by Tina Hunter
“Why not just tell her? Then—” Teodor asked.
“Our contracts are deeply secure,” Brutus interrupted. She could hear him getting up off the bed. “And you’ll find yours is as well. We can’t tell her. We can’t directly stop her. All we could do was hope everything would fall apart. But if she manages to get all those crystals on the boat tonight. We will have to kill her. And you will help as per your contract. Do you understand?”
Dorjee had to tell Lynn. Now. She stood up and her hand brushed against the door. She backed away slowly, praying that the noise had been too quiet for the boys to hear.
The door swung open and there was Brutus’ face staring at her with shocked anger. Dorjee ran to the door of her room and swung it open. Lynn was not inside. The room had already been tidied and her luggage was on the bed. Dorjee’s satchel full of her meager belongings was next to it. She must be with Malack, letting him know the plan. She grabbed her boots off the floor before Brutus wrenched her around to look him in the face. He grabbed both arms, trapping them by her side and forcing her to drop her boots to the ground.
“How much did you hear?” he demanded.
Dorjee took a deep breath and focused with all her strength on the boots and flew them right into Brutus’ face.
He let go of her to hold his nose, which had taken the brunt of the hit, and Dorjee ran, pulling her boots through the air behind her. Kuzu could curse anyone that saw her magic.
At the bottom of the stairs, she paused long enough to put the boots on her feet and then ran again. This time she wouldn’t stop until she had reached Lynn.
“Arrested?” Malack said in a whisper. “You can’t be serious. First Declan tells me... and now this?”
“I’m sorry Malack but I am,” Lynn replied just as quietly. They were in his room at the Burnt Scroll, and Malack was rightly furious with her. “I can’t turn to anyone else for this. You’re the only one I’ve got.”
“Do you know what will happen if they find out who I really am? If my disguise doesn’t hold? They will take away the Rusty Duck. Mildred and Dickie will be out on the street before I can get home.”
“It’s just picking a pocket. They will not take away the inn for that.”
“Yes, they will,” Malack said, standing up to pace. “The Donassi have complete control over Swanmouth. And criminals are not allowed to own businesses. I might be able to petition them for leniency, but if my other transgressions come to light...” He let his meaning hang in the air between them.
There was a reason Malack’s first rule was always have an escape. They’d never been caught. Never arrested. And now she was asking him to do the opposite of what he had trained her to do.
“Why can’t I just go across the river with the brutes?”
“Because I need someone to help inside before I can even open the door. I will need you to help me over-power some people.” Lynn wouldn’t have asked it of Simon, her plan for him was to hold the door open and make him sweat lifting a few heavy crates. But Malack, she trusted. Malack could help her double-cross her uncle.
“The people getting you inside? The Blades?”
“Yes.”
“And you are sure you won’t tell me who they are?”
Lynn shook her head. She did trust Malack, but the less he knew the safer he would be. Plus, she didn’t want him to know her uncle was an evil murderer.
“They are... not nice people. And will take your place in the cells, or the vault actually.”
Malack stopped pacing and stared at her. No doubt hoping that the silent and intense stare would force her to talk. It wouldn’t. She’d trained enough to feel the guilt and let it pass. This was for the best.
“I’ll owe you one?” she offered.
“You already do, since I wasn’t able to complete my job with Declan off being... well, that.” Malack threw up his hands with a groan and paced again.
Just then the door flew open and Dorothy came running inside. She slammed the door closed behind her and, with her back against it, she slid down to the floor.
“Dorothy?” Lynn asked.
Tears were running down the girl’s face when she looked up at Lynn. Lynn stood, to go to her, but Dorothy stood up first and ran into Lynn's arms sobbing.
“Dorothy, what’s wrong?” Lynn stroked the back of Dorothy’s head, trying to calm her down enough to find out what was wrong. If someone had hurt her, they would pay dearly.
“They are going to kill you,” she blurted out between sobs.
