Metal cans were opened with a hiss from offwork as smoke filled the room. Cards were set down on the table as soldiers drank and laughed. Women of ill repute were around, plying their trade.

All of this was in direct violation of Father's orders. So Father was going to kill all of these men before the day was out. Soldiers from Duke Letan and the Paladins of Lord Dunmoore had come in while they drank. These were veterans of the Khasmir campaign. He'd ordered all guards to report to him for duty, and some among them had.

The rest were here, drinking themselves into a stupor and making themselves vulnerable. When the attack came, there would be no time to react.

Ansara only prayed that none of the courtesans would be hurt. They didn't deserve to die because of these politics.

The disruption caused by House Atravain was exactly what they had been waiting for.

Now, they were starting to gather strength to secure the borders and really work at things. Knocking them out of complacency had damaged the Thieves Guild. Arrests of the worst offenders had been made, and Peter Bailey had become a heroic martyr—a man dying to save Antion.

Some spoke of giving him sainthood.

Luke Atravain and his friends were likewise hailed as heroes. All to distract from the fact that foreigners were running roughshod over them.

Well, Ansara was not going to let the crisis go to waste.

And if she started a fight here alone, Father could dismiss the action as covering for his stupid daughter. They hadn't talked about this, but she'd learned of their growing power and seen all the alcohol sent in.

Thus, her 'friendship' with Spinal.

The dream faded.

"I hate that woman," said Ansara.

"Who?" asked Spinal. "Ansara is living in a dream world, but she's not evil.

"I mean my Mother. She walked out on Father the second she realized he wouldn't let her run everything. She assumed he was a doormat and weak because he was generally useful and didn't speak much. The bitch thought that she'd be able to be Queen of Antion.

"But when Father proved to have authority, she abandoned us." Ansara halted. "Why are we doing this now?"

"Arkan has left," said Spinal. He's gone off for a business meeting with Tavish in Castle Blackfear. Tavish is cutting a deal with House Gabriel, and Rius is dead." Oh, good. Rius was dead.

Now, they could finally replace him with someone halfway decent.

"What about Lamech?" asked Ansara, thinking about him. "He was the demonic observer on the Thieves Council. Where is he?"

"In prison," said Spinal in amusement. "Dunmoore went rogue and threw him there. The two don't like one another." That is an understatement of the century.

"So he's on our side," said Ansara.

"Lamech killed off most of his Bretusian contacts," said Spinal. "The only ones left are Suran and Gavkin, and both of those are out of favor."

"So, what is Lamech doing here?" asked Ansara.

"Gabriel beat him in single combat for the Atravain sisters," said Spinal. "I guess they decided he'd outlived his usefulness. They gave her to Dunmoore as a peace offering. Dunmoore brought him here, and I got Lamech to the dungeons without anyone knowing.

"As of this moment, your Father can move completely unchecked. But we can't hold Lamech. The second Arkan gets back; he will spring him or have him killed."

"I know that beer came from the Demoration," said Ansara. "So it came from one of their backers. So how do they fit into this?"

"They do everything by proxy using people they have in their pocket," said Spinal. "Their main representative is a woman named Chun Xi. Sort of a minor Naminaen Goddess."

"Can they trust Chun Xi?" asked Ansara.

"They can't trust anyone," said Spinal. "But they don't have to. They have no skin in the game.

"If you are an important person in Harlenor, you are responsible. Important people in the Demoration are all about avoiding responsibility.

"Everything is a proxy of a proxy."

"Which we'll need to lure them here to kill them," said Ansara.

"One thing at a time," said Spinal. "We have to get information from Lamech, then set him loose. And you have to release him."

"Why?" asked Ansara.

"Because Lamech is one of Arkan's buddies," said Spinal. "One of the higher-ups.

"If he is killed, then Arkan will take it as a direct attack. He can't let you start executing people on his level, or he might be next. Back him into a corner, and he'll fight. You don't have the power to fight Arkan directly right now. You aren't ready.

"Now, your Father could release him. But if he did, then it would be a major show of weakness. If you, his stupid and naive daughter, did it while getting some information, Arkan would laugh it off. Everyone will be angry at you, but Bor won't look bad.

"We need Arkan to think you're still wearing a collar so you can savage him later. I need you as a front, and you need me as muscle."

