Ilanna slid her legs over the stone railing of a nearby balcony a heartbeat before the rope fell slack. The Voramian gave a cry of surprise, followed a moment later by a thud and a groan. Angry curses followed her as she dragged herself onto the balcony and leapt up to a nearby rooftop.
She took off across the Hawk's Highway without hesitation. The Bloody Hand would never get up onto the rooftops, but she had no doubt they had close watch on the streets below. She couldn't get across the broad avenue that led to The Gardens without being spotted. The busy streets to the west and east would be equally watched. She could only flee south.
For the first time, Ilanna found the open sky made her feel vulnerable, exposed. The heights had always comforted her, lifted her above the rest of the world. Now, she had nowhere to hide.
Worse, she had no idea where to go. Journeyman Ichol had fallen in the raid on the Night Guild—a pair of golden imperials had bought the information and the promise of silence from a Grubber she'd found raking the dung piles where the nobles of The Gardens and Old Praamis sent their offal.
With Ichol dead and Shade surrounded by Bloody Hand thugs, Ilanna had no idea what to do next. He had been a heartbeat away from revealing the man—he definitely said “he”—that had given him the jewelry to take to Filch in her name. The confusion on his face had been genuine. Shade lacked the intelligence to lie so convincingly.
The ache in her muscles and the dryness of her mouth reminded her she'd gone without food, drink, or a solid night of sleep for far too long. She'd collapse if she kept running. She needed to find a place to hole up and plan her next step. But first, she had to get off the rooftops before someone spotted her and—
Three men leapt onto the roof not twenty paces in front of her. Even as she skidded to a halt, their gaze fell on her. The figure in the lead—a Journeyman wearing the garb of House Hawk--opened his mouth and cried out, "We've got her!"
Chapter Fourteen
Ilanna's heart leapt to her throat. The Hawk, a Journeyman by the name of Orv, was accompanied by Ullard of House Serpent and a Hound Ilanna recognized as Woros. Without hesitation, she turned and fled back the way she came. She clambered up a nearby wall, ducked beneath an overhanging roof, and dropped onto a balcony. Out of sight of her pursuers, she hesitated. They'd expect her to go south, where she could disappear among the slums beyond the Praamian Wall. She didn't want to head west, toward the Ward of Refuge. Instead, she went east, toward the Royal Palace. No thief in their right mind would flee toward the stronghold of law and order in Praamis.
Instead of clambering back up onto the Hawk's Highway, Ilanna kept to the lower-level rooftops. She'd spent countless hours studying Jarl and the Pathfinders as they constructed the bridges, rope ladders, and walkways that connected every corner of the city. The rooftops provided the most direct route to her destination, but she had little cover. Down here, she could hide from her pursuers.
She gritted her teeth. Damn you, Orv! The Journeyman, a wiry, soft-spoken man close to Master Hawk's age, had no reason to be hunting her. And Ullard? Woros made sense—after all, House Hound specialized in tracking elusive prey. But why would House Serpent be coming after her?
The Night Guild had found her guilty of larceny and sentenced her to a gruesome death. No doubt Bryden, to conceal his deception from the rest of the Guild, had insisted on sending Hounds after her. But Serpents? Hawks? They wouldn't be involved in a manhunt like this.
What in the twisted hell is going on?
It definitely had something to do with the Bloody Hand. The Foxes were working with the Voramians. She had little doubt House Bloodbear had cast their lot in, and certainly House Hound. Allon had told her he'd try to talk the Hounds out of accepting the Bloody Hand's offer. Clearly he'd failed.
She ran along the top of a wall and leapt into open air, closing her fingers around a rope ladder. The rope swayed and sagged under her weight, but she clambered up with the agility of a sailor. She slithered onto the roof and ran in a crouch. She just had to stay out of sight long enough to—
An arm appeared from behind a chimney, caught her around the waist, and dragged her down. A hand clamped over her mouth.
Instinct kicked in. She ripped a dagger from her bracer and swiped at her attacker's face. The man twisted his shoulder, deflecting the blow up and over his head.
"Ilanna!" The man hissed.
Ilanna froze at the familiar voice. The tip of her knife hovered a finger's breadth from Errik's groin.
