in discovering who it was. When finished, Tarlak leaned back in his chair, stroking his red goatee.
“He’s taking their eyes?” he wondered aloud. “That’s a little...odd.”
“Odd?” said Zusa. “You insult a dead child saying such a thing. It is the cold, cruel act of a sick mind. Whoever this Widow is, let him kill Spiders night and day, but to threaten Alyssa’s son...no. We must stop him. Despite your reputation otherwise, your Eschaton Mercenaries are the best. My mistress wants this killer found, and will pay whatever it takes.”
Tarlak’s eyes widened.
“Now that’s what I like to hear,” he said, grinning.
“He’s striking at night,” Haern said, glaring at Tarlak. “And he bears a grudge against both the Spider Guild and the Gemcroft family. Any ideas?”
“Perhaps a rival guild?” Tarlak asked.
Haern shrugged.
“Maybe a rogue thief wanting the truce ended?”
Neither idea sounded right, didn’t have that correct feel in the gut. And then Delysia spoke.
“What about Victor?” she asked.
Haern and Tarlak exchanged a glance.
“He’s made his hatred of the thief guilds clear,” Delysia insisted.
“He has no love of the Trifect, either,” Zusa said, and she told them of Victor’s visit to their mansion just that morning. Haern heard it, knew it made sense, but he shook his head.
“No,” he said. “I don’t believe it. He’s doing this with a sense of purpose, a sense of honor. Brutal murders, mocking rhymes...how does that help him? What agenda does that serve?”
Tarlak frowned, and he bit his lower lip as he thought.
“Zusa,” he said, glancing at the woman. “Tell Alyssa we accept her request, and I’ll have a contract brought to you before tonight. We’ll start patrolling the Spider Guild territory come nightfall, see if we can spot him attempting kill number four. All of us except Haern, that is.”
“You want me to watch Victor,” Haern said. “Don’t you?”
“Consider it protecting him,” Tarlak said, standing. “That is, if he’s innocent. And if he’s not, well...” The wizard shrugged. “You’ll be right there to stop him, won’t you?”
Haern thought of the way Victor had responded seeing the body in the alley. His anger, his revulsion...that couldn’t have been an act. Could it? The timing would have been difficult, but he didn’t have to be the one committing the killings himself.
“It’s not him,” Haern said, reaching for his sabers.
“I hope it isn’t,” Zusa said as she left for the door. “Because his scribe sits in our mansion, recording our every deed. Find him quickly, Eschaton. Our city is dangerous enough without a madman.”
Silence greeted them as the door closed behind her. Haern stood there, feeling unsure, then buckled his sabers to his belt.
“Where are you going?” Delysia asked.
“To speak with a contact,” Haern said. “If the Spider Guild is being targeted, someone in their organization might have an idea why.”
“Be careful,” she told him.
He leaned in close to gently kiss her cheek.
“I will,” he said. “I promise.”
“Y ou sure it’s safe to be out here?” Peb asked as they neared the castle. His wide eyes darted every which way, as if guards were trying to sneak up behind him from all directions. With his big ears, the act only reminded Alan why Peb had once been called Mouse.
“I’m not sure it’s safe to be anywhere in Veldaren right now,” Alan said, twirling a copper coin between his thumb and forefinger, something he did when nervous. “So why should the castle be any worse?”
Peb nodded toward the rows of men and women waiting to be interrogated by Lord Victor’s men.
“Maybe because any one of them people might be blubbering our names any second?”
Alan ran a hand through his long dark hair.
“Thren wants answers, wants something new, so either we get him something new, or we get a tongue-lashing...if we’re lucky. Given the mood he was in, I’m not
“He’s taking their eyes?” he wondered aloud. “That’s a little...odd.”
“Odd?” said Zusa. “You insult a dead child saying such a thing. It is the cold, cruel act of a sick mind. Whoever this Widow is, let him kill Spiders night and day, but to threaten Alyssa’s son...no. We must stop him. Despite your reputation otherwise, your Eschaton Mercenaries are the best. My mistress wants this killer found, and will pay whatever it takes.”
Tarlak’s eyes widened.
“Now that’s what I like to hear,” he said, grinning.
“He’s striking at night,” Haern said, glaring at Tarlak. “And he bears a grudge against both the Spider Guild and the Gemcroft family. Any ideas?”
“Perhaps a rival guild?” Tarlak asked.
Haern shrugged.
“Maybe a rogue thief wanting the truce ended?”
Neither idea sounded right, didn’t have that correct feel in the gut. And then Delysia spoke.
“What about Victor?” she asked.
Haern and Tarlak exchanged a glance.
“He’s made his hatred of the thief guilds clear,” Delysia insisted.
“He has no love of the Trifect, either,” Zusa said, and she told them of Victor’s visit to their mansion just that morning. Haern heard it, knew it made sense, but he shook his head.
“No,” he said. “I don’t believe it. He’s doing this with a sense of purpose, a sense of honor. Brutal murders, mocking rhymes...how does that help him? What agenda does that serve?”
Tarlak frowned, and he bit his lower lip as he thought.
“Zusa,” he said, glancing at the woman. “Tell Alyssa we accept her request, and I’ll have a contract brought to you before tonight. We’ll start patrolling the Spider Guild territory come nightfall, see if we can spot him attempting kill number four. All of us except Haern, that is.”
“You want me to watch Victor,” Haern said. “Don’t you?”
“Consider it protecting him,” Tarlak said, standing. “That is, if he’s innocent. And if he’s not, well...” The wizard shrugged. “You’ll be right there to stop him, won’t you?”
Haern thought of the way Victor had responded seeing the body in the alley. His anger, his revulsion...that couldn’t have been an act. Could it? The timing would have been difficult, but he didn’t have to be the one committing the killings himself.
“It’s not him,” Haern said, reaching for his sabers.
“I hope it isn’t,” Zusa said as she left for the door. “Because his scribe sits in our mansion, recording our every deed. Find him quickly, Eschaton. Our city is dangerous enough without a madman.”
Silence greeted them as the door closed behind her. Haern stood there, feeling unsure, then buckled his sabers to his belt.
“Where are you going?” Delysia asked.
“To speak with a contact,” Haern said. “If the Spider Guild is being targeted, someone in their organization might have an idea why.”
“Be careful,” she told him.
He leaned in close to gently kiss her cheek.
“I will,” he said. “I promise.”
“Y ou sure it’s safe to be out here?” Peb asked as they neared the castle. His wide eyes darted every which way, as if guards were trying to sneak up behind him from all directions. With his big ears, the act only reminded Alan why Peb had once been called Mouse.
“I’m not sure it’s safe to be anywhere in Veldaren right now,” Alan said, twirling a copper coin between his thumb and forefinger, something he did when nervous. “So why should the castle be any worse?”
Peb nodded toward the rows of men and women waiting to be interrogated by Lord Victor’s men.
“Maybe because any one of them people might be blubbering our names any second?”
Alan ran a hand through his long dark hair.
“Thren wants answers, wants something new, so either we get him something new, or we get a tongue-lashing...if we’re lucky. Given the mood he was in, I’m not
Similar Books
