Weapon of Pain (Weapon of Flesh Series Book 5)

by Chris A. Jackson

  As the wizard backed away, the emperor stepped forward, guards at his sides, and extended a hand. “May We formally offer Our condolences for Baroness Monjhi’s death.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.” Mya curtsied again as she lightly touched his fingers, acutely aware of the heavy gazes of the guards upon her. “Lady T was…one of a kind.”

  The emperor regarded her. “We are also glad to see you well. We heard of the attack on your home and feared for your safety.”

  “Thank you, Majesty. I never thought Hoseph would come after me like that, especially with constables there!” She smiled apologetically. “I hope you understand that’s why I went into hiding, and why I didn’t receive your summons sooner.”

  Tynean Tsing waved away her apology. “We know what it’s like to fear for one’s life, Miss Moirin. In fact, that’s one reason We summoned you here. We both seem to be far more involved with assassins than is healthy.”

  Mya’s mind stumbled at the inference. What does he mean by that? Could he know I’m with the guild? She considered potential avenues of escape. Through the windows, across the lawn, up the wall. The damned dress will have to go…

  The emperor continued, obviously unaware of her mental panic. “You saved Our life under incredible circumstances, and, according to the report from the constabulary, you saved the lives of several constables and bystanders when your home was attacked. You’re an amazingly capable bodyguard and a competent and honorable woman of action.”

  What? Mya’s heart stopped pounding, though her confusion mounted. Was she here to be arrested or praised? Stop gaping and go with it, Mya! She dipped her head in a polite nod. “I like to think so, Majesty.”

  “Then We will come to the point.” The emperor gestured for her to walk beside him as he strolled to the windows and gazed into the beautiful gardens beyond.

  The guards now stood in a semicircle around the two of them, but none interposed between them. It was a deliberate show of trust, she realized, allowing her to stand so close, knowing firsthand what she was capable of. The guards seemed twitchy, but Tynean Tsing appeared to be entirely at ease.

  “We are without Our customary blademaster bodyguards—We’re sure you heard of their tragic end—and We fear for the wellbeing of empire should We fall. The changes We’ve instituted aren’t…appreciated by all.” He smiled wryly. “What my opponents don’t realize is that reverting back to the inhumane laws of my father would devastate the empire. In the interest of preserving that which I hold most dear—the Empire of Tsing—We summoned you here to offer you the position of Our Imperial Bodyguard.”

  For once in her life, Mya was completely without words. Her jaw dropped open. “I…I…”

  The emperor raised a hand as he faced her. “Please let Us make this offer clear before you respond. This would not be an easy duty. Your sole responsibility would be Our safety. Other than during the time We sleep, you would be at Our side. However, the position would not be without reward. Compensation would be generous. You would, of course, live in the palace with all its amenities, as well as its security.” He gestured to the beautiful view out the window with one hand and to the imperial guards with the other.

  I don’t believe this! Mya struggled to prevent herself from bursting into laughter at the irony. All the trouble Hoseph has gone to trying to establish Assassin Guild access to the throne, and the emperor has just invited me to live alongside him. Granted, the position was as bodyguard, but close quarters day in and day out would breed familiarity, trust…and influence. It wouldn’t be the same as an Imperial Grandmaster, but a discreet word here or a suggestion there…

  To her own surprise, Mya carefully considered the offer. Living in the palace would indeed keep her safe from Hoseph and the traitorous factions of the Assassins Guild, an attractive prospect. Just as quickly, she rejected the notion. She couldn’t fight a guild war or hunt Hoseph from the palace, and she’d have neither the time nor opportunity to be the kind of Grandmaster she needed to be.

  But how do you say no to an emperor?

  Mya looked into his expectant face and smiled ruefully. “You honor me with your trust, Majesty, but I must respectfully decline your offer. I feel personally responsible for Lady T’s death, and I’ve vowed retribution against Hoseph. I can’t…do what I must while sequestered in the palace. I’m sorry.”

  Tynean Tsing’s hopeful smile faltered. “We’re sorry, too, though We understand your reticence. A life of such singular purpose isn’t easy.”

