Naming Day (Jake Underwood Book 1)

by Michael Ruger

  I seethed and tried to rise but my father gently pushed me back down. I mentally counted to ten. “So let me see if I have this straight. In exchange for exile and freedom he is willing to give my back the body of my friend.” My father started to say something but I overrode him. “He can piss blood! I’m not giving him freedom for a dead body. Marty wouldn’t want it and neither do I. If we don’t make him pay, then the Court of Twilight will.”

  “Jake!” Dalia cried, “You do not understand! It is not a dead body. Marty yet lives. I saw him myself. He is gravely wounded, but he lives!”

  I felt the world get a little woogy as the enormity of what I was being told sank in. Marty was alive! Could it be true? I had seen him shot, how could he be alive?

  “Are you sure, Dalia?” I probed, “Are you sure it wasn’t an illusion of some kind or some changeling trick?”

  “I am as sure as I can be. He was unconscious and seemed to be in the thrall of some kind of magic. Jeryn Callisandra told me it was a preservation spell to keep his last few moments of life from escaping.” She looked down at the floor. “He told me that he planned to use Marty to force you to betray me. You would have to affirm what he said about me or he would let Marty die!” She was as angry as I have ever seen her at that moment.

  I looked at my father. “Do we believe him?”

  “Provisionally, yes we do. This is a desperate gamble, a last throw to save his life, He knows that nothing could save him if has lied to us, so I think he speaks true.” He paused for a moment. “But be aware, if we make this deal with him, we will lose any sure way to prove beyond doubt Dalia’s innocence to the Court of Twilight. She may never be able to go home again. There is no one left who will be able to verify what he said to her that caused her to flee. The accusations that he made concerning her relationship with Count Trellisor will be shaken, but not dismissed, because of the false evidence that he presented. He made sure that there was no one left alive who could forswear him. I am told that it is believed that Dalia is responsible for the deaths of Lady Tessa and her maid in an effort to cover her trail to the mortal world. ”

  Poor Lady Tessa. I guess she finally read the cards so wrong that it got her killed, not to mention her servants who might have seen something. Callisandra had a lot to answer for. I really did want him dead. No, worse than that. I wanted to kill him myself. But that wasn’t going to happen no matter what choice I made. If I sent him to the Court of Twilight, then eventually Dalia would be cleared and he would be executed. If I took the deal then I might get Marty back, but Dalia would be an exile from her home and family for who knows how long, maybe forever. Neither choice involved me ending up with my hands around his neck.

  “Dalia? What do you think I should do? I looked at her as tears streamed down her face.

  “Oh Jake! I do so wish to go home and back to my life. But how I could go there in honor if I had to walk through Marty’s blood? You have no choice. He is your sworn man and you owe him aid. You must do this if there is any hope of saving him.”

  I nodded. There were a lot of things I could have said but anything I could utter would just make things worse. She was willing to accept exile at the Court of Dawn and I was willing to let her and that said everything that needed saying about the matter. Being who she was, there was no other possible choice.

  “Make the deal. But you tell that slimy bastard that if I ever see him or hear of him, all deals are broken and he dies. If he comes near me or mine that I will skin him and use him for a rug. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m tired. I just had to do something unpleasant and I need a damn nap!”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  A week of recovery passed for me and I waited for word of Marty. They only let me see him one time, the man whose life I had bought with Dalia’s freedom. He looked more dead than alive. In fact I thought I had bought a corpse but my doctor shooed me away and told me that with enough magic, he could be saved. It was expensive, I was told, but the Court picked up the tab. I didn’t find out why until another week had passed. Dalia and I were kept under close watch and not allowed to leave the townhouse. I probably couldn’t if I wanted to, but it was the fact that I was a prisoner despite Sergeant Bermuda’s assurance that I was a “guest”.

  In the meantime my father told me a lot about my family but I won’t bore you with all that. There are apparently a fair number of us and many of them don’t like each other. Typical of Fey noble’s house, actually. I also tried to find out more about Dalia’s mother, but nobody in my father’s house or employ would talk to me about that. That included my father.

