Black held Eli’s stare for several long moments but ultimately shook his head. “Not at all. Everett, let your men know this one is allowed to remain within the city for as long as Lady Vanador is here, and that he is to be treated as though he is a member of her Order.”
Kari wondered if the last was a good thing or not, but she gave no voice to her thoughts as the marshal replied, “As you wish, my lord.”
“I’ve got a couple of paladins in the northeast district of the city stirring up trouble; I take it that’s your doing as well?” Black asked, though in his eyes Kari could see he already knew the answer.
Kari crossed her ankles and tried to give a reasonable answer without hesitating and making her omissions too obvious. She didn’t want to tell Black too much about her plans or what she knew, on the off chance his denials were part of a larger deception. On the one hand, Kari was inclined to take Eli and the marshal’s faith into consideration where Kaelin Black’s and Blackwing’s identities were concerned, but on the other, she couldn’t afford to give the succubus or BlackWing any more advantages. Kari was never comfortable lying to people, but she recalled Aeligos’ distinction in calling BlackWing’s words half-truths, and decided she had to be satisfied with using them herself at that moment.
“They worked with me in a previous mission, and were nearby and available,” Kari said. “I was hoping that having a couple of paladins in the city might make the succubus think twice about killing anyone else, and then I can concentrate fully on my hunt. If that’s a problem…”
Black waved his hand again, and in his concerned expression and mannerisms, Kari could see that he was troubled by the entire situation. “No, not a problem. I just wasn’t sure why they were here until now. With them stirring up the people, I’m going to put an end to martial law and let them work with the citizens to help try to find this assassin. Unfortunately, they also brought their mentor, Lord Garant, with them, and he’s being a righteous pain in my arse wanting to deal with inter-county politics when I’ve got an assassin on the prowl. So, it’s going to fall entirely on you and your companion here to find and kill this assassin without much help from me. I’ll assign my men to patrol the streets so that if a fight breaks out, either you or your paladin friends shouldn’t have to wait long for help.”
“That will be very helpful, thank you,” Kari said, though she had to admit she felt strange thanking Kaelin Black for anything. “Have there been any recent killings?”
“Only two in the last few weeks, and both of them were guards,” Black said. “Marshal Saracht told me he found you almost as soon as you’d entered the city. If you haven’t found a place to stay, I’m sure I can put you up somewhere suitable.”
Kari wasn’t sure whether it would occur to Black that the succubus seemed to want her in Barcon and that was why the killings slowed down. Either way, she wasn’t going to mention it. “I already have a place in mind, but thank you,” Kari said, but something else occurred to her. “I'm curious how you knew I was coming?”
Kaelin Black smiled, but it was one of the most unsettling things Kari had ever seen. He seemed to be smiling genuinely, in a teasing sort of way to say, “I’m not spilling my secrets,” but with all of Kari’s doubts with regard to his identity, it sent a shiver down her spine. Rather than be comforted, she felt the noose tightening about her neck, and the trap getting so much closer to being sprung upon her.
“Let me know where you’re staying, so I can have a guard detail posted around your inn,” Black said almost amicably. “I don’t want this assassin catching you in your sleep; she seems to operate primarily at night.”
Hard to argue with that, Kari thought. She wondered if she was being too sensitive and guarded when dealing with Black. Part of her assumed he wanted to know where she’d be staying so he could send the assassin after her, but she tucked those fears aside. If it turned out he was being genuine and could prove to be an ally to her, she didn’t want to be a fool and either alienate him or turn him into an enemy outright.
“We’ll be staying at a little inn in the temple district called The Bloodied Blade.”
“Not exactly,” Black interjected. “That place was sold a few years back; don’t remember what the name was changed to, but the inn is still there. If that’s where you’re staying, I’ll have my best guards keep watch over the building.”
“One question, if I may, Your Lordship,” Eli said, and Black gestured for him to speak. “Do you have any contacts within the Black Dragon Society, maybe through your guards?”
Lord Black’s eyes narrowed somewhat. “As a matter of fact, I do, but if you think I’d share that information with anyone, you’re sorely mistaken. The Black Dragon Society has plagued me for decades for good reason, and I can’t make the mistake of exposing my spies.”
Eli simply lifted the sleeve of his tunic, and neither Black nor the marshal could hide their shock. The earl nodded, seemingly to himself, and then rose to his feet before gesturing for his guests to do so as well. “I’ll need a couple of days to see if my contact is willing to deal with you,” he said. “Just understand that you can’t let anyone know you’re working for me if you’re going to tangle with the guild. If you intend to work with or through the guild to aid Lady Vanador, then you need to act like you’ve gone rogue and keep yourself separate from her, else you will put her life and her work here in serious jeopardy.”
Kari was surprised by the tone of Black’s words, but Eli answered before she could voice her thoughts. “I grew up learning what discretion means on a daily basis,” Eli said.
“Well, go and get yourselves settled at the inn,” Black said as he walked his guests to the door. “If you need to speak with me, get in touch with the marshal and he’ll bring you to me when it’s convenient and safe. Keep me updated as much as you can on your hunt, even if it’s just through the marshal, and if there’s any way he or his men can be of assistance, I will put them at your disposal. Good afternoon.”
“Farewell, Lord Black,” Kari said politely, and Eli bowed his head as they departed.
Kari led Eli from the tower and toward the temple district, and she wondered how thick the webs she’d just walked into truly were. She was more concerned for Eli if he was planning on dealing with the assassin’s guild, and the thought of not even being able to sleep at night for fear of having the assassin led right to her filled her with a mental fatigue. She considered the inn’s proximity to her deity’s temple and thought of something that would at least keep their resting place secure. She resolved to go to the temple as soon as they were settled in.
With the beginnings of a plan forming in her mind, she led Eli to the inn formerly known as The Bloodied Blade.
11
One Small Favor
The only thing that looked different was the small wooden sign hanging from the front porch. The old one had depicted one of Garra Ktarra’s axes coated in the black blood of a serilian demon, and the name “The Bloodied Blade.” The new one was cleaner and, perhaps, more welcoming, depicting a simple platinum coin, and was engraved in both common and the rir language with the words “One Small Favor.” It was an odd name for an inn to Kari’s thinking, and the way Eli’s brow knitted when he beheld the sign told her that he felt the same way. The front porch was empty, and the inside seemed quiet, so Kari entered with Eli close behind.