Read Online Assassin's Curse by Debra L Martin, David W Small - Free Book Online
Authors: Debra L Martin, David W Small
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carefully.”
Mave slowly leaned into the blade, slicing off one toe after another. The young woman screamed again and finally passed out from the pain after her second toe was cut.
The old man began to tremble as he watched Mave torture the young woman. Mave picked up a bucket of water he had stashed and threw some on the young woman to revive her. The old man began to moan as he watched Mave move to another part of her body.
After nearly an hour of precise and horrendous torture, Mave finally stepped away from the ruined body of the young girl. She had died and was of no more use to him. He was blood-soaked and a bit tired from his labors, but the terrified looking old man lent him a renewed sense of purpose.
“Now, shall we have our little talk again?” Mave asked, moving over and removing the old man’s gag. The old man had to turn his head and retch out the remains of his breakfast. He had long since thrown up the contents of his stomach, but the gag had prevented him from spitting any of it out of his mouth.
“I’ll tell you anything,” the old man pleaded, “please don’t hurt me.”
“Now that’s more like it,” Mave said, smiling and obviously pleased by the response. “Let’s get right to it then.”
For the next 20 minutes, the old man answered each of Mave’s questions fully and honestly. He told him everything he knew about the young woman and the night of her murder. He also told him he had seen Jeda leave that morning with the twins, but had not told anyone else that bit of information for fear of being incriminated in the murder. He told Mave that, the last he saw of Jeda, he was moving off toward the market.
“I believe you,” Mave said when the old man finished talking.
The relief in the man’s eyes was palpable when he heard Mave say those words, but he was utterly shocked when Mave lurched forward and drove his knife into his chest nonetheless.
“But… but I told you everything I knew,” the old man sputtered.
“I know, but you did lie to me first and I hate when people lie to me.”
The old man died with his mouth agape. Mave pulled his knife out and wiped it on his tunic. He took off the uniform of the Duke’s guard he had been wearing and threw it at the old man’s feet. He then cleaned off his face and hands with the remains of the girl’s dress. He had worn some old clothes under the uniform that would allow him to leave the slums unnoticed. Satisfied that he was clean of any bloodstains, he turned and looked over the room once more. The sorry remains of the young girl, the dead landlord, and a guard’s uniform discarded between them should make quite a story for tomorrow.
Just let them try to figure this out, Mave smirked. He turned and quietly shut the door to the room and left the slums of Constantine.
Although Mave did not understand everything that had happened, one thing was clear. Jeda had taken the babies and left. At this point, he did not care why Jeda had run, but now that he knew he was alive, his job was to track him and bring him back to the guild.
Tracking Jeda turned out to be easier than Mave thought; it was hard for a man traveling along with two infants to disguise or hide his passage. By careful questioning, Mave learned that Jeda had stopped at the farmer’s market and bought some very telling items before taking to the road. He had bought supplies for travelling--dry goods, milk, water, and blankets--but what was most interesting was what he did not buy. He bought no heavy furs, which dismissed the northern route with its freezing climate, and he had not bought enough water to cross the desert. That eliminated the eastern route with its long stretches of arid wasteland. To the west was the ocean, but if Jeda had planned a water trip he would not have needed any supplies, so that left only the southern route for Mave to follow.
After leaving a message
Mave slowly leaned into the blade, slicing off one toe after another. The young woman screamed again and finally passed out from the pain after her second toe was cut.
The old man began to tremble as he watched Mave torture the young woman. Mave picked up a bucket of water he had stashed and threw some on the young woman to revive her. The old man began to moan as he watched Mave move to another part of her body.
After nearly an hour of precise and horrendous torture, Mave finally stepped away from the ruined body of the young girl. She had died and was of no more use to him. He was blood-soaked and a bit tired from his labors, but the terrified looking old man lent him a renewed sense of purpose.
“Now, shall we have our little talk again?” Mave asked, moving over and removing the old man’s gag. The old man had to turn his head and retch out the remains of his breakfast. He had long since thrown up the contents of his stomach, but the gag had prevented him from spitting any of it out of his mouth.
“I’ll tell you anything,” the old man pleaded, “please don’t hurt me.”
“Now that’s more like it,” Mave said, smiling and obviously pleased by the response. “Let’s get right to it then.”
For the next 20 minutes, the old man answered each of Mave’s questions fully and honestly. He told him everything he knew about the young woman and the night of her murder. He also told him he had seen Jeda leave that morning with the twins, but had not told anyone else that bit of information for fear of being incriminated in the murder. He told Mave that, the last he saw of Jeda, he was moving off toward the market.
“I believe you,” Mave said when the old man finished talking.
The relief in the man’s eyes was palpable when he heard Mave say those words, but he was utterly shocked when Mave lurched forward and drove his knife into his chest nonetheless.
“But… but I told you everything I knew,” the old man sputtered.
“I know, but you did lie to me first and I hate when people lie to me.”
The old man died with his mouth agape. Mave pulled his knife out and wiped it on his tunic. He took off the uniform of the Duke’s guard he had been wearing and threw it at the old man’s feet. He then cleaned off his face and hands with the remains of the girl’s dress. He had worn some old clothes under the uniform that would allow him to leave the slums unnoticed. Satisfied that he was clean of any bloodstains, he turned and looked over the room once more. The sorry remains of the young girl, the dead landlord, and a guard’s uniform discarded between them should make quite a story for tomorrow.
Just let them try to figure this out, Mave smirked. He turned and quietly shut the door to the room and left the slums of Constantine.
Although Mave did not understand everything that had happened, one thing was clear. Jeda had taken the babies and left. At this point, he did not care why Jeda had run, but now that he knew he was alive, his job was to track him and bring him back to the guild.
Tracking Jeda turned out to be easier than Mave thought; it was hard for a man traveling along with two infants to disguise or hide his passage. By careful questioning, Mave learned that Jeda had stopped at the farmer’s market and bought some very telling items before taking to the road. He had bought supplies for travelling--dry goods, milk, water, and blankets--but what was most interesting was what he did not buy. He bought no heavy furs, which dismissed the northern route with its freezing climate, and he had not bought enough water to cross the desert. That eliminated the eastern route with its long stretches of arid wasteland. To the west was the ocean, but if Jeda had planned a water trip he would not have needed any supplies, so that left only the southern route for Mave to follow.
After leaving a message
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