The Seer (13 page)

‘Great! 
So that’s the bait sorted!  Now, let’s talk about a method for dispatching
these lovely ladies.’  Xerxes said, rubbing his hands together eagerly.

‘Well,
according to this book, Dragon scales are phenomenally tough –’ 

‘But the usual
weak spots apply.’  Phantom interrupted helpfully.  ‘You know, eyes,
nostrils, the point behind the elbow –’

‘Yes,
thank
you
brother.’  Phantasm continued firmly.  ‘As I was saying,
again, the scales are tough apart from a few vulnerable areas.  So unless
we can get a clean shot at those we can assume that bolts and arrows are going
to be completely ineffective, however, I don’t particularly want to be within
sword range either.’

‘I bet Mistral
does.’  Xerxes laughed.

‘Hmm, I’m sure
she thinks that anything less than hand to hand combat wouldn’t present enough
of a challenge, but you can be sure her Mage will be keeping a close eye on her
–’

‘Battle axe.’
 Grendel interrupted in a low growl.

‘Do you mean
Mistral?’ 

Grendel
laughed and shook his head, swinging his heavy double-headed battle axe up over
his shoulder by way of explanation.

‘Oh I
see!  Yes, well that may be perfect for you brother, but I don’t think I
could lift one.’  Cain grinned.  ‘However, I could brew up something
particularly potent and we could get some really heavy weight arrows to
use.  Is there anything in that book about effective poisons?’

‘Actually
there is!  There’s a recipe for one brewed using gorgon blood that’s meant
to work pretty well,’ responded Phantom promptly.

‘Gorgon
blood?  Oh great!  And just how am I going to get hold of that before
tomorrow morning?’ 

‘Master Nox.’
 Phantasm replied.  ‘I know he has some.  I’ve seen a flask of
it in his tower room.  However we obviously can’t just ask him for it.’

‘Why
not?  It’s a Ri Contract and he is a Magnate member and trying to be the
next Divinus – surely he’ll want to appear helpful to gain some favour!’ 
Cain argued.

Phantasm
glanced over his shoulder to make sure there were no warriors within hearing
range before he spoke.  ‘I’m afraid it’s quite the opposite.  Master
Sphinx hasn’t followed correct protocol by giving this Contract straight to
Mistral.  You yourself said it usually goes out to tender.  If Master
Nox finds out he’ll have a readymade campaign – just think of how furious the
rest of the warriors will be if they find out they’ve missed out on this
Contract!  It would probably generate enough bad feeling for Master Sphinx
to guarantee Master Nox a resounding victory when the votes are held!’

A short
silence fell while Cain gazed broodingly into his empty tankard.  The
subject of who would be the next Divinus had been hotly debated every night in
The Cloak and Dagger for weeks.  Up until the funeral most of the Ri
warriors had professed a strong distrust of Malachi and remained loyal to their
Training Captain, however, since Malachi’s anti-Council eulogy there had been a
marked shift in his favour; a view which was not shared by Mistral’s
brothers. 

‘I can see
your point.’  Cain finally agreed with a sigh.  ‘We’ve got to keep
really quiet about this Contract because I certainly don’t want to do anything
to further Malachi’s chances of becoming the next Divinus.  His Leoship
may be a total tyrant but I certainly don’t want that shifty half-vampire in
charge of the Ri, he’s more corrupt than a barrel of goblins!  Huh! 
When I think of all those training Contracts with Malachi’s little added extras
it makes my blood boil!  If I’d known it was because he was selling the
stuff to make illegal potions I’d have kept it and brewed the damned things
myself!  I’d be stupidly rich by now!’

‘Nice sense of
perspective brother.’  Xerxes laughed.  ‘Once a money-grabbing,
cheating hob – ’

‘– always a
money-grabbing, cheating hob.’  Brutus finished with a grin. 

‘Who’s flat
you happen to be living in rent-free.’  Cain reminded them both sharply.

‘So! 
Gorgon blood!’  Xerxes said quickly.  ‘How’re we going to get some?’

‘My brother
and I are going to break into to Master Nox’s tower room and steal some.’

They all stared
at Phantasm speechlessly but Phantom was less restrained, ‘We’re going to do
what
?’ 

‘I’m sorry
brother but needs must.  Or would you rather just battle it out with a
dragon?’  Phantasm demanded archly.

Phantom looked
taken aback, ‘Er … no!  I was thinking more along the lines of luring them
into a trap and then killing them!’

