“It’s time for me to choose. And I have chosen.”

  I sighed and nodded, turning my chair to face her. There was too much to say in response, but sometimes less was more.

  “Well, then welcome to Empty Grave, Cora.”

  She beamed at me. “It’s good to finally be here.”

  At that, she turned back to face the ceiling and closed her eyes, humming sweet little notes under her breath as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

  I watched her for a time, a small smile across my lips before eventually, I glanced away and turned back to the table. There was a lot of information, and I needed to start going over the research about the guard patrols that the Foxes had managed to gather for us. From the accuracy of the reports, I assumed they, like Crescent Thorn, also had a hideout around here, but they weren’t about to share that information with me, and I couldn’t quite blame them.

  It was almost a certainty that we were going to be at odds one of these days, and when that happened, the more secrets we had on each other the better.

  But that’s years off. At least. Until then, we’ll use each other to grow stronger, and when they think they’ve grown strong enough to take us out safely, they’ll try to.

  Which wouldn’t end well for them.

  But they wouldn’t stand for Aless’s Prowlers to exist. And when the time came, they will try to wrest control back.

  Let them try.

  It’ll end worse for them than Crescent Thorn. That’s for sure.

  I personally didn’t have a problem with the guild. If they could work with us and could get over the Prowlers, there was a chance we could build something magnificent together. But I doubted that would ever come to pass.

  Power was a drug. And the more of it someone had, the more they clung to it and tried to amass more.

  But it was all pointless.

  There were two types of power in this world. Political power and personal power.

  One could not exist without the other, but having all the political power in the world wouldn’t help you when there’s a blade to your neck. And the strength to crush any foe was useless when your enemy drowned you in debt or had you thrown in jail before you could ever reach them.

  There was a balance, as there was in all things.

  But I personally prefer strength that can’t be so easily taken away.

  As Weilin keeps reminding me.

  As I focused on the pages, I kept my eyes tuned to the window and the streets below as night reigned. Torches and streetlamps were bright sources of light along the otherwise darkened street. But Aurella’s Light rendered the dark useless to hide in.

  I counted at least twenty guards in various mixtures of armor patrolling, most of them concentrated around the courtyard and palace. For the next four hours, I counted them, recounted them as well as their steps, their routes, what deviations they made and roughly when. Some stopped to light up some torchweed cigarettes and paused, leaning on the streetlamps to smoke them. All of this was recorded in the journal beside me.

  By the time I was done, I had at least a decent idea of the patrols, but it would take a whole lot more than one shift to find gaps in their patterns or predict when the best time to move would be. It would be so simple to just use the shadows to travel, but I couldn’t risk it, not when it was guaranteed there were anti-magic countermeasures in place.

  That was one thing that I was certain about, and the notes the guild had given me pretty much confirmed it. They had ordered a lot of Cold Iron, as well as armed their guards with Dispel Magic. And from the shipping manifest from Calcross and Lamaal, they had even managed to procure a heavy supply of runes which, when powered, could theoretically continuously cast Dispel Magic.

  Jin and I had tried to come up with several countermeasures to these devices, but they were simply too damned effective.

  Getting in using magic wouldn’t be an option.

  Weilin. This is what he was trying to tell me. All this time, and it’s only been reinforced. If I try to do this using magic, I’ll fail.

  To do this, I would have to focus on the building and find a way in that didn’t require magic.

  When my shift was over, I rubbed my eyes, pushed my chair back, and got up to wake Aless for her shift.

  Both her and Cora were fast asleep, and at some point, Aless, per usual, had rolled in her sleep and was now halfway on top of Cora with her face buried in between her breasts.

  As I stared, she let out a soft snore, and I fought the urge to laugh as I knelt and gently shook her.

  Aless’s eyes bolted open at once, and she scanned the area before her gaze lingered on mine. She blinked once more and sighed. “Is it my turn?”

  I nodded.

  She groaned softly and then looked down, realizing where she was. She looked back to me and flushed. “Ah. No wonder I got such good sleep.” She softly poked Cora’s chest. “They make wonderful pillows.” She then looked up at me and scowled. “Don’t get any ideas, McKinley.”

  “I would never,” I replied, holding my hands up.

  She just giggled as she slipped out of bed, waking Cora up in the process, but she just looked at the two of us with bleary eyes before shaking her head and scooting over in bed, giving me room. Cora then rolled over on her side and was asleep again in seconds.

  As I laid down, Aless took over, rubbing her eyes as she grabbed a waterskin and took several large gulps as she got to work.

  I laid down, and as soon as my eyes were closed, the pull of sleep called to me. I didn’t fight it, and within a few minutes, I fell asleep to the sound of a pen scratching as Aless recorded what she saw.

  Chapter 18- A Bargain Struck

  Though, what seemed like only seconds later, I was shaken awake.

  I blinked my eyes open, but what met me wasn’t Aless or Cora.

  I groaned as I sat up in bed and rubbed my face, shaking my head at the person in front of me.

  “Goddammit, Weilin. Couldn’t you have given me a chance to sleep a little bit more before you woke me up?”