  Mya waited quietly as the emperor looked out the window, his face unreadable, her impatience tempered by relief. He didn’t seem angry or even unduly disappointed. Arbuckle’s temperament was a far cry from that of his father.

  Finally, he seemed to make up his mind about something and turned back to her. “There’s another service you could perform for the empire that may be more to your liking. Indeed, it coincides closely with your own stated goal.”

  He wants me to hunt Hoseph for him? Mya kept her face carefully neutral. She’d happily accept any help he was willing to provide, but she mustn’t let him suspect that she knew far more about Hoseph’s assassination attempts than had been made public. “And what would that be, Your Majesty?”

  “Your Majesty?” Master Keyfur squeezed between two of the guards, a long feather gripped between his fingertips, his eyebrows arched with an unspoken question.

  “Yes, of course.” Tynean Tsing sighed and beckoned the wizard forward. “We apologize, Miss Moirin, for this seeming lack of trust”—he shot a sour look toward Tennison and Ithross—“but what We are about to tell you is vital to the security of the empire. No one outside this room must know what your task is. If word got back to Hoseph, innocent lives would be lost. Our advisors insist that your loyalty must be confirmed before We reveal any details. Master Keyfur will verify the truth of your oath.”

  Uh-oh. Surrounded by guards and only an arm’s length from a wizard, Mya didn’t stand a chance of escape. At least, not without making myself the most wanted woman in the empire. But to allow herself to be enspelled…dare she risk it? Her only other option was to refuse the task and hope the emperor would allow her to walk away, but the amity of an emperor was not something to be spurned lightly. She calculated the odds, balanced the pros against the cons, and threw the dice.

  “Don’t apologize, Majesty.” She smiled disarmingly. “In my business, I understand the need for confidentiality, but I must be forthright. Despite whatever rumors might be spreading about me, I’m not immortal, invincible, or omnipotent. I do what I do very well, but I can’t do it alone. I share all details of my assignments with my assistant, whom I trust without question. I also have a few indispensable contacts who are helping me in my search for Hoseph. If you would prefer not to confide in me under these conditions, then I understand.”

  “We see.” The emperor seemed to consider for a moment. He glanced to Tennison, Ithross, then Keyfur, all of whom remained expressionless, then looked back to Mya and nodded. “Master Keyfur, please proceed.”

  Without a word, the wizard waved a feather, then nodded to the emperor. “It’s done, Majesty.”

  Good Gods of Light! Mya had at least expected some mumbo-jumbo or incantation to accompany the spell. So simple…like the magical frisking. What’s to prevent him from casting another spell on me without my knowing? Or has he already? Hairs on the back of her neck tickled with trepidation.

  “Good.” Tynean Tsing nodded to Mya. “You must vow that everything We tell you today will be kept in the strictest confidence you can maintain in the performance of your duties to the empire, Miss Moirin.”

  Mya chose her words carefully. “I vow to keep what you tell me secret, except from those I deem utterly trustworthy and necessary to help me fulfill the task you assign me, Majesty.” She glanced at the wizard, then the guards. “I also vow that I mean your majesty no harm whatsoever.”

  The emperor glanced at Keyfur, and the wizard nodded with a smile.

&nbs
p; “Very good.” Tynean Tsing looked into her eyes, and his expression darkened. “There exists within Our empire a secret guild of assassins, brutal killers who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.”

  Mya’s eyebrows shot up. He knows about the guild? She folded her hands in front of her, grateful that she wore gloves.

  Misreading her surprise, the emperor said, “Yes, it seems preposterous, doesn’t it, that such a wicked organization could exist here, in the heart of Tsing? Alas, it’s worse than you could imagine.” He frowned and waved dismissively. “But you needn’t concern yourself with all the sordid details. What’s past is past, and we need to look to the future. Suffice to say, Hoseph is deeply involved with this guild, and is also the mastermind behind a conspiracy to subvert the government. They want nothing less than to rule the empire from behind the scenes, controlling the emperor as a puppet-master controls his marionette.”

  Mya suppressed the urge to ask for details. How did he learn of the guild? How much does he know? She mustn’t appear to know more than what any imperial citizen might have learned from the public posterboards. “And how do they propose to do that, Majesty, if you’re aware of the plot?”

