Before the winds had died down, Gavi was moving. She wrenched Caspian toward herself, almost tumbling as she did so, which pulled them away from the badger and Trafaul. Then she all but threw the young Nijāst toward the back of the buildings. Stooping to retrieve her sword, which had rolled up to the rightmost building—away from the action, fortunately—Gavi covered their retreat as Caspian, who was still trying to dislodge the snake, limped away.
That’s when the first Nijāst guards rounded the corner nearest the cliff face. “What the hell?”
“Explanations later, help now,” gasped Caspian.
One of the riders barked a command, and the snake detached itself and slithered away. Gavi tried to stab it, but it moved with frightening speed. As the two Nijāst advanced alongside Gavi, Trafaul—now with his hood drawn—exchanged a look with the two riders. “Scatter.”
Gavi knew she couldn’t move quickly enough to stop them, so she didn’t try. They sprinted to the other side of the alley and scattered. Shouts followed them.
Only now that the action was over did Gavi allow herself to tremble. As others took off in pursuit, Caspian collapsed to the ground. Gavi, her own legs suddenly weak, knelt beside him.
“It’s Trafaul, of the Adāst,” Caspian was saying to one of the guards. Whistles and shouts were echoing from all over the village now. “He’s cooperating with them. I think they were trying to silence us for asking too many questions.”
Gavi’s mind was sputtering, her heart drubbing at speed, as she absorbed what Caspian had said. She supposed he was right. She numbly looked down at the boot she had thrust in the snake’s face. Its fangs had penetrated the leather multiple times. She wiggled her toe. It didn’t feel like her MPB had broken, fortunately. She would have bruises, though.
She took several deep breaths, and then stood. “I think this means we’re on the right track. We need to meet up with Mazik. Now.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to capture Trafaul first?” Caspian winced as he tried to stand, and collapsed on his injured leg. The last guard who had come to their rescue left to join the pursuit.
“That would be nice, but I don’t think it’s necessary.” Gavi sheathed her sword and extended a hand. “If a member of the Adāst is helping them, that explains how Rhea was able to coordinate with the Noble Hunt. She had her allies do it while they were out of town. But he was a junior member, right? And around your age? How often did Rhea talk to him?”
“Never, as far as I know,” growled Caspian. He took her hand, and she pulled him to his feet.
“I thought so. He could have been the one she was sleeping with, but I wouldn’t be surprised if more than one Adāst is helping her out. Perhaps someone more senior.”
Caspian started sputtering curses.
*
By the time Gavi got Caspian to the kennel, his knee was already swelling. Mazik, Raedren, and Hyra were waiting for them outside. They rushed over as soon as Gavi and the hobbling Nijāst cleared the stone fence.
Mazik puckered his lips. “That doesn’t look pleasant.” He took Caspian’s free arm and slung it over his shoulders, taking some of his weight from Gavi.
“No, it does not,” hissed Caspian through clenched teeth.
“Hold on, let me look at that,” said Hyra. The three of them stopped, and she kneeled to inspect his injury. She probed it several times, eliciting complaints. Then she grabbed his kneecap and, without warning, wrenched it to the side. Caspian bit back a scream, his MPB sparking as Hyra’s hands were forced away.
When Hyra pulled back, Caspian’s kneecap—was back in the right place, Gavi realized. It had been dislocated, and she hadn’t noticed.
Once they had settled Caspian on the front steps of the kennel, and Raedren had used his divine magick, Dull Pain, to do exactly that, Gavi told them what happened and what she suspected. When she got to her suspicion about the Adāst, Mazik shot to his feet.
“Dammit. We even thought of that, but we couldn’t do anything until they moved.” He ran a hand through his hair, his expression frustrated. Then he squared his shoulders. “We need to talk to that Knapp guy, now. Where’s his office?”
“Would he even be at his office?” Gavi glanced around the village. It was in an uproar, with people scrambling every which way trying to capture the latest traitor.
