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  “I don’t know if you heard that man, Conscript,” Ermolt said, seeming to not notice when Elise flinched at the title, “but it sounds as if Malger may have taken out a contract on his own sister’s life. Bounty hunters!” Elise went to respond, but Ermolt continued over her feeble attempts. “You don’t know what I would give to have someone ask me for help bringing my own sister back.” Ermolt’s voice grew thick with emotion and volume. “I would move mountains if I thought I could give her back the life that was taken from her, and he’s throwing money around trying to be the one who ruins his own sister’s life!”

  “If we bring him with us, what stops him from interrupting us?”

  Ermolt grinned, a nasty thing that showed too many teeth. “If his nobleman’s pampered hands are willing to try, then I pray he is faster than I am.”

  Elise shook her head. “Let’s go. We’re going to end up arrested.”

  “You aren’t wrong,” a small voice said from behind her, and Elise whirled around. She hadn’t heard the door open, and that worried her.

  The woman who spoke was tall and thin, with pale skin. Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, but large chunks of it had fallen out to frame her face. Her hands were clasped in front of herself, though from her fidgeting fingers, Elise could tell she wanted to thrust them into the front pockets of the thick apron she wore. “Malger already evacuated his meeting and sent his taskmaster to fetch the guards.”

  “Nether take him,” Elise said under her breath.

  “Who are you?” Ermolt asked, his voice still streaked with anger.

  “Catarin Tobel. I’m one of Malger’s employees.” She stepped out from the doorway, letting the door close quietly behind her. “The taskmaster you spoke with mentioned to Malger you said something about his sister. Does Athala need help?”

  “If she does, what would it matter to you?”

  “An important question, and one I’d like to answer. But first I think we should be more concerned with the oncoming guard. Malger has enough power in Lublis to make sure that ‘conspiracy to abduct’ will land you in the dungeon beneath the city for the rest of your lives.”

  That gave Elise pause, and she glanced at Ermolt to see his grimace. The prison of Damlas was a boogeyman they both knew well. It had been carved into the bedrock beneath the city, rendering it inescapable. Elise knew little of the complex, except that it made Auernheim look like a park with a tall fence around it.

  As a young child, the guards had told her that her father had been sent to Damlas for his crimes. She wondered if he was still down there—far beneath her feet. Would he recognize her? Or was he dead, too?

  Elise swallowed the thought and the tears it had invited, unwelcomed.

  “Alright. Let’s move,” Elise said. “I don’t know if you’ll be able to help us, but Damlas is the last place I want to be right now. And that’s saying a lot.”

  The girl smiled, and Elise could see pain hidden behind the expression. “Good. My home is nearby, by the Rise of Dasis. We can talk there, if we hurry.”

  Chapter Four

  Within a quarter bell of his outburst at the manufacturing house, Ermolt was sitting at a tiny round table with a plate of bread and a jar of sweet purple jam that he couldn’t quite identify by smell. He’d only kept himself from tasting it because Elise looked so nervous. Their host was fetching a pot of tea from the stove, and the whole thing felt so domestic in a way Ermolt found warming.

  Catarin’s home was modest, but comfortable and inviting. Since it was just east of the Rise of Dasis, it was built with barbarian proportions in mind. He had still ducked instinctively upon entering through the door, but it felt so nice to see that it had been unnecessary.

  Elise seemed less comfortable with their surroundings, although Ermolt wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t like he could just ask her, what with Catarin in the next room. Wordlessly, she had motioned for him to hand her Athala’s journal, and he hesitated a moment before handing it to her. The book was important, not only to bring Athala back, but to him, personally. But if Elise thought it was important to show Catarin, he would have to trust her.

  “There,” Catarin said, returning to the small room to place a teapot in the middle of the table, next to the three small cups. She settled herself into her chair before brushing her skirts down unnecessarily. “Now, please, feel free to help yourselves.”

