-suited dress would allow.
As she pushed through the rest of the milling crowd, Kay realized the masked man was not alone. Others with the same strange garb were pressing in from the sides. She saw one emerge from the mouth of the alley where she’d first seen the shadow of her tail. A chill which had nothing to do with the cold night ran down her body as she considered the signs. It was certainly looking like she might be the prey of this strange pack. They’d tailed her from the Palace. The crowd was repulsed by their approach, but not yet panicked in the way Kay felt. She felt something deeply malevolent in the Fire Eye masks, bobbing and weaving their way through the crowd with spiderlike movements.
Kay turned away from one possible escape route when she saw another of the masks. There was another in the opposite direction. Her options were being rapidly cut off. If this was a performance designed to frighten her, it was working. She was outnumbered, far from any allies, and unarmed. Well, perhaps not totally. She slowed for a moment inside one of the few remaining clusters of people in the street and slid her fingers into the brass knuckles she’d tucked in her belt. As the cluster broke, everyone headed in different directions, Kay turned a full circle, counting at least seven of the masked men closing in.
The Fire Eye Chosen_Sequel to The Fire Eye Refugee Page 7