by A. C. Cobble
“South Continent,” said the old woman. She left the gold coins on the table for a long moment before scooping them up. “I cannot be certain. The other option is that someone on the inside is hiring dumb muscle and is sneaking them into the corridors near the targets. Anyone from Whitehall ignorant enough to take the job isn’t going to be skilled enough to get there on their own.”
“Why do you think the South Continent instead of dumb muscle?” wondered Amelie.
“That’s where King Saala is from,” explained the woman. “Old grudges are always the hardest to drop, and the rumor is, he had reason to flee north when he did. Sometimes, people do crazy things out of hate that they’d never do for coin. Also, an emissary from the South Continent is expected to arrive any day now. That timing can’t be coincidence.”
“I’m not buying it,” growled Rhys. “If someone from the South Continent wanted to kill Saala, they could have done it before he was king. This animosity is recent, and why would the South Continent be concerned with General Brinn?”
The old woman shrugged.
“You know something else,” accused Amelie. “Why do you think the assassins are from the South Continent?”
The old woman shook her head, and her hand drifted to her empty tea cup.
“It’s someone who scares you, isn’t it?” pressed Amelie.
The old woman’s eyes fell to the table, and she didn’t answer.
“Lady Avril,” guessed Amelie.
Lucinda flinched, and Amelie sat back, a satisfied smirk on her face.
“I think it’s time to go,” remarked Rhys, nodding over Ben’s shoulder.
Ben turned. Around them, a dozen men had formed a loose ring. In the revelry of the busy room, it wasn’t obvious they were hostile, except they were the only people who had hands on weapons. Ben reached for his sword, but Rhys put a hand on his arm.
“Lucinda,” warned the rogue, “if we were unafraid of you, given your unique talents, why do you think these men would concern us? I suggest you tell them to sit back down. If you care about any of them and want them to continue working for you, I also recommend you don’t let them follow us.”
“I will not answer any more questions,” snarled the old woman.
“You don’t need to,” replied Rhys.
“I’ll find out who you are and where you are staying,” said Lucinda, raising her gaze to meet the rogue’s. “You know as well as I, everyone sleeps. Tonight, tomorrow, a moon from now… Do not make me your enemy.”
“I don’t want to be your enemy,” assured Rhys, standing up. “We’re staying in the Citadel. You can come find us anytime, but if you decide to come blades out, remember I know how to find you, too. If need be, we’ll let our friends in the City know where you are. And if you’re not afraid of them, then I’ll let Avril know you’re sharing her secrets.”
Lucinda made them wait a long moment. Then her eyes snapped to her men. Quickly, they shuffled out of the way, and Ben and his friends had a clear path to exit. When they stepped out of the doorway, Ben let out a sigh of relief and started up the cobblestoned streets of Whitehall toward the Citadel.
“Why did you tell her where we are staying?” asked Amelie. “I don’t think that woman was a powerful mage, and I’m sure you’re better than any of the assassins working for her, but inviting trouble like that is the last thing we needed to do.”
Rhys shrugged. “I told her because it doesn’t matter.”
“That woman professionally dispatches assassins, doesn’t she?” asked Prem. “It seems like making ourselves a target certainly does matter.”
“She did professionally broker assassinations,” replied Rhys with a chuckle. “She’s probably considering doing it right now, but at some point tonight, she’ll come to her senses. She might not be afraid of us, but she’s damn sure afraid of Avril and the Veil. We knew where she was. How long before she thinks those women know where she is, too? The moment that thought hits her brain, she’ll run.”
“We got lucky seeing her in that place,” said Ben.
Rhys coughed.
“You knew she was there the entire time!” accused Ben. “You did just want to look at the girls.”
The rogue shrugged, a grin on his lips.
“How did you know her, but she didn’t know you?” wondered Amelie.
The rogue’s grin grew broader. “Because the Veil has always known where she is. Coatney likes to work with people she can trust, and she trusts mages. If it was something not suitable for me or one of the other assassins in the Sanctuary’s stable, there’s a network of agents Coatney would call upon, including Lucinda. The Veil and her messengers never revealed their identity, of course, but she shared the list of agents with me in case they found out who they were really working for, and I had to go tie up the loose end.”