  “Thank you,” Elise said, although she made no motion to do so. “We appreciate your help.”

  The woman nodded, her smile fading slightly as she went about the routine of making herself a cup of tea. “I make no promises yet, but I will do whatever I can to assist.”

  “If you don’t mind me asking, why?”

  Catarin looked up at Elise, almost as if stunned by the question. “We shall get to that in a moment. For now, what is it you need from Malger? And what has happened to Athala?”

  Elise frowned slightly, gripping the thin black book in her lap. She glanced to Ermolt with a brow raised, and he nodded. It would be better to just get it over with. He wasn’t afraid of their ability to deal with Catarin if she turned out to be against them. Elise brought the book from her lap and pushed it towards the young woman.

  Almost instantly, Catarin picked the book up and flipped through the pages, eventually returning back to the beginning and looking at it with a more critical eye. “Athala wrote this,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

  “She did,” Ermolt agreed, nodding.

  “Are you three investigating the ruins at Marska?”

  “You can read it?” Ermolt asked, unable to keep the shock from his voice. “How?”

  “It’s in the Dohn’s family cipher.”

  “Yes,” Elise said, her tone very even. Her hands were clasped in her lap, and Ermolt could see the tension in her shoulders. She was picking at her nails again. “It is. But, as he asked, how is it you can read it?”

  Another ghost of a smile crossed Catarin’s mouth. “A few of us in the manufacturing house have been taught. We help with new research. Malger is paranoid, and if he determines a recipe is valuable enough, he wants us to be able to read it in code only.”

  “Do you think you could translate the book for us?” Ermolt asked, reaching across the small table to situate a cup of tea for himself. He poured one for Elise too, to give her something to do with her hands. The ex-Conscript took it with a thin smile.

  “I do believe so,” Catarin said, looking between them. “But that only answers one of my questions. And raises more concerns about the second. What’s happened to Athala? Why can’t she translate it for you, since you clearly acquired this from her? And what is it you seek in Marska?”

  Elise opened her mouth to answer, but then closed it again. She looked away, focusing on her lap, but not before Ermolt saw the tears welling up in her eyes. Ermolt could tell she didn’t want to say it, but it needed to be said. It was a burden he would have to shoulder, and so he would do it as gently as possible.

  “There is a rumored power in Marska,” Ermolt said, looking from Elise’s shaking shoulders to meet Catarin’s eyes. “It is called the Favor of Isadon. With it, a mortal can perform a divine miracle.” He wanted to flinch away, but he held her gaze, even when it turned worried. Ragan Ermolt was no coward. “Including bringing back the dead.”

  “Who would Athala want to—” Catarin’s mouth snapped close with the audible click of her teeth meeting. She looked to Elise, who was clearly struggling, and then back to Ermolt. Catarin’s eyes were as wide as the saucers that held their tea cups, and tears were starting to form in them. “No. Please tell me it isn’t her.”

  “We need her back,” Elise said quietly, her voice heavy with tears. “And that book is our best hope.”

  Catarin sagged in her seat, staring down at the table.

  Quiet sobs punctuated the air, and Ermolt sat back in his chair so as to allow the two women next to him to have their moment. He knew he’d eventually need to answer more questions, and he was in
no hurry to do so right now.

  “What happened?” Catarin said at last, her words interrupted by a hitched breath.

  “There’s too much to explain, but—”

  “We failed her,” Elise said, her voice void of the emotion Ermolt knew lurked under the surface. “She was drawn into a mission from Ydia Herself to help all of humanity and things got… out of hand. It was dangerous, but we were supposed to protect her. We all nearly died, and she…” Elise trailed off, fighting to hold back another sob. “She sacrificed herself to save us.”

  “We are determined to bring her back, no matter what it takes,” Ermolt added, although it sounded feeble in spite of his assured tone.

  “I know this will sound silly, but I always knew Athala’s end would come about like that.” Catarin smiled, a weak thing that highlighted her tear-stained cheeks awkwardly. “Of course she would find a way to give her life to help others before her brother ever found a way to take it from her.”

