Page 60 of Secrets of Graves and Gold

I shake my head. “She couldn’t leave Florian yet, but she’s been upset after hearing what’s been happening here. It was easier for us to make the trip. We promised her we’d do whatever we can to help.”

Hanie’s gaze drops to her bowl, her expression morose. “I’m not sure there’s much helping to be done. The past two weeks… It’s been a nightmare.”

Well, she definitely doesn’t support the uprising. Good to have that confirmed.

Casimir’s mouth twists in sympathy. He speaks up in the gentle voice that could soothe a thunderstorm. “We’ve had some dealings with the people behind this ‘Order of the Wild’ back in Florian. We’ve been able to prevent them from carrying out some of their worst plans.”

“I think we can do the same here,” I add. “We just need a better idea of what exactly they’ve been doing.”

Hanie’s shoulders come down a little. She glances around the room again and drops her voice even lower. “They stormed Julita’s estate first—and the local Watch building. I heard all the soldiers in the fort farther south were slaughtered too. Since then, the Order people have mostly been talking about how they’re going to put a ‘real’ king on the throne and pave the way for the All-Giver to return. And coming down on anyone who questions them.”

I wince. “Have you seen any odd-looking figures with them? People who’ve made an unsettling number of sacrifices, or covered up so you can’t even see their faces?”

“Knowing where they’re gathering to make plans or keeping supplies would also be useful,” Casimir puts in.

Hanie’s expression turns distant with thought. She brings her knuckle to her lips. “I’ve noticed a few things around town… I try not to get too close. You’ll need to be careful. Anyone who’s pushed back at all forcefully, they just disappear.”

I swallow thickly. “We won’t be blatant about it. But someone has to stand up to them before they do any more damage.”

Julita squirms at the back of my skull. What about my parents? She said the scourge sorcerers stormed the estate—what’s happened to everyone else?

I can’t blame her for wanting those answers while she has the chance to get them.

I drag in a ragged breath. “And if you can tell us, so we can send word back to Julita—where are her parents now? Are they being held in the house?”

Hanie’s face pales. I brace myself for the worst.

Her voice falls to a mere whisper. “They’re gone. The brigands—they dragged them out of their beds and cut their throats.”

Julita lets out a wail that resonates through my head. I close my eyes for a second, grieving her loss alongside her.

How much more blood is going to be spilled before we can stop these psychopaths for good?

Eighteen

Casimir

The Petal’s Pleasure brothel is one of the subtler establishments dedicated to the carnal arts I’ve observed in my time, at least from the outside.

That isn’t to say it’s outright discreet. The owner commissioned an illusionist to conjure an image of a woman’s manicured hand stroking along the letters on the sign, and Ardone’s sigil is clearly carved on either side of the business name. But the face of the building is painted a modest ivory, dulled in patches to light gray, with no additional decoration. The dark red curtains covering the windows obscure all hint of what goes on within.

What’s going on right now may be more than indulgences in bodily pleasures. Julita’s former maidservant mentioned that she’s seen some of the more authoritative Order of the Wild members coming and going from this place regularly.

It could be they’re simply looking to scratch an itch. But considering that the conspirators in Florian used at least one brothel to hide their sacrificial accomplices, we felt it was worth investigating.

And my observations from the past two days have only increased my certainty that Petal’s Pleasure figures into the scourge sorcerers’ plans in some significant way. Whenever the man who runs the place steps out in one of his elegant but slightly tatty suits, I can see the stress he’s under in everything from his furtive swipes at his face to the stiffness in his slim frame.

Something is making him nervous. From the looks of his business, he’s been in the trade for decades, so I doubt he’s having misgivings about the official services he offers.

And when a few of the men and women we’ve identified as important members of the local Order stopped by last night, they came and went with attitudes much more resolute than leisurely.

So, we’re taking a gamble, and we’ll see if we can chip away at a little of the scourge sorcerers’ power in Pima.

For a second, the thought of the uprising that’s spread across the entire province squeezes my lungs. I’m used to dealing with people one-on-one, tending to their concerns with a personal touch.

I never expected to find myself tackling a horde of traitors with brutal magic.

My hands clench where I’m standing down the street from the brothel. Dragging air into my lungs, I will them to relax.

---