Ward Against Death Part 5

"Rise and s.h.i.+ne," she said before she had any more ridiculous thoughts.

His eyes flew open, and he scrambled to the bed and s.n.a.t.c.hed his s.h.i.+rt, clutching it to his chest.

"Haven't you heard of knocking?"

"It's not like there's a door." This was not going as planned. How had he managed to put her on the defensive so fast?

"Which is why respecting someone's privacy is so important."

Celia took the four steps to the back of the room and pressed her palm to the witch-stone, bringing it to life. "I could take my s.h.i.+rt off as well, if you'd like."

"No... ah... No." He flushed, turned his back to her, and dragged his top over his head. "That would be-"

"I brought food," she said, saving him from overtaxing his brain by trying to create a complete sentence. Well, his stammering response proved he found her attractive-or perhaps just forthright. But she didn't know how to overcome his shyness. Most men threw themselves at her, begging for her attention, a kiss, or even a glance. This was new.

She set the rucksack and jug on the bed and sat beside it, nodding for Ward to join her. He glanced from her to the food and back.

"I only bite if you ask."

His eyes widened.

d.a.m.n, too strong.

"Listen, it's night and we have a lot of work to do before the sun rises." She handed him a loaf of bread, picked up one for herself, broke off a chunk, and popped it in her mouth. It was dry and tasted like dust. Was it really that bad or was lack of taste a side-effect of Ward's spell? This particular bag had been sitting in the cavern for a while, the first of her emergency store she'd hoped never to use.

He sat on the other side of the rucksack. "How do you know the time?"

"Excuse me?"

"The time. How do you know?" He reached for a piece of dried meat and she snaked her hand out, aiming for the same piece to initiate a touch, but he jerked back at the last minute.

"Did the Ancients leave some way to tell the time down here?"

She picked up the meat and offered it to him. He didn't notice.

"Ward." She extended her arm, making the offer clear.

"No, thank you. Do the witch-stones turn on and off depending on the time?"

She didn't want to talk about the Ancients, witch-stone, or the time. How could she seduce him if he was so oblivious?

"Ale?"

He jumped from the bed as if bitten. It was hard to tell in the dim light, but he looked green.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I'm fine, fine. You said we should go, let's go, we're burning daylight. Or moonlight. Or whatever." He fled the room as if the Dark Son Himself were at his heels. She would have fallen over laughing if it wasn't the opposite reaction she'd hoped for.

So much for trying to be nice.

The night in the fourth ring was quiet, unaware of the disaster that was now Celia's life, or unlife. She couldn't figure out which. And now, enveloped in the shadows of an alley with the remnants of the late day's heat seeping into her limbs and drawing her toward sleep, all the thoughts she'd avoided examining earlier flooded her mind, each vying for attention.

Ward had said last night he'd had to improvise. Was it just with a hiding place? Or had he meant the Jam de'U as well? Blood magic felt evil-even to someone who killed for a living-and there was always a price. How long before she fell over dead? An hour? A day? She needed to know more, but didn't want to ask Ward. Although perhaps showing some weakness might help open him up.

No, not that kind of weakness. It would have to be something she could better control. She'd find another necromancer, someone with more experience who didn't stammer as soon as she looked at him.

She reached out of the shadows with tentative fingers and dipped them into the stream of moonlight. What kind of a creature was she now? Had Ward's spell made her more-or less-than human? The scary stories her brothers used to tell her about walking skeletons and decaying zombies drifted forward, but she wasn't anywhere near that. Was she?

She shrugged off her momentary lethargy-the spell obviously did nothing to stave off the exhaustion from no sleep the night before-and checked to make sure Ward was still behind her. He leaned against the alley wall, gazing at the stars. He had such thin features, a long face and nose, and a small chin. There had to be some n.o.bility in his blood. In this light, his eyes were huge, brown, unfocused pools. What was he doing? Thinking? She had never met anyone so out of touch with the real world. In her world, being out of touch got one killed.

At what point had she lost touch?

No. She hadn't lost touch; it had been a conspiracy. Which didn't justify anything, but did place the blame on someone else.

However, all the blame lay with her over how problematic Ward's seduction had become. He'd seen her temper and some of her martial abilities, and it showed. He hadn't reacted the way she'd expected to her attempts at flirtation and friends.h.i.+p. She wanted to scream, give him a good shake, and tell him the game was up. No one was that naive.

