The God Thief (The Master Thief Book 3) Page 4

  “Ursana got you to rise before dawn?” Jack called up to Gordon.

  Gordon looked down and laughed. Then he cast his shadowhook and dropped to the floor, advancing to Jack. Ursana was a step behind. Jack smiled at them, recalling her first attempt on the Machine. The three of them had been hopefuls together, and their friendship had only cemented on subsequent assignments

  “She’s relentless,” Gordon said, looking to Ursana.

  Ursana was only a year older than she’d been at her trial, but seemed a decade more mature. The timid girl had been replaced with a determined woman with a forceful gaze. She came to a halt before him and smiled.

  “Where are you off to?” she asked.

  “Guildmaster duties,” he said with a sigh, feigning irritation.

  “Does it have to do with Thorne and that woman?” Ursana asked shrewdly.

  “Actually, it does,” he replied.

  They exchanged a look, and Gordon said, “I’m sure Beauty can handle it. I think Kuraltus said there were some things you needed to do.”

  Jack shook his head. “I need to go to Woodhaven. Shouldn’t be gone more than a month or two.” He enjoyed the abject panic on their faces before stabbing a finger at them. “Unless there are other duties you think I need to attend to.”

  Caught, their expressions turned guilty. “We were just trying to keep you safe,” Ursana said.

  “I can handle myself,” Jack said, turning away.

  Ursana began to laugh, the sound echoing off the walls of Ember Hall. “You take more risks than all of us—combined. One day your luck is going to run out, Jack, and none of us wants to see that happen.”

  “Have you so little faith in me?” Jack asked, his humor turning to irritation.

  They exchanged a look, and Gordon said, “Thorne nearly killed you, and there are many more just like him.”

  “Then I should apologize,” Jack said.

  “For what?” Ursana said.

  “For mistaking you as friends.”

  He turned and strode away, and they did not follow. Seething, Jack wound his way through the fortress until he reached a strongroom at the base of the eastern wall. Unlocking it with a special key, he stepped through into a small courtyard.

  The remains of a garden lay scattered around the rim of the courtyard. Mist shrouded the space, clinging to the walls and his cloak. Overgrown weeds found purchase in the cracks between the stones, forcing Jack to pick his way to the well at the center.

  He strode to the well and stepped onto the edge. Wreathed in fog, his position was invisible from the doors, allowing him to drop into the well unseen. He landed on the floor of the secret room below.

  The chamber lay empty, the walls covered in moss. Jack stepped to the north wall and touched the rune hidden beneath it, and a lock appeared. Producing a key, he opened the door leading to a second secret room.

  Golden artifacts and treasures adorned the wall. Shelves on both sides of the room held golden chalices, silver and agate pendants, and ceremonial daggers. Jack stepped past them to the mirror hanging on the wall.

  An innocuous as it seemed, the mirror was a Gate, a portal to other Gates in Lumineia. While he’d been guildmaster, Skorn had placed one at each of the three thief guildhalls, and kept an additional one in his private bedchamber. It allowed the thieves instant travel to Terros in Griffin, and Woodhaven in the elven kingdom. Boots landed on the floor behind him, causing him to turn and find Beauty and Thalidon entering the room.

  “It won’t get us to Woodhaven,” Beauty said.

  Jack turned to find Beauty and Thalidon standing in the doorway. “Why not?”

  “Their Gate was stolen.”

  “Someone stole the Gate?” Jack demanded, turning to face her. “From us?”

  Thalidon grunted. “Ironic, I know. One day it was there in Woodhaven, the next it was gone. Every bit of magic used to protect it had been severed.”

  “When were you planning on telling me?” Jack asked.

  “Why do you think it took me so long to return?” Beauty asked with a trace of irritation. I was going to tell you after the hopefuls finished their attempts on the Machine, but Thorne showed up and you were busy.”

  Thalidon scowled. “Kuraltus said they have no idea who the perpetrator was.”

  “Did anyone try Gating to it and see where it is?”

  Thalidon grunted in irritation. “You don’t think we tried that?”

