Page 24 of A Blade of Lies and Spirits

When I finally arrived, it had taken most of the day to get there, I could smell food cooking. I called up to Monique when I reached her ‘rise. I climbed the ladder slow and sure as she watched, brow furrowed with concern. Dropping the satchel and myself to the floor, I passed the reader to her. The smile she gave me was a bright moment the world needed more of.

“Thanks,” she said, rocking the cradle with her foot. “No way to trace it?”

“Nope. And it has all the latest educational programs on it, through high school.”

Evan, her eldest, was as hungry to learn as dry sand for water. I wasn’t much for school, but the reader would help him out. Dmitri wasn’t up to high school education quite yet.

As others ate and socialized, splitting the spoils I’d brought, I spent the evening staring down the catfish gathered around the stilts of her ‘rise, daring them to come out of the water and tossing pebbles at frogs until the light completely failed. I missed my family, and a way out of the Guild didn’t feel any closer.

Monique settled next to me, in a cloud of scent from the sandalwood. The oils had already been put to use. “You should stay tonight.”

“Why?

”You need company, girl. You look sad tonight.” She nudged me with an elbow. “Man trouble?”

“No, I found one. But I wouldn’t mind being near the kids tonight. I miss my boy.”

Monique fished out an extra blanket, and I settled near the kids, letting the soft, quick breaths lull me to sleep. Other adults moved away, a show of trust I appreciated, though Monique remained. I listened to her breathing, and that of the children, until my awareness of everything and everyone else faded away and sleep claimed me.

Time passed, I have no idea how much, when I startled awake at the sound of a board creaking. Silver stood in the entry. He stood with the dawn lighting him from behind, and the sight of him was breathtaking. I might not find him attractive, but his beauty was undeniable. His white-blond hair seemed to shimmer in the soft light, and his athletic body seemed bigger and more powerful as my sleepy mind took him in.

“You need to clear out of here. Take this.” He tossed me a heavy satchel. I caught it, getting to my feet. Children bolted upright around me, eyes wide, shuffling back to the walls. Monique stood as well, brow furrowed, lips pursed.

“Do not go to the city; I’m contesting the kill order that’s gone out. Greene’s associates—and those teenagers’ parents—want your head on a pike. Walker’s busy; he can’t hide you until I have this cleared. William’s Wolves have been hired. They took a discount; I’d love to know your history with them when we have time.”

Damn it. What was my luck? The same mercenaries I’d pissed off years before, and then pissed off again with the teens, were hunting me? As useless as they were against the river spirit, they were good at what they did. They were the kind of people who would kill anyone and anything to get what they wanted. And right now, they wanted me.

“We need to protect Dimitri,” I told him, feeling numb. Exhausted from all I’d been through.

“Robert and Elise are going to stay south another two weeks in case the Wolves find out that they can use Dmitri as a lever.”

It was a lot to take in, but I didn’t need to think. Therewasn’ttime to think. I worked with the Wolves the first time I ran away from home, at sixteen, too young and dumb to know what mercenary companies really did. That was my first exposure to the fact that Guild law only applied to Guild citizens, within the Guild’s borders.

When they were done with the town, I made a plan to punish the mercenaries for what they’d done. Starting with their leader, William. I’d pretended to let him take me to bed to “celebrate” our victory. He was a dangerous man, but a lot less so without armor or weapons.

I’d left him in pieces. I would’ve killed him if I’d known just how miraculous Guild medicine was.

After the dust settled, heading home felt right. I’d seen some of the world across the river and it sucked. I wanted to fix things, and fixing the guild was almost impossible. I’d decided to put together a plan on how Kalderon could annex a part of the Guild, and present it to Ethan and the elders, and see how to persuade them. I’d been working on that project for six years when I took Chance’s dare.

And now look what I was doing. Still trying to fix things, and endangering the people around me. At least Silver could protect them against a mercenary band.

“Understood. Who’s staying here to tell the mercs I’m gone?”

His eyes danced, a fierce light within them. “Me. If they want to have some fun, who am I to deny them? Lie low until you hear from Walker, me, or someone you trust.”

The order settled with the others of the geas, upsetting my stomach as he shoved a second satchel at me and raised a ward around me, blurring the world with his spell. His magic meant that the world couldn’t see or hear me for a while. It was a protection I appreciated, even though I wasn’t sure how long it’d last.

“Go!”

I slid down one of the support poles, grabbed a boat with a motor moored below, and headed west. It was quicker than poling, but I still got to see the sparks from a magical effect across the swamp, before I even reached dry ground.

Sparks, that meant the swampers were being defended from an attack. Spark,s that meant my enemies were right behind me.

SIX

Alys

Mossand lush plant growth covered tumbled stone as I picked my way through the ruin, a harvest of spring greens tucked under my arm. I’d set up camp in the wild country where the low hills claimed by the Guild met the mountains. The white stones of the borderline swung around the edge of what had been the outermost foundation.

---