“Nessa!”
Kint opened his eyes, shooting up in a foreign bed.
It was late afternoon… Red-orange light filtered through a side window.
“He’s awake.” Elsha said.
“Oh joy.” A voice replied, sarcastic.
His partner was sitting beside him, leaning in, concerned.
Kint’s eyes darted around the sterile stone bedroom.
“Where am I?” He asked, “Where’s Nessa? Is she alright?”
“She’s fine, Kint.” Elsha soothed, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. “She’s fine. Still in the Canopy with my family.”
His breathing slowed.
That was good, she’d be safe up there.
His brow furrowed.
“But… Why is she still there? Didn’t they go to school?”
Elsha nodded gravely.
“We kept them out after what happened this morning.”
His concern deepened.
“What do you mean? What happened this morning?”
His partner grimaced, glancing to the other occupant in the room for help.
“Revolt!” The portly man growled. “A god’s damned revolution! That’s what happened.”
Kint leaned up onto his elbows, squinting.
“Mayor Fezzeline?”
The large man was sitting in the corner of the room, sulking and sweating his way through a rumpled shirt.
He greeted Kint with an unfriendly smile.
“Why are you here?” The Inspector asked. “And what do you mean ‘revolt’?”
The mayor grimaced.
“It’s as I said man. The bloody Kadenites have gone insane.”
Kint shook his head, stunned. He couldn’t believe what Fezzeline was saying.
Sure, things had been spiraling in the District, but Revolt?
He looked at Elsha, hoping for sanity.
She leaned back in her chair.
“It’s not so bad as Fezzy makes out.” She shrugged, “But it’s not good either.”
She gave a heavy sigh.
“The Lifegiver’s in the square as we speak, tending the wounded.”
Fezzeline rubbed hands across his face in anguish.
Kint looked around, realizing he was in the home of District 13’s Lifegiver.
And if the Healer wasn’t here now…
“Prophet…” He whispered. “Who could have– Was it the church? The Criers?”
Elsha nodded solemnly.
“Over a thousand citizens were waiting in the square when I arrived this morning. Someone had built a stage in the night, and the Kadenites stood before it like statues… completely still, completely silent…”
She shivered at the memory.
“It was… disquieting.”
“Blasted twins…” Fezzeline muttered.
Kint frowned, confused.
“Right.” Elsha explained. “The Crier didn’t even get the chance to speak. The Twins arrested her before she made the stage. I suppose they didn’t want a repeat of what happened yesterday.”
The Senior Inspectors eyes widened in astonishment, seeing the actions played out in his mind.
“Fools…”
Elsha nodded her agreement.
“The Kadenites kept their cool a lot longer than I thought they would. They kept their assaults verbal. Only begging to hear the Crier’s words.”
Elsha sighed.
“That is… until Himbult bumped into a particularly intimidating laborer.”
Kint rubbed a hand across his forehead, knowing where this would lead.
His partners eyes grew distant, remembering.
“He didn’t hesitate… Went straight for the Stick.”
“Oh Gods.”
Himbult was a fire mage, like Elsha. Maybe not as powerful, but no Kadenite would stand a chance against him.
“I got the girls out of there after that.” Elsha noted. “Brought them back to fathers estate.”
Kint’s eyes shot to her, his heart dropping to his stomach.
“Nessa saw that?”
Elsha grimaced, eyes full of regret.
“We were walking to school and there was no way around them… It couldn’t be helped… It all happened so quickly.”
Kint felt cold, sick. He imagined what Nessa must have seen, what she must have felt.
He opened his mouth to chastise his partner, then closed it.
What could he say? What more could she have done?
He could ream her out for all the things he might do in that situation. But how could he… He wasn’t there.
He looked down at his calloused hands.
The things his girl had seen… The scars it would leave.
Kint shook his head.
He should have been there
“What about the twins?” He asked.
Fezzeline gave a loud sigh.
“Himbult burned half a dozen people before they got him.”
“Got him?” Kint cut in.
“Oh yes.” Fezzy chuckled, eyes cruel. “They swallowed him whole… like a tide of locusts. They got Hawyer not a moment later.”
The Inspector's jaw hung open.
They’d died?
Two Inspectors had died? In Kaden City? In his District?
Kint couldn’t remember anything like this ever happening in his lifetime. Not even a rumor or a legend of it.
