He waited for her to elaborate, but she didn’t. “That’s it?”
“You need me to tell you more? Men do really stupid things. Sometimes they think they can get the better of those they shouldn’t even try with, but the longer we’re at it, the more secure our network becomes, and the harder it is for them to maneuver.”
“I just don’t understand why anyone would do this.”
“Because you’re from Elaeavn.”
He blinked. “You know?”
She laughed. Her voice was warm and soft, almost flirtatious. How much of it was an act for his benefit and how much of it was really Kasha? He didn’t know, and he wondered if perhaps that wasn’t the point. Maybe she didn’t want him—or anyone—to know.
“You’re not the first person from Elaeavn to come through here. It’s been a while, but we’ve had others, and we know to keep an eye on them.”
“Is that why you’re prepared to prevent Reading?” He’d thought it was about the Forgers, but maybe he’d been wrong.
“Is that why you’re trying to reach into my mind?”
Daniel shrugged. He’d tried with her each time he’d seen her, and each time, he’d failed. It was the same with the women in the tavern, while most of the men—but not all, he’d been surprised to discover—didn’t protect their thoughts.
“The one who trained us warned us against that. Your kind aren’t the only ones who have that ability. And we’re not the only ones who’ve learned to defeat it. There are some who are too powerful for us, though, and we simply do our best to avoid them.”
“What others?”
“Others,” she said.
He knew she had to mean the Forgers. If they were involved, and if they moved through cities like this, what else could he learn about them?
“How often do these others come through here?”
“Often enough that we try to avoid them.”
“We were attacked by them. If they’re the same people, that is.”
Her gaze drifted to where his sword rested against the wall. “If you were attacked by them, then you’re lucky to be alive. We know to avoid them. It’s because of them the damn fools think to keep moving women through here. They put a price on them, especially exotic ones.”
His breath caught. Could that be why Lucy had been abducted by slavers? If they were after exotic girls, it made a sick sort of sense. They would want to abduct and use those from Elaeavn. But use them for what?
“Can you help me find where they brought her?”
“I can’t, but another can.”
“Who?”
“You’ll meet them at midnight.”
“Where do I meet them?”
“How much do you know of Eban?”
“Practically nothing.”
“That’s what I was afraid of. There’s a river that runs through the city. Head along the river, making your way north, and you’ll come to a manor house. You’ll know it when you see it. There aren’t any others like it. Wait there.”
“Along the river?”
She nodded.
Midnight. It seemed a dangerous time to be out in the city—especially this city—but if he wanted to find out what had happened to Lucy, he had to be willing to chase them down.
Daniel breathed out. “Thank you.”
“I’m not sure you want to thank me. If you go with them, it will be dangerous. I don’t want you to think this is going to be easy. But the person you’re going to meet is willing to go with you, and they’re willing to help you, so know that you are getting the best help you possibly could.”
“Who is it? Who am I meeting?”
“A person by the name of Rayen.”
There was something about the way she said it that left Daniel a little uncomfortable. “How will I know them?”
“Don’t worry. They’ll find you.”
Kasha pulled the door closed. Daniel took a seat on the bed, looking at the bare walls. The room was plain, simple, and as Kasha had promised, the bed was clean. For that he had to be thankful. He imagined there were plenty of other rooms that were much less clean, and this one at least didn’t make him feel as if he were sleeping on filth. He stared at the wall while dressing, and then made his way back down to the main part of the tavern. He took a seat and one of the women brought him a tray of food, nodding to him knowingly before scurrying off. Daniel picked at it, his mind little more than a blank, wondering what might be asked of him.
When he finished his food, he pushed the tray off to the side. Someone had brought him a mug of ale, and he hadn’t even noticed. He ignored it. He didn’t want his mind foggy when he went to meet with this Rayen. He didn’t know what would be demanded of him, but it was possible they would try to complete this task tonight.
If they did, did that mean they would be able to leave?
If he managed to rescue Lucy, he could bring her back to the tavern. He thought he could Slide here. Then they should head to Elaeavn, but knowing Lucy, she’d probably want to push onward to Asador.
The minstrel from the night before began playing, and Daniel decided it was time to leave. It might not be quite midnight, but it had to be late enough that he could go after this person, and at least search for them and be ready for the possibility that they would find him sooner.
At this time of night, the street was mostly quiet. Every so often, he noticed people moving along the street, and he froze, ducking off to hide in shadows. He considered Sliding, but not knowing how much energy he would need for later, he refrained. He might need it later tonight, and he didn’t want to have any limitations on his abilities.
He passed a pair of men leading a younger woman between them. A part of him wanted to intervene, but he believed that the others were doing something on her behalf. He had to believe that. The women in the tavern—or others like her—would be able to help.
He found the river as Kasha had described and followed it north. It burbled softly, reminding him of the river running through the middle of the Aisl. For all he knew, this was the same river. In the distance, he saw the manor house.
