Blood of Innocents (Book Two of the Sorcery Ascendant Sequence) (57 page)

Caldan turned to Amerdan. “So, you watched the building for a while after you saw me being taken?”

“Yes.”

“Did you see Joachim? Pale skin, close-cropped brown hair, black clothes?”

“Ah, yes. He was one of the seven men who ambushed the wagon. They drove it into the yard and dragged the bodies inside. A while later, four of the men left, and the first man I killed upstairs arrived.”

Caldan hissed softly. “So, apart from the three men upstairs, only Joachim might still be here?”

“It’s… highly likely. I didn’t see him leave.”

Which meant he could be behind any of the three doors. What should he do? Escape was so close, and yet he had to try to retrieve his
trinket
s and
crafting
s. If he left to alert the Protectors and came back, Joachim could have discovered he’d escaped and be long gone. Not only that, the warlock would hunt him down and kill him. Caldan would be a loose end that needed to be silenced. He bit his thumbnail as he considered his options.

Could the Protectors guard him from Joachim? It was unlikely. From what he’d seen and heard, warlocks were a class above sorcerers and Protectors, and privy to sorcerous knowledge few even suspected, let alone studied and mastered. No, Joachim could probably kill him while evading the Protectors. It mightn’t even be beyond Joachim to kill the Protectors, in order to keep his secret, and blame it on Bells. He had no choice. His only chance to survive was to confront Joachim here and now.

Caldan had no
crafting
s or
trinket
s, so any sorcery he used he’d have to make up on the spot with what was at hand. That didn’t leave him many options. Amerdan would be able to help, if he was willing. It didn’t sit well with Caldan asking the shopkeeper for aid, but he didn’t have much choice. He would use Amerdan but keep a close eye on him.

“Amerdan, I have to find my
crafting
s. If I run into Joachim, then he’ll most likely kill us. But if we can surprise him… maybe…”

“I’ll help you, for… my own reasons. I’ve survived this far. I can look after myself.”

Together, they’d taken out Keys and Bells, and the Bleeder, so they might stand a chance. A slim one, but it was better than nothing. They had the crafted arrows, but they would be almost useless. Even if they could surprise Joachim, one or two arrows wouldn’t be enough to disrupt his shield. It had taken a lot to finally overload Annelie’s shield, and Joachim wouldn’t give them the chance. He’d cut them down with destructive or coercive sorcery before they could get a couple of arrows off, if that many.

“Wait here,” Caldan said. “I want to go back and get a bow.”

Amerdan shrugged. “Do you want me to investigate a few of the rooms?”

“No. We’d better stick together.”

As quickly as he could, Caldan ascended the stairs and retrieved a bow. He’d used one before at the monastery but wasn’t planning on shooting Joachim with it, he had another idea.

Back with Amerdan, he explained his scheme. “I’ll be able to disrupt the crafted arrows once I’m linked to them. The timing will be tricky, but if Joachim is distracted enough, I’ll be able to surprise him. We probably can’t get through his shield, but we can try and knock him down and gain an advantage. If we can get Joachim on the floor, and I disrupt his shield and concentration, then we might have a chance. Wait here.”

Caldan blew out the two lamps, leaving them in darkness. He opened the door a finger’s width, peering through the gap to make sure the hallway beyond was still clear. Taking a few of the crafted arrows, he crouched low and sidled his way along the wall to the first door. Once there, he accessed his well and linked to an arrow. He could feel the
crafting
vibrate in his hand and hoped Joachim couldn’t sense what little he was feeding through his string. Carefully, he placed it beside the door.

Creeping as quietly as he could, he repeated the process for the two other doors, splitting his well into three strings. At the third door, he paused, about to do the same for the entrance, but an idea stopped him.

Stealthily moving back to Amerdan, he shut the door to the hallway and wiped sweat from his forehead. There wasn’t much—he was still dehydrated—but it was good to find he was actually sweating. His strings felt stretched, especially the one connecting to the farthest arrow, but the strain was manageable, and he felt he could hold them stable for some time.

“Why did you do that?” asked Amerdan.

Caldan removed another arrow from the quiver and took up the bow. “We don’t know which door Joachim is behind, and this way I can cover all three.”

“So, now we find him, and you shoot him with an arrow? I thought you had another plan?”

