Heirs of Destiny Box Set

by Andy Peloquin

  “I don’t understand,” Kodyn said. “Aren’t these Reckoners insanely precise? They wouldn’t have made a mistake like this.”

  “Exactly!” Grinning, Briana held up the bill. “Either he knew what Angrak was doing and is guilty of treason, or he took a bribe to sign off on the shipment without actually inspecting the cargo. Either way, he messed up, and he’s going to be willing to do anything to keep the Keeper’s Blades off his back.” Her grin broadened. “And it just so happens that we have a particularly fierce-looking Keeper’s Blade standing downstairs. What do you think Reckoner Dyon will do when we show up at the Coin Counter’s Temple at first light with this in hand and the Archateros in tow?”

  Hope surged within Aisha’s chest as understanding dawned. “He’ll fold like a snapped twig!”

  “Then, with the Reckoner either admitting to fraud or treason, we’ll have a witness to back up the legitimacy of this bill of lading.” Briana waved the parchment. “Add that to your testimony—” She address her words to Kodyn. “—of Councilor Natoris’ words, and Lady Callista will have everything she needs to open a full investigation into Councilor Angrak. During which time, of course, he’ll enjoy the hospitality of the Pharus’ dungeons.”

  “Far better than he deserves!” Kodyn growled.

  “I know you wanted to find a way to connect Angrak to the Ybrazhe or the Gatherers, but I believe this is the better route.” Briana’s face twisted into the same sly expression that Aisha had seen on Arch-Guardian Suroth. “One visit to the Coin Counter’s Temple is all it’ll take to get the information we need.”

  Aisha shot a glance out the window. “The sun won’t be up for a few hours, but we can be there at first light, ready when the doors open.”

  “That won’t be necessary.” Briana gave her a smile. “When they hear what I have to tell you, the Grand Reckoner himself will be eager to open the doors for you.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Issa looked up as a shadow fell across her half-eaten bowl of watery barley soup. Ivita, Lady Callista’s personal attendant, stood on the other side of the common room table.

  “You are summoned.” A simple statement with no added explanation, yet Issa understood at once.

  Issa shoved her bowl toward Etai and hurried to follow Ivita from the common room. Her muscles—exhausted after her run from the Artisan’s Tier and the Blade’s Two Hundred—protested with every step, yet the excitement humming in her chest pushed back against the fatigue.

  Lady Callista had summoned her in response to her message about Councilor Angrak. She couldn’t help hurrying through the Citadel and the palace corridors toward Lady Callista’s office.

  The two Blades outside the door let Issa and Ivita enter without a word. Lady Callista leaned against her desk, arms folded across her broad chest. She wore no armor—a strange sight for Issa—yet she somehow managed to look imposing in the ankle-length dress. The two leather straps revealed strong shoulders, rounded arms, and heavy torso muscles, with solid legs to match. Every inch of Callista Vinaus screamed power and command.

  Issa’s gut clenched at the sight of Invictus Tannard standing behind the Lady of Blades. He loomed like a solid black cloud that filled the office with a cold, all-pervading gloom. He wore full armor and carried his sword on his back, though he had removed his mailed gauntlets—giving Issa a full view of the seven black dots tattooed into the back of his rough hands. A true believer in the Long Keeper, like so many Shalandrans. As always, Tannard’s expression revealed nothing.

  Lady Callista waited until the door closed behind Ivita before speaking. “My Invictus tells me you wanted to speak to me about Angrak.” A hint of a scowl cracked the Lady of Blades’ stern mask. “What do you have to say about our newest Councilor?”

  Issa shot a glance at Tannard, hesitating. Lady Callista had instructed her to relay information to her alone, yet she seemed in no hurry to dismiss the Invictus.

  “See?” Tannard growled, a hint of triumph on his face. “Another prototopoi using whatever excuse they can to escape their training.”

  Anger flared in Issa’s chest. “This is no excuse!” Her cheeks burned, but she turned a furious gaze on Lady Callista. “You told me to bring you anything I found. I have done just that, yet he refused to allow me to—”

  “Ware your tone,” Lady Callista said, her voice quiet yet her tone sharp as a dagger. “The Invictus is your commanding officer, and you will treat him with the respect he is due.”

