The Death Dealer - The Complete Series Read online

  Grace frowned. “And why would you need to impress me? If you want information, you should have asked Rosemary. She’s prettier and will say anything for a wink and a flower.”

  “Well I happen to find you pretty, and I know better than to ask information of you. I meant only that I like you. Though it is nice to know in what esteem you hold poor Rosemary.” He laughed again, those melodious bells sounding, and she blushed.

  Nathaniel led them into the market. He talked mostly, commenting on the heat, the recent festival to the sun god, Ciro, and various other light topics. He picked up some cinnamon pastries and led her over to the fountain, where they sat side by side and enjoyed their breakfast. There was no wind, but a few cooling drops of water still managed to hit Grace where she sat.

  “May I ask you a rather personal question?” Nathaniel said when he’d finished his pastry. “You don’t have to give me an answer, of course.”

  “I suppose,” Grace replied. She knew he would ask something about the Marcus business, and she was having such a lovely morning with the sergeant, too. “If I may ask one of you.”

  “A fair deal, from a fair lady,” he said, nodding his agreement.

  “Ask away, Sergeant Moore.”

  “Is it true you beat Prince Drake with an arm tied behind your back?”

  “I...what?”

  “In last year’s tournament, you bested our prince. I heard tell you did it with one arm tied behind your back and an imp on your shoulder.”

  Grace blinked, and for once was unsure what she should say. “Is that what people say?” She thought she’d already heard all the strange tales people told of her, but this was new and weird, even by the standards of Glenbard. “Why would there have been an imp?”

  This time Nathaniel paused. “I imagine it was to tell you in what direction to swing the sword.” His face was deathly serious. “I must know, Grace.” His stone face remained another moment before he cracked a smile. He quickly hid it away again. He was trying to tease her.

  “Well I am sorry to disappoint you, but there was no imp and both my arms were free.”

  “Then how did you best a trained knight?” This time his question was serious, with no hint of mockery on his face.

  “A bit of luck, I suppose. It helps that the Prince had been dueling all day and I was fresh to the field. And I had training with a sword.” Nathaniel waited silently for her to continue. “My Uncle Leon was a trained knight and the arms master in Barony Arganis. He thought the village children should know how to defend themselves, and took it upon himself to train them. We have a port in the north. It is small, but ruffians still land there from time to time. Leon trained girls in the basics of defense, the same as he did the boys. A few years after my father’s death, I decided I wanted to be useful and book learning bored me to tears. So I joined the village children in their lessons.

  “Long after the others were dismissed, I continued. I made Uncle Leon teach me the same things my cousin Calvin was learning. Calvin was newly knighted, and I got the better of him sometimes. Sword fighting makes sense to me because I don’t have to over think it. I let my muscles do that instead. I practiced from dawn to dusk, sometimes even bringing the sword to meals with me.”

  “And your uncle didn’t see it as unnatural to teach you?”

  “I was always to be at the mercy of my uncles after my father died. Uncle George married my mother so she could keep her title, but that meant he would arrange a prosperous marriage for me to further the family. Uncle Leon’s son would be the one to inherit the lands that belonged to my father. I would eventually marry and be subject to my husband’s whims, but Uncle Leon didn’t think I deserved to be physically weak, too.” However he wouldn’t understand or agree if he ever discovered she had become a vigilante. But she didn’t say that part out loud.

  Nathaniel nodded. “I suppose a nobby lady doesn’t have as much freedom to move about as a Lane girl.”

  Grace shrugged. She knew plenty of girls subject to the same restrictions, Lane or noble. “It all depends on the circumstances, I suppose. No one has ever really asked me about the tournament. No one except Ridley.”

  “May I ask another probing question?” She nodded. “Why did you do it?”

  “I had great pride in House Arganis. Calvin was going to forfeit the tournament due to an injury, and I thought it would shame the barony if our house didn’t participate. So I pretended to be him. Honestly I didn’t think it through past entering the ring. The shame of being cast out and accused of witchcraft didn’t factor into my plans of glory for my cousin.”

  “Ah.” He made no other comment and she wondered if he thought she was a wreckless, foolish girl. “Now your question, lady.”

