"Brynna—"
"This isn't my first trip out into the night, Captain," I said, already feeling better with my mask under my fingertips.
"Promise me you won't run."
I looked up at him, my lips parting in surprise. Not at his words, but at the soft way he'd spoken them. It wasn't a demand; it was a plea.
"I won't run," I replied. "I still don't think I'm the best for this, but…a deal is a deal."
That seemed to placate him, and he nodded. "I'll take you to the stables to get changed. From there, I'm sure you can make it out through the front gates without being seen."
"Naturally."
He pursed his lips, the ghost of indecision on his face. But thankfully, he said nothing else and led me to freedom.
Chapter 8
It had been two nights since I'd donned my hood, but it felt like a lifetime. The warm air, the cloth against my cheeks, my sword a comforting weight against my hips, it was easy to believe the past two days had been a bad dream.
But they hadn't been.
A small voice begged me to continue running—beyond the bay and out into the great unknown. But if I left now, Forcadel would descend into chaos. And perhaps, if I were being totally honest, Felix might have made some sense about those in line behind me. I did care about who sat on the throne, because I cared about the people here. That damned captain seemed to know more about me than I cared to admit.
My first stop of the night was back at the butchery. My room was empty; Tasha and his parents were still cleaning the slaughter room. I wondered how long it would take them to find a new girl. Would Tasha bed her, too? Marry her? She'd be a lucky woman, to live a life so free of responsibilities.
I knelt and removed the loose floorboard, digging among the paper and other trash I'd stored to throw off any looters. My fingers made purchase on something hard, a necklace. A simple blue stone on a silver chain that had belonged to my mother. It had been a gift on my wedding day, and the only thing I'd kept as a memory. I slipped it around my neck and hid the stone between my breasts for safekeeping.
Then I was gone.
I spent a few minutes reacquainting myself with the city's rooftops, thinking about my next move. I could frequent one of Beswick's many bars, locating a lieutenant and following him until he led me to Poole. But with my pressing deadline, I needed to be more proactive. And luckily for me, I'd snatched a fair bit of gold from Felix's closet while he'd left me to change.
Which might explain why he was very noisily following me on the rooftop.
"You're clodding around like a cow," I said, stopping short and spinning around to face him.
"I apologize," Felix said, wearing a black tunic and pants. "But I'm unaccustomed to walking on rooftops. Maybe we could try the street?"
"And yet I ask myself why you're here at all?" I placed my hands on my hips. "We had an agreement."
"Which said nothing about me following you to keep you safe," he said, before his foot slipped on the slanted roof. He windmilled his arms for a moment before regaining his balance. It would've been funny had I not been on the brink of throwing him off myself.
"Still want to follow me?" I said pointedly.
"Considering it's my sworn duty to keep you alive, yes."
I closed my eyes, counting to ten. Perhaps if I took him around for one night, and made a point to steer clear of trouble, he would realize his presence was a hindrance and go back to the castle. I could barely stand him during the day, there was no way I'd survive his overbearing supervision at night, too.
Without a word, I climbed down from the roof and landed on the ground in a crouch. I waited, grateful my mask hid the look of annoyance on my face as Felix took his sweet time joining me there.
"I'm looking for a man named Eric Poole," I said as Felix's heavy footfalls caught up with me. "I believe he's Beswick's bookkeeper, and when I find him, I'll find the evidence I need to charge Beswick with treason."
"And how are you planning to do that?" Felix asked. "Just walk up to the man and ask him to hand it over?"
I quirked a brow. "The usual ways."
"You can't go threatening people, Brynna."
"If you can't adhere to our agreement then I'll be happy to go alone," I said, pressing a hand to my hip.
"And I told you that's not happening."
I released a frustrated noise. "Regardless, I have to find the man first. And for that, I think I'm going to have to pay someone to give me information."
"You didn't try that before?"
