The Templar Chronicles (69 page)

Riley was moving too, his sword moving in a sweeping arc toward the other member of the security detail, ready to end the fight before it really began.

But the other guard reacted quicker than either Riley or Cade anticipated. He blocked Riley’s blow with his own weapon, snatching a strange-looking horn from his belt with his other hand as he did so. As Riley spun back toward him for another strike, the man raised the horn to his lips and blew.

The horrifying shriek issued forth from the other end of the horn, a shriek that was abruptly cut off when Riley expertly parried the man’s half-hearted attack and then sank his sword into the soft spot beneath the man’s face mask, severing his airway.

As the brute collapsed at their feet next to his former partner both men froze, listening intently.

Had they been heard?

For a moment it was quiet, blessedly quiet, and then, from a few blocks away, came the answering cry of another horn. No more than a moment passed before several other horns joined their voices to the first.

The alarm had been given. Cade didn’t doubt that the streets would be full of similar guards in mere moments, but he had absolutely no idea about which way to go. For all he knew, the road before him led right to the guardhouse itself.

Despite his hesitancy, or perhaps because of it, the child they’d just acted to save took charge.

“This way!” the girl shouted. “Hurry!”

Neither Cade nor Riley needed to be told twice. They took off at a dead run, following the girl as she weaved a zigzagging route through the darkened city streets, and before long both of the Echo team members were hopelessly lost.

Shouts sounded from off in the distance behind them and they knew the guardsmen’s bodies had been found. Pursuit wouldn’t be far behind.

The girl moved confidently forward and at last they came to a rundown, boarded-up structure that stood at the end of a narrow alley. Several of the walls appeared to have been blackened by fire and the stink of soot and burnt flesh hung about the place. The girl disappeared around one side of the structure and the two knights followed. They were just in time to see her push through a doorway half-hidden in the shadows of the nearby buildings.

They stood there a moment, debating, and when they didn’t immediately follow she stuck her head back out the doorway. “Hurry!” she cried.

The two men really had no choice but to comply.

They found themselves inside what had once been a restaurant or tavern, some kind of eating establishment. A long bar made of some kind of dark wood, oak or mahogany maybe, stretched down the length of the room and several dusty chairs stood at intervals in front of it. A number of tables and several chairs were scattered throughout the rest of the room, all appearing to have been made entirely from wood, but from the thick layer of dirt and dust that covered them it was immediately obvious that they hadn’t been used for some time. The smell of ash was stronger here though there was no sign of the fire that had consumed part of the exterior.

The girl closed the door behind them, held a finger to her lips, and then backed away from the entrance, never once taking her eyes off the door.

Riley and Cade followed suit.

Outside, from the streets, came the sounds of pursuit; men yelling, the tramp of booted feet, even the howl of strange beasts that had apparently been brought in to track them.

Quietly, the Templars drew their weapons, getting ready to defend themselves should their hiding place be discovered.

For a moment, when the creatures outside suddenly began howling in unison, Cade was afraid they’d been found. He braced himself, ready to take down the first intruder through the door, but then the baying receded into the distance and he breathed a sigh of relief.

“I think they’re gone,” Riley whispered and Cade agreed.

The girl giggled behind them.

Cade spun around and nearly crashed into a short, stocky fellow who had crept up behind them when their attention was on the pursuers outside. Shocked at the man’s sudden appearance, Cade went instantly on guard, the tip of his sword only inches from the man’s throat.

“Whoa, now! Take it easy there, friend. I didn’t mean to creep up on you.” He held up his hands in a warding off gesture and smiled to show he meant no harm.

“Who are you? What did you do with the girl?” Cade asked.

The newcomer laughed. “The girl? You mean my daughter, Penelope?”

At the sound of her name the girl poked her head out from behind the man’s thick frame, a shy smile on her face.

“Why, she’s right here. And as for who I am, my name’s Malevarius and you’re standing in my home.”

