Anne Logston - Shadow 02 - Shadow Hunt.pdf - Anne Logston - margozap

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Shadow Hunt by Anne

Logston

PROLOGUE

The room was dim, lit by scented lamps. The air was redolent with

smells: aged wood, expensive oils and incense, fear. Most of the smells

emanated from the fat merchant who cowered upon the cushions.

"How—how did you pass my guards?" he whispered, his heavily jeweled

hands twisting together.

She shrugged slightly.

"As I passed Rivera's guards. So many guards, Merchant Tomor. So

many more than when we spoke last. If I were the suspicious sort, I would

imagine you wished to keep me out. And that would be most ungrateful of

you, would it not? Most ungrateful." Her slender, black-gloved hands

rested, poised, on her thighs as she crouched just inside the doorway.

Tomor's curiosity overcame, for a moment, his nervousness.

"It's done, then?"

The jet eyes never wavered.

"You doubted? It is done, as you wished. Your competitor is dead. It

will not be linked to you. He did not deserve what I did to him."

Despite his nervousness, Tomor barked with harsh laughter.

"That troubles you, a paid killer?"

Chin-length, straight black hair shook slightly with her head.

"It does not trouble me. Do you bait me, Merchant Tomor? It would be

unwise of you to do that."

She was all in black leather from chin to toe, and lamplight was

swallowed, unreflected, in the darkness of her eyes.

"No. No," Tumor said hurriedly. Then he paused. "Did you torture

him?"

The barest hint of a smile touched her pale lips.

"No. It was quick, at least." Her eyes were cold. "You stall, Merchant

Tomor. I have come for my payment."

Tomor shivered, his hand clenching around the small, black mark in his

palm.

"I've paid your hellish price already."

Her head tilted slightly.

"Need I remind you of the rest of our bargain, Merchant Tomor? I was

promised ten thousand Suns in gems when the task was completed."

"You've already been paid more than enough for such a task," Tomor

shuddered.

Amusement tinged her voice.

"How typical of you, Merchant Tomor, that you would not balk at

giving a part of your life, but a part of your purse is held so dear."

Tomor visibly mustered his courage.

"You have no proof of our agreement, no contract."

"What use is a contract to me?" Her voice was still smooth, but a hint

of steel had entered into it. "I am no paid knife of the Aconite Circle.

Contracts are for those bargains to be enforced by others, not for bargains

whispered in dark rooms. Those bargains I must enforce myself, as I have

done, as I will do. Will you pay? Take care, Merchant Tomor. You are less

safe than you think. Will you pay?"

Tomor's eyes narrowed.

"You dare threaten me in my own house?" he sneered. "You can't touch

me. One word and my guards will be upon you. Eyes watch us even now.

You can't threaten me out of my money—"

Even before the last word left his lips, she was at his side, knife at his

throat. He trembled. He had not seen her move.

Her voice was cold, caressing.

"No, Merchant Tomor, nor will you threaten me out of mine. There

were eyes upon you, and guards at your door, but now they sleep past all

waking." She briefly glanced at the steel blade of the knife at his throat.

"No. This time, by my own choice."

The knife poised, her eyes never leaving Tomor's, her left hand went to

the sheath at her hip. It drew a dagger blacker than night, shining darkly

in the lamplight. Its tip replaced the other at Tomor's throat, just under

his chin.

Tomor was shaking violently, perspiration dripping from his forehead

to the cushions.

"No. I'll pay. I'll pay."

She smiled.

"Yes, Merchant Tomor. You will pay."

Tomor had no time to scream as the black dagger thrust upward into

his brain.

She who called herself Blade withdrew the dagger, wiping it fastidiously

on the cushion, then laying it on the floor. It shimmered, vanished.

A tall man, hairless, his naked skin blacker than night, stood beside

Blade on the cushions.

"A fine gift," he said. "I really must thank you. Much more tasty than

the soul of that Rivero fellow. He hardly had time to feel fear."

He reached into the cushions, drew out a small silk bag.

"And he had your payment ready, all along."

Blade took the pouch and tucked it into her sash. She picked up the

black dagger from the floor of the room where she now stood alone, and

sheathed it.

Her steps in the hallway, in the entry, on the street, were as silent as

shadows in the moonlight.

ONE

"Damn it, Doe, you should know better." Shadow slammed her goblet

down so violently that some wine slopped over the edge. "You of all people

should know better!"

"I didn't say I thought you took it," Donya said mildly. "I only said

that's what it looked like. And of course it's all over town, you know,

despite Lord Vikram's best efforts to keep it secret, so of course on top of

stealing the ruby, he now thinks you're bragging it about Allanmere."

"Well, he should know better, too," Shadow grumbled. "Impotent old

wretch, you'd think he'd have a bit of gratitude that I saved his worthless

life last year, not to mention his place as the head of the Council of

Churches."

"You know he won't admit it," Donya smiled. "He insists Bobrick was

accidentally killed when the temple burned—which he also blames you for,

by the way."

"Well, that was my fault—indirectly, anyway," Shadow chuckled. "At

least he only had to rebuild the Temple of Urex. I had to rebuild a whole

Guild, and he can be thanked for at least part of that. Anyway, that's kept

me so busy I've hardly had time to hit the market these days, let alone pull

off a complicated job like the Eye of Urex. Even if I'd been idiotic enough

to do it."

"The plain fact is that I wouldn't have said anybody but you could have

done it," Donya grimaced. "Since Vikram rebuilt the Temple of Urex he's

paid heavily for extra protection, a lot of it magical, with you in mind, I

think. I can't think of any way to have taken the Eye without your

bracelet."

"Well, the simple fact is that I didn't," Shadow sighed. "Anyway, what

would I do with the thing? I could hardly sell it around town, could I?

Nobody'd dare to buy it, unless it was some squeaker looking to chirp to

the guard and collect a reward, too. Besides, the thing's a fake."

" What ?" Donya choked.

Shadow nodded.

"Uh-huh. Piece of glass. Good fake, very good; you have to know what

you're doing and you have to get close to find out. That glow's from

whatever magic is on it. Other than what the Temple of Urex might pay to

get it back, it's worth no more than about five Suns for ornamental value

except to the mage who cast it."

"That's impossible!"

"Doe, I know gems," Shadow said. "Have to, in my profession. Since the

run-in with the Council, I've kept my eye on the Temple of Urex and

Vikram."

"And on the Eye of Urex, supposedly the largest gem in Allanmere?"

Donya asked wryly.

"What can I say?" Shadow said innocently. "Professional interest.

Anyway, I've had people in the temple, and when I heard what some of

them said, I went myself. Trust me, no self-respecting thief would have

thought the Eye worth the bother, except maybe for ransom value. I don't

know whether Vikram knows the Eye's a fake or not, but I do know he

probably can't afford for his worshippers to find out, so he'd pay. Problem

is, nobody's made a ransom demand. Frankly, I doubt that's what

happened. Since it had to rebuild, the Temple of Urex just doesn't have

enough money for a reasonable ransom. I should know."

"Vikram takes the theft as a challenge to the Council of Churches,"

Donya said dismally. "Of course, he's just looking for an excuse, you know,

to strike at the Guild while it's still weak."

Anne Logston - Shadow 02 - Shadow Hunt.pdf

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