The Shadowsteel Forge (The Dark Ability Book 5) by D.K. Holmberg Page B

to fear from the Forgotten, now that Evaelyn and her leadership are gone. That Venass is the only real threat that we have now.”
    “And they’re probably right. The palace is empty, so it’s likely the Forgotten who sided with Evaelyn are gone. But that doesn’t mean we can ignore them.” He took Jessa’s hands. “Listen, what if none of them sided with Evaelyn? What if they disagreed with her plans, or were Compelled by her? Don’t you think that we should find them? They might even be able to help.”
    Jessa laughed softly. “You don’t have to convince me. But I suspect you will need to convince Brusus and Haern.”

Chapter 11
    W hen they returned to Elaeavn , Rsiran took them straight to the Wretched Barth. It was early in the day still, much earlier than when he would usually visit, and he wasn’t certain that Alyse would even be there, but he needed to see her. More than that, he needed to see the necklace. Inside the tavern, he found a few servers, but no sign of Alyse. Not even Brusus, though that was less unusual. He rarely spent his entire day in the tavern. More and more of it, though, especially now that the Barth had grown busier, and now that he actually owned the Barth and no longer had to hide.
    One of the newer servers, a young woman named Molly who had long, blonde hair and wide hips, caught him as soon as he entered and shook her head. “Brusus isn’t here. Said he would be back later,” she offered.
    “What about Alyse?”
    Molly glanced to Jessa before returning her gaze to Rsiran. “She’s not working until tonight.”
    “Tell my sister that I stopped by,” he said.
    Molly nodded. “You can see if she’s up there,” she said, motioning overhead.
    Jessa took his hand and led him through the tavern to the stairs hidden near the back wall. The Barth wasn’t an inn and didn’t have rooms for guests, only for those who worked here. Brusus had taken up quarters here, abandoning his small home and using the Barth instead, and Rsiran knew that Alyse had accepted Brusus’s offer of space here as well.
    At the top of the stairs, a narrow hall led toward three closed doors. “Which one do you think is hers?” he asked.
    Jessa shrugged. “I’ve never been up here. You know how Brusus can be. Doesn’t want anyone to know anything. Probably thinks he’s protecting us.”
    Rsiran hadn’t been here, either. He knocked on the first door and there was no answer. Moving to the next two, he found the same. All were locked as well.
    “Guess no one is here,” he said.
    “You don’t want to Slide in and see?”
    “You don’t want to pick the locks to see?” he countered.
    She smirked. “Can’t say I have the same practice that I used to. With what Brusus has been up to, I haven’t had the same opportunities to use my skills.”
    “Just Brusus?” he asked.
    Jessa shrugged. “Mostly Brusus. But you make needing to sneak past doors less of an issue. Most of the time, I don’t miss it.”
    “There are still doors I need you to open.” He thought of the strange cell that they’d found in the Forgotten Palace. Without Jessa, he wouldn’t have been able to open it. Rsiran doubted that he would have been able to Slide past the door.
    “Not all that many,” she said.
    “Let’s see which of these is Alyse’s,” he suggested.
    “Sliding or sneaking?”
    “Your choice.”
    Jessa scanned the doors, the muscles at the corner of her mouth twitching. “I think Brusus will know if I sneak. Better Slide.”
    Taking her hand, he Slid them past the first door.
    “This is Lianna’s room,” Jessa said with a whisper.
    There was a canopy bed along the far wall. A dresser with decorations on top stood against another wall. A few paintings hung on the walls, and a plush carpet was under his feet. The room looked as if it hadn’t been touched since Lianna had died.
    “Let’s go,” Rsiran said.
    Jessa nodded.
    They Slid through the wall to what appeared to be Brusus’s room. The bed