“It’s always been the Shabah way, Prima. But we can discuss the specifics in a moment. Right now, I’d like to further acquaint myself with your newest coven member.”I turn to the Sister, who is watching our exchange with fascination.
She meets my gaze with a challenging expression. “What would you like to know?”
“Perhaps we can start with your name. I find it so much easier to discuss business after introductions are made.” This is a bold-faced lie. It’s more practical to know as little unnecessary information as possible about a target. They’re less likely to be seen as a person, increasing the odds of a successful mission. Based on her expression, I can tell Prima Alicia knows this. She’s far too astute for my liking.
The visitor smirks, perhaps aware of that fact as well, giving me more information about her than she’d like. “I’m Sister Solène, formerly chief librarian at the University of Hap.” She tucks her hands into the folds of her robe. Is it nerves, or is she reaching for a weapon?
“Hap is so… Hapian, isn’t it?” There’s no way this woman is from Hap. I twirl a dagger and gesture to her with it. “From your accent, I’d say you’re recently from Secours, but not originally. You’ve been there for many years though. However, your use of contractions gives you away, and your accent hints at native Bostonian. From Earth.” She visibly pales. “So definitely not native to Amagi. What brings you to Amal? Are you running from something or were you sent?”
She watches my blades whirl in my hands, visibly losing some of her confidence. Her gaze flicks to the door. Definitely not a professional spy. But maybe sent here for that purpose anyway. She’s assessing me just as carefully,searching for tells. Does she think I would really announce my intent accidentally?
“Why is that important?” She gets some credit for mostly controlling her reactions. Her voice remains steady, not betraying her obvious unease, though she edges across the room, trying to maneuver closer to the door.
“Purely my own curiosity getting the better of me.” There’s no need to mention Kenji. I flash her a cheeky grin. “ShouldIanswer for you?” She motions for me to go on. “I believe you’re exiled here as punishment for a poor choice of allegiance. Possibly to limit the damage you can do to your house, now that Cosimo Vitorio is dead.” The flash of anger and fear confirms my suspicions. Her eyes telegraph her intent before her hands move from the folds of her robe and she crouches into a fighting stance. Lamp light glints off the twin daggers gripped tightly in her fists.
Without acknowledging Sister Solène’s aggression, I address Prima Alicia, gesturing with one of my knives toward the far corner of the room, where she’ll be out of the way but still in my line of sight. “Prima, please move over there for your own safety. I don’t want you to get injured by a stray blade. There’s a lot to discuss after my business with Sister Solène is concluded.” I settle into a ready stance, weight balanced on the balls of my feet, and wait.
Prima Alicia leaps for the exit, and I throw a warning dagger in her direction. I intentionally miss, but it’s close enough to make the fabric of her cowl flutter. The blade buries itself in the wall with a satisfyingthunk, making her freeze.
I shake my head, but my eyes never leave Sister Solène. “Prima, carefully hand me the dagger. Don’t touch the blade. I’d hate for you to cut yourself.” Rage pours from her as she yanks the blade from the wall and carefully places it in my hand, hilt first. I wave her to the corner again, and she reluctantly goes as requested. Now I can focus my full attention on the adversary in front of me. “Sister Solène, do you really think that drawing blades against me is a good idea?”
She snarls and lunges, aiming for my chest. “Why do you care? You’re going to kill me anyway, aren’t you?” I sidestep her attack easily and slice a clean line into her forearm. With a gasp, she drops her knife but springs for the door, wrenching it open as blood wells from the gash. She flees into the hall, and I make no move to follow. Instead, I grin at Prima Alicia and count down on my fingers. “Three, two, one.” There’s an audiblethudon the flagstone floor in the hall. As Prima Alicia moves to leave, I point a dagger at her chest and step toward her. “If you’re as smart as you think you are, you’ll stay put.” She blanches and backs away.
I sheath my blades and grin exuberantly at her as I walk into the hall and assess the crumpled form of Sister Solène. Stepping over her, I check her pulse. There’s a feeble beat, so I grab her by the arm and drag her back into the small room. Once we’re safely inside, I kick the door closed and let go of her, allowing her head to crack against the flagstones before turning my attention to Prima Alicia. I gesture for her to take a seat at the small table. She complies,unable to take her eyes from the prone body on the floor. “What is wrong with her?”