“Who’s going to kill me?” Lynn was unsure how to handle the unexpected statement.
“Brutus!” Dorothy whispered into her ear.
Lynn pulled her out of her arms and held her arm’s length. The shock wore off quickly. “Tell me everything you know.”
When Dorothy finished Lynn was angry. No. She was beyond angry last night. This was a new feeling. Truly, the only man she could trust was in this room with her and, as proof, he had already checked out the hall twice to make sure Dorothy hadn’t been followed up here.
“Ok, so I’m safe ‘til we get the crystals on the boat. Then I need to worry.”
“What?” Dorothy asked. “You’re still going to go through with it?”
Lynn held up her bracelet. “I have to go through with it. Can’t deliberately quit. I have to give it my best shot. Darkan covered his bases well.”
“This is ridiculous,” Malack said. “You can’t go over there knowing they will kill you. You gave it your best shot, and now the risks are too high.”
Lynn thought about it for a moment. It was possible she might be able to convince herself of that. Make a loophole for herself. But she didn’t believe it now. And if she didn’t go across, then her uncle would get away with all those crystals. Was Darkan better or worse than Benjamin?
She stood up and started pacing. Or, rather, she tried to. The room was too crowded.
“I need to think. Dorothy, stay here until I get back. If I see the boys, I’ll let them know I haven’t seen you since the meeting this morning.” She glanced out the window to check the time. “I’ve got a few hours before I have to decide.”
She looked at Dorothy and Malack, the only two people she trusted in the world. “Be safe.”
And then she left.
It was almost dinner time when Dorjee and Malack received their letters from Lynn. They opened them in silence.
Dorjee almost cried.
“She’s sending me to the Morendi.” She had expected that, and yet she had hoped that maybe Lynn would want her help.
“And I have to go get myself arrested,” Malack said with a heavy sigh.
“It’s only for pickpocketing,” Dorjee said, not understanding why he looked so worried.
“You are too young to understand. I have an inn. And a family to think about. And...” Malack just sighed and didn’t finish. Dorjee might be young but she had heard enough stories at the brothel to figure out what getting arrested meant to a business owner. It took her a few minutes to figure out though, and by that time Malack had pulled out a suitcase and was trying to decide which wig to wear, sighing heavily every few minutes.
“At least Lynn needs you,” Dorothy said quietly.
Malack stopped and glared at her.
“At least Lynn wants you safe!”
Dorjee wasn’t sure what to say to that. Instead, she picked up Malack’s letter when he wasn’t looking and read it over.
“Dear Malack,
I’m sorry to ask it of you, but with Dorothy leaving you know I have no one else I trust. The guards will be in the square after dinner. Please be careful. I’ll meet you over there.
Love Lynn”
Lynn trusted her. Dorjee’s back straightened with pride. Lynn trusted her.
She studied her letter. Inside was a tightly wrapped letter for Grandpa Gregorio. Aside from getting that to him, the only other thing Lynn wanted her to do was to get a bottle of laudanum out of her luggage back at the inn. But that would me
an going back near Brutus. Besides, Malack had already paid a servant to get her satchel for her. She didn’t have an excuse to go back there.
“Malack?”
“Yes?” he asked while fluffing up the wig on his head. He didn’t look good as a blond.
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to go get the laudanum out of Lynn’s luggage. Simon probably has it by now.”
Malack turned sharply. “What?”
She pointed at the letter and he ripped it out of her hands. His anger was the quiet kind. It was almost scarier than Miss Gendry’s anger. Except she knew Malack’s wasn’t directed at her.
“That stupid girl,” he said crumpling the letter and throwing it across the small room. It bounced off the wall and Dorjee quietly went to pick it up. She flattened it out on her thighs, making sure not to rip it. It might be the last thing she ever got from Lynn.
“I’m sorry,” he said after a few moments. “I’m just scared and angry.”
Dorjee nodded. At least he wasn’t going to hit her in his anger. She’d heard some men who came to the brothel would do that.