"I didn't have this lovely gold before." I flashed him the coin purse I'd nicked off him earlier in the day. I hadn't stolen money in eons, but I figured Felix could spare a few gold coins.
He clicked his tongue. "Just give me the purse back when you're done. It's a keepsake."
"But of course," I said, pocketing it. "My informant knows a lot about everything. She'll recognize your face, so you'll need to stay in the shadows."
"Will she recognize yours?"
I cast him a look, pointing to the mask. "Hasn't yet."
My informant was at the usual spot, waiting tables at Harm's Cafe. It was still early in the evening, and couples out for a romantic night shared coffee over small iron tables. A woman with red hair caught my eye, and she gave me an imperceptible nod. I turned and made my way to the backdoor, waiting in the darkness for her to appear.
After a few moments, the door opened. "My dearest Veil, how are you?"
"Ruby, always a pleasure." I grinned, taking her hand and shaking it. "I need some information about Beswick's men. Got a moment?"
"I have a moment if you have money to pay for it."
At that, I laughed. Ruby had an extensive network of people to inform her, and therefore, her information didn't come cheap. I placed five gold coins on her outstretched hand, and her eyes lit up.
"A downpayment," I said, shaking the bag to make the rest of the coins clink. "What do you know about Eric Poole?"
"Hm…" She stroked her chin. "I know where you can find him tonight. Titta O'Sullivans. He's usually there on Thursdays."
I groaned, but handed her another five gold coins, making sure to tuck the bag back in my belt for Felix. "Titta's, huh?"
"Yes, ma'am. Time to break out your dancing clothes."
"You are not going to Titta's," Felix grumbled behind me. "I cannot allow the princess of this kingdom to—"
"You're not. The Veil is going," I said.
"Somebody will recognize you."
"Nobody will be paying attention to my face, so don't worry about it."
"Have you…" He sputtered incoherently, his face growing redder. I gleefully wondered if the good captain had ever seen anyone in any state of undress, and from the red-faced sputtering, I guessed not.
"Yes, I have," I replied, getting a delicious vengeance from his discomfort as we closed in on the three-story building, flooded with purple lights. "And I'm quite a good dancer, in case you didn't know."
"I don't think you should go in at all, Brynna," Felix said, his face etched into a permanent frown. "You're to be queen—"
"And if you think my brother never came here, you're dumber than I thought," I said before dashing down the street. Two large men stood in front of the door, allowing me passage and denying it to Felix.
I wandered into the dressing room, with lighted mirrors lining the walls and men and women scurrying about half-dressed. The eponymous woman was sitting at a desk in the middle of a hall of dancers, her small legs crossed as they dangled from the tall stool. She was smoking a long cigarette and barking orders to the dancers who came for their final inspection.
"You! More eyeliner. You! Hike up your skirt, we're giving them a show, not taking them to church. You! Rouge on the stomach muscles. I want them more defined." She tapped her cigarette. "And you! Take off that ridiculous cape. No capes!"
The dancers nodded and scurried, and another group quickly took their place. But now, Titta had noticed me, and she hopped off h
er stool and waddled over.
"Ah, my lovely Veil," she said, meeting me with a chaste kiss on either cheek. "Are you here for pleasure or business?"
"The latter," I said, handing her the rest of my gold that I had in my pocket. "Looking for a man named Poole, if you've seen him."
She tapped her finger against her small chin. "Mm. Not familiar. What do you want from him?"
"Just to know where he lives, so I can question him in a few days' time." Titta traded in secrets and lies, so if I wanted access to them, I paradoxically had to tell her the absolute truth.
"A few days?" she said, rubbing her chin. "Make it three. I can't have men thinking they're being pumped for information here."
"Three will work," I said with a nod. And if I did it one hour sooner, she'd know it and bar me from coming back. "Thank you."
She waddled back to her stool, picking up her cigarette again. I turned to the dressing room, finding my usual stall to change out of my hood. There was a loose board behind the mirror that was perfect for stashing my hood and tunic. Walking the room required the proper attire—and shaking my ass in front of everyone else until I found him.