He shook his head, horrified.
He’d missed so much.
How had things gotten to this point?
Criers arrested, Inspectors dead, and open rioting in the Districts. Each one was a singular catastrophe in any District. Now, they’d all happened in a few days.
It was madness.
And yet…
It made sense… the progression… the story.
Kint felt like he was staring at a small piece of a larger tapestry. He could see purpose in every stroke, but the scope of the whole was out of view, beyond his comprehension.
“So what happened next?” He asked. “How did you two get here? How did I get back here?”
“The Lifegiver mentioned you were here as she was healing the wounded.” Elsha answered. “She said some old Inspector had been dropped half dead on her doorstep.”
Dropped on a doorstep…
Red eyes flickered through Kints mind.
“Why is the Mayor here?” He pressed, pushing the image away.
Elsha cocked her head.
“You know… I’m not quite sure.” She mused. “He just… asked to tag along.”
Kint gave the man a skeptical look.
The mayor didn’t notice, setting his substantial chin on steepled hands as he stared at the floor.
“But, what of you, Kint?” Elsha cut in. “What happened? Where did you go? How did you end up like this?”
He met her eyes.
There was so much care, such earnest concern in those eyes.
Emotions he’d never thought to see in her. Emotions he never thought she had…
His heart tightened with guilt.
He’d lied to her.
He’d said it was over, said they were done with the investigation.
Her dark eyes reflected the red ember of the sun. They burned him with their sincerity.
Kint searched for an answer, lies churning like bile in his throat.
She’d put such trust in him… Why had she done that?
Did he even deserve it?
“I went to see an old friend last night.” Kint started. “In the 11th Inkhold.”
Fezzy let out a groan from the corner of the room.
Kint ignored it, focusing on his partner's reaction.
Her eyes clouded at his words, concern turning down to sadness, disappointment. Not in Kint, but in herself.
Her pain hurt him, but he continued.
“He runs an orphanage for the Church of the Prophet.”
Elsha listened intently as he told the story of his night, face hardening to stone as he went on.
The Senior Inspector left out certain details, like his being chased from the 13th, the disappearance of Lord Crecius’ Acolytes, and the red eyes… He still wasn’t ready to talk about those…
He didn’t deserve her trust…
The rest he told straight out, from the orphanage, to the factory, and the chase after that. He spent particular time on his rescuing, and subsequent betrayal by Apprentice Payter.
“Payter was a Creeper?” Fezzeline spoke up.
“You didn’t know?” Kint asked, skeptical.
“I just thought he was ambitious.” The Mayor shrugged.
Kint sighed.
“So did I.”
His eyes drifted to Elsha’s, eager for her to respond, to say anything.
She looked at him, sad and suspicious all at once. A war playing out behind her eyes.
“Anyway,” He pressed on. “After Payter stabbed me, I passed out.”
Red eyes stared into his own.
“Don’t remember anything after that.”
Elsha’s gaze narrowed like a cat’s, sensing the lie.
A sniveling laugh came from the corner of the room. The sound rose as it continued.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“What are you laughing at?” Kint asked.
“You.” The Mayor chuckled, eyes creased with dispair. “You’re insane.”
“What do you mean?”
“What do I mean?”
The laughter flowed to anger.
“What do you think I mean?”
He looked at Kint with disgust.
“You were there last night. You saw what happened to me. You felt it.” He glared. “And yet you continued the investigation? Was the Lord’s message not clear enough?”
Kint flinched at the indictment, it stung him, and it was true. But a part of him railed against it.
“Oh, Come on.” He shot back. “Do you really think the Lord is gonna forgive us once the Duchess leaves?”
“Well not anymore! But, I had at least some hope last night.” Fezzeline’s voice cracked, “What else could I do but hope? He’s a bloody Blessed!”
“Be serious, Fezzy.” Kint spat. “We needed leverage, so that’s what I went to get.”
“Leverage?” The Mayor repeated, shocked. “You wanted to leverage, a Lord?”
Again, he gave a desperate laugh.
“You are insane.”
Kint’s eyes drifted to Elsha again.
She was staring at him, unsettled. Like she didn’t know what she was looking at.
“I guess it doesn’t matter now.” Fezzeline muttered, letting out a deep sigh.
Kint’s blood went cold at the ominous words.
“What do you mean?”