Cade relaxed a little, pulling his sword away from the man’s throat but not putting it down completely.

“They helped me escape from the Dreadnoughts, Father. They killed two of them, right before my eyes.”

“Two of them now, did they?” For a moment the man’s genial expression changed to one of sharp interest, but then the mask was back and the smile flashed a second time.

Introductions were made and once it was established that neither side meant the other any harm, the two Templar knights were invited to stay for the evening meal. Knowing they couldn’t return to the city streets while the patrols were still searching for them, Cade saw no harm in agreeing.

Dinner was a mixture of familiar and unfamiliar foods, from the sliced apples that Penelope produced from some hidden pocket inside her shift to the bowl of grayish gruel that Malevarius served them with more than a hint of pride. Cade decided against asking what was in it; the way it seemed to shift and churn of its own accord made him less than anxious to know.

An hour later, their meal finished, Cade took the opportunity to question their host.

“What is this place?”

Malevarius looked around fondly at the ruins of the tavern in which they sat and it was clear that he loved the old place almost as much as he loved his daughter. “Once, it was the finest tavern in all New England. The Black Rose. People came from throughout the Colonies to drink our ale and catch a taste of my wife’s mutton pie.”

Cade looked around, trying to reconcile the man’s description with the ruins in which they sat. “What happened? How’d you end up here?”

“I don’t know. There was a fire; I know that. I remember the heat and the flames. I remember escaping into the cold night air with my wife at my side, only to realize that our daughter was still trapped inside. I went back for her.” The barman shrugged. “There was the crack of timbers and the next thing I know Penelope and I are here, in this place, with what was left of the Rose still smoldering around us.”

For a moment Malevarius’ eyes took on a far-off expression and Cade knew he was remembering other times, other places. But then the barman shook himself out of it.

“And the city? Did all of its buildings arrive in a similar fashion?”

Malevarius grinned. “So you noticed the rather eclectic nature of our fine city?” He turned serious. “The City of Bones it’s called, though personally I think the City of Lost Souls would be a more appropriate moniker. As far as I know it’s always been here and probably always will. It changes from time to time, buildings appearing and disappearing overnight, but the city itself remains the same, a haven for the lost and the damned, perched here at the edge of the Sea of Shades.”

Cade wondered just how much he could ask this man.

Sensing his hesitation, Malevarius said, “Come now. You saved my daughter. I’m in your debt. How can I help you?”

Cade and Riley exchanged glances. Did they dare trust this man? They needed someone who knew the city, someone who could guide them to the most likely places hiding places, someone who understood the ins and outs of life here in the city. What other choice did they have?

“We’re searching for a friend of ours who was brought here last night against his will. He’s in the company of another man who is holding him prisoner.” Cade described them both, and then said, “We lost their trail shortly after entering the city and it’s vital that we track them down quickly.”

Malevarius listened intently and when Cade was finished the barman called his daughter to his side. He wrote something on a small scrap of paper and then handed it to her. “Take this to Jessup. Ask him to put the word out for information about either of these men. Tell him I’m willing to pay for anything worthwhile.”

The girl took the paper from her father’s hand, winked at Cade, and disappeared out the back door of the tavern.

Riley rose halfway out of his chair, the concern evident on his face. “Is she going to be all right? What if she runs into one of those patrols?”

Malevarius waved him back into his seat. “It will take more than a couple of Dreadnoughts to capture my girl.” Turning to Cade, he said, “There’s an informal network in the city. We try to help each other out when we can. If anyone has seen your friend, we’ll know in a couple of hours.”

They were quiet for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts, until Cade broke the silence.

“What can you tell me about the Isle of Sorrows or the Lady in the Tower?”

Malevarius stared at him for a moment, surprised, and then looked away. For the first time since they’d come here, he turned evasive. “Nothing. Never heard of them,” he said, but it was obvious from his body language that he wasn’t telling the truth.

Cade reached out and touched Malevarius, getting him to look up. “It is important. More than you can imagine.”

