But those fantasies had grown less frequent as the weeks and months passed, and eventually Jules had buried them, refusing to imagine such a happy outcome again. The never-fulfilled dreams of her father returning had been buried deep inside the darkness that Mak had seen within her.
No one had ever come for her.
Jules realized that her fists were tightly clenched as the harbor came into sight just before them.
They reached the head of the pier without incident, the bored pier sentry waving them onward without leaving his guard shack. As the former prisoners filed past on their way down the pier toward the ship, Jules tapped Ang on the shoulder. She didn’t realize that she’d decided on something until she heard the words coming out of her. “Tell the captain I’ll be back before the tide turns.”
Ang stared at her. “Back? Where are you going, Jeri?”
“We’re short one prisoner.”
“What? No! You can’t-”
“Just wait for me. If I’m not back before dawn, get out of the harbor. I’ll find another way out if that happens.”
“But-”
She turned and began walking briskly inland.
Somehow if felt easier this time. No one else with her, no one following her and depending on her. It was just her, and if she messed up she’d be the only one to pay the price.
She’d pay the price, and so would the future of every common person in the world.
You owe me this, Jules thought at that distant daughter of her line. You took my life and made it about you. Give me this, so I know that what I do still matters, so that I know who I am still matters.
As if in sardonic reply, another gust of wind hurled rain at her face, momentarily blinding her as she blinked her eyes clear. When Jules could see again, she spotted on the other side of the street two dimly-seen figures in Mage robes walking the other way.
She took the next corner, turning away from the Mages. Neither one seemed to have taken notice of her.
The south fort. So it was probably to the south, though you couldn’t always count on Imperial names matching reality on the ground. Stories abounded of Imperial nobles who acted as if whatever they wanted to believe was in fact hard truth.
Two more vague figures appeared out of the murk, heading her way. Jules reached back to where the revolver in its holster formed a hard lump against her back. Her heart thumped loudly in her ears, almost drowning the noise of the rain.
Police. Jules breathed out with relief.
It was the same pair that she’d encountered earlier. “Oh, it’s you again,” one of the officers said, squinting as rain poured down her face. “Did you lose your soldiers?”
“No,” Jules said. “I found out that I have to file a report at the south fort before I can knock off for the night. What’s the quickest way there?”
One of the officers pointed. “See that corner? It turns onto the street where a lot of the biggest hostels are located. Even on a night like this there should be some coaches waiting around in hopes of customers. Using one of them can get you there the fastest. Don’t let them charge you! You’re on official business.”
“Right. Thanks again. Uh, see any more Mages about?”
“Only a few. Either they’ve called it a night or they all got where they were going.”
Jules hoped they weren’t heading for the pier where the Sun Queen was tied up. But if the Mages were tracking her somehow, that shouldn’t happen. Instead, they should be following her back into the city rather than threatening anyone on her ship.
It was odd how something could be both comforting and worrisome at the same time.
Jules slogged her way to the indicated corner, turning it to find only two coaches waiting outside the hostels lining the street, miserable drivers huddled on wet seats while their horses stood with the stolid patience of animals knowing that the barn awaited at the end of their work shift.
Open coaches. So much for hoping for any temporary relief from the storm. She stepped into one, water pooled inside pouring out as the coach shifted to one side under her weight, the driver looking back at her with sudden hope that changed to sullen resignation as he saw she was an Imperial officer. “The south fort,” Jules said. “Get me there fast and I’ll pay your fare.”
The driver perked up and the coach rattled off, sometimes swaying alarmingly in the wind, the open seating no protection at all. In fact, Jules wondered if the forward motion somehow worsened the rainfall she experienced.
Hoping that the south fort wasn’t too far south, Jules waited, tense, as the coach kept going. If it was too far, she’d never make it back in time.
Ironically, there was too much time to think about that as she huddled against the storm. Too much time to wonder what the Mages might be doing, or what might happen if more of Prince Ostin’s retainers showed up at the detention building looking for the prisoners.
