Darkblade Justice: An Epic Fantasy Murder Mystery (Hero of Darkness Book 7)

by Andy Peloquin

  The Guild Master seemed to reach the same conclusion at the same time as he did. Their eyes locked, and he read grim determination there. “To the soapmaker’s, now!”

  For her sake, the Hunter found himself hoping they found the killers in time to save her son. He still felt the loss of Farida years after her death, even though the young flower girl hadn’t been his flesh and blood. No one should have to suffer that pain.

  “Zeem, get to House Serpent and Bloodbear and let them know where we’re going.” Master Gold was suddenly all business, snapping terse commands in a tone that held only resolve. “Have them meet us there as soon as they can.”

  “Yes, Guild Master.” The little man nodded and rushed from the room.

  She turned to the taller man. “Shaw, keep looking and if you find anything else, get over to Repository Way and tell me.”

  Shaw inclined his head.

  “Errik, Ria, Aisha, Sys, Kalla, you’re with us.”

  The dark-skinned woman, Ria, tensed. “Us?”

  The Hunter grinned. “Like she said before, when hunting demons, who better than a demon to join the hunt?”

  “Half-demon,” Ilanna corrected, a hint of a smile on her lips.

  The Hunter chuckled. “Of course.”

  Ilanna turned to the woman. “Ria, right now, Kodyn’s the only thing that matters. We need to get to him before anything happens. If you’re not comfortable with the Hunter’s presence, you can always—”

  “Don’t even think about finishing that sentence, Ilanna,” Ria snapped. “Where you go, I go. Kodyn’s my son as much as yours.”

  Interesting. That explained the Ghandian woman’s protectiveness and her reaction to the news that the Guild Master’s son was missing.

  “Let’s go.” Ilanna said and, without waiting, raced from the room down the corridor that led out the same exit the Hunter had used.

  The Hunter let Ria go first, but fell in step behind the two women before the assassins could move. If there’s a demon to hunt, better I face him head on.

  They raced through the access tunnels, out into the main sewers, and through the tunnels to the nearest exit. From there, it was a short climb onto the rooftop highway. Ilanna pushed the pace to the point where the Hunter had to focus to keep up across the narrow plank bridges, tightropes, and broad gaps.

  The sun had climbed higher into the sky, and the Lady’s Bells tolled out the sixth hour of the morning. Each silvery, echoing peal added to the sense of urgency mounting within the Hunter. They had to strike before the demon and his minions knew they were being hunted. But he couldn’t just rush in—that could get people, both the Night Guild and any victims still alive, killed.

  Ilanna ground to a halt at the edge of a flat-roofed warehouse, her eyes fixed on the wooden building across the narrow lane. “There,” she said. “That’s the old soapmaker’s. That’s where we’ll find them.”

  The warehouse resembled every other building around it: a boxy structure of brick and wood, with small windows set high off the ground and only one door visible. The Hunter drew in a deep breath, but only the scents of the people beside him met his nostrils. He was too high up to catch any odors from the streets four stories below.

  “By the Watcher!” Ilanna gasped, her face going white, and she clutched the Ghandian woman’s arm. “Ria, look there!”

  The Hunter followed Ilanna’s pointing finger, and his eyes fell on a young man crouched on a rooftop overlooking the soapmaker’s warehouse.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Relief washed over Ilanna and burst from her chest in a single explosive sob. Before she could stop herself, she was scrambling across the rooftop, racing over a plank bridge, and dropping onto the roof beside her son.

  Kodyn whipped around, eyes going wide as he recognized her. “Guild Master, what are you—?”

  Ilanna threw her arms around her son’s neck and clutched him tight. No tears spilled from her eyes but she clung to him like a drowning man as the emotions surged through her chest.

  “What’s going on, Mom?” Kodyn asked, confusion in his voice. “Ria?”

  Ilanna felt Ria’s strong arms wrap around the both of them, and for a long moment, she allowed herself to bask in the warmth of her son’s presence. Finally, when she’d reassured herself that he actually was alive and in her arms, not dead as she’d feared, she broke off the embrace and stepped back. “We’ve been so worried about you!”

