CHAPTER 43 Meow

CHAPTER 43

Meow

Rufus

Ten Minutes Earlier

“Thank you, Susan,” I said, nodding my head in respect to the well-organized feline. “You’ve been very helpful.”

The last hour had been over and above what I could’ve expected.

Susan lifted a stack of papers and tapped them once, twice, thrice to make the pages line up straight. I already had a rolled waterproof case with my own copies of the treaties safely tucked away in my storage ring.

“Oh! No need for that, Commander.” The fluffy white catkin stood up from the desk she’d taken over and dipped a happy curtsy. She pushed up her glasses and smiled at the compliment. “It was a pleasure.”

Susan bowed low to her boss, and Jimothy escorted Susan out of the room.

Leaving Eva and myself alone again. An interesting choice on the guild master’s part, as I was many levels higher than she was and could have made this a very bad day for the guild. I couldn’t understand why she would put herself in danger, especially when I knew for a fact that she aimed for obfuscation and specialized in illegal dealings.

What was I missing?

“I’m impressed,” Eva said dryly. The elf pushed off from where she was leaning against the wall nearby. “You didn’t seem all that surprised to learn I’m the new guild master.”

What was it with assassins always leaning against walls? I was more comfortable standing at attention myself. Maybe I should try it? Or maybe I should just consider storing a chair in my storage ring. I was surprised I hadn’t thought about that sooner … so many occasions I could have been lounging comfortably instead of making do with hard benches or wooden inn sleeping cots.

And it would be a real power move to whip out a plush chaise and sit during conversations.

“I know a leader when I meet one,” I replied. She was self-assured and confident in a relaxed and standoffish kind of way. She didn’t interrupt even once during the negotiations. It was actually refreshing. “Congratulations on the new position.”

A wicked gleam crossed her face then, and she smiled a vicious smile. “Thank you.”

“My only surprise is that I got to actually meet the elf who managed to survive Duke Wyldon’s investigation and get past my king’s border guards with a battalion of assassins,” I said pointedly.

“It wasn’t that hard.” She waved away my concern, walking back to Jimothy’s desk and reclaiming the seat.

“You can be assured that moving forward, we won’t assassinate any of your civilians.”

I didn’t let the barb get under my skin, but I knew what she was implying.

“Our kingdom is technically leaving the merchants’ kidnapping ordeal in the hands of the Servalt authorities, but …” I paused for effect, drawing to my full height and stature imposingly, hackles raised, “should we feel that the matter did not end with the marquess, then Nilheim will act accordingly. And if I recall what happened the last time our necromancer visited Servalt … Well, nobody wants a repeat performance.”

Ever since Chloe had met and fallen in love with Julia during an entertainingly epic trip to Servalt last winter, Servalt had asked Nilheim to consider sending other representatives on official business. For the foreseeable future, or at least until they rebuilt the Grand Collegium.

“I don’t see how that has anything to do with me .” Guild Master Eva smiled innocently. “I’m an assassin, not a merchant. And I have it on the best authority that Servalt merchants deal primarily with mercenaries.”

“We both know that one of your men was contracted to Marquess Chadwick and the slave traders.”

Guild Master Eva opened her mouth to retort, “Meow.”

We both looked down in time to watch a grimalcat press up against Eva’s legs and purr softly.

“Slake!” The elf swooped down and picked up the creature in both arms. She rubbed her face against his fur until the grimalcat made protest and gently swatted at her cheek.

“Eva.” Slake stretched upward and deftly climbed onto the elf’s shoulders, wrapping around her neck so that only his tail hung down in the front. It curled gently against the fluffy armor Eva was wearing. “Have you finished your discussion with the commander general?”

“Almost …” The elf drew out the words, suspicion in her tone. “Why?”

Slake flicked his wings a bit to straighten himself on her shoulder. “There was a chance you might kill Rufus, so I’m here to say that just won’t do.”

“I appreciate that,” I said. “It is nice to see you again so soon, Slake.”

“Of course it is.”

“I hadn’t planned on attacking the commander general.” Eva reached out and scratched under Slake’s chin. “He’s here on official business with the guild. But I’m curious; why shouldn’t I?”

