On Blackened Wings Page 10

  That explained why she chose this as her meeting place: the owner was wrapped around her finger. Binder gave the strange red ax another look. A confrontation here might be trouble. Nothing he couldn’t handle, but Binder was sick of delays. He had merchant lords to bring to heel and a dead knight to investigate. The time for games had long passed.

  Jet finally finished with the bartender and turned toward Binder. When she was ten feet from the table she stopped and stared.

  What was she looking at? Binder’s disguise was flawless.

  Or maybe not. Jet turned and darted for the exit.

  She managed two steps before chains appeared and bound her from head to foot. Jet floated back to him. Binder let his disguise fade and contemplated the woman that dared try to have him killed.

  “Where are Wei and the other merchant lords?”

  She ignored his question. “So you survived my assassins. I’m impressed. They had never failed me before. Lucky I set up a second trap and you walked right into it.”

  Every patron stood, revealing weapons that had been hidden under the tables.

  Soul force surged and they vanished. Sorcerers had failed so she’d decided to try warlords.

  The first sword slammed into his ribs with enough force to fell a tree. The blow almost stung.

  Binder’s hand shot out, faster even than a warlord could follow, and grabbed the attacker by the throat.

  A single squeeze snapped his neck like twig. Binder hurled the corpse at an approaching warlord, sending both to the floor.

  More futile strikes rained down on him.

  Annoyed rather than injured, Binder conjured chains, scores of them, piercing the warlords and leaving them hanging in midair like bugs caught in a spider’s web.

  “Now,” Binder said. “Answer my question before I rip the knowledge from your screaming flesh.”

  “What are you?” Jet asked. “No sorcerer should be able to keep up with warlords like that.”

  “I am the Binder in Chains, not some pitiful human playing angel.” He gestured at the dripping bodies decorating the tavern. “Witness the fate of all who oppose me.”

  Jet swallowed, finally showing a hint of nerves. “Wei and the others are holed up in the council chamber along with all their guards. They’ve got ten times the force I brought against you.”

  “Their defenses don’t concern me. For threatening my life, as the new emperor, I sentence you to death.”

  “Can’t let you do that.” Renton had his red ax in hand. “Let her go.”

  Binder cocked his head. “You would die for this murderess?”

  Renton put a hand on the bar and vaulted over it into the common room. “I love her.”

  “Pity.” Binder gestured and the chains tightened, reducing Jet to pulp. “I have no quarrel with you. Walk away and I will forget this momentary emotional outburst.”

  “Without her I have no life worth living.” Renton pointed the red ax at Binder. The metal glowed with sickening, corrupt energy. “I’m going to kill you for what you did to Jet.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Lidia sat in her temporary office at the Tower and read the reply from her agent in the baronies. There had been some problems with Binder worshipers, but nothing major. No surprise, on the frontier people had less use for religion than in other parts of the kingdom.

  “Good news?” Imogen asked between nibbles of a sausage sandwich.

  “Yes, for a change. Heaven knows we could use some.”

  She sensed the approaching energy of a second message a moment before the glowing scroll landed on the table in front of her. More good news. Her agent in Duke Iceborn’s court indicated all quiet in the north.

  A third message arrived just as she finished reading the second. She read a single sentence from the scroll and said, “Damn it all!”

  “What’s wrong?” Imogen asked.

  “My man in Port Valcane has been killed or compromised. I can’t imagine how the cultists found him out, but they did.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “The first sentence of every message we exchange always has a particular word in it. This scroll doesn’t. Edmond is too experienced an agent to have made such a simple mistake, therefore he either made the reply under duress, or he’s dead and someone replied for him.”

  “Edmond. Why do I know that name?” Imogen’s brow furrowed as she thought.

  “He was in the legion for a while, hated serving in the capital, and received a transfer to Port Valcane. He works with the city guard which puts him in an excellent position to collect information for me.”

  “Right, short guy, thinning hair, nobody would give him a second look. I think he left the legion a few months after I joined.”

  “That’s him. I hope he’s only on the run or captured. Good agents are damned hard to come by.”

  “Anything from the capital?” Imogen asked.

  “I didn’t even bother sending a message. Whatever intel there is to collect, Jennifer will get it for us.”

  A rap on the door was followed by Thomas bustling in with a scroll of his own. They were getting quite a collection.

  “I have news from King’s College. They say Mariela has gone to Nordric. Seems she’s gotten wind of an ice demon cult and wants to see what, if anything, they’re up to.”

  “That’s about as far north as you can go without entering the Ice Queen’s domain,” Imogen said. “She must be dedicated. There’s probably a foot of snow there by now.”

  Thomas’s hat wobbled when he nodded. “Do you want me to send someone to get her?”

  Lidia shook her head and gathered up all her paperwork. “No, thank you. I don’t want to risk anyone on what might be a wild goose chase.”

  His expression fell. “Okay. Are you two leaving?”

  “Shortly. The king needs to know what’s happening.”

  “Then I’ll say goodbye and good luck.” Thomas smiled. “Visit again when the kingdom isn’t in imminent danger and we’ll have tea.”