But yelling at him wouldn't win his confidence. She needed to lull him into a sense of security, thinking her unaware. Then she could seduce his secrets from him without him noticing.

"We've been standing here forever," Ward said.

They hadn't been, and really, how could he have noticed the pa.s.sage of time wandering around in his thoughts like that?

"Let's talk to this friend of yours and get it over with."

She bit the inside of her cheek. "Sure, if you want to get yourself killed."

"I thought you said we could trust this man."

They could, as far as trusting another a.s.sa.s.sin went. And Solartti was the person most likely to have sent her the note, warning her of the a.s.signment on her life. What she hadn't told Ward was Solartti was also the person most likely to have been given the a.s.signment. Still, he was the most trustworthy a.s.sa.s.sin she knew and she needed information. So to Solartti she must go.

Peeking out of the alley across the empty street, she studied her goal: a narrow, three-story house. Unlike its solid one- and two-story stone neighbors, the building was of an old design, constructed of wood with delicate, carved detailing around the windows and eaves. Over the years, with the harsh sea air sweeping up from the docks and the periodic shudders from the sleeping volcano beneath the city, the house had warped and bent like an old man. If Solartti hadn't purchased and renovated it three years ago, it would have been torn down and replaced with another boring stone dwelling.

She pulled the hood of her cloak farther over her face and stepped out of the alley. If she was going to be walking about the streets, she might as well put her talents to use. She changed her gait, leading with her gut instead of her hips, hunched her shoulders, and clasped her hands before her. She strolled across the street into the alley beside Solartti's house, keeping an eye on Ward as he followed her. He looked suspicious, radiating nervousness, but there wasn't anything she could do about that. Telling him to relax would probably start an argument. They faced the potential of a long night if Solartti didn't have the a.s.signment on her life, and she didn't want to waste precious shadows quarreling in an alley. Better to keep her mouth shut.

Solartti's bedroom sat on the third floor at the back. If not for Ward, she would have scaled to the window and climbed in. However, since he was here, he should partic.i.p.ate. She led the way down the alley to the back of the house and slipped the thin case containing her picks from her belt. It was a basic collection, since she was an a.s.sa.s.sin and not a thief, but the six slim, bent wires covered most situations.

She picked her least favorite. Thicker than the others, it possessed less flexibility but would withstand a finger-guillotine better. Likely an unnecessary precaution. a.s.sa.s.sins didn't bother much with complicated locks, at least on their houses. They knew anything could be picked or blown-up, so there was no point wasting money on an expensive lock. Probably, only a few wards protected the bolt.

Ward blew out a loud breath.

She glanced back at him. Ward was still warding; she just couldn't figure out what. Which really didn't matter. Like the obstructions built into the lock, she'd circ.u.mvent his precautions and figure him out.

She slipped the pick into the keyhole and wiggled it past one... two... three wards, and no traps. A mediocre lock, just difficult enough to keep out the amateurs. Which meant the first ward was probably false. She could always go back to it later. With the pick between the second and third wards, she slid the bolt open, pushed down the door latch, and let them in.

The kitchen was dark and smelled of salted fish. A kettle sat over the banked embers of the day's fire. Good. That meant Solartti's day-maid had left and he had gone to bed. Behind her the door clicked shut, and she smiled. Ward had enough common sense to close the door and be quiet about it. Perhaps there was hope for him.

"I was wondering when you'd come." Solartti's voice rumbled through her.

She eased her hand to the dagger at her waist but didn't draw it, and scanned the room instead. There, in the back corner of the kitchen. A large shadow. "Well, since you're here and I'm here, why don't we shed some light so my wayward necromancer can see?"

Solartti chuckled, which probably sounded like a growl to the unfamiliar. "I thought necromancers could see in the dark."

Ward harrumphed but didn't say anything.

Flint struck steel with a snap. A spark caught a wick and a tiny yellow flame danced on the end of a stubby candle.

Solartti smiled and sat forward, candle in hand. "Care to build up the fire?"

Celia glanced to the hearth then back to Solartti. He looked even larger than she remembered, his ma.s.sive shoulders bulging under his s.h.i.+rt. She pulled out a chair from his kitchen table and sat. "No thanks."