  The emperor smiled grimly. “Assassinate me and put another on the throne. Someone they can manipulate. Someone who wouldn’t dare refute their commands.”

  “I see,” Mya acknowledged studiously. Now he was telling her something she didn’t know; Hoseph’s plans for control of the empire.

  “Duke Tessifus is next in line to the throne. His three sons have been abducted by this guild.” The emperor pursed his lips. “Our task to you is to recover them.”

  Whoa! Mya stared at the emperor in shock. She’d been quite sure that he would ask for her help in apprehending Hoseph. When the initial shock subsided, she thought, But if the Assassin’s guild took the duke’s sons… Why didn’t I know about this? Why hadn’t Clemson or Noncey told her? Perhaps they didn’t know, she reasoned; kidnapping was as often tasked to the guild Hunters, and Twist Umberlin had sided with Hoseph. That, or they’re not as loyal as they say…

  The task—using her guildsmen to recover children abducted by Hoseph’s guildsmen—appealed to Mya’s sense of irony. Additionally, rescuing the boys would certainly thwart Hoseph’s plot and might bring him out into the open. It was worth the risk…with some assurances.

  “Your Majesty, I am willing to try, but I must warn you that it will not be easy—or safe—to attempt this. In fulfilling my task, innocent people may die, one or more of the boys may die, and members of this guild of assassins will most certainly die. If what you say about this assassins guild is true, they won’t give the boys over without a fight, and might kill them rather than allow them to be taken. If I do this, I’ll have to strike quickly and decisively. I must be allowed to perform my duty without fear of… repercussions.”

  “We understand.” He nodded to his secretary. “Tennison, draft a document that gives Miss Moirin immunity from prosecution for any act she commits in the performance of this service to the empire.” He turned back to her. “Will that suffice?”

  “That will suffice nicely, Your Majesty.” Mya curtsied again and smiled inwardly. An assassin with immunity from prosecution… How perfect! But the devil was in the details. “That immunity will also cover the death of High Priest Hoseph, of course.”

  Tynean Tsing must have glimpsed a telltale gleam in her eyes, for he frowned. “Deliberately killing him without the due process of a trial under the law would be murder, Miss Moirin.”

  “Murder is no less than what he delivered to Baroness Monjhi, Majesty, and apparently what he was attempting to do to you.” Mya fixed the emperor’s stern gaze with one of her own. “I’ll get the duke’s sons back, but only if the immunity you grant me extends to Hoseph’s death, should it happen to occur during my performance of this task…or not.”

  The emperor’s frown deepened. He glanced at his advisors, who remained mute and unreadable as far as Mya could tell, then finally nodded. “You are a shrewd negotiator, Miss Moirin.” He extended his hand again. This time she shook it firmly. “You shall receive the assurances you request and any other assistance you need, be it from the constabulary, Our Imperial Guard, Master Keyfur, or the Imperial Treasury. You will not find the Emperor of Tsing ungrateful.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.” Mya curtsied and released his hand. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be your bodyguard. The offer was tempting.”

  “Not tempting enough, evidently, but We understand.” A fleeting smile passed his lips as he looked around the gilded room. “A palace is little more than a prison, albeit an elegant one.”

  Mya rubbed the Grandmaster’s ring on her finger. “I understand that better than you will ever know, Majesty.”

  Chapter IX

  Hoseph trudged up the hill past shop after glittering shop. Prior to all this…trouble, he’d enjoyed the occasional walk through the Heights District, stretching his legs and enjoying the deference accorded to him by passersby. Those who hadn’t been impressed by his close relationship with the emperor had usually respected his position as high priest of Demia.

  Lately, however, he walked to avoid the debilitating effects of using the talisman, and his identity had to remain anonymous. His vagabond disguise proved useful in that regard. In the poorer districts, he passed unnoticed, one of a legion of unfortunates who wandered the city begging for alms. In the rich neighborhoods, the nobility actively avoided looking at him, as if, by not acknowledging him, they disallowed his existence.

