Chapter 1
Gavin crept along the tall stone wall surrounding the manor house, staring outward against the night. Lights within the house behind him made it easier for him to see, but he still struggled to make out much of anything in the distance. Shadowy forms moved along the pathways leading up to the house, their circuitous route predictable now that he’d been watching for the last few hours.
How am I supposed to finish the job in this place? Gavin wondered.
“You need to stop watching and get to doing,” a voice said in his ear.
Gavin tapped the small metal chain leading from his ear down to the patch on his chest. The enchantment enabled him and Wrenlow to communicate, though there were times when he wished it wasn’t quite as effective as it was.
“You need to be quiet,” he whispered.
“You’re just mad that you can’t talk back to me the way you want to. And here I can go on and on and on and—”
Gavin tapped the metal enchantment again, welcoming the silence, though he knew it wouldn’t last long. He needed Wrenlow in his ear. This was his plan, after all. The only problem was that Gavin didn’t care for listening to the chirping in his ear during the entire mission. While scouting and observing like he had been, it wasn’t quite as bad, but as they got closer to completing the job, it would become distracting.
He tapped the enchantment again and heard Wrenlow cut back in. “You still there?”
“I just had to take a break from you,” he whispered. Even with whispering, Gavin wasn’t entirely sure whether he was making too much noise. The night was silent. A soft breeze sighed through the trees surrounding the house and rustled the thick, waxy leaves he’d seen earlier in the day. He couldn’t make out the trees as anything other than darkened shapes, though he knew they were there. Someone could be hiding within those trees and could spring up on him. That was what he planned on doing, anyway.
“Take a break from sitting there. It doesn’t make this get any easier.”
“It’s not you who’s risking themselves going down in there,” Gavin said.
“I risk plenty every time you go out.”
Gavin smiled. It wasn’t untrue, though it would take someone with more resources than most within the city to track the enchantment back to Wrenlow. “What do you propose I do? There are at least five people patrolling the grounds.” And the fact that he had seen five suggested that there were probably two more he didn’t see.
“Drop down next to the wall. Use the trees. The first one should be only about five paces from your position. From there, you can—”
“I know what I can do. I’m just saying I’m not convinced it’s going to work the way you think it is.”
“And I’m telling you it will. Just trust me on this.”
“Trust you. Trust is a little difficult for me these days. Especially with what happened the last time.”
Wrenlow’s voice cackled from the other end. It went up an octave, as it often did when he was really amused. “The last time wasn’t my fault. You were the one who strayed from the plan. If you would’ve only followed my suggestion, you wouldn’t have had any difficulty.”
Gavin shook his head. “You know, Wrenlow, things have a way of going a little different when you’re out on the job.”
With that, he dropped down behind the wall and surveyed the grounds. The grass was short and damp, and the scent of flowers drifted up to him, almost cloying. Dozens of different fragrances reached his nostrils. He hesitated a moment, listening for any movement near him. The only thing he heard was the sound of the breeze drifting through those leaves.
As Wrenlow had said, the nearest tree was only five paces away. Gavin darted toward it and pressed against the rough bark, which scratched at the fabric he wore and clung to him. He avoided the leaves themselves, knowing how they could cut if he were to get too close. Though they might look attractive, these bells trees and their leaves could be incredibly deadly.
He hesitated there. Movement could be noticeable in the darkness, and he waited for any sign of being spotted, but he saw nothing. Taking a deep breath, he started forward. The next tree should be only twenty paces away, if Wrenlow’s intel was correct. Having scouted here throughout the day, Gavin knew the information was good. The real challenge was whether or not something would go off plan. Something always went off plan.
As he neared the tree, a shadowy form headed toward him.
Balls.
He unsheathed one of the knives at his waist and darted forward, reaching the figure before they could raise the alarm. A sword started coming free, but Gavin slammed his fist into the guard’s chin and slowly lowered them to the ground before they had a chance to unsheathe fully. Still, there was a soft, guttural sound that escaped their lips.
Please let that sound fade into the night.
He wasn’t sure whether or not his prayers would be answered, but he focused instead on dragging the body closer to the tree. If nothing else, he thought he may be able to prop the body against the tree and hide the guard there. It wouldn’t be long before someone would recognize that the patrol was off and sound the alarm. He worried about what would happen at that point. Half of the technique in doing what he did required he get some place quietly and without any alarm raised.
He hesitated near the tree and felt one of the waxy leaves carve through his shirt. He jerked his arm back, clutching it to his chest, and glanced down to make sure there wasn’t any blood drawn. The bells tree could inflict pain, but that wasn’t the worst of it. At least the sap hadn’t trailed through his bloodstream and left him incapacitated. It was unlikely someone in this house knew the trees were capable of that. They probably thought the trees were simply pretty, as most people did. Given the nature of the bell-shaped yellow flowers they bore that gave the trees their name, it wasn’t an inaccurate statement.