Jules rested one hand on the dagger at her belt, pondering her options if she was trapped.
The coach jerked to a halt. “South fort.”
Jules pulled out an Imperial eagle, the gold glinting in the rain. It represented far more than the trip should have cost, but then she’d stolen the coin and many similar ones from Imperial shipping, so it only felt right to spend it here. “Go get some rest.”
The driver stared at the coin, grinning. “Yes, Lady! Do…do you want me to wait for you?”
Why hadn’t she thought of that already? Plan, Jules! Make a plan! Have you been listening to Captain Mak at all? “Yes. I’ll double that if you take me back to the harbor. I shouldn’t be long.”
The south fort turned out to be a fort that had no walls, being the home of administrators rather than fighters. Jules blinked against the rain and the dark, hailing a passing secretary hurrying past through the storm. “Where’s Prince Ostin staying?”
“The grand manor! Straight on! You can’t miss it.”
Sure enough, Jules soon saw lanterns blazing at the front of a palatial three-story building. Most of the windows glowed with light as well. Worrying about paying for candle wax or lantern oil was for little people, not Imperial princes.
Having undergone mandatory training in Important Person hand-holding at officer school, Jules knew enough about how such things worked to avoid the impressive front entrance where multiple legionaries stood guard. Mere lieutenants were expected to use a side entrance when summoned to duty at this kind of manor.
The legionary huddled against the storm outside the side-entrance sprang to attention when he realized that Jules was an officer. “Halt and identify!”
She walked up to him, once again adopting an officious air. Act like you belong there, Ian had once advised her. Half of having authority is acting like you’re in charge. Even though she felt like a half-drowned animal she was still a lieutenant. Or rather she was still pretending to still be a lieutenant.
She wondered where Ian was, whether he was all right.
“Status?” Jules barked at the sentry, just as the captain of the guard would.
“All’s well!” the sentry replied, stiffening his posture a little more.
“Stay alert!” Jules ordered. “I’m going to check the sentries inside as well.”
“There’s just the one legionary inside this door, Lieutenant. The rest are Prince Ostin’s retainers.”
“I knew that,” Jules said, her voice biting. “The colonel wants to make sure both of you are staying sharp. We don’t want the prince complaining about sloppy soldiers on sentry.” From what she’d heard, no matter where you went there was always one colonel that everyone wanted to avoid dealing with.
“Yes, Lieutenant. No, Lieutenant.”
“Good.” The sentry held open the door for Jules, who walked in, grateful to be out of the storm and grateful that the sentry hadn’t asked for the colonel’s name.
The inside sentry, lounging against a wall, straightened guiltily to attention as Jules walked inside. “You call that standing watch?” she snapped at him
.
“Yes, Lieutenant. No, Lieutenant.” Apparently the sentries in Sandurin liked to cover every possible correct reply in their responses.
“Where’re the prince’s quarters? I’m supposed to report to him.”
“Down this hallway, left, up one flight, and down to the right,” the sentry replied.
“Well done,” Jules said. She left the relieved sentry, her soaked uniform dripping streams of water on the fine carpeting inside the manor.
Passing one closed door, she heard revelry inside. Loud voices, laughter, the sound of men and women either drunk or close to it. Making sure no one else was in the hallway to see her, Jules put one eye to the crack in the door, looking inside.
Retainers of the prince, she guessed from the very narrow view. Having a good time inside the warm manor while lesser servants worried about braving the weather. “Is he done with her yet?” one of the men said loudly, generating another gust of laughs.
“Can’t wait for our turn!” another replied, leading to a cheer.
Jules relaxed the fist her hand had clenched into as she heard them talk and headed up the stairs.
One flight. Down to the right. A bored guard, one of Prince Ostin’s retainers, stood by an ornate double door at least a lance wide. “Is the prince inside?” Jules asked. “I have an urgent dispatch for him.”