"Good," said Ansara. "Today the thieves, tomorrow the Demoration."

Spinal paused. "Directly hitting the Demoration could be a bad idea. If you lose them a lot of money on purpose or kill off their CEOs, they will try to wipe you out. So a direct invasion might not be an option, but that hate losing money."

"I don't care," said Ansara. "Whatever this Demoration is, it has tried to control my nation.

"They have entered my home, appointed themselves the Supreme Lords of my country. And now they treat me as a spoiled brat because I dare to be unhappy with their behavior.

"These invaders must be taught a harsh lesson in the ways of Urishia Hospitality."

Urishia Hospitality did not exist.

The Clan had long operated from the shadows and never lived in any one place for long. If you accepted the hospitality of an Urishia, they had control of your house. And the Demoration had little understanding of how to use that control.

Spinal smiled for the first time, pleased she had read up on it. It wasn't exactly a nice smile; you wouldn't want to see it in a dark ally. "Perfect."

The journey to the dungeon took them by several abandoned and crumbling stairs. Going down a flight, they came to a door, and at it was a man in leather with a spear. Men could be heard playing dice further on.

"Hold where you are, Princess," said the guard. "This place is off-limits."

"By whose authority?" asked Spinal.

"Lamech," said the guard. "Who else?"

"He is a prisoner," said Ansara. "And no orders were given that he be given back his authority. He killed two paladins and attacked a scion of House Gabriel.

"Open this door."

"I don't obey your instructions, you stupid brat," said the guard. "You're family is out of power. Arkan has this place run now, and you don't have authority. So just go back to pretending you know what you're doing, you pathetic royal puppet.

"Lamech is running this place from his jail cell."

Spinal's sword lashed out and slashed his throat with one movement. The blood spattered from the wound in spurts. The man gurgled as he fell to the ground, and Nel grabbed his arm and drove a blade between his armpit into his heart.

Taking the key from the guard, he unlocked the door.

Inside, Ansara saw several guards lounging about. They stood up in shock. Lamech's armor was propped up on the wall, with his sword leaning there as well. It had reappeared there as though by magic. "What the..." They saw the body behind them.

"That man defied royal authority," said Spinal. "Out, now."

They looked and then filed out the door. So long as Ansara was judged toothless, they'd felt willing to look the other way. Now that she could kill and have support, they were not in a hurry to defy her. Criminals were a cowardly lot.

As the two moved past, Spinal slashed them across the throat in two quick strikes. Two more stabs finished them, and Ansara stared. "Why was that necessary?"

"The truce is off," said Spinal. "These men would have alerted people. Leaving them alive will see more coming down here."

Ansara found Lamech's cell and saw him sitting at the far end without a table, looking no less impressive. It was as though he were resting, but his glowing yellow eyes were wide open. And he was writing in a series of books with his quill. Somehow, he had gotten his armor and sword back. As though it were tied to him by power.

"Spinal," said Ansara. "I need a sword." Spinal gave her the dead guard's sword. Then he raised the blade he'd used. "It's important to me. It belonged to my Father."

Ansara took it, supposing it was understandable. They would not be able to see one another much after this was over. The door was almost opened.

"Good luck," said Spinal.

Ansara considered things. "Spinal, get your men and get rid of the guards to Lamech and Arkan. Give them one warning and order them out of the palace in my name. If they don't do it, kill them and say it is responding to an attempted coup by Lamech.

"I want everyone violating my Father's directives in this palace dead. Then, they track down the people they got their business from. I want Father to have that information."

"As you wish," said Spinal.

The door opened, and Ansara walked in to find Lamech still writing. "How did you subvert those men?"

"Arkan has long made preparations in case he has to stay the night in a cell," said Lamech, writing a last sentence. "All of the prison guards work for him. Royal orders wronged various individuals. Bitter and rebellious kinds.

"But, he could not prepare for me being imprisoned. Since they know I work for him, they won't let you do anything to me. However, you can simply say these men worked for me.

"Now that they are dead, they cannot counteract you."

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"If Arkan thought it was out of their character, he might know," said Ansara.

"He might suspect," said Lamech, finishing and putting down the book. "But he suspects a great deal. From his own angle, it would be far more likely that I planned this. Perhaps in conspiracy with Spinal?

"Think of me as a kind of infernal middleman. And their books are for you."

