The Gray Wolf Throne (48 page)

Han rested his hands on her shoulders again, looking down into her eyes. “Here’s what happened. you set one man aflame with the lamp and he leaped from the window. you clubbed the other two to death with your staff.”

raisa planted her feet stubbornly, shaking her head. “no.

Absolutely not. i’m not going to—”

“Please,”
he said. “please, please do this. it’s almost the truth, and, believe me, it’s safer this way.”

it’s
almost
the truth?

The door into the hallway splintered, making them both jump.

“Better let Captain Byrne in before he injures himself,” Han said. He gazed at her a moment longer. “you’re a rum smasher with a staff,” he said. “Good thing. But i’m not going to let this happen again.”

He ghosted through the doorway to his rooms, closing and locking the door behind him.

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raisa ran into the outer chamber as the door gave way and four guards shouldered into the room, swords drawn. one of them was Amon.

They immediately surrounded raisa, putting her to the inside of a circle bristling with steel. other bluejacketed guards poured in behind him, fanning out through her suite of rooms.

“it’s over,” raisa said wearily, swiping a splatter of blood from her face with the back of her hand. “There were three of them.

one went through the window. The other two are in the bedroom. Dead.”

“Blood of the Demon,” Amon swore, looking around the room, not relaxing his ready stance until he’d verified that there was no one available to kill.

Mick Bricker emerged from raisa’s bedroom, an awestruck look on his face. “There’s two in there, just like rebec—like Her Highness says. “Both dead.”

Amon cocked his head, looking at raisa. “you killed three assassins all by yourself ?”

raisa shrugged, avoiding the question. “Do you recognize them?”

Mick shook his head. “never saw ’em before, but i don’t know everyone that’s in the Guard. There’s too many that are new.” raisa slumped quite suddenly into a chair. She couldn’t seem to stop shivering, and Amon took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. it smelled like him, which soothed her.

“what happened to Talia and Trey?” she asked. “They were just outside as i came in.”

“They weren’t there,” Amon said. “i was going to ask if you knew what they . . .” His eyes widened, and he swung around and 418

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began barking orders, sending Mick out to look for the missing guards, two others to the guardhouse for reinforcements.

Then he sat down in a chair opposite raisa. Leaning forward, he began, gently but relentlessly, to question her.

“How did they get in?” he asked. “Tell me everything.”

“i had ordered supper in my room. Someone knocked on the door and said she’d brought it up. when i opened the door, three of them rushed me.”

“who did you talk to about supper? who knew you were expecting someone?”

“i told Trey,” raisa said. “i don’t know who he might have told. obviously, the kitchen staff. one of them would have gone down and watched Mistress Barkleigh put the tray together. They could have waylaid him on the way back. His duty assignment’s no secret. it wouldn’t have been hard to figure out who the tray was for.”

Amon’s eyes strayed to the tray next to the door.

“There was no food,” raisa said. “only knives.” Mick burst through the door, only to find himself faced with a prickling hedge of blades. when the Gray wolves saw it was Mick, they dropped the tips of their swords.

Mick raised both hands to ward them off, his face haggard and grim. “Sir. we found them stuffed into a linen closet off one of the side corridors. Trey is dead, and Talia—she’s bad hurt,” he said. “Their throats were cut. Jarat went after the healers, and Magret—the maiden Gray—she’s looking after Talia.” raisa pushed to her feet, numb with dread. “where is Talia?” she demanded, taking a step toward the door. “i want to see her.”

“your Highness, you’ll do more harm than good out there, 419

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while the healers are seeing to her,” Amon said. “And i can’t allow you to go anywhere until we’re sure the corridor is clear.” Gently, he pushed her back down into her chair.

Tears scalded raisa’s eyes. Trey Archer was new to the Gray wolves, and supporting a family of five. And Talia—was it only a half hour ago raisa had been bantering with her in the corridor?

“Send someone after pearlie,” raisa said woodenly.