  “Whoever stole it must have disabled the magic,” Beauty said.

  Jack clenched his fists and looked away. “We’ll deal with this later. Thalidon, you take the Gate in my office to Woodhaven, and take your brother with you. We can’t afford to lose access to the elven guildhall right now. Beauty, you can take over the guardianship of Ero.”

  “I’m not coming with you?” Beauty asked, her features tightening.

  “Don’t look so disappointed,” Jack said, wondering if it was jealousy he’d seen. “I’ll take Inna on the overland route through Talinor and catch a ship to Kulldye Dreg.”

  “Alone?” Thalidon asked pointedly.

  “I’m capable of handling myself,” he said. “Or have you forgotten that?”

  Beauty folded her arms. “Is this because we contrived to keep you here?”

  “Friends don’t manipulate each other.”

  She glared at him. “Are you saying you haven’t kept your own secrets? I’ve come to speak to you several times and couldn’t find you anywhere in the castle.”

  “I don’t know what you mean,” he said, pushing past her.

  She caught his arm. “You disappear at odd hours,” she said. “Care to explain that?”

  He smiled blithely. “Privilege of a guildmaster,” he said. “I’ll see you after I return from Kulldye Dreg.”

  “You’re sending us on delivery duty,” Thalidon said with a scowl.

  “And guard duty,” Beauty added.

  “It’s a Gate,” Jack said, gesturing to the mirror. “You think I would let just anyone guard it? And protecting Ero is a major priority.”

  “It still feels like a punishment,” Beauty said.

  “Maybe it is,” Jack said.

  Jack stepped on the rune on the floor, and the ascender lifted him into the well above, allowing him to exit into the garden. From there he made his way to Inna’s quarters. Her door opened as he reached it and she came to a halt on the threshold.

  “Ready to depart?” he asked.

  “Where are the others?” she asked.

  “Something came up,” he replied. “They’ll meet us after Kulldye Dreg. Gather your things.”

  She reached for her pack and joined him in the hall, but chose to remain at his back rather than his side. The tactic suggested doubt but he didn’t care. Unwilling to encounter any more thieves, he led her through the bowels of the fortress to the northern exit. He stepped outside and pulled a hidden lever.

  Rising from the murky depths of the lake, a bridge ascended into view. Alligators swam away from the movement, splashing and hissing at each other. The bridge breached the surface and came to a halt, allowing Jack and Inna to stride across and disappear into the Evermist.

  Great cypress trees reached into the clinging mist, their canopies nearly invisible. Quicksand, poison, and prowling beasts were only a fraction of the dangers in the swamp. Whole armies had been swallowed by the Evermist, their bones and blades lost to the muck and moss.

  Jack bypassed a green viperhead snake without conscious thought, and avoided a silver reaver haunt out of habit. His shaden cloak had been fashioned by Thalidon and enchanted with various magics that permitted safe travel in the swamp. Inna followed him on cat’s feet, her gaze on the swamp about her.

  His excitement at leaving the guildhall was marred by his lingering irritation at Beauty, Gordon, and Ursana. After everything they had been through, he’d thought they were allies—especially Beauty. He could count on one hand the people he trusted, and each of them had been part of the plan to keep
him in the guildhall.

  He snorted in chagrin, his thoughts turning to himself. How did he get to this point anyway, manipulated into hiding like a sewer rat? He’d stolen from every kingdom across Lumineia, and faced reavers, rock trolls, and even gods. Was he too distracted with Skorn to notice their intrigues? He grunted, sensing the truth to that. His other plans required enormous preparation, and he’d merely gone through the motions as guildmaster. He meted out assignments, but felt a budding jealousy every time he sent them out.

  “You are not what I expected,” Inna said, intruding on his brooding.

  “You expected me to be principled.”

  “How did you know?”

  “Because you are principled,” Jack said.

  For a while she did not respond. Then she said, “My father trained me when I was little, taught me how to survive and how to fight. He was a killer with a creed, and used the Assassin’s Guild to punish those that kings could not.”

