The Crimson League (The Herezoth Trilogy) (35 page)

Bidd looked skeptical. “Why? You got a job for me?”

“Kora does. You’re perfect for it.”

“Actually,” said Kora, “why don’t you get Hal and Hayden? It’ll be less strenuous with three.” She rubbed her wrist where she had fallen on it earlier, and noticed Bidd had carried something with him. “Is that the newspaper?”

Bidd scoffed. “It calls itself a paper. Only the fifth issue of the new
Gazette.
It’s a bunch of bull, straight from Zalski’s administration. I was using it to catch crumbs. Neslan read us an article yesterday, but he won’t look at today’s yet. Wants to digest first, or he’ll puke.”

The front-page article was about a new social welfare office created by “the king” to oversee orphanages and shelters. There was also a wedding announcement, and the schedule for a new theater piece to be performed in the plaza. So Zalski was committed to the community, was he? Nothing appeared about the grain heist, but that was a matter of time; the
Gazette
would denounce the culprits tomorrow. Kora turned to the wedding announcement:

In news from the capital, the first marriage between nobility since the transition of power occurred Saturday at the Crystal Palace. Carson Amison, firstborn of the Duke of Yangerton, aged thirty-three, wed Brianna Bellis, aged twenty, daughter of the Count of Riverton and native of Podrar. We celebrate the union as a mark of the increasing amity between cities and a spirit of cooperation weaving itself through Herezoth. The king himself blessed the marriage.

“So what are we doing?” asked Hal. His voice made Kora jump; she had not heard him and Hayden walk up. She stuffed the paper beneath her arm, her heart pounding.

“How many copies of this do we have?” she asked Bidd.

“Just one.”

“Has Lanokas read it?”

“Nah, he called it garbage. Refused to touch it.”

“He did
offer to throw it in the fire,” said Hayden.

“I get you,” Kora said. Hal frowned at her.

“You sure you’re up to…. To whatever you need our help for? Kora? You look sick.”

Lanokas’s Brianna. At least Zacry would keep Kora busy before she dealt with the prince that night. Brianna’s first fiancé was still in the dark, and was unlikely to hear about the marriage if Kora kept the paper. Neslan would be in all day with the royals, with no chance to grab a second copy.

“Are you three ready?” she asked the teenagers.

“Take my hand,” Kansten said, in a perfect imitation of Kora. The sorceress forced a smile.

“Nice, smartass, but not yet. Let me get Zac some breakfast.”

* * *

Zacry’s training went well. While he waited with Laskenay, she gave him all the warnings and general advice she had passed on to his sister months before. When the elder sorceress left, Zacry’s fright from enchanting Kora stuck with him, and he was far from taking his skills lightly, though he gradually grew more comfortable with the idea of them. The strength and precision of his casting were incredible. Following some setbacks due to nerves and hesitation, by mid-afternoon he had mastered
Estatua
, the binding spell, and invisibility. He looked ready for more, but his test subjects, to put it mildly, were disgruntled. Bidd had a bruise across his arms from struggling with magic ropes, and Hal tweaked his ankle coming out of
Estatua.
Kora’s continual distraction helped nothing. No matter how she tried not to, she kept thinking of Lanokas, her stomach queasy at the thought of what the paper’s report would mean to him. The sensation peaked each time she saw the
Gazette
, until finally she covered it with a stack of Menikas’s documents.

“That’s enough for now,” she said, when Zacry reappeared for the fifth time after vanishing.

“Thank God,” said Bidd. He plopped on the floor, and Kora tapped the back of the chair next to hers, telling her brother to take it.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, after how mad I was when Laskenay told me the same thing. Zac, you’re going to want to argue, but listen. I don’t know how long you’ll be with the League, that’s a fact. So is this: you’re not one of us. If we’re attacked, anywhere, at any time, I expect you not to fight. I don’t care how bleak it looks. I don’t care where I am or what state I’m in. I want you to cast the invisibility spell and get yourself out of there. If you can’t get away, hide.”

“I can do that.”