  The bland god stood before me with his crimson eyes glowing. “No time for sleep, Elias. We have much to discuss, you and I.”

  As I threw my legs over the side of the bed, I paused as I realized that neither Aless nor Cora were in bed next to me. Instead, they were on the opposite side of the room, staring at the god with wide, unblinking eyes.

  “You can see him?” I asked.

  Aless never took her eyes off him. “Holy mother of fuck. He actually exists.”

  He turned to her and grinned. “Of course I do, Alessandra Carnell.”

  “What?” She went absolutely pale at his words. “Carnell? Is that my last name?”

  Weilin nodded. “Born to Winston and Penelope Carnell. Two very minor nobles working in Vohra. Mostly decent, upstanding people, but they did deal with the Foxes on occasion, when money was a little tight. They bent the rules, but never outright broke them. Winterbane took them both just before the Plague swept through Vohra, leaving you alone. But I guess you assumed they had just abandoned you as a child. It is my pleasure to inform you that that wasn’t the case, and that they loved you till their dying breaths.”

  Without any words, tears began to fall down her cheeks and yet she stood there, stock still, not saying a word as everything she thought she knew, shattered to a million pieces.

  Before I could blink, I was across the room and Aless was in my arms. And at my touch, she broke down into sobs as the clung to me, burying her face in my chest.

  I glared at Weilin as he stared at Aless. “Did you have to spring that on her now?”

  He shrugged. “When else would I have gotten the chance? And for how much she has done for you, and by extension me, she deserved a reward. I thought finally shedding some light on her past, that she would’ve never known otherwise, a fitting reward.”

  “What are you doing here?” I asked, still holding Aless.

  He chuckled and glanced around the room. “We needed to talk.”

  I looked at both Cora and Aless. “And why bring them into this? You’ve never shown yourself to others around me before.”

  Weilin spun on his heel and grinned as he glanced at Cora and Aless. “It’s simple, my dear boy.” He pointed at the two of them. “The Fates have spoken. Their lives are now forever tied to yours.” He looked at Cora, and his eyes sparked. “Cora’s acceptance of her role in your life was the final thing needed to bind her fate and yours together. Aless was already tied to yours. But now, where one goes, the others shall follow.

  “Fate has been changed forevermore.”

  “What does that even mean?” I asked.

  He shrugged, cocking his head to the side. “Exactly what I said. If you didn’t understand. That’s not my fault.” Weilin wagged his finger in my face. “But now that your lives are intertwined, that, by extension, makes all three of you mine. It gives me something that I never had with Jasper.

  “Community. A guild of assassins is so much better than a single one, especially one led by the most talented killer in this world.” He leaned closer. “It’s rather exciting, isn’t it?”

  I jabbed a finger at the god. “You leave them alone. They have made no deals with you and owe you nothing. Stay away from them.”

  Weilin smirked as he backed up and held his hands up, a devious set to his eyes. “Of course not. I have no official claims on them. But they are tied to you, they go where you go, and help you regardless of if you ask them to. That won’t change no matter what I say or do. And I benefit from it, so I figured I’d offer them gifts for their services.

  “Think about it while we get down to business.”

  Aless pulled away from me and dried her eyes. Then she grabbed my hand as Cora came and stood to my left. The three of us stared down the god.

  “So, I was right after all,” I muttered. “The message you gave me. About not abusing my magic. The papers I’ve been going through are hinting at something, some sort of weapon. And the only thing that makes sense to me is something that can take away magic…you knew. You knew that I would end up here. At the palace.”

  Weilin didn’t say a word. But there was something in his eyes that spoke to a hint of pride. “Perhaps, I did. Perhaps you were always going to end up here one day. Perhaps…perhaps…perhaps.” He shrugged. “Who am I to question the future?” He grinned. “In any case, you are here now. Poised to meet the queen.

  “Which puts you in a position to do some good for me.”

  I sighed. “Who do you want me to kill?”

  “Kill? Why is it always kill with you?” Weilin laughed. “Oh, right. You’re an assassin. Silly me.” As he shook his head, I fought to wring his neck. He looked up at me and held up three fingers. “There are three targets in the capital that are just ripe for having their gourds cut.” He laughed at his joke and then looked at us. “And what do you know, there are three of you. Two assassins and an assassin to be. What a coincidence.”

  I snarled at him. “So that’s what you meant about having them under you. You want all of us to kill for you.”

  He shook his head. “You’ll want their help to kill the targets. This one will be tricky if you try to kill them one at a time, so I’d recommend you strike simultaneously. It’ll save you a lot of trouble and will be the easiest way to go about it.”

  I sighed as the god paced back and forth, going to the table and looking over all of my equipment and notes, humming with approval under his breath.

  “If any one of the targets learn of the others’ death, they will go to ground, and it will be very, very difficult to get to them.” He looked back over his shoulder at us and winked. “But again. This is your choice, Elias. I have no qualms about you taking them all on. I know how much you desire a challenge. But it would take absolute perfect timing to pull off…besides, what’s the point of an apprentice if you don’t use her?”