“If not, someone should be. They have a building where they congregate between trips. I can take you there.” Hyra spoke the necessary incantations and unlocked the kennel. “Let’s get Caspian inside. We have bandages there. Then we’ll go.”
“Let’s make it happen.” Mazik hooked an arm under Caspian’s armpits and helped him inside, and though he was careful with the injured man, Gavi could tell that Mazik was practically vibrating with energy. If she knew Mazik—and she was sure she did—he would be itching to act, preferably now, with that trademark blend of determination, excitement, and righteous anger he wore so well.
Gavi could feel it herself. It was time to fight back.
*
Mazik shouldered the door open, and was gratified when a slumbering man tumbled from the couch, landing face first. But Mazik didn’t stop there. He slammed his glowing fist into the door, shattering it off its hinges. “Bring me your leader right now!” he bellowed amid a cloud of splinters and unnecessary property damage.
The Adāst headquarters was on the edge of town, on the less frequently targeted northern approach. The bottom level was a warehouse. It was the second level Mazik had barged into, which was divided into a large common room with two smaller rooms in the back.
The startled Adāst went for his sword, but Mazik just snarled, holding his ground. A dark green barrier hummed around him, and Gavi, Raedren, and Hyra peeked out from around his shoulders.
Knapp rushed out of the leftmost room, followed by two other people. He rounded the snooker table and ducked the darts still stuck in the dartboard. He waved his arms, trying to calm everyone. “Hold on, please! What’s going on here?”
Mazik stood with his arms crossed, his expression as fiery as a burning building. “We have some questions for you.”
Knapp’s brow wrinkled. “Yes, of course. Would you like to sit down? I’ll get you something to drink—”
Mazik swiped a hand, cutting the Adāst leader off. “You were sleeping with Rhea, weren’t you?”
Knapp blinked. “Huh? Who was?”
Mazik pointed at Knapp. “You.”
Knapp pointed at himself. “Me?”
Mazik nodded.
“Oh, no no no.” Knapp patted the shoulder of one of the people who had emerged from the other room with him, a woman about his age. “This is my wife. I’m happily married.”
“That didn’t stop General Ordwinn from cheating on his wife, and vice versa.”
“Maz,” said Raedren.
“General Ordwinn was having an affair?” asked Hyra, surprised.
Mazik glanced back at Raedren and snapped, “What? It’s going to come out eventually. I’d have let him take his time if he hadn’t held back potentially important information.”
Raedren didn’t look pleased, but he didn’t argue.
“I never would have thought general would have cheated,” Hyra was saying. She tapped her lip. “Explains a lot, though.”
Mazik stalked forward, and the four Adāst stiffened. “Sir, are you aware that your subordinate Trafaul just tried to kill Caspian and my friend Gavi?”
“What?” Once again, Knapp looked genuinely shocked. “What happened?”
Mazik stopped two steps away from Knapp. The other Adāst, including Knapp’s wife, had their hands on their weapons, but Mazik ignored them. He leaned forward and pitched his voice into a growl. “What happened doesn’t matter. What’s important is that he had two Riders of the Noble Hunt with him. Now you’re going to need to convince me that you’re not involved in the attempt on my teammate’s life, or I’m going to get rather cross with you.” Mazik raised his voice without looking away. “And none of the rest
of you better move. You’re all under suspicion.”
Knapp chewed on his lip, then glanced at his people. “Stand down, everyone. We need to cooperate.” He turned back to Mazik. “I had nothing to do with this attack. I’ll do what I can to convince you. But may I contact Captain Sie to confirm what you’ve told me first? And could you tell me if Caspian is all right?”
“Caspian’s fine. Call her quickly. And no whispering—if you call someone else, I want to hear every word you say.” Mazik stepped back and crossed his arms. He looked around. “Also, are there any other of your people in the building right now?”
It turned out there were two more on the first floor. Once they were collected, everyone waited for Knapp to finish his call with Captain Sie. It didn’t take long.
