Ingram?” Haern asked, keeping his voice a cold whisper.
The man was tall but hefty, and when he nodded, his cheeks shook and blood trickled down his neck. His dark hair was long, and it fell across his sweating face.
“Do you know who I am?” Haern asked.
“I do,” said Ingram, doing a remarkable job at keeping calm. “You’re him, aren’t you, the Wraith?”
Haern felt his professional pride take a jab. Being mistaken for another? Having someone else feared more? These were unwelcome firsts.
“No,” he said, pressing the tip harder to make sure the man didn’t dare cry out for help. “The Watcher. You left me a message. I’ve come to give you one of my own.”
“I’d think twice about that,” Ingram said. He swallowed, and the motion rubbed the tip up and down his throat. The sensation made him shudder. “Do you think I’d provoke you without preparing for retaliation?”
Haern felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. Ingram was trying to take control of the situation, initiating conversion while acting as if he were the one with greater knowledge. Not the way he wanted the situation to progress at all.
“Everyone knows they’ll die,” Haern whispered. “But that makes them no less prepared. You slaughtered innocent people in my name.”
“And you killed my guards,” Ingram countered.
“Ruffians prepared to rob and beat others. A poor excuse for guards.”
“And those I killed were no better. My dungeons are overcrowded as is. You gave me a fine excuse to thin them out, Watcher.”
Haern felt his anger flare, and he pulled the saber back to thrust.
“Do it, and hundreds more die,” Ingram said. He clenched his jaw, and stared eye to eye while braced for the killing blow. Haern almost did it. Almost.
“Why?” he asked.
Ingram let out a slow sigh of relief.
“I’d heard much, but the strangest rumor was that you cared for the commoners,” the man said. “I see that is true. I have given orders to every guard in the city, and my nobles all agreed to do the same, lest they forfeit any chance of inheriting my power. Should I die by your hand, or that of the Wraith, every single prisoner in my custody is to be immediately executed, regardless of their crime.”
Ingram gave him a smile.
“As of last count, I have over four hundred people locked away in cells, minus the thirty we removed today.”
Haern struck him across the face with the hilt of a saber. Instead of showing anger or fear, Ingram laughed.
“You really are a weakling, aren’t you? Letting a faceless rabble decide your course of action…shameful.”
“Why did you do it?” Haern asked. “Why such a display?”
“You ask me?” Ingram rolled his eyes. “You appear in my city and kill two of my guards, yet ask me why I did it? How about you tell me what you’re doing in Angelport? Oh, and keep your damn saber away from my throat if you have no intention of using it.”
Haern leaned close enough to whisper into Ingram’s ear.
“You said your orders were only if you were killed.”
He thrust a saber through Ingram’s shoulder, pinning him to his bed. Ingram let out a cry, but Haern smothered it with his hand.
“I’m here because another dared challenge me,” Haern said as Ingram’s struggles ceased. “This fool who calls himself Wraith will die, and I will be the one to kill him. Last night I thought I killed thieves, not guards, but I do not regret the act. They preyed on the weak, and they deserved to die for it. Until the Wraith is dead, I will prowl the night. Do not try to stop me, nor get in my way. And if you dare consider hanging more innocents…”
He yanked out the sword and let the blood drip across Ingram’s forehead.
“I’m not scared of you,” Ingram said, despite his pale face and shaking arms. “You’re a coward. I’ll fill the gallows with necks no matter who you kill. Empty my dungeon, and I’ll grab people off the streets to swing.”
“Not another body,”
The man was tall but hefty, and when he nodded, his cheeks shook and blood trickled down his neck. His dark hair was long, and it fell across his sweating face.
“Do you know who I am?” Haern asked.
“I do,” said Ingram, doing a remarkable job at keeping calm. “You’re him, aren’t you, the Wraith?”
Haern felt his professional pride take a jab. Being mistaken for another? Having someone else feared more? These were unwelcome firsts.
“No,” he said, pressing the tip harder to make sure the man didn’t dare cry out for help. “The Watcher. You left me a message. I’ve come to give you one of my own.”
“I’d think twice about that,” Ingram said. He swallowed, and the motion rubbed the tip up and down his throat. The sensation made him shudder. “Do you think I’d provoke you without preparing for retaliation?”
Haern felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. Ingram was trying to take control of the situation, initiating conversion while acting as if he were the one with greater knowledge. Not the way he wanted the situation to progress at all.
“Everyone knows they’ll die,” Haern whispered. “But that makes them no less prepared. You slaughtered innocent people in my name.”
“And you killed my guards,” Ingram countered.
“Ruffians prepared to rob and beat others. A poor excuse for guards.”
“And those I killed were no better. My dungeons are overcrowded as is. You gave me a fine excuse to thin them out, Watcher.”
Haern felt his anger flare, and he pulled the saber back to thrust.
“Do it, and hundreds more die,” Ingram said. He clenched his jaw, and stared eye to eye while braced for the killing blow. Haern almost did it. Almost.
“Why?” he asked.
Ingram let out a slow sigh of relief.
“I’d heard much, but the strangest rumor was that you cared for the commoners,” the man said. “I see that is true. I have given orders to every guard in the city, and my nobles all agreed to do the same, lest they forfeit any chance of inheriting my power. Should I die by your hand, or that of the Wraith, every single prisoner in my custody is to be immediately executed, regardless of their crime.”
Ingram gave him a smile.
“As of last count, I have over four hundred people locked away in cells, minus the thirty we removed today.”
Haern struck him across the face with the hilt of a saber. Instead of showing anger or fear, Ingram laughed.
“You really are a weakling, aren’t you? Letting a faceless rabble decide your course of action…shameful.”
“Why did you do it?” Haern asked. “Why such a display?”
“You ask me?” Ingram rolled his eyes. “You appear in my city and kill two of my guards, yet ask me why I did it? How about you tell me what you’re doing in Angelport? Oh, and keep your damn saber away from my throat if you have no intention of using it.”
Haern leaned close enough to whisper into Ingram’s ear.
“You said your orders were only if you were killed.”
He thrust a saber through Ingram’s shoulder, pinning him to his bed. Ingram let out a cry, but Haern smothered it with his hand.
“I’m here because another dared challenge me,” Haern said as Ingram’s struggles ceased. “This fool who calls himself Wraith will die, and I will be the one to kill him. Last night I thought I killed thieves, not guards, but I do not regret the act. They preyed on the weak, and they deserved to die for it. Until the Wraith is dead, I will prowl the night. Do not try to stop me, nor get in my way. And if you dare consider hanging more innocents…”
He yanked out the sword and let the blood drip across Ingram’s forehead.
“I’m not scared of you,” Ingram said, despite his pale face and shaking arms. “You’re a coward. I’ll fill the gallows with necks no matter who you kill. Empty my dungeon, and I’ll grab people off the streets to swing.”
“Not another body,”
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