Amelie grunted, and whistling a soft tune, Rhys led them to the Citadel.
“It will be good to see O’ecca again,” remarked Ben two days later. His booted feet clomped on the bare stone floors.
Amelie floated beside him, her slippers entirely soundless. The others came behind, Towaal trying to ignore Rhys and Prem’s flirty squabbling.
“It will,” agreed Amelie. “She’s done quite well for herself, it seems. Emissary to the emperor! I can’t wait to hear how—”
Amelie stumbled to a stop, staring down a side hallway.
Ben walked a few paces before realizing she wasn’t with him. When he saw she wasn’t moving, he darted back to see what had caught her interest. He looked in time to see a cloaked shape vanish around a corner.
“W-Was that—” stammered Amelie.
“It was,” confirmed Towaal grimly.
Rhys kicked off his boots and shot down the hall, his socked feet falling silently on the stone floor. Ben made to follow, but Towaal placed a hand on his arm.
“Who?” questioned Ben.
“I think that was Lady Avril. If it wasn’t her, it was her long-lost sister,” said Amelie, her voice quaking.
Rhys made it to the turn the former Veil had taken and paused. He glanced back at the party and shrugged. Towaal gestured for him to return.
“She couldn’t have gotten far,” said the rogue quietly when he got back within whispering distance. “Do you want me to poke around and see if I can find which way she went?”
“No,” responded Towaal. “It’s too dangerous to run into her unprepared.”
“How are we going to avoid that?” snapped Rhys. “She’s here in the Citadel! Next time, it may be her spying us and not the other way around. She probably already knows we’re here.”
“If she knows we’re here and hasn’t confronted us yet, she isn’t planning to,” said Towaal, her brow creased in thought. “Lucinda was right. The assassins are from the South Continent, and it’s Lady Avril who is directing them, but why?”
“If we’re not going to follow her,” said Ben, “then let’s go meet O’ecca. We need that boat, and maybe she can tell us more about Avril. The former Veil was the emperor’s advisor, wasn’t she? She was still there when we left O’ecca in Shamiil.”
“You are right. We need to talk to O’ecca.”
O’ecca sprang from the couch she’d been reclined on and dashed across the room, wrapping her arms around Amelie and tugging her tight. She spun and engulfed Ben, Rhys, and Towaal as well. She made to embrace Prem but then paused. “I do not know you, do I?”
“No,” said Prem, a smile on her lips at the small girl’s enthusiasm.
Turning back to Ben and his friends, O’ecca blurted, “Did you do it? Did you catch him before he made it to the Veil? I heard about the battle near the town of Kirksbane, and you are here…”
Grinning, and thinking about how much the tiny girl had changed compared to their first encounter, Ben responded, “It didn’t go exactly as planned, but we did get the staff, and we did stop the demons. We could spend all night telling you about that one. Some demons got away, but our forces are tracking them do
wn as we speak. We’re on the verge of eliminating the threat to Alcott once and for all. We still have concerns about the Alliance and the Coalition, but first, we need to ask you some questions about Lady Avril.”
O’ecca nodded, her smile fading a little. “Lady Avril was in Shamiil, as you know, but she disappeared days after you left. I’m afraid I can’t tell you much more than you already know. I can’t even speculate on where she is.”
“She’s here,” said Ben.
O’ecca frowned. “Why?”
Ben could only shrug. “We don’t know. I hoped you would be able to offer some insight.”
“I don’t know, Ben,” replied O’ecca. “I can’t tell you why she is here.”
“Why are you here?” wondered Towaal.
“The Alliance and the Coalition,” answered O’ecca. “Both parties are reaching out to the Emperor. After the coup attempt, apparently they felt it was the optimal time to make him an ally. Shamiil has been crowded with their delegates, and it’s been a chore keeping them from each other. Several of them were killed, and that’s why I am here. The Emperor felt it would be safer to conduct negotiations in Alcott and avoid blood spilling on the South Continent. He is secure following the coup, but his heir was slain, and political assassinations in the streets of the capital may send the wrong message to the noble houses.”