He rubbed his face on Eva’s cheek. “The Dark Enchanted Forest doesn’t have useless hereditary laws. And killing Rufus will only annoy the Dark Lord.”

“It’s true. The only reason I’m even visiting is because of your impressive raid.”

When Eva looked at me like she didn’t believe that was the only reason, I stressed, “We never had to deal with Gloria directly, since she understood that our people in power are targetable—but our citizens are not .”

“Gloria,” Eva spat out vehemently, emotion thick in her voice, “was past her prime. She was so easy to overthrow that I’m surprised she lasted that long.”

“Eva, darling, you’ve outlived your enemies.” Slake swished his tail. “You don’t need to make new ones. Now tell me where you got the molten ash vane.”

The guild master frowned, casting me a side-glance. “I don’t have to answer that here.”

“Of course you don’t.” Slake stood, balanced, and then hopped to the floor. He walked a few paces toward the door, where he sat and turned to face us. “But you will. And you are going to tell Commander General Rufus, or I’ll be most disappointed in you.” The grimalcat’s eyes glowed slightly green. “I won’t sit around waiting for months until everyone gathers the clues to some grand scheme by your benefactor. I was your benefactor first, and you will do me the courtesy of telling the nice beastman here what you know before I get back so that he can go and arrest the duke and be done with it. This entire exercise is annoying .”

Slake rose on all fours and stretched. “And stop pretending like you’re involved more than you are; you’re digging yourself into a hole. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be right back.”

He walked out. I turned to the guild master, who was furious but definitely considering.

No one really wanted to deny a grimalcat.

“Fine,” she spat out. “I owed Duke Lector three favors. I approved assassins to North Sumbria, and I participated in that gods-awful mess that was an assault on your queen. Duke Wyldon was the last. If anyone else is using molten ash vane in Servalt, it didn’t originate here . ”

I raised an eyebrow, wondering if Slake wanted to join me in my trip to visit the Peldeep Assassin Assembly next.

“The way to bypass your borders was figured out by Guild Master Derek Stannard, so ask him.” She said. “If you have questions about molten ash vane, you’ll have to take it up with Duke Lector. He supplied all of the materials for his quests, and we purely accepted the hit.”

I tried to speak, but she cut me off. “I’m not finished. Before anything else, everyone should know that I have no idea who is making it. The poisoner is anonymous and supplies poisons to both assassin guilds. We get a drop-off every month or so, and starting last year, molten ash vane was added in.”

She pulled out a bag from nowhere. It clinked. “I’m swimming in the stuff. Whoever’s making so much of it must be crazy.”

I instinctively took a fighting stance, claws out. At least now I knew why she wasn’t afraid of me.

“I have absolutely no intention of using any,” she assured me, sending it back into storage. “I’m going to use it to negotiate with Duke Wyldon during the investigation. I have a record of how many bottles we received from an independent trustworthy source, and as long as I keep the same number of bottles, I can be assured that Duke Lector will take the blame for supply.”

Every sense and skill told me she was telling the truth, though I was hesitant to relax my guard. I asked anyway. “But you tried to use molten ash vane on Duke Wyldon?”

“Again, incorrect. I merely filed the paperwork and picked the assassin; all effects to the case were handled by Duke Lector.” She crossed her arms. “That was my final hit. I was hoping it wouldn’t work, which was why I called in the Terpenlily family to attack Duke Wyldon. Their daughter is skilled enough to show I made an effort … but not skilled enough to be likely to succeed.”

“It was closer than you think,” I told her. “So you’ve just thrown Lady Tate to the wolves? She will face the full weight of the law for her illegal assassination attempt.”

Eva smiled then, a wide vicious smile. “I have registered the paperwork. All of my assassinations are approved—”

“I hardly believe that Duke Wyldon would approve his own assassination attempt,” I interrupted.

“Well, he did.” The elf picked up the piece of paper she’d had resting on her face when I first arrived and waved it under my nose.

It was, in fact, an approved hit on Duke Wyldon Holst. And it was stamped with that very duke’s own personal seal.

Things had just gotten more complicated. Again.