The Dragon Knight's Curse (The Dragon Knight Series Book 2) (8 page)

“Aranath!”

The dragon loosened its grip on my corruption. I still felt as though opening my mouth would allow my brain to fall out, but I could move, and that’s all I cared about. I tossed an explosive stone at the beast and triggered both it and every other stone left in the area. The blasts and flickering fire propelled the frightened creature up a pillar. I caught her by surprise, but the thief was skilled enough to deflect an upward swing of my sword. She then pulled out a long, skinny dagger for her other hand to use.

As expected from a rogue, she used her limberness and agility for quick attacks and evasion. Even without the toxin in my bloodstream, I doubted my ability to match her fleetness. Lucky for me, her lack of defensive strategy made my weapon more dangerous to her than hers were to me, forcing her to choose her movements wisely.

We were in a dead heat for a minute, steel sparking as they clashed in a flurry of tight slashes and narrowly missed strikes. The fight began to feel more like a high stakes sparring session than a life and death struggle. It would have been different if we were alone and pressured to come up with a plan to overwhelm the other, but both of us were waiting for reinforcements to break the tie.

“Kara! What’s wrong, girl?! Get our ass over here and help me!”

The zymoni growled anxiously, her muzzle taking sniffs of the dissipating smell of dragon fire. She started descending the pillar, but her triangular ears picked up the incoming footsteps of my allies. A whip of water twisted out of Clarissa’s hand and went after the zymoni. The creature growled and ascended higher. Ghevont kept Magnus in front of him, but he gained an angle to fire a bolt of lightning at my foe.

I knew that she knew it was over, but she still went through the trouble of evading the electric discharge, leaving her open for a sweep of my leg to send her on her back. Since she knew what was coming, she was able to maneuver her body to press her longer weapon under my ball sack at the same time I put my blade’s tip to her throat.

“Let go of your weapons,” I said.

“Will you kill me afterwards?”

“Depends. Are you Advent?”

“Advent? Never heard of ‘em.”

“Um, you okay there?” Clarissa asked me, keeping her other eye on the growling beast.

“Fine. All of you stay where you are.” Back to the stranger, I said, “I don’t think we’re enemies. You’ve been watching Magnus, but I’m guessing you really want Corbin Tolosa, right?”

She licked her teeth. “Possibly. Why does that matter to you?”

“He helped fuck over my life, so I killed him, but there’s still information I need. Why do you want his letters?”

“Corbin has fucked up quite a few lives, it seems. Strictly speaking,
I
don’t care about Corbin, but one of my friends does. I was helping him out with his problem.”

“Do you have any problems sharing?”

“Yes, but not about this.”

I removed Aranath from her neck and stepped back. “Where’d you put the letters?”

She stood up and nodded toward the left line of pews. “Under the third one. Let’s see if one of your fire rocks didn’t end up scorching my satchel.”

I sheathed my sword and she did the same. Clarissa let her whip of water drop and the zymoni’s growl became a dull rumble.

“Come to mommy, Kara! You big pussy.” The summoned animal scrambled down the pillar and whined at her master. Petting her, the thief told me, “You made her nervous. Haven’t seen her like that since she was small enough to carry. Guess seeing you recover from my toxin so quickly freaked her out. How’d you do that, anyway?”

“I haven’t recovered from it, it just doesn’t affect me as much as it would normal people.”

Stooping down to pick up her satchel, she said, “A little man who thinks he’s special, huh? What’s your name?”

“Mercer.”

“Just ‘Mercer’? No last name?”

“I would need a family for that.”

“Orphan?”

“For all I know. What do we call you?”

“Lucetta Ambrose.”

“Hi, Lucetta. I’m Clarissa Lorraine and the red head is Ghevont Rath-, um, yeah, Ghevont Rath. Sorry about Mercer, but he literally meets everyone by putting a blade to their throat. It’s how I met him.”

“Me too,” said Ghevont.

Lucetta chuckled. “Sounds like a friend of mine.”

“Have you looked at any of the letters yet?” I asked Lucetta.

“Just a few, but nothing interesting yet. Do you want to read them now?”