  This was her chance to get information from Nathaniel, information that could help her find Harris, but she couldn’t come off as being a spy for Marcus. “The Angel is on edge, for obvious reasons. Do you intend to turn the Lane on its head forever?”

  “And I thought we agreed not to discuss such unpleasant things.” All signs of mirth disappeared from his face.

  “The Guild works out of the Angel, and the recent happenings have upset everyone, not just men like Marcus. I want to know if I should seek employment off the Lane or not; somewhere less volatile, like maybe the Emerald.”

  “The Guild isn’t all bad. They do provide for folk, but Marcus thinks he owns the city. I just want to show him that law will reign here, and you may repeat that as loudly as you like.” Nathaniel shook his head angrily; his jovial nature completely gone.

  Grace felt guilty for trying to get information from him. She had no knack for spying or intrigue. If she couldn’t hit it with a sword, what was the point? “I’m sorry. I have friends, good friends, in the Guild and I worry. I don’t always agree with them, but they’re still my friends.”

  “I expected Marcus to have a spy on me, you know.”

  Grace’s guilt tripled. She had taken advantage of the sergeant by clumsily trying to get information from him. She didn’t do it for Marcus, but she couldn’t very well explain that she did it so the Death Dealer could catch Harris first. “I’m sorry, really I am. I have no questions about anything else. It was supposed to be a favor to Ridley and Jim Little, not Marcus. The morning is dragging on,” she said, aware Nathaniel didn’t even look at her now. “I’d best get on to the Angel.”

  Nathaniel got up first and helped Grace to her feet. She stared down at her slippers, too embarrassed to look up. “I won’t walk you. I can’t imagine that crowd would care to see me after I talked to Jim yesterday.”

  “I didn’t mean to ruin your morning. You’re a decent sort, Sergeant Moore.” She dared to lift her eyes.

  Nathaniel shrugged, and then he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “Have a nice day, Grace.”

  Nathaniel let her hand go and turned on his heel, heading away from the fountain. Her heart pounded in her head on her walk. She’d tipped Nathaniel off to the fact that she wanted information she shouldn’t know, and now he saw her as a Guild spy. Now she would never get any useful information from him, and she felt awful having betrayed his trust. He was a nice man. Grace kept telling herself that he tried using her to get Guild information, same as she used him for Guard information, but she felt no better for it.

  Her already ruined morning continued to crash down as soon as she stepped through the threshold of the Angel. There were seven thieves in the place, and all were huddled around Thom. Marcus’s man looked out of sorts by the attention. The seven fell silent and cut their eyes to Grace as soon as she stepped in the room. She could tell they already knew about her dinner and breakfast with the sergeant. She hadn’t done anything wrong, but in their eyes she was a traitor.

  She screwed up her courage to speak. “I wasn’t born on the Lane and I don’t live there now. I’ve never said a nasty word against the Guild, so don’t you dare look at me like I’ve done something wrong!”

  “Guards are enemies,” one of the thiev
es, Grace knew him as Wulfric, said gruffly, and spat to drive home his point. He was an older man who was missing an eye and a few fingers. The fingers were lost when he was caught trying to nick a guard’s coin purse, and the eye was a casualty of Marcus’s takeover to become king. He was a rough old man who didn’t like anyone and only showed respect to the King of Thieves. “And any who associates with them are enemies, too.”

  “Hold your tongue, you old fool,” Thom snapped. “Grace is not an enemy. She is allowed to speak and see anyone she likes.”

  “I hear Mad Dog Anders is back at the Emerald Rose,” Wulfric continued, ignoring the annoyed tone of Thom. “We should bring him down here to rein in his woman.”

  Grace would have rushed forward to beat Wulfric, but the thief, Ralph, did it first. “Thom’s spoken, and you know Marcus will agree when he gets back.” Ralph was about Grace’s age; pock marked from an illness in childhood, but otherwise he might have been handsome. He was certainly more agreeable than old Wulfric.

  “Stop your bickering, the both of you,” Thom said quietly. “Now’s not the time for any division. So be gone, you vultures. I would like a private word with our little Gracie.”