“What do you think I mean?” The mayor shrugged, “It’s over.”
“Over?” Kint repeated.
“That’s what I said.” Fezzy snapped. “Are you deaf?”
The bulky man shook his head.
“God’s, I wish you were. Then at least you’d have an excuse for getting us all into this mess.”
He grimaced.
“No… That’s unfair. It was all shit anyway. We’d have been played for fools either way.”
He put his head in his hands.
“We didn’t stand a chance.”
“It’s not over, Mayor.” Kint soothed, anxiety rising. “We’re still alive, we can change things.”
“We’re done, Kint.” Fezzeline snapped, voice ringing with finality.
“Us three…”
He gestured around the room.
Shrugging when he came to Elsha.
“Well, maybe not her. But you and me for sure.”
He met Kint’s eyes.
“We’re dead men.”
Kint’s grip tightened on the sheets.
“But– What? How?” He stammered.
“Twelve people died today. Including Inspectors. Word of this will have gotten around the Ignatium three times by now.”
He shook his head slowly.
“It’ll be a culling. There can be no doubt.”
A shiver went down Kint’s spine.
“A culling?”
“Random executions.” Elsha whispered, voice cutting like a blade. “Collective punishment.”
A cold sweat spread across his body.
Fezzeline pointed between them.
“They say it’s random, but I can guarantee our names will be on the list.”
He sighed, resigned.
“That’s why I came here.” The Mayor admitted, “To warn you. So you could get out before the Acolytes come.”
Kint shook his head, trying to process what he was hearing.
This was too much.
He’d just wanted to put pressure on the Lord. To exact some pain. But now…
“A culling…” He muttered. “How can they do that? I’ve– Has this happened before?”
“A few times.” Fezzeline nodded.
“That you know of.” Elsha added.
“Right.” Fezzy huffed a laugh. “The last one was about fifty years back.”
He shared a look with Elsha.
“Or maybe more recently.” He amended. “But you get the point. This doesn’t happen often. Only in dire circumstances.”
He paused, making sure Kint was understanding.
“And this is most certainly a dire situation.”
“Oh gods…”
Kint put a hand over his eyes.
“Oh gods.”
He moaned to the sky. A sick guttural tone.
Nessa…
What had he done?
What could he do? How could he get out of this?
Should they run?
Could they run?
“Dammit!”
He slammed a fist on the bedside table, a rush of anger flooding his veins.
He’d worked so hard. He was so close to figuring it all out. He could feel it!
“Kint…”
Elsha gave him a pitying look.
“Imagine how I feel…” The Mayor sighed. “A week ago I was planning my re-election campaign, now all the voters want my head on a spike. That’s not even counting the Lord and his men.” He rubbed his temples.
“It’s like a bloody nightmare.”
A culling… Kint hadn’t even considered that as an outcome. He didn’t know the Lords could do that.
And then to erase it from history… how?
How was it even possible?
It truly was a nightmare…
“Nightmare…”
He repeated the word, eyes widening.
“What?” Fezzy asked, sulking. “What is it?”
An idea had come upon the senior Inspector, dots connecting in his mind… A story was forming.
“I need a map.” Kint snapped, searching the room. “Or paper, can you find me some paper?”
He moved to stand, then sat back down.
He was naked.
Elsha tossed him a black suit and purple tie.
His spare uniform.
“I brought these from your house.” She said, standing. “Your clothes were soiled.”
She made her way to the door.
“Put on some pants, I’ll find paper.”
His eyes followed his partner as she left the room.
She hadn’t looked at him, refusing to meet his eyes.
He needed to fix that, if he could. If they were to stand any chance of success, he needed her.
“What’s this about Archaedis?” The Mayor asked.
“You’ll see.” He muttered, tucking in his shirt.
Elsha returned carrying a few sheets of paper and a pen.
Kint took them, thanking her.
She did not respond, face a mask.
He pulled over the bedside table and placed it before him.
Fezzeline approached, observing.
Kint drew a rough square, cutting it into quadrants. Then cutting those quadrants again till there were sixteen squares in all.
11th Inkhold, 12th Inkhold, 13th Vorva, 10th Doene.
He labeled the four larger squares.
Then he began marking x’s around the map.
Five in the 11th Inkhold, four in the 13th.
“Dreams…” Elsha whispered, surprised.
“What?” The mayor looked at her, confused.