“I first want to leave Magnus with the guild.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to kill him?”

“Yes, but he’s merely an easily influenced fool, and I gave my word that I wouldn’t kill him once he did all he could for me.”

She shrugged. “Suit yourself, little man.”

Ghevont cleared his throat and said, “Excuse me, Lady Ambrose, but Mercer is at least an inch taller than you, yet you keep referring to him as ‘little man.’ Is your sight well?”

She laughed. “‘Lady’? That’s a first. Aye, he’s a tad taller than me, but I compare him to far larger men I know.”

“I see. An appreciated insight.”

I started to make my way toward the entrance, prompting everyone to follow me.

Before she strode outside, Lucetta kissed the zymoni’s head and said, “I’ll get a nice big fish for you next time you’re summoned.” In a puff of air, the zymoni’s link to our realm was broken, sending it back to its proper home.

Braden was right about Malcolm, he was a dick. The curmudgeon was upset that I wanted to use precious guild resources to indefinitely incarcerate a man he had no information on. He openly stated that he didn’t like the look of me and didn’t trust my word that Magnus was indirectly involved with the valkrean issue, saying he would release him in six months if his own investigation on Corbin turned up nothing. He also said Braden now owed him a big favor. I was irritated that I would have to check on Magnus in six months, but I otherwise kept my mouth shut and handed the proverbial leash to the guild.

Once that chore was finished, the rest of us agreed to rent a room. By Lucetta’s insistence, we found a nice chamber overlooking the sea. She paid for it herself with what I imagined were filched coins. The third-story space held two large beds I couldn’t lay on without falling asleep, so I sat in a hard chair. I wouldn’t have minded catching a few winks before plunging through the papers, but my corruption continued fighting off the toxin’s effects. A good rest didn’t seem possible for another hour.

Lucetta didn’t concern herself with the threat of sleep and jumped into the bed nearest the door. She sprawled her lithe body onto the sheets and ruffled them under her. Clarissa, glad to have an adult woman to emulate for once, did much the same on the other bed.

After we each grabbed our share of papers, Lucetta asked, “What exactly are you guys looking for?”

“Corbin worked for a group called the Advent,” I explained. “They’re a cult responsible for the valkrean attacks and have funded experiments in dark magic. As I understand it, Corbin was responsible for seizing assets, living or otherwise. I’m sure no letter will explicitly state his or the sender’s involvement, but anything that sounds vaguely cryptic should be put aside for a closer look. Names that come up often should also be noted.” Lucetta had started reading her pile in the middle of my expounding, but it was easy to see she was the type who could take in information from different sides at once. “What are you seeking?”

“Same thing—weird stuff.”

Getting more comfortable, she pulled her boots off her toned legs and tossed them aside. She then let her hair loose and laid on her side, her ass pointing straight at Ghevont, who sat by the window. Clarissa giggled when she noticed the scholar’s unblinking eyes scrutinizing the shapely figure. Ghevont shook his head and focused on the task at hand when he learned what he could by simple staring. I was more subtle in the glances I garnered.

There was a good bundle to sift through, but between the four of us, it didn’t appear so daunting. As before, most of it concerned legitimate business transactions, at least as far as I understood the convoluted verbiage of commerce. I set aside a few papers that seemed worth a second glance, but that meager stack didn’t inspire confidence that there would be a trail to follow. That didn’t matter. All I needed was a single letter. Half an hour after we started reading, I got it.

Ghevont gradually rose from the chair. He then just stood there, blocking part of the daylight. The meticulous man read it a second or third time before saying, “This is something.” He walked over and handed me a short letter. It was dated a month ago and said:

To C. T.,

It took some time, but my informer found the family from Remron. They’ve settled in Bukuna. Don’t know if you still want to add to your collection, but the job will cost extra if you do. They’re within the walls and they’ve hired extra bodyguards. Things are only getting busier on my end, so respond quickly if you want this done. You can find them at a house they call Equine Manor if you want your own men to handle this. Remember, the next drink is on you.

K.M.

“Can I see?” asked Lucetta.

“Is it something?” Ghevont asked as I stood to hand the letter over to the petitioner.

