“I’ve met him a few times,” Justin offered. “Gave off the usual greedy businessman vibes. However, Marbrey has shown me I don’t have the best instincts about people.”
Oss gave me a raised eyebrow stare.
Magistrate. I mouthed at him.
He nodded.
“He will be on a trip tomorrow?” I confirmed.
“Yes,” Affie replied. His gaze floated around the room as if taking in everything and nothing. ”Go in the morning, it will be safer then. No one expects you to come early.”
“Will he take any of them with him?” No sense in waiting if the one we wanted to rescue vanished overnight.
“No, the baby is too young. He will be kept for training,” Affie replied.
“What kind of training?” Justin was a braver soul than I to ask such a question.
“Mostly domestic,” Affie said.
I’m almost certain I didn’t want to know what the non-household servants were doing.
Justin folded his arms and regarded Affie with a steady gaze. Affie didn’t stare back. A crack in the floor had captured his attention. He gave up after a few minutes of Affie ignoring him. “We will prepare today and be ready to rescue in the morning.”
“They are kept here.” Affie handed Oss a piece of paper.
I tried not to look surprised that he could write.
“Thank you,” Oss said, accepting the offering.
Affie nodded. Not saying another word, he walked away. The door slammed shut a few minutes later.
“Do you think he’ll be alright?” I couldn’t help asking.
“I doubt it, but you know he won’t accept any help,” Oss said.
I couldn’t deny Oss’s words. Affie had an odd morality. He would only accept trade for trade. It didn’t have to be even trades as long as both parties agreed.
“How is he going to be a High Lock Lord if he can’t speak a lucid sentence,” Justin scoffed.
I scowled at my lover. “Affie sees more and understands more than you think. He has visions that scramble his brain. It isn’t his fault.” Unreasoning anger pulsed through me even though Justin didn’t say anything I hadn’t thought myself.
“I think this is a warehouse,” Thorne said, glancing at the paper over Oss’s shoulder.
Oss read out the address, and Justin nodded. “It is.”
“I’ll have one of my street kids keep an eye out. They can tell us when there aren’t any guards,” Oss said.
“Good idea,” I agreed. I had been certain the magistrate was responsible. For so long, he had been the source of all the negative parts of the city. I’d feel worse for blaming him if he wasn’t scum. “Why would the magistrate want to call off the search for Justin’s baby if he isn’t involved?”
“Affie didn’t say he wasn’t involved, only that Vahagn was in charge. The magistrate can still be getting kickbacks or something for looking the other way,” Oss said.
“True.” Affie’s logic sometimes went in a twisty-turvy direction.
“Well, I’m off to find some spies,” Oss said in a cheery voice.
Thorne watched him, longing in his eyes. It almost physically hurt to watch him pine.
Oss kissed Thorne’s cheek. “I’ll be back soon. Then we can plot out how we’re going to do this.”