  It was during another long session of genealogy, when James interrupted my father’s lecture, for which I promised any powers who might be listening that I would treat James to the best booze I could find, with a few whispered words.

  “Now?” he asked and James nodded. “Very Well. We will await him here.” James left and my father fixed me with a stare.

  “Lord Delbara and Sergeant Bermuda are here and they want to talk to you, me and Dalia. James will bring them directly. I have told him to send for Dalia and to have them wait until she is here.”

  “Should I be worried?” I asked.

  “No, not if I judge things correctly. I have been using some clout to get some explanations of Lord Delbara, who is naturally reluctant to tell me much of anything. But I have used an irresistible force on him and it turns out that he is not as unmovable an object as he thought.” He smiled. He resisted my prying until Dalia came in. She was wearing an orange gown with gold thread woven throughout in some insanely intricate pattern. She always looked good but she looked classy, even though I would preferred something much more subdued. When you have spent as much time in the mortal world as I have, you develop simpler tastes I suppose.

  Dalia took a seat and shot me a questioning look, but I shrugged. This wasn’t my game, I didn’t have a scorecard. At least I didn’t have to wait long. Within a few moments, Lord Grayson Delbara and Sergeant Angel Bermuda came into the room. James left the room and I heard a bolt sliding closed and I felt a tingle of power as the heavy wards settled tightly about the room.

  “Lord Melliscant, I understand that my presence is required here at this time and that I am at liberty to discuss any detail of this case with you, your son and your grand niece.” I had to admit that was interesting to see someone with his kind of power flustered. He clearly wasn’t happy. Sergeant Bermuda on the other hand, seemed amused. I took that as a good sign. “I must say that I was...unprepared to receive the summons I received today and quite surprised to be given the instructions I was given. Being surprised is not a feeling I relish and I hope that such future summons will not be required.” He glared icily at my father.

  My father nodded. “I am sure that you do. All you have to do to avoid that particular discomfort is to not involve my family in any of your plotting. I have no desire to interfere with your work, but I will if you cause my family any more harm. I promise you, I still have friends at court, powerful friends as you have come to learn in the last few days, and I will not hesitate to use whatever influence I have to protect my house. If that involves bring the entire edifice of the Hidden Watchers down, then so be it! ”

  “Peace, Lord Melliscant.” He shook his head bowed his head toward my father. “I am tired and not used to being outmaneuvered in such manner. It has been a long time since you were active at Court and I had forgotten how long your reach could be.”

  I glanced at my father and realized again that I really didn’t know this man. He was pushing around one the most powerful and feared men at the Court of Dawn and making him dance while he called the tune. Impressive.

  “In any event, you and your son are owed an apology. I am here to deliver it and to answer whatever questions that may yet linger.” I had to give him credit for pulling up to table for a big plate of humble pie. He was no shirker even if he had screwed the pooch.

  “Fair enough,“ I said. “I think I have figured out the what an
d who for a lot of this, but I am pretty fuzzy on the why and how. If you would indulge me, let me tell you what I think happened and you can fill in any holes that I leave.” He nodded.

  “First, let’s deal with the good Sergeant here. He’s not just a cop is he?”

  “No, he is far more than that. While his duties are often concerned with lawbreakers, his interests are more…free roaming. He has done many things for the Court of Dawn through the years. He has served in the Black Watch and the Hidden Watchers. He has served at foreign missions as an ambassador’s aide. He currently is attached to the Sergeant of Arms office. Normally, this is a relatively inactive post. But tradition does define its power rather broadly and the emperor has used him in that capacity to unstick sticky problems.” Lord Delbarra deferred to Sergeant Bermuda who merely smiled.

  “So you serve…?” I looked quizzically at the Sergeant.

