Blood of the Underworld(30)

“I won’t let it happen,” Haern insisted.

Tarlak shook his head.

“Then perhaps instead of helping Lord Victor, we should get him out of Veldaren as fast as possible?”

“Even if he has a chance to succeed?”

Tarlak threw up his hands in surrender.

“If that’s your idea of intelligence, then so be it. No matter what we do, we risk this blowing up in our faces, so might as well go for broke.”

A knocking turned their attention to the door.

“Who is it now?” Haern asked.

Tarlak shook his head, for scrying spells embedded in the tower let him see the visitor.

“Day just keeps getting better,” he said. With a snap of his fingers, the door opened on its own, and in stepped Zusa, clad in her dark wrappings, her gray cloak fluttering behind her.

“Magic is a poor host to greet at a door,” she said, sheathing her daggers.

“Yes, but it keeps my lazy ass in a chair,” Tarlak said. “Come in, and share whatever terrible news you’ve brought with you. Gods know you’re never here to tell us something good.”

Delysia scolded her brother’s poor hospitality, and hurried up to greet Zusa. The Faceless woman awkwardly accepted her embrace, then set aside her daggers. A wave of Tarlak’s hand, and a glass of wine appeared on the nearby table. Haern watched Zusa settle in, taking a seat opposite Tarlak. She looked odd dressed in such a way, yet was sitting comfortably in an old wooden rocking chair. Though she tried to appear gracious, Haern could tell she was in a hurry, and that whatever reason brought her to their tower was an urgent one.

“Thank you,” she said, sipping the wine before putting it aside. “But my time is short. One of our servant boys was attacked this morning, just before dawn. His eyes were cut out and replaced with silver coins, and two pieces of gold were put on his tongue.”

The news struck Haern like a brick to the head.

“A rhyme,” he said. “Was there also a rhyme?”

To his dread, Zusa nodded.

“Tongue of gold,” she recited, “eyes of silver. Run, run, little Nathan, from the Widow’s quiver.”

With each word, Haern felt his fingers tighten against the fabric of the couch. After the first two murders, he’d thought it was just someone with an agenda against the Spider Guild, but to also strike the Gemcroft family, especially in such a petty, cruel way?

“Do you know of this...Widow?” Zusa asked.

Haern sighed, and he caught Tarlak staring at him, clearly also eager to hear. Nodding, Haern shared what he’d discovered, of the two bodies, and of Victor also requesting help in discovering who it was. When finished, Tarlak leaned back in his chair, stroking his red goatee.

“He’s taking their eyes?” he wondered aloud. “That’s a little...odd.”

“Odd?” said Zusa. “You insult a dead child saying such a thing. It is the cold, cruel act of a sick mind. Whoever this Widow is, let him kill Spiders night and day, but to threaten Alyssa’s son...no. We must stop him. Despite your reputation otherwise, your Eschaton Mercenaries are the best. My mistress wants this killer found, and will pay whatever it takes.”

Tarlak’s eyes widened.

“Now that’s what I like to hear,” he said, grinning.

“He’s striking at night,” Haern said, glaring at Tarlak. “And he bears a grudge against both the Spider Guild and the Gemcroft family. Any ideas?”

“Perhaps a rival guild?” Tarlak asked.

Haern shrugged.

“Maybe a rogue thief wanting the truce ended?”

Neither idea sounded right, didn’t have that correct feel in the gut. And then Delysia spoke.

“What about Victor?” she asked.

Haern and Tarlak exchanged a glance.

“He’s made his hatred of the thief guilds clear,” Delysia insisted.

“He has no love of the Trifect, either,” Zusa said, and she told them of Victor’s visit to their mansion just that morning. Haern heard it, knew it made sense, but he shook his head.

“No,” he said. “I don’t believe it. He’s doing this with a sense of purpose, a sense of honor. Brutal murders, mocking rhymes...how does that help him? What agenda does that serve?”

Tarlak frowned, and he bit his lower lip as he thought.

“Zusa,” he said, glancing at the woman. “Tell Alyssa we accept her request, and I’ll have a contract brought to you before tonight. We’ll start patrolling the Spider Guild territory come nightfall, see if we can spot him attempting kill number four. All of us except Haern, that is.”

“You want me to watch Victor,” Haern said. “Don’t you?”