The trip took little under a week. Rhys was a poor traveling companion. The tension between us was made worse since he was constantly buried in notes on the case and various records. His lack of communication seemed less focused on our awkwardness and more on his fixation with the case. Even on horseback, his attention was fully on some subtle detail he seemed sure he missed. I tried to take some to prepare myself as well, but the tables and figures were draining at the best of times. Even when we stored away the cloaks, the sun was blistering. I envied Rhys’s focus and felt frustrated that I couldn’t match it.
I also envied the confidence he had when he had talked to the other agents. Rhys had made it a point to follow up with those who had run an investigation already. There was only one set still in the city and they had reacted poorly to Rhys’s interest in the case.
“It’s been checked into the ground, it’s good news all the way through and not worth the time,” the agent had tried to brush Rhys off.
"I am double checking your work because either I get to correct something poorly done or learn from excellence," was Rhys’s response.
With much grumbling, the agent had given up little that wasn’t already written down. Overtaxing got red-flagged at Eternal Affairs, but even exhaustively interviewing everyone in the tax office and the nobles, there was no evidence of any wrongdoing.
Even the criminal paperwork seemed in order and handled by a multitude of people that corroborated the case. I could see why Rhys was so embroiled in the case. There was a massive spike in arrests, but no corresponding spike in crime to set off any alarm bells. In fact, if it wasn’t for the pile of bodies, all the stats seemed completely positive.
On the fourth day, I was able to get a conversation out of Rhys. I think he was hoping to bounce ideas off the case from me and I was welcome for any diversion. He offered up numerous ideas that ranged from mundane to absurd. From consistent clerical error to a political smear campaign, he rambled on a bunch of angles that felt like grasping. By then I was too drained to even tease him for his reaching. The conversation would’ve sputtered if we didn’t pass a field full of zombies.
I was surprised, but Rhys's hand waved them off, “The Trask family is heavily invested in automation. It’s interesting that the blood cost is low compared to normal farm accident rates. It was in a case study that Eleanor passed my way.”
“What happens to the people who used to work in the fields?” I asked.
“I assume they got other jobs,” Rhys replied dismissively before diving into how it was possible that maybe the vampires had suddenly hired a new and extremely effective executioner that had cleared the backlog of prisoners on death row.
I humored him, but just as previous investigations had overlooked the crime oddity. I doubted they accidentally wrote down the answer in their reports. We probably wouldn’t find anything new without getting our hands dirty.
Grassland and fields started to turn into villages and the outskirts of the city. I started to don my mask and cloak, and Rhys followed suit. It was strange hearing my breathing in the mask, the reverberations made even a slight cough sound like a snort.
Fully dressed, the little attention we received before became unbridled fear. People would hide themselves away in any dark corner and even children would stop playing and silently poke out from wherever they could hide to watch us pass.
I found it galling, the attention and the horror in equal measure. Rhys didn’t comment and we continued the last leg of our journey in silence.
The castle loomed ahead of us and winding roads lay between us and its entrance. Rhys never paused as he maneuvered between the buildings. The horses would’ve had a hard time with the crowd of people if they didn’t instantly part at the sight of us. With no way to hide away, people would stand frozen fearful they’d suddenly catch our attention and we’d know their darkest secrets.
Arriving at the castle gates, there were two startled guards that took our credentials and told us to wait momentarily. We passed the horses to an attendant and waited. Looking at each other in our masks, I almost wanted to laugh. The ostentatious display was ill-suited for either of us. The fact that the guards at the gate were the same rank as those who were yelling at us to stand up straight just weeks ago added a surreal feeling to the entire experience.
The guards came back with a finely dressed man who invited us into the castle. He had a foppish disposition and didn’t seem impressed by our masks or credentials. He didn’t have much say to us at all. Wordlessly moving down hallways without even looking to see if we were keeping up with his pace. The only time he looked back was at our boots trampling across a very fine rug. Our boots were thick with the muck of travel, but I had no idea what he expected us to do. He only offered a click of his tongue, but there were no follow up comments.
As we got to the end of a hallway he sprung a couple of steps ahead and opened the door, “Presenting Agent Vidal and Agent Tumec.”