“I do. We need to lure him out. Make him think this place is under attack.”

“Sounds simple, and simple is usually the best.”

Again, Caldan looked through the keyhole and checked the hallway was clear. Satisfied, he opened the door, nocked the arrow, and drew the bow. Splitting his well into a fourth string, he linked to the arrow and released it.

With a hum and a loud thunk, the arrow hit the entry door just off center. Good enough.

Quickly, he ducked back behind the door and closed it, peering through the keyhole.

Holding his breath, he waited. For long moments, there was no movement. Perhaps Joachim hadn’t heard the arrow striking the door. Or maybe he’d left. He could even be asleep, for all they knew.

Caldan calmed himself and took a few deep breaths. He was about to give up and open the door when movement from the middle door caught his eye. It opened, and Joachim stuck his head out. The warlock looked toward their door, frowned when he saw it was closed, then glanced at the entrance door.

Immediately, Caldan pushed as much as he could through the string from his well and ruptured the anchor. A thunderous roar sounded as the forces from his well destroyed the arrow utterly, taking the door apart along with it. Filaments of lightning arced out as chunks of wood and splinters peppered the hallway. Smoke billowed toward them.

Joachim cursed loudly and ducked back inside. But he was only gone momentarily. Caldan picked up the scent of lemons and sensed Joachim access his well, and the warlock reappeared. This time, he was shielded.

Joachim didn’t hesitate. He stood in the middle of the hallway, arms outstretched, ready to do battle with whoever was invading his territory.

Caldan’s eyes widened in awe as Joachim drew from his well. Vibrations at the edge of his awareness from
crafting
s and
trinket
s multiplied tenfold. The warlock’s shield turned a dark blue, almost black, and his figure blurred further as it became almost too thick to see through.

Hairs rose on Caldan’s arms. Once more, his skin felt hot, and his blood boiled in his veins. They were going to die, he could feel it in his bones. But he had to try, for himself, for Miranda, for Annelie and the Protectors. And to make Amerdan pay.

Caldan gathered what little strength he had left. He tugged the door open, and side by side, he and Amerdan sprinted toward Joachim.

Caldan drew his sword as Amerdan pulled ahead. Joachim still had his back to them. If he only remained unaware for a moment longer…

Their footsteps must have alerted the warlock, as he half-jumped and pivoted, turning toward them. A smile lit his face as he recognized Caldan, and saw that they were both unshielded.

An instant before Amerdan charged into Joachim, he was enveloped in a surge of energy as the blue haze of a shield covered him. Violet sparks sprayed as Amerdan slammed into Joachim, sending him flying. The warlock hit the floor, crying out in pain, and rolled toward the next doorway. He was covered in violet motes of strain, but his shield held. He scrambled to one knee, shaking his head—a few yards in front of the third arrow Caldan had placed.

Caldan ruptured the anchor.

Joachim took the full force of the blast from behind and was propelled through the air toward them. He gave a wordless cry of agony, which turned to anger. Scarcely able to believe it, Caldan watched as Joachim’s shield, now entirely violet with the strain, quickly faded to the usual blue.

The warlock got to his feet and shot Amerdan and Caldan a look of pure fury. Caldan automatically reached for a shield
crafting
, but there was nothing… He broke into a sprint, unnaturally fast. Shock suffused Joachim’s face. Caldan came on, aiming his sword for Joachim’s chest, and braced himself for the inevitable pain.

Amerdan struck Joachim’s shield with a fistful of arrows. Sparks flew. The shield turned violet again, then vanished.

Joachim looked on in horror as Caldan’s sword entered his chest, stabbing him through the heart. The warlock staggered. His hands clutched at the blade, heedless of the edge cutting his palms.

Calmness settled over the hallway as the almost unbearable vibrations ceased. Joachim toppled to the floor, and Caldan let go of the sword. Crimson leaked from the wound, and Joachim opened his mouth, as if to speak… then was still, eyes staring at them, unseeing.

“That was easier than I thought,” said Amerdan. “Sorcerers aren’t so hard to kill, after all.”

Caldan’s strength left in a rush and he slumped to the floor, shivering. He clenched his teeth in pain as his legs cramped up. Amerdan stood by, silent, as he massaged his spasming muscles.