  “Why?” Kodyn’s expression grew puzzled, and his gaze darted between Ilanna and Ria.

  “No one in the Night Guild has seen or heard from you since yesterday evening!” Ilanna had to force herself not to shout—the warehouse with the killers was one building over. “And we found this.” She held out the wooden hawk figurine.

  “Oh.” Kodyn blushed. “I…I gave it to Sid.”

  “Sid?” Ilanna’s eyebrows shot up. “But I gave it to you!”

  “On my sixth nameday, my first with you in the Night Guild.” Kodyn nodded. “But I’m sixteen, now, almost old enough for my Undertaking. I don’t need it anymore, but Sid does. He’s been having a rough go of it the last few months. The Hawk’s training hasn’t been easy on him. So I gave it to him, told him it would be a reminder of what he was working toward, just as it was for me.” His color deepened, and remorse filled his eyes. “I-I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I know how much you love those little hawks.”

  “No, it’s not your fault.” Pride mingled with the relief welling in Ilanna’s chest. Despite everything that life had thrown at her son, he’d still come out a decent, good-hearted young man. She pulled him close again, just for one last moment.

  “So if you gave it to Sid,” Ria put in, “does that mean the killers have him?”

  Anxiety glimmered in Kodyn’s eyes. “Yes. They got him yesterday morning, I think.” He swallowed. “I…don’t know if he’s still alive.”

  “How did you think to come here?” Ilanna asked.

  “I was out looking for Sid when I saw some men carrying two canvas-wrapped bundles into that warehouse there.” Kodyn thrust a finger at the brick-and-wood building across from them. “It seemed odd, seeing as how the Soaper’s Company shut down years ago, so I kept an eye on the building until they left, then tried to get in. But they didn’t all leave.”

  The Hunter reached Ilanna at that moment. “All?” he demanded. “How many of are there?”

  Kodyn fixed the Hunter with a stare, curiosity in his eyes, then shot a questioning glance at Ilanna.

  “He’s here to help.” It would take too long to explain everything about the Hunter of Voramis to her son; they’d have time for that later. “Tell us what you know.”

  “I’ve counted twenty people going in and out, but most of them moved around during the night, so I couldn’t tell if they were twenty different people or just the same men making multiple trips.” He grimaced. “Each time they return, they bring one of those bundles. They always leave empty-handed.”

  Ilanna shuddered. More victims for their strange ritual.

  “But you said that not all of them leave?” the Hunter pressed. “That there are more inside?”

  “Yes.” Kodyn nodded. “But I haven’t been able to count them. Briana says there’s five, though.”

  “Briana?” Ilanna arched an eyebrow.

  Kodyn shot her an earnest look. “One of their prisoners. I’ve been talking to her through a hole in the warehouse ceiling.”

  Ilanna narrowed her eyes. “And what has this Briana told you?”

  “She’s blindfolded, so she can’t see how many men are guarding her and the other captives, but she counted the footsteps and thinks there’s four or five. Maybe six.”

  “How many captives besides her?” Ria asked.

  “She said that when they first brought her in a week ago, it was just her and two other men. But the killers—she called them the Gatherers—dragged the other men away. She’s in the room alone, and the guards don’t check on her too often. That’s why she c
ould talk to me without fear of being overheard.”

  The Hunter pursed his lips. “By your best guess, how many are in there at this moment?”

  Kodyn’s brow furrowed. “With the five guards—let’s say six, just to be safe—I’d say there are twelve or fifteen. Only some of the men that left have returned.”

  “And their leader?” the Hunter pressed. “Did you see who was in charge?”

  Kodyn shook his head. “I didn’t see anyone who looked like they were calling the shots, but Briana said his name was Necroset Kytos.”

  Ilanna cocked an eyebrow at the Hunter. “That name mean anything to you? He the one you’re looking for?”

  “I’ve never heard of any Kytos.” The Hunter shrugged. “But if he’s in charge, likely he’s the one I’m here to deal with.” He scratched his scarred cheeks. “How well do you know the layout of the building?”

  “Not at all.” Ilanna shook her head. “But the warehouses in Praamis tend to be the same. Lots of wide open space, with the rooms and floors on one end of the building.”