The Serpent removed his hand from her mouth. "Bloody hell, Ilanna, it's good to see you're still alive!"
"What are you doing here?" She didn't sheathe the dagger.
"Came looking for you."
"Why?" Her words came out cold and flat.
"To bring you this." He picked up the rucksack at his feet and passed it to her. "Thought you might need a few things."
Ilanna's eyes widened. The pack contained her favorite soft-soled boots, two sets of clothing, a lightweight leather vest, her black gloves, a cloak, and the tools of her trade: a complete set of lockpicks, quickfire globes, a length of black Guild rope, and a jar of gokulah unguent for her hands. Best of all, a pair of daggers sat in simple sheaths.
A lump rose in Ilanna's throat. "Thank you, Errik." She gripped his arm. "You've no idea how much this means to me."
He dropped his gaze. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more."
"Don't do that. Don't blame yourself."
"I should have stood up at your trial and—"
"No! You did what was best for your House."
He winced. "But not for my friend."
"You made the right choice." Her tone brooked no argument. "Had you defended me, you might have been accused of helping me. Now, as Master of House Serpent, you're in the perfect position to help me."
He winced again. "There's not much more I can do at the moment. The Bloody Hand has taken over the Night Guild."
Ilanna's eyebrows shot up. "What?"
Errik's face grew somber. "Less than an hour after you escaped, the Bloody Hand returned. Invited in by the Guild Council."
Fury set Ilanna's gut churning. "The Council?"
The Serpent's eyes fell. "We had to, Ilanna. With most of the Hawks and Serpents dead or wounded, the Bloodbears, Hounds, and Foxes carried the vote. House Grubber, spineless as ever, threw in with them. I had no choice."
"And Allon?"
"Doing what's best for his House." Errik shook his head. "He's pretending to play nice, for the sake of the Hounds. As Master Hound, he has to think of the wellbeing of his Journeymen and apprentices."
Ilanna nodded. She understood, but that didn't mean she had to like it.
"How bad is it?" She held his gaze.
A shadow crossed Errik's face. "Bad." The word felt like a blow to Ilanna's gut. "The Bloody Hand has taken over the tunnels. Hundreds of 'em, swaggering around like they own the place." He gritted his teeth.
"Who leads them?"
Errik grimaced. "Big, ugly brute goes by the name of Rhynd. Vicious bastard. First thing he did was round up all the Journeymen and apprentices in the Menagerie, chose twelve at random, and beat them to death with his bare hands."
Anger twisted in Ilanna's gut. "And no one did anything?"
Errik's shoulders slumped. "What could we do, Ilanna? I've less than twenty Serpents, plus a handful of apprentices barely old enough to carry steel. No way we can kill them all. Not to mention the traitorous Bloodbears, Foxes, and Hounds." He shook his head. "I'm doing everything I can to keep my House alive. The Bloody Hand's raid hit us hard. I won't risk the Serpents, not unless there's a real chance we'll survive."
Ilanna nodded. "I understand." She would do the same in his position. "Is that why you and the Hawks are helping hunt me?"
Shame burned in his eyes. "I had to. It's the only way to keep House Serpent from being butchered by the Bloody Hand. Another of Rhynd's lessons. One of the Grubbers refused to fall in line. Rhynd shattered every bone in his body, cut ou
t his tongue, and forced oil down his throat until he drowned." He shuddered. "Bloody Hand bastard had the gall to smile and say, 'I hope you've all learned the cost of resistance.' No one's stupid enough to speak out with a display like that."
A sense of hopelessness settled on Ilanna's shoulders. Master Gold's worst fears had come true. The Bloody Hand held the Night Guild captive, a savage killer in command. House Serpent and House Hawk all but annihilated. All of their attention was focused on hunting her, but that wouldn't last long. They would set their sights on the city next. The Bloody Hand would bring their unique brand of chaos and bloodshed to Praamis. And there wasn't a damned thing Ilanna could do to prevent it.
"What do we do, Ilanna?"
The desperation in Errik's voice shocked her. His expression mirrored the hopelessness she felt.
She wanted to answer him, but what could she say? She had no idea.
"Give me time." She forced herself to sound confident. "I'll figure something out. For now, hold your peace. Play the obedient House Master."