He was grimacing as he ended the spell. Knapp turned to his people, who were sitting on the couches and chairs scattered around the room, their visible weapons collected near the door. “All of us have been ordered to stay in the building. The captain has our names, as you heard. If any of us leave, it’s likely we’ll be treated as traitors.” He bowed to Mazik, his face heavy with regret. “Please, ask any questions you have.”
Mazik ran a hand through his hair. He had been hoping the sudden accusations would shake something loose. He turned to Gavi. “What’ve you got?”
Gavi gave him a look, which seemed to say really? and I knew this was coming. It was a complex look. Luckily, she had apparently given it some thought.
“One of your subordinates was in league with the Noble Hunt,” began Gavi. “This potentially explains how Rhea was able to coordinate with the Noble Hunt—she had her Adāst ally do it for her when he was away from the village. But I’d be surprised if she rested her entire plan on one junior member no one seems to remember her ever talking to. What can you tell us that would make us believe that the rest of you weren’t involved?”
Knapp settled down into an overstuffed chair, and reached out and for his wife’s hand. She squeezed it. It was a moment before Knapp answered.
“Well, if we were all working with the Noble Hunt, we wouldn’t have done it like this. It’s too risky. They stole several spellhounds in their initial attack, correct? If we were working with them, we would have just given them the spellhounds over time instead of selling them like we’re supposed to. Then, along with Rhea, all they would’ve needed was one of our trainers, and they could have gone straight to Mis Effami’s house instead of attacking the heavily guarded kennel.” He nodded at Hyra, and smiled tightly, as if to apologize for even suggesting such a thing. “Plus, Mis Effami has left the village with us several times. If this hypothetical cooperation went far enough back, we could have orchestrated it so everything took place outside of the village, instead of requiring a risky siege.”
“That … is a good point.” Mazik winced at admitting that out loud again. I really need to work on my interrogation skills. He thought about what Knapp had said for several seconds. “Aha! Why is it that you had that answer prepared? It sounds like you’ve thought about this before.”
Knapp glanced from his wife, to his subordinates, then at Hyra. “You didn’t tell them?”
“I thought Caspian would have,” said Hyra.
Mazik looked between them. “Huh? What are we missing?”
“We were questioned immediately after the attack,” said Knapp. “Rhea’s a breeder. She shouldn’t have known how to get to the village. If she converted to the Noble Hunt’s religion, they could have found the way here through the link with their god, but since no one knows if she converted, we were questioned. Extensively.”
Knapp smiled sadly. “It’s a common situation, to be honest. We’re told becoming an Adāst is a great honor, but it’s also isolating. The others are often suspicious of us, because of how much time we spend in the outside world. That’s why we congregate here,” he gestured at the games and couches around them—there were several decks of cards alone, “even when we’re in town. It was even suggested that we do so lately, rather strenuously I might add, since we’re all under suspicion. Honestly, the only people who treat us normally, much less visit us here, are former … Adāst …”
Mazik’s brow furrowed. “What is it?”
Knapp looked up, his expression grave. “Former Adāst like Chief Boern.”
The hairs on Gavi’s neck rose. “How often did Chief Boern come by? Did he ever talk to Trafaul?”
“He came by regularly, once every few days,” said Knapp. “Often just to relax. And he talked to everyone, Trafaul included.”
“How likely do you think it is that he was the one sleeping with Rhea?” asked Mazik. This time he wasn’t just looking at Knapp, but at Hyra and the other Nijāst too.
Knapp’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “As likely as anyone, and more likely than most.”
“They got along well,” added Knapp’s wife. “In fact, the chief was one of the few people who could calm her down when she got in a mood.”
Mazik looked to Hyra for confirmation. She nodded. “Plus, she was the head breeder. We both had to meet with him regularly. Only she met with him more often, since they were old friends.”
Gavi considered what Chief Boern being in cahoots with the Noble Hunt would mean. She quickly realized it meant nothing good. “He can open the kennel. In fact, he’s the one who set up the locks. But if he was working with Rhea, why didn’t he just set it up so one of the riders could open it?”
“High level Volokaus locks are noisy when they’re cast,” said Mazik. “Specifically to prevent the locksmith—er, lockcaster from changing them on the sly. Lots of light and sound. And doesn’t everyone you’re keying have to be there for a three-factor lock?”