  “The southern end.” Kodyn pointed to the side of the roof opposite where he’d been crouching. “Briana’s on the top floor, southeast corner of the building.” His finger indicated the middle of the roof. “There’s a skylight there, the only way in from up here. But if there are a lot of these Gatherers—”

  “You let me worry about them.” The Hunter dropped a hand to the hilt of the ornate dagger at his hip. “And, if the rest of your assassins are half as good as him—” He indicated Errik with a thrust of his chin. “—we’ve got nothing to fear.”

  “We can’t go in yet,” Ilanna said.

  The Hunter cocked an eyebrow. “Why not?”

  “Because, as Kodyn said, they’re not all in there.” Ilanna fixed him with a defiant gaze. “If we want to put an end to the killing, we’ve got to take them all down.”

  “But what about Sid, Guild Master?” Kodyn asked. “And Briana, and all the others in there? You saw what they did to Arashi and the Bluejacket and all the others. Briana’s terrified, and I’m sure Sid’s scared, too. We’ve got to go in and get them.”

  Ilanna sighed. She loved Kodyn for his desire to protect people, and hated that she had to stop him. “I’m sorry, Kodyn.” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “We have to wait until the rest of these Gatherers arrive. It’s the only way to scoop them all up.”

  “Might I make a suggestion, Guild Master?”

  Ilanna was surprised to hear Aisha speak. She’d been so focused on Kodyn and the task at hand that she hadn’t heard the Phoenix apprentice or Errik and his Serpents come up behind her. She turned to the young Ghandian girl. “I’m listening.”

  Aisha hesitated only a moment before speaking. “Back in my village, my mother was the greatest hunter in our tribe. But, unlike the men who hunted with her, she didn’t chase the prey. Instead, she set out bait to bring them to her, then took them down from a macham, an elevated platform in the tress.”

  Ilanna pursed her lips. “Go on. What did you have in mind?”

  “Kodyn says that only some of the Gatherers are in the building, but that can work in our favor.” Aisha gestured to their small crew. “There are few of us, so fewer enemies means an easier victory. Then, all we need do is lie in wait as the rest of the killers return to their lair.”

  “Where we spring the trap.” Errik nodded. “A good plan. Kill or capture the ones inside the building, then take the others as they come.”

  “Yes, Mother!” Kodyn pressed. “We could free Briana, Sid, and the others.”

  “Just one problem with that,” the Hunter growled. “The demon.”

  Kodyn and Aisha both looked puzzled by the Hunter’s words—they hadn’t seen his inhuman abilities, and they hadn’t heard his speech about hunting the demon masquerading as a human. But she could fill them in later, once they’d dealt with these Gatherers.

  “What about him?” Ilanna asked.

  “Demons have a keen sense of smell.” The Hunter tapped his nose. “Far keener than mine. If we do not catch the demon inside and take him down, we run the risk of losing him forever. He will smell our presence long before he steps foot inside the warehouse. He only needs to change his face and disappear forever.”

  Ilanna ground her teeth. “That is your mission, Hunter, but mine is to protect my people and my city.”

  “But if you do not stop the demon,” the Hunter pressed, “he will continue the killing. Perhaps he will find another way to kill, one that does not raise your suspicion, or he will simply find more to join his Gatherers. He is the head of the serpent.”

  Errik and his Serpents tensed beside her, but the Hunter seemed not to notice.

  “If you truly want to put an end to these murders,” he said, “we must bring the demon down once and for all. The only way to do that is with my help, for I am the only one with the skills and weapons necessary to deal with him.”

  “A sword to the heart ought to work well enough for any creature,” Errik insisted.

  “Let me show you how well your blades will work on him.” The Hunter held out a hand. “Sword or dagger, it matters not.”

  Errik made no move to draw his weapons, his eyes locked on the Hunter and his expression screaming suspicion.

  Ilanna drew one of her throwing daggers and held it out to the Hunter. Ria tensed as the Hunter reached for the blade, but he made no move to attack her. Instead, he rolled up his sleeve.

  “Watch.”

