The woman groaned and tried to sit up. She failed and flopped back on the cot. “Thirsty,” she said in a rough voice.
Rhys shrugged off his water skin and handed it to her. She tried to sit up again and he put a gentle hand on her back, easing her into a sitting position. She drank deep and sighed. “Thank you.” Her voice sounded better already.
“You’re welcome. I’m Jennifer St. Cloud. My squad and I were sent to find Dominic Santen. Master Shen said we could find help at The Mermaid.”
She laughed, dry and bitter. “That didn’t work out very well. I’m Mariela. I was sent to consult with the observation team a week ago. I’m not sure how much I can do to help you, but anything within my power is yours for the asking.”
“Are you a sorcerer?” Jen’s heart leapt at the thought of getting some extra power on their side. Maybe she wasn’t as strong as Damien, but even a weak sorcerer would be a huge asset.
Mariela laughed again. “Hardly. I’m a scholar. I specialize in supernatural threats, demons and angels, along with their cults. The team had seen an increase in cult activity in the city and wanted my opinion. I wish I’d told them to take a flying leap.”
Rhys chuckled and Mariela smiled up at him. Now that her face wasn’t a mass of burns Jen realized she was an attractive woman with bright blue eyes, full lips, and prominent cheekbones. When her eyebrows and hair grew back she might even be beautiful. They looked close in age, maybe Rhys had found a girlfriend. Jen cleared her throat. “Can you tell us what happened?”
“Sure. I was reading in the back bedroom when something exploded. I stuck my head out and saw a girl standing in the flames. Marco, our lead sorcerer, lay dead at her feet. The other two members of the team were slumped against a wall bleeding out. She spotted me. I slammed the door, but she punched through it and stabbed me with a blade of power that surrounded her hand. The next thing I remember is seeing you standing over me.”
Jen frowned. “What did the girl look like?”
“Pretty, petite, short curly hair. She wore a short black dress and went barefoot of all things.”
Jen nodded, sounded like the servant girl was a sorcerer. “What happened to Master Shen?”
Mariela shook her head. “No idea. He gave us a report about the attempted assassination and your search for Dominic. He said you should receive any help you needed and left. He mentioned something about spying on ravens. It made no sense to me.”
It made sense to Jen. Master Shen had gone to spy on the Unkindness and ended up captured or killed. That wasn’t good, but at least now they had a place to start looking for him. “Can you tell me anything about Dominic Santen?”
“Not much. He was the head of the local cult of The Binder in Chains. Many of the richest merchants are members. It’s as much social club as cult.”
“I’m not familiar with that demon lord. Can you tell me anything about him?”
Mariela smiled. “The Binder isn’t a demon lord, he’s an archangel. His cult preaches absolute obedience and always following through on a contract. That’s what makes him so popular with merchants.”
“Tyrants and slavers too, I imagine,” Talon said.
“Yes. The Binder’s teachings are unleavened by any mercy or kindness. He’s considered the harshest of the archangels. Some of the paladins I correspond with think if he doesn’t find some way to soften his message he may fall.”
Jen shuddered. A fallen archangel would be a horrible threat, easily as great as any of the five dragons. “Do you think Dominic was a willing participant in the assassination attempt?”
“No. Absolute obedience, remember? Turning against the king would be a breach of his beliefs.”
Jen didn’t laugh, but it took some effort. She’d seen more than once that belief often gave way to ambition.
Chapter 17
The docks at night were a dangerous part of the city, especially with Jen and her squad sneaking through the shadows. Mariela had fallen asleep shortly after their conversation and she hadn’t woken when they slipped out of the cave at dusk.
Jen hated leaving the woman alone, but didn’t dare spare one of her team to stand guard. They took four healing potions with them and left the other two for Mariela. Jen had no idea how many members the Unkindness had or how many could use the black flames, but she suspected they had enough that even together her team would have a tough fight.
This close to the water the stink of fish guts mingled with salt and rum to assault her nose. Scores of ships creaked in their slips, everything from tiny sloops to three-masted caravels. The streets were practically empty. Anyone they met after dark in this part of town would mean them ill.
The glow-ball lanterns had been smashed years ago and no one bothered to replace them. The only light came from the windows of the raucous taverns lining the streets. Dark as it was, to Jen’s soul-force-enhanced eyes it might as well have been daylight. Despite her night vision she saw no sign of the Unkindness and she had no idea where they hung out. If they had to search every vomit-scented tavern in the docks it would be a long night.
Jen leapt from her perch on the roof of a sail maker’s shop to a tavern roof across the street where Talon crouched.
“See anything?” she asked.
He pointed at a tavern three doors down. “There’s a pretty barmaid down there. If we live through the night I might introduce myself.”
She slapped his shoulder. “See anything useful?”
“Nah.” He patted the gauntlets on his belt. “How long am I going to have to drag these around?”
“Until we find someone to check them out. What’s the matter, they too heavy for you?”