  He shrugged. “I’ll simply give you the targets and let you choose how you wish to proceed. After all. As long as they end up dead, I don’t much care how it happens.” He looked at each of us and gave us a bow. “Well, that’s all that I came to say. I’ll be off now. Good huntin─”

  “Wait!” Cora said, reaching her hand out.

  At that, the god paused, curiosity abound in his eyes. “Yes?” he asked, stretching out the word.

  “If I agree to your request…you said you would give us a gift.”

  Weilin stopped and turned to her, staring at Cora with delicious intent in his eyes as he took a step forward, a grin budding across his face. “And what, pray tell, would you like to ask of a god, hmmm?”

  The look in his eyes was terrifying, and Cora nearly shrank under it, but she held firm and didn’t back down under his gaze.

  “Answers. Truth,” she said. “You’ve been dancing around Elias’s purpose in all this since the moment you met him, and he deserves to know the truth. If you want my help, that is my gift. I want you to speak the truth and hold nothing back.”

  Weilin stared for a moment before he laughed. “That’s the gift you want?” He laughed again. “You would give up a gift from a god. Anything you could wish for. For truth?” He wagged a finger at Cora. “Don’t you know truth is subjective?”

  She crossed her arms. “That’s my price.”

  “Surely there is something else you want?” he asked, frowning.

  Cora shook her head. “There is nothing else. Everything else Elias has already given me. And he’s given you far more. Yet you keep the truth dancing out of his reach.”

  Weilin let out a breath, wiped the frown from his face, and replaced it with a smile. He clapped and then bowed. “Very well.” He looked to Cora. “Complete this task I’ve set you, bloody your hands for Elias and this old god, and I will give him the answers he’s so long sought…after. Fair?”

  Cora nodded. “Fair.”

  He beamed at her, then glanced at Aless. “How about you, Little Red? What kind of gift can a god tempt you with?”

  Aless shook her head, gripping my hand tight. “I’ll reserve my answer for a later time, thank you.”

  He winked at her. “How…wise of you.”

  And with that, Weilin was gone in the blink of an eye.

  As soon as he left, Aless let go of me, and all three of us looked at each other. Cora sighed and practically collapsed against a nearby crate.

  “Holy hell. That was…”

  “Yeah, no. He has that effect on people,” I said.

  Aless just laughed and wiped her forehead, taking a few deep breaths. She then whirled on me and shook her head. “How in the world do you maintain your composure when you talk to him so often? I thought my knees were going to give out.”

  I shrugged. “He’s not the god I grew up with.” I shook my head. “I don’t even know if he is truly a god at all. He’s just another client to me. Just one with a lot of power and influence.”

  “Is it that easy?” she asked.

  I nodded. “To me it is.”

  Aless just sighed and went over and fell onto the bed before grabbing the pillow and letting out a scream into it. “You’re so weird, Elias!”

  Cora and I looked at each other before laughing. “Yeah. Guess I am.”

  And as soon as our laughter faded away, a notification appeared in front of my eyes.

  Quest: Assassinate Timothy Ranald

  Difficulty: Easy

  Reward: 1000 Exp+5000 Vahn!

  Quest: Assassinate Richard Wilson

  Difficulty: Easy

  Reward: 1000 Exp+5000 Vahn!

  Quest: Assassinate Bradley Holmes

  Difficulty: Easy

  Reward: 1000 Exp+5000 Vahn!

  Huh? The names mean nothing to me.

  I glanced over at Aless and Cora, confident from the looks on their faces that they received the exact same notification.

  “Do you know them?”

  They shook their heads.

  “Not a clue,” Cora said. “But if Weilin wants them dead, then they can’t be nobodies.”

  “What about the rules?” Aless asked, swiping away her status screen.

  “Weilin wouldn’t give me a kill that didn’t fit within my rules. He knows what will happen if he does, and as he’s told me repeatedly I’m too valuable a tool to throw away like that.”

  Aless huffed. “So we’re just supposed to trust him?”

  I laughed. “Of course not. We’re going to verify everything before we take the contract, but if Weilin wants them dead, then there must be a good reason for it. But we’ll deal with this after we take care of the queen.” I shook my head and sighed. “He just had to give us a job right in the middle of all this.”

  “You think we should hold off on the jobs until after you talk to the queen?” Cora asked.

  I nodded as I went and sat at the table, staring out the window at the palace in the distance. “I do…think about it. If three people are killed in a single night in the city, that’ll raise some alarms. People are going to be tense after an assassination. And even more so when it’s three people at once. The palace will be on high alert, and the guards will be out in force. It’ll be so much harder to try and infiltrate the palace if they are expecting trouble.

  “No. We’ll kill them afterward. We’ll survey them, gather intel, and by the time we’re ready for the kill, everything will be calm again.”

  I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “But all this can wait until morning. We’ve got a busy day ahead of us with the queen holding court, so we should get as much rest as we can. I have a feeling we’re not going to get a chance to get a decent night’s sleep for a while.”

  Chapter 19- Queen Amanda Joslyn

  I sighed as I dressed in my most extravagant finery. It was another of Angela’s creations, but unlike my other gear, it didn’t have any built-in armor or slots for my blades. It was plain ornamentation, meant to make me appear as the affluent noble I was pretending to be.

 

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