Kora cracked a brittle smile. “No you can’t, no more than I could have when I got those orders, but I have to ask you to try. Mother would kill me if I didn’t. Promise me, I mean it.”

“I’ll try.”

“Good. Now let’s get out of here. I bet someone has dinner ready across the street.”

Bendelof had indeed set a leg of lamb and potatoes cooking. The smell was wonderful, the first thing Kora noticed when she transported in, and she took a deep breath, forgetting her upset stomach. Zacry went to take a nap before dinner, along with the teenagers, who were no less tired than he was after a day of jolts, slams, and arguing who should take the next hit.

Laskenay was out. So were Ranler and Kansten, which reminded Kora they were dating. They seemed a bit unreal as a couple, but she had to admit they were compatible, as far as anyone could be compatible with Kansten. She had never struck Kora as someone who would want a man gushing over her. But then, Ranler was not one to throw anybody on a pedestal.

Neslan and Bendelof had settled in a corner. He had scrounged up a second book of poetry somewhere and was trying to explain it to her. Menikas and his brother were poring over maps. Kora walked up to them, crushing the folded
Gazette
she held.

“Can I borrow Lanokas?”

Menikas’s mouth grew thin. “We’re in the middle of something.”

“And we’d be in the middle of something all night if you had your way. We’ve been at it for hours.” Lanokas stood up, stretching his back. “What do you need?”

Kora shifted the paper to her other hand. “Is anyone in the washroom?” Lanokas didn’t think so. He led the way, but it was Kora who shut the door.

“Contenay Ruid.
”

The prince folded his arms. “A sound barrier? This must be serious.”

Kora’s mouth went dry. She thought it best to come straight to the point. “Have you read the paper yet?”

“That trash? Are you kidding?”

“You should look at the front page.”

“You dragged me in here to say I should read the
Gazette
?”

“You really
need to read the front page.”

“Oh, fine.” Lanokas snatched the paper from her. All the fluids that had disappeared from Kora’s mouth seemed to sweat out from her palms as she watched him. He needed five seconds to find the wedding announcement.

His eyes grew wide. He stared at one spot on the page for a full minute, so stiff it made Kora think of
Estatua
, and then flung the
Gazette
across the room.

“I’m sorry, Lanokas.”

His voice was calm, in the way a cat about to pounce on a bird is perfectly composed. “That’s absurd. You didn’t say you would wait for me and then marry someone else.”

“I’m sure she loved you. She probably still does. Her parents, they must have forced her into this. What could she say, that she was engaged to a dead man she hoped would come back?”

“With all due respect, you have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I know you told me that having a life with her was the reason you’re doing this. I know you’ll need to find something else to carry you forward, and I think you should talk to me.”

“She always was coquettish. Oh, not a brazen flirt, nothing of that sort, but she tended to drift toward Amison. Dinners. Balls. She’d make sure they found a way to speak.” He shook his head. “Thank God I never told Menikas about her. Of course, Neslan thought like he did. He never trusted Brianna, never thought she had deep convictions. He was right, she’s nothing but a fickle….”

“It’s been a long time,” said Kora. “People get lonely.”

“Yes, that explains it. That explains everything. It’s my fault for being so damn selfish. I should have thought she might get lonely before I left on a three year vacation.”

“I’m not defending her! I’m trying to help you understand how this happened.”

“I can figure that out without your help.” Lanokas jerked the door handle, which stuck because of Kora’s spell. “Let me out of here.”

“You should pull yourself together first.”

“NOW.”

“
Desfazair.
”

Lanokas marched through the center room and out the apartment without missing a beat. Kora went to Neslan and Bennie, who still had their poetry but had turned to watch the prince. “Follow him,” she told the noble. “Make sure he comes back.”

“What?”

“Make sure he comes back. Don’t let him see you, but if he does, make him talk. Neslan, if you so much as mention my name, I’ll throw so many spells your way you’ll be a puddle of ooze.”

“What in God’s name…?”

“Brianna married. It was in the paper.”
             

“Oh, hell!”

Neslan tore out the front door. Kora found Menikas at her shoulder and jumped, clutching her chest.

