Amnesia: The Book of Maladies

by D. K. Holmberg

  Which meant they either had their own augmentations, or they had Scribes working with them… Unless they were more like Marin and able to augment themselves without the help of Scribes.

  Sam jumped to a rooftop, pushing off with her staff and flying where she could land in a quick roll. From here, she looked down and studied the Kavers as she took them on from a different angle.

  There was something about them that was familiar. She had seen them before.

  They were servants in the palace.

  Maybe not servants, but they were people in the palace.

  Kyza. There were plenty of others like them, which meant there would have to be plenty of other Kavers in the palace as well. How many more would be there, and how many more would be concealed, hidden from her so that she didn’t know exactly how many she had to potentially deal with?

  Sam raced along the rooftop. As she did, she focused on strength and speed. She needed an augmentation now, mostly so she could stay ahead of these two Kavers.

  The next building required that she clear the street. She jumped, managing to reach the next rooftop.

  The movement must have attracted their attention. One of the Kavers—the man—pushed off, launching himself into the air and after her, flipping up to land behind her.

  Kyza!

  Sam swung her staff.

  He countered, blocking, and brought around his own staff. He was quick, his movements almost too fast for her to keep up with, and she focused on an augmentation for speed, needing to move even more quickly. As it washed over her, she breathed out, flicking the staff around using techniques that Elaine had taught her.

  What did it mean that she was now using the teachings of the Kavers against them?

  Sam could feel worse than she did, but she had a hard time mustering the necessary sympathy. She needed to escape, which meant she needed to knock this Kaver from the roof.

  What of the other?

  Had the woman lost sight of her, or could the other Kaver have circled around? Sam needed to position herself in a way that didn’t expose her too much, but allowed her a look below.

  She turned and moved so that she was able to spin around, looking to see if the other Kaver was near her. As she did, the man swung his staff around and nearly connected with her leg.

  If he were to connect, she would surely fall off the roof, and dropping from this level would be fatal. She had nearly suffered that fate once already.

  It was obvious that she wasn’t going to escape, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t slow them.

  Sam jumped.

  With the augmentation she had, the jump carried her high into the air, and she spun, rotating around, so that when she landed, she was almost behind the other Kaver. She flipped her staff around and jabbed it at him, connecting with his chest.

  The man grunted and fell back.

  Sam spun again and swept his legs out, forcing him backward. He tumbled, sliding down the angled roof.

  Movement out of the corner of her eye cause her to spin.

  Without her augmentation, without the speed that she had placed on herself, she wouldn’t have been able to turn quickly enough. Another staff swung at her. The older woman. Despite her age, she was fast—almost too fast for Sam to keep up with.

  Sam spun her staff, blocking, and was forced back. Each step took her closer to the edge of the rooftop, and each step brought her closer to falling.

  Sam managed to block another attack, but her foot slipped, and she nearly fell.

  She managed to bring her staff up, but it wasn’t quick enough. The other woman brought hers down, and collided with Sam’s staff, forcing her back.

  Kyza!

  Sam was on her knees, her staff gripped in her hands, and needed to move, but she couldn’t.

  Anything she did put her in danger of falling.

  But could she control her fall?

  She jumped.

  As she did, she flipped backward and jabbed down with her staff, centering it in the stones of the street below.

  When it centered, she slid down. As she nearly reached the street, the man smacked the top of Sam’s staff, sending it toppling.

  Sam landed in a tumble and went flying forward. She barely managed to maintain her grip on her staff. She got to her feet and started running.

  The sound of pursuit came from behind her.

  Sam focused on an augmentation, trying to hold on to it so that she could use speed, but the type of speed she needed was more than what she had.

  And she didn’t want to draw too much attention as she went into Caster. She didn’t want the Kavers to know where she traveled and didn’t want them to catch her too close to where they held Marin. She needed to try a different path.

  But where?

  Sam raced forward, hurrying toward the distant section. If nothing else, she would go where these Kavers couldn’t follow her.

  But where would that be?

  She didn’t want anyone to know where she had Marin, not wanting to let Elaine and Lyasanna know that she had her captive, but in order for her to get away, she needed to take a circuitous path, moving away from where they might think she was heading.

  There was another possibility.

  It would be risky, and she wasn’t sure she would be able to pull it off—not without Bastan—but if it worked… Maybe she could distract the Kavers long enough that she could get back to Bastan’s and question Marin. And she might be able to use the diversion for another purpose—especially if what she began to suspect was true.

  But could she reach the Shuver before the Kavers pursuing her reached her?

  19

  A Lowborn Section

  The streets were busier than she was accustomed to, though maybe it was the eastern sections that were busier. Sam wasn’t as familiar with the streets here she was in other sections, not accustomed to fighting through crowds at this time of day. She kept her canal staff assembled, no longer caring about drawing unnecessary attention, deciding that it was better to be prepared for the possibility of an attack at any moment rather than fearing someone questioning her about her staff.

