Wrath of Empire

Chapter 29

The Yellow Creek jail was one of the few brick buildings in the city, positioned just behind the mayor’s office at the end of a long street that terminated a hundred yards later at the base of one of the mountains. It was bigger than Vlora expected, with over two dozen holding cells guarded by a handful of deputies, all of whom kept a wary eye on Vlora as she was led down the hall to the last cell on the right.

Unlike the other cells, this one had several small windows, with real glass instead of bars, and a real bed and desk tucked into the corner. Taniel sat cross-legged on the bed, shoes off, jacket tossed over a chair as if he was staying in a hotel room instead of a cell. His brow was furrowed as he drew in his sketchbook, and he didn’t look up until the cell door was unlocked.

“Afternoon,” he said cheerfully.

Vlora paused in the doorway, noting that the guard had left the two of them alone. “Looks like you’re living the high life in here.”

“It’s a cell for important people,” Taniel explained.

“And you are?”

“A man with money.”

Vlora took the chair and pursed her lips at Taniel. “And you mocked me for paying for two rooms at the hotel.”

“Nobody’s perfect.” Taniel flipped the page in his sketchbook, then lifted his chin, looking down his nose at her. She remembered that look.

“You’re not drawing me,” she said.

“Of course not,” he replied as he began to sketch.

Vlora let it go. “Do they know who you are?” she asked quietly.

“They think my name is Tampo.” He paused to adjust the glove on his right hand, revealing a bit of red skin.

“And that?” Vlora asked, nodding at the hand.

“One Palo deputy knows who I am. She’s a Daughter of the Red Hand and knows the passwords, so I can trust her, but I haven’t been able to get much more than the city gossip and good meals. Speaking of which, I heard you met with the other big boss. Why do they call him Brown Bear Burt?”

“Has a big bearskin on his desk. Claims he got a lucky shot off at an Ironhook grizzly years ago and the name stuck.”

“And Burt? It’s an Adran name.”

“No idea. Palo here call themselves anything they want. How did you hear that, anyway? The gossip in this city is out of control.”

Taniel glanced up at her with a frown, pausing, before continuing his sketch. Vlora turned her face the other direction to annoy him. He didn’t seem to mind. “There’s ten thousand people crammed into a tiny valley in the middle of nowhere. Not much to do here besides poke your nose in other people’s business. Did you find it?”

Vlora shook her head. “I’ve checked two of the big valleys and a dozen of the little ones. Been at it all morning, too. But there are a few things you need to know.”

“What’s that?”

“There’s another powder mage in Yellow Creek.”

Taniel looked up sharply. “Oh?”

“A man named Nohan. Claimed he was in the Starlish Cabal. Ever heard of him?”

“I haven’t. Starlish, eh? They integrated their cabal, what, four years ago?”

“Six,” Vlora corrected. “Privileged and powder mages, fighting side by side in a royal cabal.”

“Times change.” Taniel shrugged. “You met him?”

“He came on to me last night.”

“And how did that go?” Taniel asked with a smirk.

“He’s on Jezzy’s payroll, but he suggested that the three of us team up and slaughter the entire city and steal all the gold we can carry.”

“Enterprising.”

“He sure seemed to think so. He didn’t take my rejection well.”

“I’m guessing you did it with your usual grace?”

“I called him a coward.”

“Well done,” Taniel said without a trace of sarcasm. “Sounds like it was warranted.”

“It was, but it means that we have a powder mage to look out for. I tried to make it clear I wasn’t his enemy, but he took the ‘coward’ bit personally and we beat the shit out of each other.”

Taniel squinted at her over his sketchbook. “Oh yeah. I didn’t notice that shiner when you walked in. So we have a rogue powder mage with a grudge in addition to all this other shit.” He finally set down his charcoal and rubbed his eyes, leaning back in the cell bed. He let his gaze wander around his cell, his cool demeanor broken by a distasteful sneer. “This is incredibly inconvenient.”

“I would appreciate help.”

“I tried bribing the sheriff to see the judge earlier,” Taniel said. “No can do. And she made it very clear that the moment I’m out of this cell, we won’t be welcome in this town anymore.”

Vlora quelled a rising frustration. “Meaning I have to look for this thing on my own? And I only have until you get out?”

“Sounds like it,” Taniel said with an apologetic smile.

“You’re the one with Ka-poel’s damned compass in your head.”