  “I’ve heard the tales,” Jack said, dropping back to walk at her side. “He was a good man.”

  Her green eyes flicked to him before returning to the swamp. “On occasion he took other children in, training them to master themselves. Most became soldiers of honor, never realizing their benevolent caretaker was the head of the most lethal guild on Lumineia.”

  “Until he chose Gallow,” Jack guessed.

  “Gallow learned my father’s true occupation and sought to join him. He wanted to kill. My father saw what he was becoming and refused, turning the boy’s hope to fury. Gallow began to hunt the assassins, killing them until he recruited an exiled rock troll king to aid him. With his help Gallow infiltrated the Assassin’s Guildhall and killed my father.”

  Inna spoke in a toneless voice, as if it were merely a story of her skinning her knee as a child. But the rigidity to her features implied a seething undercurrent of hatred and anger. The expression was all too familiar.

  “We all have our motivations,” he said.

  She looked to him. “What did Skorn do to you?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Then why do you want to destroy him?” she asked, clearly confused.

  “Because it’s fun.”

  “That can’t be the only reason.”

  He laughed. “Sorry to disappoint.”

  A creak of wood caused him to look up, and he casually flicked his hand. His crossbow dropped into his palm and he thumbed the detonation rune, sending a spark of magic into the bolt. She noticed the motion and her expression turned suspicious. She drifted away and caught the hilt of her sword. Jack ignored the motion and aimed into the tree, firing against the trunk.

  The explosion lit up the morning, illuminating the outline of a giant cat. Startled, the rayth cat bounded away, growling at the loss of its prey. From directly beneath the cat’s perch, Inna looked at Jack.

  “You just saved my life.”

  “Won’t be the last time,” he said with a grin.

  Her lips tightened. “I can handle myself.”

  “I have no doubt,” he said with a laugh. “But you have no idea what you are in for.” He turned and continued on the trail.

  “Who are you,” she asked.

  He glanced back, his smile widening. “A master thief. Think you can keep up?”

  Chapter 5: Hunted

  Jack and Inna worked their way through the Evermist until they reached the Sea of Grass on the south of Talinor. Inna breathed a sigh of relief when they left the swamp behind. Lush green grass covered the rolling hills of southern Talinor, the landscape ruffling as the wind caressed the earth. As they strode into the grass Jack looked back.

  “Are you going to walk beside me?” Jack asked, “Or drive a knife into my back?”

  “My father taught me that caution would save my life.”

  “Perhaps,” Jack said. “But it’s rather boring.”

  She didn’t respond, and after a moment she joined him. Jack stifled a smile and didn’t comment. Although she remained at his side, the redheaded assassin kept her distance, and a hand close to her sword.

  The sun rose in the east, bathing the endless grass in light. Jack sucked in a breath, relishing the scent of the grass. He’d forgotten how good it smelled. Spring was well under way and the warm breeze brushed the grass like a paintbrush on a canvas, swirling the landscape in different shades of green. He reached out as he walked, brushing the strands with his fingertips.

  They worked their way north for two days until they came to the village of Bodor. Renting a pair of steeds, they took the southern road beneath the capitol, Herosian. Jack spotted the spires in the distance and grunted in irritation. It had been months since he’d visited the taverns and haunts of the city, and he longed to return.

  Passing through the smaller villages, they stayed in rural inns and taverns until they reached the coast. Then they took the route to Keese. By the time they reached the city they had picked up a follower.

  “Did you see him?” Jack asked.

  “He’s been with us since last night,” she said.

  As they reached the gates, Jack glanced back and caught a glimpse of a figure on a distant hilltop. It wasn’t enough to make out their identity, but it was enough to recognize them as the same man from the previous evening.

  “Assassin?” Jack asked.

  “Can’t tell,” she said. “We should split up when we get inside the city. I’ll hang back and see if I can identify them.”

  Jack shook his head. “I’ll hang back.”

  She frowned but did as requested. “I’ll meet you at the Crow’s Nest tonight. It’s a tavern on the waterfront. Watch your back, and don’t forget about the bounty.”