“Mayor, have you had any dreams lately?” Kint asked, “Anything, out of the ordinary.”
The Mayor squinted his eyes, skeptical.
“No…”
The Inspector nodded.
“And where do you live?”
“A few blocks from here. Down that way.” He pointed. “What’s this about, Kint?”
Kint drew another x next to the one representing the Lifegivers house.
He lifted his pen, then thought again.
“Where were the other murders this month?” He asked, meeting the Mayor's skeptical gaze.
“The Laborers quarter.” The man replied, looking at Elsha. “Do you know what he’s doing?”
Kint marked three more x’s on the map.
“He’s mapping dreams.” Elsha stated.
Fezzeline gave her an irritated look.
“What is this shit, Kint?” Fezzeline pressed. “Tell me, before I wring it out of you.”
“She’s right.” The Senior Inspector replied, leaning back to analyze his work. “I’ve mapped all the areas where people have mentioned having odd dreams in the past few days.”
He pointed to the 11th Inkhold.
“The factory and the worker apartments, the Merchant’s quarter where Mrs. Syfeeli was killed, and here.”
He pointed to the government quarter of the 13th.
“Your house?” Elsha whispered.
Their eyes met.
He didn’t respond.
She frowned.
This was the scope of his shame. He’d told her some things, but not all…
He looked back to the map.
“These are the areas where we know people’s dreams are normal.”
He circled District HQ.
“The deep cells.”
He pointed to the Mayor's house.
“Your house.”
Then finally an x not far from the Mayors.
“And here.”
“Here?” Elsha asked. “The Lifegiver’s?”
“Yes…” Kint grunted. “My dreams were normal last night.”
She raised an eyebrow, remembering his screams upon waking.
“That’s normal?”
He shrugged, lips drawing to a line.
“Are your’s any better?” He asked, guessing at her trauma.
He regretted the words right after they left his lips.
Elsha gave a small shudder, but did not reply.
He should not have revealed her, not that way. Maybe not ever.
“I’m sure this is all very sad” Fezzy cut in “But, what am I looking at here? Why does this matter?”
Kint leaned over the map, drawing a circle around all the events where dreams were noted.
The circle encompassed most of the 11th and 13th Districts, as well as two others. With the 11th Inkhold factory quarter and the laborers quarter of the 13th side by side in the center.
“This is all the upheaval of the last few months.” Kint explained, pointing. “It started in the Factory quarter of the 11th. A community forged over decades, corroded to nothing in a few months.”
His finger moved to the Laborers Quarter.
“Then the murders in the 13th.”
To the Merchants quarter.
“Mr. Syfeeli.”
Over to the Arena.
“Mrs. Insmuth killing her husband.”
He pointed to Kelseen Square.
“And now the Riots.”
He met the Mayor's eyes.
The man’s sweaty brow was furrowed like a washboard. He was extremely skeptical.
“You’re saying this is all caused by dreams?”
Kint nodded.
“And whatever’s causing them, started in this Factory.”
He pointed to it.
The mayor grew concerned.
Kint pressed on, passion rising.
“Syfeeli worked in that Factory for months.” He explained, “It drove him so mad, he could barely form a sentence.”
The Inspector shifted his finger to the x on the Deep Cells, outside of the circle.
“Now he’s right as rain. Back to normal.”
“Whatever that means.” Elsha snorted.
There was another pause.
Mayor Fezzeline narrowed his eyes in thought.
“Dreams caused all this?” Heasked, analyzing the many markings on the paper.
“I’m not saying it was all dreams.” Kint conceded, “There’s obviously someone taking advantage of the situation. But, there’s no way a couple speeches could have this kind of affect if things were normal.”
Fezzeline cocked his head, considering.
“Look…” Kint sighed, making one final push. “If these peoples dreams are anything like mine have been… all this unrest makes a lot of sense.”
He glanced at Elsha again, gauging her reaction.
Her face was stone.
Fezzeline put a finger to his chin in thought.
“Alright… Supposing I believe that the Lord has been up to no good in the 11th, which isn’t very hard. And then I also believe that his most recent experiments caused all this…”
He met Kint’s eyes, raising an eyebrow.
“How does that change our situation?”
Kint opened his mouth to reply, then closed it again.
“It doesn’t.” He admitted.
The Mayor shrugged.
“So we run.”
Kint shook his head.
