“And here, Kiera… Here we have the greatest collection of enchanted armor the world has ever known. This one is the last remaining example of the penumbric armor worn in the shadow wars of the last era. Can you imagine it, Kiera? Armor that turns the wearer nearly invisible under the glow of the eclipse?”
“What’s that space for?” Chloe asked, noticing a gap between two sets of armor.
“Oh, that’s for my greatest collectible to date. Something I have yet to locate and acquire, but which I will stop at nothing until I see on my wall.” His eyes grew glassy. “The lost armor of the great Goddess of Retribution, KieraFreya.”
Ice ran up Chloe’s spine, and she did her best to keep her composure as Tohken regaled her with the legend of KieraFreya and her destruction as she was tossed back into the land of the mortals. Chloe was suddenly very aware of her bracers, a hot, itching sensation creeping under her skin. She did her best to ignore the feeling and listen, hoping to give nothing away.
“How do you know all this?” Chloe asked as innocently as possible. “If this is all legend and myth?”
“I have my sources,” Tohken told her. “Most of the objects and items in this room were born of myth and legend, many believing that they didn’t exist. How people flocked to me when, acquisition by acquisition, I proved them wrong.
“See, legends and fables are all born from one thing: truth. Every single story man has ever told has a grain of truth hidden in it somewhere, a tiny token of something that just needs to be teased out and confirmed as reality. Do you know what I mean?”
Chloe nodded. Of course, she knew. She was wearing a shining example of the damn things.
“So, do you have any idea where the pieces all are?” she asked, fingers laced behind her back as she puffed out her chest. If Tohken had all of this information on the legends, surely he would have some idea on the location. He had known enough to set a mage after her, so she doubted he was oblivious to the possible locations of the armor.
“I have a number of clues. Deciphering the legend is difficult, but I’ve made progress.” Tohken reached into a small drawer below the stand and pulled out a scroll covered in scribblings of ink. “See there, there are patterns across the land—places where shrines and points of interest relating to great acts of retribution were carried through history. Hammersville. Killink View. Nauriel. Even out in the Oakston woods.”
“Nauriel?” Chloe asked, trying to get him to give her more information. “You mean, there’s a piece right here in the city, and you haven’t found it yet? Come on, I thought you were a real collector.”
A flash of anger crossed Tohken’s face. He took a breath and closed his eyes, and his smile returned. “You’d think, huh?” He pointed at a line on the scroll. “See here? This line suggests that one of the missing pieces fell into the epicenter of Nauriel. Slap-bang in the middle, years before the great Naurielan Tree was planted.”
“And you’ve looked beneath the tree?”
Tohken laughed, an incredulous look on his face. “You really aren’t from around these parts, are you? Don’t you know what’s inside the tree?”
Chloe shrugged, batting her eyelashes.
“The city prison lies inside, a veritable sinkhole of immeasurable labyrinths and inescapable cells. I’ve tried to persuade the guards to allow me access to its depths, but no matter how much money I flash and offer, the bastards won’t let me in.”
Tohken’s face took on an unsavory glow as his rage took over. His fists clenched, but he once again saw Chloe eyeing him and let it wash away.
“Why don’t you just get arrested? That way, you can explore the prison yourself.”
Nice one, idiot, KieraFreya said. Help the guy who’s trying to beat you to the rest of the armor. That makes complete sense.
Chloe glared at her wrists, finding it strange that, for the first time since acquiring the bracers, she had sleeves so thick she was unable to see them.
Tohken scoffed. “It wouldn’t quite be the thing for a man of my stature to find himself in a cell. How do you think it would affect my reputation if my admirers were to discover I was nothing more than a petty criminal? I’d be done for. There’d be no coming back from that.”
“What about one of your admirers?” Chloe suggested. “Surely they could do it for you?”
“You think I haven’t tried?” Tohken said, turning and walking to the far side of the room. Chloe followed. “I’ve had a great number of test subjects dive into the slammer. All have either found themselves stuck inside due to bad behavior and further upsetting of the guards, or have told me that by the time they were released, they were unable to find any evidence of the armor, or even where it might be located.”
