I don’t know what came over me, but I didn’t like this man, or the way he treated people.
“How dare you? Do you know who I am? I’m Lord Rasmen of Balendale.” The man puffed up his chest, making him seem even more intimidating, but I didn’t back down.
“There is no reason to beat your servant. It wasn’t his fault.” I used the whip to point toward the trunk and its broken handle lay in the dirt. “As you can see, you’ve grossly overloaded your trunks where they cannot latch correctly, and your clothes have now paid the price.”
“I would never . . .” the man stammered and looked at the broken trunk. I had heard enough. I tossed the whip to the ground, and over the man’s shoulder, I could see city guards coming our way.
“A good washerwoman could get them cleaned in no time.” I took a gold coin out of my pouch and tossed it into the air.
Lord Rasmen snatched it out of the air like a frog catching a fly.
“For the trunk, and your forgiveness toward your servant.”
The servant had slipped away into the crowd. I hoped he wouldn’t return, using this time to escape this horrid man, but I had a feeling old Bredlin would be back and would be treated worse because of my interference.
Lord Rasmen’s eyes narrowed, and he rubbed his fingers along the coin’s ridges, probably trying to see if it was fake or real.
“I will stay my hand,” the Lord said. “But who are you, that you meddle so easily in the affairs of others?”
“I am called what you lack.” I lifted my chin and adjusted my stance as another carriage came toward me. I took my chance to abscond, and leapt onto the footboard as it passed, letting it carry me away in a crowd of people and horses. With nimble footwork, I slipped onto the back of a second carriage and crouched low as I quickly sped away from the spot where city guards had descended.
I rode for a few city blocks before I crawled to the top of the carriage and leapt onto a nearby stack of crates. After hopping down into an alley, I hid behind a barrel and waited to see if anyone had followed. The alleyway remained empty. But I knew better than to expect an easy getaway. I ran between the buildings, crawled up a wooden trellis onto the nearest roof, and made my way across the buildings, and circled back around to the Silk Slipper Inn roof.
I was right. Lord Rasmen was speaking to the city guards and pointing at his trunk, then waving frantically. I took advantage of the commotion below to slip back into my room, swinging from the roof into the open window. The sun was so bright, my eyes couldn’t adjust, and I entered the room blindly.
As soon as my feet landed on the stone floor, a shadow moved toward me, and I reacted. I spun, bringing my foot up and around. It was blocked midair, and a wrist wrapped around my ankle. With strong, deft movements, I was forced down into a crouch to avoid breaking the bone.
“I think you are just the person I’m looking for,” a feminine voice chuckled. She released my ankle and stepped back, pulling the shawl from her face. Saphira grinned at me.
“I’m so sorry.” I bounced up to my feet in horror at having attacked the owner of the inn.
“Don’t be. I saw what happened on the street. I would have intervened if you hadn’t, but then I would have lost my mark. By stepping in, you protected the servant, and I get to keep Lord Rasmen close.”
“Your mark?” I asked, watching Saphira with new eyes. She had a crossbody satchel that was probably filled with weapons. Her footsteps were muffled by the silk slippers she wore. The way she moved with purpose, her toned and muscled arms, and the calluses on her fingers . . . There was no mistaking it. I could see the trained assassin hiding behind the silks and perfume. “You’re a trained spy.”
“Sometimes,” she said with a smile. “Other times I just happen to overhear things. For instance, you are the one called Honor, are you not?”
“How do you know my name?” I asked suspiciously.
Saphira pulled her scarf back to reveal her ears and elven heritage. I had already suspected from the way she blocked my attack, but she confirmed it.
“I know of you, Honor, because I’m friends with Lorn. Long ago, he trained me, and I’ve turned those skills into a thriving business. Sometimes he comes and visits me and shares tales of your travels and escapades. I had heard you were lost in the battle of the Northern Woods. Many believe you to be dead.”
“Dead? But how did the news travel so fast? That was just a day ago.”
Saphira shook her head. “That attack was over three weeks ago.”
I sat down on the bed in disbelief. “How can that be? I remember . . . well, I don’t know what I remember. My brain is a bit foggy.”
Saphira went to the side table and took a water pitcher, poured me a glass, and handed it to me. “Here. Drink.”
The door to my room swung open a few inches as if caught by the wind. I followed the slight shimmer of the invisible gnome's glamour, and never let my eyes stray from him for fear I would lose him.
“You are good. You’ve even spotted my elemental.” Saphira snapped her fingers, and the gnome appeared on my bed.
“We’ve already met,” I said, realizing now how she knew so much about me.
The little gnome from the transport raised his hand and waved merrily at me.
“Nimm is quite impressed with you, and he was the one who figured out that you were the Honor of Northern Woods who’d disappeared.”
“Ah,” I replied, understanding now how she had gotten her answers. Nimm was her spy. “I don’t understand how I’ve missed such a large passage of time.”
“You jumped through a veil near a sacred hollow. Magic is fickle, and time passes differently. We may never know, but what I can do is catch you up on what has happened in the last few weeks.”
I sighed and settled onto the bed, not sure if I was ready for what she was going to tell me.
Saphira spoke slowly, as if not wanting to startle or overwhelm me with news.
“The attack was three weeks ago. I can tell you that the kingdoms are up in arms, news is traveling fast, and the world is in turmoil over where these attacks will happen next. Not to mention that each of the kings are already on their way here for the high council, and their queens have been banned from coming.”
“I expected they wouldn’t be allowed,” I said, thinking back to my conversation with Rosalie.
I was impressed by Saphira’s information and her willingness to share it with me. But I was still suspicious of her reasoning for doing so. I stayed silent and waited for Saphira to continue with her discussion.
“I know you overheard my conversation in the water bowl.” She crossed her arms and expected me to deny it. “How much did you overhear?”
“That people are disappearing, and you think it’s being covered up,” I answered.
Saphira nodded. “Yes, large groups of townspeople and servants from the palace are going missing, and I believe the king is covering it up.”
“Could they just be running away?”
She frowned. “It could be, but I don’t think so. There’s something else at work here, and I’m going to find out.”
“You sure do know a lot.”
“It’s my job to know.”
“Who do you work for?” I asked.