Chapter 20

Oskar couldn't help glancing at Lily as they walked. He could hardly believe she was here. Despite Eberwyn's promise that he would release her after Oskar had done his bidding, he'd been terrified that he would never see her again. But here she was, striding by his side with a determined look on that beautiful face of hers.

He shouldn't have been surprised that she'd found a way to escape from Eberwyn's safehouse. After all, she was one of the bravest and most resourceful people he'd ever met. But Magnus and Emeric were still in that bastard's clutches, not to mention Kai and Conall.

After escaping from the gaol, he'd gone looking for Alfred Brewer and the men who'd spirited him away. He hadn't found them. They'd gone to ground like rats in a sewer and the town guard had been turned out in force looking for him, forcing him to abandon his search and flee.

He'd retreated to his childhood home in despair, sure that he'd ruined everything.

But Lily, as she always seemed able to do, had reached him. She'd shaken him out of his apathy and now a fire burned in him. He would put this right. He would prove worthy of Lily's faith in him.

They were traversing the seedier districts of Edinburgh, places that Oskar had once known like the back of his hand. They were a long way from the king's justice here and the rule of the fist and the dagger held sway. It was dangerous to come here, especially after what he had done, and he knew he was risking not only his life, but Lily's as well. Yet she had made it clear that she would not be left behind and he could think of no other way to do what needed to be done.

He felt eyes on him and the back of his neck prickled. Lily looked around warily, obviously sensing the danger too. Suddenly he heard the twang of a bow and an arrow thudded into the dirt right by his feet.

"Take another step and the next arrow goes in yer stomach," hissed a voice.

Oskar halted and raised his hands. He was taking a huge risk and his stomach knotted with dread as he slowly turned to face the group of people who'd spilled from the alley behind him.

Lily gulped but lifted her chin and faced them, showing no fear, although she'd gone a little pale.

"I dinna want any trouble," Oskar said. "I've come to speak to Bryn." He was taking a gamble that the gang leader had not been captured in their disastrous fiasco at the gaol.

The man with the bow stepped forward. He had an arrow nocked and its tip pointing at Oskar's heart. "Is that right? Well mayhap he doesnae want to talk to ye. After what ye did—"

"Perhaps he just wants to slit yer throat," Bryn Fletcher said, stepping out of the shadows on the other side of the street. He was holding a knife in one hand which he rolled across his knuckles.

So he'd been right—Bryn had escaped—although not unscathed. He had a dirty bandage tied around his head and the look in his eyes was murderous.

"I never thought ye would be so stupid as to come back here," Bryn snarled. "After the stunt ye pulled."

"The stunt I pulled?" Oskar snapped. "What happened at the gaol was none of my doing. I didnae know the guards had been tipped off. I was betrayed just as much as ye were."

"And yet here ye stand, free and unscathed, while twelve of my boys are rotting in cells."

"Ye were well paid for that job. Ye knew the risks and so did yer boys."

"We knew the risks, aye, but we never expected ye to betray us."

"I didnae betray ye!" He took a steadying breath. "I didnae come here to argue."

"Then what did ye come here for?"

"For yer help."

Bryn snorted an incredulous laugh. "Ye are a piece of work, ye know that? Ye lead us into a trap, get my boys locked up, and have the audacity to come here asking for my help? Ye are out of yer mind, Galbraith. I should have slit yer throat the second ye returned to Edinburgh."

"Aye, mayhap ye should have. Yet here we both are and perhaps I have lost my mind but I'm still asking for yer help."

Bryn stared at him, the knife flashing as he rolled it across his knuckles. "Not so high and mighty now, eh? Now that yer precious Order is gonna be revealed for what it truly is."

Oskar frowned. "What does that mean? Revealed how?"

"Havenae ye heard?" Bryn replied with a harsh laugh. "There have been proclamations all over the city. Those two friends of yers? Kai and Conall is it? They are going on trial tomorrow for treason. From what I understand, the trial was originally planned for the man we broke out of gaol. Alfred Brewer was it? But seeing as he's still on the run, that canna happen until he's found. But why waste a good trial when everything is already arranged? I'm sure yer friends will put on a fine show before they dance on the end of a rope."

Oskar's blood ran cold. Kai and Conall on trial for treason? It was like some twisted nightmare.

"Bryn," he said, more calmly than he felt. "If ye have loyalty to naught else, ye have loyalty to this city. Would ye see it destroyed by Alfred Brewer and his like? There is a conspiracy far greater at work here. If we dinna stop them, if we let them take control of this city, they will bring ruin on us all. Please. I need yer help."

Bryn studied him. "And what are ye offering us this time? More gold?"

