“He’ll live,” Valessa said as the others lifted their swords. “Though he’ll never hear from that ear again. Would anyone else like proof?”
They let the gray sisters through, along with an escort of six nervous soldiers. Inside the castle, they waited several minutes, until at last a knight came forward and gestured for them to follow. They came before Lord Sebastian Hemman sitting on his throne, soldiers at either side of him. Valessa snickered at the protection. So cute.
“Greetings, ladies of Karak,” Sebastian said, rising. “Consider me honored to have such revered guests come to my home. I hope the guards at the gate did not trouble you.”
“No trouble,” Valessa said, and Claire turned her head to hide her smile.
“I must confess, I’m not familiar with your Order. Are you paladins, or perhaps priestesses?”
“We are what we are, and that is none of your concern,” Claire said, her humor vanishing. “Know only that we speak for the Stronghold, and for Karak. Word has come to us of a prisoner, and we believe him one we have hunted for the past weeks.”
“Leave me,” Sebastian said to his soldiers, holding up a hand for the two women to pause. The soldiers began filing out, and none looked too happy with leaving their lord alone.
“No, Gregane,” he said, stopping one of the knights. “You stay.”
The burly knight stepped back, staying at the right hand of his lord.
“The man you seek,” Sebastian said when the rest were gone. “Would you care to tell me his name?”
The gray sisters exchanged a look, and Claire shrugged.
“Darius,” Valessa said. “His name is Darius, and he once hailed from the Stronghold.”
Sebastian stroked the hairs of his chin as he leaned back in his seat.
“Have you come to find him,” he asked, “or kill him?”
“Does it matter?” Claire asked.
“It does, for you see, I had a very strange visitor last night. His words of caution are… difficult to shake.”
Valessa felt her stomach tighten, and she did not miss Claire’s eyes narrowing in anger.
“This visitor,” Valessa asked, “was he a man with many faces, and eyes that burned like fire?”
Sebastian looked surprised, but he hid it well.
“He was. And he told me that while orders were initially given to execute Darius, circumstances have changed. He said I’d soon receive new orders from the Stronghold, signed by the hand of the High Enforcer.”
“Let me guess,” Claire interrupted. “Those new orders would hand Darius over to him, the prophet?”
Sebastian shrugged. “Something to that effect.”
Valessa bit down a curse. She turned to Claire and lowered her voice to a whisper.
“The commoners must never know of conflict between servants of Karak,” she whispered. “Do we dare challenge Velixar’s authority?”
“Sebastian is no commoner. Surely a lord understands that even servants must sometimes quarrel.”
“My ladies, if I may interrupt.” Sebastian smiled at them, and something opportunistic glinted in his eyes that made Valessa wary.
“What is it?” Claire asked, no pretense of politeness in her words.
“Now, for all I know, last night was just a strange dream, and gods are known to work in mysterious ways. Ashhur may have come in the guise of his enemy to save the life of a traitor, for example. To be prudent, I will wait some time for new orders, but until then, I know of another who is an enemy of Karak, whose death I think would benefit us all.”
Valessa felt her anger grow, at both the lord and the prophet.
“We are not assassins to be directed as you wish,” Claire seethed.
“I understand. I am simply suggesting a wise use of your time while I wait for new orders. Now, should you perform this duty, and return without me having heard word from the Stronghold…”
He let his voice trail off as he took a drink of wine. The sisters exchanged another glance. Valessa could tell Claire wasn’t happy about this, but short of executing Sebastian, there weren’t too many options currently available to them.
“I knew we should have come unnoticed,” Claire whispered.
“Who is your target, the one that is such an affront to Karak?” Valessa asked.
Sebastian downed the rest of the glass, licked his lips, and set it aside.
“My older brother, Arthur. He lives in his castle, quite the recluse. But those of his retinue spread word of how the worship of Karak in our lands is unlawful, our enforcements unfair, and the tithes the people pay unjust. His castle is small, but well-guarded, and could withstand a siege for at least a year. The Castle of Caves, they call it. But you two ladies…”
“I know where the castle is,” Claire said. “Now give us your word that when we return, Darius will be ours to deal with as we desire.”
“If no orders have been delivered to me stating otherwise.”
Claire’s smile was rigid as stone.
“Of course.”
“Wait,” Valessa said before they could be excused. “I wish to see Darius first, with my own eyes.”
Sebastian frowned. “Lady, I can assure you that he is in our custody, and properly taken care of.”
She shook her head.
“My own eyes, Sebastian. That is my demand, and I will not relent.”
The lord glanced at Gregane, who nodded.
“Very well,” Sebastian said, standing. “Follow me, but you must come alone. Gregane will have his eye on you at all times. No tricks. Any attempt made on Darius’s life will be treated as an attempt on my own.”
Both of which you could never stop, Valessa thought, but instead she smiled and followed him past his throne and into the dungeon below. It was dark, damp, and smelled of blood and piss. She caught the jailor hiding in the corner, as if frightened to be seen in the presence of his lord. Valessa gave him little thought, for her attention was reserved for the man chained to the wall.
“Darius?” she asked, approaching the bars.
“Careful,” Gregane said, his sword drawn. “He is a dangerous man, after all.”
Valessa knew that wasn’t why he kept his blade at ready, but pretended otherwise. She tilted her head, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dim light. The bound man didn’t seem like a paladin of Karak. He looked pale, tired, with his eyes sunken into his face. He was half-naked, wearing only torn underclothes. In the light of day he might have been handsome, but down there, he looked deserving of only pity.
But she had no pity for a betrayer.
“My, my,” Darius said, laughing. “They sent a gray sister after me? Am I that great a threat to Karak, that I must die in secret?”
“You revealed your lack of faith before a crowd of thousands,” Valessa said. “While in full armor no less, still bearing the crest of the Lion. For that alone you should die.”
“Perhaps. I thought killing Nevek and Lars was the greater crime, but what do I know?”
“There, you have seen him,” Sebastian said, clearly impatient. “May we return to more pleasing environs?”
“Are you not here to kill me?” Darius asked. He laughed again. “Such a shame. What happened, sister? Have you lost your courage?”
Her hand reached for the dagger at her side, but Gregane was there, holding her wrist.
“I wouldn’t do that,” he said.
Valessa glared, debating. She was in the dungeon of a castle, with a hundred soldiers waiting on call. Was it really worth dying over a pathetic, failed paladin?
“Forgive me,” she said, pulling her arm free of his grasp. “I have little patience when in the presence of heretics.”
“Heretic?” For the first time, Darius spoke in anger. “ Heretic? What heresy have I committed? What blasphemy have I spoken against Karak? I worship him still, with all my heart. Consider me lost, gray sister, and consider me a failure, but do not dare presume to understand the nature of my faith.”
Valessa didn’t know what to say, so she stated the most obvious argument against him.
“Then why does Karak not bless you? Why does he deny fire to your blade?”