Ansara had no intention of asking just yet. Or going near him, and she tried to control her racing heart. "I'm told William caught you in your own trap."

"He did," said Lamech. "I wouldn't call him a rival, but he has graduated beyond mere irritation. I will enjoy killing him as a stepping stone to Dunmoore."

"That is your own affair," said Ansara. "But you can't do it if you're locked up."

"Are you going to release me?" asked Lamech.

"Lord Dunmoore wants you hung before Arkan gets back," said Ansara. "But he will defer to royal judgment. So my Father cannot release you without losing any credibility. But I don't have any credibility.

"But I think I have a better use for you, and I think you want to cause misery and horror for your fellows."

"...Go on," said Lamech.

"I need names and evidence," said Ansara. "Write down everything you know about every criminal operation, and I may release you."

"They're already done," said Lamech.

Ansara looked down in surprise. He'd started selling out his companions before he got the offer. He could have walked out of here at any time. "Why?"

"I have no love for my family," said Lamech. "The wheat has been grown. Everything is in place for the reaping."

"Good," said Ansara. "You will go to Castle Blackfear and hunt undead."

"And how will you compel me to do this?" asked Lamech.

"You have little choice," said Ansara. "Your goal lies in Harlenor. To the east is the Sea of Power. South is House Korlac, who are immensely efficient and will hang you in a heartbeat. You can't go back because Dunmoore will be hunting you.

"Your only other option is Seathorius, where you will be caught between all your enemies. And with you will be satyrs and allies of House Gabriel. The King's Road is well patrolled, and while you could slaughter the patrols, you'd draw a lot of attention. Blackfear, however, is dangerous and infested by vampires. So no one will care if you begin hunting people there.

"And since Arkan is there, it may allow you to murder him. If revenge is what you are after. I'm going to leave the cell open.

"You can do what you want. Just remember that if you harm any innocents on your way out, you'll be dead before you ever get there."

Stepping forward, she picked up the books, conscious that Lamech could kill her with one hand. Ansara backed out of the room slowly, then shut the door. Looking around, she couldn't see how he could have gotten the books. The guards wouldn't have had any. Then she saw the black man had broken the mortar on one wall.

"You had them hidden in the wall," said Ansara. "But why this cell?"

"They are in every cell," said Lamech. "Arkan is a thief. And there is no honor among thieves."

Ansara backed out of the cell as quickly as she could. Then she looked down the hall to see Lamech's armor and sword lying there. "I'm going to keep these.

"Your armor and sword are down that hall. Leave Antion now. If you stay, I'll hang you. I have more than enough reason.

"And if even a single name is a lie, and I will find out, you'll have it worse than a hanging."

"You're taking this very well," said Lamech as he stood up.

"House Gabriel is bringing order," said Anara. "What I need is chaos. Then, you can sew that chaos. No innocent deaths or this alliance is over."

Then she sprinted away in terror, stepping over the bodies. She rushed through the door and slammed it shut. Gasping to breathe, she put down the books and grabbed the key from the guard's belt. Locking it shut, she doubted it would stop Lamech. So she threw aside the sword and keys, picked up the books, and ran.

Ansara rushed out of the dungeons and into the old wing of the palace. Gasping for breath, she realized how terrified she had been. Stumbling on, she reflected that they could have maintained this crumbling mortar—at least, they could if it weren't for the officials who stole everything.

But now, she had what she needed.

So she raced off, and behind her, the door was kicked off its hinges in splinters. She ran blindly for a time and eventually came to Father's old office.

It was still well-furnished, and the bookcases were practically spilling. He'd read all of them a hundred times when he was young. In the old days, she'd lain on the floor reading while he read above. But she only came here very occasionally.

How old was Lamech?

It didn't matter. Prince Bor or one of the servants had kept this place maintained. Sitting down at the desk, she saw an open book. It was a history of crime and punishment in Antion. By precedent, to convict nobles, you needed at least four credible witnesses, either that or incriminating documents by their own hands.

One of the conditions of the Thieves Guild set up was that they had to keep a permenant record. Ansara had no idea if they followed the guides. But she had read the books. And quickly opened the desk that had long since been cleaned out. If a servant cleaned this place, they would not check the desk.

It would be suicide. Father would know.