Errik snarled, his face flushed. "I-I can't do that, Ilanna! You can't ask me to stand by while they—"
"I need you to stay alive, Errik!" She gripped his arm. "I need you to be ready for when I make my move." What move, she still had no idea.
A glimmer of hope sparkled in the Serpent's eyes. "What are you going to do?"
"You'll know when the time comes." She hoped she knew. "Gather the Serpents you can trust and prepare them to fight back. Get to Darreth, tell him to do the same. And Bryden."
"Bryden?" Errik's eyebrows shot upward. "That sniveling weasel of a man?"
"He's the one who let me out."
Errik's jaw dropped. Ilanna gave him a brief rundown of their exchange in her cell, including their shared realization that someone had framed her.
"I can't believe it." The Serpent shook his head. "The way he came after you at the trial…"
"Whoever set me up knew what they were doing. They gave him everything he needed to come after me. He truly believed I was guilty." Which she was, but that didn't matter now. "But he's the closest thing we have to an ally in House Hawk. He's as opposed to the Bloody Hand as we are. So find a way to let him know."
"And Allon?"
Ilanna hesitated. "No. Keep him out of it."
Errik lifted an eyebrow. "You sure?"
"He didn't vote for the Bloody Hand, but his House did. I won't risk the wrong person finding out and leaking it to the Guild." She gave Errik a stern glare. "That goes for you, too. Only involve the Serpents you're sure you can trust."
Errik nodded. "We'll be ready."
A shout of "There she is!" cut off her next words. Six figures appeared on a distant rooftop. She recognized one as a Hound Journeyman, but the other five wore the garb of the Bloody Hand.
"Go!" she hissed at Errik. "Get out of here before they see you."
He shook his head, half-drawing his sword. "I won't let them take you."
"No! I need you inside the Night Guild. Besides," she said with a wry grin, "they're going to have to catch me first."
She stepped into plain view. "Oi, you poxy cunts!"
Angry shouts echoed in answer. The figures rushing her lacked the hulking muscles of the thugs on the streets below. The shorter, wiry men raced across the Hawk's Highway with a confident agility that could only come from years spent on city rooftops.
Mocking laughter burst from her chest. "Try to keep up, will you?" She whirled, sprinted toward the edge of the rooftop, and flung herself into the air. The tiled floor of a balcony rushed up to meet her. She landed in a roll and came to her feet. Ducking around a thick support pillar, she rebounded off a wall and grabbed on to an overhanging ledge. Within moments, she was running across the rooftops, the Bloody Hand far behind her.
Her triumph died stillborn. More Bloody Hand thugs swarmed from the left and right. Before she'd taken two steps, more men—wearing the robes of House Hound—appeared over the rooftops before her. The cries of the men behind grew louder with every heartbeat.
Panic sent acid surging to her throat. Her mind whirled. They had her cornered on the rooftops. She had nowhere to run. Nowhere but down.
She acted without hesitation, sliding down a rope ladder, dancing across a narrow plank bridge, and dropping onto a second-story balcony. She risked a glance at the alleyway. A trio of drunken beggars sang a bawdy tune at the top of their lungs and argued over a bottle. No Bloody Hand. No Foxes, Grubbers, or Hounds.
Shimmying down a drainpipe, Ilanna dashed toward the mouth of the alley. She had to get as far away as possible before—
A group of bull-necked thugs appeared at the end of the street. Cursing, she turned and dashed the other way, only to find her exit from the alleyway blocked.
"There's no running, little thief!" one of the Bloody Hand thugs called, his voice harsh and thick with a Voramian accent.
Ilanna's heart froze. She cast about in desperation, but saw no escape. She was trapped.
Her pursuers stalked through the muddy alleyway, kicking aside debris and refuse as they surged toward her. Ilanna drew in a deep breath of air tinged thick with the reek of human and animal offal.
Her eyes widened. The stink had shown her the way out.
Hope rose within her. Without hesitation, she dashed toward the hole and slid into the storm drain. She bit down a cry as stone and metal scraped away a layer of flesh. Her boots splashed in the muck of the sewer tunnels, sliding on a layer of slime. She fell hard. Foul-smelling water washed over her, but she had no time for disgust. She had to flee. The larger of her pursuers wouldn't fit through the narrow drain. She had a minute, maybe two, before they found someone who could.
