Free Dark Currents by Lindsay Buroker

Chance?” Amaranthe pointed to a dead-end street across the way. “Akstyr went in ahead to scout for magic. Or so he said. He might be putting all his pocket change on the lucky Wolf Star Tile.”
    She took a step, but Sicarius caught her arm.
    “There’s more,” he said. “The woman Books was with, she’s from the warrior caste, someone who used to do work for Hollowcrest during the Western Sea Conflict.”
    “Oh? What use did Hollowcrest have for a woman? Er, assuming it wasn’t for the usual male-female after-sunset activities.” From what Amaranthe remembered of Hollowcrest, he had not respected women overmuch, especially not those with any sort of ambition.
    “Her name is Vonsha Spearcrest,” Sicarius said. “She taught cryptography at the University, and Hollowcrest brought her in to build unbreakable keys during the war.”
    “Didn’t some brilliant Kyattese linguist break all our keys?”
    “Yes. Spearcrest disappeared shortly after that.”
    “You’re certain it’s the same woman? It’s been nearly twenty years.” Amaranthe had been a toddler during that war, and since most of the fighting had been at sea, over a thousand miles away, she remembered little of the details. Sicarius probably would have been in his teens, but he had been trained from birth, so she would not be surprised if he had already been killing people for Hollowcrest by then.
    “I’m certain. She was injured in the explosion, but the enforcers took her for treatment.”
    “I wonder if Books was the target or if she was.” Amaranthe tapped her leg. “You didn’t hear their conversation?”
    “I stayed out of sight, so she wouldn’t recognize me.”
    “She knows you? Er, knew you?”
    “Not well, but I was there at a couple of their meetings.”
    “You’re older now.” Amaranthe smiled, wondering if she could draw any indignation out of him. “Grayer.”
    “I don’t have any gray.”
    He said it in his monotone, and she could not tell if it was an indignant denial or a simple statement of fact. In truth, he appeared no older than thirty, and it was only that Sespian was close to twenty that told her otherwise, though Sicarius still must have been very young when Sespian was conceived.
That
was a story she wanted to wheedle out of him someday.
    “Ah, forgive me. I guess it’s your perennial stodginess that leaves me with the impression you’re old.” There, that
had
to get a response out of him.
    He studied her, as if she were some exotic specimen of fish he’d pulled up from the lake depths and he was deciding whether to keep her or throw her back. “I’m not old,” he finally said.
    “But no argument on stodgy, eh?”
    “Akstyr is waiting, is he not?”
    Amaranthe grinned and patted his arm. She shouldn’t have fun teasing him, but considering his reputation, she found it encouraging that he let her. Of course, if she were a more mature person she would tell him she cared for him instead of poking fun, but the latter seemed…safer.
    “Yes, he is.” She lifted her hand and gestured toward the dead-end street.
    When they drew even with Maldynado, Sicarius grabbed him and propelled him alongside.
    “Hullo, boss,” Maldynado said. “Didn’t see you under that jacket. It’s bulky. You almost look like a boy.”
    “That’s one method of disguise, I suppose,” Amaranthe said. “Though I thought you’d have a costume for me.”
    “Oh, I bought one.” He smiled. “It’s having a few custom alterations done, but I can pick it up later.”
    She would have to hope nobody who memorized wanted posters was gambling tonight.
    Drum beats and guitar strums floated from a cider house on the corner where a female singer extolled the virtues of battle engaged in the spring. Several gambling houses and entertainment venues lined the wide avenue, all with fresh, new brick or stone facades. People crowded the sidewalks, though they all seemed to be jostling toward the building at the end of the street. Indeed,