The City of Veils Read online

  "Oh yeah? How?"

  "Easy." I stuck the sword into the ground. "We'll train with some real weapons. It's amazing how clear the mind gets when you're fighting for your limbs."

  Felix sighed. "No, Brynna. That's not the way to deal with him. He just needs a bit of confidence, that's all."

  "Confidence." I snorted. "What he needs is a win. I could show him how to win."

  "You'd show him how to fight dirty."

  I stepped back, picking up the wooden sword again. "Oh? You think I fight dirty, do you?"

  "I think you have a certain way in the ring, yes," he said, knocking away the wooden sword when I poked him again. "I don't teach my soldiers to break arms and ribs."

  "Whose ribs did I break?" I said, tapping the back of his thighs.

  "Mine, almost," he said, grabbing another sword that had been left lying around and smacking away my thrust. "I don't think you want to go toe-to-toe with me."

  "Oh," I cooed, as our wooden swords met again. "I think it's you who doesn't want to go toe-to-toe with me. Are you afraid of The Veil?"

  "Don't say that too loudly," Felix replied, trying to hit me in the shoulder, but I was quicker. "These soldiers don't yet have my trust."

  I jumped away from a well-timed swing and came back with one of my own, tapping him on the shoulder. "And why do Joella and Riya have your trust? And Coyle?"

  "Because they've proven themselves," Felix said as our swords met in the middle. I pushed against him, my arms shaking with the effort. His smirk said he felt my struggle, but no matter how deep I dug, I couldn't find the strength to push him back. When his blade drew precariously close to my face, I finally relented.

  "And that, Brynn," he said, his breath warm on my cheek, "is why the queen remains in the castle."

  "Because I'm too weak to defend my kingdom?" I said, annoyed that I'd let him win.

  "Because someone needs to," he replied, casting his weapon away. "You're more than just a person. You're a symbol—it doesn't matter who you are. Someone has to be a beacon of hope. Someone has to make the tough calls. Someone has to be looking farther than the next blade to see the entire army."

  I paused, kicked the sword into my hands, and yanked Felix down to the ground, pressing the wooden blade into his neck.

  "What was that?" I said, breathing in his ear. "Perhaps I'll just lead the army myself."

  "It'll be awfully hard to decapitate everyone you see," Felix said. "Remember, you have just one sword. That's not very useful against an army."

  I released him and stood upright, tossing the sword between my hands with ease. "But sometimes, sticking your blade in the right person makes all the difference."

  He got to his feet, shaking his head. "Go get changed. I'll meet you down by the garden door."

  Chapter 18

  An hour later, I was dressed in my mask and hood, hopping on one foot while I waited for Felix. Tonight, finally, I could move forward. Perhaps even find the contracts themselves. But I didn't want to get too ahead of myself.

  Felix was late, and more than once I considered leaving without him. But the trust we had in each other was starting to grow, and it seemed foolish to overturn the apple cart after we'd just righted it. I heard his footsteps before I saw him, bathed in shadow and wearing his mask with a bit of stubble around his jawline.

  "Off to see Mr. Poole?" I said with a cheery grin.

  "Indeed." He pulled the iron gate away from the drain and we crawled through. "Sorry I was late. I was dealing with Jeremy."

  "Hope you took it easy on him," I said.

  "We just talked," he said softly. "Perhaps there's some merit to what you said about him needing a win."

  "Of course there's merit to it," I said as we came to the other side. "I'm not saying you send the boy out into battle, but maybe I could meet him on a dark street and rough him up—"

  "I think that might cause more harm than good," he said with a shake of his head. "He's never won a single match in the two years he's been in my care. I'm sure that's contributing to his issues."

  "Maybe he's not a soldier then. Can we find another place for him?"

  "I don't know if that would devastate him more," Felix said. "He's actually my cousin, my father's youngest brother's son. I have several family members in the guard now. It's in our family's blood to protect the crown."

  "Maybe it's not in his blood," I said. "Or maybe he can protect us some other way. It's not all about waving a sword around, you know."

