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This is quite the motley group Julita assembled.
Of course Casimir would believe you first, she says with apparent amusement.Sweet Cas, always ready to serve.
Even though I’ve only just met the man, her patronizing tone raises my hackles.
Didn’t she say these men were her “friends”? She doesn’t sound as if she thinks all that highly of any of them.
Since I’ve now gotten three of their names, I have to assume the one in the mask is the Alek she mentioned who found the secret passage.
The slim man’s mouth has tightened again into a grimace, but he sets his hands on the desk with a determined air. “Fine. What did she ask you to tell us? What’s this mission she’s gone on?”
Benedikt nods with a swish of his sleek golden hair. “And why didn’t she let us in on the fun?”
He asks the question like a joke, but a faint crease has bitten into his brow. He’s at least a little concerned about her.
Which doesn’t seem to matter much to Julita, based on her dry tone.It is nice to be missed.
Well, I’m not here to worry about the feelings of these strangers, one of whom would haul me straight to the gallows if he found out about the magic lurking inside me.
I drag in a breath, taking a moment now that I’ve accounted for all four of the men to study the rest of my surroundings. The small room is packed with shelving units around the broad desk, the shelves stacked with books and boxes, many of them dusty.
I guess no one much uses this room other than Julita and her coalition of conspiracy-hunters.
Yanking my attention back to the men, I rattle off the facts my ghostly guest wanted me to convey. “She saw reason to believe that the scourge sorcerers might be getting some assistance from or have associated with the Temple of Still Waters in Slaughterwell.” The reason mainly being that she was murdered on her way to check out the place. “She thinks you should use your connections to look into it further.”
Julita gives me a mental nudge.And the knife. Tell them about the knife.
I was getting to that. “And she saw someone she’s certain is part of the conspiracy, but they had their face concealed. The only item she made out in any detail was a knife they were carrying.”
Pausing, I bring up the uncomfortable memory of Julita’s gasping, gushing body right before she died.
I’ve handled a lot of blades in my life. Even though I was focused on attempting to save her life at the time, I automatically noted some of the details.
“It was about eight inches long—two thirds of that blade, the other third handle. A fairly simple handle, metal with a spiral engraving on the pommel and black leather wrapped around the grip. Slightly curved cross guard. Blade about an inch wide, double-edged.”
By the time I’ve finished that recitation, Stavros’s glower is searing into me. I resist the urge to glare right back at him.
So I have a bit of a thing for knives. What about it?
“That doesn’t sound very distinctive,” Alek says doubtfully.
I spread my hands. “That’s all she could tell me. Keep an eye out for it, I suppose.”
Of course, who knows if the murderer has another blade that looks the same? It hadn’t looked like he was coming back for the first. But Julita wanted to give them all the evidence we can.
Stavros clears his throat. “You haven’t explained what she’s up to now.”
He shifts on his feet, just a slight sign of restlessness but enough for me to note it. Even Casimir is watching me with an intensity I can sense is unusual for him, waiting for my answer.
These men are awfully invested in my unwanted passenger. Just how “friendly” has she gotten with them?
She’s got decent taste in looks. I could do without the interest in riven-slaughtering, though.
I meet the former general’s gaze steadily. “She didn’t tell me anything specific about that. She simply said that if she didn’t leave right away, she was worried she’d miss her chance, but she didn’t want to leave you wondering. It sounded as though there wasn’t time for her to send word back to you even if she’d wanted company.”
A frown mars Casimir’s dazzling face. Stavros rubs his square jaw but can’t seem to find anything to criticize about my statement.
Nicely done,Julita says.You got all the important parts in.