  Lidia smiled back. It was hard to stay upset with the good-natured headmaster around. “Assuming that day ever comes, I’ll be happy to join you.”

  Half an hour later they were powering southeast back to the sanctuary. The news wasn’t as good as Lidia had hoped, but it could have been far worse.

  “Do you want me to go check on the scholar?” Imogen asked.

  “You and Damien, yes.”

  “Why did you tell the headmaster it wasn’t worth the risk?”

  “Thomas is a dear man, but he has a blind spot where his people are concerned. The fact that he had a demon worshiper working in the library for years proves that. I don’t plan to share information with anyone I don’t have total confidence in.”

  “I’m flattered,” Imogen said.

  Lidia grunted and dove toward the entrance. Her feet barely hit the ground when Damien opened the hidden entrance. “How are things at the Tower?”

  “Nobody tried to blast us, so that’s good,” Imogen said.

  Damien grinned. Heaven’s mercy he looked young sometimes.

  “How’s the king?” Lidia asked.

  “Bored and anxious, same as me. Please tell me I can go blow something up.”

  Lidia shook her head. “Sorry, but I do have a job for you and Imogen.”

  “Anything. Ten more minutes of watching Uncle Andy pace and I’m going to go crazy.”

  “Find Mariela and bring her back. Imogen knows where she is.”

  “Back here?” Damien asked.

  Lidia frowned. “Good point.”

  “Imogen and I could find out what she knows then rejoin you here,” Damien said.

  Lidia would have preferred to handle the interview herself, but she couldn’t be in two places at once. “Do it. And be quick.”

  Damien saluted and flew out of the hole to make room for Lidia. The last thing she heard before closing the entrance was, “So where to?”

  Oh to be young and energetic. Must hav
e been nice.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Binder eyed his opponent, wary for the first time since he struck that hill upon arriving on this world. Renton’s soul force had completely changed since his ax began to glow. Corruption unlike anything Binder had experienced blackened the man’s core. He could have been more demon than human.

  Best to end this quickly.

  Chains appeared out of nowhere and shot toward Renton.

  With unbelievable speed the ax spun, chopping his constructs into shards of energy.

  A shiver of fear ran down Binder’s spine. No mortal weapon could cut through his chains like that. Whoever forged Renton’s ax, it wasn’t a man.

  Binder blinked and his opponent vanished.

  Divine soul force surged through Binder, accelerating him to speeds beyond human. And not a moment to soon.

  He bent over backward, allowing the ax blade to pass over his face by inches. His skin burned where the blade came close.

  Binder countered with an open-palm strike to Renton’s ribs.

  The human flew across the room, hit the wall feet first, and pushed off.

  Even at maximum acceleration Binder barely evaded a slash that would have left him gutted.

  More chains appeared, lashing out at Renton, who destroyed them as fast as they appeared.

  A sword of divine energy appeared in Binder’s hand.

  He lunged.

  The ax blade came down, slicing his sword in half.

  Binder kicked off the floor and spun in midair, avoiding yet another lethal strike. He needed a proper weapon, but none of the crude blades wielded by his would-be assassins stood a chance of surviving a single blow from the corrupt ax.

  The ax blade glowed brighter and Renton thrust it at Binder. A sphere of corrupt energy rushed toward him.

  Binder countered with a golden orb of his own.

  They struck.

  An explosion shook the tavern.

  Smoke billowed everywhere.

  Binder dropped flat to the floor.

  Through the haze Renton rushed at Binder.

  Just as Binder expected.

  An instant of shock covered the human’s face as chains shot up through Renton’s chest, shredding his heart and killing him instantly.

  The ax head dulled and clattered to the floor. Renton slumped beside it. What a waste. A human of such power would have made a great ally.

  “Qang.”

  A moment later the mayor hustled in, the still-chained girl beside him. He took one look around the tavern and paled. “You called, Master?”

  “I know where the merchant lords are hiding. Grab that ax and let’s go.”

  Qang bent, grabbed the haft with both hands, and heaved. The weapon didn’t so much as twitch. The mayor rolled his sleeves up and tried again. Same result.

  “I can’t budge it, Master.”

  “So I see.” Binder frowned.

  He couldn’t touch something with that much corrupt energy in it and he certainly couldn’t leave it here for anyone to find. What was he supposed to do?

  “You killed her.” Teng stared at what remained of Jet. “I’m free.”

  That might’ve been an exaggeration since she still had his chains wrapped around her, but she was certainly free of Jet. Perhaps a second chance was in order.

  “Will you swear your loyalty to the throne?” Binder asked.

  Teng sighed. “You want to enslave me five seconds after I gained my freedom?”

  “Those who serve me aren’t slaves, they’re simply prevented from doing anything to betray the empire. As long as you keep the needs of the empire first and foremost when you make a decision, your life will be your own.”

  “What if I say no?”

  Binder gave Jet’s remains a meaningful look. “You’ve proven yourself a potential enemy. I can’t have you running loose where you might cause more trouble. The oath or the gallows.”

  Teng shot him a humorless smile. “The oath it is.”

  “Wise choice. Come to the palace after sunset tonight. You can swear your allegiance along with the rest.”