  "In our family, it most certainly is," Felix said with a grim expression. "I would hate to be the one who sent him home." He glanced at me. "Metaphorically speaking. The Llobregas live in Mariner's Row."

  "Of course they do," I said. "Maybe we can stop by on our way to Poole's. You can stay there, even. Catch up."

  He made a noise and didn't respond, so we set off.

  My first stop of the night was the bell tower to replenish my supplies. I lit all the lamps, pulling the loose floorboards and wall pieces and laying out my pouches, weapons, and whatever else I had on hand. I wasn't sure what to expect from Poole, so I hung my small knives on my belt, leaving my sword behind. In my sling-pouch, I added my last bag of knockout powder (Kieran needed to come back already), my weight-ended ropes, and a rolled-up strand of binding twine. I even packed those little mushrooms and eyeglasses Kieran had given me, though I hoped not to use them.

  "I don't think you have enough stuff," Felix said, leaning against a wooden pole. "Maybe you need to add more knives."

  "You should be impressed," I said, tying my hood around my neck. "I'm preparing adequately for the unknown. Look at all the risk I'm not taking."

  "You're still breaking into a man's house. A man connected to the worst criminal in the city."

  "And if I'm lucky, maybe he's over for tea, and we can resolve this whole thing tonight," I said, breezing by Felix with a wink.

  We left the bell tower, and not even the thick, summer air could dampen my spirits. A light sheen of sweat coated my brow under my mask, and the back of my shirt was wet beneath my slingbag, yet I kept up my pace as we passed Mariner's Row on our way to the northeastern quadrant of the city, Merchant's Quarter. It was upper middle class, not as expensive or gaudy as Garwood's mansion, but still nice enough to be proud of. Most of those who lived here were business owners or well-to-do lawyers and bankers.

  Poole's house sat in the middle of a row of townhouses painted white with black shutters. Two lights were on, one in the bedroom and one in the living room. My guess was he was downstairs, and he lived alone, so the light upstairs was just burning unattended.

  "So what exactly is your plan?" Felix asked, looking over my shoulder.

  "I generally don't have one," I said, turning away from the house and sorting through my bag. "I'll creep in through a window, assess the situation, then decide what to do from there."

  "I don't like that," he said. "You need to have a plan before you get in there. What if he has a knife?"

  I sighed. "Then it's a good thing I have two."

  "What if he ambushes you? What if he has friends there? What if—"

  "What if you leave me alone to do my job, Felix?" I snapped. "I can handle the interrogation of a rich accountant."

  "A rich accountant on the payroll of one of the most dangerous—"

  I covered his mouth with my hand and pulled him down to hide as the back door opened. Poole stood, bathed in light in nothing but his boxers and a stained white shirt. He scratched his belly and turned around, closing the door behind him.

  "If you want to come with me," I whispered, "you will keep your voice down. Now I have to change my plan."

  "Why? I thought you said you didn't have one?"

  "My plan is usually creep in through the window, surprise, bind then interrogate. Now you've ruined the surprise part, so I have to think of something else."

  I crawled up to the house and crouched next to the window, testing it to see if it was unlocked. Unfortunately, no such luc
k tonight, but I was able to see inside. Poole was sitting in a large leather-bound chair with an oil lamp overhead. He seemed at ease, which was good for me.

  "You aren't going in there alone."

  I growled as I pulled out my knife and slid it through the glue connecting the pane to the wood. "Fine. You can come. But stay in the kitchen and out of sight."

  The glass popped out easily, and I unlocked the window, sliding it up softly and crawling into the kitchen and where I hid behind a table. In the other room, the chair creaked as Poole stood to investigate, but he wasn't two steps inside the kitchen before he froze.

  Poole sucked in a loud breath. "Who's there?"

  I smirked and stood so he could see my outline in the moonlight.

  "Who are you?" he said, his voice trembling.

  "You know who I am," I growled, lowering my voice.

  Felix snorted behind me and I tried not to let it bother me.

  "W-what do you want?"

