Alone in the Dark

Shadow Games

"Closest I could get was across the road from the barn. Once they arrived, the soldiers and the clerk went in, and less than an hour later, they brought the bodies out, then fifteen soldiers went home, and the other five turned south towards Sytheville." The scout said easily, offering a shrug, looking like she had no idea why she was spying on a barn full of dead people.

"No one else was there?" Keana gave the young scout a look of disbelief and the young girl shook her head in response.
The scout's expression turned to one of worry. "No, sir. I didn't see anyone leave and when I went in to check, there was only a lantern and a table and a chair in the whole place."
Keana shook his head and let out a slow breath, not bothering to press further, though he knew that Vix, or Clara, or Lina had to have been there at some point. "Alright. You did well."

Whatever his former lover and protege's current name, he knew her well enough to know she was embroiled in whatever this was. And that just further complicated things for him. Since she had disappeared from his life, he had looked for her. Not on his own, but he had kept his network listening for her stumbling around, half trained. But he had heard nothing, other than rumours of spies and rogues working directly for the Queen of Aupana. Had he unknowingly trained a spy for the Regency that he had spent most of his life detesting?

The girl paused at the door, despite her dismissal, and turned back to look at him. "Sir?"

It broke Keana from his reverie and frowned softly. "Yes?"

She looked at her feet, then back up to him. "We're not going to be working for the other ones, are we? I saw those men, I saw those woods, and I've heard that the gold is cursed. That's why you've called it all back in."

"It's not cursed. There is no magic around it." Keana said testily, shaking his head. "You will do the tasks I tell you to do."

"Just so." The girl gave him a defeated look and shrugged, before slipping out of the room.

Keana looked at the purse of gold he had collected and frowned at it, putting on a glove and picking up a coin, turning it in the light and letting out a slow breath. This was another complication, one that he could not forgive.

"Sir, you asked for me?" A slim man knocked at the door before stepping into the room at Keana's motion.

Keana watched the man fall into a formal stance and slowly put the gold coin back in the pouch and raised a brow.

"Yes, Jus. We're cancelling this contract you agreed to. Return the money and tell them they can find new contacts to do their bidding." Keana said sharply, glaring at the man as if he caused all of their problems.
"I told you sir, it's just a meeting place, I leave the message and they leave the directions and payment." The man called Jus drawled, giving him a careful look.

Keana stood, glaring hard at the man as his anger came to a breaking point. "And THAT was your first mistake. You are on very unsteady ground as it is. You have possibly endangered this company from multiple angles. We do not deal with people who know more about us than we know about them. You know that. And your decisions have put us at odds with more forces than I care to have knowing me."

Jus nodded and ducked his head, picking up the purse quickly as he mumbled. "I know. I got greedy. I understand Sir."

"Watch your back, I'll be returning to Sytheville in the morning. When you receive a reply, you'll return as well and make your report." Keana growled.

"Sir" The man nodded and slipped out of the room, leaving Keana glaring at the wall in anger, fuming over the events of the last day.

He had been ready to shut down the contract when he had arrived far before he had run into Vix in the forest. Keana would never admit to her she was right about her assessment of this group or that he had agreed with her moral and self-righteous objections to the contract.