“It’s the best we have so far.”

“Wait,” said Lucetta after reading the message, stopping me in my tracks. “Why do you care about this family?”

“I don’t actually know if I should.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I have no memory of my time before the Advent experimented on me, but I know they got me from somewhere. Right now I’m looking to see whether Corbin went after a family I don’t remember.”

Lucetta sat up and swung her legs so they dangled off the side of the bed. She cocked her head and stared at me like a probing Marcela would. “This friend I’m helping, he’s searching for his children, two brothers who lived in Remron with their aunt. One of them would surely be around your age, the first taken. The younger brother was kidnapped three years later. You don’t look much like him, but he did say his kids took more after their mother. Hmm, if you’re really his son, I guess that makes me your step-mother.”

“So you’re married to this friend of yours?” asked Clarissa. “To Mercer’s maybe-father?”

“We never went in front of a priest or anything, but we basically are, as in I’ll kill him if I catch him with another woman. At least not without inviting me.”

“What’s his name? What are the names of the brothers?”

“Lorcan Eberwolf is my man’s name. Alexandros is the younger brother and ‘Cyrus’ might be your friend’s real name.”

Everyone turned to look at me, waiting to see what I thought of this possibility. The names did nothing to spur any memory or emotion, so I coolly asked, “Do you know if others were taken from Remron?”

“A few other kids, both in the first and second forays.”

“Then I can be any one of them as well. Where’s your friend now?”

“He’s investigating a lead further south. He should be coming up to meet me in a week or two, but if you’re thinking he’ll be able to identify you as his son, I wouldn’t count on it.”

“Why not?”

“He told me the last time he saw his children was when the oldest was four years old.”

“Then why does he care about his sons now?”

She shot up to her feet, looking serious for what could have been the first time in her life. “He might have not been there for his sons, but that sure as fuck doesn’t mean he didn’t care!” She realized her agitated state and relaxed her voice and shoulders. After a shallow breath, she said, “Lorcan wanted to raise his children, but their mother’s stuck-up family wouldn’t hear of a pirate getting involved with their blood, so they chased him off. I don’t know if you’re his son or not, but Lorcan is a man to be respected when you meet him.”

“I’m sure he is,” said Clarissa. “Mercer is sorry for the ignorant remark, right Mercer?”

“Sure,” I said. “I apologize, Lucetta.”

She sat back down in a huff. “No, don’t be sorry. I’d normally slap a girl if she talked the way I just did about their man. It’s vomit inducing, really.”

“So Lorcan is a pirate?” Clarissa tried clarifying.

“That’s the closest depiction most would brand his deeds, but he’s no heartless brigand terrorizing every ship he sees. He’s simply a man who has the spirit and capacity to live as freely as possible, and no one can tell one how to live in the open sea. If he has to support that life by stealing a few things from other thieves or defenseless ships of trade, then so be it.”

“I believe you’re gushing again,” Ghevont pointed out.

“You’ll be gushing blood if you mention that again.”

Refocusing her, I said, “Lucetta, I’ve yet to hear about the mother of these brothers.”

“Aye,” she said dolefully, already answering my internal question. “Lydia Duncan. She died of illness soon after her second boy was born. It was a little later when Lorcan visited his children, but they were watched closely by their stuffy aunt, so he had no opportunity to take them for himself.”

“I see.” I sat down and pondered a moment. “Where’s Remron, anyway?”

“It’s a three or four day ride up the Dunmire from Bukuna.”

Not liking my long silence, Clarissa asked, “Well, what are you going to do?”

“Assuming we find nothing else, I’ll head to Bukuna tomorrow and find out what I can from Equine Manor. Lucetta, what’s the aunt’s name?”

“Rosemary. She’s married, but I don’t know her man’s last name.”

“You’re not going to wait for Lorcan?” Clarissa asked me.

“Bukuna is about a three day trip by ship, so I should be back within a couple of weeks to see him. I’ll know by then if I’m meeting my father or not. For now, let’s just finish off these letters.”

