Queen of Thieves Box Set

by Andy Peloquin

  "Am I disturbing something important, Guild Master?" Ria asked, her voice teasing.

  "Nothing is too important I can't take a moment with you." Ilanna stood and came around the desk, sweeping Ria into an embrace. The girl's strong arms held her tight for a long moment. "How are you?"

  Ria frowned. "I'm fine, Ilanna. You shouldn't worry—"

  "But I do." Ilanna gripped her hands. "That look in your eyes, back in the brothel, it's hard for you to go into those places."

  "It is," Ria admitted. "Every time I see those girls, it reminds me of…" She swallowed. "…of what was done to me."

  Ilanna squeezed, and Ria returned the grip with force.

  "But that is why I go," the dark-skinned girl continued. "Why I will be there every time until the Bloody Hand is driven out of Praamis. I will not let any more of these girls suffer as I did."

  "I know." Ilanna stood on her tiptoes and kissed Ria's lips. "I can't say I like the fact you're willing to risk yourself, but I know there's no sense trying to stop you.'

  "Risk?" Ria snorted. "Growing up on the grasslands of Ghandia, we feared the lion, the hyena, the night leopards. Those were true perils, and I braved them from the day I was born." She sneered. "These thugs are no more threat than the birds that feed on carrion, or the maggot that crawls on rotten fruit."

  Ilanna smiled. Ria had changed a great deal. Gone was the fearful young girl who slept with a dagger under her pillow. In her place was a strong woman, confident in her abilities, afraid of nothing. And that was half the problem. Ria's past, her suffering at the hands of the Voramians who had brought her in sexual slavery to Praamis, had taught her the price of weakness. She never backed down from anything or anyone. Ilanna worried that would one day get her killed. The Night Guild was not a forgiving place.

  Thankfully, Errik had agreed to train Ria, just as he had Ilanna. That much brought her a sense of peace—Master Serpent was unrivaled in his House, and in the Night Guild. Some whispered that his skills surpassed even the Hunter, legendary assassin of Voramis.

  Ria slipped her hands free. "The girls are all in the Menagerie, and Tyman and his Scorpions are caring for them."

  "Excellent." Ilanna beamed. "Errik should be back from Lord Illiran's soon, and with him enough gold to give them at least a chance at a future."

  "You will speak to them, then?" Ria asked.

  "Of course, but tomorrow. Give them time to rest, recover." Her hands went around the girl's trim waist. "And I can think of nothing I'd like more than a few hours abed."

  Ria's eyes twinkled. "I suppose we could both use some sleep."

  Ilanna leaned forward and nuzzled Ria's neck. "Who said anything about sleep?"

  * * *

  Ilanna pulled the silk robe, one of her few luxuries, tight around her body and kissed Ria's forehead. The dark-skinned girl didn't so much as stir. The previous night's raid had taken an emotional and physical toll on her.

  Pushing open the door to her chambers, she padded barefoot toward the Guild Master's desk—her desk now—and served herself wine from the carafe Darreth had delivered. She lifted the goblet to her lips, but hesitated. The previous Master Gold had been poisoned and stabbed, and she had been blamed for the murder. She would always think twice before drinking from a bottle she didn't uncork herself.

  Sighing, she downed the goblet's contents. Darreth was as much her minder as administrator; she doubted any but the most determined Scorpion would get poison past him. As far as she knew, she was on good terms with Tyman and House Scorpion.

  Keeper knows I've sent more than a fair share of business his way, what with these raids.

  Thoughts of the previous night's raid shattered her brief moment of happiness. They'd captured enough of the Bloody Hand's thugs to make it worth the effort. Then there were the girls they'd freed. She counted the night a success, yet it galled her that one man had escaped. If he was the ringleader, as she suspected, the Voramians' incursions into the city had been stymied but not halted.

  A rhythmic tap-tap-taptap knock sounded at the door.

  "Come in, Darreth." Just one more of the Journeyman's quirks.

  Darreth hesitated at the door, but entered when he saw she was alone. "Master Gold, I had no desire to wake you, but…"

  Ilanna waved him forward. "Sleep is a luxury I seem unable to afford much of these days. What important matters demand my attention now?"