When he was certain no one else had noticed him, Gavin darted forward. He clutched the knife in hand, hoping he wouldn’t have to use it. Now that he was out in the open, he needed to get closer to the house.
As he approached the next tree, movement drew his attention. The patrollers had shifted the course of their patrol.
Did they hear the guard?
Gavin didn’t think that was likely. Maybe he hadn’t watched long enough to observe this part of their pattern—a potentially dangerous oversight. If he didn’t pay enough attention, he ran the risk of the guards not only noticing he’d disrupted their patrol but also summoning others.
“How’s it going?” Wrenlow asked.
“Can’t talk now,” he whispered.
“Is the plan working?”
“Not yet.”
“You know, all you have to do is take a dozen steps off to the right of the third tree, dart toward the doorway, and you should be in the clear. Once you’re inside the house, it’s just a simple matter of going up the staircase, down the hall to the right, and it should be the third or fourth doorway.”
Gavin nodded. “A simple matter,” he repeated.
“Well, maybe not quite as simple as that, but I’m sure you can manage.”
Gavin resisted the urge to tap on the enchantment again. He might still need Wrenlow’s help as he made his way through the manor house. He looked around and didn’t see any further movement. The other patrols had moved off to the side. They were far enough away to not have to worry about them coming to him. He hesitated where he was, staring at the doorway.
He thought about the number of steps involved, keeping the count in mind. Wrenlow was usually dead on when it came to tracking the number of steps required to go from one place to another, but in this case, Gavin wasn’t sure if the count was quite right. It seemed as if everything was farther than suggested. Even the next tree seemed more than the dozen paces Wrenlow claimed it would be.
Readying himself, he darted across the lawn. A light moved overhead and shone out into the grass.
What kind of light was that?
It wasn’t from a lantern. The only thing it could be would be an…
“Enchantment,” he whispered.
They weren’t cheap. It was a luxury he and Wrenlow shared, and anything much more sophisticated would be incredibly expensive. He prized the communication for their jobs and were it not for a gift he’d been given long ago, he might not be able to have something like this. In Yoran, enchantments were rare. That was part of the benefit of working in this city—there wasn’t much magic to contend with.
Gavin sprinted. He was nearly to the next tree when somebody separated from the shadows near him. Not just somebody. Two somebodies.
A sword came swinging toward him. He ducked underneath the blade and slipped his knife forward to block the blow. He expected to meet resistance, but he carved through nothing more than air. The attacker was fluid and far quicker than him.
Gavin rolled off to the side. As he twisted and swung the knife around, the second attacker was waiting. The two fought him in unison. Not only that, but they were far more skilled than most men he’d faced.
He smiled to himself. It had been a while since he had a fight that would engage him fully. If only he had time to savor it. If he wasted too much time, the target would get away, and the job would go unfulfilled.
Twisting his knife and shifting his stance, he feigned darting forward before backing away, sweeping his leg down, and hooking it beneath the leg of one of the attackers. He drew it forward and stabbed the nearest person in the shoulder. The attacker dropped his sword. For good measure, Gavin jammed his knife into the other shoulder. That left him with just one attacker.
Gavin switched his technique. In the years he’d been training, he’d learned many different fighting techniques. These men were skilled, but he should be far more skilled than them. There was no one within the city of Yoran who posed a real challenge to him.
At least, he hadn’t thought so.
The man he faced now was not only skilled but fast. The sword was a blur, and the darkness made it so Gavin could barely keep track of the spinning blade. He traced the man’s movements in his mind, having learned to watch not only the blade but the wrist and shoulder too. It was the attacker’s leg that betrayed him.
The other man swung his foot, crashing a heel toward him. Gavin reacted by falling back. He pressed his hands against the ground and flipped back to his feet. While in midair, he twisted, swinging his heel around. It connected with the attacker’s stomach, driving him back. Gavin didn’t hesitate.
“How is it—” Wrenlow said.
“Not now,” Gavin growled.
“You don’t have to yell at me. I just wanted to know whether or not you needed any help. You know, sometimes you do have a little difficulty with counting. I just wanted to make sure that you—”
Gavin tapped the earpiece, silencing him. If he got through this, then he would apologize, but Wrenlow wasn’t going to be able to help him in a fight like this.
He crouched low, gripping both knives. They had long blades, almost like daggers, but they were still short-range weapons. Against the sword like this other man carried, he couldn’t get close enough. The man spun his blade, creating a deadly arc around him. He was waiting.
Gavin had to react soon. Otherwise, more guards would appear, and if they were even half as skilled as this man, then he’d be in trouble. He wasn’t going to be able to get inside the sword arc. The other man was far more skilled with the blade and had enough reach that Gavin didn’t trust himself to get through without being carved up.
What if I tried something different?