  The seven moved away from Thom to give him and Grace some space, but she didn’t move immediately to his side. They stood staring at one another until he crooked a finger for her to come forward.

  “Sir?” She bobbed an elaborate curtsey out of mockery.

  “I have one word of caution. You are a free woman, and if this Sergeant Moore strikes your fancy, have at it. However, I can’t always be around to call off hounds like Wulfric. Now, sit and let us move on.” Grace pulled out a chair and sat across from him. “I have some news that may not please you.”

  Grace turned her head to the side and cocked an eyebrow. “Even more displeasing than the return of Jack?”

  “I heard the Fearless Dawn has been spotted anchored some miles off shore.” The captain of the Dawn was no friend of Grace’s, but she hardly understood why this was supposed to upset her. She waited with an annoyed expression. “Last night, I overheard that Harris is trying to gain passage on the Dawn.”

  People were watching them too intently. Thom looked around and continued, “As a fine serving wench, you hear a lot of things. Tongues are looser around pretty girls. I thought perhaps you could listen down by the docks for word of his movement.”

  “As a humble barmaid, I’m afraid no one talks openly around me, not as you seem to think. I’d feel mighty strange spying for the Guild.” She narrowed her eyes at him and got up from her seat. Grace knew where he was going with this, but she had already told him she wasn’t going to help him any longer.

  She walked as fast as she could to get outside, and then grabbed a street urchin that ran past. The child was most probably a boy, but with shoulder length, tangled brown hair and a dirty face, it may just as easily have been a little girl. “Here’s a copper – find Jack Anders. Do you know him?”

  “He broke me da’s fingers down at the Emerald!” the little urchin said, and gave her a know-it-all look with his hands on his hips and his nose lifted into the air.

  “Fine. Find him, get him back here, and I’ll give you another copper piece.” The urchin turned to leave, but she stopped him again. “Wait – you’ll get another copper if you bring apologies from Grace Hilren to Sergeant Moore at the Rogue’s Lane guardhouse.”

  “You want me around guards? Gonna cost more than a copper.”

  Grace narrowed her eyes and considered giving the boy a good hard shake. Instead, she reached into her purse and produced another copper.

  “As the lady asks.” The urchin bowed awkwardly in her grip and Grace released him. He was off as quick as his little legs could take him.

  Grace went back into the tavern. She didn’t have to help Thom, but Kay was sweet on Jack. He could get information from her about what Harris was up to.

  ~*~*~

  Men from Merchant’s Way, Golden Road, and Serenity Place had gathered in the barracks of Captain Ericson’s guardhouse, and Nathaniel was able to convince two of his mates on Rogue’s Lane it was in their best interest to join. None from Seafarer’s Way were present. Ericson hadn’t been able to talk them into it.

  Nathaniel stood on a chair to address the twenty-five odd men who bothered to heed the summons. He cleared his throat and straightened his jerkin, looking out over the sea of black and red uniforms before him.

  “You all know we lost Constable Taylor to the Guild,” he began. Never one for public speaking, Nathaniel clasped his shaking hands behind his back so no one could see him fidget and wring them. “Over the winter, Sergeant Thorne was crippled in a fight when two thieves broke his foot and almost bled him to death when they sliced his heel. Just a few months ago, Marcus bought off most of the Rogue’s Lane guardhouse, and then his cronies saw fit to pilfer and cut purses of off-duty guards. Marcus may punish those who offend his ‘law’, but it’s time we punish those who offend the laws of this city.”

  Some of the men shifted and there was a good deal of rustling and a few whispers he couldn’t understand. No one said anything aloud or moved to agree, so Nathaniel looked at Ericson, who nodded for him to continue.

  “The Thieves’ Guild keeps their own in check, but why aren’t we? Men like Taylor have died before and no one has ever come forward to apprehend the guilty. Why? Because men like Marcus take care of it? Where is your pride? We’re the law here, not them!”

  A barrel-chested constable with white-blond hair and the hare of Serenity Place on his chest stepped forward. “Where is your sense? The Guild employs half the Lane, directly or indirectly. Marcus is never going to turn over Taylor’s murderer and you’ll never get your hands on him.”

