“That doesn’t seem very fair,” Liliana argued, glancing around the surrounding dark buildings.
“Life isn’t fair,” Ephraim answered non-chalantly.
She supposed she couldn’t argue, so instead she remained silent.
Ephraim stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, and she almost thought he might explain more, but instead he said, “Twenty-first Street is only one more street away. We’ll need to approach the warehouse silently.”
Liliana wasn’t sure how Ephraim would know which warehouse they were supposed to visit, but she nodded anyhow. She trusted him to know what he was doing.
She took a step forward, then nearly jumped out of her skin as a dark shape dropped down behind them.
Realizing it was Arhyen, she recovered quickly.
“What on earth do you think you’re doing?” Ephraim chided, looking Arhyen up an down with a scowl. “We’ve no idea who could be watching, waiting to collect the bounty on your head.”
“There’s no one else on the roofs,” Arhyen explained, “And why didn’t you question that boy further about the warehouse? How are we supposed to catch them by surprise, if we don’t know exactly where they’ll be?”
Liliana looked back and forth between Ephraim and Arhyen, noting each man’s sour expression. Though she’d been wondering the same thing as Arhyen, she decided to keep her thoughts to herself.
Ephraim sighed. “There’s only one warehouse left on Twenty-first Street. The rest burned down in a fire several years back, to be replaced by small shanties to house lowly criminals. Really, I’d think you would know this.”
“Because I spend so much time in shanties?” Arhyen asked snarkily.
Ephraim rolled his eyes. “Because you spend so much time with lowly criminals.”
Arhyen sighed again, then glanced back up at the low roof from whence he’d come. “I’ll follow your lead, almighty Commander,” he assured tiredly. He winked at Liliana, then hopped up to grab hold of the low roof with both his hands, pulling the rest of his body up effortlessly.
Liliana found the act quite impressive, given he was human. She also found herself wanting to climb up after him. Not because she preferred his company to Ephraim’s, she assured herself, but because she thought the London streets might seem much less intimidating from up on the rooftops.
There was no choice though, as Ephraim had already continued walking. Glancing warily around her, she followed, listening intently for the sound of Arhyen’s footsteps above her head.
Arhyen inhaled deeply, then hopped across the narrow gap between two roofs. It was fortunate that the structures in this area of town were all low, and closely spaced, but he had a feeling his luck would soon run out. He tried to focus on the task at hand as he ran across one low roof toward the next, plagued with irritation about how Ephraim was handling the situation. He’d let Liliana procure the young man to question, even though the youth could have easily been hiding a weapon. Though Liliana was stronger and faster than Ephraim, she lacked fighting experience, and might have been in trouble had the youth been proficient with a blade.
He shook his head, peeking over the edge of the roof at Ephraim and Liliana’s backs. After his initial encounter with the onlooker near London Bridge, he’d seen no other signs of life. It was getting late, and they’d left the lively atmosphere of London Bridge behind. The few dwelling in this run down part of the city were likely all asleep.
He continued onward, having to climb down to the street on a few occasions when the gaps between buildings were too wide. It wasn’t long before they reached the previously burned street. Evidence of the old fire could still be seen in some places, as apparently no one had been hired to clear away the rubble. Instead, the vagrants that Ephraim referred to as criminals had moved in to build small ramshackle homes. In time, they’d likely be run off by the Watch, once some well-to-do business owner decided to buy up the street for more manufacturing plants. Until then, the shanty dwellers would live in peace . . . hopefully.
Soon enough, the warehouse came into view, silhouetted by the moon. At the sight, Arhyen understood how Ephraim had remembered it. It was massive. If it truly was their meeting place, they’d likely have trouble pinpointing the location of its occupants before they were spotted. There was just too much ground to cover.
Climbing off his current roof, and back down to the street, he briefly considered scaling the roofs of the shanties, but decided he would be more well hidden darting between the walls of the buildings. Plus, he didn’t relish the thought of someone firing a pistol through the roof to fell the madman running across it.
Crouched behind the nearest building, he watched as Liliana and Ephraim neared the silent warehouse, each slipping off to opposite sides of the building.
Arhyen gritted his teeth. Ephraim was supposed to be protecting Liliana, not sending her off on her own where dangers might lurk. Quickly making his decision, he sprinted through the night in Liliana’s direction. If need be, he would protect her, even if it meant alerting any who might be hoping to collect the price on his head.
He watched in the darkness, shielded by a partially crumbled pile of charred bricks, another remnant of the previous fire. He considered simply joining her in her search, but feared he might set off a possible ambush, given this meeting was a setup. If in reality this meeting was simply to be an actual exchange of information, they could all feel silly later. For now they would play it safe.
He flexed his hands to keep them from growing numb with cold, watching as Liliana crept around the dark building, sticking close to the brick wall. It was astounding that the warehouse had survived such a large fire at all, but it probably had something to do with the expansive stockyard bordering it on three sides. A few pieces of steel scrap still dotted the desolate yard, though most of it had likely been hauled away, as steel was a valuable commodity.