“I prefer Agent Rhys,” Rhys commented.
“Presenting Agent Rhys,” the man yelled out, bringing more attention not less.
“Of course, we know Rhys!” An excited squeal came from the end of the room. It took a moment for me to figure out which of the two figures ahead of us had said it. There was a man and a woman sitting on ornate thrones. The man had stood up welcoming the two of us, or specifically Rhys.
In between us was a slew of attendants, their outfits a cacophony of color and style. I had to wonder if they were waiting for us or quickly assembled when we arrived at the gate.
“Sir Trask, you honor us,” Rhys bowed and so did I.
“The honor is ours, our family has always enjoyed your attention,” The woman said, rising from her chair. There was a mischievous undertone to her comment. Her dark skin was unblemished from age, but a long scar was etched from her scalp, down her left eye, and ended at the corner of her mouth.
Her smirk was disconcerting, but Rhys didn’t miss a beat, “Unfortunately, Governor, I’m here on official business.” His tone was dry and calculated.
“Of course, of course,” she casually replied with a gesture and the attendants faded out through various exits until it was just us and the two vampires. Even our announcer had disappeared.
“I assume this is due to that dreadful tax case?” Sir Trask offered. His pale skin was accentuated with a powder on his face and was only interrupted by thick red lipstick, “Who thought good news could cause so much annoyance.”
“Hush,” the Governor countered, “We, of course, appreciate the imperial oversight. Any chance to show off our successes. Now shall we get you out of those uniforms and remove the formalities. Shall I call on Eleanor? She only returned recently, I’m sure she’d be overjoyed to have you in town.”
I looked over at Rhys as he removed his mask but kept his cloak draped around himself. I followed his example, “I’m sure someone has informed her already. I would be offended if you didn’t teach your daughter to have some spies in the court.”
The Governor laughed a polite little laugh before turning to me as I finished removing my mask, “And who is this?”
Her gaze was piercing, up close I saw one eye was a little more cloudy than the other. Both still held an almost cruel inspection to them, “Victoria Vidal, I’ve been, uh, assigned as Rhys’s partner.” I stumbled over my words. With annoyance, I saw satisfaction in the Governor’s face as I faltered.
“His partner? I must know, are agent’s partners randomly assigned, or do you get a choice?” There was an edge to the question she directed at Rhys.
For the first time, Rhys seemed without response. The silence hung for just a second too long when I heard a door crash open, “Victoria, Rhys, I am so pleased to see you two!” Eleanor’s voice was exaggerated from what I had heard while shopping.
Eleanor drifted down towards us, her feet barely making any noise. She wore a deep green suit with a pale pink overcoat draped loosely across her shoulders. “I am sure they are exhausted from their travels and would love to see the guest rooms we have ready for them.”
“Would you please daughter? Make sure they are exceedingly comfortable,” The Governor spoke and turned from us before finishing the statement. She started to leave. Her husband gave us a little half bow and followed behind her.
The entire discourse left me a little stunned, but I followed Rhys and Eleanor. Rhys almost pushed me ahead of him so I was next to Eleanor.
“Barbra is too excited about the idea of a public relationship between Rhys and I,” Eleanor sighed.
“Barbra being?” I asked, confused.
“My mother, or at least my sire,” Eleanor took a sudden turn and I continued to follow her. I felt plodding next to her steps.
Rhys picked up on my confusion, “Vampires aren’t born, more of adopted. Humans will be selected to become vampires, they lose their memories, but not the skills they had in life. They hold a very macabre form of a talent show to choose their children.”
“So Barbra isn’t your mother really?” I asked unsure if I was stepping somewhere I shouldn’t.
“That is her title publicly,” Eleanor started, “I was told my actual mother was well compensated and I get immortality, so I guess a fair trade all and all.”
We stopped in front of a room and Eleanor offered it to Rhys. Without comment, he went inside. He was matching her cool demeanor and it felt completely at odds with the lovesick puppy I had met in the capital.
Eleanor continued a door down and offered me the next room. She followed me inside as I removed my cloak, “I apologize for my family. They are a lot.”