  “ I serve the Emperor, as all Fey at the Court of Dawn do. While I am not just a cop, I do have an interest in justice and my warrant runs the entire length of the Court of Dawn. I can arrest if I need to and execute when there is no choice” His face grew more serious. “My official rank is with the Master of Arms of the Court, but I report directly to the Emperor Lord Belsoumnde. I go to the places that he cannot go and do things that he cannot do. Mostly, it is diplomatic work and some regular police work, but occasionally it is something complicated and unpleasant like this little tangle that we are dealing with now. I try to keep a low profile and most Fey are happy to accept that as fact. Those who know better are more than happy to keep it to themselves or are those whose opinions matter to none but the others who have passed on to Arcadia.” He said it simply but it was plain that he took his service seriously. It made me wonder if he could be what I thought he was. He might not answer, but it was worth the question.

  “You’re a Companion aren’t you?”

  “I do have that honor. I must tell you that few know this and I would prefer to keep it that way. It is a singular honor but one where I may serve better anonymously.”

  “Excuse me, but what is a Companion? This is not a title I am familiar with. ” I had almost forgotten my Cousin was there. My only excuse was my relief over finally getting some answers.

  “A Companion, ” my father answered, “is an elite warrior or servant who owes fealty or allegiance only to the emperor and reports directly to him. They are essentially his War Companions and he can use them in whatever way he chooses. They answer to no one but him and are sworn to his life. They are utterly trustworthy. There has never been a case of betrayal, at least none that anyone has heard of. They hold no formal office, yet no one doubts when they act that they have whatever authority they choose to want.”

  I was a little confused. “I have never heard of a secret Companion. How does that work?”

  “Very well.” Sergeant Bermuda said in a low rumble and a smile. “It works very well indeed. I do things for the emperor that while vital, must be kept quiet. In this case he had a personal interest in this case and asked me to oversee it. While he has the utmost confidence in the Sheriff in solving most crimes, there could be no question about a need for discretion in a case involving the Hidden Watchers and the son of an important court member, especially considering that it was involved in an ongoing operation at the Court of Twilight.”

  “Right. Well, that does explain a few things. I wondered why both you and Crosswich, along with the Sheriff were on the scene at the Silvertree for Kevin’s murder. A lot of heat and a little competence.”

  “Aron Crosswich is a bit of a bigoted moron, certainly. But don’t think the Sheriff shares his faults. He is quite good at what he does, unfortunately he is hampered by not knowing all the facts and from politics that constrain him from using his abilities fully. Suffice it to say that I respect him and he respects me, when we work together we share what information we can, and what results we can.”

  I considered what he had said and what it had to mean. Kevin had been important. More important than any ordinary Fey.

  “Kevin was an operative for the Hidden Watchers, wasn’t he?” It was really more of a statement than a question. It was the only answer that could have put all that heavy duty craftwork in his apartment and Lord Delbarra in this room. Duntar had told me this, but this confirmed it and so did Lord Delbara when he nodded yes.

  “That brings us nicely to Kevin’s death. Duntar, who was a dwarf in the rouge Black Watch team that Jeryn Callisandra was using to dog my steps, told me that they didn’t kill him. Now, you and I both saw some Black Watch troopers decapitate Kevin. And yet, I believed Duntar when he said that his guys didn’t murder Kevin or Chris McNeely.”

  “People that ruthless and accomplished aren’t as common as people believe. If it had been the sanctioned execution by the Black Watch or the Hidden Watchers, the Sergeant would never have been involved. That doesn’t leave a whole lot of people it could be, does it?” I looked at Lord Delbara who said nothing, but at least had the grace to look down.

  ‘The Twilight Order.” Dalia said, her face pale as the implications set in. Lord Delbara set mute and all I saw from the Sergeant was a tiny nod.

  “That’s right Dalia, the Twilight Order. We know that Jeryn Callisandra involved them and dangled you as bait, as a possible lead to Count Trellsor. They can be vicious, but I can’t see them operating in the mortal realm and killing with such ruthlessness over a forsworn parole. There has to be something else, something important enough to bring out the big boys.” I looked at Lord Delbara, who was about as miserable a Fey as I have ever seen. He clearly didn’t like where this was leading. My father was still wearing the same scowl he’d worn since he welcomed these two into his company.