He took his eyes off of Liliana’s small form for a minute to scan the rest of the building. All seemed still and dark within. Perhaps the boy they’d questioned had led them astray, but to what end?
His eyes flicked back to Liliana. Realizing she was about to venture out of his sight, he tensed, ready to dart forward to the next hiding place. Before he could, however, he noticed another figure walking in the direction Liliana had gone, too rotund to be Ephraim.
He rushed forward out of hiding to apprehend him, unwilling to allow the man to sneak up behind Liliana. Hearing his approach, the man turned. His wide, surprised eyes reflected the moonlight almost as much as his large, bald head.
Changing tactics now that he’d been spotted, Arhyen stopped to take a defensive stance.
Yet there was obviously no need. The man did not attack. Regaining his composure, the man whispered, “You Arhyen?”
Arhyen relaxed his stance slightly and glanced in the direction Liliana had gone. Not seeing her, he hoped she wasn’t finding trouble while he wasted time with the man before him.
“Who wants to know?” he asked.
The man looked him up and down. “We was told you would probably show up with the red-haired girl,” the man explained, nodding his head in the direction Liliana had gone.
Arhyen narrowed an eye in thought. So whoever had called for the meeting obviously knew about Liliana, but that did not mean much. They could have been spotted together at any time during the previous weeks. Still, he did not like that she was included in this ordeal just because of him.
Before he could question the rotund man further, a loud bang sounded from somewhere within the building. A pistol? The man before him shifted uneasily, as if preparing to flee. With a final nervous glance at Arhyen, he turned away and ran toward the entrance of the building.
Arhyen hesitated to run after him, wanting to first verify that Liliana was unharmed. His prayers were answered, as she suddenly appeared by his side, as if by magic . . . or automaton speed. “Was that a pistol firing?” she asked nervously. “Could it have been Ephraim?”
“Let’s find
out,” Arhyen replied. “Stay behind me.”
He hurriedly took off, silently trailing the rotund man. Voices murmured from somewhere within the building, but they were far too muffled for him to decipher the words. It didn’t sound like anyone was fighting. It could mean that the pistol fire was simply an accident, or it could mean that they had killed Ephraim in one shot, ending the fight before it began.
Arhyen’s entire body tensed as he sped around the corner that led to the front of the building. Reaching a window with only a few slivers of remaining glass, he came to an abrupt halt. A second later Liliana crashed into his back with the velocity of a cannonball. In an attempt to keep his footing, his hands hit the brick of the building near the window, slamming loudly against the hard surface. The murmuring voices stopped.
His heart pounded in his ears as he remained utterly still, with Liliana standing close behind him. Soon the conversation resumed, and Arhyen let out a sigh of relief. He could hear the voices more clearly through the broken window and recognized one of them as Ephraim’s. The voices sounded like they were coming from somewhere on the first floor of the building.
He leaned forward, risking a quick peek inside. He could see lantern light pouring out of an interior doorway, but could not see who held it.
He glanced over his shoulder at Liliana. “Wait out here,” he instructed, “and stay hidden.”
She nodded, glancing warily around them. “I will keep watch,” she whispered, “but if I hear sounds of struggle, I’m coming inside.”
He sighed, but nodded. It was likely the best deal he was going to get from her. Taking a final peek through the window, he walked toward the front door. Since Ephraim was speaking calmly with whoever waited inside, they hopefully would not shoot him as soon as he appeared.
He reached the main warehouse door, presumably where the bald man had gone, only to find it locked. He debated his options. He could return to the broken window and remove the last few slivers of glass for him to fit inside, but it would undoubtedly make some noise, alerting everyone to his presence. Of course, if the bald man was already inside, they all knew he was coming. With a sigh, he decided on the simplest option. He lifted his hand and knocked.
A few seconds later he heard footsteps, then the lock clicked from inside. He stepped back defensively as the door swung outward, revealing the bald man.
Arhyen looked him up and down. The man’s arms hung limply at his sides, clearly not a threat, or so it would seem. “You ran off before we could finish our conversation,” Arhyen commented.
“Is that him?” a woman’s voice asked from somewhere deeper within the building.
Arhyen froze. He recognized that voice, but it couldn’t be . . . could it?
Before he could act, Ephraim came into view, a few yards behind the bald man. “What happened to staying hidden?” he called to Arhyen, annoyance clear in his tone.
Normally Arhyen would’ve had a clever retort, but he found himself unable to speak. It really was her.
A woman in her fifties, holding a lantern aloft to illuminate her face, stepped up beside Ephraim. She wore a threadbare dress that appeared to be dark green, but it was difficult to tell in the low light. Arhyen remained in the doorway, completely taken aback. He had never expected to see his mother again.
When he finally recovered, he stepped forward. “What do you want?” he snapped. He took another step into the room, past the bald man still standing by the door.
Ephraim gazed at him curiously. “You know her?” he asked.
Ignoring the question, Arhyen’s gaze remained on his mother. “What do you want?” he asked again.
“I suppose I deserve that tone,” she admitted.