When the pain subsided somewhat Caldan turned his gaze from the dead warlock and took in Amerdan’s shielded form. Realizing his mouth was open, he shut it. What Amerdan had just done was… impossible. “Are you… a sorcerer? No, you must have a
trinket.
You didn’t have a well before, so…”

Amerdan regarded him for a moment, then blinked. “I found out late, and I’ve only just received some instruction.”

Bells,
thought Caldan. Of course, she was teaching Amerdan, though that didn’t explain how he now had a well. She must have promised Amerdan training in exchange for setting her free. But had she been able to give him a well? Was that possible?

Extending his senses, Caldan brushed against the telltale feeling of a well. Either he’d missed it, or something else had happened to Amerdan. The more he knew about the shopkeeper, the greater an enigma the man was. “Let’s just hope Joachim was the only warlock involved in this. If he has partners in their ranks, we could be in serious trouble.”

With a shrug, Amerdan bent over Joachim, searching his pockets. “That’s for another day. Now, shall we look for your
crafting
s?”

•

The downstairs rooms were well-appointed and lavish, and contained more wealth than Caldan had seen in his lifetime. Expensive rugs covered the floors, while the walls were coated in paintings and tapestries. The furniture was the best he’d ever seen—master-crafted beds and lounges, chairs and desks. In each room they found a veritable treasure trove of ducats and gems, along with jewelry and, wonder of wonders, atop a veneered desk, a flat wooden box containing a few
trinket
s. To Caldan’s relief, the box held both his silver and bone ring
trinket
s.

He slipped the metal
trinket
onto his finger and concealed the bone
trinket
beneath his shirt. Bells’
crafting
s were also on the desk, and he pocketed them.

Amerdan came into the room behind him, carrying a chest full of gold ducats.

“Take some,” Amerdan said. “You’ve earnt it. Take whatever
crafting
s and
trinket
s you want. The Protectors won’t know if anything’s missing.” He gave Caldan a thin smile and began rummaging through a chest of drawers.

The thought of taking more didn’t sit well with Caldan. Most of the coins must have been earnt by selling the blood from the Touched, which meant people had died to make Joachim and his cronies wealthy. Likely, the
trinket
s had been bought with blood money. But maybe some good could come from what happened to the Touched. He could sell them and give the ducats to the poor out of respect for Elpidia.

It was only then he realized there was no sign of the
trinket
sword he’d carried from Anasoma. He frantically ran from room to room looking for it. Nothing.

With rising panic, he rummaged through the paperwork on Joachim’s desk, searching for a clue as to the
trinket’s
whereabouts. Luckily, the warlock kept meticulous records, and Caldan found entries in a log book detailing buildings and businesses purchased all through Riversedge. Joachim mightn’t have trusted his men around such a valuable
trinket
and must have stored it in a safe place.

Or so Caldan hoped. But there were questions he needed to ask Amerdan, he couldn’t hold back any longer.

“What happened back at the campsite outside the city? Elpidia was knocked out, and when she regained consciousness, Bells had vanished, and we never saw you again until now. Did you see who freed her, then decide to follow her into the city?”

Amerdan cocked his head, and for a moment didn’t speak. “No,” he said eventually. “I didn’t see who freed her. When I returned, she was gone. I checked Elpidia, and she was fine, and I just… wanted to leave everything behind. I was selfish.”

A lame explanation. The evidence of Amerdan’s guilt only grew stronger, but at the moment Caldan had to push aside thoughts of vengeance for expediency. Perhaps he could get Amerdan to accompany him to the Protectors then unmask him in their presence.

“Come on,” Caldan said. “The Protectors need to know about this place. They’ll want to know what’s happened to Annelie, and the other two as well.”

Amerdan stopped what he was doing and stepped close to him. “They can’t know I’m a sorcerer. Even if they remain unaware of that fact, if you tell them I was involved and saw forbidden sorcery, they might decide to silence me.”

“They wouldn’t—”

“They’ve probably done so in the past, and wouldn’t stop this time.”

Caldan couldn’t deny the logic of Amerdan’s words. Of course the Protectors would do whatever it took to keep destructive and coercive sorcery a secret. The fact that, after thousands of years, no one in the empire, outside of the Protectors and warlocks and the emperor, had an inkling such sorcery still existed, meant the knowledge had to have been ruthlessly suppressed.