I thought of how I had recently broken bread with the woman who called my father weak in defense of committing violence against my people, “Not the most stressful ‘meet the parents’ situation I’ve had recently.”
There was a pause from Eleanor like she was measuring her words, “Your dinner with the Sovereign?” It was a neutral question. No hint at the answer she wanted.
“My dinner,” I replied back in a matching tone. I was happy to not have Rhys in the room, but I didn’t completely trust Eleanor. I felt I would say something problematic without knowing it. My political compass felt unguided. I swallowed hard, “I respect her, but there is a part of me that will never be comfortable with her.”
It was a toned down version of my feelings, diplomatic, but it still invited questions in a dangerous way. Eleanor didn’t seem phased, “She’s a warlord whose empire is built on a throne of barely cooled corpses. I don’t think one ever ‘gets comfortable with her.’”
The starkness of the statement gave me a feeling of peace, “Is that discontent, I hear?”
“Oh, I adore her, but her history is both her greatest weapon and weakness. She has the command of the old guard, but I’m sure even she sees a future where winning military battles isn’t enough to win the political war.”
I wanted to groan. Eleanor’s misgivings weren’t on moral stances, but on the ramifications in the court.
There was a knock on the door. Eleanor spoke for us and welcomed them. Rhys stood in the door, “Victoria and I need to talk on the case.”
“Don’t trust her to listen in?” I tried to goad Rhys.
“Guidance advocates for a separation of official business and personal relations. Rhys is being a good rule follower,” She left the room and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.
He seemed lost for a moment, “So partner, what’s the plan?” I asked pulling him out of his daze.
There was a slight bristle as he was taken out of whatever daydream he was distracted by, “I’ve been thinking a lot about the first steps. All of the Trasks have been interviewed multiple times and all the numbers have been double checked so I think they’re dead ends.”
“But you had a stroke of brilliance that’s been overlooked by all the other agents?”
“Stroke of desperation, considering all the criminals are dead and drained, the next best place to ask is their families.”
The next day we were seen out by the preening attendant that had introduced us. He showed us to the gate and left without another word. I decided he was the rudest and most dutiful man I had ever met.
His indifference to our uniforms stood out the second we entered the city proper. Even on foot, people tried to casually give us a wide berth. It was almost humorous watching them try to act normal while leaving 10 feet between themselves and us.
I checked again at the address that Rhys had written down. He had compiled a list of the families of those recently executed. His work this morning was detailed down to the very letter and he even included the pronunciation of those we were interviewing today.
The first on the list wasn’t a house, but an apartment. As I knocked, I heard yelling inside and the sound of small feet running. The door opened and a small child less than five years old stood staring up at us only wearing pants.
The yelling followed him from the other room, but stopped the second he laid eyes on us. Quietly he called the child to him and put a shirt on him, “Greetings, how can I help you two?” he asked as he ushered the child towards the other room.
“We want to ask about your sister,” Rhys stated.
“Of course, though I thought her case was closed?” the man mumbled nervously. He offered us two chairs around a table, there were no other chairs so he stood on the other end of the table as he talked.
“We’re simply following up to make sure no details were missed,” Rhys continued. The mask didn’t block any of the authority in his voice.
“Of course, of course. What would you like to know?”
The case against his sister was airtight. She was found storing up gunpowder and had blueprints of parts of the castle. She had offered no defense for why she had the items. She had given very little before she was executed.
“Did your sister have a history of violence?”
“Nothing like this before,” the man began, fidgeting slightly, “She seemed content enough before she lost her job. After that she had troubles.”
“Troubles?” I asked, wincing at the vicious echo the mask gave me.
“She spent a lot of time at the tavern, some nights ended in a fight. I didn’t think a lot of it, that she was just blowing off steam,” his voice was shaky and I had a hard time telling if it was due to his sister or the two people sitting in front of him.
Rhys continued questioning him, but there didn’t seem to be more to her case than we already had on her file. Public intoxication and assault charges were recorded and listed. It was still a leap from drunken disturbance to violent conspiracy. The irony of having that knowledge first hand was not lost on me. Her brother mentioned that just before his sister was executed, it seemed like she was getting her life together.
