now.”
Tomas lifted an eyebrow. “That bad?”
“Bad doesn’t begin to describe it.” Kendril looked up at his fellow Ghostwalker. “Can you get out of the estate?”
“Yes. Dutraad seems to have more men here than usual. Probably added security for the festivities. But I should be able to get out undetected.” He lowered his voice a notch. “You need to come with me, Kendril. The guards will find you in here.”
Lillette sank down to the floor, her legs too weak to support her. She stared at the two men in front of her, dressed in simple servants’ clothes. “You’re—you’re Ghostwalkers?”
“Yes,” said Kendril with a side glance at her. “I don’t have time to explain, Lillette.” He turned back to Tomas. “I can’t leave Joseph. Dutraad’s men will kill him if they find him here.”
“He knew the risks coming in,” Tomas said quietly.
“He’s my friend ,” Kendril returned. “I’m not leaving him. Or Maklavir and Kara, for that matter.”
Tomas stood, the knife still in his hand. “Alright. Your funeral. You know you don’t even have any weapons, don’t you?”
“Don’t be silly, Tomas.” Kendril glanced around the room. “We’re in a kitchen. We’re surrounded by weapons.”
Kara got the door shut just in time. She felt around blindly for the lock, then clicked it shut.
She was locked into the dark room. After the candle-lit corridor, her eyes needed another moment or two to adjust to the dim light.
The thief tried to take a deep breath, forcing herself to think as calmly as she could. She was trapped. It was only a matter of time before they searched the room she was in.
The window. It was snowing outside, and bitterly cold, and she was wearing nothing but a tattered white dress and bare feet. Bare feet? Had she kicked off her shoes? In all the excitement she couldn’t even remember doing it.
Going out the window was dangerous. It was freezing outside. The ledge, if there even was one, would be covered with ice and snow. She would have to climb or drop down to the ground below, at least twenty feet, maybe more. Possible, yes, but if she broke a leg or even twisted an ankle she was done for.
At the moment, however, she was running out of better alternative plans. The hallway outside the room was packed with men all looking for her.
The window was her only option.
She breathed a silent prayer to Eru, one she had learned as a girl. She hadn’t prayed much over the course of her life, but there was nothing like mortal danger to bring out one’s religious side. Joseph would have been pleased, no doubt.
Joseph ….
Kara shook her head, driving the image of the scout’s face out of her mind. She didn’t have time for this. No distractions. Her life was being measured in seconds.
She crossed the room, feeling her way in the darkness. Ahead of her were the curtained windows, almost ten feet in height. Getting them open might be her first challenge, especially if—
She stopped mid-step.
There, to her left, was a large strongbox set against the wall. It was even bigger than the one she had opened in Dutraad’s room.
She paused for a long moment. The Soulbinder. They still had to find it. Kendril seemed sure it would be somewhere in the house. It wasn’t on Dutraad, nor was it in his room. Kara was reasonably sure of that.
But this strongbox…?
Dutraad’s men were closing in on her. She had to escape now or she never would. For all she knew the Soulbinder was on Bronwyn. Kendril probably had it right now.
It was the basic rule of thieving, the first and most important one, the rule that all good thieves learned by heart and lived every day of their lives.
A dead thief makes no profit.
But this Soulbinder was beyond just being loot. Joseph had spoken of the Fourth Despair, Kendril had mentioned the summoning of demons. Everything they had done tonight had been to get that Soulbinder back and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
Kara looked at
Tomas lifted an eyebrow. “That bad?”
“Bad doesn’t begin to describe it.” Kendril looked up at his fellow Ghostwalker. “Can you get out of the estate?”
“Yes. Dutraad seems to have more men here than usual. Probably added security for the festivities. But I should be able to get out undetected.” He lowered his voice a notch. “You need to come with me, Kendril. The guards will find you in here.”
Lillette sank down to the floor, her legs too weak to support her. She stared at the two men in front of her, dressed in simple servants’ clothes. “You’re—you’re Ghostwalkers?”
“Yes,” said Kendril with a side glance at her. “I don’t have time to explain, Lillette.” He turned back to Tomas. “I can’t leave Joseph. Dutraad’s men will kill him if they find him here.”
“He knew the risks coming in,” Tomas said quietly.
“He’s my friend ,” Kendril returned. “I’m not leaving him. Or Maklavir and Kara, for that matter.”
Tomas stood, the knife still in his hand. “Alright. Your funeral. You know you don’t even have any weapons, don’t you?”
“Don’t be silly, Tomas.” Kendril glanced around the room. “We’re in a kitchen. We’re surrounded by weapons.”
Kara got the door shut just in time. She felt around blindly for the lock, then clicked it shut.
She was locked into the dark room. After the candle-lit corridor, her eyes needed another moment or two to adjust to the dim light.
The thief tried to take a deep breath, forcing herself to think as calmly as she could. She was trapped. It was only a matter of time before they searched the room she was in.
The window. It was snowing outside, and bitterly cold, and she was wearing nothing but a tattered white dress and bare feet. Bare feet? Had she kicked off her shoes? In all the excitement she couldn’t even remember doing it.
Going out the window was dangerous. It was freezing outside. The ledge, if there even was one, would be covered with ice and snow. She would have to climb or drop down to the ground below, at least twenty feet, maybe more. Possible, yes, but if she broke a leg or even twisted an ankle she was done for.
At the moment, however, she was running out of better alternative plans. The hallway outside the room was packed with men all looking for her.
The window was her only option.
She breathed a silent prayer to Eru, one she had learned as a girl. She hadn’t prayed much over the course of her life, but there was nothing like mortal danger to bring out one’s religious side. Joseph would have been pleased, no doubt.
Joseph ….
Kara shook her head, driving the image of the scout’s face out of her mind. She didn’t have time for this. No distractions. Her life was being measured in seconds.
She crossed the room, feeling her way in the darkness. Ahead of her were the curtained windows, almost ten feet in height. Getting them open might be her first challenge, especially if—
She stopped mid-step.
There, to her left, was a large strongbox set against the wall. It was even bigger than the one she had opened in Dutraad’s room.
She paused for a long moment. The Soulbinder. They still had to find it. Kendril seemed sure it would be somewhere in the house. It wasn’t on Dutraad, nor was it in his room. Kara was reasonably sure of that.
But this strongbox…?
Dutraad’s men were closing in on her. She had to escape now or she never would. For all she knew the Soulbinder was on Bronwyn. Kendril probably had it right now.
It was the basic rule of thieving, the first and most important one, the rule that all good thieves learned by heart and lived every day of their lives.
A dead thief makes no profit.
But this Soulbinder was beyond just being loot. Joseph had spoken of the Fourth Despair, Kendril had mentioned the summoning of demons. Everything they had done tonight had been to get that Soulbinder back and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
Kara looked at
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