by Andra Leigh
Leaving a chubby serving boy in charge of the eating house Miq gestured for them to follow him. He led them through the cook’s corridors, chatting happily to them the entire way.
Eliscity got the first sense that something about all this might actually be illegal when they entered the Inn’s storehouse and Miq pushed open a hole in the ceiling. Using a crate to hoist themselves up through the space, Eliscity saw they were in a hidden storeroom of stacked food.
“Usual order, or…?” Miq gave Jinx a cheeky grin, his head jerking in her direction.
“Oh yeah, definitely more if you can spare it,” Jinx said, following his train of thought. “Let’s give her so much to carry she can’t possibly speak, let alone insult me, through the sheer weight of it.”
Eliscity snorted. “Never been good at making friends have you?”
Twenty minutes later they had a pile of stores to take back with them. Grains, dried fruits and flours made up the bulk of it, though there were also a few legs of doe and a bag of large brown mushrooms Miq promised would make the journey if packed right. Testing the weight of the grain, Eliscity realised Jinx may be getting his wish and decided to get in a few more insults before they set off for the Manor. She had plenty of time as they weren’t departing until the next morning.
Next, Jinx opened his own satchel, pulling out a handful of small clear vials with a thick white liquid inside. He handed them over to Miq, adding a few vials of what Eliscity recognised to be ordinary pain relief. Miq tried to argue the addition saying it was already too much payment, but Jinx insisted he could spare it and told him to consider it a gift.
Together they lugged everything out to an open section behind the Inn used for deliveries. Deep cart and mule tracks were cut into the muddy ground, looping around to the street. Despite the potential thoroughfare, they packed their stores into an alcove next to a sty where a rotund pig was snorting at food scraps, insisting it would be safe until dawn.
Maiva was true to her word and when they returned to the eating house she shooed them off to one of the few empty tables, each with a plate piled high with food.
“She looks so healthy,” Eliscity commented, tasting a small piece of wild fowl, followed by a much larger mouthful.
“Not all sicknesses are on the outside,” Jinx said, treating his food with the same enthusiasm as her.
Eliscity stabbed her fork at a potato and searched for a lighter topic. “So in the Southern Cities we sleep in a grumpy donkey’s stable but above the river we get booked into cosy inns and treated to hot meals. Can I just say, I like Northern Cities.”
They ate in silence after that. Scanning the candlelit room, Eliscity watched the couples and groups laugh and chatter together. It seemed to be a place where people would come to enjoy a good meal and company.
There were only two patrons dining alone; a girl sitting in the corner nearest the stairs, whose face was hidden in a hood, a single light curl escaping the fabric’s confinements; and a white haired man so enthralled with the book open in front of him that his fork, with carrot speared on to it, was frozen half way to his mouth. Eliscity guessed they were staying at the inn, travelling through.
The overall atmosphere of the room was of relaxed cheerfulness. Maiva and Miq had clearly succeeded in infusing the inn with their own personalities and it wasn’t long before Eliscity felt safe and worry free.
They were barely half way through their meals when that particular illusion shattered.
Jinx, who was seated with a clear view of the door, tensed in a way she had come to associate with him preparing for a fight. Immediately alert she shot a look behind her and felt the wild fowl in her stomach take a nasty turn.
Guards were filing through the swinging doors. Not just one or two, but many. Eliscity counted six when Miq approached them, a fed up expression crinkling his face as he spoke to them too low for her to hear.
“Are there normally so many guards in here?” she whispered, ducking her face back to Jinx.
“No,” he growled, a slight crease marring his forehead.
Eliscity couldn’t help but notice that, while a few patrons looked uneasy at the appearance of the guards, most were wearing the same fed up expression as Miq. She got the sense that whatever they were here for was well known. Since Bloods experiments didn’t fall into that category she decided that she and Jinx weren’t their intended target. All they had to do was keep it that way. Glancing at Jinx, she realised that may not be easy. He looked poised for an attack. He wasn’t paying attention to any evidence suggesting they weren’t here for them. He saw an enemy and he was preparing to take them out. Finding his foot under the table, she stepped on it, getting his attention. Then, as calmly as possible, she picked her fork back up and ate a mouthful of pumpkin.
Jinx looked at her like she had gone mad.
The guards were fanning out around the room, moving toward tables. As one guard approached them she took another pointed mouthful, hoping Jinx would follow suit. He didn’t. But he didn’t start doling out kicks and blows either.
“Excuse me, Miss,” the guard said, halting beside their table.
Turning her face up to him, she gave him what she hoped was a smile. “Yes?”
The guard didn’t say anything, but rather examined her features for the longest moment of her life. She tried not to look away. Tried not to start shaking. Her fists were clenched tightly around her silverware and she desperately wanted to check that her insignia’s weren’t showing. But the guard never looked away from her face.
“Apologies,” the guard finally said. “Carry on.”
With a nod he moved on to the next table, speaking to the women of the group, piercing them with the same look he’d given her.
“What the Bloods is going on?” she hissed as loudly as she dared.
“I don’t know. But I think it’s time we got out of here.” Jinx started to get up but she yanked him back down, passing the action off as a caress when the guard looked back their way, confusing Jinx further.