Ben turned back to O’ecca and ventured a sensitive question. “Can you tell us if the Emperor is leaning toward the Alliance or the Coalition?”
“Neither,” said O’ecca quickly. “I’m here to assure King Saala that we have no interest in Alcott and no interest in him. He’s free to engage in whatever activity he wants here, and I’m to convey a friendly request that he does not turn his sights south. After I am finished in Whitehall, I will travel to Irrefort and give the same message to Lord Jason. We chose Whitehall first because, well, you’re aware of Saala’s history with the emperor. We thought it best to confirm that the history can be forgotten as long as he does not antagonize us. If it cannot, well, then I would have a different message for Lord Jason. I do not think that will be the case, though. Now that I’ve been here and have seen the hectic activity in Whitehall, I don’t think Saala will have any interest in the South Continent. Even if he did hold a grudge against the emperor, he doesn’t have time to act on it.”
“Sensible of the emperor,” murmured Amelie. “Stay on the sidelines until the dust settles.”
“We heard there are other diplomats here from the South Continent,” said Ben. “They’re staying in the Citadel.”
“No,” responded O’ecca slowly. “There are none I’m aware of. None the emperor is aware of…”
“We also heard there are assassins from the South Continent in town,” said Amelie. “Both Saala and General Brinn have been attacked.”
“Saala still has enemies in the south,” responded O’ecca. “The emperor is prepared to extend an offer of peace, but perhaps not everyone is so happy to forget. It would not surprise me that there are men and women willing to pay for Saala’s death. It could also be younger sons looking to avenge some wrong Saala’s Red Hand perpetrated long ago.”
“Avril made use of that emotion,” said Rhys. “Lucinda was right. No assassin is stupid enough to attack Saala in Whitehall for coin, but for honor? Family honor is above everything in Ooswam. I am certain Avril is the one who brought the assassins here, but why? How does Saala or Brinn’s death foil the Veil’s plans?”
“You could ask her,” suggested O’ecca, “I had hoped to avoid the Veil or anyone from the Sanctuary, but I’m afraid I’ll have no choice now.”
“No choice?” asked Amelie, a frown on her face.
O’ecca blinked, looking around the group. “She is here in Whitehall. It’s why I am not with General Brinn right now. He’s meeting with the Veil. As emissary to the emperor, I assume she’ll want to meet with me as well.”
“What!” exclaimed Ben at the same time his friends all started shouting.
When the initial confusion died down, Amelie stepped forward to grip O’ecca’s arm. “You are telling us that Lady Coatney is here in the Citadel right now?”
O’ecca nodded. “You are concerned she will know you and that she knows what you’ve been up to? I am sorry. I assumed you knew she was here. She arrived today, and it seemed the news was all over the place.”
“We haven’t left the room until coming to see you,” said Ben, fighting a groan.
“The assassins struck one by one, and they all failed,” muttered Rhys, standing and pacing around the room. “Lady Avril brought them here, but she doesn’t need a man with a dagger to kill Saala or Brinn. Why didn’t she just assassinate them herself?”
“She wasn’t trying to actually kill them,” responded Towaal, a growing look of concern on her face. “She was just trying to scare them.”
“Scare them to the point they requested assistance from the Sanctuary,” said Amelie, completing the thought. “With her plans in jeopardy, the Veil left the protection of the Sanctuary and came here, just like Avril knew she would. It was a trap.”
O’ecca bit back a curse. “That is not good. Should we—Should we alert the Veil that Avril is here?”
“We need to go,” said Rhys, suddenly pivoting toward the door. “I know where Lady Avril was headed now. The rooms Ben mentioned where the alleged diplomats are staying. There is a stairwell that would take her directly down to them.”
Cursing, Towaal smacked a fist into her palm. “This may be our only chance to surprise her.”