"Nay, but I can offer ye something better. Retribution. Help me and ye will get the chance to pay back those who betrayed both of us. Those things they've accused me of? Accused the Order of the Osprey of? None of it is true and if ye help me bring the real perpetrators to justice ye will be helping stop one of Alba's most dangerous enemies."

"Why would I help the Order of the Osprey?"

"Self-interest. If we catch the culprits, there's a chance we could get yer boys freed. At the very least ye wouldnae have to keep looking over yer shoulder every minute, expecting a visit from the guards." He cocked his head, regarding Bryn. "Or perhaps I can offer ye more."

Bryn's eyes narrowed, his gaze flickering between Oskar and Lily. "More? What do ye mean?"

"We have a common enemy, Bryn. A foe that threatens not just the Order of the Osprey, but Alba itself. They betrayed ye and framed us; but the truth is far more sinister than ye can imagine. I dinna believe ye would allow Alba's enemies to go unchallenged. Prove that. Prove that there's more to ye than just a street thug and I can offer ye a different path."

Bryn's nostrils flared. "Ye want to throw us into the lion's den to save yer own skin. We are not fools, Galbraith!"

Oskar shook his head. "I havenae come here to trick or deceive ye, Bryn. I was once offered a second chance, a chance to take another path. I'm offering ye and yer boys that same chance. Ye can go back to yer hideout and carry on running yer gang, intimidating and threatening people, feuding with yer rivals, and trying to stay one step ahead of the guards, or ye can choose something better."

Irene MacAskill's words echoed in his head. The road ye enter may lead to darkness or greatness. Choose wisely.

Was this the road she'd meant? Was he making the wise choice? He didn't know. He only knew he had to try.

"The Order of the Osprey took a chance on me and I'm taking the same chance on ye now," he said. "Help me. Join us."

Bryn stared at Oskar, his expression unreadable. It was a risky move, to offer the notorious gang leader a way into the Order. Yet there was something in Bryn's eyes that made him feel that this was not a lost cause. For the first time since he'd known him, Bryn's eyes flickered with something other than anger and bitterness.

"Wait here," he barked at Oskar.

He and his men retreated into an alley and Oskar could hear them whispering feverishly. A moment later, Bryn and his men returned. He hooked his thumbs in his belt as he looked Oskar over.

"All right, Galbraith," he said. "I hope I dinna live to regret this but we're in."

MOONLIGHT LIT THE CITYas they set out to find the one place in all the world Lily really didn't want to see again. Her heart raced as she kept pace with Oskar, their hoods drawn up to shield them from prying eyes. The air was crisp and held the scent of wood smoke and the distant sea and her breath misted in the air before her..

"Keep close," Oskar whispered, his voice low and steady.

She didn't need reminding. She looked behind but saw no sign of Bryn and his crew. They were like phantoms, flitting through the alleys and backstreets with the ease of shadows.

She and Oskar paused at a corner, pressing themselves against the cool wall of a baker's shop. Oskar's hand found hers.

"Are ye certain of the way?" he asked, his eyes searching hers.

"I think so," she replied, although she wasn't sure in the least. The streets were a labyrinth, and easy to get lost in. What if she got this wrong? She tried to calm her thumping heart and looked around. No. This was right. She recognized this baker's shop from when she'd fled.

"Watch out!" Oskar said suddenly.

They ducked into an alley just as a group of guards marched by, their red sashes a stark contrast against the plaids that wrapped their burly forms. The guardsmen's purpose was clear. They were hunting for Oskar and Alfred Brewer. Lily felt Oskar's muscles tense, his hand straying to the hilt of his sword.

"Patience," Bryn's voice floated from the shadows. "They havenae seen us."

As the patrol passed, Lily let out a long shuddering breath. They emerged from the alley and carried carefully on their way, blending into the flow of the city's lifeblood. Lily focused on the rhythm of her breathing, on the soft echo of their footsteps, on the vision of Emeric and Magnus who depended on them. There was no room for fear.

"This way," she murmured, leading them through a narrow passage that opened to a street lined with merchants' stalls now shuttered for the night. She stopped again, piecing together the faded image of the hideout's entrance in her head.

"Almost there," she assured them. "At least, I think so."

They turned down a dark alley, the only sound the distant clinking of metal and occasional shouting from the inns. Lily's heart raced, and she could feel a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. The alley emptied into a large courtyard lined with grand black and white timbered merchant's houses.

She pointed to one in the corner. "That's it."

"Are ye sure?" Oskar asked softly.

She nodded, forcing a smile. "Trust me. I won't be forgetting this place in a hurry."

Oskar placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Bryn appeared from the shadows and hunkered down beside them and the three of them watched the house in silence for several minutes. There was little to see and the place looked empty of life save for a lantern burning in one of the lower windows.

