Secrets of the Swords, Book 1

Chapter 10: The Escape

Suthe spun around. Ulsper Speroware was standing before the open window of the living room like a shadow come to life. His black cloak rippled in the breeze from outside, but the spy himself was as unmoving as a statue.

"You found me," she breathed, horrified.

"Of course. I'd be rubbish at my job if I couldn't." His voice carried a hint of amusement, and Suthe had a fleeting image of a cat toying with a mouse before it made its kill.

"Who are you?" Alaera asked. Ulsper was wearing his hood, so there was no way for her to know that the infamous wanted spy was standing in her apartment.

"There's no time to explain," Ulsper said, just as someone shouted from behind the front door. It sounded like a warning. Ulsper reached out and grabbed Suthe's shoulder. "Come with me," he urged. "I promise you, I mean you no harm."

Suthe shook her head and shrugged out of his grasp. "No. I won't."

"Why not?" Alaera hissed. "The guards are about to break in my front door and arrest us both! I'd say it's a pretty nice alternative!"

"But you don't know who he is!" Suthe protested. "I don't even really know who he is, only that he's not a good person!"

"Listen to me," Ulsper said sternly. He was standing close enough that Suthe could make out the gleam of his eyes from beneath the hood of his cloak, just as cold and dangerous as she remembered. "I'm offering you my protection. If you don't like it, you can leave as soon as we get out of here. Just let me help you."

Suthe hesitated. "I—"

A shuddering bang shook the apartment, and Ulsper took the moment of distraction to grab Suthe by the arm and pull her towards the window.

"Alaera!" Suthe cried in alarm, reaching for her friend.

"Don't worry about me! Go!" Alaera hissed, stumbling to close the curtains over them as a shield. Behind the fabric, Suthe could only see Alaera's shadow as she hobbled back to the sofa to grab her walking stick.

Ulsper crouched on the windowsill and extended a hand. Suthe looked up.

"Trust me," the spy said. "And no matter what, stay silent."

Hesitantly, Suthe placed her hand in his. She would sooner trust a sand viper than this man, but she had no other choice. In the next moment, Ulsper had pulled her out the window and yanked her up the rain gutter to the roof. Suthe was so frightened, she found she had no breath left to make a sound if she'd wanted.

Nonetheless, once they were both settled on the roof tiles, Ulsper's hand came around to cover her mouth, a reinforcement of his order for silence. Suthe smacked him, and the hand withdrew, but not without another of the spy's dangerous looks. It was an unspoken warning of keep quiet, or else.

Beneath them, Alaera was shouting something in Noth at the Imperial Guard that was trying to break in through her front door. One of the guards yelled back, and then there was a crash. Suthe sat still, fiddling with the sleeve of her dress as she worried about Alaera. There was some more yelling, and the sound of boots tramping through the apartment and furniture being knocked aside.

After a long while, the commotion finally stopped, and Suthe could make out Alaera talking with the guards. Then there was a crash, and Alaera began to shout again.

Her protests were abruptly cut off, and there was the sound of a loud thump.

Were they hurting her? Suthe twisted her hands in the fabric of her dress, and jumped when Ulsper unexpectedly put a hand over hers to stop her. Unlike her, he wasn't shaking at all—in fact, he seemed to radiate a sense of calm that Suthe could only envy. She took a deep breath and let go of her dress. Ulsper's hand slowly withdrew.