Daniel moved more slowly now, not quite certain what he’d find as he neared the manor house. Maybe there would be sentries watching, or maybe there was nothing.
Could this be the place Lucy had been brought? Kasha had said a thief master had her, but he didn’t know if the thief master or someone else lived in the manor house. And if it was the thief master, how would they live in a place like this, and so openly?
There was much about this city that he didn’t understand.
He found a tree and waited behind it. It was near enough to the manor house that he could keep an eye on that and on any movement in and out. His Sight allowed him to see better in the darkness, but he didn’t notice anything. Thinking of how Lucy’s Sight had improved following her attack, he wondered what he might have been able to See with those augmentations. Then again, he didn’t want anything like that. She had no control, and if there was anything his father had taught him, it was that control made the man.
“Are you him?”
The voice startled him, and Daniel jerked around, spinning to see a petite dark-haired woman watching him. She had eyes that were as black as the night, and it seemed almost as if shadows swirled around her.
“Who are you?”
“You look like the man I was told to meet. You’re a little jumpier than I expected.”
“Jumpier?”
“I was told you might be interested in rescuing a lady friend of yours, but I’m not sure someone as jumpy as you will be the best fit for that.”
“Are you Rayen?”
“Ah. You are him. Still jumpy, though.”
“I wasn’t expecting you to sneak up on me in the darkness.”
“What were you expecting?”
He studied her. This was the best person for the job of rescuing Lucy? He would rather have a dozen soldiers to storm into the house and grab her. “I don’t know. I guess I wasn’t e
xpecting anything. I was told to meet you here and that you would be able to help me find my friend.”
“Your Elaeavn friend.”
Daniel nodded. “We’re both from Elaeavn.”
There was no use in denying it when Kasha had already commented on it. He suspected that everyone within her network knew.
“Is everybody from there as jumpy as you?”
“No.”
“So. Just you, then.”
“I’m not always jumpy.”
“Let’s hope not.”
She made a circle around him as if sizing him up. Her gaze unsettled him a little, especially the appraising way she looked at him. It was as if she were trying to decide how much she should offer for some animal at the market. When she came to stand in front of him, she crossed her arms over her chest. “What sort of skills do you have?”
“That’s not really a proper question to ask.”
Rayen grunted. “Proper or not, if we’re going to work together, I need to know what sort of talents you have.”
“Do I get the same courtesy?”
“Oh, it’s a courtesy now?”
“I just thought—”
Rayen chuckled, cutting him off. “Not only jumpy, but uptight. You might at least entertain me if you don’t die.”
“I don’t intend to die.”
“None of us intend to die. Sometimes we don’t have a whole lot of choice in it, especially when we are facing people like Tern.”
“Tern?”
“He’s the fool who thought to capture your friend. Most of the time, he doesn’t dabble in such things, which tells me he must have believed he could get away with it. I can’t believe he really thought we wouldn’t find out.”
“You mean your network?”
“The Binders, yes. You need to keep up with this.”
He’d not heard a name for the network, though he’d suspected there would be one. More surprising was that he had never considered himself dimwitted, but the way she looked at him made him feel as if he were a step—or a dozen—behind her. It unsettled him.
“I thought I was keeping up. I’m not really sure about any of this.”
“That’s obvious. Now, are you going to share with me what skills you have, or do I have to just make them up? If that’s the case, you have the power of being jumpy and also being a little annoying.”
“What?”
“Fine. You could be a lot annoying. It’s time to talk, tall guy.”
“I’m one of the Elvraeth. I have many abilities.”
“Sight?” He nodded. “Reading?” He nodded. “Listening? That one’s less common, from what I understand, even in your city.”
Her knowledge of the Elvraeth unsettled him more. “I’m a weak Listener.”
“Yeah. Most men are. What about the other? Are you a Seer?”
Haern nodded. “Not as good as some, but I have the ability.”
“Interesting. What do you See for us moving forward?”
“It doesn’t work like that for me. I need inspiration.”
She chuckled. “Your life and your friend’s aren’t inspiration enough? Gods, I’d hate to see what it takes for you to get inspired. Let’s see, what are we missing? I’ll be honest, it’s been a while since I spent much time trying to understand the abilities found in your city.”
“There are some others, but they’re a little different.”
“So you’re saying you’re mostly unimpressive for your kind.”
“I can Slide.”
“Really?” She leaned toward him, looking up at him. “What’s that like?”
Daniel wasn’t sure how much to show her, but if this was the person who was going to help him save Lucy, then he needed to work with her. There was something odd about her, and he wasn’t entirely certain he could trust her.
“It’s a way of traveling between places. I can—”
“I understand what Sliding is. I’m asking what it’s like.”
He stared at her for a moment. “It’s like this.” Daniel focused on the spot just in front of her and Slid. He only moved a few steps, not very far at all, and when he emerged, she had spun around to face him.