“We’re only halfway through our meals. We get up now, they might look at us twice.” She frowned. “Seriously, how have you not been caught yet?”
Jinx fixed her with a stony stare. “I fight my way out of situations like this.”
“Well, in case you haven’t noticed that’s not required here.” She didn’t add that she suspected many of his past ‘situations’ wouldn’t have required it either.
It didn’t take the guards long to complete their search. Having clearly not found what they were looking for a few proceeded to start asking some patrons questions. Deciding she didn’t fancy being one of those people, she eased to her feet saying, “Are you finished, Darling?” for the sake of anyone listening.
Jinx gave a jerky nod and stood as well.
Miq, who had been watching his inn being terrorised by the guards with a grim glare, saw them get up and made the smallest nod for them to come to him.
“Here’s your room key,” Miq said loudly enough for the two nearest guards to hear. He handed Eliscity the brass key, clearly realising Jinx was struggling with the charade. “I hope everything is to your liking.”
“I’m sure it’ll be wonderful, thank you.” Her voice was raspy with nerves.
“What are they looking for?” she heard Jinx whisper under his breath.
Pretending to look something up in his ledger, he hissed back, “How can you not know? Where do you and the alphabet live? The Horizon?”
No, under a Manor, Eliscity thought bitterly.
Before Miq could elaborate a guard moved towards them.
“Breakfast opens at six,” Miq coughed. “Have a lovely night.”
Grabbing Jinx tightly by the arm she thanked Miq loudly, gave the guard a smile and led the way up the stairs.
She didn’t let go of Jinx until they were completely clear of the noise down in the eating house. They were in a hallway, a door with the number eight carved into its face to their right. Studying the key in her
hand she muttered, “I don’t know what room this is for.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Jinx said roughly. “We’re not staying.”
“Okay, but I don’t think they’re going to come after us. Not unless we give them a reason.”
There was a creak of floorboards and before she could do anything Jinx reacted instinctively, slamming his fist into the chin of a guard who had just climbed the stairs. If he had been alone it would have been fine. The guard would have gone down with a muffled thud, unconscious and unable to alert anyone. But he wasn’t alone. Another guard was a step behind him and had immediately yelled out as his partner went down. Jinx dispatched him quickly, dodging a blow then delivering his own to the man’s stomach, then the temple. But the damage was done. There was no way the remaining guards downstairs hadn’t heard their colleagues yell.
“Bloods,” Jinx swore, giving her a guilty look. “Sorry.”
“No you’re not,” she snapped, tugging him away from the unconscious guards and rushing from the fresh pounding footfalls on the stairs. “You wanted to give them a reason to come after us from the moment they walked in.”
“No I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did. You wanted a fight. Well, congratulations, you’ve got one.”
She was livid. Did he have no common sense? They could have simply walked out of the inn without any trouble. But no, he had to render two men unconscious.
They reached the corner in the hallway at the same time as three guards appeared at the top of the stairs.
“Stop!” the nearest one shouted.
Eliscity wanted to laugh at the lunacy of the order. Did yelling imperatives at people ever work?
“We need a window. Find the door for that key,” Jinx muttered low, moving toward the guards.
Eliscity didn’t need telling twice. Ducking around the corner, she started jamming the key in locks. She was four unsuccessful doors into the process when Jinx hit the wall at the end of the corridor the guards were in, falling to the floor. Before the men could reach for him, he used his new found position to sweep one guards legs out from under him. His attacks were rapid, moving between the guards whose numbers had swollen to five.
Realising that meant there had been more guards waiting outside the inn, Eliscity continued frantically testing the key in doors.
Amid the hits and kicks raining down on him, forcing him on the defensive, Jinx managed to land another crippling blow, dropping the number of conscious guards to four.
Another door refused to open to the key. She rushed on to the next one. She fumbled, trying to turn the key, but it wouldn’t tumble. Before she could pull the key out her arm was wrenched back and she found herself face to face with one of the guards who had decided to put a halt to any escape routes she may find. Jinx was busy taking on the three remaining guards who were succeeding in keeping up a steady flow of attacks, despite all sporting an injury or two. It looked like she wouldn’t be getting any help with the guard now holding her arm in his vice-like grip.
She tried to remember all the things Jinx had taught her over the last few weeks, all the punches and blocks, but instead Casamir’s words popped into her head. Instinct. He had told her not to think her actions through, just move.
So she elbowed the man straight in the mouth.
Pain shot up her arm when she hit something sharp. As he staggered back, blood spitting through his lips, she realised it had been his teeth.
Snarling through the blood he lunged for her but his hands grasped only air as she threw herself to the left, staying low. He punched left, then right, then hit high with a knee. She dodged them all, then felt her feet leave the ground as he knocked her sideways. She managed to save herself, putting her hands out to land on all fours. A soundless scream burst out of her as the guard’s boot connected with her gut. Coughing and spluttering for air, she rolled to her back, feeling the bulk of her satchel pressed between her and the floor. She kicked at his kneecaps and used his stumble to fling the straps of her satchel off and shove her hand inside. Finding the rough edges of the elementals crystal she pulled it free and let the satchel fall to the ground. The guard moved forward again, prompting her to scuttle back until she hit the wall. He gave a gurgled laugh, mistaking the movement as a retreat rather than strategy. He’d be corrected soon enough. As he approached, taunting her with every step, knowing he had her trapped, she pushed herself up the wall. Slowly.