"Emeric and Magnus are in the cellar just as they were when we were first brought here," Lily whispered. "There's a long hall inside with lots of doors leading off. I didn't see where they lead. The door to the cellar is the second on the left."

Oskar nodded. "And the guards? How many are there?"

"I counted four inside," Lily replied. "But they were just the ones that came to give us our meals. There are probably more in the house."

One of Bryn's men materialized out of the shadows and conferred quickly with his leader before melting away again.

"My boys count six guards by the front door and two round the back," Bryn said. "But there are more of us. We can take them out in no time—"

"No," Oskar cut him off. "That would only alert those inside and bring the town guard running to see what all the noise was about. We need to use stealth, not brawn." He fell silent, considering. "The back way is our best option."

"All right, we'll go in the back way then," Bryn said. "My boys can have the door down and be inside before—"

"I'll go in the back way," Oskar said. "Alone. The more of us there are, the more likely we are to be seen. I'll take out the guards around the back and then sneak into the house. I want ye and yer men ready by the front door, ready to stop anyone coming out that way. Dinna reveal yerselves until I open it and let ye in. When I do, ye need to take out those guards as quickly and quietly as ye can. Think ye can manage that?"

Bryn scowled at him. "I assume ye are trying to be funny, Galbraith. We'll be waiting."

He signaled to his men who had gathered silently in the shadows of the courtyard. They vanished, circling the building around the front, their footfalls as silent as whispers on the wind.

Lily was left alone with Oskar. He reached out, his fingers tracing the contours of her face in the pale moonlight.

She knew what he was going to say and cut him off before he could. "I'm coming with you, Oskar."

He looked about to argue but then merely nodded.

With her heart thudding like a wild drum, Lily quietly followed Oskar as they crept out of their hiding place and flitted through the shadows. The crunch of pebbles beneath their feet echoed ominously, but they moved as soundlessly as they could manage.

They took a wide berth around the house, keeping to the perimeter of the courtyard. When they reached the back of the property, Lily saw one solitary figure leaning against the wall—a guard who was bundled up against the cold night air. His breath fogged in front of him in hasty puffs, and he stomped his feet on the ground in an attempt to keep warm.

Where was the other one? Gone inside the house for something?

Oskar placed a finger against his lips, indicating silence. He gestured to Lily to stay put while he handled the guard. With soft and careful footsteps barely audible even in this eerie quiet, he snuck up on the unsuspecting man.

The guard didn't have time to react before Oskar was upon him. With a swift blow to the back of the head, the guard collapsed into Oskar's arms. He lowered the unconscious man to the ground.

Lily held her breath, silently praying that the guard's fall hadn't been heard by others inside. But no alarm was raised, and Oskar quietly signaled for her to come closer.

Lily held her breath as she approached the back entrance. The door stood tall and ominous; she could see its dark timber frame etched with years of wear and weathering. In there, somewhere, were the people who had taken her captive.

Oskar pressed his mouth close to her ear. "Take this," he whispered, pressing a dagger into her hand. "And wait here." He held up a hand to forestall Lily's protest. "No arguments this time. Wait here until I call that it's clear. If this goes badly, I want ye to promise me that ye will run. Try to get out of the city and to Dun Saith if ye can. The Order will protect ye. Promise me, Lily."

His voice was low and urgent, his gaze intent. Lily curled her fingers around the hilt of the dagger. "I promise."

Oskar studied her for a moment, his eyes dark pools in the night. Then he leaned forward and kissed her, his lips warm and soft in the night.

"I love ye," he whispered.

Then he was gone, pulling open the door and disappearing into the darkness.

OSKAR DIDN'T RECOGNIZEmuch of the place as he slipped inside. He'd been blindfolded when he was brought here and had only seen the cellar and the room where Eberwyn had interrogated him. A single lantern burned in a bracket on the wall, illuminating a kitchen with a fire banked in the large fireplace.

Oskar closed the door softly behind him and waited in its shadow, listening. He could hear muffled voices somewhere inside the house and the creak of floorboards as people moved around upstairs. Across from him another door stood closed and he guessed this led to the hallway that Lily had described.

Squaring his shoulders, Oskar crept across the kitchen, each footfall light as a feather on the cold stone floor. He could smell the remains of a meal from earlier—roasted pork with cloves, mashed swede rich with butter and cream. How out of place these everyday aromas seemed in such a place.

He was nearly at the opposite door when he heard it—the sound of heavy boots on wood.

"And bring me some ale will ye, I'm parched."

"Get yer own bloody ale! I'm on duty out back. I only popped inside to fetch a fresh lantern! The lord will have my hide if he finds me drinking. I've already taken a roasting for letting that woman escape even though none of it was my bloody fault!"

Oskar froze as the door swung open.

