way they can.”
“How could you possibly know this?”
Egar stood up straight, and he looked almost insulted.
“Because I was asked to aid them. They were subtle about it, of course, but they seemed confident as to my cooperation.”
Ingram stood. Every trace of his good mood fled out the window. He kicked his desk once, twice, until his glass tumbled off and shattered upon the floor.
“And what did you tell them?” he asked.
“Why, that I would, of course.”
Ingram flung himself at Egar, grabbing him by the shirt and slamming him into a wall. Instead of fighting back, Egar continued to speak in a calm, quick manner.
“I said this so they would not target my life,” he said. “If I refused, they would execute me and my family so no one else learned of the offer. I only told them I would stay out of their way, and assist Yor whenever it seemed prudent. You are right to be angry, milord, but I am not the one you should bring your anger down upon.”
Ingram let him go, then let out a stream of curses.
“So what do we do?” he asked when he was done, and felt moderately better.
“We play their game. Treat Yor’s words as the true desire of the merchants. We wait, we listen, and we strike when the time is right. When this crisis with the elves is settled, you’ll be the man who brought peace and prosperity to Angelport. They will not dare touch you then.”
It made sense, but Ingram still hated the idea. If Yor was a traitor, he wanted him in a dungeon, hot pokers against his flesh to make him sing. He’d been hoping for years to have a solid reason to hang one of those smug merchant bastards from his gallows. But Egar was right. At this time he had little proof, and he couldn’t afford to have the merchants turn on him during negotiations. If their bluff were to work, the humans had to have a unified front.
As he thought, the door opened, and in stepped Lord Yor.
“Greetings,” Egar said, taking a step back from the door and bowing. “Glad for you to join us.”
“Yes,” Ingram said, forcing a smile. “So glad. We were just discussing our meeting with the elves…”
The air stank of piss, shit, and stagnant water. Despite holding a handkerchief to her nose, the smell made it through with ease. On either side of her, men reached through the bars, jeering and crying out lewd comments and accusations.
“Just ignore them,” the head jailor said.
Hard to do, given how vile the cries became. One called Alyssa a cunt who had sucked him off as a child. In return, the jailor spat in his direction.
“Take him out and beat him,” he told one of his guards.
At the far end of the dungeon, in a dimly lit cell wrapped in chains like a cocoon, waited Haern.
“I wish to talk to him alone,” Alyssa said.
“Not sure I should leave you,” said the jailor. He nodded toward Haern. “That guy’s killed a lot of people. I know you know that. He can hurt you with more than just his hands.”
“I’ve made my desires clear, jailor. Would you interfere with my business?”
The burly man shook his head.
“It’s your life, milady. Just don’t expect me to take any blame if he breaks something.”
He unlocked the cell and gestured for her to enter. After she stepped inside, the door shut behind her, the lock clicking loud enough to send her heart jumping to her throat.
“For safety,” the jailor said with an ugly smile. Alyssa didn’t give him the satisfaction of a reaction. “When you want out, just holler. I’ll be near.”
“Thank you,” she said, her voice cold. She put her back to him, and took a step closer to Haern. The man looked exhausted, with heavy circles beneath his eyes. A purple bruise swelled across his forehead, and blood seeped from a dirty bandage on his shoulder.
“What are you doing here?” he asked. His eyes were unfocused, and they didn’t look at her.
“I came for you. What happened last night? How did you end up here? All I heard were rumors you’d been captured, and since you hadn’t returned in the morning…”
“I fought him,” Haern said, finally looking at her. Death hovered in his eyes, and it terrified her. “I fought the Wraith, and I know him now. He wants something, and he’ll slaughter every man, woman, and child alive to get it. Get me out of here, Alyssa. For the sake of everyone, the Wraith must die.”
“I don’t know if I can,” she said.
His gaze hardened, and she took a step back.
“Get me out of here,” he said again. “I don’t care how. No one else can take him, but I can. I’m the only one, and even I might not be strong enough.”
She looked around the dark cell, then stepped closer. Light from a thin window shone upon her face.
“I swear it,” she said. “Even if I must give my life to succeed. You saved Nathan. No matter what, I’ll save you.”
He smiled, and all that death and rage sank into his blue eyes, safely hidden and locked away.
“Thank you,” he said.
Despite his battered face, he still looked handsome, and she gently leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
“Don’t lose hope,” she whispered into his ear. “Even if they slip the noose around your neck, do not lose hope. This isn’t how you die.”
She returned to the cell door, then called out for the jailor. While she waited, she glanced at Haern and fought back a smile.
“I told you to stay away from Ingram,” she said.
Despite his chains and exhaustion, Haern laughed.
Alyssa returned to her mercenaries, led by Torgar on reluctant loan.
“Take me home,” she told him.
“As you wish,” Torgar grumbled. “So what’s going to happen with him?”
“He won’t die,” she said as they walked down the hill toward the street.
“Everyone’s got to die sometime.”
She shook her head.
“He deserves better than that.”
Torgar chuckled, grabbing his huge sword on his back as if out of reflex.
“Maybe he don’t,” he said, glaring at a few beggars who eyed Alyssa hungrily. “Or maybe he deserves far worse, having killed hundreds of people. Not all of ‘em could have been thieves or murderers. No one’s that perfect, certainly not him.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Alyssa said, thinking of her son. “I’ll find a way to help him. Keep this to yourself, Torgar. This business is my own, not Laurie’s, and not Madelyn’s.”
The mercenary shot her a grin.
“I keep my word, lady, but I only give it out when money’s involved.”
She reached into her pocket and tossed him some coins. He caught them in his beefy hands, his grin spreading.
“Now that’s a good girl,” he said.
“There’s more I need than just you holding your tongue,” she said.
When they returned to the mansion, Alyssa went into her room and quickly undressed. Two of Keenan’s maidservants came to help her, but she shooed them away. Not that she resented the help, but she didn’t want them to see her after she was done changing into her new outfit. The fewer eyes on her, the better. Gone was her expensive dress, diamonds and jewelry. Instead she put on a plain pair of slacks, a white shirt, and a small, triangular hat currently in style. She’d purchased every item the day before, under the guise of simple gifts for her servants.
Finished, she stashed a small sum of silver in her pocket, belted a dagger to her waist, and went to Zusa’s