Nothing else in our piles pointed in another direction, though Clarissa found another mention of the “K.M.” initials. They were referenced in casual passing from somebody who also only used their initials to identify themselves in their note, using the letters “F.L.” The message itself appeared to continue an unassuming conversation between friends, but I was aware it could have been a cipher playing a deception. Any letters that looked suspicious in that regard I gave to Ghevont for further study.

Lucetta completed her stack earlier than everyone else, so she was free to do as she pleased, which included staring at Clarissa after coming back up from the inn’s kitchen with a turkey leg.

“Hey, you’re a vampire, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Neat. My grandmother tried extending her life by becoming one, but it turned out she was too old to survive the transformation. Anyway, the vampire she found to infect her was a gentlemanly sort of fellow, and he knew so many jokes! Here’s one—why is a man’s pee yellow and his seed white? So-”

“So he can tell whether he’s coming or going,” I finished.

“Well look at that,” said a surprised Lucetta, with Clarissa laughing in the background. “So you do have some humor in you.”

“Spending a couple of years with criminals has one hearing every joke at least twice.”

“So why don’t you say any of them?” asked a still chuckling vampire.

“I’ll have to get drunk first.”

“Let’s do that!”

“I think it’s time I get some sleep.”

“Oh!” said Ghevont. “I get it.”

“Get what?” Clarissa asked.

“The joke.”

While Lucetta and Clarissa snorted out hysterical laughter, I plopped into bed and said, “Congratulations.”

I awoke several hours later in a dark room next to a sleeping Clarissa. Ghevont was snoring on the other bed and Lucetta was nowhere to be found. The pirate’s wife returned at dawn, informing us that she found a ship leaving for Bukuna at noon. The vampire thanked her.

“Don’t mention it. I just don’t like sitting on my lovely ass for too long.”

The three of us went downstairs to get ourselves some breakfast.

In the middle of eating my scrambled eggs and overcooked sausage, I caught Lucetta unabatingly staring at me.

“What is it now?”

“I think you really are Lorcan’s son. Clarissa has kindly articulated some of your exploits while you were sleeping, and you seem to carry yourself very much like him. You also have his nose. It’s a cute nose.”

“I’ll be sure to thank him for that.”

“How did you meet Lorcan?” asked Clarissa.

“I worked for another pirate crew about nine years back. My former captain and Lorcan did not get along, so when she gained an opportunity to take his ship, she took it. Needless to say, we lost. After making the excuse that I was new to the pirate game and had no loyalty to the dead captain, Lorcan gave me a chance to join up with his men. I soon proved myself both at sea and in bed, becoming his right hand after a couple of years.”

“And when did you realize you loved him?” inquired Clarissa, whose doe-eyed expression made it seem as though she was listening to the most romantic tale ever told.

Shrugging, Lucetta said, “There was no single moment, but I suppose it first entered my head five years ago. Our crew was leaving a brothel for the night, and since I was too drunk to walk, Lorcan was carrying me in his arms. As I watched his big, dumb face smiling down at me, I realized that I had been on his lap the entire night. We had always been openly promiscuous, but he had never moved to buy a night with somebody else. Neither had I, for that matter.”

“And that’s when you knew?”

“Well, first I waited awhile to make sure he wasn’t just being lazy, but he simply stopped fucking other women, err, by himself, at least. I actually don’t remember the first time I told him those three words. I was probably drunk. I do remember the first time he told me. We were on the prow of the ship as the sun was setting behind the open sea.”

“Aww. He sounds romantic, doesn’t he, Mercer?”

“I’d rather hear Ghevont talk about the digestive system again.”

Ignoring my desire for their conversation to end, Clarissa asked Lucetta, “How does it feel like? To be in love, I mean. I thought I was in love once, but that didn’t end so great.”

“Mine might not end so great either. Look, all I know is that I love Lorcan, that’s all. I don’t know if it’s real or if it’ll last beyond today, so I sure as shit can’t tell you what it’ll take for other people to find it. I do know being a vampire won’t make a man forget you have a good pussy, so your options are as high as any other girl. Better even. I’m sure Mercer here would love to go a few rounds.”

“Oh, I’ve already offered.”