“Little good it’s done me. I spent a whole night looking for the artifact. All I can tell is that it’s here. I don’t know where, though. One other thing …” He hesitated. “The sheriff says there’s a good chance they’ll try to hang me. The local judge has been trying to crack down on violence.”

“Pit,” Vlora breathed. She wasn’t worried for Taniel’s fate. She was worried that he would kill a whole lot of innocent people when they tried to carry out the sentence. The ticking clock in the back of her head just got louder. All she could do was hurry. She made a sour face, thinking back to the figure she recognized in the street last night. “What can you tell me about the Predeii?”

That got Taniel’s attention. He closed his sketchbook and set it to one side, scooting to the edge of the bed. “That’s not a question I want to hear,” he said intently. “I don’t know anything about them, not any more than you – powerful Privileged that were responsible for summoning the gods to give order to the Nine, then responsible for the chaos that occurred once the gods left.”

“How powerful?” Vlora asked.

“Worth half a royal cabal on their own, is what Bo told me,” Taniel answered. He tilted his face to one side, watching Vlora cautiously. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“I saw Prime Lektor last night.”

Taniel leaned on his fist, swaying to one side. “No,” he breathed. “We can’t afford to have them involved with this, too. You’re absolutely certain?”

“I recognized him in the street,” Vlora said, suddenly feeling less sure of herself. “It wasn’t until a couple hours later that I realized where I recognized him from. I think it was him, but I won’t be sure unless I see him again.”

“And I’ll bet my boots he’ll recognize you if he sees you first.”

Vlora swore under her breath. This damned city seemed to be getting smaller every day. First the spat between the big bosses, then a powder mage, and now a mythical Privileged older than her birth country. “If it is him, it can’t be a coincidence.”

“He’s here for the stone.”

“Of course. What else could it be?” Vlora asked with a shrug. “An ancient sorcerer doesn’t just happen to show up in the little frontier gold-rush city where we’re looking for an ancient artifact of great power.”

Taniel looked like he swallowed a lemon. “We’ve got to find him. Shit, I wish Ka-poel were here. Prime Lektor might be more than even I can handle. I’ve fought one of the Predeii before and couldn’t kill her.” He paused. “Why would Prime Lektor want the stone?”

“Power?”

“He’s an academic. Maybe he’s trying to keep it out of Lindet’s hands. Maybe he just wants to study it.”

“That,” Vlora said, “is too stupidly optimistic for me. We have to assume he’s an enemy.”

“Agreed.”

“Do I try to put a bullet in his head?”

“If that’ll even work,” Taniel snorted. “Pit.”

“You could get out any time you like,” Vlora pointed out.

“With violence,” Taniel admitted. “But yes. The city will close to us the moment I leave this cell, either by force or judicial order. I’ll cool my feet for the time being, and see what kind of information my Palo friend can get me. I’ve got to be careful who I trust with the Red Hand information. I still have quite a bounty on my head.”

“I’m going to look for Prime Lektor. If he’s here, then he might already know where the godstone is.”

“Be careful,” Taniel warned, raising his finger. “We don’t know what he’s capable of. One of those Predeii carved through half of Tamas’s powder cabal back during the coup.”

Vlora remembered. Those people were her friends and comrades. “She took them by surprise,” she said, hoping there wasn’t too much hubris in her bravado. “I intend on taking him by surprise.”

“And that powder mage?”

“Him, too.”

Taniel scowled, his expression uncertain. “I should get out of here.”

“No,” Vlora said. She could do this. She had to do this. Taniel’s help would be ideal, but she still didn’t fully trust his motives. If she could make this victory her own, it would be worth so much more. “You can’t attract attention. I’ll find Prime and the stone by the time you’re out of here.” She stood up. “But I need to use every minute to do it.”

Taniel took her hand, surprising her. “Vlora,” he said seriously, “don’t get yourself killed. There’s more going on here than we know. My Palo friend says that the Palo Nation has a presence here, but he doesn’t know anything else. If we can contact them, we might be able to get some help.”

Vlora didn’t know the first thing about getting in touch with agents of this Palo Nation. “I’m not exactly a welcome figure in the Palo community.”

“They don’t give a shit about the southern Palo. They only care if you can help them.”

“And can I help them?” She really didn’t like the sound of that.

“Maybe.” Taniel seemed torn. “I’ll see what I can find out from here. Just … be careful.”