The next families told roughly the same story. The case had no holes, the families didn’t hold it against the empire. The brother, father, or whatever had been spiraling. There was a brief moment where things seemed like they might work out, and then executed with overwhelming evidence.
It was a dead end that left the day unsatisfying.
The trip back to the castle had my thoughts circling themselves uselessly. One part of me felt a self-destructive kinship with the executed. They were all discovered plotting massive attacks against the Empire. I thought of my own manufactured assassination attempt.
“Where do you stand on using criminals for blood tithes?” Rhys asked as we plodded back.
I hadn’t really considered it. I knew of some of the systems for choosing blood tithes. When I had learned some chose exclusively from those who broke the law, it had made a kind of sense to me. Definitely, no more efficient way to give back to society. Mentally, I had written off the moral consideration pretty quickly.
“I mean, execution is obvious. It would be a waste to just throw away the results,” I surprised myself with my callousness, “As far as choosing a convicted felon over the average citizen? Guess there’s some level of justice there to choose the guilty over the innocent.”
Even through the mask, I could see Rhys mulling over my response. “I’ve always despised it,” he spoke definitively, like someone who had thought long and hard on the subject.
“Why is that?”
“The guilty vs the innocent thing. Always rubbed me the wrong way, either they can be rehabilitated and they should be treated as full citizens without trying to survive without an extra executioner’s ax hanging over their head, or they’re unsavable in which case they should never be released.”
“And the condemned?”
“I almost could be convinced, but it just seems like bad metrics to me. Rewarding the state for killing citizens.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“So for cases that do end in execution, just throw everything away afterward?”
There was a brief pause, “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with either result.”
“You’ll have to think of another solution then.”
We arrived at the gate and were guided back to our rooms. The attendant told us to clear tomorrow evening for a feast. It was an interesting command, not a request that made Rhys and I give each other a look. There seemed no reason to offend our hosts, but I wasn’t sure I was comfortable with the governor assuming our time.
Returning to my room, I felt exhausted. Walking through the city and bothering all those people had completely drained me. I wondered if every case would be like this. Just marching into town and randomly stressing people out until something stuck out. I shared Rhys’s frustration at the lack of procedure. We were going to the municipal office to check the investigations that had caught the executed, but if that didn’t pan out. I didn’t know what we were going to find out.
The next day Rhys and I were masked up in front of a tower of a building very close to the castle. It looked exceedingly old but well maintained. As we entered there was a startled woman behind a desk nervously asking how she could help.
“I was hoping to speak to Investigator Cluren,” my distorted voice made her drop the quill she was holding.
“One moment,” was her professional, but quiet reply. She ran off and I heard her steps echo up a staircase. The Eternal Affairs reputation was useful for getting a response, but I felt bad for those who seemed to think we were going to put them to the sword simply by being in our line of sight.
The clop of descending steps followed by a stumble and a grunt announced the woman’s return. She took a couple of big gulps of air before looking between the two of us. Despite the exertion, she was pale. She seemed to brace herself as she spoke, “Investigator Cluren is currently out, but is expected back within the hour.”
“We can wait,” Rhys replied to what I assumed was the horror of the desk-bound worker. We both took a seat in the room and sat in silence. I almost wanted to wait out front as her terror was unsettling. The secretary would drop something or accidentally rip the page she was working on and fearfully glance at us before fixing whatever mistake occurred.
It felt impossible to even start a conversation with Rhys to pass the time. Both of us were near motionless in our cloaks, I almost wanted to chuckle. This would only add to the nightmare story that I am sure she would tell later. Two specters wordlessly awaiting their prey.
The door opened a couple of times. The first was some sort of delivery with the carried box almost tossed onto the desk as the man ran out as politely as he could. The second was another investigator who seemed very nervous until he was informed we weren’t here for her. Finally on the third creak of the door walked in a tall man with fiery red hair that was slicked back.
“Investigator Cluren,” The woman behind the desk loudly said. He gave her an odd look before noticing us. Both Rhys and I rose at the same time, coincidence, but I’m sure another detail that would be noted when the story was retold.
