Free Chasing A Spectre (War for Dominance Book 0) by Chris Kennedy Page B

again at the Magistra. When Milos had come out from where he had been hiding in the alley, Ghorza had been unimpressed with him. So far, nothing had changed. The halfling looked like he spent half of his day digging in a garbage heap and the other half rolling around in a manure pile. Ghorza had heard that beast masters often ended up no better than the creatures they controlled; they simply became inured to the animals’ constant filth. She hadn’t believed it before…but she believed it now.
    “So far you haven’t done anything to deserve a reward,” the Magistra replied.
    “True,” agreed Milos, “but that’s because I didn’t want them to sneak off with the mirror’s combination, never to be heard from again. Maybe the mirror leads to a land of wealth, where gold rests at the bottom of every river, just waiting to be picked up. They might never have come back, and I would never have received my reward. I heard the king offered 100 pieces of gold for information that led to the capture of the Spectre and the return of the crown. I want to make sure that my claim doesn’t get lost or forgotten.”
    “My word is law,” replied the Magistra, “and I say that if you give us the combination, and if these two go through and bring back the thief, then I will ensure that your claim is paid.”
    “There are a lot of ‘ifs’ in that sentence,” remarked Milos. He looked down at his clothes as if for the first time. “This reward could change my life. 100 gold pieces is more than I would make in ten years of finding people’s lost pets and bringing their kittens down from trees. I could actually bathe for once and sit at the bar in the mead hall, rather than always eating outside with the swine and cattle.”
    That plea fell on deaf ears with both Ghorza and Dantes, who often had to eat outside with the livestock. Boo hoo, Ghorza thought, life is tough all over.
    “The biggest ‘if,’” continued Milos, “is ‘if they bring back the thief,’ something that they have been unable to do so far. How many times has the Spectre struck, and these two failed to apprehend him? Six? Seven times now? So many now that he has become bold enough to steal the queen’s own crown? I don’t foresee them bringing him back this time, either. He went to great pains to cover his tracks; there’s no telling what his escape plan was once he went through the mirror. For all we know, he has another mirror that he used to come right back into this world from whatever time and place he went.”
    “It’s only been five times,” said Dantes. “The first two don’t count because we weren’t involved then.”
    “OK, five times,” allowed Milos. “They’ve had plenty of chances and have failed every time. If they are going through the mirror, I want to go too, so that I can watch out for my interests. I’ll make sure they come back with both the thief and my reward.”
    “No way,” replied Ghorza. “I don’t want him coming with us. He’ll only get in the way. And he smells.”
    “ I smell ? ” Milos shrieked. “You’re obviously so used to your own reek that you don’t notice it any more. I could smell you coming a long way off.”
    “You are somewhat...fragrant, Ghorza,” agreed the Magistra. “Besides, Milos has talents that might help you catch the thief. He could use a dog to track the thief without having to go to the local authorities. We don’t know what they use for payment, but it is unlikely our coins will work there.” She paused. “Yes,” she said, deciding, “you two will go through the mirror, and you will take Milos with you.”
    “So I can go?” Milos asked. The Magistra nodded her head. After a second, Dantes did, too. Ghorza looked like she had bitten into something sour, but finally nodded her head.
    “And I’ll get my reward when we return with the thief?” The Magistra nodded again. “In that case,” he said, “the combination is the blue gem in the upper left, the red gem in