“They are their crafts. Nothing more than that.” He resisted the urge to look back at Indra, knowing that she viewed the totems as more than mere crafts.
“If that’s what you believe, then you misunderstand the nature of their magic. They have incredible power, and you are going to help us understand it.”
“How do you expect me to help you understand it?”
“This young lady seems to have a connection to you, Fes. I expect you will use that connection and you will find out exactly what it is her magic does and what is required of her to make these totems work.”
Fes shook his head. “I don’t think I can. I don’t know that it’s anything she will share with me.” And even if it was, Fes doubted that Carter was one who should have the key to that secret.
“Then I will keep your money. I will keep the girl. And I will find some other way of extracting the information.”
His hands went to his daggers. “You will not hurt her.”
Carter watched him for a moment. “No? Perhaps not. Hurting her has not yielded the information I was hoping it would. She is… resilient. I thought that taking a gentler approach might be the better strategy.”
Fes glanced over to Indra, who sat huddled against the wall. Was that why she was scared? Had she been abused by Carter? He wouldn’t put it past the woman to do so, but why? What purpose would there be in harming such a young girl? If it was all about magic, and all about the power that her totems could harness, could Carter’s master be involved?
“Who put you up to this?” Fes asked.
“My employer is none of your concern.”
“If it involves me, then it is of my concern.”
“You don’t need to fear. I am employed by someone with enough wealth that you have no reason to worry.”
That comment gave Fes a moment of pause. Who would Carter know who would have even more wealth than Azithan? When Fes had demanded his price for the dragon heart, Azithan had barely hesitated. If Carter knew someone with even more money than that, not only did Fes want to know who it was to ensure that he needed to be careful, but it might benefit him to know who it was in case he needed to search for a different employer.
“Why?”
“Does it matter?”
“It matters. What you’re asking me to do is leave the city and take her”—Fes glanced over his shoulder at Indra, noticing the way that she was sitting quietly, staring at the corner of the wall—“back to her homeland. How does that help you discover what you want to know about her magic?”
“Just know that she needs to return home safely.”
Fes breathed out heavily. “She comes with me now then.”
Carter shook her head. “That’s not how this works.”
“If you want me to do this job, then it is how it works.”
“You will do the job, but under my terms.”
“And I assume that your terms involve me not bringing her now?”
“If you brought her with you now, I would have no guarantee that you would do the task assigned of you.”
Fes laughed bitterly. “No guarantee other than the fact that I already tried to help get her home. You didn’t need to coerce me.”
“You will be bringing someone else with you.”
This was the part that Fes knew was coming. There would’ve been no other reason for Carter to make such a proposal other than the fact that she had something in mind.
“I suppose you want one of your men to come with me?”
She glanced over at the crossbowmen, before turning her attention back to Fes and shaking her head. “Not at all. I intend for me to go with you.”
Fes shook his head. “No.”
“That’s the price,” Carter said.
“No,” Fes said. “I don’t trust you. And if I can’t trust the people I’m traveling with, there’s no way that I’ll have you come with me.”
“Does it have to be about trust?” she asked.
“It does when you’re talking about a journey like this.”
“I think you will have to get over yourself, Fes. Besides, traveling with you will allow me the opportunity to get to know you a little better.”
That was exactly what Fes feared. He wanted nothing to do with Carter. He disliked the fact that she had often been a step or more ahead of him. He disliked the way that she was skilled—often more skilled than him. And he disliked the fact that she had flexible morals that allowed her to do things that he occasionally wished that he were willing to do. If only he had such flexibility with what he believed in.
And it was the very fact of his inflexibility that she was preying on now. She knew how he would answer. She knew that he would not have much choice but to help Indra. And he hated the fact that he was so predictable.
But what choice did he have?
“If you come with me, you’re going to do things my way.”
“Ah, Fezarn, that is also not how I work.”
“It might be true, but that’s how I work. If you want my help”—and Fes still didn’t know quite why she needed his help. If she really wanted to return Indra to her homeland, with her resources, she wouldn’t have any need of Fes—“then you will abide by the way that I do things. At least, in this.”
Carter twisted toward him, thrusting her chest out. Fes ignored her attempt at seduction. She had tried it on him before, and maybe if she weren’t so brutal, he might be more inclined to be interested in her attempts, but he wanted as little to do with her as possible.
“You might change your mind before all of this is over,” she said.
“Why would I change my mind? I know exactly who you are and what you intend.”
Carter smiled at him. With her pale complexion and her deep red lips, there was something quite attractive about the smile. He ignored it.
“I think you don’t know quite as well as you believe that you do, Fezarn. If you did, we would be having a very different conversation.” She glanced over at Indra before looking back at Fes. “Make whatever preparations you need and return here in the morning.”
“You intend to depart so soon?”
“There is no reason for us to delay this anymore.”