“Yeah?” the investigator sounded tired. I couldn’t tell if he was brave or indifferent.
“We have some questions about some of your recent cases,” I stated. As soon as I said it, it felt needlessly confrontational. I wondered if it was a result of the mask itself or the responses I’d already earned while wearing it.
“Follow me to my office,” he gestured with a casual nod. We followed behind the desk and up the stairs. He brought us to a small room that could charitably be called a broom closet. He took a seat, but didn’t offer us one. There wasn’t any to offer.
Investigator Cluren had shown up as the lead on seven of the execution cases. It was more than anyone else, but still wasn’t a majority of the cases. Without any other angle, he was our last hope. Looking now at the man leaning hard in his chair, I wasn’t hopeful.
“What can I help you two with?” His voice was slow, not methodical or cautious, just languid.
I handed over a stack of papers, each having the details of one of the cases, “We were curious about these cases.”
Cluren took each of them in turn, slowly dragging his finger from top to bottom before loudly pulling the page off the top to look at the next.
“I remember these,” he said finally.
“Excellent!” Rhys said, trying to hide his exasperation, “You had a lot of cases of conspiracy against the state.”
“Well, that’s my department.”
“You’re the head of anti-government affairs?” I asked, confused at the small room.
“Sedition department, yeah,” he responded with a shrug. I wanted to tear my hair out, our trip out here was to discover that the obvious reason he had more conspiracy cases was he was in charge of conspiracy cases.
“How many people are in your department?” Rhys asked. I wondered if he was just looking for someone else to talk to. I was ready to call today and regroup back at the castle.
“Just me.”
Alarm bells went off in my head. Everything we had seen pointed to multiple and massive investigations considering the number of arrests. Did all the energy he saved in his daily demeanor get rerouted into a massive caseload?
“That’s an impressive number of large cases, in a short amount of time,” I commented. I wasn’t sure how to start the line of questioning. It felt overly insulting to tell him he seemed incapable of such a feat.
I expected a puff of pride or incredulous reaction at the implication, but neutrality dominated his profile, “They weren’t too hard, a unanimous note gave their details. I just had to follow up.”
“Do you mean,” Rhys gave a heavy pause, “Anonymous?”
“S’what I said.”
For the first time, I was thankful for the mask, the current look I couldn’t hide would’ve given away my feelings in a very unkind way.
“May we see the notes?” Rhys asked in a laboriously slow way. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to keep calm or speak at this man’s pace.
“Course,” Cluren stated, but then his eyes narrowed, “They’re evidence though, you can’t take them.”
“That’s fin…” I started.
“First of all, we can do whatever we damn well please,” Rhys forced out. I heard a bit of spittle hit the inside of the mask, I had to imagine him frothing at this point, “I know how to write though, so I can simply make a copy. You’re in luck that my curiosity outweighs my anger, so please just indulge me.”
“Indulge you?”
“Get. The. Notes.”
The little slips of paper held exacting but sparse detail. Names, locations, and crimes are all listed out, but nothing else. Rhys made quick notes and I pulled him out of the building before I had to explain to the Sovereign how her son had a heart attack before the age of 30.
“Maybe he didn’t notice we were agents,” I offered a joke.
“Blistering fool!” Rhys’s rage burst out of him and a couple of people nearby scattered. It was the first time I had seen him truly angry. I regretted the mask, I was curious if he smiled while pissed off as well.
“Well, we got what we came for,” I tried to provide a bright side.
“We got some useless papers from a useless man. I would say he deserves that closet, but I worry even that may give him a superiority complex about his faculties!”
“And here I thought you made a new friend.”
“I’d much rather he have an intellectual equal, maybe we should drop off a rather dimwitted pigeon.”
“You good?” I asked finally.
There was a deep breath, “Yes, it’s just. There are people that rely on him. He’s in a position of authority. It displeases me.”
“It was subtle, but I noticed,” I lightly patted his shoulder, “Come on, let's get back to the castle. We still have to play gratuitous guests.”