  "I need information about your boss," I said, pulling one of my knifes and letting it catch the moonlight. "I want to know where he keeps his contracts—especially those with Kulka."

  The man swallowed, wearing a look of indecision. Would he save his own neck or his boss's, that was the question. I'd never met a person yet who'd chosen the latter.

  "Beswick keeps his most…er…interesting contracts on his person at all times."

  I straightened. "On his person. As in…in his suit pocket?"

  He nodded. "The ones you want are probably there. He doesn't trust them with anyone else."

  "What can you tell me about them?"

  He shook his head roughly. "N-nothing, I can tell you nothing about them."

  I paused, just for a moment, then rushed him. In three moves, he was on his knees with my knife pressed against his neck.

  "Still want to be quiet?" I whispered. "I will kill you."

  "This death would be quick. Beswick would…" He swallowed. "I've heard tales. It would last for days. And he wouldn't just kill me, he'd kill everyone I'd ever come into contact with."

  "You seem like a man who's pretty selfish," I said, pressing the blade harder into his skin. "Fine books. Fine things. I can give you protection."

  "Not from him, you can't. No one can." He whimpered against my blade. "P-please. I've told you all I can."

  "You've told me nothing," I growled, releasing him. "I'll be back in three nights. If you don't have anything of value then, I'll torture you worse than Beswick ever would. Perhaps I'll start with your fingers…"

  With him trembling in a ball on the floor, I stormed to the window, jumping through and rolling to a stop in the bushes. I dashed away down the alley, hoping Felix was smart enough to follow without me telling him so. A few streets down, I finally slowed, cursing my luck that I'd wasted so much time on such a useless endeavor. Poole probably wouldn't tell me more tomorrow than he did today. The only way I was going to get those contracts off Beswick was to pickpocket them myself.

  "Brynna."

  I stopped, but only for a moment. "What?"

  "That was too much," Felix said as he fell into step with me. "You can't…you can't kill people."

  "The Veil has never killed anyone," I drawled.

  "You broke a man's arm the other day."

  "Well, he deserved it."

  "Still, though," Felix said as he joined me on the roof. "I know you're frustrated, but chopping off accountants' fingers isn't the way to get information. That's what Beswick does, and you're better than that."

  "Threatening, Felix. Only threats." I cast him a coy look. "I promise I'm not as much of a monster as I tell people I am."

  He joined me on the ledge, agitation clear in his body. "You've already been out all night. What more could you have to accomplish?"

  "Find Beswick. Get close to his person. Steal the contracts from his pocket."

  Felix turned fully to me. "No."

  "Why not?"

  "Because, save yourself, Beswick is one of the most closely-guarded people in the city," Felix said. "There is no way you'll get close enough to spit on him, let alone pickpocket him."

  "You doubt my abilities?" I asked.

  "I doubt your sanity right now."

  I pursed my lips. "Then how about we just go watch him for a bit?"

  "I don't want you anywhere near Beswick," Felix said. "Find your proof some other way."

  "Felix, I don't have time for another way," I replied, sidestepping him.

  But he blocked my path. "We'll figure one out together. Something that doesn't require you putting yourself in unnecessary danger."

  "Then I'm at a dead end," I said, throwing my arms in the air. "I have no idea what to do next."

  "What do you normally do when you hit a dead end?" Felix asked.

  I crossed my arms over my chest and frowned. "I get more information. I keep digging until there's a break and then I take action. But now I have information, and someone won't let me take action on it."

  "Then perhaps you need more information," Felix said. "Beswick's contracts may be permanently out of your reach for the moment. Instead of stewing over what you can't have, figure out a different way to get what you want."

  I could've argued with him all night, but he had that particular look in his eye that told me it would be completely useless.

  Chapter 19

  After thinking about it all day, I still saw no easier path to my end goal than to spy on Beswick or try to pickpocket him. But Felix was stubborn, and although it was incredibly tempting to leave him behind, it would only cause more headaches. There was also the option that one day, if he trusted me enough, he'd let me out without him. So when he joined me, I at least wanted to show that I was trying.

