Page 35 of Rune Assassin

Lusio frowned and released one side of the map, allowing it to roll shut. “There’s no need to worry about that area. We won’t be interrupted by anyone there.”

“Are you willing to risk your life on keeping a secret?” Tegan challenged him.

Lusio leaned back against his chair and nodded. “I am.”

“Then you don’t believe your life is in danger?” Tegan guessed.

Lusio shrugged. “Perhaps the assassin was scared off.” His demeanor changed for the worse as he leaned forward and eyed Tegan with a sharp look. “Or perhaps something happened to them last night to frighten them enough to leave me alone.”

A crooked smile slipped onto Tegan’s lips. “We don’t have anything to do with this, but someone is certainly trying to control your fate. Take the die, for example.”

Our host’s eyebrows crashed down. “What about the die?”

“It decided the order for you, fate be damned.”

Lusio stared incredulously at him. “Are you mad?”

Tegan held out his hand. “Allow me to prove it to you by handing me the die.”

CHAPTERNINETEEN

Lusio shovedhis hand into his pocket and scoffed. “So you can what? Poison them as you did the dart?”

A dangerous smile curled onto Tegan’s lips. “We were commanded by your friend Domini to protect you. He didn’t say we couldn’t hurt you.”

The man’s eyes bulged out of his hand and he stumbled back. “Y-you wouldn’t! I have money! I have influence! I have-”

“Nothing we want, need or care about,” Tegan warned him as he beckoned. “Now hand over the die and let me prove to you your danger is closer than you know.”

Lusio’s eyes flickered between Tegan’s outstretched hand and his face. He didn’t look too pleased as he drew the die out of his pocket. “Fine.” The man dropped the die into Tegan’s palm and jerked his hand back.

“I generally don’t bite,” Tegan assured him as he held up the die even with his eyes. He cocked his head to one side as he tilted the counter over and over in his hands. “But this might.”

Lusio scowled at him. “What do you mean?”

Tegan furrowed his brow before his eyes lit up. “Do you have any more of Conrad’s blood around? The kind magicked by Clara?”

Our host narrowed his eyes at us. “What do you know of that?”

“Should it be a secret?” Tegan countered.

Lusio pressed his lips together and puffed out his chest a little. “Whatever you know about it, it shall not leave this estate. Is that understood?”

“I’d leave my memories of this place behind if I could,” Tegan quipped as he grasped the die in his fist. “But do you have some of that blood?”

The man glared at him a moment longer before he moved over to the desk. He unlocked the top right drawer and drew out a small box which he set on top. A small keyhole denoted a lock and Lusio drew a chain from inside his vest and used one to unlock the box. He drew out one vial out of four and I glimpsed a few folded papers. Lusio locked the box again and held out the vial.

“I would prefer you not partake of it in the house. The stench is revolting,” Lusio told him.

“Then you won’t be happy when I do this,” Tegan mused as he expertly popped the cork with a thumb and dropped the die into the liquid.

“What are you doing?” Lusio shouted as even my mouth dropped open. The die settled on the bottom of the glass and a few air bubbles escaped to the surface. Our host stomped around his desk and tried to snatch the vial from Tegan who, being a head taller, merely stretched his hand out of reach. “Give that to me!”

“Not until you see it,” Tegan insisted.

“See what?” Lusio snapped as he waved a hand at the glass. “Nothing is happening!”

My eyes widened and I stabbed a finger at the vial. “Look!”

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