Venture Unbroken

by R. H. Russell

  “Hey!”

  Venture knew he wasn’t supposed to look at his trainer or his coach; he was just supposed to listen. But this time, he was glad he did.

  There was that look he’d seen so many times on Earnest’s face, when he was struggling, when the training or the match seemed impossible.

  “You can do this! You’re Venture Delving. Show them! Show them who you are!”

  Venture gathered up one last surge of energy, and he bent his knees, then exploded, jumping up and turning in the air. Lance hurtled over his shoulders and onto the mat, head first.

  Lance’s arms went limp. Venture was free from the choke.

  Venture wobbled, then found his footing. He kept his fists up. But Lance lay at his feet, eyes rolled back. The official waved the healer in. The crowd went wild.

  Venture fell to his knees. Thank God. Thank God. He’d done it.

  With his trainer and coach’s support, Lance stood up. Venture shook his hand.

  Lance’s eyes were a little wavery, but he found a smile. “Guess you really got me.”

  “Could’ve just as easily been the other way around. You almost had me, Lance.”

  “Next time,” Lance said.

  Venture grinned. “We’ll see about that.”

  Earnest ran onto the mat and embraced him, and Venture almost cried with relief and gratitude.

  “You’re still the Champion of All Richland, even after all that. What a year, Vent. What a year.” Earnest’s voice shook.

  Venture gave him another squeeze. Then he turned to Jade, to tell her how much he loved her, that it was all going to be about her now, about their future—and he saw Dasher’s arm around her, and he remembered. Their future was uncertain. So was his friendship with Dasher Starson.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  They’d finished their meal in a small, private dining room at Regal’s. Justice had gone upstairs, and Dasher was headed for the main dining room, where most of the other fighters and their hanger’s-on gathered.

  Jade took a step away from Venture and slipped her arm through Dasher’s. “Dasher, you’ll introduce me around, won’t you? I think Vent needs to sit down and rest.”

  “My head’s fine. I don’t need to rest.” Venture looked like he might crush his mug of beer in his swollen hand.

  “Come on.” Earnest nudged Venture. “She’s right. You hardly ate. We don’t need a repeat of last year.”

  Venture looked like he wanted to kill Earnest, but Earnest managed to wrangle him into a booth in the main dining room, while Dasher led Jade away.

  Father had left her to have dinner with Venture and the guys at Regal’s, scandalous though it was. Venture usually did his infuriating best to make her act like a lady, yet he’d let her spend the last few weeks going to training with him, and now, he’d gotten her father to let her do this.

  But dinner had hardly been pleasant. The joy of Venture’s victory had been short-lived. He was on edge, even more so than usual. It wasn’t good enough to keep her within sight; she had to stay within his reach. He was driving her crazy. She wasn’t going to let threats and fears define their relationship, or who she was.

  “He’s not exactly Mr. Sociable, you know,” Dasher said.

  Jade laughed, even though she knew that now there was much more to it than that. “I noticed. He prefers a few close friends. Luckily, we get to be among them.”

  Dasher smiled. “It is a rare privilege. As is having you on my arm, Miss Fieldstone.”

  Dasher’s tone was gentlemanly, but the sentiment was so genuine—she felt at once the urge to grip his arm tighter, and to pull away. Though he was the perfect escort, as soon as she got the chance, as soon as he was deep in conversation with a group of fighters, Jade slipped outside.

  She felt so lightheaded, so strange. Lilacs covered the back wall of Regal’s, welcoming her into the cool darkness of the garden. She breathed in the scent, stepped out of her shoes, and felt her nerves begin to calm.

  She should be with Venture. She had to get it together, then get back in there. So what if he was driving her crazy? What sort of girl was she, not to be with him tonight?

  Shoes in hand, she found a stone path and headed for a bench nestled in the shade of a peach tree. Something rustled in the bushes nearby. Probably a couple, seeking the seclusion of the shadows. Maybe she should go back in.