  "I'm going to ask all my regular informants," I said. "Maybe one of his lieutenants is in the know."

  "See? That's a much safer option."

  Safer, sure. But it felt a bit like going backward.

  Ruby was nowhere to be found, perhaps taking the night off, so I ventured down to the docks to hit up Stank's to see what John knew. As usual, Felix waited outside, although his stern looks and annoyed snorts told me he didn't quite trust me not to make a break for it. But I gave him a sweet smile and told him I'd be out in half an hour, which seemed to placate him somewhat.

  I pushed open the door and the odor of beer and sweat washed over me. The place was more packed than usual, and it made moving around difficult, but eventually, I found an empty stool at the bar. It took Frank the bartender a few minutes to make his way over to me, and he poured a shot of whiskey before I even asked for it.

  "John's out," he said.

  "Really?" I said, looking around. "Everyone else is in."

  "Which is why he's out. Made too many enemies with his loose lips," he said. "Especially with the folks bringing in this big shipment tonight."

  "Shipment?" I lifted my gaze. "What kind of shipment?"

  "Been all the conversations down here," he said, picking up a glass and wiping it down with a rag. "All these guys are waiting for them to arrive."

  "Waiting for whom?"

  He shrugged. "Nobody knows. The captain's guard doesn't even know about it."

  "What the captain doesn't know could fill the bay," I replied, putting five gold pieces on the bar. "But what you do know could be worth twice this."

  "Keep your coins, all I've heard is rumors. Nobody knows what's coming except the people on the ship."

  I pushed the coins toward him again. "Is Beswick behind it?"

  He shrugged. "Rumors, Veil. That's all I've heard. But if you want to talk about Beswick, the gentleman in the corner is the one you need to speak with." He nodded behind me to where Ignacio was talking in low voices to individuals with hoods like mine.

  "And you can't give me anything else?" I asked, rising.

  He shrugged then set to cleaning the bar, so I turned to face Ignacio, formulating a plan. I still had Kieran's mushrooms in my slingbag, now might be a good time to us
e them. I disappeared into the crowd, pulling my bag around to the front and finding the small mushrooms. They were fairly insignificant, smaller than my thumb, but I hoped they wouldn't be noticed. I slid the stalks between my middle and ring fingers, holding them tight as I moved my bag around to my back again.

  Ready for battle, I made my way across the bar as casually as I could with all the people packed inside. Squeezing between two beefy women, I adjusted my hood and continued toward the table in the back.

  "Evening, gentlemen," I announced.

  Ignacio's face grew dark immediately as he scowled. "There aren't any sniveling idiots here for you to save. Get lost."

  "Really?" I said, gently pressing one of the mushrooms to the man closest to me's shoulder. "Are you not counting yourself among that number?"

  "Don't make me throw you out of this bar, little girl," he replied.

  "I'd love to see you try," I replied, pressing a second mushroom to the other man's shoulder. "But don't embarrass yourself again. A little fire scared you so much."

  He glowered in my direction. "What do you want, flea?"

  "I want to know if you know anything about this shipment coming in tonight," I replied, as I did need an excuse for bothering them.

  "I know nothing, and if I did, I wouldn't tell you, little flea. Now get lost."

  I bowed with a flourish, turning before either of them could see the smirk on my face as I exited the bar. Wordlessly, I beckoned for Felix to follow me as we ascended to the roof of the bar and waited.

  "So, what'd you find out?" he asked.

  "Nothing yet," I replied, pulling the spectacles out of my pocket and slipping them on. "We'll just see how well Kieran's Nestori friend can use her mushrooms."

  "You look ridiculous," Felix said, the ghost of a smile on his lips.

  "Ssh." The door below me opened and the two men who'd been talking to Ignacio walked out, both bearing a visible lime green circle on their backs. And even better, every few feet, the mushrooms spat out little spores, leaving a trail behind them.

  "What is it?" Felix asked.

  I pulled off the glasses for a moment, seeing nothing then put them back on. "I owe Kieran a drink, that's what. Let's go."