  Issa snapped her mouth shut, biting down hard on the anger simmering deep within her.

  “Tannard has simply followed my instructions.” Lady Callista’s eyes drilled into Issa. “I wanted to be certain I could trust you not to reveal the wrong information to the wrong person. I ordered Tannard to impede you to see what you would do.”

  Issa’s jaw dropped. It was a bloody test? To Briana and her comrades, this was life and death, no game or examination. They counted on her to get the information about Councilor Angrak to Lady Callista.

  “The moment the Invictus delivered your message, I set my people to work digging into Angrak.” She leaned forward and narrowed her eyes. “So speak, Issa. What news do you have about the Councilor?”

  Issa drew in a deep breath, eyes locked with Tannard’s. His expression revealed nothing; she couldn’t know if she’d passed or failed Lady Callista’s test. Her only recourse would be to share what she knew and hope that she’d done the right thing by giving Tannard Angrak’s name.

  “One of Lady Briana’s bodyguards, Kodyn—”

  “The Praamian,” Lady Callista said, a statement rather than a question.

  Issa nodded. “He followed a man he believed belonged to the Ybrazhe Syndicate to Angrak’s mansion. He saw the man enter through the trademan’s gate.”

  Lady Callista’s sharp features deepened into a frown. “He believed was Ybrazhe? You mean he does not know for certain?”

  “No, Lady Callista.” Issa shook her head. “The man in question waylaid him and his companion, the servant Evren, as they met with the Black Widow.”

  She’d expected a surprised reaction, but Lady Callista just nodded. “I was aware that the Praamian was acquainted with the Black Widow, though I have not yet ascertained the nature of their relationship. But that is not the matter at hand here.” She narrowed her eyes. “You say that this Kodyn was waylaid by the Ybrazhe? Or those he believed were members of the Syndicate?”

  “Yes, Lady Callista,” Issa said. “There was an assassination attempt on the Black Widow, though both Kodyn and Evren escaped unharmed.”

  Callista Vinaus shot a glance up at Tannard. “They prove themselves as resourceful as I believed. Few could turn a desperate flight for their life into such an opportunity.”

  Tannard simply nodded but said nothing.

  “So I take it that the Praamian followed their assassins back to the Keeper’s Tier and Angrak’s mansion?”

  “Yes, Lady Callista.” Issa hesitated.

  The Proxenos noticed. “Speak,” she commanded.

  “Lady Briana understood that the simple eyewitness account of a foreigner might not suffice as evidence to convict a member of the Keeper’s Council.” Issa drew in a breath. “The Praamian planned to break into Angrak’s mansion tonight to find something that would definitively prove that the new Councilor is guilty of colluding with the Ybrazhe. And, possibly, even the Gatherers.”

  Surprise flashed across Lady Callista’s face for the briefest of moments. “The cultists and the Syndicate?”

  Issa nodded. “There was a theory that the Ybrazhe might be working with the Gatherers to destabilize the city, with the goal of expanding their territory to the Artisan’s Tier.”

  “Which would definitely fit with the attack on the palace.” Lady Callista seemed to be following the same train of thought Briana and the others had earlier. “A sound theory, though one we’ve found little evidence to back it up. Everything we’ve discovered about the Gatherers and the Ybrazhe thus far ha
s pointed to two disparate forces.”

  “As you say, Proxenos.” Issa replied. “But, whatever Angrak’s crime, Kodyn will do his utmost to get his hands on evidence that you can use to arrest the Councilor. If he is in league with either the Ybrazhe or the Gatherers—”

  “It will give me leverage to use against not only him, but the Keeper’s Council as well!” Lady Callista’s eyes sparkled and she rubbed her hands together.

  “Go,” she told Tannard, “relay this news to the Pharus.”

  The Invictus gave Lady Callista a curt bow and, ignoring Issa completely, strode from the room.

  When the door shut behind the departing Blade, Lady Callista turned her gaze on Issa. “Very well done, Prototopoi.” Her smile held surprising warmth, not just the acknowledgement from a superior to an underling, but a genuine, deep-seated approval. “This may not be enough to execute Angrak, but it will come in handy when we make our move.”