“I don’t know anything about a delay,” Fes said.
“Because you’ve been out of the city, chasing assignments for Azithan again.”
“And you aren’t taking someone’s assignments? Unless losing Reina meant you lost that person.”
Her eyes narrowed as she glared at him. “Reina was a means to an end. As are you.”
“I am well aware of that, Carter.”
“Good.”
Fes waited, hoping that she might change her mind and allow him to bring Indra with him, but she didn’t.
He turned and headed down the stairs and out of the building, glancing up at it when he was out on the street. How did Carter have access to a building like this? He still didn’t know who she worked for. If not Reina, then there was someone else with wealth. From that standpoint, Fes was already overmatched. He certainly didn’t have the kind of wealth necessary to stay in this part of the city. Even with the gold Carter had stolen from him, it would have only furnished him here for a short while.
He had a night to make preparations.
What he needed to do was try to understand what it was that Carter was after. He knew nothing about what she intended. Nothing other than the fact that she claimed she had an employer who was even wealthier than Azithan.
And maybe that was where Fes needed to start.
The idea of returning to Azithan a second time in such a short period wasn’t ideal. But this time, he was determined not to be surprised by what might happen. This time, he was determined not to be pulled into some scheming where Azithan might know more than he was letting on. There was a time when Fes would have gone to the slums for information, but those avenues were closed to him. Now, he needed to find a different source, and if anyone would know more about what Carter would be after, he hoped
it would be Azithan.
As he crossed through the city, he hurried toward the palace. He had rarely visited this late at night and wondered whether he would even be allowed access. It was possible that Azithan wouldn’t even be there, and even if he were, would he grant Fes entry?
When he reached the palace, he made his way toward a back entry. Thankfully, one of the guards recognized him and waved him up. When he reached Azithan’s rooms, he paused before knocking.
There was no sound of voices and no movement on the other side of the door. Maybe Azithan wasn’t here.
Fes knocked. He waited, counting silently to himself, expecting at any moment for the door to pull open and to see Azithan’s lean face looking out at him, but there was no sign of him.
Fes tried the door and found it unlocked.
When he went inside, he discovered that the fire mage was not there. The hearth glowed with soft coals, but there was no other evidence that he had been there recently. Fes looked around the room, searching to see if he had left anything here, but he saw nothing. Surprisingly, the two dragon pearls remained on the table where Fes had left them.
He went over to the table and touched one of them. He expected to find it warm and was surprised to find that it was not. Not as it had been. The colors within it weren’t nearly as vibrant as they had been. Had Azithan used the dragon pearls already?
He checked the other pearl and found it was much the same.
Fes’s knowledge of fire mages and their magic was little more than basic. He knew that they drew power from dragon bones, but why would Azithan have used all of the power within the dragon pearls?
He headed out of Azithan’s room, closing the door tightly behind him. Out in the hallway, the sound of voices drifted toward him and he hurried toward the end of the hall, feeling strangely reluctant to be discovered. Coming at this time of night was a mistake, and unlike any other visit he had made to Azithan.
When he reached the end of the hallway, he paused, looking back. Azithan appeared at the end of the hall, and he was alone. Fes was certain that he had heard other voices, so he knew Azithan had not been alone the entire time, but where were the others now?
The fire mage looked weary. More than that, he looked old. Almost haggard.
Azithan paused with his hand on the door. He lingered there for a moment. Fes waited, debating whether he should reveal himself before deciding not to. Azithan shook his head and entered the room, closing the door with a soft click.
Fes considered whether he should go and speak with the fire mage.
Then again, Fes wasn’t certain he wanted Azithan to be aware of his connection to Indra. Did it really matter who hired Carter? All that mattered was ensuring Indra’s safety.
And he had the night to prepare.
Rather than lingering here and debating about what he should do, Fes knew that he needed to use his time effectively. He needed to make his preparations if he were to leave the city one more time.
And he only had one night to be ready for whatever Carter might throw at him. That, more than anything, left him uncomfortable.
Fes didn’t have many people that he could count on, and certainly not for a task like this, but he needed more answers. If the rebellion were involved in what had happened to Indra’s father, he needed to understand why. And there was one place he could go.
Chapter Five
The Brambles was a dangerous part of the city in the daylight. At night, it was even more so, though Fes ignored the dangers as he approached the distant tavern with a confident step. He knew better than to approach too cautiously. If he did, he would only draw more attention and would likely end up on the wrong side of someone’s bad idea of mischief. He didn’t want to get into a fight tonight. Tonight was all about getting answers.
The last time he had come here, he had been manipulated into taking a job that had served the rebellion. Most of the time, he didn’t care who ruled so long as they didn’t prevent him from taking jobs, and since he’d been well compensated serving Azithan—and by extension, the emperor—he had more reason to want to maintain the current situation.