Rhys groaned and I offered up a laugh. The return trip was a mixture of curiosity and low spirits. The situation was odd and confusing, but the tips didn’t have anything that wasn’t already in the reports. I had to believe if we sat down and really thought about it, we could figure out the next step, but for now, at least a feast meant food.
Through guards, attendants, various hallways, and doors, I was back in my room. I had brought a single decent outfit with me and appreciated Rhys for the recommendation before we had left the capital. Now I assumed it wasn’t a random suggestion.
Food enticed me, but just the idea of a polite and political conversation exhausted me. I could see why Rhys defaulted to the smile, it probably made it easier to just nod along.
I left my room and leaned against a wall waiting for Rhys to finish. There was the sliding of drawers and the sound of water in a basin. I closed my eyes and imagined what might be served tonight.
Opening them, he still hadn’t left his room. I stepped forward to knock. Right before my fist connected, the door opened. Rhys flinched back, but grinned at me.
“Don’t be jealous that I clean up better,” he teased.
I was going to retort back, but he was right. His hair was carefully prepared to look effortless and he had even manicured his nails. I wanted to accuse him of taking too long, but considering everything he had done, it must’ve been a hard sprint of beautification.
“I was thinking if you had a bloody nose we’d have an excuse to dodge dinner.”
“Unfortunately, I think you’d still have to go. If you want to take on the Trasks alone while I relax up here, I don’t mind,” he closed his eyes and turned up his nose as if offering himself for the hit.
“Oh no, I need you to attract attention away from me. You better put on a good show or I’ll just whisper the investigator’s name in your ear.”
Rhys gave an exaggerated pout, “Aiming low today, Victoria.”
“I’m hungry so let's get going.”
We walked to the great hall. Servants were already marching in and out with various drinks and trays. Whenever a guest got close to the door they’d pause and wait, delicately balancing whatever they were holding high in the air.
I got the honor of passing under a bottle of dark red wine. Rhys got a tray of little grilled silverfish. The hall was mostly full with two long tables with numerous chairs filled with numerous people. Above us, a second level circled the room and held a band that played softly and aimlessly. At the end of the hall raised was a long table where the entire Trask clan sat.
As soon as we entered, the Governor rushed forward. An emerald green dress caught the light and reflected as she made a brisk walk feel like we were being pounced.
“Our honored guests,” She opened her arms wide as if to present us, “Allow us to show you a fraction of our gratitude for your tireless work.”
I had to focus on holding a smile and was thankful that the impetus was on Rhys to reply, “I am but a servant of the empire, humbled by your kind words and this beautiful display.”
The thickness that Rhys laid it on felt like it was borderline sarcastic, but the Governor’s smile only grew, “Please, we saved you two some seats.”
She led us to the raised table. I saw Eleanor and then three empty seats and Sir Trask. She pulled out the chair next to her husband and offered it to me. I sat down and turned to smile at my guest as the Governor sat down on my other side.
“How are you liking our fair city so far?” Sir Trask asked. His fork speared one of the small fish. He was in a white suit-clad in red trim and gold fineries. A sword strapped to his side in a gold scabbard seemed more ceremonial than practical. A cape half rested on his chair and half fell out of it.
Briefly, I glanced at the Governor who was pointing something out to Rhys and Eleanor, “I admit that I am not the most well-traveled, but I only have Cardinal to compare it to,” I started.
“You believe it is comparable?” He cut me off, “That is quite the compliment. The capital city is the gem of the empire.”
I took a sip of water to regain my balance. It felt obvious what he wanted to hear and Rhys had provided an excellent example, “Truly, but my brief time here has been just as impressive. A profoundness only added to by the fact this is through your family's work and effort. Cardinal has many territories’ coffers, but the Trask’s singular vision is more than apparent, Sir Trask.”
He looked at me like a lover who just agreed to something very specific and frequently declined. “Please, call me Kael. I have to say, you’re one of the good ones, Victoria, I can tell,” there was a pause as if he was rechoosing his words, “I am a bit of a moral absolutist. People are good or they are evil. They’re unchangeable. People will bemoan being pushed in one direction or another, but it’s more they were allowed to revel in what they truly are.”