  Darreth placed a small stack of parchments on her desk. "House Hound, House Serpent, and House Fox have all requested payment for services rendered leading up to and during the raid on the Bloody Hand. I have little doubt Master Hawk will be submitting his within the hour as well."

  Ilanna smiled at the way Darreth's nose wrinkled at the mention of Bryden, master of the third-story thieves of House Hawk. Good to know I'm not alone in my disdain for the man.

  She glanced at the columns of numbers scribed on the pages. The bookkeepers of the Night Guild were thorough when demanding fees for their services. She had little doubt the estimates were padded, but if Darreth had brought them to her, it meant he'd accepted the figures as "accurate enough".

  The Scorpion tsked when she reached for the graphite sticks she preferred to write with. Rolling her eyes, she picked up the feather quill and unstoppered the inkwell. She glanced up at Darreth as she dipped her pen.

  "Judging by your expression, either you've been sucking on all the lemons in the kitchen or something's bothering you."

  Darreth sucked in a hissing breath. "Well, I would not be doing my job as your aide if I didn't mention the financial strain this vendetta of yours is placing on our resources. By my account, we've burned through nearly half of this month's stipend just with this single raid." His face hardened, as if expecting an angry response. "While I can understand there is a certain amount of…personal motivation for this campaign," he said, his eyes flicking toward the door to her chambers, "perhaps we would be better off focusing our attention on less costly ventures?"

  Ilanna couldn't argue with his logic. The position of Master Gold had its drawbacks—like that Keeper-damned mountain of paperwork Darreth kept foisting on her—but it came with a few perks. In addition to five percent of every imperial paid by each House in dues to the Night Guild, she had a certain degree of latitude when it came to summoning aid from the Houses. So long as everyone was paid, no one minded.

  But she had spent a small fortune on her efforts to stamp out the Bloody Hand in Praamis over the last few years. Some of the coin had come from the stipend she earned, but the vast majority had been paid out of her personal fortune—a fortune earned from her theft of the golden sarcophagus of Lady Auslan. That fortune had saved them after the Bloody Hand and Duke Phonnis raided the Night Guild coffers, but even with the interest she earned by loaning it to the Guild, it wasn’t inexhaustible. If Darreth brought it up, he had genuine cause for concern.

  "What do you recommend, Darreth?" she asked.

  He opened his ledger and scanned its contents. "From what I gather, these raids have yielded a not-insubstantial quantity of Bonedust. Perhaps you could—"

  "No." She spoke the single word in a tone that brooked no response. "Enough people have suffered for it. I will not see the people of Praamis turned to mindless husks dependent on such potent narcotics."

  "Understood." Darreth scribbled something into the ledger. "I hear that a few of Praamis' more venerable citizens were found in the warehouse you raided last night. Aside from Lord Illiran, two more high-ranking noblemen and four members of the minor nobility had been caught in various states of undress and intimacy. If a few members of House Hawk or Serpent were to pay them a visit, perhaps they could be convinced to part with a few coins to cover up their misdeeds."

  Ilanna nodded. "Do it." She had no problem extorting money from the nobles of Praamis. Quite the contrary, in fact. During her years as a Journeyman of House Hawk, she had earned vast sums preying exclusively on the wealthiest Praamians. No matter how much she took, they always seemed
to have more. "What else?"

  Darreth pursed his lips. "I have come upon a few business opportunities, courtesy of Lord Beritane. I believe a few of those we intend to visit could also be convinced to offer us excellent returns on our investment."

  Lord Gileon Beritane was the Night Guild's "pet nobleman". He provided them with a respectable cover for their operations, and they kept him supplied with the gold he needed to eat, drink, and amuse himself however he saw fit.

  "Excellent." Ilanna nodded. "As usual, Darreth, you remind me that you are far better suited to the post of Master Gold than I."

  Darreth colored, but he waved her words away. "Sums and figures, I can manage. To you I leave the unenviable task of dealing with people." He ran a finger down his parchment. "If that is all, I believe Master Scorpion will be finished with his ministrations soon."

  Ilanna stood. "Thank you."

  With a bow, Darreth retreated and shut the door behind him.