  He grinned. “That’s what makes it exciting.”

  She cast him a wary look but did not comment. When they stepped through the city gates Jack slipped away and entered an alley. Leaping to a tree, he caught a branch and launched himself to a roof. From there he crept to a gable next to a chimney and settled in to wait.

  He hadn’t been to Keese since before he’d joined the guild. Back then he’d just been another street rat stealing to get by. The city guard had caught him several times and he’d struggled to survive. Then he’d met a girl with skills to teach, and a problem that needed solving. He’d dealt with her stalker, and she’d taught him to be a thief.

  A smile spread on his face as he looked out over the city. Warehouses and taverns dominated the waterfront, and shouts from the sailors echoed over the gulls. Ships bobbed next to the docks while sailors worked to unload salted fish from their holds.

  As the westernmost port in Talinor, Keese anchored the trade route that delivered fish and goods throughout the five kingdoms. White seastone shaped the buildings and gave the city a refined look, the wealthier homes boasting gardens and enchanted light orbs to illuminate the cobblestone streets.

  The Talinorian army maintained an entire legion of soldiers as city guards, ensuring order within the city. Pirates forewent the stronghold for easier prey, but wealthy pockets drew thieves in abundance. Jack had fond memories of heavy coin purses and pretty thief maidens.

  Their pursuer appeared over the hill, drawing his attention. Jack crept to the edge of the roof and watched the figure approach the city. Wrapped in a cloak, the figure kept his face cowled as he threaded his way into a group of travelers from a southern village. As he neared, Jack noticed an oddity about the movement of the cloak.

  The cloak rippled like liquid shadow. It swirled about the mysterious figure, obscuring him so completely that Jack could see no defining characteristics. But the familiar motion to the cloak made him frown. He’d seen someone with a matching cloak, but it was not on the surface—it was in the dark elf city of Elsurund, on an assassin.

  “Aranis,” he murmured her name.

  As if hearing it, she came to a halt and looked up. The cowl obscured everything but the grey skin of her lower face and her thin lips. Jack eased back into the shadows, grateful he’d chosen a vantage point that pr
ovided anonymity. The woman’s gaze passed over him and then she continued on her way.

  A trio of guards stepped into Aranis’s path and one raised a hand to her. Although Jack couldn’t hear his words, the guards clearly wanted to know the assassin’s purpose in the city. Aranis didn’t move or answer, her body as still as cold granite. The guards began to fidget and cast uncertain glances to each other. They palmed the hilts of their blades, their demands growing more forceful. Aranis remained silent, but her stillness seemed to heighten the danger about her, causing nearby folk to drift away.

  Jack shook his head and dropped his crossbow into his palm. Aiming into a nearby street, he sent an exploding bolt into an empty section of the street. It detonated in a shower of stone and dirt, eliciting cries of alarm from nearby townspeople. The trio of guards facing Aranis spun and sprinted toward the conflict, clearly relieved for the excuse to abandon the silent dark elf.

  Jack used the distraction to withdraw. Retreating across the roof, he dropped into an alley and entered a neighboring street. Avoiding Aranis, he strode to the waterfront and disappeared into the crowd of sailors. Then he made his way to the Crow’s Nest.

  Situated on the roof of a warehouse, the tavern boasted a view of the sun setting on the ocean. Light reflected across the waves, shimmering and dancing around the ships sliding into port. The tavern’s walls came from a ship’s railing, while the roof had been built from a salvaged ship’s hull. Masts formed the beams and were lashed together with rope.

  Jack spotted Inna and strode to join her. Taking a seat across from her, he gestured to the food on the table, and the plate evidently for him.

  “Buying me a meal?” he asked. “What are your intentions?”

  “To eat,” she retorted. “Now what did you see?”

  Jack dipped his bread into the bowl of stew and took a bite. As he ate he described Aranis. Inna’s expression darkened at the description and she leaned back into her chair. Jack grinned at the recognition on her face.

  “You know her,” he said.