The City of Towers: The Dreaming Dark - Book I (41 page)

“Daine, we know all this,” Lei said. “Why are you—”

“Just thinking out loud,” he replied. “Bear with me. Three nights ago, Rasial brings a shipment of contraband shards in, but he fails to deliver them to Alina. He’s our first corpse. The next day, the Tarkanans send a half-orc looking for Rasial—in High Walls—and he ends up as our second corpse. Yesterday, Jode disappears, for reasons unknown, and is”—he paused, swallowing his emotion—“also killed. Finally, we have the
fourth body, which we know nothing about. All of these bodies were dumped in the sewers beneath High Walls. At least three of the four should have had dragonmarks, but none of them did. What am I missing?”

“If the marks were removed, I think the dragonshards Rasial was carrying were the key, though I’m still not sure how this could be done,” Lei said.

“We were attacked by a group of humans that had been somehow altered and enhanced,” Pierce said. “They appeared to want to capture Jode alive.”

“True,” Daine said. “However, the leader of the group was a changeling. At this point, we don’t know if his ‘twin brother’ is a human or a changeling, but he remains at large.”

“As for Jode,” Lei said, “if they can remove dragonmarks, they may have needed him alive in order to extract his dragonmark. We know nothing about the process involved.”

“True. What about Rasial?”

“Well …” Lei said. “Perhaps he just wanted to find a way to get rid of his aberrant dragonmark, in the hopes that he could go back to his old life. He met someone who promised they could help him—if he obtained the shards. Though I imagine he didn’t expect to be killed in the process.”

“It does explain why there’s only been a few deaths so far.”

“If they really are stealing the power of a mark … well, the Mark of Healing would be a very important one to have for this sort of work. And a small, disorganized group like these Tarkanans would make easier prey than the great houses. Being outcasts, they can’t even go to the law for assistance.”

“All right,” Daine said. “Assuming this is correct, the next question is: Who was Rasial dealing with?”

“If you accept that the person dealing with Rasial was the same person who wanted to kidnap Jode, we’re dealing with Hugal or Monan.”

Daine nodded. “What else do we know about the two of them?”

“They lived at the tenement called Dolurrh’s Doorstep. According to that man Doras, they had few friends, but I would say that his testimony could be considered untrustworthy at
best. Although … at dinner, what was it Hugal said about the destruction of Cyre?”

Pierce answered. “He suggested that the destruction of Cyre would provide a weapon that could be used against the rest of the world.”

“That’s right,” said Daine. “Supposedly, he was in Cyre when the disaster came. Even though we searched for months and never found any survivors.”

“Also, that old seamstress with the eye in her palm … that happened recently, so it wasn’t a result of the Mournlands.”

“So we still have some unanswered questions. But this much seems clear. Rasial made a deal with Hugal and his unnatural friends. They took his shards, took his mark, and killed him. They did the same thing to the Tarkanan half-orc, then they got Jode. But how? Why did Jode put himself at risk?”

Lei considered. “Well, he left right after we’d seen Alina. Before that, we’d spoken with the medusa and the sphinx.”

“What was it the sphinx said to him?”

Again, it was Pierce’s memory that came to their aid. “She emphasized urgency, then she said, ‘There is a key that only you can find, hidden between two stones that only you can move. You must find it alone, but you will pay a terrible price to do so.’”

“So presumably he determined the location of this key and believed he had to act alone.” Daine rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Didn’t you say that he reacted to something Alina said?” Lei asked.

The images from his dream came flashing back, and Daine struck his forehead. “Of course! ‘There are things I cannot say.’”

“I don’t understand,” Pierce said.

“Who have we met in the last two days who can’t speak?”

“Yes!” Lei said. “That girl—Olassia?”

“Olalia,” Pierce said, “whose mouth had been turned to stone.”

“Exactly.” Daine said. “Councilor Teral found her in the ruins of Cyre—along with Hugal and Monan. While the twins
were at dinner, she seemed terrified. She must know the truth about the twins, but she couldn’t speak because her jaws have been petrified. The secret—
the key
—is trapped between two stones.”