  Ilanna smiled. Even after eight years, it still felt odd standing in this office. She'd never intended to remain in the Night Guild; her fortune would have bought her freedom. But when the Bloody Hand had burned down her home, she'd believed Ria and Kodyn dead. With nothing left to draw her away from the Guild, she'd accepted the position as Guild Master, only to discover her son and lover remained alive. Sometimes, she tried to imagine what life would have been like had she been brave enough to walk away, but she'd done so less and less recently. Life, while not truly happy, was as good as she could hope for. A woman to love, a son to protect, and enough friends to make up for the trials of leading the Guild.

  She padded toward the bedroom and, shrugging out of the silk robe, reached for her clothes. She winced as her belt clunked against the chest at the foot of her bed. Crap!

  Ria stirred. "'Lanna? Is it time?"

  Ilanna sighed. She'd wanted to let Ria sleep, but the Ghandian woman would insist on being there for what came next. "Yes. Tyman will be done with them soon."

  Ria sprang from the bed and switched on the alchemical lamp. The soft glow accentuated her lean, tight body and alluring color of her skin. For a moment, Ilanna allowed her eyes to roam.

  Ria chuckled. "Master Gold, if I didn't know better, I'd say you had something inappropriate in mind."

  With effort, Ilanna ripped her gaze away. "Later, I'll show you exactly what I was thinking." Her tone grew serious. "But right now, we have more important matters to deal with."

  * * *

  Ilanna paused at the massive double doors that led into the Menagerie. She couldn't help remembering when Master Hawk had led her through those doors to begin her training as a Hawk, or when the crowd of apprentices and Journeymen had cheered her name after her success first with the Black Spire, then with the golden sarcophagus of Lady Auslan. But she'd never forget the day she'd been hauled into the Menagerie to stand trial for the murder of Master Gold, or when she'd joined Duke Phonnis' Arbitors to invade her home and drive out the Bloody Hand.

  At that moment, one of the doors opened and Tyman, Master of House Scorpion stepped through. He gave her a respectful half-bow. "Guild Master." Age hadn't stooped his shoulders, but his hair and beard had whitened, his midsection grown and sagged visibly.

  "Master Scorpion." Ilanna inclined her head. "How are they?"

  Tyman's face was grim. "Of the thirty-three brought into the Night Guild, four arrived either dead or beyond even my skills to assist. Five more succumbed to malnutrition, exhaustion, the trauma of their ordeal, or the effects of the Bonedust. As for the rest, they have been fed, clothed, and tended to. Their bodies will recover, given time. As for their minds…" He shook his head.

  Ilanna knew only too well what happened to those enslaved thus. "Thank you, Tyman. Journeyman Darreth will settle accounts with House Scorpion."

  "My thanks, Master Gold." He gave a theatrical groan and pressed a hand to his back. "My apprentices will remain behind to continue ministrations, but my old bones cry out for a few hours of rest."

  Ilanna smiled. "When you wake, I will send a bottle of that Nyslian wine you love so much."

  Master Scorpion's expression brightened. "As always, Guild Master, you are too kind." He made to leave, but Ilanna caught his arm.

  "Did any of the girls mention an antidote, Tyman?"

  His brow furrowed. "Not that I can recall. For the Bonedust, you mean?"

  Ilanna nodded. "One of them…the girl who didn't make it…she whispered something that sounded like antidote."

  Tyman's face grew pensive. "My counter-agents simply slow the progression of the Bonedust, not fully stop it. If such an antidote exists, it would go a long way toward saving these girls' lives." He sighed. "Unfortunately, unless you can present me with such a remedy, we must make do with what we have."

  Ilanna's mind was already working. "So, if I somehow find some of this antidote, you think you could replicate it?"

  Tyman scrunched up his wrinkled face. "Perhaps. Our alchemists might be able to do something for—"

  "Excellent!" Ilanna squeezed the old man's arm. It was thinner than she remembered; age had sapped the strength from his body, if not his temperament. "It will be found."

  "As you say, Master Gold." With a bow, Master Scorpion strode down the hall.