  “We?” Issa’s brow furrowed. “You and the Pharus…are in league against the Keeper’s Council?” It was the only reason Lady Callista would have sent Tannard to the Pharus. “Forgive me for questioning, Proxenos, but I thought you and the Pharus loathed each other?”

  A scowl deepened the Lady of Blades’ face. “Amhoset Nephelcheres and I have a great deal of history, and everyone in the palace has seen our enmity.” Her expression softened, growing stoic. “But for the sake of Shalandra, we must put aside our feelings for each other and work together.”

  She took a seat in one of the two chairs facing her desk and motioned for Issa to sit in the other.

  “It’s no secret that the Keeper’s Council wields far too much power in the city,” Lady Callista said in a quiet, wary tone. “Mordus Khemnu Nephelcheres was a timid man and a ruler all too willing to let the Council run the city as they saw fit. When Amhoset ascended to his father’s throne, the Council hoped that he would be as pliable as Mordus Khemnu. Yet, over the last few years, he has proven that he is no mere figurehead.” She shot a wary glance around. “He voices his opinion during the Council meetings and argues with the Councilors to ensure that his will is carried out as much as they permit him. He has the people’s affection and the loyalty of those who serve him, something his father never commanded. That makes him a threat to the Necroseti.”

  Issa nodded. Much of what Lady Callista had just said was common knowledge even as far down as the Cultivator’s Tier. Her own grandfather had been staunch, albeit quiet, in his support of the Pharus, and Saba had insisted many more of the Earaqi shared his views.

  “This is why the Pharus and I both suspect the Keeper’s Council as being complicit in the attack at the palace two nights ago.” Lady Callista’s face hardened. “The perceived threat on their lives was likely a ruse to conceal their complicity. Were it not for Arch-Guardian Suroth, the attack might very well have succeeded. It was only by the Keeper’s grace that I was nearby at the time, and your quick thinking and courageous actions stymied the assassination attempt. Had they succeeded in killing the Pharus, the Keeper’s Council would have used all of their power to install a ruler as compliant and docile as Pharus Mordus Khemnu, and Shalandra would have once more fallen to their control.”

  “But we stopped them,” Issa said.

  “This time, yes.” Lady Callista nodded. “But with the elevation of Angrak—an appointment that neither I nor the Pharus were aware of, yet somehow became official within mere hours of Suroth’s death—the Necroseti now control the entire Council. The Pharus lacks the power to stop them from doing whatever they desire, and even I can only stymie their political efforts to a limited extent.” She clenched a fist. “Until Lady Briana gives us this proof that we can use to arrest Angrak and turn him against the rest of the Keeper’s Council.”

  Issa nodded. “By first light, you should have what you need.”

  “Good.” Lady Calista smiled. “And it is your job to ensure that information arrives safely into my hands. Before noon.”

  “Noon?” Issa cocked an eyebrow.

  “As is the Shalandran custom, Angrak must undergo certain rituals in the Hall of the Beyond to be truly elevated to the role of Councilor.” The Lady of Blades’ face darkened. “There is a grand procession tomorrow, and every member of the Dhukari will turn out to watch the Necroseti and their guards escort Angrak to the Long Keeper’s temple for the ceremony at noon. If we can arrest him before he arrives at the Hall of the Beyond, he will be nothing more than a high-ranked Necroseti priest—one the Keeper’s Council can disavow if it suits their purposes. But the moment he steps foot over the threshold, he will be safely within the temple stronghold, and it would take an army of Blades and Indomitables to get him out.”

  Issa scowled. “Then I’ll be bloody well certain to get you that proof before noon, Proxenos!” She stood and gave a formal salute.

  Lady Callista returned the salute, a hint of something inscrutable—was that pride?—etched into the strong lines of her face. “Go, collect your patrol of Indomitables, and tell Sentinel Imale that your training for tonight is to patrol the Artisan’s Tier. Particularly the streets around the house given to Lady Briana and her companions.”

  Issa grinned as she grasped the Lady of Blades’ intention. “Of course, my lady.”

