by K V Deal
The man, his nameplate on the desk read Richard, laced his fingers together in front of his face. He opened his eyes and regarded us. “While I am very sorry that your home was burglarized, I don't see how we could be able to help you. There really isn't anything like a home security system since the change, so there isn't really anything I can do.”
That wasn't what I wanted to hear. “Listen—”
Carah pinched my arm and looked up at me.
Right. I’m supposed to let her do the talking.
She turned her attention back to Richard. “I understand. We were just hoping that you could shed some light on how this thief could have gotten in past two doors that we were told could only be unlocked with the keys you gave us.” She stood up, tugging on my arm. “Jake, we'll just have to pass the word through the Adventurers about the theft. Maybe they can keep their eyes open.” She paused and then added. “And they should also probably know that these locks are not nearly as secure as we had been told.”
“Now wait just a minute.” Richards' eyebrows snapped together. “Our locks are guaranteed pick proof!”
“Obviously, that’s not true. Somebody broke in and stole something through that door. And when we came back to you about it…Well, let’s just say your guarantee was basically just saying that you were sorry. That doesn't mean much.” She shrugged. “As a home buyer myself, I'm underwhelmed.” She turned back to me. “Come on, let’s go talk to Cyrus to get the word out.”
Suddenly I realized what she was trying to do. Right now, Adventurers were one of the highest paid jobs in the city, or so I heard. And for a high-end realtor like this guy, they were his main clients. In this current world, I had yet to see a good place to advertise, too, so that only left word of mouth.
Carah was threatening to poison that.
Richard must have caught on it too. A lot sooner than I had.
He leaned his head in his hands. “Please, sit back down. I think I can at least point you in a direction.”
“And maybe explain a little? You haven’t been giving us the full story,” Carah said in a flat tone that didn't match her cheerful smile.
“I…“ He clenched his jaw. “First, I must request that you please don't spread this around. We are trying to contact those people who have been affected by this and get it corrected. Our reputation is on the line.”
“A long as we get what we need and no lives are in danger, we shouldn't need to say anything about it.”
Even with that, Richard hesitated before he started speaking. “Danny was making copies of some of the keys. It’s a service we offer to our customers—in case of losing one or the like. I caught him doing it, and he ran. Then today, we began to get a rash of customers reporting that their homes had been broken into. Those duplicates are the only way that I can think of that this could have happened.”
I could think of another, what with everything that had just happened with Edward, but I kept my mouth shut. Sharing that wouldn't help.
“So, what you’re saying is that your homes are secure so long as nobody gets a hold of an extra key,” Carah summarized sharply. “And that with what this Danny character was doing, you have no idea how many duplicates might be floating around out there.”
Man, did she have him squirming in his chair.
“That...may be a rough summary,” he grudgingly admitted. “We are addressing the issue, though! We are sending craftsmen around as we speak to redo the locks on all the homes we have sold since the change!” he added hotly, rising up in his chair.
“I see,” Carah said, nodding and letting off a calm vibe. “Have you informed the mayor’s office?”
“I... No. Not yet.” Richard sank back down into his chair.
“You were hoping to have the matter in hand before you told them. I understand,” Carah said understandingly. “Well, maybe we can help you there.”
“Help us?” He eyed her suspiciously. “How so.”
“Well, how about you tell me and the big guy, here, where Danny's address is, and we'll go take a look around. Maybe we can get those keys back and whatever else was stolen too. Won't even tell Cyrus about it.”
“And what's in it for you?” The small man eyed us.
“Jake gets his lamp back and maybe, just maybe, we can get back to our date.” For the first time since entering this shop, there was some anger in her voice.
Guess that actually had been a date after all…and I wasn't the only one who was angry.
The manager got this too from the way he winced.
“That I can do,” Richard said quickly.
He reached out of sight into a drawer in the desk with both hands and drew out a large leather-bound book. He flipped open the cover, letting it fall into the desk with a thud. Within a second, he had the page he wanted. Gripping the edge of the book with both hands he heaved it around to face us. “Here. This should be him.”
“Should be?” I muttered.
“Hush!” Carah quickly read over the page. Then she let out a groan. “Silver District? He lives there?”
I kinda recalled that name. Where had I heard it before?
I snapped my fingers. “Right! That place where the rich people live.”
“Used to live,” Richard corrected. “These days, anyone who has money lives near the marina.” He interlaced his fingers, a smug smile crossing his face. “Those old-guard idiots in the Silver District are just pathetically holding on to the past. Especially since everyone knows they are basically broke and pay for everything on credit.”
“Maybe. But they still have some clout,” Carah said. “If we just go rushing in there, things could get nasty fast.” She began to drum her nails on the desk earning a disapproving glance from its owner.
“Breaking into other people’s homes doesn't really seem like their kind of thing,” I said.
“No. It’s not,” Carah muttered. Then she looked up at the manager. “Well, thanks for your help. We'll get it from here.”