“Then the sphinx was mistaken,” Lei said. “He went alone, just like she said, but he was still killed.”

“She did say that he would ‘pay a terrible price,’” Pierce pointed out.

“Who knows what the sphinx wanted? Why didn’t she just say ‘go talk to the woman with the stone teeth?’ I’ll never trust an oracle.” Daine shook his head. “There’s one last piece to this. The closest tunnel that connects the sewers to the surface comes out in Togran Square where the tent town is. Alina said that whoever was performing these mystical operations probably has a base underground, possibly in this Khyber’s Gate.”

“How do we proceed?” Pierce asked.

“We find Olalia. If we find Councilor Teral, we explain the situation to him. But we go in carefully. Yesterday, Jode was stolen from us. Today, we’re going to make the thieves pay for what they’ve done.” Daine drew his dagger and slammed it into the floor. “Today, we finish this.”

A
light drizzle misted the air and soaked the streets as Lei and Daine made their way down the streets of High Walls.

“You’re sure Pierce will be all right?” Daine said. “We’ve done this before, Daine. He knows what to do.” Lei sighed. “Do you suppose we should talk to Greykell about this?”

“Let’s just get Olalia. Greykell and Teral …? We take that as it comes.”

“Very well.”

The tenth bell or morning had rung, and Togran Square was unusually quiet. Those refugees with jobs had made their way to the workhouses and foundries, and most of those who remained were sleeping or gathered around communal cooking points, preparing the morning meal. Daine had lost his cloak in the sewers, but his chainmail shirt and the sword at his belt still drew attention. Back at the Manticore, Daine had borrowed some bootblack from Dassi the innkeeper and used it to cover the Deneith symbol on his sword. He was tired of the unwanted attention he received for bearing the sigil of the dragonmarked house.

Daine and Lei made their way through the maze of tents to the large black canopy in the center. The dwarf doorman stood at the opening flap. “What do you want?” he asked.

“We’re looking for Olalia,” Daine said.

“Councilor Teral is not accustomed to receiving guests at this hour,” the dwarf said. “He’ll be making his rounds later. See him then.”

“We’re not looking for Councilor Teral. We want to see the girl Olalia, his servant.”

“You want to see the Councilor’s servant, you see the Councilor first.”

“Can’t you just ask—?” Lei began.

“I know my duties, lady,” the dwarf said.

“So do I,” Daine said.

All the anger and frustration that had been building since Jode’s death burst. Daine slammed his right elbow into the dwarf’s nose, forcing him back into the tent. Daine darted in after him. The dwarf flailed wildly, but a sweeping kick from Daine knocked the guard off his feet. A moment later Daine had a knee on the guard’s chest and punched him again and again until he stopped moving.

Lei slipped in behind him. “How are you going to explain that to Teral?” she said, looking at the battered guard.

Daine looked away, embarrassed by the moment of frenzy. “If we expose a conspiracy of monsters in the community, I’d hope he’d overlook a few bruises.”

They were standing in the entry chamber where they’d eaten dinner with Teral. Only now, bedrolls were scattered across the floor. Six people had been sleeping in the chamber, but all had since departed. Daine dragged the dwarf on top of a blanket.

There was a rustle of fabric and the inner door of the tent opened. Daine tensed and prepared for action, but it was Olalia. Her eyes widened as she saw Daine and the fallen guard.

Daine stood and held out his hands in a gesture of peace, then gave a quick nod to Lei.

“Olalia, it’s all right,” he said. “We’re not here to hurt you.”

Behind him, Lei began to make mystical gestures over a crystal shard, weaving a minor enchantment into the gem. Daine slowly approached Olalia.

“We just want to talk. Everything will be all right now.”

The girl watched Daine fearfully, her stone teeth shining out between half-parted lips. She didn’t run, but there was no sign of understanding in her eyes.

“Calm down,” Daine said gently. “Nothing will hurt you. Just wait. Lei is going to help you talk to us.”

“I’m ready, Daine,” Lei said. The crystal in her hand glowed faintly.

