Vainglory 3.33 - Shadows of Doubt

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-Plum

33 – Shadows of Doubt

Haley looked back at Ward, watching him go into his apartment. She felt guilty about not being open with him, but it was a small feeling, easily overshadowed by her general malaise—the gloom that had fallen over her like a blanket when they’d left the Garden Gates. Of course, she’d brushed off his concern, and, of course, she’d acted irritated when he’d suggested she needed to do some Gopah. It was an easy way to deflect, making him the offending party.

Ward was kind, and he doted on her, and she hated the idea of taking advantage of that, but she’d done it, hadn’t she? And why? Why couldn’t she just tell him what was wrong? She could explain her feelings, and the despair she felt at their sudden onset, couldn’t she? Ward would understand, he’d— No, she shook the thought off. There was something wrong with her, and Ward was the last person she had—her friend, her family. She couldn’t risk alienating him with the…thing looming inside her mind.

The most troubling aspect of her current ordeal was that she’d felt so much better lately. She hadn’t had any of these intrusive thoughts in the challenge, but they fell on her like an avalanche as they left. Why? Was the…corruption made still by some magic in the challenges—something the old ones had left behind?

As Ward’s door clicked shut, Haley slipped out of her room and hurried down the hallway. She’d said she was exhausted and that she’d do Gopah first thing in the morning. Part of her meant the words, but this other part, the one that guided her furtive steps through the corridors, had something else in mind. Terrifyingly, Haley wasn’t exactly sure what it was or where she was going.

She wore her blue cloak—the one Ward had given her from the Catacombs—hood up. In her soft leather slippers, she moved like a shadow among shadows, gliding through the corridors of the Assembly Building. She ran to the stairs, drifted down them like a falling crow’s feather, then hurried toward the main entry hall. She slipped through a side door, careful always to stay out of the patrolling guardsman’s line of sight. It was easy—he was loud and slow.

Once she cleared the big, open market square, streaking through the darkness, avoiding the lamps and their pools of warm, amber light, she took to the alleys, racing to the south, moving ever-closer to the edge of the city where, if Ward was right, the less fortunate dwelled—those men and women who didn’t reap the benefits of the wealth on display in Ordo Caelus.

That thought gave her pause—well, it gave her mind pause, but her feet continued to carry her at a breakneck pace. Did she know where she was going? Did she know why? Why was she running toward the less savory part of the city? She felt like she was a passenger in her body, but was she? What did she hope to find on the city’s edge? Desperate men and women? Vagabonds? Troublemakers? Drunkards? All of the above? Then it clicked for her. She was looking for someone—anyone—to fight.

###

“She doesn’t seem herself,” Grace said as Ward closed the door.

“Yeah, I agree, but what do you want me to do? She said we’d talk in the morning.” Ward yawned and unbuckled his belt, kicking his boots off near the door. He was worried about Haley, but she was an adult woman, and he’d seen her safely into her room. If she wanted to wait until morning to talk, that was all right with him.

“Nothing, I suppose. Don’t you think it’s odd how her demeanor changed? She was positively upbeat when you were under the tree having lunch.”

“Yeah, it’s weird, but then again, everything about me and her and all this magical bullshit is weird. Maybe her exhaustion just hit home when we were out and safe. Maybe there was some kind of magical energy in the challenge that made it easier to maintain her Gopah, um, fire or whatever.” As he hung his belt in the wardrobe, he untied his magic pouch. He wanted to keep it close while he slept, considering pretty much everything he owned was inside.

“You should take a bath,” Grace remarked, standing in the bathroom doorway.

“Don’t I know it.” He went into the bathroom, threw off his shirt and pants, and turned the spigot on the tub until the pipes rattled and shook, throwing gouts of steaming water into the porcelain bowl. As the water started to fill, he slipped out of his filthy, torn underpants, heedless of Grace’s attentions; she’d long broken him of any modesty where she was concerned. While he climbed into the tub and sat down, she sat on the edge, dangling her feet in the water.

“You ought to put those clothes in the garbage. Don’t make some poor member of the housekeeping staff struggle to clean and mend them.”

“Oh, I will.” Ward leaned back, sighing happily as the hot water drained the tension out of his muscles. “We need to talk about a plan.”

“Well, you better cast your spell, then.”

“You mean to shield us?” Ward frowned, looking for some soap he’d purchased to use in his hair. He had half a dozen different types arrayed on the shelves beside the tub. Some were advertised for hair, but he found most to be far harsher than the shampoo he’d used back on Earth. He finally found the narrow bar with tiny flecks of herbs in the creamy, soft soap and began scrubbing his filthy scalp with it. Once he got enough rubbed off, he put the bar down and massaged his hair and scalp, working up a thick lather.

“Yes, obviously. I’m sure your enemies are spying on this room.”

“But we’ve been gone for days, and it’s the middle of the night. You think they’re watching around the clock?” He waved a hand. “Forge it. You’re right; we ought to take precautions. Let me finish up in here, and then I’ll do the spell.”