“Brianna?” he said. Bendelof, looking awkward and confused, slipped away to check her lamb leg. “This is about Brianna? He was serious about her?”

Kora said, “Your brother’s not one to go storming out of buildings, not without cause. He was hoping to marry her one of these days.”

“When this is over? He’s a fool, a damn fool.”

Kora put a hand on her hip. “Some of us need more than revenge to get us through.”

“Spare me the lecture. You think I wouldn’t go after him if Neslan hadn’t?”

“If you plan to talk to him….”

Menikas’s voice turned bitter. “I won’t need to broach the topic, thanks to you. Neslan’s better suited, is he?”

“Neslan’s always made him see sense!”

“And I can’t, is that what you’re saying?”

Kora twisted her hands. She was about to make some generic comment about how every family had its own dynamic when a series of sharp taps on the door spared her the need. Menikas waved her away.

“That’s Galisan.”

445

CHAPTER FIVE

Unwelcome Visitors

Kora had heard much about Galisan Bane, the head of Yangerton operations who had, amazingly, never been identified as an affiliate of the displaced princes. Meeting him, he did not quite fit the image she had painted in her mind. He was older, pushing forty. He was tall, at least four inches taller than Menikas, and his voice had a sharp edge that made Kora uneasy.

“Is Laskenay here? I wanted to introduce Rone.”

“Ah,” said Menikas. To Kora’s relief, the worst of his edginess dissipated. “He’s the one you decided on?”

“He’s taking over shipment confiscations. I’ve been trying to do too much, we all have. He’s got experience.”

Rone maneuvered his way past Galisan. He was not a short man, but he seemed it next to the other. He looked younger than his superior by five or six years and had eyes too large for his face. Menikas scrutinized him, without bothering Rone in the least.

“I’m familiar with you. How long have you been in Galisan’s unit?”

“A year. No, fourteen months.”

“You’ll do. Laskenay won’t be back tonight, but you can meet the rest of us.”

Menikas made the introductions. Both Rone and Galisan studied Kora, trying to determine whether she really was the sorceress people claimed her to be. The pair made her skin crawl.

The shorter man said, “So you’re Porteg.”

Kora raised an eyebrow. “What of it?”

“You’re not an imposing figure. With the stir you’ve made….”

“I didn’t make any stir. I got tossed in the stir. Kind of like your comments tossing me in this conversation.”

Menikas put a painfully tight hand on Kora’s shoulder, tight enough that she winced. He told Galisan, “I’ll see you the day after tomorrow. Laskenay can meet with Rone sometime next week. She’ll have news for him, if he’s heading up confiscations.”

“I have news for her now,” said Galisan. “For both of you.”

Menikas suddenly looked five years older. “More disappearances?”

“Just one, maybe two.”

“The washroom.”

When Galisan left with his appointee an hour later, Menikas went back to his maps, though he spent more time staring at the wall than working, worrying about his brother, or maybe…. What had Galisan told him? By the time midnight rolled around, there was no point waiting up for Neslan and Lanokas. They would head across the street when they got back; they slept there. Kora turned in, though she passed a restless night.

Lanokas made no appearance in the morning, though Neslan said he was accounted for. They had talked until one o’clock and had a couple of drinks, which Kora took as a good sign. By the time she took Zacry to the second apartment, and Bennie, who volunteered her services to give the boys a break, the prince had already left, Kora suspected to avoid her. A strange ache in Kora’s chest started up. At least Bennie proved tougher than she looked; the girl never complained, and only asked twice for a break. By the end of the day, Zacry had added the transport spell to his repertoire. His shield spell was still shaky.

* * *

Hayden and Hal got peanuts for dinner, along with bread, fresh jam, and corn. The meal did not compare with Bendelof’s roast lamb, but it was food, and since Kora’s appetite never rose that day, it was all the same to her. She was scrubbing plates when Lanokas stuck his head in the washroom.

“You have a minute?”

“Of course.” Kora set down the dish she held, worried she might drop it.