“And what makes someone good or evil?”
“What they want, of course,” Kael looked off into the distance for a second and I couldn’t tell if something had caught his attention or he was simply getting lost in his own tale, “A good person wants good things, reductionist I know, but allow me. Good people want to help others, their actions have the purpose of making a better world. Evil people don’t consider it. It’s as simple as that.”
I was about to comment back when I heard the Governor loudly holding court over why the vampire's decision to join the Empire was indicative of superior decision making in all things and how they should be granted more privileges for it. Rhys did his best to naturally nod along while I saw Eleanor was fixated on the food in front of her.
Kael took my distraction as an excuse to keep going, “I am sure you’ll be the first to agree that the blood tithe system, as is, is an exercise in extreme cruelty. Random chance for the ultimate punishment, no consideration towards the quality of the person.”
“And who decides who is good?” I asked. The conversation reminded me of the conversation Rhys and I had on our way back to the castle.
“I’ll admit no perfect judge exists, but is not the attempt nobler than the random whims of fate?”
It was an agreeable sentiment. I chewed a random piece of food barely tasting it. The party’s volume was reaching a crescendo and the band was fighting back valiantly which only added to the noise.
There was yelling, laughing, and even a scream in the din. I couldn’t imagine who was tracking a conversation in this din. I nodded along to Kael, but luckily he didn’t need my input.
The second scream came with a hush that even the band followed with. At the end of our table, a guest was sitting pinned against the chair. What appeared to be a crossbow bolt held him in place with his head slumped down.
The man next to him had screamed. Now the room's silence was turning into shouting. Commands rattled off, people demanded protection and challenges were yelled at no one. I stood up and looked at Rhys. A couple guards had circled him leaving him no real room to maneuver.
I tried to focus on a plan of action. Someone with murderous intent was within crossbow range. That is not a small implement, I couldn’t imagine even the self absorbed guests or busy attendants would have missed it. I tried to think of where the attack could have come from.
A twang of a violin being brushed against in a rough and unwanted manner brought my attention upwards. I could see shadows darting and moving in the low light of the second floor.
I shot off and grabbed a guard who was half trying to protect a shouting woman and avoid getting a plate full of half eaten food thrown at him.
“How many ways are there to get upstairs?” I shouted over the din at him.
It took him a second to register the question as we ran towards the door, “Just one, it goes through the servants quarters.”
“Take me there now!”
The guard caught on and took the lead. His large bounds were scattered trying to avoid people and discarded dinners. I appreciated his path clearing, but still had to hastily bump a wayward patron out of my path. I hoped my hunch ended with something to show for the bruises I was unfortunately passing out.
The guards at the gate let my guide pass and me once he shouted something at them. We continued down the hall. The maze of stone meant nothing to me. Did the banner of the opulent fat vampire mean we were going towards or away from the servant quarters?
The guard burst through a small door and there was a startled shout as I followed him in. I saw three people running ahead. Two of them held instruments in their hands.
“Halt! Eternal Affairs!” I shouted. I didn’t know if that would have more authority than anything else, but it was true and I felt no time to consider other options.
All three of them turned towards the guard and I ran through the halls. The two holding instruments stopped completely. One dropped his and the flute clattered on the floor with an expensive sound. The third was a woman with blond hair that whipped wildly around her as she frantically looked around. She shot off down a corridor out of my sight.
“Stay with them, don’t let them leave, don’t let anyone leave from upstairs!” I commanded the guard before continuing my sprint after the third person. My turn was just in time to see the woman scamper down another hallway.
I felt my chest struggling to get air between the sprint and the shouting. I tried to gulp down more and increased my speed. With a target, I had a goal. Another turn and it was obvious I was gaining on her. One more and I was almost within arms reach.
I felt my legs start to stumble so I threw my body into the motion, allowing it to carry me into a tackle that had my arms around the woman's waist as I dragged her down with me. There was a sickening crack of bone against stone that I really hoped was her and not me. The momentum ended and I tried to untangle myself from her.