Ward spent more time than he should have in the tub. It was late, and he was tired, but he wasn’t sleepy. When he got out and put on some clean underpants, he took a minute to prepare his Web of Obscurity spell, then cast it, throwing his bedroom into the weird, muted, dim ambiance that came along with the magic. Lying on the thick rug at the foot of his bed, staring up at the ceiling, noting the many cobwebs in the corner by the window, he said, “Speaking of this spell, I gotta track down that sorceress, Gwen, and ask her about Thrund’s spellbook.”

“Yes, but first things first. What sort of plan did you have in mind?” Grace prompted, clearly keen to keep Ward on track.

“We need to nab someone we know is in the cult. Right now, I’m fairly sure that means either Chancellor Veylan or, um, Adjudicator Reembak. That was her title, right?”

“Yes, that’s right, and they’re both a good deal stronger than you when it comes to sorcerous spells. I mean, judging by their eyes.” She plopped down beside him, resting her chin in her hands. “What about Gwen? Could you ask her for help?”

“I could, but I’m not so sure I trust her and Coral. Yeah, they came to us and offered information about the cult, and Gwen gave me this spell to hide from prying eyes, but, Grace, I’m not a magical genius. For all I know this spell doesn’t do jack shit. Hell, maybe it works, but she has a way around it. You know, Coral could be part of the cult; they could be playing two different angles.”

“You mean, trying to get close with one agent while another agent, Reembak, hires duelists to try to kill you?”

Ward yawned and nodded. “It wouldn’t be the most diabolical thing I’ve ever heard of.”

“So, you don’t want to ask her for help—at least not unless you have to.”

“Right. There is one thing about Veylan and Reembak being sorcerers that’s kind of to my advantage,” Ward said, giving voice to some thoughts he’d had earlier as he contemplated his problems. “They’re both pretty damn sure of themselves. I’ve seen them walking around the Assembly building before, and neither of them has bodyguards. Most of the other Assembly members I’ve seen in the building have at least one.”

“Bodyguards and attendants. You’re right, though. You saw Reembak walking through the market square a few days ago, and she was alone. Still, Ward, she’s a sorceress, and a strong one. How will you…” Her eyes widened. “You’re going to try the Chains of Silence spell!”

“I had the thought, yeah. If I could get her alone, hit her with that spell before she saw me coming, I could overpower her, tie her up, and bring her somewhere.” Ward’s scowl deepened as he gave voice to the thoughts. It didn’t sound like something he would do, but then, the woman had hired someone to kill him. Hell, she’d probably done it again since then. Who knew how many duelists might be out in the square tomorrow, looking for him to pass through?

“What then?”

“Then I try the Memory Walk spell.”

“So, you won’t be pulling her fingernails out?”

Ward chuckled. “That’s not exactly the plan, no.”

“But what then?” Grace insisted, nudging his ribs.

“You mean after I get some information out of her?” Ward nodded, understanding where she was going. “I can’t exactly turn her loose, can I? She’d have me arrested or killed. It would be my word against hers.”

“It’s a pity you can’t trust Coral; if you could get him to back you, it would add some legitimacy to the whole thing.”

“Yeah. It feels like I’ll be sticking my neck out pretty far if I manage to capture Reembak or Veylan. I mean, shit, Veylan would definitely have me killed. I wouldn’t be able to let him go again. Unless…” Ward trailed off, his mind going down another tangent.

“What, Ward?”

“Oh, well, we still don’t know how this spell I found works—the Memory Walk one. Maybe it isn’t noticeable by the person you cast it on. Maybe I could just find Reembak having lunch, and cast the spell—”

“Ward, words of power aren’t subtle. Whether she knows you read her mind or not, people will know you cast a spell.”

“Yeah. Good point. Still, I had another thought.” Ward shifted onto his side, propping his head up with his elbow. “If Coral wants me to trust him, he might submit to the spell. I mean, the Memory Walk one. If he refuses, that’ll tell me almost as much as if he accepts.”

“That could be dangerous—putting him on the spot like that.”

“Yeah, but if he let me, it would open a lot of doors. I’d be able to ask him for help kidnapping Reembak, for instance.”

Grace nodded. “And with his help comes Gwen’s.”

Ward yawned again, then clambered to his feet. “I’m hitting the sack. In the morning, after we meet with Fitz, I’ll try to get a meeting with Coral.”

“Good! Go to sleep. The sooner you wake up, the sooner I can see Haley.”

Ward couldn’t argue with that logic, so he turned off the lamps, crawled into bed, and was almost asleep before his head hit the pillow. He slept well, and surprisingly, he didn’t suffer from any dark portents in his dreams. In fact, he couldn’t remember his dreams at all. He was still sound asleep, face buried in his pillows, when a distant thumping on his door pulled him out of his senseless reverie.

Blinking blearily, he heard Haley’s voice accompanied by more thumps, “Ward!”

He squinted into the sunlight spilling through the drawn curtains. It had to be well past sunrise. “Coming!” He slid out of bed and jogged over to the door, pulling it wide. Haley stood there, dressed for the day, complete with her shimmering midnight blue cloak.

She strode into the room and announced, “Fitz is waiting down in the entry hall with the others. I ran into them after I finished my Gopah.” Her voice sounded much brighter than the day before, and Ward noted her hood was thrown back. She didn’t shy away from his gaze, peering into his eyes with a clear, focused gaze.