“Olalia,” Daine said. “Have you seen our friend Jode, the halfling”—he gestured with his hand to indicate Jode’s small size—“recently?” He watched Olalia’s emotionless face, then glanced over at Lei. “Anything?”

“I don’t think she can understand you,” Lei said. “She’s afraid. Wait! She remembers you and Jode from the dinner. I think she’s afraid that what happened to Jode will happen to you.”

Daine turned back to the girl. “What happened, Olalia? Who harmed our friend?”

“Daine?” Counselor Teral entered the room, leaning on a cane and holding a mug of tal in his hand. “What are you doing here? And Lei, yes? Is something wrong?”

Daine caught Lei’s eyes and flicked a glance at Olalia. Lei blinked once.

Daine walked over to Teral. “Councilor, last night my friend Jode was killed, and I believe Olalia knows who did it.”

Teral waved his hand dismissively. “Preposterous. Olalia couldn’t harm a soul. She—” He broke off, noticing the unconscious guard. “What is this?”

“We need to finish talking to her, Councilor. This mystery threatens us all. Including you.”

The old man glared at Daine. “You presume too much, Captain. Beating and questioning my servants. Leave now.”

“Teral, you need to listen to me. Something terrible is hidden in High Walls. Hugal and Monan were not what they seemed.”

“I have had enough of this, Captain!”

Olalia whimpered. Lei had been concealing the glowing crystal in her hand. She flung it away as hard as she could. “Lei, what—?”

“Daine, it’s
him.”

Daine looked at Teral. The councilor laughed. “I see. You were watching Olalia’s thoughts while you talked to me. Oh, very good.”

Daine’s sword was in his hand in an instant, the point leveled at Teral’s throat. “What are you talking about?”

Lei winced and clutched her head, as if the visions she’d drawn from Olalia’s mind was causing her pain. “Inside … it’s
inside.”

“I hope you don’t mind, Daine,” Teral said, his voice growing colder. “But I’ve just invited a few friends to join us.”

Hugal emerged from the rear of the tent. Two more people walked through the front flap—a young boy with a feral expression and a middle-aged man whose left arm had been severed at the elbow.

“If they come any closer, you’ll be dead,” Daine warned. He flicked the point of his sword across the old man’s throat, drawing a spot of blood. Across the room, Lei drew her dagger and set her back against the wall of the tent. Her face twisted in a rictus of pain, but whatever was bother her, she seemed to be fighting it and winning.

“I think not,” said Teral.

There was a flash of movement, followed by a cold pain at Daine’s throat. He fell to the floor, every muscle refusing to respond. The councilor kicked his sword out of his hand.

“I’m so glad you left your warforged friend behind,” Teral said, retracting his long, barbed tongue. “He would have proved more difficult to deal with.” As he spoke, Daine saw that the puckered scar at his throat was
opening
. A layer of raw muscle oozed out of the wound, flowing over Teral’s flesh like a second skin. Within seconds Teral seemed to have doubled in mass. He threw aside his cane and turned to face Lei, glaring at her from eyes newly sunken in deep fleshy sockets. “Now, whatever shall we do about you?”

“I’m not afraid of you, monster,” Lei said. Her voice was calm, and she held her dagger in a throwing grip.

The young boy
hissed
, and in the instant Lei glanced at him Teral was in motion. His left arm whipped forward and a long
tentacle of flesh lashed out of his sleeve, catching Lei’s wrist and jerking the dagger from her hand. A second later, he had his right hand around her throat.

“Lei …” Teral said, as she gasped for air. He studied the color of her hair and skin. “An artificer, it seems—and from Cyre.” Then he noticed the bare circle on her finger where her house signet had been. “Could it be?” He
sniffed
the air around her, like a hound searching for a scent. Finally he lifted her off the ground with one hand, turned her back toward him, and with his other hand he brushed aside her hair, revealing the tip of the Mark of Making rising above her collar.

Daine raged within, but he couldn’t move. He watched helplessly as Teral stabbed Lei with his venomous tongue and let her fall to the ground.