“About yesterday. I wanted to make sure you didn’t lose my general sense of gratitude in the, um, snarky nature of my comments.”

“You weren’t frustrated with me, I know that. You were hurt. Anyone would have been.” She forced a smile. “So tell me, how’s the three year vacation?”

Lanokas hit her with her dishtowel.

“You deserved that!” she protested.

“I suppose I did.”

Kora snatched the towel from him and went back to washing dishes. She studied the spots of jam on Zacry’s bowl. “Seriously, Lanokas, what you deserve is someone better than Brianna.”

“Neslan agrees. He used stronger language to describe her, though. We had a long discussion, about various things. Laskenay was one of them.”

Kora looked up from her washbasin. “Laskenay?”

“We decided to tell her how her husband died. She should know. She needs
to know.”

“When?”

“She’s been looking for a place for Zacry, hasn’t she? Maybe she’d appreciate four extra hands tomorrow. Well, listen, I need to finish something for Menikas. Or start it—if I don’t make progress soon, he’ll have a coronary.”

“All right then.” When Kora finished the dishes, Kansten and Ranler were back. They had just filled plates and were eating at the table. Kora took a seat next to them.

“How was the tournament?”

Kansten said, “Surprisingly loud. I have to say, I enjoyed it. It nearly rained, which would have been fun, but no luck.”

“Fun?”

“Not for it to storm. But to watch the contestants sliding around, trying to hit each other….”

Ranler said, “I could have done without looking over my shoulder every ten feet. But it comes with the job.”

“You didn’t have trouble?” asked Kora.

He said, “Nah. We decided to take the long way around once or twice, just for caution. But no run-ins.”

Kansten grinned. “How did the boys like their assignment?”

“About as much as you planned. Zacry’s getting on well, frighteningly well.”

“Where’s the bugger now?”

“With Neslan. I asked him to take him. They’re….”

“Reading,” said Ranler.

“You got it.” Kora sighed. “I wish I knew where he’ll end up. What he’ll do, what life he’ll have.”

Kansten patted her arm. “He’s a good kid. I’m not saying it’ll be easy for him, but he’ll make his way.”

Ranler asked, “Did you see the
Gazette
this morning?”

“No one brought it in.”

“I’ll talk to Menikas about that. We should keep up with it, I overheard some folks discussing the main stories.” Ranler dug beneath his seat and tossed Kora the current issue. The entire front page was devoted to the grain heist.

A robbery was perpetrated Monday night. Persons unknown (though investigators have reason to suspect the Crimson League) brutally attacked four guards before making off with over 400 pounds of wheat that had been designated for donation to the Central Town Homeless Shelter.

“This is an outrage,” said Gertie Hant, the shelter’s overseer. “We depended on that grain. Our population depended on that grain to supply two week’s worth of bread for the poor. We have no flour and might be forced to turn people away. These lunatics, this Crimson League, with their thievery and their sorceress, how can they claim to seek justice when they constantly drain our community?”

Kora laid down the
Gazette
. “How much did we really make off with?”

Ranler said, “Two hundred pounds. Two-fifty tops. And it’s a stretch in my mind to call a couple black eyes and rope burn a brutal attack.”

Kora pushed the paper off the table. “I thought they might do this. I
knew
they would do this. There’s no way that grain was set aside.…”

“No. That whole interview with the Hant woman’s made up.”

“Do people realize they slander us?”

Kansten said, “Whoever gets the grain’ll know, and that includes a shelter or two. Maybe they’ll get the truth out. Not everyone can be stupid enough to take the
Gazette
at its word.”

“People are pretty dumb,” said Ranler. “Don’t underestimate how stupid the common man is.”

Kansten patted his cheek. “Aren’t you the glaring optimist?”

Watching the two of them, Kora could not help but smile. The changes that had come over Kansten were incredible: she was not complaining, was not tense or spiteful. She seemed truly content for the first time since Kora met her. What was it that sonnet called love, Neslan’s sonnet, the one he read at the Landfill? Treacherous? Enslaving? If love had captured Kansten….

