“I assume you have what we asked for.” The elf woman’s lips curled with disdain.
One-ear jerked his head at his companion, who removed a rolled-up piece of parchment from his satchel and handed it to the elf. As she unfurled it, her dark, pupilless eyes scoured it. When she finished, she rolled it back up, and with a twist of her wrist, it disappeared into thin air. Liane’s jaw dropped. Then it was true; the elves still possessed magic.
“Your price.” The elf handed him a small satchel.
He opened it, and golden stardust glimmered like fallen stars.This was it, the missing piece of the puzzle. Stardust must be corrupted magic, and the elves were delivering it to scum like the Onyx Gang to sicken the population. But why risk their own lives, for geld? It seemed unlikely. Perhaps this was part of some bigger scheme to destroy humanity…
“We agreed to twice as much,” One-ear said.
“As we said last time. We cannot provide what you are asking; the harvest cannot be rushed.”
“If you don’t deliver, perhaps I pay a visit to the royal army?”
“The deal does not change. No matter what threats you make.”
“Are you trying to con us?”
“We have what we want. If you are unsatisfied, then our business can end here.”The elf turned to walk away.
Dagger in hand, One-ear rushed the elf woman. But before he reached her, a bloody gash opened his stomach, and a crimson stain spread across his greasy tunic. Liane hadn’t seen her move. One-ear staggered to his knees; his dagger slid uselessly from his fingers. Meanwhile, his companion turned to run, but two elves blocked his path. He turned to run in the other direction, but a shadow pierced him through his back to the front, blood dripping from the ebony tip. Jerking her hand backward, the elf removed the shadow blade, which dissipated like mist. The smuggler collapsed onto the ground, and a dark pool of blood spread out around him. Gasping, Liane clapped her hand over her mouth, and an elf peered in their direction. Ludwig yanked her down beneath the windowsill, clamping his hand over her mouth and his own. She dared not move, dared not breathe.
“It isn’t wise to spill blood on sacred ground,” an elf said.
“He broke our accords first; it had to be done,” the elf woman said.
“Did you hear something? I don’t think they were alone...” a third elf said.
Footsteps approached, and her heart thundered in her ears. Liane feared it would betray them. With shaking hands, she fumbled for the small dagger strapped to her thigh. After seeing their speed and precision, she felt less confident in her ability. Gravel skittered as Ludwig crouched, rapier drawn and a determined glint in his eyes.
“Leave it, Elyon. We should be away before sunrise.”
The steps retreated.
They sat frozen for a long while, neither moving nor talking. After a while, Ludwig stood up enough to peek past the vines and then went to investigate, leaving Liane alone in the shadows. Her knees were drawn up to her chest, and she shook uncontrollably. A few minutes later, Ludwig returned, his fingers bloody. Liane stared at his stained digits in mute horror.
“Are you hurt?” she croaked.
Ludwig shook his head. “They’re both dead.”
He’d gone to check for survivors, while she trembled in fear. Shamed at her own cowardice, Liane stood without taking the hand Ludwig offered, partially because the thought of touching blood made her skin crawl. A stone settled in the pit of her stomach. She thought finding the smugglers would solve all her problems, but instead, she’d uncovered something much more dangerous.
“What do you think the Onyx Gang gave them?” Liane asked in a hushed tone. The elves might still be nearby.
“Nothing good. We need to tell the Midnight Guard.”
“And how do we explain it to them?” Liane asked.
“Elves are in the heart of Neolyra; I think that’s more important than being caught where we don’t belong.” Ludwig’s voice was harsh and echoed off the stone. The torch he held cast long shadows across his face and turned his expression menacing.
They’d been through a lot in the years since Elias passed, and he’d never once raised his voice. But she knew Ludwig, and he was as scared as she was. These weren’t petty criminals. These were elves, a threat to life as they knew it. Whatever they were plotting, it went beyond them; it was bigger than her vengeance. But thinking of handing information over to the Midnight Guard and doing nothing felt wrong as well. Elias deserved justice, and if she let go, she feared he’d be forgotten.
“We can fig—”
Shadows moved at the periphery of her vision, and Ludwig stood in front of her, rapier drawn and his stance wide. Grasping her dagger tighter, she watched as half a dozen figures stepped closer. Gold bands on their arms flashed in the crescent of moonlight: Midnight Guards.
“Stand down,” they ordered Ludwig.
Ludwig lowered his weapon and looked at her. It seemed the choice had been made for her.