Chloe’s mind went blank. If this maniac who had been spending the best part of his life searching for pieces of KieraFreya’s armor had had no luck in his search, what hope was there that she would ever be able to find it?
They passed through the door into a small, dimly lit room with candles in sconces on the walls, Chloe so deep in her thoughts that she hardly noticed as Tohken took a seat on a large, plush bed and began to unbutton his shirt.
“Still, enough talk of relics. There’s only one prize I’ve got my eyes on tonight.” He licked his lips hungrily, Chloe once again flushed at the man’s six-pack abs as he pulled her closer and kissed her on the lips.
Chloe melted, but only for a second. She became aware of his hands in her hair. On her back. Dropping to cup her ass.
“I’m sorry, this is all a bit too quick,” she said, pulling away but finding herself unable to leave as he grabbed her by the wrists. He felt the metal beneath his palms, and a knowing leer grew on his face.
“I knew it!” he exclaimed, tugging Chloe’s sleeves up to reveal KieraFreya’s bracers. “You sneaky whore.”
Chapter Forty-Six
Without her compelling them to, Chloe’s hands slapped Tohken across the face.
“Who are you calling a whore?” KieraFreya demanded, ice in her voice.
Tohken’s eyes lit as he nursed his raw cheek. “It’s true! The legends are true. You really are stuck in your fragments.”
The man’s expression had turned wild with excitement, his hair now standing at odd angles as he brushed a hand through it. He stared at the bracers, licking his lips. “You must relinquish the items to me.”
He reached for the bracers, and Chloe’s hands rose once more to slap him.
“Sorry, darling. I’m the property of Chloe, now. Ain’t no way you’re freeing me of her wrists,” KieraFreya said, adding in a muted voice, “Believe me, I’ve tried.”
“Nonsense,” Tohken shot back, drawing a small blade that had been hidden in his belt. “Everything is removable. How do you think I acquired the skull of Fromlax the Deceiver?”
“With coin?” Chloe said.
“With the blade,” Tohken said, swiping at Chloe’s wrists.
KieraFreya moved them just in time and the blade clanged off the bracers, leaving not even a scratch behind. Chloe took a few steps back, unbuttoning the rest of the top of her dress and letting the restrictive material cascade off of her. She was wearing a thin undershirt that left nothing to the imagination and hemmed trousers underneath, and had belted her sword at her waist.
She drew her sword, rolling her eyes as Tohken gawped at her form. “Men are so easy.”
And then their blades sang as they danced with each other. Chloe struck overhand, meeting Tohken’s block. With a sweeping arc, he pushed her blade away and stabbed at her, Chloe moving just in time to avoid having the blade slice her open.
Chloe felt the bed behind her and pushed backward, rolling onto the sheets and standing tall.
“I give you one chance to surrender,” Chloe said, pointing her sword at his chest. “Put down your blade, hand yourself over to the guard as the—admittedly rather handsome—scumbag you are, and let me out of here.”
“I’d rather not,” he said, leaping onto the bed and driving into her, his shoulder fi
nding her stomach.
They both fell onto the bed, Tohken on top.
“Not exactly what I had in mind, but it’ll do.” He winked, taking a stab at Chloe’s face. She moved her head, and a cloud of feathers erupted into the air.
Chloe raised a knee, getting him deep in the groin. “Filthy creature. You’re worse than the orc you sent to kill me.” She rolled onto the floor, landing with a thud before jumping back to her feet and running over to the door. It remained firmly locked.
“You killed Crazka?” The hurt was clear on Tohken’s face. “He was my best Berzerker. You little…”
He roared, charging once more at Chloe. He caught her in the side and shoved her into the wall, the wind knocked out of her. She doubled over, screaming as Tohken grabbed a handful of hair and pulled it back, his blade going to her throat.
“Any last words?”
Chloe gasped for breath. “Wa… Wa…”
“Water?” Tohken chuckled.