The cage!!! That’s it! Markulas’s cage, this is what it foretold: not capture by Zalski, but her falling in love with Ranler. I’m sure tha
t’s it, I…. I should tell her. S
he’ll like the theory.
But I can’t tell her
now, not with Ranler here. She’ll be so relieved!

* * *

The next morning, Hal brought in three copies of the
Gazette
. Kora read none of them, but no one displayed an adverse reaction to the newest issue. Laskenay went off early to continue her search for a suitable lodging for Zacry, and Neslan and Lanokas joined her, though the prince had to duck in the washroom to avoid his brother asking for a report on his project. Bidd, Hayden, and Hal ate their breakfast of stale bread and went off to procure more food. Menikas sent Ranler to the plaza and called Kora over just as she was telling Zacry to get ready for another practice session.

“I need you with me. Bennie can keep Zacry.”

“Bennie’ll be sleeping, she was out all night. I want someone watching him.”

“Bennie and Kansten, then.”

Kora sighed. “Where are we going?”

“Galisan’s office. Once you know the place you can transport there, am I right?”

“In case of an emergency, you mean? Yeah, I’ll be able to transport.”

“I want you to get there fast if we ever need you to.”

“That makes sense. Just let me warn Zac he can’t do magic.”

A long walk through bustling streets passed without incident. Kora and Menikas moved clear to the other side of the city, but the sorceress was far from complaining of tired legs. She had not felt the sun in ages, and she basked in the glory of being outdoors. If anything, the journey felt too short.

Galisan managed a warehouse, so he was able to launder funds and conceal what his men made off with in their heists. His building was long, made of brick, with two barn-style doors in front locked tight and barred. No one seemed to be working that morning. Menikas took Kora to a side entrance that led directly to Galisan’s office.

The place had been ransacked. The desk was overturned, the drawers pulled from the cabinet, almost every square inch littered with papers. Kora gaped, unable to move. “They found him out,” she croaked. “They found him, we have to go.”

Menikas walked to the metal door that led to the warehouse proper. It was only when he kneeled in front of it that Kora noticed the viscous brown stain at his feet, Galisan’s body folded in the corner. His throat was cut.

Menikas swore. “This has Malzin written all over it. The elite guard. A stealth job.”

The sorceress’s voice shook. “You call this a stealth job?”

“A stealth job gone wrong. Galisan surprised them. After that, they could afford to wreck the place. Happened last night. The blood’s had time to dry.”

Kora forced open a window before she vomited on the floor, and vomited on the side of the building instead. Trembling, she wiped her mouth. “There’s a spy,” she said. “A spy in his ranks. Do his men know where we stay?”

“Only Rone.”

“What information did Galisan keep here?”

“Nothing to jeopardize us. Get a hold of yourself, Porteg.”

Kora sank to the floor. She took longer than usual to unknot her sack, but she managed the task and pulled out her red gold chain, which she made a habit of keeping with her. Menikas asked, “What are you doing?”

“Alten’s not Malzin, but maybe he knows what she’s up to. They came down here together. Zalski wanted them to.”

Alten stood flanked by two elite guardsmen in the central room of the League’s apartment. They had gagged Bendelof and Kansten and tied them with twine to chairs, side by side. Malzin, the epitome of smugness, had her back to the door while Zalski leafed through two spellbooks at the table.

“He’s there,” Kora choked. “Alten’s there. At the apartment.” Menikas jumped up from examining the corpse. “Zalski and Malzin are with him, and some soldiers. Take my hand, I’m taking us back.”

“Like hell you are.”

“Did you not hear me? Zalski….”

“…would not waste the chance to kill either one of us. You can’t fight him, not with those two at his back and soldiers.”

Kora’s expression hardened. “They have Bennie. And Kansten. My God, if you won’t do anything to help them, I’ll do it myself.
Tras
—”

Kora uttered the transport spell’s first syllable before Menikas knocked her to the floor and held her down, ripping off her bandana and shoving it in her mouth. When she struggled he pinned her harder, slamming her chest to knock the wind out of her. She tried to shout and ended up gagging. Finally, her strength wore out. Menikas swore at her.