A foot to the chest lifted me to my knees while knocking the air out of me. I coughed and looked at the woman scrambling to get upright. She was kneeling almost as if ready to pounce, but her wobble and blood dripping down the side of her head painted the reality.
There was a flash of metal and a knife cut towards me. I caught her hand and bent her wrist at an unnatural angle. With a howl she dropped the knife and I pulled her towards me as I rose. The pain and confusion dragged her along. As soon as we were upright, I fell towards the wall, pinning her between me and the stone.
“You’re done,” I shouted, it felt more hopeful than commanding.
She squirmed for a moment before giving up. I picked up the knife and guided her back the way we came. I passed by my initial guide and asked if anyone else had come down. Apparently the string section had been pushy, but were under order now. I thanked him and continued out of the servants quarters.
More guards were running about and I called some over. Catching my breath I asked him to help me back to the dining hall. One of them offered to take over my detainee, but I refused. For better or worse, this was my capture. I didn’t feel ready to relinquish her.
The dining hall was a mess with disheveled people, tables, and meals. My return was heralded by an excited cheer from Kael. His wife gave him a slight look before giving me a nod. Then it exploded into chaos.
The guests all had something to shout and say. The little bit of order that had been regained in my absence had now completely evaporated. The guards that had escorted me in now did their best to make a path.
“Bring the villain,” Came the Governor's voice over the din. There was silence as I made my way through the parting crowd. Even the guards held back as I reached the raised table.
The woman shivered under my hand on her shoulder. We reached our destination and without prompting the woman fell to her knees. Her legs suddenly gave way and her right shin messily connected with an unfinished slice of pie. I struggled to appear to maintain positive control.
There was hushed chatter now. The loud command had stopped the commotion, but not the curiosity. I couldn’t make out anything that was being said. I had no idea the proper procedure in this position. Though, as always, I’m sure there was no common practice between agents. This was my decision.
I looked toward Rhys, “I present this woman found fleeing, refusing to halt when ordered, and took a blade to me when cornered!” I raised the knife, visible to all as if the unstained blade was some shocking proof.
For the crowd hungry for blood, it seemed more than enough to call for revenge. Rhys looked at me with pained eyes. I knew the look because I was feeling it as well. A very violent decision lay in front of us. In the chaos it looks like he had been given a sword. He gripped it tightly now. Eleanor whispered in his ear and his face grew darker still.
“This wretch has broken the peace, taken immortal life, and put everyone at risk,” Kael shouted, “We would have her head!”
There were cheers. The knife in my hand felt heavier.
“I would question her. There could be more to this conspiracy,” I offered, the gazes of death now fell on me. The answer already felt chosen.
“Then they will be found. For now she can be a bloody answer to their violence,” The Governor continued Kael’s triad, “The order and protection of those in my home are paramount!”
It was almost a shriek and I felt powerless under her sneer.
Eleanor whispered something else, Rhys grimly nodded. He stepped onto the chair and onto the table, “She was caught by an Agent and is under our jurisdiction. The perpetrator is under our judgment.”
There was a hush. In the room as they waited for his next words. I felt a pressure off me as Rhys took command of the people. It was just my job to keep the woman from running and since she was making no moves, there was nothing I had to do but wait.
Kael was moving around the table, taking the less direct route that Rhys had opted for, “Jurisdiction? You speak of jurisdiction in our home?”
Rhys jumped down from the table and strode towards the prisoner and me. I felt a sigh of relief as he was close enough for a conversation, but he continued yelling for all to hear, “I will concede the travesty of this attack, but I promise I will slay her myself when the time is right.”
Kael had marched towards me and now only the prisoner kneeled between us, “The time was right an hour ago before this assassin killed a member of this court. If not then, then NOW!”
His words were punctuated by the sound of steel scraping against steel as the woman had managed to reach Kael’s blade from its sheath. Kael howled and jumped back, tripping on his ostentatious cape.
The woman, now armed, swung wildly at me causing me to duck. I raised up to see Rhys’s blade impaled through her chest. A stillness in the air was broken by the gurgle of the woman’s last moments, which were almost instantly drowned out by the cheers of the entire room.