  Coming abreast of the shop he sought, he pretended to survey the wares in the window. Master Inquisitor Lakshmi’s new abode was the olfactory antithesis of the Master Hunter’s fetid tannery. The shop sold soaps and cosmetics, and myriad scents—floral and spice, citrus and musk, all clean and crisp—suffused the air even on the street outside. Inside, a threesome of well-dressed young women perused the shelves, sniffing bottles of bath oil and tissue-wrapped soaps, chatting and laughing.

  Hoseph ground his teeth in annoyance. A vagabond entering such a shop would immediately be tossed out, and he couldn’t afford to call attention to himself. He considered checking to see if there was an alley and back entrance, but these blocks were long, and his legs already ached from the uphill hike. Fortunately, the saleswoman was wrapping up the customers’ purchases. They wouldn’t be much longer. When they left, he could slip in.

  Genteel laughter perked his ears, and he spied a pair of matrons approaching, their eyes on the soap shop. Cursing the need for this ridiculous disguise, Hoseph sat down on the ground directly next to the door and stuck out his hand.

  “Alms,” he croaked in a hoarse voice.

  The women hissed in disgust and made a wide arc around him before continuing down the street.

  As the younger women exited the shop, one exclaimed, “Oh, look out!”

  They skipped around him and hurried away, their heads tilted together as they admired their acquisitions, the beggar on the stoop already forgotten.

  With no one else approaching, Hoseph made his move. Lurching to his feet, he opened the shop door and entered. His worn boots clicked against the white marble floor as he strode past the tastefully arranged shelves. He walked straight up to the stunningly beautiful woman behind the counter and fixed her with a stern gaze. “I wish to see your mistress.”

  Recognition flicked into her startlingly blue eyes. “Of course.” She nodded graciously and motioned him around the gleaming counter, turning the polished brass handle of the door there and pushing it open. “Just through here.”

  “Thank you.” The door clicked closed behind him as he walked down a hall as bright and spotless as the shop. A man and a woman guarded the door at the far end, their faces as threatening as the previous woman’s had been welcoming. He approached without fear. “I need to speak with Master Inquisitor Lakshmi.”

  “Of course.” The man knocked upon the door.

  “Yes?” The voice from the room beyond was fa
int and distracted.

  The guard opened it just enough to lean through. “Hoseph here to see you, Mistress.”

  “Let him in.”

  The Master Inquisitor reclined on a divan, gracefully draped from shoulders to ankles in an orange embroidered sari, the nails of her bare feet painted a matching hue. Gold gleamed at her neck, wrists, and ankles. The rest of the room shone with equal opulence and luxury.

  Decadence… Hoseph stifled his distaste. Demia cared nothing for luxuries; they were distractions, weaknesses, useless and pointless. “I require the use of some of your Inquisitors.”

  “Good afternoon to you, too, Hoseph.” Without looking up, the Master Inquisitor continued reading a document on the small lap desk. Scrawling her signature, she handed the parchment over to her secretary and accepted another. When he refused to respond to her cordial banter, she sighed. “What do you need them for?”

  “To gather information on a constable at Tsing headquarters. Sergeant Benjamin is in charge of Lady T’s murder case. He’s questioned Mya, and she’s apparently agreed to keep in touch with him. I want to know if we can buy or coerce him into cooperating with us.”

  “And how did you come by this information?” she asked, signing her name and handing over the document.

  “I have my sources.” Hoseph had been pleased with how quickly Otar had carried out his commission; the man had a future yet. Once reinstalled as captain of the Imperial Guard, he’d provide valuable intelligence about the goings on in the palace, and he’d be able to watch over Tessifus personally. But Lakshmi didn’t need to know who his source was; she just needed to do as he asked.

  “Well, can your source get Mya’s address?” Another document exchanged hands, and another signature scratched upon the parchment.

  “No. She’s gone into hiding, thanks to that fiasco of an attack on her home. She sent her lackey to the constabulary.” Hoseph mused on the description of the lackey that Otar had provided: tall, dark-haired, and well spoken. It had to be Dee, Lad’s former assistant whom Hoseph had met in Twailin, the same man who had shot him with a crossbow at Mya’s home here in Tsing.