  Callista Vinaus stood. “Keep her safe,” she said in an urgent whisper. “The moment she has the information I need to implicate Councilor Angrak, escort it here at once.”

  “Might I make a request, Lady Callista?” Issa asked.

  The Lady of Blades arched an eyebrow. “You may.”

  “Give me Etai, my fellow prototopoi, to help. With Archateros Hykos, we will be able to rotate between our training and duties to the Keeper’s Blades, while always having two of us on hand.”

  “What of Kellas?” Lady Callista’s tone stopped just short of sardonic. “Four would be better than three, wouldn’t you say?”

  Issa’s gut clenched. “I would not take him away from his training.” She and Kellas might not be at each other’s throat, but the less time she spent around the Dhukari trainee, the better. “And I believe the presence of so many Keeper’s Blades will draw unwanted attention.”

  “Good thinking.” Humor sparkled in Lady Callista’s eyes—she clearly knew Issa’s true feelings on the matter. “So be it. You have my permission to recruit Etai into your efforts.” She held up a finger. “But only tell her as much as she absolutely needs to know. To everyone outside this office, you are simply one more patrol guarding the Artisan’s Tier.”

  “Of course, Lady Callista.” She saluted once more and turned to leave.

  “A word of warning, Prototopoi.”

  The Lady of Blades’ words stopped her in her tracks. She turned to face Lady Callista, her face an expressionless mask.

  “Until the time is right, neither the Pharus nor I can be seen to move directly against the Keeper’s Council.” Her solemn tone matched the piercing intensity in her eyes. “Lady Briana’s actions are those of a Zadii mourning the loss of her father. If it is discovered that she is acting against the Keeper’s Council, there will be little we can do to protect her. She will be judged and hanged for treason. She and anyone else seen to help her, no matter who they are.”

  Issa nodded understanding. Not even her position as a trainee in the Keeper’s Blades could shield her from the Council’s wrath.

  “As you say, Lady Callista.” She gave her commander a fierce look. “I’ll make damned certain nothing goes wrong.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Evren’s heart hammered in his chest as he crept through the shadows of the alley toward the spot where he’d spotted the watcher lurking in the darkness.

  Who in the bloody hell is watching us? It could be any number of enemies—the Gatherers, the Ybrazhe, the Necroseti, maybe even someone else they didn’t know about.

  Whoever you are, I’m coming for you.

  He tested his jambiyas in their sheaths, making certain he could draw them in an instant if needed. He’
d spotted just one watcher but there could be more hiding in the shadows.

  Good thing I’ve got time.

  Midnight had come and gone, but he had another three or four hours before sunrise. He could go slow, stalk the man like the Hunter would. First, he needed to get around behind the watcher and approach from the rear to keep an eye on the man. Once in place, he’d find a way to slip up behind the lurker and knock him out. One way or another, they’d get the answers out of him.

  He’d slipped out the back of Briana’s house and used the alleys to get around behind the man. Now, he kept one eye fixed on his target and one scanning the street for anything that could make noise and alert the watcher to his presence. He settled into the shadows of an overhanging roof thirty paces behind the man—just the right distance to evade notice yet still have clear sight of his prey. He kept his breathing steady and quiet as he watched and waited. Fifteen minutes passed and the man barely moved, just shifting once in his hiding place in the shadows.

  He’s good. Evren grinned. But I’m better.

  He scanned the streets for another hiding place nearer the man. He couldn’t get too close, not yet. The lurker would grow tired, his ears numb to the sounds of life around him as fatigue set in. Evren would have to slowly inch his way forward, one shadow at a time, to avoid drawing the man’s attention.

  Fifteen minutes later, he made his first move. He slipped out of his hiding place and crossed the street, ducking around a corner into an adjoining side street without a sound. His pulse pounded in his ears as he waited, silent and still. When he poked one eye out of his hiding place, the watcher hadn’t moved, hadn’t so much as turned.

  I’m coming for you, you bastard!

  He couldn’t help grinning. This promised to be the world’s slowest pursuit—a creeping man racing toward a stationary target at a speed any snail could outrun. He stifled a chuckle and searched the darkness for his next hiding place.