“No,” the retainer answered, not bothering with courtesy to a junior officer, secure in the knowledge that he was protected by his status with the prince. “He headed into town.”
“I can leave the dispatch in his rooms.”
“No, you can’t,” the man said with a grin. “The prince has a guest in there.”
Hating that knowing grin, Jules smiled at the retainer. “Thank you.” One of her palms went over the mouth of the startled guard before he could react, at the same time as her other hand drew the dagger and rammed it home in his chest, making sure it went into the heart.
The retainer stiffened, shuddering, his eyes open and staring at her. She held his mouth closed until he died.
Opening one side of the door, Jules dragged the guard inside and shoved him into the butler’s pantry to the left.
The entry opened into an expansive suite, with a seating area that disturbingly faced the wide bed at one end as if positioned for spectator sport. A single lantern burning low gave enough light to see by as Jules walked to the bed.
The girl lying in it had her hands bound to the headboard above her head. She opened her eyes at Jules’ approach, gazing at her with stoic misery.
Jules brought her dagger out again, slashing the bonds. “Are these clothes yours? Get into them.”
“No,” the young woman said, shaking her head. “I can’t stop you from doing what you want to me, but I won’t make it any easier for you by cooperating.”
Jules leaned close to her. “The prince’s plans have been changed, though he doesn’t know it yet. There’s a young man named Aron waiting for you, Lil. I’d hate to disappoint him.”
“Aron? How do you know Aron? Why would an Imperial help us? Who are you?”
Resisting the urge to slap the girl to get her moving, Jules spoke quickly. “He’s on a ship in the harbor. I’m not an Imperial officer. I’m a pirate. I’ve got a couple of names I’m going by, so you can call me Jeri.”
“Jeri? A pirate? Stars above, you’re…you’re…”
“Impatient. We don’t have much time.”
“Yes.” Lil got up, wincing, and struggled into her clothes.
Jules found a long, hooded cape in one closet and draped it over her. Just because a lieutenant couldn’t protect herself from the rain didn’t mean this girl also had to suffer. “Can you walk?”
“Yes.”
But Jules found she had to support the trembling girl as they headed for the door.
It opened when they were almost there, another retainer looking into the dimly lit room. “Lerd? Where are you? If you’re taking your turn early-”
The dagger in Jules’ free hand swept through an arc that included the front of his throat.
As he collapsed, gurgling on his own blood, she used one foot to shove the dying retainer to the side where the other retainer’s body lay.
Pausing only to shut the door behind her, Jules helped the girl down the stairs. “We’re going to go past two sentries. Don’t say a word. I don’t want to have to hurt them.”
The inside sentry eyed them worriedly as Jules approached. “Is something wrong, Lieutenant?”
“I’ve been told to take her to the healer,” Jules said.
“Oh,” the sentry said, the single word carrying a wealth of meaning also reflected in the revulsion the sentry couldn’t quite conceal. He held the door for Jules as she helped the girl outside and past the other sentry.
The rain whipped at them as Jules supported the girl along the streets of the fort. To her relief, the coach was still waiting. She helped the girl into it. “The harbor. Fast.”
“You got it, Lady!”
She looked up at the sky as the coach jolted down the streets, still nearly empty of traffic, wondering how much time she had left. Rain fell into her face, making it even harder to judge the hour while dark clouds covered the pre-dawn sky.
The coach rumbled to a sudden halt. Jules raised up to look ahead. “Why have we stopped?”
“Some sort of backup, Lady,” the driver said. “Something down by the harbor, I think.”
Had the Imperials been alerted? Was there already a cordon in place to keep her from getting back to the ship?
“What’s that?” the driver called to those ahead. “Mages? Doing what?” He looked back at Jules, fear walking across his features. “It’s Mages. A lot of them. They’re stopping everyone heading for the harbor. The drivers up ahead say they seem to be looking for someone.”