  She didn’t quite know how to find the Shuver. All she knew was that he worked in the eastern sections, but little else. Then again, she understood how the underbelly of the city worked, likely better than the Kavers. They worked outside of the city and with the blessing of the palace, nothing like the way Sam operated. She had street smarts and stealth, and a healthy fear of getting caught at all times.

  Kyza, but she wished she had asked Bastan more questions about the Shuver.

  All she knew was that he was a man similar to Bastan, which meant he would have to have a similar network. Sam had seen his men, and Aelus had mentioned which section he’d come from so if she could figure out where he based his operations, she might be able to use him.

  She chose a tavern at random, presuming that would be the likely place for others in the underworld to congregate. When she entered, she took in the surroundings and the customers. It was cluttered and dirty—not all men had Bastan’s compunction for order and tidiness—and full of seedy-looking characters.

  Sam took a seat near the back wall. While she waited for one of the servers to make her way around, she scanned the room, looking for signs of anyone who might be helpful. She saw groups of men, mostly in twos and threes, sitting at tables, though there was one table of nearly a half-dozen men. Some were louder than others, and she immediately ignored them. Anyone who would be working for someone like the Shuver would not draw attention like that, needing to keep a lower profile.

  “Do you work on the barges?”

  Sam turned her attention to the young servant boy who appeared at her table. He couldn’t have been more than fourteen, and he stared at her canal staff, the tray balanced on his hand almost tipping to the side as he started to reach for it.

  Sam grabbed the staff and pulled it back toward her. It was the only weapon she had. If someone were to take it, and if she were
to lose her connection to it, she would feel helpless.

  “Sure. I work on the barges. When have you ever seen a female captain?”

  “I didn’t say you were a captain. You could be crew. There are plenty of female crew.”

  Sam grinned and shook her head. “Really? I’m not sure you can tell the difference between male and female if you think that.”

  The boy stepped back and shifted the tray on his hand. “I can tell the difference,” he said.

  “I’m just teasing you,” Sam said. “I’ll take a mug of tea.”

  “Tea?”

  “Is that a problem?”

  “It’s not a problem. It’s just that most who come in here want ale or something even stronger.”

  “Well, I’m not most who come in here.”

  “Yeah. I can see that. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen you in here before.”

  “I’m just passing through the section.”

  “Why would you pass through Redsnal?”

  Sam at least had the section name now. Short of a carrying a reputation, the name of a section wasn’t that important to her. Her work for Bastan didn’t typically take her far from Caster, and she knew that area well enough. But here in the eastern part of the city, the name would be good to know, especially if she needed to send word to Bastan. As far as he knew, she was going back to where they held Marin. When he learned she never arrived there, he’d worry and wonder where she went.

  “I’m looking for someone.”

  “Yeah? That can be dangerous in Redsnal.”

  Sam chuckled. “I think I can manage.”

  “You need to have someone who can protect you here.”

  Sam arched a brow at him. “And you think you can offer someone protection?”

  The boy shrugged. “For the right price.”

  Sam breathed out, trying not to laugh. “And what price would that be?”

  He didn’t get the chance to answer. A fight broke out at one of the nearby tables, and two men stood and began pushing each other. One of them threw a punch, and the other man fell back, nearly slamming into Sam. She grabbed her staff and slipped out of the way. As the punching man moved in on his opponent, he caught sight of Sam. As one, both men turned and glowered at her, almost as if the fact that she had moved out of the way angered them.

  “I don’t need any trouble,” Sam said.

  “You don’t need it, but it looks like you found it. Maybe you come with us…”

  Sam groaned. “Really? First, this boy thinks that he can offer me protection, and now, you think you’re going to drag me off to wherever you will? I don’t think so.”

  One of the men lunged for her, and Sam spun her staff, smacking his arm. It snapped with a sharp crack.

  He jerked back and slammed into his buddy.

  “Like I said, I don’t need any trouble.”

  The men scrambled up, the one with the broken arm clutching it to his body but still trying to come close to her.

  Sam glanced over at the boy who was watching, and she only shrugged. “Looks like they want trouble.”

  She darted forward, spinning her staff, connecting with the broken-arm man in the side of his head, and he collapsed in a heap. The other man tried to get behind her, but Sam spun, jabbing him in the chest with her staff. She didn’t push quite as hard as she had with the Shuver’s men, not wanting to crush his chest, only wanting to knock him down. The man went staggering into the wall and crashed, falling back. He gasped for air, clutching his hands to his chest as he attempted to catch his breath.

  Sam took a seat at the table and looked up at the boy. “Now. About that tea?”

  “Who are you?”

  “No one. At least, no one that you need to worry about. What you should know is that I’m looking for the Shuver.”

  “That’s quite a way of trying to get his attention,” the boy said.

