There was a commotion in the house’s courtyard; she could hear it through the window. Miryo shifted the mirror to see from above the front door, and found herself staring. Not one but three uniformed Hunters were out there, two of them carrying bodies. What in the Crone’s name had happened?
She redirected the mirror again as they came inside and went to the room where Kan was waiting. No polite salutes now; the two Hunters at the back, both men, dropped their burdens while the woman Miryo had hired strode forward. She was obviously nursing an injured hand and more than one bruise, but arrogance was written in every line of her body.
“We’ve got her,” she said without ceremony. “Within a day, as I promised. Now heal me and my friends.”
Miryo bristled at her tone. Who was she, to order a witch around? Not that Kan was really a witch, but the Hunter didn’t know that.
Rudeness is the least of your problems. Kan can no more heal them than I could direct an army. But she can’t admit that, and I can’t do anything to help her. Not until my doppelganger is dead. Miryo eyed the two bodies on the floor, neither of which was moving much. One was a man, also in Hunter uniform. The other was bundled up so that only her boots were visible, but Miryo didn’t need a face to know it was her double.
Goddess. I’m not ready yet. I can’t just walk in there, stab her, and heal those Hunters.
“I’m afraid I cannot do that,” Kan was saying with laudable poise. “Here is your payment, as I promised. I will give you coin for a healer as well, but I have pressing business I must attend to.”
“For the Warrior’s sake—at least heal him!” The female Hunter pointed at her motionless companion on the floor.
“He was not hired for this job,” Kan said coldly. Her eyes dared the Hunter to argue. “You were the only one contracted. His injuries are none of my concern.”
“He’s going to die, Katsu.” The term of address was ground out between her teeth. “That bitch stuck a sword in his gut. No healer is going to be able to fix that. He’ll take an infection and rot to death. I don’t care if you didn’t hire him; you still ought to heal him.”
“We’ll pay for the service,” one of the other Hunters said.
Miryo felt a sudden pain and realized she had chewed one finger until it bled. She could not take her eyes off the motionless Hunter. Oh, Lady—I just can’t do it yet! Not even to save that man! I want to use my magic, but I can’t, not yet. Please, Mother of us all, I’m just not ready. Forgive me. Forgive me. I cannot kill it yet.
Kan had been thinking fast. “I cannot,” she said gently. “I must continue on to other things. But one of my sisters of the Water Ray lives on Upper Cart Lane, which is not so far a walk from here. Take him there, and she will heal him. Tell her he was hurt in the employ of Miryo.”
Rage was still plain in the female Hunter’s posture, but she bowed jerkily. “We will do so. Katsu. Good-bye.” They picked up their unconscious companion and left.
Miryo waited until they were out of the courtyard, and then ran down the stairs to the waiting Cousins. “Put it in the attic room,” she said, not looking at the body on the floor. “I’ll deal with it shortly.”
Mirage awoke to pain. She immediately pushed it to the back of her mind. The last thing she had seen was Ice’s vengeful face, so this was no time for weakness. She had to be alert.
At least no one had blindfolded her. Not that there was much to see. The floorboards in front of her nose were dusty, but disturbed by footprints. The musty smell of the air suggested an attic. And the quality of the light suggested that it was afternoon, so either she was still in Angrim, or she’d been kept unconscious for more than a day. The former seemed more likely.
She shut her eyes again, partly to calm her headache, and partly to concentrate on sound. She could hear no one in the room with her. Of course, given Ice’s words, a witch might be watching her magically. But she’d have to take that chance.
Rolling over brought more pain, of course, but that was to be expected. The room was tiny, with a sharply sloped ceiling, and empty save for a door. Nothing for her to work with.
Mirage twisted her hands behind her, testing the ropes binding them.
If a Thornblood tied these, they’re even more worthless as Hunters than I thought. The ropes, while not loose, were definitely workable. With an ease born of long, painful practice, Mirage dislocated both of her thumbs and set about wiggling out of her bonds.
in moments she was free, but as she reset her thumbs and examined the rope around her ankles, footsteps sounded on the stairs outside the door. With one last, quick glance around, Mirage twined the rope loosely around her wrists and lay back down, more or less in the position she had been in when she awoke.
The only difference was that now she could see the door.
The visitor was not Ice, nor any other Thornblood. Red hair, clothing good but practical; probably a Cousin. Mirage suppressed a shudder. Am I better off, or not? Which would be worse—Cousins, or Ice?
No time to dwell on it. The woman was bending down to examine Mirage; she’d see the loose rope in a second.
Mirage slapped her hands hard against the floor and threw her weight onto them, kicking upward with her still-bound feet. She was lucky. The Cousin was unprepared and her aim was good; her heels struck the woman’s head and sent her careening backward into the wall. She fell to the floor and Mirage was on her in an instant, clipping her hard behind the ear. She wouldn’t be waking up any time soon.
Mirage searched her clothing and swore. Unarmed. What kind of Cousin goes around unarmed? Unless she’s a witch, but I can’t believe it of her. No pendant, and she doesn’t move like a witch. She’s combat-trained, I’d bet on it. I’m just lucky she thought I was still unconscious.
Swiftly now, she untied her feet. There had been a definite thump when the Cousin hit the wall, and another when she fell; someone might come to investigate. The room’s one window was much too small for Mirage to fit through, and looked out onto an unhelpful brick wall. She’d have to find another path of escape.
So she tied the unconscious Cousin with the ropes that had bound her and slipped out the door. It opened onto a very short hallway with two more doors off it. They looked like more attic rooms, so she headed for the stairs at the other end.
The floor below was much more habitable, with a staircase to the next floor down at the other end of the hallway. But before Mirage could decide whether to investigate the rooms along the hall, go out the window, or head downstairs, one of the doors opened and another red-haired woman stepped out.
Void it. Mirage charged her. But this one was more ready than the first; she whipped a knife out as Mirage approached.
The woman’s speed was no match for Mirage’s. As the woman thrust with the knife, Mirage dodged to the inside. One hand seized control of the knife, while the other slammed into her collarbone.
This second Cousin collapsed with a cry of pain. Mirage kicked her in the head and put her out, too, but now her nerves were humming; with that noise, more Cousins would be arriving within seconds. No time to tie up this one, and no point. Mirage scooped up the knife and ran.
The house did not contain a religious shrine, but it did have a room for working spells, which was much the same. Miryo went there immediately after ordering the Cousins to take care of the doppelganger.