Solartti shrugged and sauntered across his kitchen to the hearth. Without a word, he tossed in some kindling. It caught, flaring to life, and the kitchen flooded with light.

It was a small kitchen, clean and bare. Not a knife in sight-an uncommon habit for anyone but an a.s.sa.s.sin. Hanging above the hearth were a few pots and pans, which she wouldn't be able to reach unless Solartti moved. Likewise for the wood and kindling in the box against the wall. Her primary means of escape were the door behind her or the window to her left. Another option was through the parlor to the front door, but that would mean pa.s.sing Solartti, and Ward wouldn't be fast enough to get by.

Solartti crossed his arms and leaned against the side of his hearth, one eyebrow raised. His dark hair fell loosely around his square face, hints of gold strands catching the firelight. A wry smile pulled at his lips, made even more roguish by the day's worth of stubble dusting his cheek.

It was her turn to talk, and he wasn't going to make this easy. Yet for some strange reason, she still considered this man a friend.

"I suppose I should thank you first for the letter."

Solartti barked a quick laugh. "You don't have me to thank for it. I only just heard you knew about the Dark Son's minion."

"Curious," Celia said. If Solartti didn't send her the warning...

Ward leaned toward her and whispered in her ear. "The Dark Son's minion?"

She sighed. How could a necromancer be so ignorant about the other dark arts? "An a.s.sa.s.sin." She patted his arm and hoped he'd take the hint and stay quiet for the rest of the conversation. "I guess this means the a.s.signment is public knowledge."

"Hardly," Solartti said. "I'm just very resourceful."

"So what do these resources say about it?" She leaned back in her chair, trying to look disinterested.

"My dear, you know you don't get something for nothing."

"And who helped you redecorate this house?"

"That doesn't count." He picked a long twig from the box of kindling and poked it into the flames.

"Why not?" She knew it wouldn't count, but she had to ask. Friends.h.i.+p didn't mean anything between a.s.sa.s.sins when they wanted something. "I suppose the a.s.signment is yours."

"No. I wouldn't have taken it if it was offered to me." The end of the twig broke off, and he pulled it out and examined the scorched tip. "Which it wasn't, by the way."

"So who has it?"

He met her gaze, his expression serious. "I don't know."

He could be lying. Probably not, but if he really wanted to hide something she'd have no way of knowing.

"I suppose the next thing to ponder," she said, hoping if she thought out loud he wouldn't be able to resist the puzzle and would try to figure it out with her, "is who would be powerful enough, or unafraid enough, to buy an a.s.signment for the Dominus' daughter?"

Ward coughed but didn't say anything. So he didn't know who her father really was. Not a surprise. Had he even figured out her occupation yet?

"That is the question," Solartti said. "I'd like the answer to that one myself."

"Have you-" She considered her next words, knowing she'd be accusing Solartti of performing an illegal action against the Guild. "Have you seen the ledger?" If he had, he'd have known the working name, the nom de mort, of the a.s.sa.s.sin.

"Now why would you a.s.sume I'd crept about in the Guild's records room, risking life and limb, to see who's after you?"

"Curiosity."

He snorted. "You know me too well."

Yes, she did.

"There isn't one."

She jerked forward. "Excuse me?"

"There isn't an entry for you in any of the ledgers. I've looked. Besides, if the Master agreed to have you killed, do you think he'd be stupid enough to record it?"

"Then how do you know there is an a.s.signment?"

"You're, well..." He glanced over her shoulder and Ward s.h.i.+fted from one foot to the other. "You were dead. What do you think the answer is?"

She didn't respond. Someone had sent her that note, and someone had succeeded in killing her. And if it wasn't her father-which was still in doubt-then the killer must have some kind of experience, or he wouldn't have been able to get to her.

"I think I need to see for myself."

"Well, happy hunting, my dear." Solartti laughed again. "But you won't find anything."

She stood and pushed the chair back against the table. "Since I helped you renovate..."

"You know I can't do anything."

"Sure you can." She flashed a hint of her best seductive smile. "It's easy."

"With a dead person, nothing is easy. You should know that by now."

"Just find out who might have sent the note." She grabbed Ward's arm and pulled him to the door. "I really thought I only had one friend in the Guild, but it seems I have a secret admirer."

"You're too beautiful to only have one, Celia," Solartti said, and he blew her a kiss.