And with that, she spun the book back around to face Richard and stood up. “Come on big guy, let’s get going.”
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
Chapter 10
By the time we arrived at the Silver District, I’d managed to calm down a little.
Oh, I was still was pretty twisted up about the whole thing, don't get me wrong, and I was looking forward to busting a few heads over this. But I was calm enough now to stop myself from going in claws flashing.
“Alright,” I growled, “which way?”
“I think it's that way.” Carah hesitantly gestured toward one of the side streets.
I nodded and began to tromp my way in.
The houses were expensive-looking at first glance. Tall, regal-looking things with lots of glass and well-maintained yards. But once you really started looking, it was a bit different. You could spot places where a window was missing its glass. Here and there were signs of something having been ripped out of a yard or several somethings in a row that probably used to be a fence.
There were a lot of “For Sale” signs too. Some looked professional. Others? Well, they looked like somebody had put in a lot of effort to make them look professional, but it was pretty obvious they were not made by someone who knew what they were doing.
The most noticeable thing, though? We were being watched. Heads peeked around the stone edges of windows to unabashedly stare at me and Carah as we walked down their streets. I could feel the disapproval. Not that it did much, except to make me want to punch out every one of these idiots, and we didn't have time for that.
Walking along the warm cobblestones of the road, I glanced up at the sky. There were about two hours left till sundown. We would have to make this quick since I didn't want to be searching around in the dark.
“There! That's the...one,” Carah trailed off as she looked at our destination.
It was...dilapidated? That seemed like the best word for it. Unlike every other house we had passed, this place was totally uncared for. Its y
ard was in shambles, and its windows were broken. Paint peeled off the walls, and the front door hung uninvitingly open from a single hinge. This wasn't stuff that could have fallen apart this much just since the change. No, this place had been abandoned for a while.
Carah let out an annoyed huff. “There’s no way somebody is living there! Either this Danny lied, or that manager did!” She jabbed a finger at the abandoned looking house. “This is a waste of time.”
The minute her finger lanced out, I saw a flicker of movement in the unkempt house to the right. There had been a woman in the window watching us, just like on a lot of these houses, but, in this case, the minute Carah had pointed, the woman had flat out run away from the window.
Now that was a bit weird. But maybe good too.
I reached out and felt for magic. Oh, hell, yes. There was magic in spades in that building.
Whether or not my lamp was in there, who knew? But it was worth checking.
I put a hand on Carah's shoulder. “There’s something in there we should take a look at.”
“What?” She looked up at me in surprise.
There was movement. One of the magic points I was feeling suddenly moved, heading further away from us at a nice clip. Somebody was trying to run. I let out a growl.
“We got movement! Come on!” I took off at a run toward the building.
“Fine! But you better explain later!” Carah called out as she raced behind me towards the door.
I activated my ring and called out my greatsword with one hand. I used the other to check my strange, break-away dagger, that was still tucked into my belt. I favored my heat dagger, but since everyone and their mother had seemed to be fireproof the past few days, I thought I might as well plan for that.
I ran straight through the open doorway and slid to a halt as I looked around. I was in a large room with two exits on the far wall.
Taking in the room, I had to admit I was unimpressed.
The inside of the building was as unkempt as the outside. Paint peeled from the walls. Marble floors were cracked in a way that reminded me of how dirt cracks in extreme heat.
Carah coughed as she came through the doorway. “Smells like a mold factory in here!”
I nodded, though I hadn't really noticed the smell till she mentioned it. My attention was on those feelings of magic, trying to see if I could pin down a location. Down? There was an angle to the feeling as if the magic was somewhere below us, and ahead. “Basement!”
“What?”
“The magic. It's down that way,” I said, gesturing with my sword.
“Right.” She glanced around. “Well, guess we gotta find some stairs.”
I nodded.
“Let's each take a door. Make things a bit quicker,” she said, grinning up at me. “Sooner we get done, sooner we can get back to what we were doing. Or were going to do…”
That last statement sent my mind into a full stop. She was almost to the door when I came back to my senses.
And my first thought was that splitting up really wasn't a good idea when there were just the two of us.
“Hey! Wait!” I called out after her, hurrying to catch up.
Not that I had much of a chance of that.
By the time I made it to the doorway, Carah had already gone through and was already out of sight down the corridor.
I started to curse as I ran after her.
There was only one direction to go in this shadowy corridor. Shadowy might be an understatement actually. I could see, but just enough to know I wasn't about to run into anything. It was perfect for an ambush.
If I had MY lamp, it wouldn't have been an issue! That thought started my anger bubbling again and set my tail to lashing. And with my thoughts fully on MY lamp, I almost missed the open door in the dark. The only reason I actually caught it was that my tail slammed into it as I rushed past.
I spun around and glared at the doorway. The space beyond it was even darker than the hallway I was in. I frowned at it in irritation. Now I had to make a guess. Had Carah noticed it and gone in, or had she continued down the corridor? The safer bet would be that she had missed it.