Her hair had more gray in it now than when he last saw her five, no, six years ago. The lines on her face were deeper, though her jaw was as sharp as ever, matching the planes of her angular nose. He wondered what else might be different about her. Six years could really change a person. He should know. He was nothing like the son this woman had once known.
“I would leave you two alone,” Ephraim interrupted, “but your mother has my pistol.”
Two surprises in one night. Arhyen raised his eyebrows in shock. “You actually allowed yourself to become disarmed?”
Ephraim scowled. “I’m not in the habit of shooting ladies,” he explained. “I hesitated. ” He glanced at Arhyen’s mother. “I will not make the same mistake again.”
Arhyen would have laughed if he wasn’t in a horribly sour mood. He’d have to get the full story out of Ephraim later. It was a rare occasion indeed, when someone got the drop on Ephraim Godwin.
Chapter 6
“We should be going,” Arhyen announced, now more wary than ever.
He could still clearly remember the last time he’d encountered his mother, though he wished he could not. A son would be hard-pressed to forget the day his mother tried to sell him out to the Watch to relieve her own debts to society.
She seemed better off now with several men working for her, though the ragged state of her dress made him question who the men actually worked for, or perhaps she was working for them. Even if that was the case, they seemed to be treating her well enough. Her cheeks were a little more round than he remembered, and she seemed in good health, not the scrawny, desperate woman he’d last seen.
She hadn’t spoken again, and instead gazed at him pleadingly.
He summoned the cool, uncaring gaze she’d given him, so many years before. “Return Ephraim’s pistol,” he demanded, “and we’ll be on our way.”
The rotund bald man had moved to stand by her side, just as another thug stepped out of the darkness from deeper within the building.
“You came here for a reason,” she countered.
“For information,” he snapped, “on things you know nothing about.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. Had she really expected he’d come all this way just to see her? “Did you truly not recognize your own sister?” she asked a moment later.
Sister? The last time he’d seen his sister was right before she ran away from their temporary hovel of a home. She’d been twelve at the time. He had left home a year later, at the ripe age of fifteen, though he’d maintained contact with his mother for several years after. Someone had to make sure she was taken care of whenever the latest in her slew of men left her empty handed.
“She gave you the note on the carriage,” his mother clarified when he did not reply. “I thought you knew you’d be coming to see me.”
His spine went suddenly rigid with realization. The girl on the carriage with the dark curls was his . . . sister? He’d never been able to find her after she left, and had assumed she’d either fled London, or perished. He’d always comforted himself with the fake assurance it was the former, but he was truly astonished to learn she still lived.
“Now why would I assume that, mother?” he grumbled. “I’d never expected to see either of you again.
His mother shook her head. Ephraim was frowning at him, clearly unhappy to be drawn unknowingly into a family affair. Arhyen cringed as quiet footsteps shuffled up behind him from the direction of the still open door. Liliana. With her keen hearing, she’d probably been able to listen in on their conversation.
“Arhyen?” she questioned, her voice small and hesitant.
His shoulders slumped. He stepped aside to give Liliana room to enter the building and stand at his side, though he wished she’d stayed in hiding like he’d asked. His mother had sold him out once, and he had no doubt she’d do it again. He didn’t want Liliana anywhere near the vile woman. She had enough problems to deal with as it was. He forced a reassuring smile onto his face . . . for her, then turned back to his mother.
“While I’m pleased to learn Hazel is still alive,” he said politely, “it’s unfortunate that she is once again in your company. If she decides to part ways with you, tell her she’s welcome at my door.” He took a step closer to Liliana, prepared to guide her back out of the bui
lding. “Now we must be going.”
Ephraim cleared his throat, just as Arhyen’s mother sighed. At her nod, the secondary thug produced a pistol and slapped it into Ephraim’s waiting palm.
“I still have information you’ll want to hear,” his mother stated before Arhyen could turn to go.
Liliana was glancing between him and his mother nervously, a million questions shining in her blue eyes.
“At what cost?” Arhyen growled. They needed to get out of there. His mother was probably trying to collect the price on his head.
“For free,” she stated. “I hope to make amends, and I hope to save your lady friend from trouble.” She glanced at Liliana.
Arhyen turned to fully face his mother once more. “Speak,” he said simply.
She smiled. She knew she had him now, or so Arhyen surmised. “Someone is searching for the daughter of Fairfax Breckenridge.” She nodded in Liliana’s direction again. “Claiming to be her mother, though who knows if that’s the truth. The story would be more plausible had it been told to the Watch, and not spread secretly amidst London’s underground.”
Arhyen tried to hide his frown. His mother obviously didn’t know Liliana was an automaton. She had no mother . . . but the fact that she somehow knew Liliana was the supposed daughter of Fairfax Breckenridge was still troubling. Yet, he wasn’t surprised. Viola had known. She could have shared that information with any number of people.
He nodded. “Thank you for the information, now we really must be going.” He turned to leave once more.
“Arhyen wait!” his mother begged, desperation clear in her tone.
He rolled his eyes. Now they would really find out what this was all about.
“Please,” she continued. “Just agree to meet with me again in a location of your choosing. I want to make amends.”
Clocks and Daggers (The Thief's Apprentice Book 2) Page 6