Knapp nodded. Mazik and Gavi turned to Raedren. He tugged at his beard and said, “I think so. I’d have to check, but that sounds right.”
Gavi thought of what she had seen of Chief Boern. Not a lot. He had always seemed in over his head, like he was barely keeping the village from melting down. Mostly he just seemed to greet adventurers and—
Oh, no.
She recalled the first day they woke up in this village. Chief Boern had known that other guild’s, Alter of Tower’s, guild leader. It had sounded like they were old friends. She had seen him talking fondly to other arrivals since then. New arrivals that hadn’t slowed since Gavi and her friends had arrived.
“Has Chief Boern been suggesting adventurers for you to hire?” asked Gavi.
Knapp ran a hand through his hair. It looked like he had come to the same realization. He nodded. “Aye. He was an Adāst for many years before he became the chief. He helped by contacting people he knew. In fact, you three are some of the few he didn’t suggest.”
There was a pause, and then Mazik spoke for everyone. He began to swear.
*
Mazik collided with the kennel door and yanked, forgetting about the locks. When it wouldn’t budge, he began banging on the doorframe. “Caspian! Saddle up, you slacker! We’ve got work to do.”
The others caught up while he was still yelling. First was Gavi, then Raedren with Hyra in his arms. She had one hand to her ear, and her face was flushed. Hyra had been calling Captain Sie to tell her what they suspected, and Mazik, having decided that the telephonathy spell would take precious seconds he didn’t want to waste, had suggested that Raedren carry her. It was his way of helping and/or teasing his friend. Probably he would have enjoyed Raedren’s expression more if he weren’t so busy working himself up into a frenzy.
By the time Hyra got the door open, Caspian was already on the other side. His injured knee bulged with bandages beneath the pants, and he was standing on the leg with only a little stiffness.
“You good to go?” asked Mazik.
Caspian nodded. “What did you learn?”
“… iyr jeut dernan—Dull Pain.”
“I’ll tell you while we’re on the way. We need to get to Chief Boern’s house now,” said Mazik.
“House or office?” asked Ca
spian.
“House, for preference.”
“Is he likely to be there right now?” asked Gavi. “Actually, are they even different places?”
“They are.” Caspian moved his quiver to his belt, where he could draw more quickly. “I doubt he’ll be at home right now. Not with everything that’s happening.”
Mazik was inclined to agree. The village was still in an uproar thanks to Trafaul and the infiltrators, and from the sounds of it, there was fighting going on at the southeastern approach. “House it is. Lead on.”
By the time the five of them arrived at Chief Boern’s house, Mazik had filled Caspian in, and Caspian was spitting mad.
“That son of a—” Caspian’s cursing was cut off as Mazik and Gavi circled the building, checking for anything suspicious. They found nothing. Chief Boern’s house was one of the few one-story buildings in the village, and was on the same row as General Ordwinn’s, with its back to the western cliff face. They saw no one as they returned to the front.
“I can’t believe I turned on my superior officer because of this slimeball!” Caspian was saying. He was staring down at his hands like they were covered in blood. “Though, wait a minute. The general still could have been in on it. We don’t know that the chief was yet …” He scratched his chin.
Mazik rested a hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “Perhaps we should find some proof before you rip anyone’s head off.” His grip tightened, and he smiled viciously. “Then I’ll help you do the ripping.”
Gavi tried the door. “It’s locked.”
“Chief Boern keeps Volokaus locks on his doors,” said Hyra. “Nothing heavy-duty. He just does it so he doesn’t have to use a key.”
Mazik slammed his heel into the door handle. The doorframe cracked, but held. He snarled, mana gathering as he raised his leg to try again, and again, and again.
When Mazik was done, Gavi examined the remains. The door was hanging crookedly, holding on by a lonely, tortured hinge. “I thought you were going to wait for proof before ripping anyone’s head off.”
Freelance Heroics (Firesign Book 2) Page 35