I turned back to the corridor but only took one step before something bumped against my foot, grating along my scales.
What is with this place and things bumping into me!
I lashed out, kicking whatever it was to the side.
Oh, shit.
It was long, thin and metallic. Probably sharp too given the way it grated along my scales. Just like a weapon. A knot of worry instantly twisted my stomach. It couldn't be...
Dropping to my knees I began to search in the damn darkness, working my way to where I thought the thing had landed. My hand bumped into the thin, sharp thing again.
Thank God for my scales. Pretty sure I would have lost a finger if not. I lifted the weapon, squinting through the darkness to see what it was.
Why is it the only times I can guarantee being right are when I don't want to be?
It was Carah's saber. No way she would have just left it. I glanced over at the dark abyss of the doorway.
Damn it.
This is why I hadn't wanted to split up!
I gripped her sword in my off hand, my greatsword in my other.
No need to risk a second ambush.
I jabbed my sword into the darkness, quickly swinging it back and forth.
There was a startled squeak from just beyond the doorway that turned into a cry of pain as I hit something.
Holy—! That was a lot closer than I’d thought they were!
Then there was a thud. Then another. Then quite a few more along with screaming that echoed up from below.
I hesitated, then lowered my sword to tap the ground.
Yup. That's a staircase.
Carefully, I stepped down, my claws clicking against a stone step.
I wanted to rush, to bolt down the stairs and find Carah before anything could happen to her. But I restrained myself. If I fell on these steps, I might survive, but even so, it wouldn't help Carah at all. Instead, I took one step at a time, swinging my sword ahead of me to check for anything in my path.
I couldn't see a damn thing. As I continued down, the stairs and walls curved; I was in a spiral stairwell. I clacked my sword from side to side, letting it tap both walls and then trace along the edge of the next step before I moved forward.
I ground my teeth in frustration at the slow pace. My tail rattled like crazy, as my nerves about Carah’s safety overwhelmed even my need to find my lamp. If whoever grabbed her damaged even one hair on her—
Light!
There was light coming from further down the stairs! I could make out the outlines of the steps now and quickened my pace. I had to make up lost—
Eww.
Well, I’d found whoever had fallen down the steps. A man lay on the stairs, his sturdy cotton tunic had gotten caught on a jagged outcropping of stone along the wall. That seemed to have been what had finally stopped his fall.
He probably could have stopped himself faster, though, if he had been, you know, alive. His neck was definitely broken. The odd angle of his head had been the second thing I had noticed.
The first? The guy was 100% human.
Shit! Did that mean this was an Inquisitor hideout?
I began to run down the stairs, taking two at a time at some points, in my haste to get to the bottom. If it was Inquisitors, then unless she had something they needed, she didn't have much time. The only thing in my favor right now was that I couldn't be that far behind her. A minute or two at most.
My foot slipped on a step, and I dropped to the one below it with a thud.
Damn, that was close!
I didn't have time to slow down, though. I continued to move downward, as the stairs took me deeper and deeper into the earth. I had no idea this went down that far!
The light continued to get brighter and brighter, revealing tan, sandstone walls that seemed to have been carved into the rocky foundation
of the building.
I came thundering out of the stairwell, both my and Carah’s swords at the ready, as I threw a quick glance around the room, searching for enemies.
“Who—” said a man standing just to the side of the doorway.
I didn't hesitate. My greatsword blurred as it severed his head.
Now that is just strange.
This guy wasn't human—pointy ears, really long fingers, a membrane of skin that stretched from his wrist to the last of his ribs, and a very surprised look on his face. If he was down here, there was no way that it was Inquisitors. The knot in my chest loosened.
Thank god.
Though if they weren't Inquisitors, then who were these people?
I glanced down at the corpse. He looked like he was part bat. But if that really was the case, why hadn't he heard me coming?
Then I saw the red-skinned arm under his corpse, and my blood froze. It wasn't moving. I yanked the bat thing up and hurled it away!
There, laying on the ground, splattered in blood, was Carah. I threw myself down next to her and grabbed her arm, trying to feel for a pulse like they did on TV. Nothing. But, hell, I’d never done that before and had no way of knowing if I was doing it right!
I reached up to check her neck. Maybe I could find something there! I ran my fingers along her neck, desperately trying to find a pulse. If only it would stop moving! Then it would be…so…
Moving?
She was breathing! I sagged in relief for just a second before pulling myself back up. There was still the blood. I needed to make sure she wasn't wounded.
Only a second or so of checking told me that it wasn't her blood. As far as I could tell at least. No. My best guess was that it had come from the guy I’d beheaded right above her.
That only left the question of why she was unconscious, and I really wasn't the best guy to answer that one. The best my panicked mind could come up with was to get her back to the city's hospital.
I lifted her gently in my arms. Her eyes were closed. If it hadn’t been for the blood, I could have imagined she was just sleeping. She shifted with a slight groan.