“Poison.” I can’t help the swell of pride. “One of my special blends.” I wave at Solène. “The twitching’s a side effect of the elamore. She’ll be with us until the dusk root takes full effect and paralyzes her lungs. Then the spasms will stop.” I consider that. “Well, everything will stop. I can’t have her yelling.”
Prima Alicia stares in shock at the dying woman on the floor, and I lose my patience. “Prima, please pay attention. This isn’t your first dead body, and we have things to discuss.” I wait for her to look me in the eye. “Being a member of the coven grants unfettered access to otherwise inaccessible areas of Amagian society. I need that access. You’re going to help me.”
Her gaze flicks back to the now still and glassy-eyed body of Solène, and she sits up straighter, skewering me with a glare. “I will not help you murder anyone else.”
I bark out a laugh. “You haven’t helped me murder anyoneyet.” If looks could kill, I would be dead. Painfully so. “Seriously, Prima, why would I ask you to help me kill anyone? You’re not an assassin.” I lean back in my chair. “I’ll be doing the killing. You’ll help by confirming my story when I assume the identity of Sister Solène.”
Prima Alicia snorts. “You are a man. How will you assume her identity? And you will be recognized by your former associates.”
“It’s true, I’d immediately be recognized should any of them see me. Or hear me, for that matter. Luckily, I’m incredibly talented at cloaking spells, in addition to beingintelligent. Which is why, as of this moment, Sister Solène is serving a self-imposed penance of an indefinite length of time. She’ll only be seen with her head and face covered.” I’m quite pleased with my plan. “And she’s taken a vow of silence and will only communicate in writing. Also, she prefers to work and eat alone as a reminder of her poor choice of friends in Hap.”
“It seems that you have things planned out. Why do you need me?” Prima Alicia tries to put up a brave front, but I can see her façade crumbling.
“You’re the facilitator. You’ll explain this story to the coven members and anyone else who needs to hear it. You’ll also be an alibi if needed.” The various emotions playing across Prima Alicia’s face give me great satisfaction. “When I need entry to certain areas where the Segnature Coven can go, but Zayd al-Qadir can’t, you’ll find a way to give me access.”
“And why would I do this?” She already knows the answer, but she obviously needs to hear me say it.
“Any number of reasons. In the spirit of cooperation? Though I doubt anything so sentimental will sway you.” I place the dagger on the table. “Perhaps motivation on a more personal level, then. It’d be so easy for me to slit your wrists right here and watch your life bleed from your veins. Or maybe the less conspicuous but ever popular poisoning of your food, when you least expect it.” I continue in a conversational tone. “There are so many fun poisons to choose from. My personal favorite is Wraith’s Whisper. It’s not difficult to come by, though gathering enough bugs to make the oil is a bit of a pain. The results are worthit, though. After ingesting, the victim appears to suffer an innocent heart attack.” I hold her gaze. “Meaning no one would be the wiser.”
I pick up the dagger and sheathe it. “Give it some thought, Prima. I can wait. But not for long.” I sit quietly, very still, my eyes never leaving hers.
Her shoulders slump, and she takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “Since I have no choice in the matter, I suppose I must agree to your terms.”
There’s fear in her eyes, though she tries to mask it with a glare, and I offer her a token for her cooperation. “How about I sweeten the deal for you? Any assets I acquire while posing as Sister Solène will be sent here to the Segnature Coven, for you to do with as you see fit. Feed some poor, give work to the non-magical, or line your own pockets. I don’t need it, and don’t care what you do with it.”
I watch as she mentally struggles for several more minutes before she squares her shoulders and meets my gaze. “Fine. Am I to assume that this arrangement begins now?”
“Yes. I’ll take care of that.” I gesture in the direction of the corpse. “You should return to your chamber as if nothing’s out of the ordinary. In the morning, when everyone else is going about their day, you’ll tell them all that Sister Solène arrived and is keeping to herself, filling in the details as we’ve discussed. I’ll come and go as needed, posing as Sister Solène. As we’re a similar size, I’ll use herrobes once I clean them. When I require your assistance, I’ll contact you.” I stand and take the travel cloak from the bed and throw it over my arm before lifting her dead body from the floor. Prima Alicia flips the cape over the body and opens the door. She exits ahead of me, moving left down the hall, deeper into the coven living quarters. I slip out of the room, heading to the right, back through the offering circle, and out of the building through the rear door, disappearing into the early-morning darkness.
Chapter 26
A Stroll Through the Market