Just a bit closer. A few more steps. Almost. Closer. One more step.
There.
In one smooth movement she drew the crystal up to the flickering candelabrum, where the wick flared and burst into brilliant white light and shoved it in the guards face, turning her own away from the shine.
The Triplets had warned her not to look at the crystal when lighting it because it would pulse with a blinding light for the first second. They said it was a flaw they hadn’t yet worked out how to stop. Turns out it was also a wonderful weapon.
The guard had screamed when the crystal had flared and now that it was dulling to a soft glow he was clutching his watering eyes. Without giving him a chance to regain his vision she smashed the hard crystal into his temple and watched him crumple at her feet.
She blinked down at him in wonder. She’d just won her first real fight all by herself.
She was gasping for breath when she realised she should be hearing the sounds of Jinx’s fight. Looking in his direction, she froze. Jinx was standing lazily in the centre of the corridor, watching her with an amused expression. The three men he’d been fighting were all on the floor in various states of unconsciousness.
Eliscity narrowed her eyes. “How long have you been just standing there?”
Jinx shrugged, a carefree smile on his lips. “You looked like you had it handled.”
Rubbing a tender spot on her stomach she glared at his cocky grin. She’d lost count of how many guards he’d just taken on and the only mark he had from it was a small cut above one eye.
“It wouldn’t hurt for you to lose every once in a while,” she huffed, tossing the glowing crystal back into her satchel and slinging it over her shoulder. Stalking over to the door she wrenched the key out and moved onto the next door.
However before she could get the key in the lock the door flew open and she was presented with the end of a candle stick.
She had just enough time to recognise the girl holding it as the patron who had been dining alone with a hood obscuring most of her face, when more yells issued from further down the hallway. Jinx pushed past her, disarming the girl and slamming the door closed behind them.
There was a long strange moment of silence; Eliscity with her mouth hanging open; Jinx holding the candlestick and the girl standing in the middle of the room with her eyebrows knitted together.
Then the girl parted her lips and Jinx moved quickly, slapping his hand over her mouth as a splintering thud echoed outside the room. It sounded like a door being kicked in. Guards were breaking down the doors. It wouldn’t take them long to reach the room they were in. The girl’s eyes were wide and wild as she struggled against Jinx’s hold.
Eliscity searched for something, anything, to block the door with, but she couldn’t even see its key.
Another crack of a door echoed through the inn.
“Letmergow,” their surprise hostage screeched into Jinx’s hand.
“Shhhh,” Jinx and Eliscity hissed.
“We’re not going to hurt you,” Jinx whispered hurriedly.
Rushing over to the shutters, Eliscity flung them open and leant out. A wagon with a horse tethered to its front was directly below her. It was halted next to the sty at the back of the inn. From her angle she could just make out the Posts symbol painted on the door. She could only see one guard standing watch by it and guessed that the rest of his unit was either unconscious or knocking down doors.
Judging the distance down to the ground, she decided they would be able to drop down to the wagon’s roof without injury.
; Spinning back to the room, she waved an impatient hand at Jinx who was still trying to reason with the blonde girl. “Let’s just go. Leave her,” she stressed as another door was kicked in.
“She’ll scream. Run out. Tell them where we are!” Jinx argued.
Eliscity threw her hands up. “We’re going to be found anyway. Why not hurry this thing along, send her out to the guards for all I care.”
The girl’s eyes flared with panic and she began struggling against Jinx again. “No,” she gasped, dragging his hand away from her mouth. “I’m not going out there.”
That made Eliscity stop.
“Yeah, you are,” she insisted.
The girl’s curls shook around her shoulders. “No, I’ll go with you!”
Despite the quick approaching crashes coming from the hallway, Eliscity gave a confused laugh. “No you won’t.”
The girl turned her eyes to Jinx. “Take me with you,” she demanded.
“No,” Eliscity answered for him.
Obviously deciding the girl was no longer a threat, Jinx released her and joined Eliscity at the window.
“Okay, you go first,” he said, peering down at the wagon. “Hold my hands and I’ll drop you down. The guard won’t hear it if you touch down quiet enough.”
Eliscity nodded, climbing onto the sill.
“I’m not going out the window!” the girl screeched from behind them.
“That’s correct,” Eliscity said over Jinx’s shoulder as she took his hands. “You’re not. Nice meeting you.”
She gave Jinx a nod and eased herself backwards off the sill until she was dangling from his grasp. There was a rush of air around her and she experienced a thrilling moment of flight, then she landed catlike on the roof of the wagon.
Collapsing down she lay flat on her stomach, out of sight of the guard and waited for Jinx to join her.
A few moments later she felt the telltale shudder of him joining her, coupled with a hollow thud louder than she had expected and glanced around to see what his next move was.
It wasn’t Jinx.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she hissed.