  Ilanna stepped into the Menagerie, Ria at her heel. As always, her eyes roamed the massive open space. Much had happened within these hard-packed earth walls, beneath the high-vaulted ceiling. Her gaze wandered toward the seven flags hanging on the west side of the room—one for each House of the Night Guild.

  Beneath the brightly-colored flags, rows of cots had been set up for the girls freed in the raid. Ilanna's stomach twisted as she studied the thin, pitiful figures huddling within their blankets. They're so young.

  The girls came from all around Einan. Light-haired Voramians sat beside swarthy girls from Al Hani, and even a couple of the flame-haired, pale-skinned barbarians from across the Frozen Sea joined the mix. Despite their disparate origins, they all had two things in common: none was older than twenty—some as young as ten or twelve—and they all bore the same gaunt faces, hollow cheeks, sickly skin tone, and eyes filled with a mixture of fear and confusion. The weeks, months, and years spent in sexual slavery and the harsh narcotics had branded them with the same traumatic mark.

  The raid had saved thirty-three girls. Thirty-three, out of what had to be in the hundreds or even thousands. No matter how many of these illicit brothels they raided, two more sprang up. The Bloody Hand carted these girls like livestock across the Windy Plains and smuggled them into Praamis, despite her best attempts to suppress their operations. No matter how high the rewards she offered for information that led to the discovery of a new brothel, she couldn't keep up. Not until the Bloody Hand was dealt with once and for all.

  The girls were controlled through violence, threats, and drugs. Brothels sprang up overnight in even the most affluent neighborhoods around Praamis, only to close as she or the Duke drew close to shutting them down. The deplorable conditions and endless stream of customers left these girls little more than husks, walking skeletons.

  She had no desire to put an end to all crime in the city—the Night Guild thrived on theft, extortion, and murder. But this type of slavery destroyed lives, depriving the girls of their dignity and hope of any sort of life. This was one manner of crime Ilanna would never abide. Not when she'd seen first-hand what such abuse could do.

  She glanced over at Ria. The dark-skinned girl's lips were pressed tightly together, and fire burned in her eyes. Ria had been taken from her home by Voramian slavers and brought to Praamis. Had Ilanna not rescued her, she would have died. The scars on her wrists spoke of her desperate attempts to free herself from a life of abuse. She had proven especially ferocious in her efforts to eradicate the sexual slave trade in the city. Ilanna had had to restrain Ria on more than one occasion; they needed captives alive to question, but Ria wanted to slaughter every Keeper-damned one of the pimps and slavers.

  Darreth
couldn't understand the truth. None of the others did. None but Ria.

  This is why we do it. She reached for Ria's hand, and the Ghandian girl returned her grip. It doesn't matter how much gold we spend if we can save even a few of them.

  She stepped forward and cleared her throat. All eyes turned to her, and fear filled the expressions of the twenty-odd girls around the Menagerie. They had no idea who she was or what she wanted—all they had were the memories of the abuse they'd suffered for too long.

  She held her hands up. "I mean you no harm. You are safe here, and will remain so for as long as you are in my Night Guild."

  More than a few pairs of eyes went wide. She didn't need to read minds to know what they were thinking.

  "My name is Master Gold, but you may call me Ilanna." She stepped forward and spoke in a softer tone. "You have endured more than anyone ought to, suffered cruelties I cannot begin to imagine. All I can offer you in return is the knowledge that the men who held you captive are even now being repaid in full measure." Her face hardened. "None will live to see the light of day again. None will ever lay a hand on you."

  The tension, anxiety, and fear in the girls' faces softened. A few were still too deeply under the effects of the Bonedust to comprehend her words, but they understood her gentle tone. Some of the girls collapsed weeping into their cots, the floodgates of relief opening. Others stared at her with expressions not quite hard, but filled with questions.

  "I do not know how you ended up in the clutches of your former masters," she said, "but your days of being forced against your will are over. You will never have to go back to that life."

  She clasped her hands behind her back. "You are now faced with a choice: the choice of what you wish to do now." She held her right hand palm up. "If you wish to return to your homes, you will be provided with coin to speed your passage. I cannot promise you a fortune, but it will be enough to start your journey back to your people, your families, your loved ones."