In walked two guards. The torchlight dancing in their grips threw their faces into sharp relief—one was older, with a grizzled beard speckled with gray, and the other younger but no less hardened. They both wore the colors of Lord Eberwyn's household.

They froze as they spotted Oskar. For a seemingly infinite moment, the three men stared at each other.

The younger guard recovered first. "Who the hell are ye?" he demanded, reaching for his sword.

Oskar lunged, grunting as he collided with the younger man. They crashed into the table, going over in a shower of splintered wood. The older guard jumped back, shouting a wordless cry of alarm.

In the chaos, Oskar managed to disarm the younger man and strike him hard in the face. The guard went limp beneath him, unconscious or dead—Oskar had no time to determine which.

The older guard came at him, sword raised with a furious snarl. But Oskar was quicker and more desperate. He pivoted and swung his foot into the guard's midriff, propelling him backward into a cluster of barrels. The man grunted on impact, and Oskar closed in as he tried to recover. His fist connected solidly with the guard's jaw, the guard's blade clattered noisily against the stone, skittering out of reach, and the man dropped bonelessly to the ground.

In the silence that followed, Oskar held his breath, straining to hear any indication that their scuffle had been detected. Then he heard it: cries of alarm and the thunder of approaching footsteps.

Damn it all! So much for stealth!

He yanked the door open and bolted into the hallway beyond. It was dimly lit, lined with ancient tapestries that depicted epic battles and victories of Eberwyn's ancestors. The old wooden beams above creaked as footsteps pounded on them. He took a step but a door behind him suddenly flew open, and a group of guards spilled through.

Darting to his left, Oskar barged through a door into a vast room filled with books and scrolls. The lord's library, clearly, and he briefly wondered if he might find evidence of Eberwyn's treachery in here but he had no time to look around. Behind him, he heard the guards shouting. He sprinted across the room and out another door on the opposite side.

Ahead, he could see the front door of the house—but three more of Eberwyn's guards stood in front of it.

With a fierce growl, Oskar charged.

The first guard barely got his sword out before Oskar was on him. A swift punch to the solar plexus, followed by a solid elbow to the chin had him crumpling in a heap.

The second guard was bulky and ruddy-faced, but slow. Oskar easily ducked under his wild swing, landing a punch in the man's gut that bent him double. As he gasped for breath, Oskar brought his knee up and toppled him over like a felled tree.

The third guard gave Oskar some trouble. He was wiry and quick, his blade flashing in the torchlight as he parried Oskar's every blow. But he hadn't accounted for Oskar's size and power—or his desperation.

With a fierce roar, Oskar dropped his sword and threw himself at his opponent, their bodies colliding with a thud that rattled Oskar's teeth. They grappled, punches and knees landing in a frenzied brawl. The guard managed to land a solid blow to Oskar's side, knocking the wind out of him. Gasping in a breath, Oskar summoned his strength and slammed his knee into the man's stomach. The guard doubled over in pain, allowing Oskar to deliver a final punch that sent him sprawling onto the cold stone floor.

Out of breath and nursing his side, Oskar stumbled to the door. He threw the bolts and yanked it open, revealing Bryn and his crew battling with the guards outside.

"Ha!" Bryn bellowed as he saw him, his face splitting into a fierce grin. "So much for yer plan, Galbraith. Told ye we should have done it my way!"

"Just get yer arses in here!" Oskar shouted back, leaning against the doorframe for support.

Bryn was the first to stride through the open door. He was grinning maniacally despite his bloody nose and the dark bruise that was spreading across his cheekbone.

"Find Henry Eberwyn and the Brewers!" Oskar shouted. "They've got to be here somewhere!"

Bryn nodded, shouting orders to his men as they surged deeper into the house.

Oskar, grimacing against his throbbing side, grabbed his sword and staggered to the door that Lily had said led to the cellar. It was locked, but he slammed himself into it over and over until it burst open in a shower of splintered wood. Beyond, he saw a narrow stone staircase leading down.

At the bottom he found himself in a small chamber, dimly lit by a single burning torch set in a bracket on the wall. His eyes strained to adjust to the gloom—then he saw them. Magnus and Emeric were shackled to the cold stone wall, their features barely visible in the flickering light. Both had been gagged, and as they spotted him their eyes widened and both began shouting against their gags.

Oskar couldn't make out their muffled words.

He sheathed his sword and hurried over. Their stifled cries grew frantic and urgent. Oskar frowned, confused.

Then suddenly, a sharp steel edge pressed against his throat from behind, halting him mid-step.

"Not so fast," a voice hissed close to his ear.

He swiveled his eyes and saw a woman standing behind him, holding the dagger that was pressing against his neck.

"I've got all three of ye now," said Alice Brewer, her eyes flashing dangerously. "And I'm going to enjoy cutting ye all into pieces."