"Where are you off to?" the boy said innocently.
"No matter of that," Cassian said. "Just don't be late. Not a minute late. I won't wait for you."
"I'll be there," Jerenn said enthusiastically and shot off down the Grandwalk.
Cassian never expected to find himself at the doors of that house again. There was a new servant to offer him admittance, and he didn't recognize any of the slaves here now. There was little doubt in his mind that the old staff had all been disposed of, lest they say anything that might have been compromising. More deaths. The figure stood at the top of the stairs, and Cassian ascended them slowly. He stood two paces or so before her.
"You cannot see my husband," she said imperiously.
"I will do so," he said implacably.
"I said you cannot," she smiled. "He is dead."
"What?"
"This afternoon. Such a tragedy. The sorrow of loss was too much for him. That and the shameful rumors and lies some people have been whispering about the city."
"Ah, I see," he said calmly. "I made one other visit before I came here, to be certain. I learned that you had, sometimes, been seen at Aralesh's house. The children learned something of elemental magic there, I would hazard. Tell me, did Nighthand ever exist?"
She laughed. "Only on one or two occasions."
"And so now your daughter is dead before Tarlanth could proclaim his incestuous heir, and no scion of the House will ever be produced. Carinci will benefit indeed."
"And I hear that Patracheus's wife has been suffering poor health," she said, again with a small laugh. "He will be so happy to have a new, second wife to warm his bed when her trials and tribulations come to an end, as they surely will before too long."
"You killed Schavian's children, knowing that would push Lyn over the edge. You knew how to direct her and steer her, and perhaps you even had the magical skill to plant thoughts in her mind," Cassian mused.
"Not a difficult skill even for an elementalist, if one knows the correct procedures," Cryselda sneered, a pitying look on her scornful face.
Cassian looked up at her, triumphant and splendid, her lustrous dark hair cascading around her shoulders now, her face flushed with excitement and her lips red and rich.
"You will never be able to prove anything, and I have already read your report," she said mockingly. "You did so well for me, praetor Cassian. Things could really not have worked out any better."
She turned to walk away, and as she did Cassian's hand flashed to his side. Then she was clutching at the marbled rail, her hands clawing at rich, thick carpeting, bubbles of blood escaping from her perfect mouth instead of the cry for help she'd tried to utter.
When he was certain she was dead, Cassian withdrew his dagger from her body and wiped the blood from it meticulously on the carpet before sheathing it. He walked casually out into the daylight and, as he heard the first cry from the first servant coming down from the bedrooms to find the corpse of her mistress, he shrouded himself with invisibility and made quickly for the northern gate of the Theran Quarter.
Cassian resumed his normal form in a quiet corner just before he reached that point. He had little time left to escape and he couldn't take any chances. As he had arranged earlier in the day, two horses were waiting for him, together with a stable-boy and the horsetrader's son. He gave the animals a quick check to make sure they were the sound, strong stock he had bought and not substituted old nags. When he was satisfied, he settled up the account and dismissed the two young men. Right on cue, Jerenn came running up behind him, out of breath and lugging two huge bags bulging with the Passions knew what.
"You told me you could ride, boy," the elf said imperturbably.
"I can, sir. Not massively well, but I can."
"Good, because we have about five minutes before all hell breaks loose," Cassian said with absolute calm.
"Where are we going?" Jerenn asked.
They were half an hour's gallop away from the city now. It was a long way behind them and Cassian now felt safe enough to let the tired horses regain their strength. He walked along, leading his horse by the reins, with Jerenn beside him doing the same. The elf paused only a moment before answering the boy's question.
"I don't know. You come from Barsaive, do you not?"
"I do, sir."
"Then I was rather hoping you might tell me."
They laughed aloud. The boy had seen the blood streak on the elf's left sleeve, just above the intriguing little crescent-shaped scar on his wrist. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the elf had killed someone, and he was waiting for the right moment to ask who and why. That the victim had deserved his or her fate, Jerenn felt no need to question. He would be told soon enough, and there was a long road stretching ahead of them.
The elf turned to him and asked if he had a small pocket knife. Jerenn handed his over.
"There's one for you, too, in your pack, sir."
"Look, Jerenn," Cassian said as he undid a metal chain from around his neck, "there is absolutely no conceivable reason for you to call me 'sir' even once more. I am plain Cassian now." He fiddled with the serpentine amulet and pried the tiny green gem from the eye of the snake. As he did so, the amulet crumbled into dust in his fingers, and fell through them onto the ground under their feet.
"What was that, sir? I mean, Cassian?"
"About fifty years of my life, Jerenn. Now my feet are set upon another Path. Let us be gone."
GLOSSARY
ARALESH: A wizard of House Narlanth, tutor to the young of many noble families; an expert on Horrors and adviser to the Overgovernor of Vivane on astral menaces.
CASSIAN: Theran praetor (investigator), an elf of House Medari.
(GENERAL) CROTIAS: Commanding general of the Eighth Legion of Vivane, most senior army officer of the city; a female ork of House Zanjan.
CRYSELDA: Wife of Tarlanth; originally of House Carinci, a beautiful and calculating woman of business, very worldly and urbane.
DARALEC: Senior noble of House Carinci, owner of vital stone mines northwest of Vivane. Karlanta is his wife and Crielle his son.
DRAGOLD: A dwarf architect and military engineer of House Narlanth, responsible for much rebuilding work within Vivane.
HAUGHRALD: Dwarf architect of House Thaloss, who works closely with Dragold (qv) on city construction, design, and repairs.
ILFARALEK: Akarenti of the city, senior military official responsible for spying, surveillance, and all manner of underhanded and covert activities by Theran spies, especially in the non-Theran parts of the city of Vivane. Of House Zanjan.
JERENN: A Barsaivian slave boy, the property of Tarlanth (qv). KYPROS: Overgovernor of Vivane.
MORDAIN: Second-in-command to Patracheus (qv) at the Department of Bursaries. Of House Thaloss. Isilda is his wife, Darnius his son.
PATRACHEUS: Government official in charge of the Department of Bursaries; enormously influential and powerful, of House Thaloss. Jandel is his wife.
TARLANTH: Senior noble of House Medari, a man of many business interests and considerable influence and power. Cryselda (qv) is his wife, Lyn his son.
ZIRALDESH: Cousin of Aralesh (qv), a wizard who makes his living from teaching. Of House Narlanth. Shusala is his wife, and he has adopted her son Ladamair.
Shadowrun - [Earthdawn 05] - Shroud of Madness Page 28