Damien, Jen, and Marie-Bell hovered over a small village named Shadows in the East, the third location described in the ledger. The second had turned out to be an abandoned hunting shack twenty miles from anything resembling civilization. There wasn’t any sign of cultists or guardians. The only living things in the vicinity were a pair of perfectly ordinary squirrels that growled at them from the branches of an old oak. If anyone had used that place for a meeting it was many generations ago.

“I know this place,” Jen leaned over the rail for a better look at the village. “My squad came here with Master Shen to fight soul force eaters and red scales.”

Damien had just been thinking this might be another bust, but if those monsters had been here they must have had a reason. It wouldn’t be unusual for a cult hideout to have monsters like that for guards.

Damien turned to Marie-Bell. “Do you sense anything?”

“No, but we’re still quite high. Perhaps something will stick out when we land.”

They descended to the town square, drawing looks from the few people out and about that morning. Damien waved at a little girl who ducked behind her mother’s skirt.

“You’re the one who’s been here before,” Damien said. “Want to lead the way?”

Jen nodded and strode toward the town hall. Hopefully the mayor or militia captain would know if anything strange was happening. Since they didn’t have a particular target in this town it probably wouldn’t do much good to check the inns and taverns, but depending on what the officials had to say it might be worth showing Smyth’s image around.

“Do you want me to check auras as well?” Marie-Bell asked.

“Please,” Damien said. “You were a huge help with that earlier.”

She lit up when he offered the compliment. Damien had a hard time believing she was older than him. When he interacted with her, Marie-Bell gave off the impression of a much younger person.

“Who should I check?”

Damien grinned. “Everyone.”

Though it was early the town hall doors stood open for the day’s business. Damien glanced around as he followed his sister down a hall lined with paintings. He kept his sorcerous senses fully awake and as sharp as he could make them. He didn’t intend to miss anything this time. The hall ended in an open set of double doors guarded by a pair of men armed with smooth clubs.

One of the guards, an emaciated fellow with lank brown hair, blocked their way. “The mayor isn’t seeing anyone until the meeting begins at nine. You’re going to have to wait.”

“We’re here on crown business,” Jen said. “And it won’t wait.”

The guard licked his front teeth as he thought. Finally he turned to his companion. “Go see if the mayor will see these… Say, who are you people anyway?”

The flow of soul force in Jen’s body surged an instant before she grabbed the guard by the tunic and lifted him off the ground with one hand. “I’m Jennifer St. Cloud. This is my brother Damien, apprentice to the archmage. The young woman behind him is Marie-Bell, a paladin of the fortress. Impress on your master that we are not of a mind to wait.”

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Frantic now, the skinny guard waved at his companion. “Why are you still here? Go get the mayor. Now!”

“Thank you.” Jen set the first guard back on his feet as the second ran for a door set a little ways to the side of a raised chair, stumbling over one of the benches filling the chamber in his haste. Looking at that elevated seat one might almost think the mayor had pretensions to a throne, but of course he’d never admit that.

The messenger rapped on the door and when it opened he spoke with whoever waited on the other side. The young man nodded then waved them over. The three of them walked across the room and when they arrived the door opened the rest of the way revealing a heavyset man with dark eyes and a weary bearing.

“Come on in.” He stepped out of the doorway.

They entered a small office dominated by a large desk and three chairs. The mayor moved behind the table and slumped in his seat. “I’m going to have to get another seat in here.”

Damien waved the ladies to the two chairs already present then conjured a third for himself. When she brushed past him Marie-Bell whispered, “Evil,” and nodded to the mayor.

Damien raised an eyebrow prompting a slight nod from the paladin. So, maybe they’d found their cultist. Hopefully he wasn’t just an especially corrupt official. Damien wouldn’t mention anything for now. It would be interesting to see what the mayor had to say for himself if he didn’t know they were on to him. Damien sat in his conjured chair and slipped the lie block into the mayor’s mind. He’d done it so many times now it took almost no effort.

The mayor sat up and adjusted his collar. “Well, this is certainly our week for visiting sorcerers. How can I help you?”

“What other sorcerers have visited?” Damien asked.

“I only knew Master Shen. With him were a young man and perhaps the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. The woman wasn’t inclined to introduce herself.”

“That would be Imogen, she’s an acquaintance of mine. What did they want?” Damien asked.

“They were looking for a sorcerer who passed through here a few weeks ago. I’m afraid I wasn’t much help.”

“Perhaps you can be of more help to us,” Jen said. “Has anything unusual happened lately in the vicinity? We have reliable information that the Cult of the Horned One is active in this region.”

The mayor flinched. Was it just a natural reaction or did he know something?

“No one has said anything to me about any unusual activity. This is a quiet community. Little of interest happens here.”

“Are you a member of the cult?” Damien asked.

“Of course n…Agh.” The mayor grabbed his throat and stared at Damien.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Damien conjured bindings around the mayor’s chest so he couldn’t get out of the chair.

“Help!” A gag appeared, but too late.

The door burst open and the two guards stared from the mayor to Damien’s group. Their moment of confusion allowed Jen to accelerate to warlord speed and knock them both unconscious. She dragged them inside and shut the door.

“Getting crowded in here,” Jen said as she sat back down.

Marie-Bell hadn’t even managed to get out of her chair before the confrontation ended. “The guards aren’t evil.”

“Just a pair of unlucky guys trying to do their jobs for someone they had no idea didn’t deserve their protection.” Damien conjured a sound barrier, something he should have done the moment the door closed, and removed the mayor’s gag. “Now where were we?”

The mayor licked his lips, his gaze going everywhere except to the three angry people staring at him. When he’d gathered his nerve the mayor said, “Okay, I’m a member, but it’s not what you think. I never killed anyone. The organization has changed. We’re not butchers like the old timers. It’s more of an information network. A lot of trade goods pass through here. I send information to my superiors in Port Valcane which they use to buy and sell goods to make the maximum profit. I get a cut of every deal. It’s easy coin.”

Damien leaned forward. “That’s all you do?”

“Ye…Agh.”

Damien shook his head. “Did you not notice you can’t lie to me?”

“All right. I don’t just send information about trade goods. I also tell them about people of interest passing through town.”

Damien’s fist clenched. “Did you pass along any information about Imogen and her team?”

“Yes.”

“Son of a bitch! If anything’s happened to them I’ll see you hang in the town square.”

“Please. It’s not my fault. I only provide information.”

“In that case.” Jen put her hands on his desk and smiled an evil smile. “You can provide us with a little information. For example the names and locations of your superiors and any other cult members you know about.”