  “Yeah, well, I don’t have a whole lot of time, so I didn’t really want to get caught up with some idiot thinking he would take advantage of me.” Sam scanned the tavern as the boy scurried off, watching the injured men. Neither of them got up, and a few of the other men reached for them and pulled them away, propping them against the wall. They glanced at Sam, but none of them said anything.

  When the boy returned with her mug of tea, she looked up at him. If he worked at a tavern like this, it was possible he would have some information, and maybe given what he’d seen from her—and her age—she might be able to convince him to share more than others would. “What do you know of the Shuver?”

  The boy shook his head. “I don’t know much. Please…”

  Sam shook her head. “I’m not going to try to attack the Shuver. I just want to find him.”

  “He’s not here. He doesn’t come to Redsnal all that often.”

  “Then which section is his?”

  “Oldansh has a place where he stays, and…”

  Sam frowned. Oldansh was a dangerous section on the eastern edge of the city. She knew of it, much as many in the city knew of Caster. It had a reputation, though it wasn’t nearly as frightening as the one Caster had.

  “What kind of place does he have?”

  “I don’t want to be the one who tells you too much about the Shuver. If word gets back to him that I was the one who told you where to find him, I might be targeted.”

  “Like I said, I don’t have any intention of going after the Shuver and causing any trouble.”

  “I don’t know that you could.” When Sam arched her brow, he shrugged. “You knocked down these two idiots, but they were half into their drink and aren’t all that impressive even when they’re sober. He’s got others that work for him—others with real skill. I think you’d have a much harder time with them.”

  Sam grinned. “You might be surprised.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means that I’ve got some experience with the Shuver’s men.” She wasn’t sure whether it would be to her benefit to reveal that she had attacked—and killed—two of his men, or if it would only make things more difficult. Considering this boy likely didn’t know much, she decided that it didn’t make any sense for her to share too much with them.

  “Fine. You go. And when they finish you off, don’t come blaming me.”

  “If they finish me off, I won’t come blaming anyone.”

  The boy frowned, as though trying to work through what she’d said. “That’s true enough.”

  “Where is he?”

  She took a sip of her tea and found that it was bitter. Had he poisoned it? After what she’d done, she shouldn’t put it past him, and considering everything that she’d seen over the last few months, it wouldn’t be terribly surprising to see a tavern like this poison her.

  She decided to leave the tea alone. If it was poisoned, she wasn’t going to be foolish enough to continue to try to drink it. If it wasn’t, then it was just terrible, and she didn’t want to drink it anyway.

  “I already told you. He has a place in the Oldansh section.”

  “I need you tell me how to get there and how to find his place.”

  “I’m not going to tell you how to find his place.”

  “No? Then maybe I just bring you with me, and when he asks who helped me find his location, I’ll just throw you out there.”

  The boy took a step back, and his eyes darted from side to side as though he intended to run.

  “All I want is a chance to talk with him,” Sam said.

  The boy licked his lips. “Fine. If you make it into Oldansh, you’ll find him along the outer canal. He has a massive building. Looks sort of like a warehouse, but when you get close, you’ll see men watching it. That’s how you’ll know it.”

  “And how is it that you know it?”

  “Because I came from that section. I got away from there. I got away from everything with the Shuver. He’s a bastard.”

  “Yeah, I’ve known a few like that before too.” Sam fished a coin out of her pock
et and set it on the table before grabbing her canal staff and heading out of the tavern.

  Once outside, Sam hurried along the street, moving between the crowds and keeping her canal staff clutched tightly. She always believed Caster to be one of the most dangerous sections in the city, but if the attack in the tavern was any indication, not to mention the fear she saw in the boy’s eyes, maybe Redsnal was as dangerous as Caster. But because it was unfamiliar to her, because she didn’t know any of the faces surrounding her, it seemed even more so.

  Sam hurried along the cobbles, clutching her cloak tightly around her, wanting to stay obscured in the shadows as much as possible. She reached an intersection and did a quick survey, trying to determine where she needed to go. All she had to go on was the boy’s directions. So, she headed toward the outer edge of the city, which meant following the canals.

  She wasn’t as familiar with the northeastern edge of the city, other than knowing that it abutted the periphery of the swamp. She found the canal and hesitated. The buildings lining the canal in this section were pushed away, leaving something of a shore next to the canal itself. There were people strolling along the water’s edge, and she caught sight of someone who was actually fishing. That was something she never saw in Caster, and she was surprised to see that here.

  There were too many people here for her to jump the canal, at least openly.

  Sam looked for a better place to cross. All along the canal she saw more people.

  The only option she had was crossing at the bridge.

  When she made her way to the bridge, she wasn’t surprised to find two men guarding it, preventing easy access. What did surprise her was that they didn’t wear the colors of the Anders, not the way that many others who served as the bridge guards did.

  Likely, they would work for the Shuver.

  “What’s your business heading to Oldansh?” one of the men asked.

  “It’s personal,” Sam said.

  “Personal? Everything is personal. Either tell me your business or turn around and head back the way you came.”