So, Ansara opened the desk and piled the books into the empty case. Then, taking another, she read it. Lamech had a beautiful hand of writing, flowery and yet cruel. Reading through it, I saw that it was like a story. A terrible story of murder, deceit, and brutality, not the sort anyone would want to read.

He seemed to have been chronicling the murders and atrocities of the underground. The worst ones happened despite Arkan, and it seemed that Arkan removed the worst actors. Even so, the atrocities never stopped, and Lamech had personally been a part of many of them.

The account detailed how he smothered an old woman to death to take the money she had stolen from him. Next, he'd cut the throat of a thief who tried to steal a piece of bread from a street. Then he'd left him to bleed out. Arkan was his adopted Father.

Seriously?

They had never demonstrated any difference in their relationship from anyone else. It was a purely political arrangement. But to what end? Lamech seemed to have been very brutal and enforced on Arkan. He ruined men with expert finesse. He exposed their darkest secrets and destroyed their fortunes. From there, their families were made destitute.

All of them had done something to deserve it; Lamech always had a reason. These two men were poisoned because they broke a deal. It was horrifying and yet, in a terrible way, beautiful. She spent hours reading those dark and horrible times. She was watching the lives of sinners consumed one by one.

Including High Priest Cirithil's Father. He was a minor nobility of House Magnar, a distant cousin to Lord Caskav.

Not expecting any inheritance, Cirithil had opted to have his Father murdered. Then the will was changed. Money that would have gone to the church would have gone to buying himself. Yet the money listed here, meticulously chronicled, could not have been enough. So Cirithil was getting his money from somewhere else.

Hawkthorne would be the normal place to look, but he had no interest in the church. It didn't make a profit. Korlac hated Cirithil with a passion. House Gabriel's altercation proved there was no involvement. Even if William hadn't been around for the arrangement, he would surely have been given him as an ally. And Vanion would not have had the money for that until after he got Artarq.

And by all accounts, his spending had been used to improve the colony. Nobody had that kind of money to burn, especially on someone as useless as Cirithil. Vanion picked subordinates he could rely on and destroyed them. He was using Elranor as a tool for his own power. No, it was not him.

Atravain?

No, Kafka would have been High Priest if he hadn't been so insane. So clearly, there was no love lost there. Could Cirithil be involved in criminal activity? Looking back through the book, Ansara noted that she recognized a few names. Lamech killed a priest who had spoken out against corruption in the church. It had been for undercutting the authority of the healers' guild. Ansara had only heard that he had been murdered.

Cirithil had then used that death to justify handing control over to the Healer's Guild. Even as he invested in secret on the side into it with fortunes from investments in prostitution, he'd also put immense finances into the malas trade. After all, all semblance of performing his duties had faded. Could Lamech be his agent in all this?

No, Lamech was an agent of evil. Not an agent of Cirithil.

But Lamech's masters might benefit from Elranor's faith's destruction. Ansara had never exactly been religious, but she was disgusted by Cirithil's actions. Perhaps foreign demonic powers had rewarded him for disgracing his religion. Looking on, she began to pick out a thread.

It looked like Lamech had always had a good reason to help Cirithil without meeting with him. There was no payment record as if he wanted to propel him to a high place.

Many of these people were rich commoners. Lamech was deliberately destroying the commoners who might damage the noble class. Others were taken as slaves and thrown into prison. Tavish's operations were thus a kind of safety valve. To what end?

All of them had done an evil deed of some sort and directly crossed Lamech's interests. Yet each one had suffered a grisly fate; you could hardly help but feel sorry for them. There was a merchant named Lilas, who always seemed to be a buyer or seller without being involved. Ansara remembered he worked as a financier.

The Demoration, perhaps? There were mentions of several agents and contacts. But they were middlemen from other worlds. Bretus and Namina. She didn't know enough about them to guess. Spinal was not reliable.

Lamech wrote of someone named Chun Xi, who apparently operated a large number of brothels. Apparently, he had killed off several Bretusian merchants on her behalf. Though she insisted on clean kills. She was from Namina, yes? The Empire that claimed Ancient Namina had only been a colony.

Was it cover for some sort of takeover?

Both were part of a Demoration world but were not of the Demoration.

What was the goal here? Lamech didn't seem to be driving at anything but advancing interests at random by murder. He seemed to be more or less loyal to Tavish, whom he spoke of with respect. Yet that was likely just pragmatism since he needed a benefactor.

