'Not here,' said Radu. 'Nowhere near us.'
'Agreed,' said Rusk. 'I have another location in mind.'
'And afterward, your pack leaves Selgaunt forever,' said Radu.
'Agreed,' said Rusk, to Darrow's surprise.
Were his promises of claiming the city as the People's territory lies? Or was he lying now? Darrow realized he had deluded himself into thinking Rusk had taken him into his confidence. He was just as much a servant as he was when he served the Malveens.
'One more thing,' said Stannis. 'Whatever happens when you face Talbot, it will be unpleasant for him? It will hurt his father?'
'You can consider him dead,' said Rusk.
'That isn't as good as tormented,' complained Stannis, 'but it is something. Very well. He is indeed in the city jail. I have made arrangements for his petition for bail to be delayed until you wish him freed.'
'Excellent,' said Rusk. 'Then all that is left is to flush him out of hiding tomorrow night.'
' Too bold to hide,' ' quoted Darrow. When the others looked at him, he explained, 'The Uskevren family motto.'
Rusk laughed. 'Indeed,' he said. 'Let us pray it proves a part of the greater prophecy.'
He turned to leave, beckoning Darrow to follow.
'Tut!' clucked Stannis. 'Are you not forgetting something, dear Darrow?'
Darrow froze, fearing the worst. He was nearly right.
'You forgot to return my key.'
'Of course, Lord Malveen.' Darrow produced the key and returned it to the vampire, careful to avoid touching his cold, black fingers. 'How forgetful of me.'
'Indeed,' agreed Stannis, gazing thoughtfully at him.
Darrow held his tongue until he and Rusk were out of the Malveen brothers' hearing. Before they returned to the warehouse, he stopped and sniffed for any scent of the spawn before daring to speak.
'Huntmaster,' he said, 'I have a boon to ask.'
Rusk raised an eyebrow.
'Their hostage,' he said. 'They'll have no more use for her once you've dealt with Uskevren. Let her join the pack.'
'What have you done to earn this favor?' demanded Rusk.
'I have been loyal,' said Darrow.
'Do you suggest that others have not?' His tone hinted at a test. Darrow knew he must not fail it.
'Sorcia,' he said. 'She is trying to turn the others against you. She says you are mad.'
Rusk nodded. 'She is not the only one, is she?'
'She's the only one who says it,' said Darrow, 'but others are beginning to believe her. They are beginning to doubt you.'
'Do you doubt me?' He fixed his eyes on Darrow's face.
Darrow took a breath before answering. He could not lie, but he feared telling the truth. 'I sometimes… doubt the prophecy, Huntmaster, but I will follow you through it, no matter what happens.'
'You betray the others to me, yet you swear you remain loyal when they will not.' A smile slowly formed on Rusk's face. 'I will consider your boon. First, however, I have a task for you. I do not trust your former masters, yet I know how much you fear them. Do you have the courage to turn against them?'
Darrow thought of Maelin and her gratitude upon her rescue. 'I do, Huntmaster.'
Tracking by scent was virtually impossible in the city. Chimney smoke, nightsoil, cooking fires, and a thousand other pungent odors foiled Darrow's senses. Darrow could never have discerned his own footsteps among the clamor of voices and the rattling carriages that passed along the street. He relied solely on sight to follow Radu through the streets of Selgaunt.
Fortunately, Radu made no effort to hide himself as he left House Malveen and took Larawkan Street out of the Warehouse District. He turned onto Vandallan Lane soon after entering central Selgaunt. It was less congested than the main thoroughfare but still provided ample cover for Darrow, who stayed well behind Radu, matching speed with carts or small clusters of pedestrians whenever possible. They provided even better cover than the brush in woods, since they moved with him. Darrow saw more clearly than ever how much the city and the wild had in common.
Darrow followed Radu west through the Central District, then north, skirting the eastern border of the Oxblood Quarter. The streets narrowed and the crowds thickened, as did the smell of livestock, tanning acids, and dyes.
As they crossed into the Oxblood Quarter, Darrow lost sight of Radu. He approached the spot where he'd last seen Radu, careful not to blunder into an ambush. He knew better than anyone that his former master was not to be underestimated. From that point, there were three likely places for Radu to have disappeared: a leather goods store, a butcher's shop, and the alley between them.
Darrow walked past the alley with his face turned away, toward the street. He turned at the next alley. The other side opened into a filthy yard shared by the nearby shops. The mingled chemical and animal smells made Darrow's head pound, but the walls muted the clamor of the streets. He cocked his head and listened. At first he heard nothing and wished he could take wolf form before the moon rose. Then he heard a stifled cry from another alley across the yard. Keeping low, he crept nearer.
'… see you there,' said a wavering male voice.
'Who gave you the money?' asked Radu.
Darrow heard the clink of heavy coins in a bag. He peeked around the corner. A slender, balding man of forty or fifty years stood in the middle of the alley. His long, thin face was pale with fright, and his hands trembled as he gripped a big leather satchel.
His resemblance to Maelin was slight. They had the same prominent eyelids and narrow nose, but her mother must have contributed everything else, including her strong will. If his personality matched his looks, Darrow understood why fiery Maelin could not bear to acknowledge her father.
'Lady Shamur,' said Eckert. 'She also sent a message to Lord Uskevren in Ordulin. He should return tomorrow.'
Radu nodded. Darrow couldn't see his face but knew from experience that it betrayed no emotion.
'What of the cleric?'
'She came to the tallhouse. She seemed agitated about something, but she wouldn't say what. I told her nothing about the arrest. When she asked after Master Talbot, I said he was spending the evening at Stormweather Towers.'
'Very good,' said Radu. 'Give me the money.'
'Where is Maelin?' said Eckert. He clutched the bag of coins against his chest.
'You will see her soon.'
'The sending said this would be the last task.'
'It will be,' promised Radu, drawing his sword.
'Wait!' the thin man dropped the satchel.
Radu struck before it hit the ground, and Eckert gasped. Before he could touch the wound beneath his heart, Radu's sword licked out again, piercing him high on the left breast. The third stroke cut through Eckert's hand and pierced his heart.
Radu plucked a handkerchief from his sleeve and used it to wipe his blade clean as Eckert stood silent and gaping. Radu dropped the bloodied cloth as he watched the man sink to his knees. At last he sheathed the weapon and picked up the bag.
Darrow ducked into a cellar stairwell. When he heard the faint jingling of the coins recede across the yard, he peeked out and saw that Radu was gone. He hurried to the dying man's side, but a woman was hurrying toward him from the street side of the alley.
'Get away from him!' snapped the woman. She flung open her blue cloak and put a hand on the silver
