“Can’t say I do,” Mostil said blandly. “Why do youask?”
Wellion scratched the top of his head, and Calrain hid a smile. There was no doubt about it now—this was definitely the man they had been searching for. “He is a person of interest in this investigation,” Calrain said, rising from his chair. “But it seems no matter how many victims we ask, no one seems to know of him. He’s quite tricky.” He stood up. “Thank you again for answering our questions, Mr. Harcan. We are very grateful for yourtime.”
“You are very welcome,” Mostil said slowly. There was a glint in his eyes as he held Calrain’s gaze, one that sent a shiver of unease down hisspine.
“Good day, then.” Calrain moved toward the door, and Wellion followed behind him. They were nearly out of the room when a large man wearing leathers stepped into the doorway, filling up the entire space with his bulk. He was a good head taller than Calrain, who was not short by any means, and a sword hung at his hip in addition to three daggers strapped in variousplaces.
“I wonder,” Mostil drawled from behind them, “were you scratching your head because that wig you’re wearing is itchy,Wellion?”
Calrain froze, the back of his neck prickling. He and Wellion turned around slowly to face Mostil, who smirked atthem.
“I knew I should have gone for the purple wig,” Wellion said, ripping off the fake hair and mustache and tossing them on the ground. “What gave meaway?”
“Those infernal eyes of yours,” Mostil said. He rose from his chair slowly, like a man who had all the time in the world and nowhere important to be. “Did you think I wouldn’t know my brother had hired people to look into me? Of course, I didn’t know it would be you,” he added with a chuckle. “You should never have come here. If you had stayed away, I would have continued to believe you weredead.”
“So you are Lord M, then,” Calrain said. More men filed into the room, bulky mercenaries armed to the teeth, and he swallowed hard. “Were you really intending to kill your brother just so you could have hisfortune?”
“Of course not!” Mostil pressed a hand to his heart, as though scandalized. “I merely withheld payment for Raffis’s ransom. After all, he has never shared a copper more with me than what was out of obligation,” he said. “So why should I do the same for him? Besides, I would be far better at managing his fortune, and once the bandits killed him for non-payment, it would come into myhands.”
“A genius plan,” Wellion said dryly. “Except that it all went wrong when the king sent a regiment knocking on my father’sdoor.”
“Yes, well, that was a rather unexpected development,” Mostil admitted. “Which is why I had those books planted in my brother’s study. Alas, I had not expected him to hire one of the very same bandits who had kidnapped him to come looking for me. Really, what am I to do withyou?”
“You could let us go,” Wellionoffered.
“I think not.” Mostil snapped his fingers and the mercenaries closed ranks around them. “Lock these two up in the attic, and make sure to tie them up. I don’t want them escaping while I’m at mymeeting.”
“You sure you wouldn’t rather kill them now?” one of the mercenaries asked as Calrain’s and Wellion’s hands were yanked behind their backs. Calrain gritted his teeth as they were roughly patted down and relieved of theirweapons.
“Tempting, but I have learned to never commit murder in my own home, and I don’t have time to drag them elsewhere right now.” Mostil winked at Wellion as he struggled against his bonds. “I’ll be back for yousoon.”
Calrain’s heart hammered frantically as he and Wellion were forced up to the third floor and into a dusty attic filled with boxes and old furniture. They were unceremoniously shoved face-first into the ground. The door slammed behind them, followed by a loud click as the bolt slid intoplace.
“Bloody fantastic,” Wellion growled, struggling to his feet. “I could use my magic to get that door open, but then we’d have to fight our way out, which will be difficult with this blasted rope aroundus.”
“I think I have a better idea,” Calrain said. He sucked in a deep breath, then strained against the ropes with all hismight.
“That’s not going to—” Wellion began, and then the ropes burst free, scattering all around Calrain. “How the bloody hell did you dothat?”
“Enhanced strength.” Calrain grinned. He rifled through the boxes until he found a dull rod, then wedged it behind Wellion’s back and pulled. The ropes frayed, then burst apart, and Wellion jumped to hisfeet.
“Quickly,” Wellion said, rushing toward the window on the other side of the room. Grunting, he forced it open with brute strength, then wiggled through theopening.
“Come on,” Wellion called from outside. He held a hand out to Calrain, who took a breath to steady himself before grasping it. Wellion pulled him onto the roof, and Calrain’s blood froze as he looked out at the city, realizing how high theywere.
“This is madness!” he snapped as Wellion tried to tug him forward. “This roof is far too steep for us to safelyclimb.”
“We don’t have a choice!” Wellion scowled. “Without weapons, we have no chance of fighting our way out of here, and the only other alternative is waiting for Mostil to come back and slaughterus!”
“Fine,” Calrain grumbled. He stepped onto the narrow ledge, holding his breath. Part of him was tempted to grab onto Wellion’s tunic belt for support, but he knew the bandit would mock him about it later, so he gritted his teeth and carefully put one foot in front of theother.
“We just need to get to the other side,” Wellion called. “There’s a building with a flat roof we can jump to fromthere—”
A sudden gust of wind blindsided Calrain, and his foot slipped off the ledge. The clay tile it landed on broke, and he cried out as he slid down the side of the roof, heading straight for theedge.
“Dammit!” Wellion cried, lunging forward. He managed to grab Calrain by the wrist, but he did not have enough purchase on the ledge and ended up tumbling with him. Calrain screamed as he flew over the edge…only to come to an abrupt stop as Wellion grabbed the lip of the roof just intime.
“Hold on!” Wellion yelled. His face turned red with strain, and he struggled to maintain his grip and pull Calrain up at the same time. “I’ve gotyou.”
Calrain shook his head. “You’re not strong enough to pull me up,” he called. Swallowing hard, he glanced toward the ground, a good thirty feet below. “I have to letgo.”
“No, damn you,” Wellion growled. He tried to tighten his grip on Calrain’s hand, but he was already slipping, his palm too sweaty to hold on. “Tariel will never forgive me if I let youdie!”
Calrain smiled. “And she’ll never forgive me if I take you with me. Take care of her for me, willyou?”
“No!” Wellion roared, his eyes wide with pain and shock as Calrain let go. Calrain watched the former bandit rapidly disappear from view as he hurtled to the ground, and strangely, even knowing death was at hand, he was at peace. He had solved the mystery behind Lord Raffis’s kidnapping, escaped his old life, and gone on grand adventures with the woman heloved.
I only wish I could have seen the Empire,he thought ruefully. And then he closed his eyes and waited for death to takehim.