“No. Watch out,” Chloe said, driving her full weight backward and managing to slip out of his grasp. She crossed the room, grabbed a vase off a marble podium, and launched it at him. It missed by inches, smashing into a thousand pieces.
“No! Not my collectibles!”
He ran at Chloe, fire in his eyes. Halfway across the room, his foot caught in the bundle of material that had been Chloe’s dress. He fell to the floor, catching his nose, which bloomed with blood.
Chloe picked Tohken up by his chin and smashed a vase on top of him. He grumbled, eyes vacant as he lay on the floor panting.
“So...how about...that surrender, thing?” Chloe gasped.
Tohken pushed himself shakily to his feet, using the wall for support. His shoulders slumped, and his blade arm dropped to his side. He let the sword fall to the floor.
“Fine…” he said, spitting out a mouthful of red. “You win.”
“Really?” Chloe said, surprised. She coughed, regaining her composure. “I mean, really?”
Tohken nodded, letting himself slide uneasily to the floor. “You get what you wanted. Get out of here. Get the authorities. Do whatever you need to. You win. I give up…” his words trailed off as a cough shook his entire body.
Chloe looked around the room uncertainly. “Okay, then…”
She made it as far as the door before KieraFreya pulled her body round.
“What is your problem?” Chloe said.
KieraFreya huffed. “You came here to kill the man who killed you, remember? Are you just going to leave him there?”
Chloe slapped her head, clearly still a little disorientated from the fight. “Of course, of course.”
She stood before Tohken, sword pointed directly at his face. “Mr. Garibald Tohken, do you have any final words before I put you to death?”
Tohken scratched his chin, contemplation in his eyes. He opened his mouth, then closed it.
“I haven’t got all day.”
“Of course, of course,” Tohken said, a wry smile tugging at his cheeks. He pointed at the door. “Nor have they, Miss Chloe. And I think you’ll find that they’ll be much more of a handful than I was.”
Standing in the doorway were several rough-looking men clad in gold tunics. Several of them held bows, which were loaded and aimed at Chloe, while one or two had their hands on the hilts of their swords.
“Oh—” beep, Chloe managed before she felt their strong arms pinning hers back.
Chloe looked to Tohken for an explanation.
He rose, crossing the room and closing the door the men had just walked through to reveal a discretely placed piece of rope that was strung to the ceiling and disappeared through a small hole at the top of the wall. “Emergency bell. Think I haven’t encountered enough situations like this in my bedroom to not fully defend myself?”
“So what seems to be the situation, Mr. Tohken?” a stocky man in a gold tunic asked, moving in front of the others. Chloe noted a small brooch on his lapel with text beneath which read, Nauriel Guard.
“This woman attacked me, gents. Brutally came at me with her sword and went for my throat. I thought I was toast.”
The lead guard faced Chloe. “Is that true?”
Chloe shook her head. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You believe this guy? I’m innocent! He attacked me. Tried to chop off my wrists and then tried to murder me.”
Tohken snorted, giving the guard a “Would I do that?” look.
The lead guard shrugged. “I’m sorry, ma’am, you’ll have to come with us. Mr. Tohken is a reputable character, and all we see is evidence that you struck Mr. Tohken on several occasions.”
“She also broke my artifacts!”
“Unlawful behavior, bodily harm, and destruction of property that isn’t yours. That’s a trifecta of offenses that are going to keep you with us for some time.”
They began to drag Chloe out of the room. Tohken rose to his feet desperately as he realized the bracers were going with her. “Hold on! She has my jewelry!”
The lead guard eyed the bracers, gripped the edges, and tried to remove them. He looked tired, exhaling with his head tilted back. “You know what? We can examine this further at the city jail. Come on, gents. This way.”
The guard rubbed his face as he exited the room, muttering, “They’re a little girly for you anyway, Toke.”
Despite being led out of the room by the Nauriel Guard, Chloe couldn’t help but laugh at his furious outcry.