‘Trap them how
precisely?  Dig a pit?  They can fly!  And even if we did
somehow manage to trap one with some kind of weighted net, how do we kill
it?  Beat it to death with a stick?  I wouldn’t want to get that
close to a trapped dragon and I can’t imagine being able to get a clean shot on
one when it’s thrashing around and trying to escape!’

Phantom blew
his cheeks out while he considered the options, ‘No … but breaking into Master
Nox’s tower room?  Really?’  he frowned at his brother.  ‘I
think I’m starting to have reservations about this Contract!’

‘Yes, this
Contract is going to be dangerous.’  Phantasm agreed in a calmer
tone.  ‘Which is precisely why the Contract value is so astoundingly
high.’

‘Hmm, this is
not the type of work you two normally care to indulge in,’ said Cain, eyeing
the twins thoughtfully.  ‘Apart from the gold, what’s the attraction?’

‘Bored with
Council Contracts.’  Phantasm held Cain’s suspicious look evenly.

‘I doubt
that.’  Cain said softly.  ‘I smell something that’s not Grendel for
once!’

Phantasm
continued to hold his gaze steadily but Phantom looked decidedly uncomfortable,
‘Oh, just tell them brother, they’ll find out soon enough,’ he muttered.

Phantasm
shrugged indifferently, ‘Fine, we are going because of the gold, obviously, but
also because we have another Contract to fulfil on the way.’

‘Oh
yes?’  Xerxes asked, leaning forward with a sharp gleam in his eye. 
‘Does it require some extra assistance?’

‘Yes, and
you’re already down for it.’  Phantasm said lightly.  ‘We’re to
accompany Master Sphinx on his journey to the Council to submit his formal
intention to stand for Divinus.’

‘We have to
hold his Leoship’s hand all the way to the Council?  Why the hell do we
have to do that?’  Brutus cried with a horrified look on his face. 

‘Do you want
Master Nox to be the next Divinus?’  Phantasm asked curtly.  ‘Because
he’ll suddenly be the only viable candidate for the role if we allow Master
Sphinx to ride unprotected to the Council!’

‘By viable you
mean alive?’  Cain asked.

Phantasm
smiled grimly, ‘I am sure that Bellicose La Monte is hungry to provide any
assistance to his son that he can, and removing the main competitor would
probably be a pleasure for him!’

‘More like
eating the main competitor.’  Phantom gave a repulsed shudder.

Brutus and
Xerxes looked at each other unhappily, but Cain just shook his head morosely,
‘A three day ride with Mr Sparkling Personality himself,’ he muttered under his
breath.  ‘We’d better see Floris and stock up on some of that hideous
liquor he brews to make the journey more bearable.’ 

Phantasm
nodded and rose to his feet, ‘And we have a burglary to plan –’

‘Mistral?’

‘Hmm?’

‘Wake
up.  I want you to see something.’

Mistral rolled
over and blinked sleepily at Fabian, ‘What is it?’  She mumbled.

‘Where would
be a more appropriate question … come with me –’

He placed her
shirt and trousers on the pillow beside her.  She groaned and reluctantly
slid out of the warm bed.  Giving a still sleeping Prospero an envious
look she pulled on her clothes and took Fabian’s hand, letting him lead her
yawning down the stairs.  Collecting her Blackheart Wolverine skin from
the back of the sofa as he passed, Fabian opened the balcony doors and stepped
out into the cold December dawn.  ‘Look –’

Mistral felt
his warm arms wrap around her while she looked out at the soft pink light of
sunrise spreading across the snow covered valley.  It was a perfect winter’s
morning, crisp and still with the promise of a clear blue sky overhead. 
‘It’s glorious,’ she admitted.  ‘But really worth waking me up for?’ 
she turned in his arms and looked at him reproachfully. 

He smiled and
raised an eyebrow mockingly, ‘Ah, maybe there is more.’

Suddenly she
was wide awake, ‘I know that look!’

Fabian laughed
and led her over to the wooden seat that ran the length of the balcony. 
Sitting down he pulled her onto his lap and wrapped the Wolverine skin around
her.  She laid her head back against his shoulder and looked up at him
expectantly.

‘I do have a
surprise for you, which is quite an accomplishment, considering that you can
now read my thoughts … but apparently not when you’re asleep.’

‘Hmm, maybe
I’d better start working on that one.’

‘Well, until
you do, permit me to enjoy giving you this.’  Fabian reached down and
produced a roll of canvas from beneath the bench.