“it’s already done,” Mick said.

raisa sat forward, gripping the arms of the chair, seized by a mixture of grief and smoldering anger.

“i’m going to find out who’s responsible for this, and that person will pay,” she swore. “This will not go unrevenged. people need to know that an attack on my guard is an attack on me.” when she looked up, her entire bluejacketed guard was kneeling in a circle around her, tears streaking down some faces.

“This day and every day, your Highness,” Mick said, very formally, “i think i speak for everyone here when i say that it is an honor to fight shoulder to shoulder with our warrior Queen.” 420

C H A p T e r T H i rT y

Allies

Han had been away from ragmarket for less than a year, but it looked different to his eyes—smaller, somehow, the streets narrower, meaner, and more crooked, the houses shabbier.

it was likely the same as before. He was the one who had changed.

people in ragmarket lived vagabond lives, so it wasn’t surprising that some of the vendors at the market were different.

The tenants along Cobble Street had turned over during his absence. There was a vacant lot where the stable had stood, though the blacksmith forge where he’d buried the waterlow amulet still crouched in the yard, painted over with streetlord symbols.

it was easier to move about than before. He kept a glamour wrapped around him so people naturally stayed out of his way without really noticing him. There was less jostling from slidehanders and canting crews, fewer come-ons from the fancies and 421

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second-story aunties. He was just one more shadow in a shadowy part of the city.

evidence of the Briar rose Ministry was everywhere—in the banners proclaiming free meals, and temple criers promising free books and healers for the sick. The speakers drew them in with food and medicine and safe shelter. They kept them there with classes for
lytlings
and grown-ups in trades and the arts, in religion and reading and mathematics.

Despite the warming weather, the river seemed to stink less than before. During one of those interminable palace meetings, raisa had launched a project to move the flatland refugees away from the river’s edge into tent camps to the east of the city. Under the direction of the army, adults had been put to work digging pit toilets and building permanent houses, in exchange for medical care and a reliable food supply.

Some put their backs into it, tired of idleness and starvation, and recognizing the benefit of what they were doing. others elected to return home, to take their chances in the flatlands, where the work was easier and food more plentiful, even in wartime.

either way, they weren’t dumping their scummer into the river anymore.

Han threaded his way confidently through the tangled streets, heading for his old crib. Along the way, he detoured up over roofs and through taverns crowded with evening trade. He slid into doorways, waiting and watching to see if he’d shaken the tails that had followed him from the palace. next time, he’d have a chat with them, but now he had other priorities.

By the time he reached pilfer Alley, he was clear of them. The 422

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entry was marked with his flash-and-staff gang sign—a warning to stay away.

Han went in through the warehouse, dropping through a trap-door in the roof onto a catwalk. Using his first month’s stipend from the queen, Han had quietly bought title to the building under an assumed name. property in ragmarket was cheap, and he didn’t need a landlord snooping into his business.

Looking three stories down, he saw Dancer, his head bent over his long worktable, wearing the peaked pallor he took on whenever he was in the city. He’d set up a metalworking furnace on the first floor, built of clay tiles and vented all the way to the roof.

Three other people waited for Han on the ground level of the warehouse. Cat, whom he’d expected. And Sarie and Flinn, whom he’d never expected to see again.

Han froze momentarily, torn between relief, delight, and alarm that Cat had brought them here without his approval.

when she heard him overhead, Cat came to her feet, a knife in each hand. Seeing it was Han, she returned her blades to their hiding places and stood waiting, hands on hips, chin up like she was ready to do battle with him.

Han embraced the two former raggers, tears unexpectedly stinging his eyes. “you’re supposed to be dead,” he said, clearing his throat. “Cat said the demons killed you.”

“They should be dead,” Cat said. “But they got away, and decided it was best to disappear for a while. They took ship with a pirate and crossed the indio and back.”