  The moonlight behind her cast a shadow across the path—a shadow that wasn’t her own. Jade tossed her shoes aside, drew her knife from under her skirt, and spun around, all in one motion.

  It was the woman who’d been following her all day. The figure held up her empty hands in a gesture of peace. Jade kept her knife ready. “Who are you?”

  The woman hesitated. She avoided Jade’s eyes. “I’m Coral Fisher. Will Fisher’s wife.”

  Jade’s heart beat faster. She checked the shadows. What if Fisher’s wife was just a distraction, a tool of the Cresteds?

  “Please, I want to help you, Miss Fieldstone.”

  “Help me what?”

  “Expose the men who did this to us.”

  “Us?” Wasn’t Fisher’s family wealthy now that he’d done his dirty work for the Cresteds? Perhaps they hadn’t paid up, since he’d failed to finish the job.

  “They’ve ruined my life too. Brought out the worst in Will. Reminded him of the bitterness I thought was left in his past. Fanned the flames. Do you think I’m happy with their money? Their money, instead of my husband? My husband, who would never be the same, even if he weren’t going to the gallows.” Her voice broke on the last word, and tears streamed down her cheeks. “I loved him. And now, how do I even mourn him? What life will I have, as the widow of a notorious criminal? Don’t the Crested men behind this deserve to be brought to justice too?”

  “What exactly are you saying, Mrs. Fisher?”

  “I have documents. Letters. Names of the men involved. Everything you need to force the law to open an investigation. Meet me at midnight, and I’ll give you everything I have.”

  She handed Jade a scrap of paper. Warily, Jade took it and read it, knife still in hand. An address was neatly penned across the paper. Just a few blocks from her cousin Tempest’s house. So Coral Fisher knew where she and her family were staying. How long had she been following her? Or had she just guessed?

  Jade studied the woman’s face for a moment. Could she trust her? What choice did she have? “I’ll be there,” she said.

  “Thank you. All I ask is that you wait until tomorrow to tell anyone. Give me a chance to get out of the city, somewhere safe.”

  “All right. You have my word. And Mrs. Fisher?”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m sorry about your husband.”

  Fisher’s execution was just hours away now. Jade had awakened many nights from dreams of Venture hanging from the gallows. Sometimes his neck snapped with a sharpness that jolted her straight out of sleep. Other times, the job was cruelly botched and he lingered there, suffering. She wasn’t sorry that Fisher was paying the price for what he’d done, but she was sorry for what he’d become.

  And she was frightened, she realized with a horrible, sinking feeling, of what Venture might become.

  Mrs. Fisher opened her mouth to reply, but burst into tears again. She turned and disappeared into the shadows of the garden.

  Jade wriggled into her shoes. She didn’t slip her knife back into its holster under her dress until just before she stepped back inside.

  Venture glanced up at her as she approached their booth. She smiled at him, and he looked ready to smile back, but that same instant his expression changed. As though he could see the truth in her eyes, that something had happened. She scooted into the booth next to Earnest, across from Venture and Chance.

  Earnest glanced from Venture to her. “Is everything okay?”

  “Fine.”

  “What about what you told me before, on the bench?” he whispered.

  One look at Venture, and Jade knew Earnest had told hi
m. Of course he would, once Venture was done fighting. She should’ve known.

  “It was nothing. I think we all just started seeing more than what was there in the arena.” Jade laughed lightly, hoping they would take her blush at the lie as one of embarrassment at her own silliness.

  “It’s understandable, considering what happened last year,” Earnest said.

  Venture didn’t say a word. After a long, awkward silence, he spoke. “You went outside.”

  The accusation in his tone was unmistakable. Did he think she’d slipped outside with Dasher?

  Jade shrugged. “I just needed a minute alone.”

  “And Dasher didn’t even notice?”

  “But you noticed. Or did you have someone follow me this time?” She couldn’t help throwing that back at him, though she knew he hadn’t, or he would’ve shown up in the garden and Mrs. Fisher would likely be dead. She felt a sickening surge of guilt. Fisher’s wife could very well have been someone else. Someone who intended her harm. And she was going to do something far riskier later tonight.

