Read Online The Guild Secret (The Dark Ability Book 6) by D.K. Holmberg - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: D.K. Holmberg
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snorted. “You actually are. After everything that happened, you aren’t angry?”
“I’m angry enough, but I understand what you did, and why you did it.”
Firell took the dice and shook them, dropping them on the table without taking his eyes off Rsiran. “You haven’t said why you’re here, Rsiran.”
“I have. I’m trying to find a way to stop Venass.”
Firell chuckled. “Many have tried to stop them over the years, but there is no stopping, especially when they send their assassins after you. Why do you even care? If they’re after the Elvraeth, what does it matter to you?”
Firell had been gone from the city for too long for Rsiran to feel comfortable sharing with him what he knew of the crystals, but there was something that Firell could know about, and that wouldn’t matter if he knew.
“My grandfather leads them. I learned of him when they attacked the city. And they still hold my father. I would like to get him back.”
Firell whistled softly. “That… that is unexpected. Thought you didn’t care anything about your family.”
“They hurt me,” he admitted, “but that doesn’t make them any less family, does it? I’ve got to do what I can to find why they’ve taken my father, and I’m going to be the one to stop my grandfather, family ties notwithstanding.”
Firell picked up the dice without ever looking to see what he’d rolled. Rsiran realized that the mug of ale next to him remained untouched. “These are dangerous times, Rsiran. You’ll need to be careful. Not sure that you can keep safe with what’s coming.”
“I’m not the same person that you knew, Firell.”
“I see that. That boy wouldn’t have nearly torn Jonas’s arm off. You got stronger.”
“That’s not all I got.”
Firell tipped his head as he considered Rsiran. “No? What else you got?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Firell leaned forward. “I think if you’re facing Venass, then it matters very much. Something like that will get you killed, and I know that you got someone you care about back in Elaeavn. Unless she’s here with you.” He glanced around the tavern. “I hope you weren’t stupid enough to bring her with you here. This isn’t really a place for a nice girl like Jessa.”
“She’s not here.”
“You came alone? That’s almost as bad.”
“Do you think I’m in danger by coming alone?” Rsiran asked.
Firell shrugged. “No more than me.” He leaned back against the wall and shook the dice in his hand. Rsiran waited for him to drop them onto the table, but he didn’t.
“Do you know what happened with Josun?” he asked.
Firell paused. A troubled look passed across his face, lingering fleetingly before disappearing. “I haven’t seen him since he released Lena.”
“That wasn’t the question.”
“That’s all the answer that you’re going to get.”
“You know something about him. I need to know or I’ll—”
“Or you’ll what?” He flicked a knife from his pocket and set it on the table, point aimed at Rsiran. A steel blade, and well made. “You’ll attack me? I don’t threaten so easily these days, Rsiran.”
He grunted. “I didn’t think you threatened so easily before. And that’s not what I was trying to do. I only wanted to tell you that I need to know what happened to him. I know that he lives.”
“Of course you do. That was the price to release my daughter.”
Rsiran had an awareness of the chains around Firell’s neck. It would be an easy thing to constrict them, and force Firell from the tavern, but that wasn’t why he’d come here. Firell wasn’t his enemy, regardless of what he’d done to him… or what he had failed to do for them. He had betrayed them, and wasn’t any sort of friend that he had claimed to be, but Rsiran couldn’t blame him for what he had done.
“I know that he was in Thyr. I came across a knife of mine there.”
Firell smiled and laughed softly. “A knife? That’s how you know that he was there?
“I’m angry enough, but I understand what you did, and why you did it.”
Firell took the dice and shook them, dropping them on the table without taking his eyes off Rsiran. “You haven’t said why you’re here, Rsiran.”
“I have. I’m trying to find a way to stop Venass.”
Firell chuckled. “Many have tried to stop them over the years, but there is no stopping, especially when they send their assassins after you. Why do you even care? If they’re after the Elvraeth, what does it matter to you?”
Firell had been gone from the city for too long for Rsiran to feel comfortable sharing with him what he knew of the crystals, but there was something that Firell could know about, and that wouldn’t matter if he knew.
“My grandfather leads them. I learned of him when they attacked the city. And they still hold my father. I would like to get him back.”
Firell whistled softly. “That… that is unexpected. Thought you didn’t care anything about your family.”
“They hurt me,” he admitted, “but that doesn’t make them any less family, does it? I’ve got to do what I can to find why they’ve taken my father, and I’m going to be the one to stop my grandfather, family ties notwithstanding.”
Firell picked up the dice without ever looking to see what he’d rolled. Rsiran realized that the mug of ale next to him remained untouched. “These are dangerous times, Rsiran. You’ll need to be careful. Not sure that you can keep safe with what’s coming.”
“I’m not the same person that you knew, Firell.”
“I see that. That boy wouldn’t have nearly torn Jonas’s arm off. You got stronger.”
“That’s not all I got.”
Firell tipped his head as he considered Rsiran. “No? What else you got?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Firell leaned forward. “I think if you’re facing Venass, then it matters very much. Something like that will get you killed, and I know that you got someone you care about back in Elaeavn. Unless she’s here with you.” He glanced around the tavern. “I hope you weren’t stupid enough to bring her with you here. This isn’t really a place for a nice girl like Jessa.”
“She’s not here.”
“You came alone? That’s almost as bad.”
“Do you think I’m in danger by coming alone?” Rsiran asked.
Firell shrugged. “No more than me.” He leaned back against the wall and shook the dice in his hand. Rsiran waited for him to drop them onto the table, but he didn’t.
“Do you know what happened with Josun?” he asked.
Firell paused. A troubled look passed across his face, lingering fleetingly before disappearing. “I haven’t seen him since he released Lena.”
“That wasn’t the question.”
“That’s all the answer that you’re going to get.”
“You know something about him. I need to know or I’ll—”
“Or you’ll what?” He flicked a knife from his pocket and set it on the table, point aimed at Rsiran. A steel blade, and well made. “You’ll attack me? I don’t threaten so easily these days, Rsiran.”
He grunted. “I didn’t think you threatened so easily before. And that’s not what I was trying to do. I only wanted to tell you that I need to know what happened to him. I know that he lives.”
“Of course you do. That was the price to release my daughter.”
Rsiran had an awareness of the chains around Firell’s neck. It would be an easy thing to constrict them, and force Firell from the tavern, but that wasn’t why he’d come here. Firell wasn’t his enemy, regardless of what he’d done to him… or what he had failed to do for them. He had betrayed them, and wasn’t any sort of friend that he had claimed to be, but Rsiran couldn’t blame him for what he had done.
“I know that he was in Thyr. I came across a knife of mine there.”
Firell smiled and laughed softly. “A knife? That’s how you know that he was there?
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