Page 17 of Shadowborne: Reckoning

“We’ll discuss that in a moment,” Donavyn leaned over the tabletop, his eyes blazing. “You’re going to explain, very quickly, what the fuck you were thinking giving access to our room to anyone else.”

Horace blinked, then looked over Donavyn’s shoulder at the room beyond before leaning closer himself and lowering his voice even further. “Sir… he’s an ally. He’s been near for weeks now, faithfully reporting back to our… family. He gave all the correct signals and…” Horace frowned. “Is he an imposter?”

“No,” Donavyn growled, his expression flat. “What he is, is not myself or my wife. Your instructions were explicit.”

“Sir,” Horace’s tone became placating. “I helped him because I knew you worked together. You’d always said if any ally called for you—”

“Called for me, yes. Giving him the key to my quarters? What if he’d been followed? What if he’d turned? My instructions to you were clear.”

“I am sincerely sorry if it was the wrong choice, but there was no malice, Lord Duran,” he said insistently. “It’s an error I will not make again.”

“It is an error, Horace. A grave error.”

Horace frowned. “Sir… should I not trust him? He gives the signals and knows the network—”

“That isn’t my concern,” Donavyn insisted. “I take no risks. When I say no one is to be given access, I mean no one. Ever. Do you understand?”

“Yes, of course. I won’t—”

“Horace, hear me.” Donavyn’s voice dropped to a deep, grave tone. “Do you remember the original instructions I gave you in the event of a breach?”

I stared between them as Horace’s face fell. “Yes. Yes, sir. I’m very sorry if—”

Donavyn dug into the bag at his side, but his eyes never left the innkeeper’s. “Remember our purpose,” he said, so quietly I almost didn’t hear him over the noise in the tavern on the other side of the wall. Then, as Horace nodded sadly, Donavyn surreptitiously slipped the paper across to him, then shot to his feet.

“I was assured you were better than this!” he snarled at the man, startling me with his apparent rage, leaning over the table to level a finger under the Innkeeper’s nose.

Horace, who had pocketed the message, also suddenly appeared red-faced angry, spluttered. “Our arrangement was—”

“Your arrangements are for shit. This establishment has benefited from my patronage for too long.”

Horace rose to his feet, pulling a cleaning rag from the back of his trousers and winding it around his hand as if he prepared to use it. “I would agree, Lord Duran. Far too long.”

“You’ll regret crossing me!” Donavyn bellowed.

“The good Lord be my witness, sir, I don’t believe I will!”

With a growl of displeasure, Donavyn grabbed my hand again and stormed from the room, dragging me with him, Horace calling taunts after him that drew the attention of all the men in the tavern, but only for moments, because Donavyn marched out the front door and into the street without looking back.

The moment the door closed behind us, he pulled me close to his side again, keeping us to the shadows and watching over his shoulder as we trotted down the street, slipping in and out of sight as much as we could.

‘What was that—?’ I started shakily, but Donavyn’s voice filled my head, solid, warm, and resolute.

‘Ruin knows every Shadowfang contact and safehouse in the City. He trusts Horace with messages—we all do—because Horace manages the network that sends runners between here and the king. I want everyone to know I’m not returning—that I have, in fact, burned that bridge. Horace was playing along, and he’ll be watching Ruin now, if Ruin returns.’

‘You think Ruin will come back?’

‘It depends how much he trusts his contacts who report on that little show. If nothing else, he’ll be back to see if he can find us. Now, he’ll have heard that we left in a flurry of anger and accusations, and with time he’ll learn we never returned. I want him continuing to trust Horace.’

I was relieved when we reached the bridge and Donavyn turned to lead me towards the city gates. Towards our dragons. ‘I’ll establish a new bolthole for us,’ he sent grimly. ‘Show it to you when it’s established and I’m certain it’s safe.’

‘But if he knows all the contacts—’

‘He knows the official Shadowfang contacts. But I’ve served in Fyrehold before. I have contacts of my own. Not so easily accessed, but safer under the circumstances. I just want to come back at a time I’m certain I’m not followed,’ he said with another glance over his shoulder.

‘You think he’s following us right now?’ I asked, looking back myself.

‘If he’s the mole, he’d absolutely follow—and one thing that bastard was always good at was hiding and sneaking. Like a fucking snake. If he doesn’t want us to see him, chances are, we won’t.’