  “What happened between them? She’s never shared it with us, but we know she feared him. Why does he hate her?”

  “Noble politics,” Catarin said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Athala is the rightful head of the household by age, but she was deathly ill when her parents passed. Everything passed to Malger instead. I don’t know exactly what it was that happened between them—only they could say for sure—but one night, Athala vanished without a trace.” Catarin sighed and fetched her cup of tea, taking a long sip as if she was using the moment to compose herself. “Malger went absolutely mad the next day. He was obsessed with finding her. It was… a rough period of time for those of us in the manufacturing house.”

  “Do you have any guesses as to what happened?” Ermolt asked, leaning forward in his chair.

  “I think he tried to have her killed.”

  Ermolt frowned, but Elise was nodding. “That’s what I suspected.”

  “He knew that she and I had been… close. Malger had me… questioned.”

  “You were close to Athala? And you never tried looking for her?”

  Catarin bristled slightly at the accusation in Elise’s tone. “We had only shared one night together. I had hoped for more, of course, but her disappearance was shortly after our encounter. Why? Are you ‘close’ to her?”

  Elise blushed. “We are good friends, that’s all. I was only curious.”

  “What happened when Malger didn’t find her?” Ermolt asked, trying to bring the conversation back around.

  “Things seemed to settle down, but he never gave up on seeking her. Though if she was drawn into something involving Ydia, she was as close as Khule this whole time? How poor is his choice in bounty hunters?” This question was posed with a bark of laughter, and Ermolt found himself smiling in response.

  “She was studying at the Wizard’s Tower,” Ermolt said with a nod. “I don’t know how secure their campus is, but it is unlikely she would have been hard to find.”

  “Not just in Khule then, but gathering power as well?” Catarin laughed, much deeper this time. “Now I’m sure whomever he was paying was swindling him.” She paused and her laughter dried up. “Although, I suppose, Athala is just as gone in the end.”

  Ermolt felt a pang of guilt at that fading smile, although he wasn’t sure why. He didn’t kill Athala, and he had tried everything he could to protect her while she was alive. And now he was willing to do everything he could to get her back. He had no reason to feel guilty, and yet the feeling stayed.

  “We need to know what we’re looking for in Marska.” Elise reached across the table and tapped the thin black book. “If we want to have any chance of bringing her back, that is. Will you help us?”

  “I will,” Catarin said, giving Elise a grave look, “but only as if you can do something for me.”

  Ermolt frowned. “Name your price.”

  “Bring Athala back here—to Lublis.”

  “That will be easier said that done,” Elise said with a grimace. “She seemed very adamant about avoiding the city. If her brother is still on the lookout for her after all this time, I don’t think she’s wrong to stay away.”

  “That is why I want her back here. This isn’t for me, or even for her. It’s for her brother.” Catarin sat back in her chair, folding her hands across her belly. “Please. Help me get rid of her brother. If you can defy the Gods to bring back the dead, Malger should be nothing to you. He’s only grown more erratic over the years, and it’s ruining the Dohn family name.”

  “You want Athala back so that she can return to her family business?” Ermolt asked incredulously. He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to hold back the disgust he felt. “I hope it doesn’t surprise you to hear that we have need of her for something other than her family name.”

  “Of course,” Catarin said quickly. “I don’t need her to stay. She can easily put someone else in charge. Nether blessed, she can sell the whole business for a steel penny if she likes. It’s just… Malger can’t stay in charge.” She shivered, and Ermolt watched horror play in her dark eyes. “He’s gotten himself into something. I don’t know what. But it’s made him more paranoid. He hosts meetings day and night with those who seem intent on using him, and there is a lot of dissent among his staff. We’re not sure what he’s involved with, but I’m afraid he’s going to drag everyone down with him if it turns foul.”

