Free The Long War 02 - The Dark Blood by A.J. Smith

clerics than on the city watchmen, but currently it was the only trick in his arsenal.
    ‘And your bound man?’ the cleric asked, glancing up at Rham Jas.
    ‘I expected to see more Kirin servants, to be honest. They are quite the fashion in Ro Leith.’ He smiled smugly. ‘It pleases Lady Annabel to show our dominance over the lesser races of men.’ He spoke quietly and with a noble sneer on his face. ‘I suppose such shows of status are less necessary in Ro Tiris, yes?’
    The clerics showed no sign of amusement and the forger realized that two other people were waiting behind him, also hoping to be allowed up the stairs. If the queue grew much bigger, he guessed that those above might become suspicious and things would go rapidly downhill.
    ‘We seem to be holding things up,’ the forger joked. ‘Could we hurry along? Our beloved ally in Ro Leith is eager to have her words delivered to the duke.’ It was a bold, and possibly foolish, plan, but he was running out of options.
    The clerics looked up sharply, with surprise on their faces. ‘You are here with the Lady Isabel’s words?’
    Glenwood made a show of wide-eyed astonishment. ‘Please refer to her as our beloved ally , my lord cleric, she dislikes having her name thrown around.’ He gritted his teeth and glared at the churchman.
    His gambit seemed to have worked. After exchanging a look, the two clerics parted and motioned for Glenwood to ascend.
    He held his breath for a moment and felt every muscle in his body tense as he climbed the ornate staircase. It was only when he heard the clerics talking to the guests who had been queuing behind him that the forger breathed out. ‘Fuck me, that was tense,’ he said to himself.
    ‘Did you even know her name?’ asked Rham Jas in a whisper.
    ‘Not until he mentioned it, no.’ He knew how reckless he had been and could not yet allow himself to be impressed at his wanton deception. ‘It got us in, didn’t it? Stop complaining.’
    ‘Wasn’t a complaint,’ replied the assassin. ‘You’re cleverer than I thought, Kale.’
    ‘Fuck you, Rham Jas.’
    The Kirin didn’t respond.
    The fact that the clerics knew his name and what he looked like made it unlikely that Glenwood would remain clean after Rham Jas had killed Katja. No other nobles had Kirin bound men and it would not take a great deal of investigation to deduce who had smuggled in the assassin. The forger did not particularly like Ro Tiris, but neither did he want to have to leave in a hurry with clerics and guardsmen after him.
    At the top of the staircase, he glanced to the left. There were fewer people there, but they stood out more than those below. High-ranking Purple clerics resplendent in burnished plate armour stood toe to toe with gaudily dressed members of the house of Tiris and standing in the middle, the focus of much of the attention, was Katja the Hand of Despair. The Karesian enchantress was strikingly beautiful despite the distinctive wolf’s head tattoo on her cheek. She stood on the lushly carpeted balcony beneath ornate tapestries depicting knights in armour and scenes of glorious Ro victories. Servants moved swiftly from side to side, offering drinks and small items of food. Katja had a strange, euphoric effect on those around her. Even Lord Archibald Tiris, flamboyant in his regal coat and golden circlet, fawned over the enchantress as if she were all he cared about.
    ‘Wrong direction, Kale,’ whispered Rham Jas. ‘You go to the right and I go to the left... and stop looking at her, she’ll twist your mind if you let her.’
    ‘She’s surrounded by armed men, Rham Jas. I know you’re hot shit, but this looks pretty much impossible. How about we forget this business and go have a drink?’
    He felt the Kirin’s hand on his arm. ‘Let me worry about killing Katja. You find a window to jump out of. Once she’s dead, events will move quickly, so you’d better get going.’
    Glenwood took a last look at the nobles