Being marshaled through the streets in nothing but a thin layer of clothing which did nothing to protect her from the chilly evening breeze was an experience Chloe would rather have foregone. Putting aside the cat-calling and wolf-whistling from the various men she passed on the way to the Naurelian Tree, she felt a hint of annoyance at herself for having not finished the job at hand when she had Tohken in her sights.
I told you, KieraFreya prodded as they walked around a looping staircase and came out on a different street level, blazing torches on the ends of long, flowering stalks illuminating their way. You’re going to have to listen to me if we’re actually going to get anywhere on this mission.
Chloe grinned as the entrance to the Nauriel Prison came into view—a large open arc with metal bars for doors embedded in the trunk of the great tree.
Unless we’ve already made progress, she thought, remembering what Tohken had told her. Dozens had tried to find the mystical armor inside the prison, but no one had yet succeeded.
No one else has my map, she mused, pulling up the map on her display, her heart fluttering as she saw that she was now considerably closer to the sigil of the gods that indicated the location of the armor.
Now, if only she had a 3D view of the prison and could see more clearly where it lay…
“Another one?” a man asked at the gate, acknowledging the guards leading Chloe inside.
“Aye. Bothering Tohken and destroying his stuff. Damn near nearly killed him, too.”
The gate guard clicked his tongue. “Naughty, naughty.” He moved aside, drinking in an eyeful of Chloe as she passed him. “Naughty, naughty indeed.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chloe had once visited a bathhouse in the city, a sort of spa filled with great quantities of scalding-hot water separated into a multitude of pools where steam rose and men and women walked around virtually naked.
The pools had been built to relax people. To loosen the muscles and de-stress the cluttered mind. There were spas and saunas, people rubbing oil on other people. A large number of skin cells and germs shed as people leaving the bathhouse felt lighter than air and cleaner than soap.
What that meant, however, was that there was a hell of a lot of skank left behind. Stray pubic hairs, filthy skin cells, dirt from under nails, and all of it was washed into the drainage system of the bathhouse and left to run into the city’s sewers, forgotten and discarded.
Until one day the drains were blocked.
Chloe had been toweling herself off in the changing room, ready to head home, make som
e calls, slap on some makeup, and meet the girls for some luncheon cocktails when she had first smelled it—the festering concoction of every bit of discarded material the body could offer.
The drain had gurgled before thick gray liquid began to bubble out of it onto the floor. Those around her screamed. She screamed. The smell was foul. Indescribably bad. A smell that haunted her to this very day.
That was the smell she now enjoyed as she sat hunched over in her prison cell with its packed-mud floors and carved wooden walls. The smell was atrocious, a stink of death and decay. It had a physical presence that made her gag. As much as she felt strangely excited at finding herself in the prison, she also wasn’t sure how much longer she could stand the stink without throwing up.
“You get used to it.” A woman belched from across the corridor.
Chloe walked over to the bars to get a better look. “Really?”
The woman laughed, the sound a cross between a cement mixer and a car backfiring. “Are you kidding? Of course not! That’s one of the punishments. You ain’t supposed to enjoy it in here, doll.”
She shuffled into a sitting position, a large dollop of flab dripping over the sides of her shorts like a melting hot fudge sundae.
“What they got you for?”
“Attempted murder,” Chloe said casually, trying to catch a glimpse at the occupants of the other cells.
“Oh, badass,” the woman said appreciatively. She gestured at herself. “Illegal distribution of forbidden potions and magical equipment. Caught me on my way out of the city. I’d been dealing in the forbidden for five years before they caught me. How’s that for bittersweet?”
“Chloe,” Chloe said.
“Jesepiah,” the woman replied.
“Y’know, where I’m from, prisons usually force their prisoners to share a cell with other inmates. It isn’t like that here?”
“Nope. Nothing like that. The Naurelian Tree is the largest prison Obsidian has ever seen. Cells spiral up into this beast for over 50 floors, I’m told. The higher you go, the worse the offense. Repeat offenders and homicidal maniacs go straight to the top.”
Collecting The Goddess (Chronicles Of KieraFreya Book 1) Page 33