Blazes. They knew she was here. And that she wanted to get to the harbor. If only she hadn’t gone to get this girl. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Jules looked over at the girl huddled beside her and realized that she’d be stupid again.
Maybe she could head out of the city. Find somewhere to hide, get word to the Sun Queen…
A covered carriage rolled up behind them, coming to a stop as well. With the window shades down and the doors closed, the occupants were protected from the weather and from being seen. But Jules heard a man inside calling to the driver of the carriage. “What’s going on?”
“Some sort of stoppage on the street, Sir Mechanic.”
Sir Mechanic? Did she know the voice that had come from inside the carriage? Jules weighed her chances if she didn’t try something very risky, and decided that she had nothing to lose. Hopping down from the cart, she approached the door to the carriage, ignoring the driver’s silent attempts to warn her away.
“Sir Mechanic,” Jules called softly, rapping on the door to the carriage.
The door yanked open, giving her a view of the interior. Only two occupants, both Mechanics. One a woman, one a man. Both were glaring at her.
She recognized the man, the Mechanic on their ship who she’d thought might be sympathetic to her. “Sir Mechanic, I need your help.”
He looked back at her in disbelief. “I don’t care if you are an Imperial officer. That’s nothing to me. Why do you think I’d help a common?”
Jules reached behind her back to draw the revolver, displaying it to the Mechanics. “Because I’m someone you’ve met before.”
“How did you-? Wait. You’re her?” He leaned closer, staring at her. “What was the name?”
“Jules, Sir Mechanic. Sir, there are Mages stopping access to the harbor. They’re looking for me.”
He stared at her a moment longer. “Get in.”
“Sir, there’s someone with me.”
“Then get him and get in!”
Jules got the girl from the coach, tossing another eagle to the delighted driver. “We found another ride. Go home.” Pushing Lil into the carriage, and following her inside, Jules clos
ed the door in time to hear the female Mechanic talking to the man. “Hal, what the blazes are you doing? Is this common your mistress? You gave her a revolver?”
“Sit over there,” the male Mechanic ordered Jules and the girl, motioning to the front seat of the carriage facing him and the woman. “Gayl, she’s not my mistress. She works for the Guild.”
“A common?”
“Remember? The one the Mages made that prediction about?”
“That’s her?” Lady Mechanic Gayl stared at Jules. “So you’re supposed to overthrow the Guild, huh?”
“A daughter of my line, Lady Mechanic,” Jules said. Water running off of her uniform was pooling on the seat and streaming down to the floor before seeking exit from the carriage through the bottoms of the doors.
“Huh. What’s the matter with her?” the woman asked, pointing to the girl. “Is she hurt?”
“Yes, Lady Mechanic. She caught the eye of a prince.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed in anger. “And what, you’re rescuing her?”
“Yes, Lady Mechanic.”
“Commendable for a common. What is it you need?”
“We need to get past the Mages searching everyone going to the harbor,” Jules said. “Sometimes they know where I’m going to be. But only sometimes.”
“Erratic intelligence collection,” Mechanic Hal commented. “She’s killed two Mages,” he added to Mechanic Gayl.
“She could kill some more tonight,” Gayl said. “Instead of us getting involved.”
“Lady,” Jules said, “we need to get to my ship and out of the harbor. If the Imperials realize I’m here, there’ll be trouble.”
“Why?”
Mechanic Hal answered. “The Emperor wants in on the Mage prediction. And she’s been doing the Guild’s bidding, keeping him distracted so he wouldn’t try to interfere with our ongoing projects.”
“We could take her to our ship, then,” Mechanic Gayl said. “If she’s an agent of the Guild.”
Mechanic Hal shook his head. “My understanding is that we’re not supposed to show any direct tie with her. The Guild has to be able to deny that it’s giving her orders or helping her.”
Pirate of the Prophecy Page 26