  “You almost have it,” said Sergeant Bermuda. “You are just missing a few pieces.” Lord Delbarra looked accusingly at him and Sergeant Bermuda stared him down. Interesting. It appeared that a Companion actually had more clout, at least in this situation than the spy master did.

  “Ah” The fog cleared a little and I remembered what brought Dalia to my door. “Count Trellisor. He was an operative of yours? A Hidden Watcher?” Dalia gasped, I presumed at the thought that the Court of Dawn had spies at the Court of Twilight.

  “Not quite. There is no Count Trellsor.” Lord Delbara shifted uncomfortably.

  “That can’t be true. I spoke to him. He was real!”

  “No Dalia, you probably spoke to someone who claimed to be Count Trellisor. Was Kevin, Count Trellsor?” I asked.

  “Yes. And No.” Lord Delbara began, “You see, there is no actual Count Trellisor. There were at least three individuals who went by that name. All deceased now, swept up by the Twilight Order in the last few weeks or so and disposed of.” He wasn’t smiling anymore, thinly or otherwise and his eyes had turned sharklike. “They were good operatives. I have a hard time believing that things could have gone so wrong so quickly, but it did. I don’t like it when my men are killed.”

  “I can certainly understand that, even if I can’t help but notice that you put a plan in motion that got a bunch of people killed and my cousin hunted. I hope you can appreciate the irony when I say I don’t give a damn about what you like or don’t like.”

  Dalia was certainly focused. “I do not understand what you are saying. Count Trellsor was you. I saw him. He removed his Glamour on occasion and he looked like you.”

  I looked at Lord Delbarra. “Well? How did you do it? Both of us know it wasn’t me. So how did you do it?”

  “I can’t really tell you because I don’t completely understand it myself but it apparently some clever will worker came up with a way to nest glamours, one inside each other.” He smiled smugly.

  “What?” Sergeant Bermuda interjected. “You can’t do that. It’s been tried before and the harmonics of the spells interact and fight each other for dominance and you get a nasty backlash.”

  Lord Delbarra shrugged. “I can’t help it. That’s what I’m told by my technical people. It’
s classified, of course, and the technique is difficult to perform and expensive as well.”

  “That brings us to a telling point. Why in the hell did you put my face on Count Trellsor?”

  “That was a mistake.” Lord Delbara said sheepishly. I grunted.

  “It was unintentional. Kevin was in a tight spot and using the spells that he had cast on him he came up with your image. Once it had been seen as Count Trellisor’s “true face” there was no changing it.” He sighed. “Kevin, and I must admit that I agreed, felt that because of your bad relations with the Court, it was unlikely that anyone would make the connection between Jake Underwood and Count Trellsor.

  “You see, Count Trellsor was very useful to us. He disrupted ceremonies, delaying events and discredited those who might be a threat to the Court of Dawn and in some cases, the Court of Twilight.” Lord Delbarra was looking at Dalia’s stricken face. It was easy to forget that she was a member of a Court that Lord Delbara had just admitted spying on. “Everything went well until Jeryn Callisandra connected Dalia to you, or rather to Count Trellsor. Then things went bad very quickly. We believe that Kevin was killed not because of the favor you asked of him, but because the Twilight Order had discovered his connection to Count Trellsor.”

  “And Chris McNeely and his secretary? Why’d they kill them?”

  “Loose ends. Mr. McNeely was a local and the Twilight Order needed someone local who knew the terrain. Once they had taken care of Kevin they decided to clean things up a little. While they were at it they decided to send a message. I believe they intended to kill both of you as well to let Lord Delbara know that they didn’t appreciate his agents causing trouble at the Court of Twilight.” Sergeant Bermuda was grim. Dalia was pale.

  It was quiet for moment as I digested what I had heard. There was something still not quite right. Then it came to me. The Naming Day ceremony.