  “We can if enough guards come forward. If enough stop taking bribes and stop looking the other way.”

  “Sergeant Moore is looking to bring order back to Glenbard,” Ericson chimed in. “Too many have been lost to the dregs because we are too cowardly to stand up to the fiend Marcus.”

  Another constable, lithe, rat-faced, and with the scales of Merchant’s Way on his chest, raised his hand. Taller men stepped away from him so Nathaniel could see him clearly. “My ol’ da was roughed up when he couldn’t pay the Guild’s ‘protection’ fee anymore. We lost the shop and da’s fingers never healed properly.”

  “My sister married one of those fiends!” a gruff sergeant with an angular face growled. He had the sun, moon, and star of a Golden Road guard. “He told her she’d always be taken care of, better than if a guard married her. Now she lives in filth and works as a laundress instead of a lady’s maid like she was supposed to! He beats her, too, but he’s got Marcus’s protection so I can’t even pound him!”

  “You see?” Ericson cried. “Sergeant Moore hasn’t lost control of his senses!” He shot a nasty glare to the constable from Serenity Place. “He’s trying to save our city from destruction from within.”

  “As a group we need to work together, sniff out Harris Atkins, bring him in, and show the Guild we are the law and we can bring down real justice on their heads,” Nathaniel continued. “It won’t be easy, though.”

  “I don’t care!” The Golden Road sergeant snapped. “My sister deserves better!”

  “Me and my mates are in!” a constable from Merchant’s Way yelled and nodded. “Thorne was our friend. Marcus sent the fiends that beat him away from the city, but what good is that? They probably moved on to cripple someone else!”

  The mumbles gave way to roars of agreement. The guards were awakening.

  ~*~*~

  Jim almost ran Jack off when he arrived at the Angel an hour later. Grace nearly had to jump on his back to keep him from boxing the man’s ears. “Jim! I asked him to come here.”

  The innkeeper tapped his foot angrily, narrowed his eyes, and shook a finger at Jack. “You can be here for ten minutes, and then I’ll have Jeremiah chase you off with his boning knife.”

  Grace took Jack by the arm an
d led him over to the fireplace. No fire was lit, but at one time this was Jack’s favorite spot at the Angel. The man looked tired. It was more than probable that the urchin had woken him up.

  “Is it true the Dawn is anchored off shore?”

  Jack bit his lower lip. Being nervous wasn’t one of the things he did, but he was certainly nervous now. “Yes...”

  Grace leaned in. “Someone is looking for passage on the Dawn. Do you know if Kay is coming ashore?”

  “She already is. She’s keeping a low profile this journey and most of her crew is still anchored with the ship. She’ll be at the Emerald tonight if you want to speak with her.” Jack turned toward the counter. “May I go home and back to bed? I don’t want to meet with the business end of the cook’s knives.”

  “Off with you then,” Grace replied, and waved her hand in dismissal.

  Jack rose, leaving without another word, and Grace got up from her seat. Jim watched her progress from her seat to the kitchen with marked interest. “Why would you let that fiend come here again?”

  Grace forced a smile and took a quick glance around. Thom remained alone, although he pretended not to pay attention to the happenings. “It’s alright.”

  “More ale!” Thom called from his seat.

  “He’s the acting king, so I best obey.” Grace retrieved a mug of ale for Thom, glad to be away from Jim for the moment.

  “You know I am sorry,” Thom said as he took the mug and set it to the side. “Jack caused a lot of trouble leaving the way he did, without reason, and without offering to take you with him. I didn’t think it would do any good to your heart to have him back.”

  “You don’t know my heart, Thom.”

  “No, although I know when one’s been broken. But you’re a free woman, as I said earlier. I’ve wronged you too many times as of late, and so has Marcus.” Thom had dark circles under his eyes and kept his head bent. He served Marcus, so he wasn’t the one who wanted to make decisions. He was a hunting hound without a master now. Thom hadn’t put her in the position she found herself in. “Friends?” He held out his hand.