  With a quick slash, he opened his forearm from wrist to elbow. Blood gushed from the wound and spattered the rooftop at her feet. Kodyn recoiled, and Ria and Aisha both tensed. Ilanna alone made no move. Her eyes were fixed on the Hunter’s arm.

  “Such a wound would kill even the strongest man in minutes.” The Hunter’s lips twitched into a small smile. “But if the wounded is not a man…”

  His eyes glazed over for a moment, as if his attention had wandered, and his features tensed. Ilanna’s jaw dropped as the bleeding slowed to a trickle then stopped altogether. Slowly, as if by a magical thread, the Hunter’s flesh re-knit until the tanned skin of his forearm was whole.

  She reached for his arm and, gripping his wrist, ran a finger along the now-smooth flesh. The fatal wound had disappeared without a trace.

  “Your weapons will hurt the demon, even slow him down,” the Hunter said. “But Soulhunger is the only blade that will truly kill him.”

  Soulhunger. The name sent an involuntary shudder down Ilanna’s spine, and she found her eyes drawn to his dagger. The Hunter’s legends spoke of his victims’ souls being devoured, but she’d always dismissed them as rumors. Now, she couldn’t be so certain. After what she’d seen…

  She made up her mind. “So be it. We wait until the demon shows up.” A doubt nagged at her mind. “But if, as you say, he looks like any other human, how will you know when he arrives?”

  The Hunter gave her a small smile and again tapped his nose. “I will smell him.” Disdain twisted his expression. “There is no fouler reek than that of a demon.”

  “Very well.” Ilanna nodded and turned to the Serpents. “Errik, you and the others go with the Hunter and set up at street level. Cover every exit, and when the rest of the Serpents and Bloodbears arrive, coordinate their positions.”

  Errik and the two Serpents nodded and slipped away to obey her orders. The Hunter arched an eyebrow, but made no complaint. “Good luck, Guild Master.”

  “Watcher strengthen your arm, Hunter.”

  A curious smile played on the Hunter’s lips at the mention of the god of justice. Yet he said nothing, simply bowed and turned away to follow the Serpents.

  Ilanna turned to Ria, Aisha, and Kodyn. “The minute the Hunter and Errik’s crew hit them down below, we’re going to hit them from above. If they’ve got Sid and this Briana girl and others, we can’t risk the Gatherers killing the prisoners. We’re going in through the skylight to catch them off-guard. The more we take down, the easier it’ll be fo
r the others.”

  The three nodded. Kodyn, in particular, appeared relieved. Something about the way he spoke of the captive girl, Briana, gave Ilanna pause. Ria seemed to have noticed as well, but she said nothing to Aisha. It was not her place, nor Ilanna’s, to interfere with whatever Kodyn and Aisha shared.

  Ilanna checked her weapons—long sword in its hidden sheath, belt knife, two throwing daggers, one push blade, and the curved finger knife she’d used since her first days in the Night Guild. And Ethen’s sling, wrapped like a bracelet around her right wrist. The others did likewise.

  Satisfied, Ilanna nodded. “Let’s go.”

  She crossed the plank bridge to the warehouse roof first, her steps light, treading with caution to avoid placing her foot on a loose tile. Thankfully, most of the warehouses along Repository Way had been built in the same style, and Ilanna knew how to keep to the roof beams and supports as she made her way toward the trapdoor set into the upper floor.

  She crouched before the trapdoor and reached for her lockpicks, but Kodyn already had his out. “It’s been a long time since you did this, Mom,” he whispered.

  Ilanna arched an eyebrow. Her competitive nature made her want to put him in his place, but now wasn’t the time. She made way for him to crouch beside the trapdoor and set to work on the rusted iron padlock.

  Two seconds later—far faster than she’d have managed, even during her days as the best of House Hawk—the padlock opened with a loud snap. Ilanna’s gut clenched as the curved shank of the padlock broke off and clattered on the rooftop. She held her breath, dread twisting her stomach in knots, praying no one had heard them.

  “There’s someone on the roof!” came the cry from within a moment later.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  The Hunter had just chosen his vantage point—the second-floor window of a crumbling wooden building that faced the warehouse’s main door—when a faint shout reached his keen ears. A moment later, Aisha, the young Ghandian woman, appeared at the edge of the rooftop.