  Ermolt looked to Elise, but found the ex-Conscript was already looking his way. He frowned, brow furrowing.

  It was going to be difficult to drag Athala back to the city, and he feared dealing with Malger would be much more a challenge than Catarin made it seem. The man might not have been a dragon, but he was still a wizard. And if bloodline was any indication of power, he had the potential to be among the most powerful wizards in the world. He was also a powerful noble, which meant he had sway over the City Guard, and likely had the finances to put the Lublis Overseers at his disposal.

  As a barbarian, Ermolt wasn’t sure what would be required to unseat Malger. Among his kind, disputes were handled with a simple duel, or traditional trials, or even a bout of flyting. Those had been his favorite to watch, but never participate in. Ermolt’s strength wasn’t in his wit, and coming up with insults in verse on the spot was just impossible.

  Humans were much more complex though.

  Would they have to kill Malger?

  Perhaps there was some higher authority they could appeal to.

  How would Malger attempt to stop them?

  Ermolt frowned deeper, tapping his fingers against the top of the table. He didn’t know what they’d need to do, and he didn’t know how long it would take, either. And time was a factor for them. Ibeyar was only growing more powerful as he spread his influence.

  They didn’t have time to waste playing politics in Lublis.

  But time was a factor in decoding the book as well. If they had to waste time on something, he knew they would both prefer it to be wasting time with Athala at their side.

  Ermolt met Elise’s gaze and nodded.

  “We’ll do it,” Elise said to Catarin, with barely any hesitation. “We can’t afford any delay though. How long will it take you to decipher this?”

  “Bells, but not many. Malger will likely call upon me again today when he reconvenes his meeting, but I can fake an illness and make him find someone else. It might earn me a beating tomorrow when I show up for work healthy, but the translation will be done by dusk and you can be off.”

  “You would suffer a beating for this?” Elise said with a grimace.

  “After the beating I took for the single night with Athala at the wrong time, I know I can take it.” The corner of Catarin’s mouth quirked up. “It always hurts less when I don’t regret what I’ve done.”

  Ermolt smiled widely at the woman. It might have been that she was so willing to help them, but her determination in the face of adversity was quite inspiring. He liked this one. Athala might not need his approval, but Ermolt found himself approving anyway.


  Chapter Five

  They left Catarin’s home soon after securing her help, much to Elise’s relief. Too many emotions had been laid bare at that small table. She still worried about placing so much trust in the woman, but after the tears that had been shared, she at least knew that Catarin wasn’t going to run to Malger with the book.

  “We need to prepare,” Elise said to Ermolt when he asked her what their plans were. “There will be no supplies in Marska, so this might be our last chance.”

  “What should we prepare for? We don’t know what to expect. Until we have the translation in hand, we can’t predict what supplies we’ll need.”

  Elise sighed, nodding. “You have the right of it, but we have the rest of the day ahead of us. What else are we to do? Harass Malger some more?”

  “I don’t know about you, but it’s been a while since I’ve been in Lublis.” He gestured westward, towards the nearest stone spire. “I haven’t been so close to a Temple of Dasis in years, and it seems rude to not visit.”

  Elise felt a cold sweat prickle her skin.

  She wasn’t sure if Ermolt could be allowed to pray to Her. They had no reason to believe that the God of Fauna wasn’t in league with the God of Life. What if Dasis told him that Athala was a threat, and that she should stay dead?

  Elise had discarded her faith when Ydia had done that. Would Ermolt do the same?

  “We don’t have time,” Elise said, trying to keep her fears out of her voice. “We’ve put some much on the line to get the translation in hand as soon as possible. If we get it by dusk, I want to be out of the city before dawn. We won’t have time to prepare before then.”

  Ermolt frowned and Elise could see that he wanted to argue with her flimsy logic. But he finally nodded, slowly, as if he could follow it easily enough. “That doesn’t give us much time to get what we need, if the book calls for something we don’t get now.”