Free The Guild Secret (The Dark Ability Book 6) by D.K. Holmberg Page A

house?
    Was it Josun?
    The idea terrified him—and excited him.
    He counted the knives he carried. He might not fully know how to counter shadowsteel yet, but he would find some way to do so. Venass wasn’t the only one with the ability to learn. Rsiran could learn; facing Venass, he would have to.
    A door opened and heavy feet thudded in, leaving the ground practically shaking. Not Josun. He would have Slid into the room, having no need to walk.
    “What be the problem? You do be sendin’ word about somethin’.”
    Rsiran almost let out a soft gasp. The voice… it could be none other than Shael. The last time he’d seen the man, he’d been dying, the broken end of a blade crushing into his skull. How could he be here? And why would Firell still be working with him?
    “Had a visitor tonight,” Firell said.
    “That be why you stayin’ down by the docks. We need you to be havin’ a visitor.”
    “Not who you thought. This was unexpected.”
    “There be many unexpected visitors in Asador. You need to be more specific. Damn, but you shouldna sent for me unless there was something I needed. Can’ have it be known we working together again.”
    “Lareth.”
    Feet thudded across the floorboards. “What do you be sayin’?”
    Firell sniffed. “That was my visitor. Lareth. Came to the tavern tonight. I think it was these,” he said, and rattled the metal chains around his neck. “I think he controls it now.”
    “He done be controlling it the las’ time we saw him.”
    “He’s changed, Shael. We’ll need to be careful around him.”
    “Changed? Lareth be nothin’ but a boy protected by your city.”
    “That boy managed to twist Jonas around before he could even move. That boy claims he’s faced Venass and lived.”
    Shael laughed. The sound was rich and easy, and there was a time when it had been a welcoming sound. Rsiran resisted the urge to Slide to the other side of the wall and attack. After what Shael had done, and the way he’d used him, Rsiran wasn’t sure that he could leave Shael alive.
    “Facing Venass don’ mean the same as facing the Hjan.”
    “He knows Josun Elvraeth lives. Claims he saw him in Thyr.”
    “Thyr? Well, damn. Guess we better be pullin’ up anchor and getting’ out of port, then. Oh… tha’s right. Josun Elvraeth do be havin’ the same ability to jump from place to place as Lareth. When we fin’ that bastard…”
    Had Rsiran read this wrong? They were after Josun?
    But why? What reason would be convincing enough for Firell to risk his daughter? And why work with Shael after what he’d done to him? Shael had proven that he wasn’t anyone’s friend. He was more concerned about the coin he could earn than in maintaining friendships.
    And then there was the ability Shael possessed, that strange ability that resisted Sliding. The second time, he thought he caught him off guard. If there was something about what Shael could do, Rsiran needed to understand it.
    “Lareth could help,” Firell said softly.
    “You do be thinkin’ that he come help you after what was done to him? Thought you said he be changed?”
    “He was changed, but we could ask. After what we’ve been through, it can’t hurt to have help.”
    “Help don’ be comin’ from Elaeavn, and certainly not from a man we done attacked. If it were me, I think I be guttin’ the men responsible jus’ fer what they did. You be lucky, Firell. If he changed as much as you claim, he could have jus’ done the same to you.” Shael laughed again. “Thinkin’ ‘bout Lareth like that… that do be funny.”
    “He escaped you.”
    “He escaped me once. Won’t happen again.”
    “You intend to try to capture him?”
    “Not capture, but think of what we could trade him for. Chip like that would be valuable, regardless of what he done.”
    Jonas laughed, a nervous sound. “You told me the chains didn’t hold him.”
    “I do be sayin’ that. Not sure that changed.”
    Rsiran had enough of them talking