“Those pirates cut your tongues out?” Han said, raising an eyebrow. “Good you got Cat to speak for you.” 423

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“pirating didn’t agree with me,” Flinn said, shifting from one foot to the other. “Money was good, and i got to see Carthis, but turns out i get seasick something awful.”

He looked good—though still small, he was taller than before, bronzed from the sun and muscular from hauling sails around.

So much better than dead.

Sarie Dobbs had acquired an impressive tattoo of a dragon during her overseas adventure. it stretched from her wrist to her shoulder, curling around her arm. “i wanted to bring a real dragon back, but my captain wouldn’t go for it,” she explained, extending her arm. “She was afraid it’d set the ship on fire.” Han had heard there were dragons in Carthis, but he wasn’t sure if Sarie was joking or not. Though they shouldn’t have been there, he was just so glad to see them it was hard to speak his mind. A weight of guilt slid off his shoulders, a small piece of the load that he’d been carrying around.

“Cat says you’re a jinxflinger,” Sarie said, appraising him with narrowed eyes. “i always knew there was something flash about you and those cuffs.” She touched her wrists.

“Are you back in the game, then?” Han asked Sarie and Flinn.

“you two going to form your own crew, or go with somebody else?”

Sarie and Flinn both looked at Cat, then back at Han, shifting uncomfortably.

“i told them they could join with us,” Cat said.

Han scowled at Cat. “That wasn’t your call to make,” he said.

Cat’s face clouded up, promising the storm to follow. “you were the one said i should recruit some help.”

“not Sarie and Flinn. i don’t want them put at risk again 424

A L L i e S

on my account. plus, you shouldn’t have brought them here.

nobody can know where i’m staying. it’s not safe.” He turned to Sarie and Flinn. “i have a crew, but they keep their distance and work through Cat. Cat and Dancer are already in it. you’re not.” now Sarie scowled back. “you think we’re not, after they done Sweets and Jonas and Jed? Sweets was just a
lytling
. i know you lost your family, but we got scores to settle too.”

“it’s not just scores for me,” Han said. “i’m in this for other reasons. reasons that got nothing to do with you.” Sarie and Flinn looked at each other, then back at Han.

“you always had plans,” Sarie said. “Bigger than ragmarket, bigger than Southbridge, bigger than any other streetlord. we want shares. we want to help.”

“you don’t want shares in this. it’s a lack-witted, harebrained scheme. A fool’s quest. A lost cause before i even start.” it never ceased to amaze Han how people were so keen to throw away their lives by joining up with him.

Though maybe if he told them he meant to marry a queen, they’d realize how lack-witted he really was. And stay away.

“Then why you doing it, then?” Sarie asked, all suspicious.

“it’s just something i got to do. i don’t have a choice,” Han said. “you do.”

Sarie’s eyes narrowed, her face pinking up the way it did when she got angry.

She doesn’t believe me, Han thought. She thinks i want to keep her out of my crew.

“Look,” Flinn said. “Hear me out. we was all in Cat’s crib the day the demons come. Me and Sarie and Flinn and Sweets, Jonas, and Jed. Sarie and i was in the back room, and when we 425

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heard them smash their way in, we slid into the stash space under the floor.”

Flinn looked up at Han, his eyes dark and haunted. “The demons tortured them. They kept asking where you was. we lay under there and heard the others screaming and screaming until they died, but they never give us up. we never even tried to help them. we ran instead. now every time i close my eyes i see Sweets and i hear him screaming. That’s why we come back. we couldn’t get away from it, no matter how far away we ran.”

“it’s not your fault,” Han said. “There’s nothing you could have done against wizards.”

“Maybe,” Flinn said. “But blades is quicker than jinxes.
You
would’ve tried. we
could’ve
tried. And
you
can fight wizards, being one yourself. we want in. we can be the blades, and the runners, and the pairs of eyes.”

Han wavered. He
did
need allies. He
could
use the help. He had a job for Cat that would take her away from Dancer. He needed somebody to gather information and keep an eye on the doings in ragmarket.