Soneste shook her head. “I’ve read through every record the Justice Ministry has on you, Tallis. I didn’t see anything in there about Gamnon ir’Daresh or any allied regiments.”
“There’s a lot that happened in the war that’s not on record,” Tallis answered. He instantly regretted his tone. He was tired.
“Before the attack,” Soneste said to Lenrik, “Haedrun said the one who gave her the tip-which we know now was a set up-was an elf with knowledge of powerful scrolls in ir’Montevik’s possessions, spells that could disguise the undead in great numbers ‘so they’d be able to walk the streets openly, gather in untold numbers wherever the Seekers wanted them.’ She said the elf was a member of the Deathguard in Aerenal? Do you know what that is?”
Lenrik frowned. “The Deathguard? It’s a religious order opposed to the Blood of Vol. Understand, the Aereni make a vast distinction between true undead-like those employed by the Ministry of the Dead or the Seekers-and the deathless of the Undying Court.” The elf looked thoughtful. “Yes, a member of the Deathguard approaching her with news such necromancy would certainly catch her attention.”
“Irresistible bait to the Red Watchers,” Soneste said.
“So it was all just a ruse,” Tallis said. “Ir’Montevik wasn’t in Korth, and there never were any such scrolls. I’m concerned more with who this elf was.” He turned to Lenrik. “I’m going to take the gauntlet to Verdax. He might be able to learn more from it.”
The elf nodded in agreement. “I really ought to carry out the rest of my day as usual.” He looked to Soneste. “If Miss Otänsin’s absence is eventually noted, I don’t want to look suspicious. Mova requested another session with me later today, so that will occupy me for some time.”
“Lovely,” Soneste said with obvious irritation.
“Yes, you’re staying here,” Tallis said.
“Tower spit!”
“Listen, just get some rest first and we’ll talk about this some more when I come back. I can’t have you-” Tallis paused when he heard a soft trill in the air. Where was that sound coming from? It seemed to ring from every direction. Lenrik looked around, too, as even the elf’s sensitive ears seemed unable to place the source. “What is …?”
The inquisitive stared back at him with a strange intensity in her hazel eyes. Even though he knew he ought to leave her behind right now, Tallis felt an inexplicable need to stay with her.
He felt Lenrik’s eyes upon his, but he didn’t want to look away from Soneste. He felt a curious itch inside his mind. What was this?
“You want to bring me along,” Soneste said.
She was right. He did. It made perfect sense. “I don’t really know,” he answered. The world seemed a mite dizzy.
“Listen to me, both of you.” Soneste walked over to where her boots lay and began to put them on. His eyes followed her every movement. She laced her boots as she spoke, her words nonchalant.
“Lenrik, I spent the last hour sitting here talking with you. I’ve enjoyed your company and I appreciate both your hospitality and your healing. I am truly indebted, but I’ve traveled very far from my home to carry out an investigation in the name of the King’s Citadel. To that end, I’ve also spent this time with you analyzing various means of escaping this room and have determined two viable options-only one of which involves the obvious door.”
Tallis looked around. What was the other?
“And Tallis?” Without looking at him, she continued to speak, lacing up her other boot. She pushed a lock of her blonde hair away from her eyes. “You’re watching me now without full possession of your own will. Disheveled as I am, you would follow me straight to Dolurrh itself. And it wouldn’t be your choice at all. It would be mine.
“A moment ago I planted a temporary seed of attraction in your mind. Call it a spell if you want, but it isn’t. It’s a something a kalashtar in Sharn taught me to master. Even now, you are finding my words more compelling, my rationale more sound, than you ought to. I did this because two days have passed since my arrival in Korth, and I’ve yet to identify the man or woman behind the ambassador’s assassination. I can’t afford to waste any more time and neither, I suspect, can you.
“I’m being honest with you so you will trust me. I submit to you a treaty of mutual benefit. Should I meet up with Jotrem, or anyone else affiliated with the White Lions or the Justice Ministry, I will not give you up. Indeed, I will not have found you at all. In turn, you will help me solve this case. It is what you’ve been trying to do alone, right? Clear your name of this murder?”
“And exact vengeance,” Tallis said gruffly, his own words sounding foolish to him after what she’d just said. A kalashtar? He’d heard of psionic powers, but he’d never experienced any. Either way, damned effective.
“Correct,” Soneste said, standing up now. A smile played upon her lips. “As I said to you the other day, in the name of King Kaius III of Karrnath and King Boranel of Breland, we will see justice done. We work together on this, and we start by pooling our knowledge. I need to know what you know, and I’ll tell you what I’ve learned.”
Soneste held out her right hand. “Do we have an agreement?” she asked with a wink.
She was a cunning creature. Tallis had never been comfortable in a partnership. He even kept Lenrik at arm’s length when it came to his work against the Blood or other dubious parties, but given the circumstances-and the lingering affects of the attraction-he decided he could make a temporary arrangement like the one she was suggesting.
Tallis grasped her hand firmly. “We do.”
Chapter NINETEEN
Wir, the 11th of Sypheros, 998 YK
Soneste related to Tallis the events of the last two days, omitting nothing and carefully reading his face as he listened. He looked dead tired, but his attention was rapt. The attraction she’d planted in his mind wore off sometime during their discussion, but his eyes never wavered from her.
Tallis was guarded in his side of the story. He recounted events beginning with his infiltration of the Ebonspire, saying nothing about the nature of his work or whereabouts prior to the incident. Most of her clues lined up, but the identity of the assassin remained beyond their reach.
It was late morning when they set out from the cathedral, Tallis in his Lyrandar disguise and Soneste in her blue coat. Soneste looked carefully around, afraid Jotrem might track her down. She wanted to search for Aegis, but she knew they had to follow the only lead they had first. Tallis had insisted they take the metal hand straight to an acquaintance of his named Verdax.
“There must be dozens of artificers in this city who can tell us about this thing,” she said as the massive Cannith estate came into view.
Even as she eyed the gorgon seal above its gates, she thought again of Lord Charoth and his estrangement from the house. He was mysterious enough to have hidden motives, but he seemed to want nothing to do with warforged or constructs. As she looked at the gauntlet in her hand, she felt certain the assassin was a construct.
Tallis’s description of Charoth wasn’t much different than anyone else’s. The Karrn had been invited to Charoth’s glass factory last year, had been made an offer of service, and he’d declined. Lord Charoth was evidently many things: taskmaster, businessman, aristocrat, a man both loved and feared-and a wizard