Fes ignored the watching stares along the street. He knew they were there even if he couldn’t see them. At least, not clearly. They would always be there, watching. It was Horus’s way of protecting himself. When he reached the tavern, Fes headed in.
Inside the tavern, he looked for signs of Horus. The other man would be here somewhere. It was too early to be back home, and this was where he preferred to do business, a place where Fes had often come when he still worked for Horus.
Fes found him sitting along the back wall. When he approached, the three men around him all leaped to their feet.
Horus looked up, staring at Fes with his black eyes. “Fezarn. I hadn’t expected to see you again. I thought the last job would be our last.”
“You don’t want me to come to visit you?” Fes asked, looking down at Horus. He ignored the three others watching him. If he gave them too much attention, he might be tempted to reach for his daggers, and that was a very bad idea.
Horus studied him for a long moment before glancing at the others and making a small motion with his fingers. The men stepped away and took a seat at a table nearby.
Fes smiled. “Does that mean I can sit down?”
“It means that you can talk.”
“You’re going to be like that with me after giving me a job?”
“If I had any choice, I doubt that I would have,” Horus said.
That was news to Fes. That meant that Horus had been used the same way that Fes had been. “I completed the job.”
“So I hear.”
“Are you still in contact with them?”
He didn’t want to mention the rebellion. It was possible that there were ears, even in a tavern controlled by Horus. While out on his last assignment, rumors of the rebellion had continued to spread, and they were making inroads. He wondered how much of that had to do with the fact that he had allowed the rebellion to keep the dragon heart. A part of him kept expecting to hear rumors that the rebellion had managed to bring back the dragons, though he thought that impossible.
“I have my connections,” he said.
“I need you to send word to Alison.”
Horus leaned forward, grinning. “I thought things were over between the two of you.”
“They were. Are.” Fes shook away the strange emotions that surged through him when he thought about Alison. They did no good and only served to confuse him. She was a complication, one that he did not need.
“Then why would you have me send word to her?”
“Because of a job I was offered.”
“I doubt that they will be so interested in another job. The last one was quite costly, and it is unlikely that they will be interested in risking as much once more.”
“Costly how?” Alison hadn’t revealed the cost of the mission to him. His portion had incurred a particular cost, though the priest had paid it without question. He hadn’t thought that there was much of an issue with that.
“Quite a few people were lost attempting to reach the dragon plains,” Horus said, lowering his voice. “So I hope whatever they were after was worth it.”
“I hope so too.”
“I thought you helped them reach it.”
“I did help them, but I don’t know whether what was acquired was worthwhile to them.”
Horus met his gaze. “I can try to send word to Alison. What is it that you want her to know?”
“I want her to know that Carter is sending me on a mission.”
Horus leaned back and started laughing. “Carter?”
Fes nodded. “Carter has hired me to transport someone out of the empire.”
Horus’s laughter died out. “That’s not the kind of thing Carter tends to do. She tends to be concerned with what she can acquire.”
“Which is why I want you to send word to Alison.” There were more reasons to get word to Alison, but he di
dn’t know what role Horus had in what might have happened to Theole. “I don’t know what Carter has planned, and I want to be prepared. Whoever she’s working for has quite a bit of pull. I’m afraid that I don’t have the necessary backing to ensure my own safety.”
“Even with your friend from the empire?”
“I’m not certain how much he can help with this.”
Horus stared at him for a moment before nodding. “I will do what I can. As I said, there was a cost. Quite a few were lost, and because of that it is difficult to get word out of the city the same way as we once did.”
Fes leaned back. There was no doubt in his mind that he would need help if he were to succeed with this task. He didn’t like the idea that Carter had hired him, and he liked even less the idea that he felt compelled to participate. Were Indra not involved, he wouldn’t have agreed.
Which Carter would have known. Was this all part of using him somehow? But for what reason? Why him?
“Why are you taking the job? Is it worth so much to you?”
Fes leaned back, sighing. “It’s more than the money.”
“It’s never more than the money. Not with you.”
“This time it is,” Fes said.
Horus watched him. Finally, he motioned toward someone behind Fes, who looked over and saw the waitress approaching. He was prepared for Horus to order something, but instead, he leaned over and whispered something to her. Her demeanor changed, and she nodded before hurrying off.
“Consider it done.”
“Thank you,” Fes said.
Horus smiled at him. “As long as you plan to go against Carter, I’m happy to help.”
“I’m not exactly sure why Carter is planning this,” Fes said.
“It would be helpful if you were to share what exactly Carter is up to.”
“She has forced me to help her. I don’t know why, and I don’t know that I will be able to determine it without going along with her plan, but whatever reason she has troubles me.”
“And it’s not about money?”
Fes looked at Horus. “Not this time.”
“Interesting. When it’s all over, why don’t you come and see me.”
Dragon Blessed Page 4