The two men stared at each other. It became a battle of wills, waiting to see who would look away, who would break the link first.

Eventually Malevarius sighed and gave in. “It’s an island. A few days travel north of us, across the Sea of Lamentations.” He paused, collecting his thoughts. “Years ago, the Isle was a thriving place, a sister city to this one. Trade between us was brisk and it was because of that trade that the lower harbor was built, to allow for more vessels to dock here at one time.

“Word reached us that a new power walked the Isle, a power stronger than any that had been seen before, a power known only as the Dark One. He laid claim to the city, to the isle itself even, and when the city fathers resisted he proceeded to destroy them, seemingly without effort. Enraged by their resistance, the Dark One set out to raze the entire city.”

Malevarius scowled. “They never stood a chance. Fire broke out, a strange witchfire that consumed stone and steel alike. It swept through the city in moments, destroying everything it touched. A few refugees reached us later, those who had already been aboard their ships when the fighting broke out and were able to put to sea before the conflagration that consumed the city could reach them. The sea was renamed in the wake of the tragedy, becoming the Sea of Lamentations, so named for all the grief that had been shed upon its waters.”

His expression turned wistful. “The rumors started shortly after that, rumors about the Lady who’d stood against the Dark One, who’d fought alone against their foe to give the others the time they needed to get away. They say that though the Dark One was able to defeat her, her power was so great that he was unable to destroy her completely. He was forced to imprison her instead, in a tower that rose over the city, a tower built overnight by the hands of a thousand demons summoned just for that task.”

“The Lady in the Tower,” Cade said, wonderingly.

Malevarius nodded. “Some say they’ve seen her. Here, in this city, free of her chains and the confines of the Tower. They say that at the moment when all is lost, when death looms near and there is no way out, she sometimes appears to those who believe and rescues them from certain destruction, just as she rescued those in the city before its fall.”

“And you? Do you believe that?” Cade asked.

Malevarius shrugged again, “I don’t know what I believe. I’ve never seen the Lady myself, but I suppose anything is possible, especially in this god-forsaken place. I can tell you that I’ve seen the Tower, once, when the ship I was on drifted off course and came too close to the Isle. It rises above the ruins, a long narrow arm thrust up into the sky, and something about it gives one a deep sense of loneliness and despair just to look at it.”

After that, Malevarius didn’t want to talk much and the conversation petered off. Perhaps it was for the best, because the Templars were exhausted and they needed to get some rest. If word came that Duncan had been found, they were going to have to move quickly. The barman fetched them some blankets and, believing themselves to be secure, the two men settled down for some much needed sleep.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Cade awoke to find Riley kneeling beside him, gently shaking his arm. Malevarius stood just behind him, a nervous scowl on his face. Of his daughter Penelope, there was no sign.

As Cade rubbed the sleep from his eyes and gathered together his gear, his partner filled him in.

“One of Malevarius’ contacts has sent word that Duncan was seen less than an hour ago, headed for a ship anchored just offshore. And get this – rumor has it that the vessel is bound for the Isle of Sorrows.”

A flare of hope surged in his chest. “Can we catch them?” Cade asked, looking toward Malevarius.

Malevarius shrugged. “I think I can get you passage on another ship. A captain I know owes me a favor.”

Cade nodded at the innkeeper. “Thank you.”

The other scowled. “Don’t thank me. You’re the one foolish enough to make the journey.”

Cade and Riley still had the hooded robes they’d stolen before entering the city. The dark color of the fabric hid the bloodstains reasonably well and they used them again to hide their features from casual view.

Once they were ready, the innkeeper led them out into the predawn darkness. The sun was just edging its way over the horizon and a thick fog still hung about the city, but Malevarius was taking no chances. He avoided all of the major thoroughfares, sticking instead to the back streets and alleys where traffic would be minimized and there would be less chance of encountering a patrol.

Eventually, they came upon a thick wall that stretched along the far side of the street. Malevarius motioned them in close.