“You’re better.”

She smiled. “Much! My Gopah helped. Come on, now! Get dressed! Where’s Grace?”

As Ward dug some clean clothes out of his wardrobe, Grace appeared, beaming as she performed a perfect pirouette before Haley. “Did I hear my name?”

A bubbly giggle erupted from Haley. “Is that why your name is Grace? You’re so elegant!”

“Oh, sweet girl! You’re grace personified! If anyone should be named for that virtue, it’s you.”

“But I’m not!”

Ward sighed, tuning them out as he buttoned his shirt, tucked it in, and pulled his belt on. After he got his boots on, he buckled his much heavier sword belt over his hips. That done, he returned to his bed and dug around under his piled pillows until he found his magic pouch. He tied it to his belt and said, “Gimme two minutes to clean my teeth.”

When they descended from the living quarters into the main hallway, Ward’s nose was assaulted by the scents of food coming from the kitchens. His mouth watered, his stomach rumbled, and Haley laughed at him, turning to poke his stomach. He’d just swatted her hand away when a reed-thin, nasally voice called out from behind them, “Excuse me! Mr. Dyer?”

Ward whirled, hand on the hilt of his sword, only to be faced with a tall, thin, teenage boy holding a sealed parchment. “Yes?”

“I have a message from Chancellor Coral, sir.” He bowed, holding the parchment out. Ward took it, dismissed the kid, and broke the seal, unrolling the message:

Mr. Dyer,

Word has reached me that you returned to the Assembly Hall in the night. I’m eager to hear of your progress on our mutual interests, and I have some updates for you, in turn. Gwen has something for you as well. I’ll be at my country estate for the next few days, and I’d appreciate you coming to see me here. You’ll find a map attached to this missive.

Respectfully,

Chancellor Coral

“Well, that makes things a little more complicated.”

“What?” Haley asked.

“Coral’s out of the city, and he wants us to go see him.” His lips curled down as a low growl rumbled in his gut. “Feels like a trap.”

“It feels like it, but it may not be.” Haley grabbed his elbow and tugged him toward the entry hall. “Fitz is waiting!”

“Right.” Ward took a minute to study the map attached to the letter, then stuffed them into his pocket and allowed Haley to pull him along. “Did you sleep well?”

She looked over her shoulder, nodding. “Like a baby.”

“Are you going to go check in with Master Rose?”

“I suppose.” She stopped and turned to face him. “Honestly, I’d hoped to spend the afternoon with Fitz. Are you planning to go see Coral right away?”

Ward sighed, hooking his thumbs on his sword belt. “I don’t know, Haley. The longer I hang around here, the more likely I’ll get challenged to another duel. There’s a lot of heavy shit I need to deal with.” Ward tapped his stomach. “I feel like I ought to hurry—like I need to get something resolved. I know you’ve been missing Fitz, though. How about, after we meet, you go have lunch with him, and then we can head out this afternoon.”

“Maybe I could just stay here, Ward. I need to practice with Master Rose, too.” Something about the way her eyes shifted to the side as she spoke triggered Ward’s detective senses, and he had the unsettling feeling that she wasn’t being wholly honest with him. What would she be lying about, though? She wanted to spend time with Fitz, and she needed to practice with Rose; those two things weren’t controversial. Was it something else she wanted to do? Something she wasn’t comfortable telling him?

“I mean…” Ward frowned, shaking his head. “Honestly, yeah, if this is a trap, then I guess I’d rather you were safe in the city. I can—”

“No! I didn’t think of that! You’ll need me if there’s trouble.”

Ward grabbed her elbow and pulled her to the side of the corridor, lowering his voice. “Maybe not. Maybe it’s smarter if you’re not with me. If there’s trouble, I’d rather you were safe, you know, near our friends and allies, in case I need help. According to the map Coral sent me, his country house is just a few hours outside the city. If I’m not back tomorrow, you’ll know something’s wrong.”

“Well…if you’re sure…” The way she gave in without an argument only furthered Ward’s suspicions that something was off. He only wished he could tell if it was something important or something silly, like she wanted to spend more time with Fitz than she was willing to admit.

Ward nodded, forcing a smile that felt fake even to him. “I’m sure. Leave it to me. I’ll try to be back in time tomorrow to get dinner with you.” He nodded toward the high archway leading to the entry hall. “Let’s go see Fitz and the others now. I’m curious how old Trent Roy’s doing.”

“Old?” Haley giggled. “I think he’s your age.”

“Yeah, I didn’t mean it literally.” Ward chuckled and nudged her shoulder as they walked, but inside his mind was racing. Part of him was convinced that he was being paranoid and overprotective, but another part, a part that was too damn convincing, was telling him that something was wrong. Could he do anything about it? What was the greater urgency? Solving Haley’s mystery or getting out to Coral’s country estate as soon as possible?

The question might as well have been rhetorical; Ward loved Haley. He’d do anything for her, including risk his or anyone else’s damn life to make sure she was okay. So, as they walked and waved their greetings to Fitz and the others, a corner of his mind was busily devising a plan.