  Venture shoved his mug aside. He reached across the table and plucked something from her hair. He sat back and held out the evidence—a lilac petal.

  “Let’s go, Jade.”

  Chance jumped up to let Venture out. Jade bit her lip and didn’t argue. She needed to get back to Tempest’s soon if she was going to have time to pretend to go to sleep and then figure out a way to get out of the house unnoticed, to meet Coral Fisher.

  She eased her arm around Venture’s even though he didn’t offer it. Venture glowered in Dasher’s direction as they made their way out.

  “He’s having fun, Vent. All of us are supposed to be having fun.”

  Venture put his hand over hers. “I’m sorry.”

  She leaned her head against his side. “Things are going to get better, Vent. I know it.”

  #

  Jade nudged Venture into the shadow of the doorway. It was hard to steal even a sliver of privacy to say good-night. Her cousin Tempest was probably watching from her sitting room window. With her husband away on business, Tempest had nothing better to do. Grandmother would no doubt give Jade an earful about the insufferable day she’d spent alone with Tempest while the rest of them were at the arena and Felicity was staying with her sister. On second thought, once Father had come back without Jade, Grandmother would have forgotten Tempest’s annoyances completely in her panic over Jade’s crumbling reputation.

  Venture ran a rough thumb over her cheek, and she blinked up into his troubled eyes. He wanted to say something, she could tell. But he brought his lips to hers instead. They were swollen. The bottom one had a stitch in it. She loved to watch him fight, to see him at his best. But she hated to see him bruised and battered. She kissed him as gently as she could.

  “I’ll come by tomorrow,” he said. “Early.”

  “You should rest.”

  “I can’t.” He sighed and wove his fingers through her hair.

  “Vent, what is it?”

  “I’ve just been thinking about Fisher. About who’s responsible.”

  Jade ducked her head and embraced him in order to hide her eyes. Tomorrow, she’d have some answers for him. Maybe soon he’d have some peace. Though she felt for Fisher’s wife, and for the sad state of Fisher’s soul, he would be gone. And the rest of those who were responsible for this mess would have to answer for it.

  #

  Venture kept his hand poised to draw his sword as he paid the carriage driver. He looked over one shoulder, then the other, making his way back into Regal’s. He’d insisted on taking Jade home by himself. He’d needed the time alone on the ride back, to think. His head was pounding. He’d had to stop the carriage halfway here to throw up. If Earnest knew, he’d tell him it was from landing on his head. That he needed to lie down. But he had business to take care of.

  He was going to have to confront Dasher. But first, he needed some more information. What if Calling had been wrong? What if the Crested man had lied to Calling about being Dasher’s cousin? Lie or not, maybe he’d wanted it to get back to Venture, to throw him off.

  Inside Regal’s, Venture found Earnest alone with a girl, near the back door of the dining room.

  “Earnest,” Venture whispered, “did Dasher ever tell you anything about his family, anything about any of his cousins?”

  “What? Why don’t you ask him?”

  The girl tugged Earnest’s hand toward the door and the coolness and seclusion of the garden, just steps away.

  “He’s upstairs lying down. Said he didn’t feel well.” Earnest threw the words over his shoulder as he followed the girl outside.

  “Mr. Delving?” Chance tugged at Venture’s sleeve.

  “You should be in bed.” Why hadn’t he thought to send him upstairs with Justice after dinner? Earnest and Dasher had no common sense when it came to that kid.

  “He have two brothers,” Chance said.

  “What?”

  “Mr. Starson tell me once, he’s the youngest. He want—wanted to be a better fighter, so he can beat them. Especially the oldest one, Mark.”

  “Did you say Mark?” Venture could still hear the man called Mark shouting, Kill the lady, still feel the shower of Mark’s blood on his face as he slew him.

  “Yes, sir, that’s his brother’s name. He tell me when they were boys no one can beat Mark, except his cousin Canyon.”

