“I’m looking for theaþaswerewho deals with Queen Meara.”
Athgar screwed up his face. “That won’t be easy. She has a number of us she contracts with.”
Of course, she did. Why would her mother make this easy on anyone?
“This would be an olderaþaswere. Back when she made her deal with the Licordians.”
Placing Masakage’s saddle on a rail, Athgar let out a low whistle. “Start at the tavern. They might know. But anaþaswerethat old will take some time to find.”
“Always do.”
Again, Athgar laughed. “True…and I should probably let you know something.”
“What?”
“There’s a contract out on your life.”
Gisela widened her eyes.
But those words didn’t faze Xaydin at all. “What else is new?”
“Still, be careful. The High Guard is due in any moment. They’ll be doing their usual sweep.”
“High Guard?” she asked.
Xaydin passed her a less than pleased grimace. “They patrol the kingdom, looking for those who don’t belong here.”
“And if they find you?”
“They’ll do their best to kill me on sight.”
She nodded. “Good to know. Same for us?”
“No. They usually escort foreigners off their shores. Besides, you’re here to help guard anaþaswere, and him…” Xaydin smiled as he looked at his brother. “As I said, he’s just along for the ride…like a bad canker sore.”
Gisela had to bite back a laugh at the offended look on Masakage’s face. She should be appalled, but it was a very unexpected comment.
Athgar said nothing as they left him and headed down the dirt street to the largest building in town. It was four to five times bigger than any other structure.
“Why’s the tavern so huge?” she asked.
“This is where most contracts are made. Someaþaswerecan be summoned, as is the case with the one we’re seeking who went to Licordia to make the contract decades ago, but most stay here. So if you want a contract, you have to come to them to create it so that they don’t have to risk travel.”
“Really?”
“Safety in numbers. They don’t like venturing out into the world where they don’t blend and are easily identified. Tends to make them targets for those wanting to break a contract they might be holding. Here, it takes a skilled tracker to figure out who is who.”
“Which is what you’re good at, I take it?”
“Exactly. And it makes me an easy target as they will be sending word out to the demon I’m after and summoning those who want to kill me.”
That made sense to her and terrified her. “So that he can go into hiding.”
“No. So that he can find friends and come hunt me.” He stopped and turned to face her. “You asked how I found them. I don’t have to look. Athgar is sending word, right now, to the demon I seek. All we have to do is wait and they’ll assault us in the tavern. Or outside it when we leave.”
She wanted to say it was cheating. But given the fact that he’d just summonedaþaswereassassins after him, how could she? It was a bold move.
“And this always works for you?”