“No.”
Fezzeline frowned.
The Inspector Shrugged.
“You’re right, Mayor. Our situation hasn’t changed. It’s the same as it was ten minutes ago, and it’s the same as it was last night.”
He looked around.
“We need leverage.”
“Kint!”
“Kint.”
His colleagues pleaded.
“There was a riot in the Districts. People are dead!” The Mayor emphasized. “They’re not going to just look the other way. Heads will roll.”
“Not necessarily.”
“Oh, come on, Kint!” He exclaimed. “No amount of leverage will–”
“No, this–” Kint jabbed his finger to the map. “This is more than enough–”
Fezzeline snatched the paper, holding it up.
“This is a map! It’s a piece of paper. It’s nothing!”
“But it’s what’s on the map. The Factory.” Kint pressed. “Whatever’s underneath is causing massive problems, not only in this district, but in the 11th Inkhold too.
Kint pointed to where the circle overlapped with the ‘Doene’ square on the map.
“And who knows what’s happening in the 12th Inkhold and the 10th Doene! If we could just find whatever’s causing this, that’ll be all the leverage we need. Just imagine the outrage if the other lords found out?”
The Mayor was completely shocked. He opened his mouth, but only air came out.
He turned to Elsha.
“Are you hearing this?”
She didn’t respond, face pensive.
Fezzeline grimaced.
“Like she’s the sane one…” He muttered.
The portly man shook his head, beginning to pace, then paused, throwing up his arms.
“Even if you did find something, they’d just kill us!”
“Not if we have an insurance policy.” Kint parried.
“An insurance po–” The Mayor stammered. “What are you talking about? There is not insurance policy against a fucking Lord. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, Kint, but the Brotherhood of the Sixth doesn’t exist!”
The Inspector remained silent for a moment, letting his superior calm down.
“I know.” He finally replied. “I’m not talking about the Sixth. I’m talking about a third party. Someone they can’t just get rid of. Someone more powerful than the Lord of a 13th ranked district. Someone who could actually do something with the evidence we give them.”
“This is ridiculous!” The Mayor huffed, exasperated..
“Elsha knows people.” Kint argued. “Powerful people. She’s a Gray, god’s dammit.”
Kint looked to his partner, pleading.
Her eyes narrowed.
He had no right to ask this of her. To use her family name like this. To use her.
Especially after he’d lied to her.
“Please… Elsha…” He whispered. “For Nessa.”
Her lips tightened to a frown.
She would say no.
His heart dropped.
His whole plan rested on this.
She was going to say no.
She should say no.
“Alright.” She nodded. “I guess I’ve got a few favors I could call in.”
Kint stared at her, stunned.
“Are you kidding me, Gray?” Fezzeline exclaimed. “You’re going along with this?”
“What? It makes sense.” She shrugged. “Could be fun.”
Kint’s eyes tightened.
She acted like this was nothing, like it was barely an inconvenience, when Kint knew that wasn’t the case.
The Inspectors heart dropped as he realized, the earnest emotions of the past few days were gone…
They were back to square one. Her shield was up.
And yet, she’d agreed.
So, there was still hope.
Fezzeline looked back and forth between them. Sweat beading on his bulbous face.
“I can’t believe this. You’re both bloody insane…” He sighed, shaking his head. “But, I guess I already knew that.”
He blinked several times, clearing his mind.
“Well… I did what I could.” He shrugged. “I warned you. Told you what would happen.”
He moved back to his chair, collecting his coat.
“Don’t look me up. Don’t try to find me.” He advised, making his way out the door.
“I’ll be long gone by the time you start searching.”
He exited the room.
Then paused, leaning back into view.
“Good luck…” He shook his head. “For whatever that’s worth.”
The front door slamming shut behind him.
And with that, he was gone.
Kint looked to Elsha, but she was no comfort, still staring into the hallway.
She felt… disconnected. Like the space between them had suddenly grown.
“He was a great help to me once…” Kint commented. “Don’t hold this against him.”
She continued staring into the dark hallway, red sunlight and cold shadows shaping her smooth features.
Was she regretting her choice to help him?
Kint sat on the bed, looking down at his map.
“Shall we go.” Elsha started.
She gave a smile that did not reach her eyes.
“Where are we headed?” He asked, tentative.
“The Ignatium.” She replied. “To see an old friend.”