“We’ll figure something out,” Malack said gently. There was a sadness in his voice that made her want to comfort him. Lynn trusted him. So she would trust him too. And she had a crazy idea, but it might just work if Malack was on board.
“Malack?”
“Yes,” Malack looked at her like he was trying to cheer her up.
“What if I was the one to get arrested...”
“No.” He stood up and turned his back to her.
“But the police won’t hurt me and I don’t have a family to worry—”
“You’re a girl,” he said, pulling out a ratty old jacket out of his suitcase. “Enough of this nonsense. You need to go eat something and then we’ll figure out how to get that laudanum for Lynn. After that,” he turned to look at her, “You are going to this Grandpa Gregorio person. And staying safe.”
Dorjee wanted to argue with him. It made more sense for her to get arrested. So what if she was a girl? She could take care of herself. In fact, now that she thought about it she had taken care of herself when Brutus caught her. And if Brutus and Teodor were across the river helping Lynn, she could handle Simon by himself. Simon wasn’t much of a fighter, and he’d be busy. If she was lucky, she’d be able to get in and out without him knowing she was there. Just like Lynn was always doing.
She left her satchel in the room and went downstairs. The smell of food wafted up to her until it surrounded her. And by people. The hall was a mess of people, everyone talking over each other and servers running all over trying to get people their food and drink.
No one noticed a small boy slipping in between people to grab a plate, a roll, some meat, and a few other odds and ends to fill her plate from the buffet line.
Being a boy really was helpful.
She had just found a corner to call her own when Malack came down the stairs. Or rather, he was an ugly, blond man in a ragged jacket and ill-fitting glasses. She waved at him before biting into her food. She had planned on leaving without him, but maybe he could help. Didn’t Lynn say Malack was the one who taught her how to steal? He soon disappeared into the crowd, no doubt to get his own food.
She left her cleaned plate on a table being vacated by a group of men and wandered around trying to find where Malack had ended up.
Someone grabbed her from behind. One strong arm across her chest, pinning her arms down and a hand across her mouth kept her from shouting out.
“Found ya,” Teodor’s Docker accent whispered in her ear. He was supposed to be across the river by now. “You’s lucky it’s me and not Brutus, squeaker. Now we gonna go back to me room, and you’s gonna stay there.”
Ok. Taking her back to his room wasn’t too bad, assuming that the luggage was still in Lynn’s room, but she had no way of escaping after that. She quickly scanned around her, trying to find something she could lift to throw at Teodor but there were too many people in the way.
“No magic in here,” he whispered. “Loads o’ anti-magic folk would love ta get hands on ya.”
She didn’t recognize anyone, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t right. “Just come on wit me and I promise no one ‘ill hurt ya.”
What good was a promise from him? He just agreed to kill Lynn.
Just then she saw Malack through a group just getting up from a table in front of her. Teodor was moving her slowly backward to the door and there wasn’t any way to get Malack’s attention... or was there? Malack was looking around. For her maybe? She focused on the forks on the table and flung all of them at Malack’s feet so they pointed toward her. He looked down at them, then at the table, then up in her direction. They locked eyes just as Teodor pulled her around the corner. They’d be out the front door soon. Why wasn’t anyone stopping them? It was like people who noticed quickly turned away, or maybe they didn’t notice at all. She didn’t know of any magic that could do that.
With a deep breath, Teodor lifted her up and carried her out the door that had conveniently been held open for them. Since when did everyone do whatever he wanted? Once they were outside, he took them through a back alley. Fewer people, less chance of anyone seeing her magic. There was a barrel up ahead and she concentrated on it. It fell over into Teodor’s path, making him swear. Not quite what she had in mind, but it had been full of water and she hadn’t expected that.
“I told you, none of that. Don’t make this harder than it has ta be.”