He rolled to the side and threw one of the knives. It bounced off the sword, landing harmlessly away from the attacker, who hesitated in surprise. Gavin didn’t expect the knife to penetrate the swordsman’s defenses. All he needed was to find a way to get beyond the blade, which required a little bit of risk.
The opening was what he’d been hoping for.
As the man twisted, Gavin twisted with him, going low. He curved one wrist around, slicing the blade toward the attacker’s thigh. He expected to meet muscle, but there was nothing. Only air.
He swore as he rolled away and leapt forward. He did so just in time. The sword spun, carving through the air over his head, and would have decapitated him had he been standing.
This time, when he switched hands and drove the knife forward, there was enough resistance that he was able to get through it. He felt the knife strike home. The attacker attempted to bear weight on the leg and surprisingly was able to do so far longer than expected. The man leapt to his feet.
“How about that,” Gavin whispered. Someone who could tolerate pain. It had been a while since he’d faced anyone like this.
The man moved forward. A hood covered his face, but Gavin detected a lithe figure underneath. The steady grace he attacked with made it so that he didn’t even need to bear weight on the injured leg all that often.
Gavin nodded to himself, focusing on the other leg, and then lunged forward. The suddenness of the movement caught the man off guard, and as he backed away, Gavin shoved his shoulder into him. He connected with the man’s leg, causing him to crumple to the ground. He jammed a knife into the other leg, the only place he could reach.
As Gavin jumped back to his feet, light filled the entirety of the manor yard. He darted forward, trying to stay on the edge of the enchanted light, but he knew he was going to be too late. Not only that, he’d raised the alarm. He had failed in this job.
The door wasn’t all that far from him. It was close enough he thought he might be able to reach it if he sprinted, but it would take everything within him to do so. Even at top speed, he still might not be fast enough.
He tapped the enchantment, and Wrenlow’s voice called out in his ear. “Please tell me you’re still there.”
“I’m here,” he whispered as he looked around the yard. Three others were coming toward him from the south side. The only way he could go would be toward the wall, back outside.
“Good. I thought they’d gotten to you. What happened?”
“Patrol. Skilled.”
The man he’d cut down started moving again. Gavin was going to have to decide quickly—and act quickly. Doing anything but running would be a risk. There was an obvious answer, but the problem was that sometimes the obvious answer wasn’t the right one.
He glanced down at the man he’d cut down and retrieved his fallen knife. “How many steps did you say it was to the door?”
“I thought you said you weren’t going to be able to reach it.”
“I’m not. I just want to know how many paces it is to the door.”
“Well, from where you were, it was a dozen paces. I don’t have any idea where you are now, so I don’t really know how far it is.”
“Considering the attack took me a little bit away from where I was heading, I’m not really sure either.” Gavin swept his gaze around the inside of the yard, gripping his knives tightly, and started running. He had to hope that he could be fast enough. At least, he had to be faster than those behind him. He felt movement all around him and worried that this was a terrible mistake.
As he glanced behind him, the activity near the wall caught his attention. Had he gone that way, there would’ve been others. They had wanted him to think that he could head toward the wall.
Smiling to himself, he nearly reached the door before diving off to the side. Gavin crashed through a window, glass shattering all around him.
“What was that?”
“Window,” he whispered.
“We were going to go through a door.”
“We were, but given that it was blocked and we didn’t have any other choice, we went through the window,” he muttered.
He was in a small room. Glowing coals at one end suggested it had been used recently, but as far as he could tell, there was no one else inside. It was dark, and as he hurried through it, he tried to fix the layout of the house in his mind.
If I go through the door on the other side…
He pulled the door open. There were enough people that he wasn’t sure he'd be able to cut his way through. His only advantage was that the hallway was narrow, which would limit how well the guards could fight.
Gavin lowered his shoulder, driving forward with his heel, and launched himself at the three people in the hallway. He twisted in the air, spinning the blades out from him. It was a dangerous technique in the best of times, but within the hallway, he thought it was somewhat safer. He could use the walls on either side of him to brace himself so that he could spin even more.
He launched himself up and continued to spiral and pivot. He caught one man in the stomach and another in the side of the neck. He slammed the hilt of his knife into the third man’s temple, and the man crumpled. Not wanting to take a moment more to make sure they stayed down, he raced toward the stairs. This was going to be a bloody affair.
“It’s a good thing the job didn’t say how we had to complete it,” he whispered.
“Why?” Wrenlow asked from the other side.
Gavin envisioned Wrenlow sitting in a chair near the hearth in the Roasted Dragon tavern, smirking to himself as he listened to the chaos through the enchantment. The other man was likely sitting with his notebook out, looking down at the notes he’d taken, and contemplating just how many steps Gavin would need to make it to each level.
“Too much noise. Most of the time, they want us to be quiet,” he said.
“You? I don’t know if you could be quiet if you wanted to.”
“I can do quiet.”
Wrenlow snickered. “Then prove it.”
“Another job.”
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