She drew the quickfire globes from the pack Errik had given her. They would only provide a few minutes of light. Enough to get away, she hoped. Fear lent wings to her feet. She had to outrun the men behind her and evade the Foxes and Hounds who no doubt searched the sewer tunnels for her. The Duke's Arbitors wouldn't make that task any easier.
A dangerous thought entered her head. She couldn't defeat the Bloody Hand alone. The Voramians had killed or captured all Guild members who would fight back. The rest would serve the Bloody Hand, help them track her down. If the Bloody Hand caught her, she had no illusions that they would show mercy. Prynn's mutilated corpse had shown her what the bloodthirsty Rhynd and his thugs intended to do to her.
She had only one person to turn to for help. One person that even the combined might of the Bloody Hand and Night Guild would hesitate to cross.
She smiled at the sight of a lantern bobbing in the distance. Without hesitation, she strode toward the three men gathered around the light.
"Hello, lads."
Silver breastplates and conical helms clanked as the three whirled toward her, swords rasping from their sheaths. The blue-clad man held the lantern higher to get a better look at her face.
"Keeper's teeth, it's her!" One heavy-bearded man nudged his comrade. "It's the thief girl."
"I see you recognize me. That's good." She spread her hands wide. "Now take me to Duke Phonnis."
Chapter Fifteen
Once again, Ilanna found herself in chains. At least the Arbitors hadn't stripped her clothing. They had removed her bracer and Errik's daggers. Thankfully, they hadn't thought to take the innocuous-looking leather strap on her wrist. The presence of Ethen's sling comforted her even as she walked into the proverbial dragon's den.
Four stern-faced Arbitors flanked her, faces as stiff as their spines, hands hovering close to their sword hilts. They kept wary eyes on her at all times.
All this for a thief. Ilanna couldn't help but smile. Good to see the effect I have on the Duke's men.
The Arbitors had emerged from the sewer tunnels a few streets from the Royal Palace and hustled her through the gates into the sprawling palace complex. Ilanna had always wanted to stroll the Royal Gardens, to swim in the triple-tiered fountain tinkling in the center of the grand avenue. She'd seen them
from afar but never had a reason to enter the palace. Now, up close, she had to admit the splendor seemed somehow…wanting.
Autumn had stolen the trees' greenery and left only spindly branches. Green slime coated the base of the fountain, and a decidedly stagnant reek rose from the unmoving water. Even the grand cobblestoned avenue showed signs of wear and tear. More than once, Ilanna's escort led her around crumbling, uneven sections of road.
The palace itself hadn't lost its beauty. Even in the darkness, the red sandstone building seemed to shine. It rose a full sixty paces into the night sky, running at least three hundred paces east to west. Great, crystal domes sat atop lofty towers that no doubt offered a breathtaking view of the city around it.
The Arbitors' boots clicked on the marble and ceramic tiles adorning the palace entrance. Her escort led her through grand halls and rooms filled with intricately detailed tapestries, rich rugs, and ornate furniture that looked far too beautiful to be practical. The faces of the ancient Kings of Praamis frowned down at her from the paintings on the walls. The Praamian Guards standing at attention throughout the palace added their glances of curiosity.
The Arbitors stopped at a plain, wooden door. The man in the lead rapped gently, and was answered by a quiet, "Come."
Opening the door, the Arbitor motioned for her to enter. "No sudden moves, girl." He gripped his sword.
"No need for that." She gave him a saccharine smile. "I came of my own free will."
The Arbitor sneered. "Shame you won't be leaving that way. I'll choose a nice hempen necklace for you."
"Make sure it matches my eyes."
"What is this?" The Duke spoke in a rich, confident voice. When he straightened from his desk, he stood taller than the Arbitors around the room. His midsection had the sag of an administrator, but there was nothing soft about the scars on his strong hands or the solid set of his square jaw. "Who have you brought me, Ingser?"
"Calls herself Ilanna, my lord." The Arbitor placed her gear on the Duke's desk. "Says you'd want to hear what she has to say."
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