  “Did he mention the names of any of his other cousins?”

  “Canyon have a brother named Hawk. That’s all I know. I only remember because I think I would like a name like Canyon or Hawk better than Chance.”

  “Don’t say that!” He caught Chance by the shoulder, frightening him with his intensity.

  “Yes, sir! I’m sorry.”

  As disciplined as Chance was, as much as he’d seen in his few years on this earth, he was still a kid. A kid who Venture ought to expect to get carried away with his childish thoughts now and then and say too much. It was all over Chance’s face how serious he knew the situation was. Venture took a deep, steadying breath.

  “I want you to go upstairs and make sure Dasher is in our room, and check where his weapons are. Be smart about it. Don’t tell him I sent you, understand? Hurry back.”

  Chance did as he was told. Moments later, he informed Venture that Dasher was in their room, lying down, with his sword and dagger on the bedside table. Justice was in the room next door, sound asleep.

  Venture entered the room. Without a word, he gathered up all the weapons, opened the door, and dumped them in a clattering heap in the hall. Venture removed his own weapons and added them to the pile. Then he shut the door and faced Dasher.

  Startled awake by the noise, Dasher bolted straight up in bed. He automatically groped for the table, for his weapons. A brief flash of panic showed in his eyes when he realized they weren’t there. And then he saw Venture.

  “What’s going on?”

  Dasher had no fear of him—yet.

  Venture stared at him, hard and silent. Long enough for Dasher’s frown to deepen, long enough for confusion to turn to fear. Death will find you. Venture would never forget the warning those Cresteds—Dasher’s family—had given him before his first Championship.

  When Venture finally spoke, it was with unbridled volume and fervor. “Death has found me, Mr. Glen! It has found its way into me, but I’m not going to be the one to die!”

  “Die?”

  “You’re going to die. You taught me well. Now I’m going to use everything I learned from you to kill you. And it’s not going to be clean and swift. No knives. No swords. Just these hands.” He held them up. “There’s going to be blood. I’m going to paint this room with your blood.”

  As soon as the rush of words was out of his mouth, Venture remembered Chance. Chance, who was always at his side. “Get out of here,” Venture said. “You don’t need to watch him die.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chance fled the room. Dasher’s face went
white.

  “Calm down, and just tell me what this is about.”

  “You tell me what this is about. What did you plan to do with Jade that day on the road? Have them take her so you could keep her a prisoner in your bed? Or just let your cousins and your brother slaughter her in the mud because she wouldn’t love you?”

  “Now I see,” Dasher said, much too calmly. “Please, Champ. Sit down and I’ll explain it all.”

  “Don’t call me that! My name is Venture Delving!” Venture tore his shirt off. He pointed at the scars on his back. “I’m not a champion now! Now I’m a killer! You did this to me! You made me a killer!”

  Venture’s fight-weakened muscles trembled with the force of rage, his exhausted body energized by its terrifying power, insistent that it be allowed to do its favorite work.

  Dasher crossed his arms and stayed put on the bed. “I won’t fight you.”

  Venture gave in to the need of his fist. His target didn’t move. Dasher’s head flew back on contact, but he caught himself before he fell over. Blood spattered Venture. His wooden pendant swung back and forth, smearing it across his chest. Venture waited, heaving with barely contained fury as he watched Dasher pull off his own shirt, wad it up, and hold it to his broken nose.

  “You’ll fight. You’ll fight for your life. Once it gets bad enough, you won’t be able to help it.”

  Earnest burst through the door. “Vent! Stop this!”

  “Stay out of it! You don’t know what he’s done.”

  “It can’t be worth this, Vent.”

  “What’s Jade’s honor worth? Her security, her happiness, her life? She’s worth him paying with pain and blood and his very last breath, ten times over!”

  Earnest held his hands up, palms out. “You’re right. I don’t know what’s going on here. But I know you’re about to throw your life away along with Dasher’s.” Earnest grasped Venture’s shoulders even though Venture gave him a look tantamount to a death threat. “Look at me!”