Mistral looked
at the package in his hands and gasped, ‘Is that what I think it is?’ 

‘Open it and
find out,’ he smiled and casually dropped the canvas roll into her lap.

She quickly
untied the leather string and unrolled the package to reveal a pair of silver
inlaid butterfly knives with wrought gold handles.  The very same ones she
had dreamed of owning since starting her apprenticeship two long years
ago.  ‘They’re beautiful!’  she cried softly, brushing a finger down
the gleaming blades to trace the intricate design engraved into each knife.

‘No, they’re
just a pair of butterfly knives,’ he amended, brushing the hair away from her
neck to kiss her.  ‘It is you that has beauty.’   

Mistral closed
her eyes as he kissed her, the touch of his lips making her shiver with more
than cold.  She opened her eyes again and looked down at the gleaming
knives laid in her lap.  Another present from Fabian … his mother’s
wedding ring, Prospero, the house she was now living in ... ‘I love them,’ she
sighed regretfully.  ‘But I really can’t accept them.’  Giving them
one last longing look, Mistral rolled the canvas back up and placed it
carefully on the bench beside them. 

She felt
Fabian tense slightly, ‘So,’ he said quietly.  ‘You can accept expensive
dresses from the twins, and a key to their house, but you refuse a gift from
your husband?’

‘Oh
Fabian!  Please don’t misunderstand!’  Mistral gazed beseechingly at
him and was dismayed to see his face set in a hard expression.  ‘It’s just
that you’ve already given me so much, and I have absolutely nothing to give to
you in return!’

Fabian’s stony
expression instantly melted into a smile, ‘Ah, but you have already given me
more than I ever dreamed possible.’

‘What? 
Increased opportunities to die and a penniless wife?’  Mistral gave a
bitter laugh and looked down at the white gold band on her finger.

‘Hmm, I notice
from the huge amount of luggage we brought back yesterday that you have
officially moved in to our home now.’  Fabian cast an amused glance
through open balcony doors to where Mistral’s bulging saddlebag lay next to the
sofa. 

Mistral
followed his look and sighed, ‘There it is.  Everything I own.  It
hardly seemed worth hiring a horse and cart for.  Mind you, I did leave
some stuff we won’t need at the twins’ house.’

‘Such as?’

‘Well, there
was my wedding dress.’

A brief
silence fell.  Mistral glanced up at him and bit her lip to halt a grin
from spreading across her face.

‘Perhaps you
should bring that back with you,’ he growled, bending his head to kiss her.

Mistral
laughed and reached up to meet his kiss.  Curling back into the warmth of
the Wolverine skin when he released her she picked up the canvas roll of knives
again and gazed thoughtfully out across the valley, watching the first rays of
sun glittering on the unblemished carpet of snow.  Sighing deeply, she
turned to look at Fabian again.  ‘You do realise that saddlebag represents
all my worldly possessions don’t you?  I have nothing to bring to our life
together Fabian.  I have no money and no opportunity to earn any for
another year either,’ she finished moodily.

‘Of course I
know,’ he replied quietly.  ‘Which is precisely why I have been
considering an offer that would allow us to command a more regular income.’

‘What? 
More Contracts?’  Mistral couldn’t hide the dismay in her voice.  She
had tied herself to Leo and no doubt the Council for the next year to pay back
her apprenticeship fees.  If Fabian had decided to take on more paid
Contract work it would mean being separated, something she desperately wanted
to avoid.

‘Not quite,
although yes, I’ll still take the occasional Contract, should you wish to accompany
me –’

‘Always.’
 Mistral responded instantly.

Fabian smiled,
‘Well,’ he hesitated and drew in a deep breath.  ‘Leo has offered me the
role of Training Captain … when …
if…
he becomes the next Divinus.’

‘Oh!’  Mistral
instantly thought of Leo’s tower room and the huge four poster bed he’d shared
with Golden.  She did
not
want to stay there – ever.

‘You
disapprove?’

‘No! 
Quite the opposite, I think you’d be an excellent Training Captain.  In
fact, I almost envy the apprentices.  But, um, where would we live?’

‘Here.’

Mistral sighed
with relief, ‘Oh good.  For a horrible moment I thought you’d want us to
move into that hideous boudoir of his!’

Fabian laughed
uproariously, ‘Boudoir?’ 

‘Well, you
know what I mean!  That bed!  It’s obscene!’

‘Extravagant
maybe.’  Fabian agreed with a smile.