The outfits were flat-out ridiculous, with a strip of fabric to cover the breasts, and a long, flowing skirt that was mostly see-through, over a pair of tight underwear that cupped my butt cheeks. The male dancers wore the same, sans the top. It was a deliciously deviant evening for anyone who could afford the entry fee. I stifled a giggle as I thought of Felix paying a few gold coins to enter.
In the small dressing room, I unbound my breasts and replaced my tight cloth wrap with the much looser one of the dancer's uniform. Once I was dressed, I hung a transparent veil over my face. It wasn't the same as my mask, but it would do for now.
I queued up with another set of dancers. The closest one gave me the once over.
"You're new," she said.
"Yep," I said, lowering my voice. "First night. Any tips?"
"Don't take it personally."
Titta barked for the next group, and we stood in front of her. She dismissed me without another look and I hurried away, as the girl I'd spoken to was sent back for redder lips. I pushed my way through the velvet flaps that served as doors and into the smoky room.
There were dancers everywhere, and even more patrons. It was mostly a free-for-all, find a single person and dance until they gave up their money. A woman nearby grabbed my ass, but I kept walking.
Poole would've been a well-dressed, clean-cut man, perhaps middle-aged or older. There were ten men in the room who fit the bill, so I sashayed up to my first target. The sheen of sweat on his forehead and the lascivious look in his eye told me he wasn't a man who got women easily. So pumping him for information would be a breeze.
I rested my hands on the man's shoulders and wiggled my hips to show off the goods. "What's your name, sweetie?" I purred.
As predicted, the man's gaze was on my chest. "M…Merrick—"
"Never mind," I said, straightening and walking to the next.
But before I got there, someone grabbed my wrist and yanked me to him. Luckily, I recognized Felix before I broke his arm. "What are you doing?"
"What are you doing?" he whispered through clenched teeth. "You look… You look…"
"Like a dancer," I said, faking a smile and grabbing his hips. "You're drawing attention to me. Go sit in the corner until I find who I'm looking for."
"I can't let you continue this," he said, his hips moving stiffly under my guidance as he tried to look everywhere but my exposed cleavage. "This is indecent. You're the princess—"
"Right now, I'm a dancer," I cooed, glancing over his shoulder to the portly man who'd just walked in. "And I think I found my guy." I stood on my tip-toes and kissed his cheek, leaving a blood-red stain. "Stay here and stay quiet."
Felix sputtered and hissed, but did as he was told, leaving me free to finish my mission.
I circled the room a few more times until I found the man who'd piqued my interest. He had a look that said he was a man accustomed to making a lot of money doing shady things. So I danced my way over to him slowly.
"Hey there," I said, leaning over to land on his knees. "What's your name?"
"Eric," he replied, his gaze landing right where I wanted it to.
"Eric what?"
"Poole," he said, his fingers dancing along my collarbone.
"That's a fantastic name," I said, rising and turning to sit down. "Why don't you tell me about yourself?"
And he blabbed, without much prodding or guidance from me, just as they always did. It was a wonder the girls didn't go mad from boredom. From Mr. Poole, I learned everything about him in the span of five minutes, including his mother's name and his favorite flavor of candy. Most importantly, I found out where he lived.
"Thank you, sugar," I said, dropping my voice into a sultry whisper. "You have a good night. See you around." I left a lipstick stain on his cheek and walked away slowly to make sure he got a good look.
"Well?" Felix asked, waiting for me out back.
"Well what?" I asked, wiping the remnants of lipstick off before sliding my mask back into place. "I learned what I needed to. In three nights, I interrogate him."
"Why not tonight?"
"My agreement with Titta was three days. And besides that, if a masked vigilante shows up at his front door an hour after he was chatting up a girl at Titta's, he might remember that girl's face a little better. If I go tomorrow, he might make the connection, too." I adjusted my gloves over my hands. "I've been doing this a long time, Felix."
