Relief.
She felt the surge of her deity’s power flow through her body momentarily as he answered her request, and it was as though a deep, insatiable hunger was satisfied. It took only seconds for her body to respond, and she remembered what it had felt like to wield Zalkar’s power in combat, to carry the hope of a people on her shoulders, and to bring glory to her lord. Kari closed her eyes and tears ran from them as she remembered what it felt like when she’d fulfilled her previous Blood Oath and Zalkar’s power had left her. She had felt empty, needful, and even desperate to feel it again. His power filled her with the need to feel the tender yet empowering touch that tickled her core so much like Grakin’s love did, and yet so differently. With Zalkar’s power in her, Kari felt whole again.
More importantly, she felt vindicated. Any doubts she’d had about her motivations or her decision to take time to start a family were washed away in the tide of her deity’s power flowing through her veins. In those brief moments, she felt the fire that had seemed absent from her life of administrative duties for the previous few years, now smoldering deep within her core. She felt the rush of righteous fury as her heart demanded justice for the assassin, and the god of law and justice answered with a resounding agreement. Once again, Kari felt the hope of reaching that coveted position of Avatar of Vengeance, wherein she would become the right hand of Zalkar and find the fulfillment of her life’s work.
The feeling lasted only moments, yet it left what felt like a lifetime of impact on Kari’s heart and soul. She rose to her feet and turned to face her mate, and in his eyes, she found further comfort and fulfillment. “Zalkar trusts your instincts as well,” Grakin said with his warm smile.
Kari sighed as reality sank in. “How are we going to explain this to Little Gray?”
Grakin chuckled. “Perhaps we can enlist the aid of the Fuzzy Man in that,” he joked, and the two laughed before Kari put her swords away and joined him under the covers again.
4
Remnants
“It’s a trap.”
It was unusual for common citizens to stand before the council of the Order when they were making a decision, but Aeligos had tagged along with Kari to tell them what he’d seen the night before. Kari had yet to reveal her decision or that she’d sworn a Blood Oath; she wanted to hear what Aeligos had to say first. She was as surprised by his declaration as the council, and though he typically hid it well, Lord Allerius was floored. All of the demonhunters and priests of Zalkar beheld the rogue curiously, waiting for him to continue.
“Please, explain your findings,” Master Bennet prompted, sensing the rogue was awaiting permission to speak further.
Aeligos began to gesture softly in preparation to speak, and Kari recalled the tales of his diplomatic skill during their mission on Tsalbrin. Sonja and the Moreville twins had spoken highly of his abilities, though with the charisma Aeligos possessed, Kari was hardly surprised by the results he’d gotten. The rogue had convinced two prominent military powers on Tsalbrin to back his plan to depose the warlord Braxus Gaswell, and by all accounts had done so easily. It made Kari smile; she expected to be enlightened about what was truly going on with Kaelin Black and the assassin. At this point, Kari figured a little clarity would go a long way.
“Virtually everything Lord Black said, at least when we were present, was a lie,” Aeligos said. He waved a hand dismissively, apparently expecting some form of rebuttal, and continued, “I know some people would say he spoke in half-truths, but it’s all the same.”
Albrecht seemed more surprised by those words than Aeligos’ declaration that the entire situation was a trap. “What makes you think so?”
“First and foremost, his reaction when I mentioned Emma,” the rogue said. “If he really had no idea who Emma is, his reaction would’ve been a lot less flat. There was no emotion in his response, not even confusion, and the way he spoke—‘I have no idea who you are talking about’—that’s pretty typical of people lying through their teeth. I could tell you I’m the long-lost son of Karmi G’Dorrinn more convincingly than that.”
There were scattered chuckles from the council, but Lord Allerius kept his focus. “So, you think he knows about Emma?”
“To some extent,” Aeligos confirmed with a nod. “Not to say she’s necessarily wrapped up in this the way she was in our mission to Tsalbrin, but at the very least, he knows her name. He knows what she is, if not exactly who she is, if that’s clear.”
“Clear enough. You said he spoke in half-truths; did he say anything useful?”
Aeligos made a semi-apologetic gesture. “Well, bear in mind that what I’m telling you is based on my perceptions. Divinations by a priest or the use of someone who can read thoughts would’ve given you more solid evidence,” he said. “Lord Black is a practiced liar. Thing is, so am I. That’s part of my function within the Silver Blades. I don’t think he’s had many occasions to test his skills against someone who does the same thing. So, when he was lying, to me it seemed painfully obvious, and when he was telling half-truths, again, it seemed pretty easy to separate fact from fiction—based on my perceptions, of course.”
Aeligos made soft gestures again as he began to explain his thoughts and feelings. “Lord Black mentioned the priests of Achirun,” he started, and he paused briefly when the councilors bristled at the mention of the demon lord’s name. “While I believe what he said was true with regards to not wanting to ever serve or be subservient to a demon lord, his involvement with those priests runs a lot deeper than just using them to his own ends. He truly believes he’ll never fall into Achirun’s trap, but he doesn’t realize he already has. To what extent, I don’t know, but if he thinks he’s using Achirun’s priests for his own ends, you can rest assured they’re using him for theirs as well.”
“Indeed,” Master Arinotte said. “That is typical of the hubris of those who deal with demons and their ilk. Everyone believes they are too smart and crafty to ever get caught in the webs of beings that have lived for thousands of years. Such arrogance leads to one end only.”
“How truthful was he with regard to the actual killings?” Lord Allerius prompted.
“That’s where things get a bit more complicated,” Aeligos answered. “Everything in his mannerisms and words seemed to point to him telling the truth: That he didn’t kill anyone. On the other hand, that still doesn’t mean he wasn’t involved. If it was a half-truth, as most of what he said seemed to be, then it’s possible he helped the assassin kill those three Guild members in some way. Also, it’s hard to believe that the assassin wanted him, killed three people to get to him, and then walked away without making an attempt on his life. There’s something here we’re missing, and nothing makes that as clear as the crime scene itself.”
“I think the biggest clue we found was the positioning of the bodies,” Aeligos continued. The councilors regarded the notes from their investigators that sat before them, and several nodded when they saw the notations that clarified the rogue’s words. “If Lord Black truly didn’t kill anyone, then there has to be some other rational explanation as to how three Guild members were killed nowhere near each other and before they could react fully. That would seem to suggest they were assaulted by at least three enemies, one of which may have been Black himself, despite his words to the contrary.”