Shadowmage

way to the guildhouse. When buildings were close together, they would leap across the gap. When the distance was too far to jump, short, stocky crossbows were employed to send a bolt across the chasm, pulling silken rope with it.

'You and I will be having words after this, Lucius,' Elaine said.

'I know,' he sighed.

'For what it is worth, I have few doubts about your loyalties to the Hands,' she said. 'You started as an outsider but then, we all did. I know you now have friends among us.'

'For what this is worth, I count you among them,' he said, turning to face her briefly.

'But there are still too many unanswered questions,' Elaine said, as though she had not heard him.

He turned away from her, back to face the guildhouse. The thieves on the roofs were about to make their final crossing to the Guild's lair. 'You know I wield magic,' he said.

'Of course I do. And that is something you are going to have trouble reconciling with some of our members. I am not stupid, Lucius. You left the city soon after the invasion, and now return a spellslinger. I think I know what you are.'

'Then you know you have little to fear from what I do.'

'I also know that you have obligations to others. But, that aside, we also need to redress the balance of power within the Hands. We are an anarchic mess at the moment.'

'We need to rebuild the Council and appoint a new guildmaster,' Lucius said, understanding where Elaine was going.

'If we are successful tonight, there will be many who want you as guildmaster, magic or no,' she said.

He gave a low laugh. 'I don't want it. Truly, I don't. Up until a few days ago, I was not even sure I would be staying here after this.'

'You now think you will?'

'These thieves are growing on me,' he said. 'Look, I'll make a deal with you, here and now. You support me against those who may have trouble accepting what I am. In return, I will do everything to convince the others you should be guildmaster.'

She was quiet for a moment. 'You really don't want it, do you?'

'That is not where my ambitions lie. You have the experience and knowledge. You also have the assassins in your hand, which should ease the conscience of any doubters to your claim. For my part, I would like a place on the Council — I feel I owe Magnus that much, and some of his more controversial decisions will need a champion. His deal with the beggars, say. That's too important to let slide in any reorganisation.'

'I agree. Both to the beggars, and your terms.'

'Wendric should be your lieutenant.'

'I was thinking you might be more suitable, especially after tonight.'

'I told you, I really don't want any of it. Besides, you don't want to split the guild between myself and Wendric, and then let Nate through.'

'Then I think we have an understanding,' she said.

'We do. We also have the signal.'

Gathered on the roof of the guildhouse, a dull glow flashed twice as a thief caught the low radiance of Kerberos on a hand mirror. From warehouses and alleyways, more thieves detached themselves from the shadows and began the rush to the guildhouse, keeping low. Lucius and Elaine watched them for a moment, then darted forward to follow.

A flash erupted from the windows of the first floor of the guildhouse, quickly followed by a muffled blast. The rooftop thieves had pried open a skylight and thrown bundles of flash powder down into the offices. Cries and screams from inside split the evening air as the thieves followed their flashpowder, blades drawn. The killing had begun.

The nimblest thieves had reached a side door and one of them jammed a crowbar into the frame, wrenching it hard. As the door flew open, Lucius saw something dark and heavy inside move with speed, and the thief had no time to scream as a large stone block swung down on chains to catch him square in the chest. The impact sent him sprawling several yards and he landed heavily on the street, completely motionless. More shouts came from the main entrance, where the heavy double doors had been forced open, the thieves there greeted by a hail of arrows and bolts, cutting down any not quick enough to dive out of sight. The assault was stalling before it really began and Lucius knew that if they did not gain entry quickly, those who had entered by the roof would be quickly killed.

'Come on,' he shouted to Elaine. 'We've got to get inside.'

She ran for the side door with the sprung stone block trap, seeing fighting had erupted at its threshold. The Hands could only enter one at a time, and he imagined several Guild members inside, easily overpowering anyone who made it through. Whenever the Hands backed off, they were chased by thrown blades. Already, four bodies lay in front of the door.

Lucius threw himself against the wall of the warehouse next to the door, and looked about for support as Elaine joined him. Another thief was on the opposite side of the door.

'There's a dozen of the bastards inside,' the thief shouted across to him. 'Bloody death-trap in there.'

Risking his neck, Lucius quickly poked his head round the corner, then hastily drew it back as an arrow thudded into the door frame, its metal head jutting through the wood just inches from his face. He shook his head in despair, having seen the defences inside; three armed men just inside to ward off any attacker, and an overturned table behind them, lined with archers and blade throwers.

'We can rush 'em, but the first of us inside will die,' the thief said, clearly not volunteering for the duty.

Lucius cast a quick look back at Elaine, who raised her eyebrows expectantly. He sighed.

'The hell with it,' he muttered, then shouted for the other thief's attention. 'You, get your men ready. You'll follow me.'

Incredulous, the thief grinned, happy not to be the first in.

'Whatever happens, you follow me in, right?' Lucius reiterated.

'We'll be right behind you,' Elaine said, and Lucius felt he could trust her at least to threaten and cajole the others into obeying.

'Right,' he said to himself, and half-closed his eyes to seek the threads amidst the chaos of the battle. They came to him, ready, almost desperate to be used. 'Shut the door!' he said to the thief across from him, and the man swung the heavy wooden door shut.

Stepping out in front of the closed door, Lucius took in a deep breath, and summoned the air around him to his control. A breeze whipped around the clothes of the amazed thieves close by as he raised his fist, the air rolling into a tight twisting wind that followed his movements. Punching forward, he released the magic he had infused into the air, and it blasted forward to crash against the door. The structure had no chance.

The door, smashed by the force of a typhoon, burst from its hinges and was hurled inside, crashing into the table and those taking cover behind it.

Not hesitating, not waiting to see whether Elaine would succeed in forcing the thieves to follow, Lucius dove inside. The upturned table was before him, pinning several Guild thieves to the floor, while others lay on the floor, groaning as they nursed vicious looking wounds caused by the splintering door. He kicked at one who reached for a sword, then rushed forward.

Lucius was in the main storage area of the warehouse, littered with wooden crates, furniture and equipment, all recently transported from the original guildhouse. Much of it had been reformed into defensive posts, and he saw movement everywhere. To his left, stairs hugged the wall, leading up to the floor above, and they were lined with thieves armed with bows and crossbows. Almost immediately, a hail of fire was directed toward him and he rolled for the cover of a crate, missiles impacting on the floor around him.

Behind him, Lucius saw Elaine leading the other thieves in, and they quickly set about ending the lives of any who had survived Lucius' entry until the arrow fire was redirected towards them. Two fell immediately, long shafts jutting from their bodies as they collapsed to the ground, and he heard Elaine order the others to take cover and prepare to charge their attackers on the stairs. Above the din of the battle, he heard cries and thuds from above, and knew the thieves who had entered by the roof were fighting for their lives.

On the other side of the warehouse, he saw more makeshift barricades in front of the main entrance, the