How had she known where he was going to emerge?
She shouldn’t have. There was no way for anyone to know where he was going to emerge before he did so—unless they had the gift of Sight. Could she have some enhanced Sight? There were others who had it besides the people from Elaeavn. Maybe she had some of the abilities of the Forgers.
“That’s it? I was expecting something a little more impressive.”
“More impressive than transporting myself from one place to another?”
She shrugged. “A little more impressive than that.”
“Sorry I disappointed you.”
“I’m sorry, too. It’s too bad this is all you have. I’m not sure it’s going to be enough to go and get your friend.”
“If this Tern has her, I can’t leave her behind.”
Rayen shook her head. “If Tern has her, and you go in with only this ability, you’re going to end up on the wrong side of things. I thought maybe you had a few more abilities. There were stories about people from Elaeavn, rumors that they had trained, but you don’t strike me like that.”
What was he supposed to say? He knew enough to be useful, and he wasn’t leaving Lucy behind.
“Listen. I’m going in regardless. You can decide whether or not you want to help me, but I’m not staying back and waiting for them to do whatever they might do to her.”
Rayen watched him before smiling. “Well. I guess that’s your choice. Let’s have at it.”
“You’re going to help?”
“I’m not going to let you wander in there and die, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“What makes you think I would die?”
“Someone like you? You haven’t been in a real fight before. You do this alone and you’ll end up on the wrong end of one of Tern’s blades. It’d be a shame if that happened before I got a chance to understand your Sliding.”
“I’ve been in a fight.”
“A real fight?”
Daniel wasn’t sure how to answer. “I’ve trained with some of the finest swordsmen in the world.”
She laughed. “That’s your fight? Trust me when I tell you that training is different than a real fight.”
This Tern couldn’t be nearly as bad as the Forgers. The Forgers had strange augmentations that allowed them to do things that others could not. It was more than what this Tern would have, a man who had to be no more than just a local criminal.
“Is she inside this building?” he asked, wanting nothing more than to change the topic. Why was Rayen challenging him like this?
“Probably.”
“How hard will it be to get to her?”
“Hard enough,” she said.
“What—”
Daniel didn’t get a chance to finish. Rayen started forward, moving within the shadows so quietly that every step he took seemed far too loud. The crunch of his boots seemed to cry out against the darkness. At one point, he thought he stepped on a stick, and the crack was so loud that he almost turned back. Even his breathing was incredibly loud in his ears.
Rayen made almost no noise. If he couldn’t see her—and it was getting increasingly difficult to do so—he wouldn’t know that she was even there.
How was she moving so silently? For that matter, how was she hiding her presence from him? It was almost as if she were covered by the darkness around her.
“Enough of this,” he muttered. Daniel Slid, moving to catch up with Rayen.
She glanced over at him. “It took you long enough to decide to use your abilities like that.”
“I was conserving my strength.”
“Is that something you need to do? Are you so weak with these special skills that you can’t even use them when you need them?”
He glared at her. The longer he traveled with Rayen, the less he liked h
er. Then again, he didn’t have to like her. He only had to get along with her long enough for him to get in and help Lucy.
“I just wanted to make sure that when we get in, I have enough strength to help bring Lucy out. And you, if something happens.”
She arched a brow at him, a hint of a smile crossing her lips. “At least now you’re saying something sensible.”
“How do you move so quietly?”
“Not all of us have such heavy boots.”
“You asked me about my abilities, but you never told me about yours.”
“Didn’t I? I would have sworn that I did.” She continued forward, none of her steps any louder than the silence all around them.
Daniel Slid. Small movements like this were easier than attempting to Slide over longer distances. At least this way, he thought he could keep up with her, and he certainly didn’t have to worry about making too much noise.
“You didn’t. I would’ve remembered.”
“My skill is in stealth.”
“I can see that, but—”
“See, or just see?”
“Both.”
She grinned. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be able to see me at all.”
“Why?”
“Let’s just say that I have a way with the darkness.”
She continued onward, and Daniel kept an eye on her movements. The more he watched, the more it seemed as if shadows swirled around her, practically caressing her. It wasn’t an ability of the Great Watcher, but he knew there were other abilities in the world. Did she somehow control the night? It would make her powerful at this time of day but likely wouldn’t be all that valuable in daylight.
The enormous manor loomed in front of him. Light flickered in a few windows, but if Rayen had the ability to manipulate the night, maybe they wouldn’t have to worry about all that candlelight. The building was enormous.
“How are we going to find her in there?”
Rayen glanced over at him. “Most people who would try this would be more concerned about getting in.”
“I’m not concerned about getting in.” The door wouldn’t keep him out—not unless there was heartstone involved, and knowledge of that was unlikely to be found this far outside of Elaeavn. Unless this man was affiliated with the Forgers.
“You should be. Once we get in, we have to deal with his men.”
The Darkest Revenge Page 25