Or was the goal so simple that no one could see it? The total destruction of Antion as a nation. All of these actions could potentially destabilize the country. Alienating Bretus could lead to an invasion later. Helping foreign influence weakened their ability to project power. Propping up Cirithil discredited the faith.

Evil for its own sake.

He really had been doing it all out of simple spite.

Putting the book away, Ansara realized she was alone in a room with only one exit. The window was too high up to escape by. In a panic, she raced out of the door and returned to her room. Finding a servant girl sweeping there, Ansara tapped her on the shoulder.

"Yes?" said the girl. "Princess Ansara?"

"I want you to go out and start a rumor that John Korlac has been called to take control of Antion," said Ansara. "Get the others to do it too. I want to hear people talking about it from the balconies.

"Go at once."

"Yes, milady," said the girl.

And she raced off, pausing only to put the broom away. Father would notice the disruption to the servants. And if the rumor was spread, it might disrupt Arkan's business. It would also throw him off the scent.

What now?

Well, the books were useless on their own. Even so, they confirmed much of what Spinal had said. Lamech made a note of Xan Corp at several points as a supplier, yet he seemed to regard them as demonic puppets. A person like Lamech would know.

But which demon?

But, if she could be another witness with as much knowledge, she could use that. It could be enough to force Tavish and Arkan to give them their people; then House Korlac could clean up this place.

Obviously, many of those responsible would get off, but Ansara was responsible in a way too.

But what if someone found those books? She might well have been. So she kneeled in her room and prayed. "Elranor, I don't like talking to you. But if those books are found, Antion will be owned by Thieves Forever.

"This is your holy city.

"Start acting like it. And don't let anyone get those books until the time is right."

It was all she could think to say. They'd been left high and dry while the knights were off having the time of their lives. It was taken for granted that Prince Bor was a nobody. But nobody had seen him hunched over a desk, measuring everything. He, at least, had never taken bribes.

He, at least, had never socialized with the slime of this city.

House Gabriel had mocked him by expressing public sentiment in William's books. The casual dismissal of him as an explanation to a Goddess. It had riled Ansara, yet it had finally driven her into action. She'd vowed then that she would not let it end there, with her as a mere bargaining chip.

Perhaps she should thank William.

Then again, if things didn't go well, she and her Father would soon be dead. So, what she owed him was up for debate. She only hoped she could fix this without selling her birthright as a reward to a Chosen One.

It was time for her to begin practicing with her sword.

The next encounter with Lamech would not be so easy.

So, how did she handle this? Well, William always recorded his adventures; Jaina had made that clear. So he'd compile it when he got back home. If she wrote all this down and sent an account to him, they could use it to force the nobles into line. If even a fraction of what had been done here got out, it would discredit their entire government.

Yet the mere presence of it would be valuable.

Vanion knew not to release such a thing, but he already had the information. By sending her account, it could help salvage her own reputation in case it leaks. And it might give Father some bargaining power.

It wasn't as if anyone in House Gabriel was ruthless and mad enough to release the documentation. Rusara would never do it, and Raynald always deferred to Vanion's wishes. But, even without that, his advancement required the good graces of House De Chevlon.

Only House De Chevlon hated him. His own generation had mistreated him, and his success only brought him jealousy. Saphra De Chevlon might have been Baroness but was a puppet, only in charge of slaves. She and Raynald would make a logical alliance. A political marriage between William and her would be smart.

No, Raynald would never go behind Vanion's back like that. They were completely loyal to one another; everyone agreed on that. And there was no good reason to do it since there were other means to revenge.

But if Raynald were to end up in charge of Artarq, and he were given reason to believe House Gabriel might be destroyed before they got back...

Raynald would release the books as a parting shot.

If he thought House Gabriel had been destroyed or even betrayed while off in some other business, he'd do it. But Vanion was conservative, and William quite competent. So, what sequence of events could warrant the entire house leaving the colony?

Nothing Ansara could think of.

And she had to take the gamble. So she wrote it all down and hoped no one would be stupid enough to corner the rattlesnake. Who was she fooling? They would.

By the end of the day, the palace guard was purged. First, Prince Bor rotated in prepared replacements. Then he cited fear that his daughter might come to harm.

The cage was broken.

Now came the plans for revenge.