The Knife's Edge

Chapter Twenty-Nine

INTO THE DARKNESS

Gray watched the rooftops. As he did, hands grabbed him, pulling him back beneath the inn’s eaves. Turning, he saw it was Darius and he breathed a sigh.

“Sorry,” the rogue said with a smirk, “I couldn’t just leave you to get yourself killed.” The black cloth of the Nameless fluttered from a gust of wind. “Dice, you killed him. How—”

He ushered Darius to silence and motioned to the rooftops.

“Looks like we’ve found you at last,” said a voice in the dark.

Before he could react a second voice sounded from the rooftop to their left. “What are you doing, Maris? We were told to inform the others at once when we found him.”

Gray followed the voices, his eyes straining in the dark, when the first voice replied, “Ah, you never let me have any fun, Baro. Besides...”

“We’re already here,” said a dark whisper and a man stepped out from the shadows.

He was slender with fitted gray breeches, and a long matching vest. Diamond-shaped vambraces were etched with the symbol of a sun. His heavy white cloak brushed the ground. In the moon’s dim light, he saw that the man wore a white cloth mask that obscured all but his cold blue eyes. One thing was certain. This man was far more powerful than the Nameless. “Where did he go?” The man asked.

In the corner of his vision, Gray saw Darius’ grip tighten on the dagger behind his back. Gray caught the rogue’s eye and shook his head.

“I wouldn’t,” said another voice in the dark. A fourth voice? How many are out there? Darius let out a sudden yelp as his dagger clattered to the wet ground. The rogue rubbed his hand as if burned, as he searched the darkness.

Gray stepped forth. “What do you want? Who are you looking for?”

“Das de rah hand da,” said the voice in the dark.

“We will not torture the innocent, Seth,” the masked figure said. “I will only ask this once. The man who saved you from the Nameless, what did he say? And do you know who he is?”

“Kail,” he answered. “And he said nothing.”

“Gray, what are you talking about?” Darius asked. “You saw Kail?” In a flash of red, a shadow appeared, and Darius crumpled to the wet stone. A man stood over him with a condescending look, his sword held in his loose grip.

Gray fell to his friend’s side. “What did you do that for?” With a cold sneer, the man turned. He wore a cloak with an insignia of a red flame. “Answer me!” Gray yelled, ready to lash out.

“Was that really needed, Seth?” said the voice upon the rooftops—the one that first spoke. “I’ve seen a cerabul drop from less.”

Seth shrugged. “He knew nothing. He was only going to cause more trouble.”

Gray’s fists clenched and a breeze swirled around him. He counted the voices again. Two on the rooftops, two on the ground. Four. He knew he couldn’t take that many, but he wouldn’t go down without a fight.

“Move aside, Seth,” said the white masked man. Though the words were barely a whisper, authority rang in his tone. Gray paused. Reluctantly, Seth stepped out of the way. The man knelt beside Gray, removing his fingerless gloves. “May I? I will not harm him.”

“How am I to trust you?” Anger seethed inside him.

“Unfortunately, you have little choice,” the man replied. “Please.” Gray moved back slightly. The man closed his eyes and put a hand to the back of Darius’ head. “Your friend will survive. He is merely unconscious,” he said and rose to his feet, replacing his frayed gloves smoothly. “Let’s try this again. What did Kail want from you?”