“Come on,” said Rhys, and he darted to the door. They all followed behind until Rhys paused and looked back at O’ecca. He instructed her, “You stay here. If anyone asks, you sent us away after a brief word. Ideally, no one knows we’re acquainted.”
O’ecca drew herself up and nodded. “I spoke the truth months ago when I said you had an ally in the south. I believed in your cause. Your battle with the demons showed my faith was well-deserved. If you need me, I am here.”
“Bring whatever soldiers you have in the city up to your rooms. Be ready for anything,” advised the rogue before turning to go.
He led them to the nearest staircase and started down, his movement cautious, his poise lethal. He was every bit the deadly assassin Ben remembered from when they first met, before he had aged. Rhys gestured for quiet, and they moved down the stairs to the second level of the Citadel, heading north, and then twisting through the stone hallways, nervously peering around each turn.
Rhys peeked around one corner then drew back, holding a hand to stop the party. They huddled close, and he whispered, “The door to the north wing is twenty paces down the corridor. From our scouting yesterday, I do not believe there is an easy way in. There is only this entrance or a window. I, for one, am not interested in climbing the wall of the Citadel in this weather.”
“What do you suggest, then?” asked Ben. “Just barge in?”
Rhys nodded.
“Lady Avril may be in there,” reminded Towaal. “We have surprise, but we have not prepared. There are thousands of people in this building, Rhys. A full-scale mage battle will be incredibly dangerous.”
“She might be in there, she might be gone. With any luck, I think we can stop this before it starts,” claimed the rogue. “She’ll be in the midst of planning to attack the Veil. She won’t be ready for us. If you draw her interest, I’ll circle in for the kill.”
Ben swallowed. “This is reckless. What if you miss, and it turns into a real fight?”
Rhys grimaced. “You think this will end some other way? I know we’re not ready, Ben, but with the Veil and Avril both in the Citadel, there is no time.”
“Damn,” muttered Ben. He paused. “You’re right. Let’s go.”
“Watch for wards,” Towaal advised as they stepped around the corner and rushed the door that led into the north wing.
There were no guards in the plain stone hallway leading up to the closed, heavy wooden door. Amelie placed a hand
on it and shut her eyes. With a soft scrape, the bolt slid out, and Amelie shoved the door open.
“That’s handy,” muttered Prem.
The hallway beyond the door was plain stone, like the one they were standing in. It was dead quiet. Ben gestured for Towaal to lead them inside.
“Based on what we found out when I interviewed the maid, there are a number of rooms for staff and offices along this hall,” whispered Rhys. “At the end there are sitting areas, dining rooms, and other public spaces. The bedrooms are past those. Remember, draw her interest, and I’ll come in from the side.”
Without further discussion, the mage stalked down the hall, tension evident in her every movement. They passed several doors and saw an open room at the end. Towaal scurried forward until Amelie called, “Wait.”
The mage glanced back, and Amelie moved to her side. She closed her eyes and then drew a deep breath. Ben gasped as glowing red runes appeared on the lintel over the opening to the sitting room. As he watched, the glow cascaded down the wall, forming a shimmering, ominous red arch.
“How did you…” wondered Towaal.
“It has the same feel as Eldred’s ward, the one in Akew Woods,” murmured Amelie, still concentrating.
“The secrets these women keep,” muttered the mage. “Is it safe to tamper with?”
“I believe we can drain it’s power with minimal risk,” replied Amelie. “With this active, I don’t think we’ll find anyone inside of here.”
Towaal grunted and then knelt and scratched at the runes that made up the ward. Ben breathed a sigh of relief as the glow faded, the power leaking out through the ruined symbols.
“Amelie,” he suggested, “move about and see if you can find any more of those. We’ll search this room. Perhaps we can find out where they went.”
“We may not have much time,” advised Rhys as he strode toward a long wooden table in the center of the space.
Ben followed the rogue and frowned. Atop the table were tiny models, like a dollhouse. He looked closer and then groaned.