  The chains holding her vanished, but he left one, invisible and untouchable, around her neck. If she betrayed him she’d regret it.

  Teng took one last look around the slaughterhouse that was Hood’s tavern and fled.

  “Think she’ll show?” Qang asked.

  Binder shrugged. He’d done what he could for the girl. The rest was up to her. “The lords are hiding at the council chamber. You know it?”

  “All too well,” Qang said. “It’s where we hold our monthly meetings and they issue my orders. It’s not exactly a secret hideout. They must have had a lot of faith in their assassins.”

  “Their faith was misplaced. Let’s go.”

  Qang hesitated. “What about that thing?”

  Binder glared at the ax. What about it indeed. “Leave it. If we can’t move it, I doubt anyone else will be able to. Let’s finish things with Wei and the others.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  When Bo finally opened the door to Jen’s little hideout the sun had set. He slipped silently inside and closed the door behind him. Whoever the second man with him was, Jen hadn’t been introduced and he hadn’t returned. Lilly had gone home hours ago and Jen was eager for news. She still hoped to move on the castle tonight, but if the guards knew who they were looking for they’d tighten security around the queen and Karrie.

  Bo looked pale in the dim candlelight. Being a spy didn’t seem to agree with him.

  “So?” Jen asked.

  “They don’t know it’s you, at least the people I talked to didn’t. They do think you’re a scout for crown loyalists. Whether that’s better or worse I don’t know.”

  “It’s definitely better that they don’t know who I am or hopefully that I’m a warlord. No one would think an ordinary woman would try and sneak into the castle to rescue the royals.”

  “You’re going to try it even though everyone’s looking for you?” Bo shook his head. “That’s crazy.”

  “Maybe, but I’m doing it anyway. The king is frozen until his family’s safe. The sooner that happens the better.” Jen got up off her cot, belted her sword on, and tied a handkerchief Lilly had lent her over her hair. “I’m grateful for everything you’ve done. Now go home to your family.”

  She patted him on the shoulder and stepped out into the street. When Jen had put a couple blocks between her and the warehouse she said, “Are you still with me?”

  A cool touch on her right shoulder, their signal for yes. Good, she’d feared Al Elan might have returned to his body. This wasn’t his fight, but she doubted she could succeed without his help.

  Jen turned toward the center of the city, mingling with the crowds heading home after a day’s work. Her hand never strayed far from her sword hilt, but the exhausted workers never gave her so much as a second look.

  Even the tiny amount of soul force she needed to enhance her eyes and ears was a risk, but a necessary one. There weren’t so many sorcerers stationed in the capital that the enemy could spare them just to search for someone they didn’t even know was a warlord.

  The crowd reached the residential district and began to disperse. Now things got tricky. Jen still needed to cover fifteen blocks to reach the castle. Her sword was the problem. It drew eyes faster than anything, but she couldn’t leave it behind. Unarmed, if anything went wrong, she’d have no hope of victory.

  She had to risk a burst of lightning speed. Five seconds should be enough to get her to the wall.

  Jen took one last look around. No guards and no one was paying any mind to her.

  Now or never.

  She drew deep from her core and vanished.

  The city stopped around her.

  Jen ducked and dodged around frozen pedestrians, leapt a vegetable cart, and finally stopped, her back pressed tight against the castle’s outer wall. Tonight was the first time she’d ever regretted the excellent defenses that had built up
over the years.

  She crouched in the shadows and listened to the footsteps of the guards patrolling the wall. It took three minutes for each pair to make a complete circuit and the gaps between them were thirty seconds. Plenty of time to get clear at lightning speed.

  When her core had fully regenerated, Jen gathered herself and leapt between patrols, clearing the wall easily, and raced to the rear of the castle. A small door used by the servants, well away from the main entrance where nobles and other important people entered, was seldom watched or guarded. Jen had argued plenty of times with Uncle Andy about that, but he claimed since no one knew about it why worry.

  Unfortunately for Duke Carmichael, Jen did know about it and she intended to take full advantage. She reached for the pull knob, but a cold touch to her wrist stopped her dead.

  Al Elan tugged her back and Jen darted out of sight just as the door opened. A dark-haired girl in a servant’s smock exited carrying a bucket that smelled of onions. Must be kitchen scraps for the compost heap. Jen gave her a few seconds to move away before rushing through the door.

  Inside a long hall lit by hanging lamps led to the kitchen. Jen ignored that route, took the first left, and slipped inside the first door she came to. Her enhanced eyesight saw the heaps of cloth clearly in the dim light. The linen closet held towels, washcloths, and most importantly for Jen extra smocks.

  After a bit of hunting she pulled the biggest one she could find over her head. It took a bit of adjusting and the result was far from comfortable, but her sword was mostly hidden. She wouldn’t pass a close inspection, but just walking down the hall should be okay.

  With her rather sad disguise in place she continued down the hall to a set of steps that led to the second floor. The back passages assured servants stayed out of view of people who preferred to pretend they didn’t exist. Jen had memorized them all years ago when she and Damien were little. They used to play hide and seek while getting in the servants’ way. It was a wonder no one yelled at them more. Not that it would have made any difference.