He walked around the barrel and kept moving. She kept her eyes open for something, anything, she could use. As dirty as the alley was, there wasn’t anything big enough to throw at Teodor to make much of a difference. And anything slimy or smelly would just get on her too. They were coming up on an intersection, soon they’d be back on a main road, and then at the inn.
“Hey,” she heard a voice yell from behind them. Teodor turned them around to see who it was. Dorjee saw Malack in his disguise running towards them.
Teodor muttered under his breath. “Everythin’ is fine ‘ere, sir. Just go about your business,” he shouted.
Malack didn’t stop running, and he had a long metal bar in his hand and a violent look in his eyes.
“Harpy Shit.” Teodor threw Dorjee to the side, knocking her head on the wall.
When she looked up Teodor, who was wearing a soldier’s uniform jacket, and Malack were holding the bar between them in a shoving match. Now was her chance to run. But Malack was going up against a guard even if it was just a fake one. Eventually, people would notice. So she lent her magical strength to Malack and pushed Teodor against the wall.
“I got this now,” Malack said with a nod. “You run.”
She wanted to; she did. But she also didn’t. This wasn’t right. She’d have to go back to Malack’s inn to get her things and the letter if she wanted to get out of town. And if she headed for the Corrupt Harpy? Brutus might be there. Or he could be wandering around in a guard uniform too. She was in trouble here, but Malack would be in much more if anyone saw him pinning a guard against the wall.
She quickly used her power to pull off his jacket. The buttons ripped as it flew off. She really was getting stronger.
“She’s a rogue Inborn. Dangerous. Gotta get ‘er off the street.” Teodor said, not yet realizing that the man who had him pinned was Malack.
Dorjee grabbed what was left of the jacket and threw it in a pile of slop. She even stomped on it a few times to get it good and dirty. No one would recognize it right away.
“Okay. Thanks,” Malack said with a hint of exasperation, “Now get out of here.”
She was about to head back down the alley, the way to Malack’s inn, but a group of men were coming this way. Was Brutus one of them? She would have to go the other way. She walked towards the main road. Then she saw them, a group of guards coming this way. Real ones. They’d see Malack and Teodor. Malack could get into big trouble.
She looked back and saw Malack looking at her, confused.
“Get that letter to Grandpa, okay?” she shouted.
Then she ran right toward the guards. She heard someone shout behind her, but she didn’t stop. She ran into the guard and pulled out his wallet and kept running.
“Hey. Stop, thief,” the guard yelled at her. They gave chase. Tears streamed down her face. This was just as dangerous as facing Brutus. Malack was right. If they figured out she was a girl, she could face something worse than just some time in a cell. Dorjee ran toward the town square where she knew the rest of the soldiers would be. She pretended to be shocked to see them and slowed down. She wiped her tears with her sleeves and tried to turn down a side road, but the soldiers were on her. They threw her to the ground and piled on top of her to pin her down. She let out a yell, feeling her arms and face scrap against the cobblestone ground.
“Think you can steal from a guard, you little gutter rat? We’ll teach you a thing or two about manners tonight, son.” She kept herself from shaking, from crying out in fear and panic, by focusing on the fact that Lynn would come to get her soon. Lynn would rescue her. She could only hope it would be before something really bad happened.
Twelve
~Friday Evening Near The Mermaid’s Kiss~
LYNN FOUND IT difficult to focus on her dinner. She had found a small restaurant out of the way and she ate there. It had taken her a long time to feel ready to face her uncle. At least the food was good. It was a good last meal to have, though she wasn’t sure whose last meal it would end up being.
Renaldo and another man were standing at the back entrance to the brothel. When he saw her, she heard his voice in her head.
Keep walking. Your uncle is behind the restaurant. He didn’t mention which one but she kept walking and found her uncle surrounded by three men. This must be his extraction team.
He waved for her to come over. As she found her spot among the men, her uncle introduced her.
“Gentlemen, this is the niece I was telling you about. Lynn, these are some of the men we’ll be working with tonight.”