"You say no one was looking at your face," Felix said. "But Titta did. Can you trust her not to spill your secret?"
"She's kept a lot of secrets," I said. "I've seen every one of the Council in there on more than one occasion. Octavius is a weekly patron."
Felix tripped over his feet. "Have you ever…"
"Ever what?"
"How many men have you taken to bed in there?" he asked in a low voice.
I glanced at him as I slid my mask back in place. "That, sir, is none of your business. Now, if you'd like to continue our evening, I need to find some lowlifes to beat up."
"You should go back to the castle. It's already midnight."
I sighed. "This is going to be a long three months."
Chapter 9
Morning came too quickly, as did Beata with my breakfast. I wasn't sure if she was part of the inner circle Felix had allowed to know my secret, so I mumbled some excuse about insomnia when she asked why I was so tired.
"Would you like me to send up some calming tea at night?" she asked, genuine concern in her eyes. "You need your rest for the funerals tomorrow."
"No, no," I said, shaking my head and trying to clear the smoke from my eyes. "But thank you."
She tutted, reminding me of a mother hen, and I was fairly sure there would be tea tonight whether I wanted it or not.
Katarine arrived shortly after that, nodding once to Beata as she made her exit. "Well? Were you successful last night?"
I allowed my mouth to drop in a large yawn. "So Felix told you?"
"He did, this morning over breakfast when I asked him why he was late to our morning run," she said with a disapproving scowl. "I really think you should reconsider. It's hard enough for you to manage all your responsibilities when you get a good night's sleep. I don't know how bad you'll be when you're distracted."
"I'll manage, I suppose" I said, rolling over onto my side. "I'm not in the mood for whatever nonsense you're here to tell me. So please, just give me the short version."
She made a noise. "The short version is it's time for our lesson."
"Lesson? Again?"
"Yes." She ripped the covers off me. "We have a lot of ground to cover."
Perhaps there might've been some wisdom in not staying out all night, especially as my eyes drooped most of the morning. Katarine seemed to have grown more confident that I wasn't going to kick her out, because she'd become more milita
nt in her lectures. And to make things worse, she'd stuffed me into what she termed a "posture modification sleeve." In fact, it was worse than a corset, keeping my shoulders upright and my back arched perfectly. There was a wooden crown on my head, larger than the gold piece I'd been wearing, and my neck ached as I remained still and alert.
And still, my mind was elsewhere, scheming how I might go about getting Mr. Poole to talk, and what I was going to do for my three nights of free time.
A loud smack on the papers woke me up. Katarine stood in front of me, holding a riding crop between her hands. "Please pay attention. It would be terrible if you made a gaffe in front of the Council. They're already still complaining about how you walked out of the meeting the other day."
As my hands were already bright red, I smiled and nodded like the good little queen. Perhaps I could borrow the riding crop to beat Felix with later for making me sit through this.
"Sit up," Katarine said, poking me in the back.
"I am sitting up," I said, adjusting myself as much as I could without letting the wooden crown fall. "I couldn't slouch in this thing if I wanted to."
"Your shoulders. Level them out. Chin up. Don't roll your eyes at me."
"Then quit barking orders," I said, crankily. "I am quite capable of sitting like a queen. I just don't see the point. If I'm queen, who cares?"
"Your title is only yours as long as your kingdom bestows it on you," Katarine said. "The Council already has misgivings, and the rest of the kingdom is wary of you. In order to gain their trust, you have to look like you actually care. And yes, that means sitting up and not acting like you'd rather be anywhere but here."
"It appears I'm out of practice lying," I said, adjusting myself.
"You lie all the time as The Veil," Katarine said. "You played a role during the day, didn't you?"
"It didn't require me to smile and wave like a prized doll."
"From what I hear, it required a lot of dancing," she said, shuffling the papers on the table.
The City of Veils Page 6