Midnight Jewel

  With love,

  Lonzo

  I was glad my roommates were both busy about their own tasks because my expression probably looked ghastly. I knew about the efforts to tame the boggy areas down in Osfrid’s unincorporated territories. I knew a great deal about it, actually. I’d once danced with a man whose cousin was a surveyor, and a lesson in engineering had filled up most of the dance. Drainage was dangerous work. Extremely so. Men frequently died, both from accidents and sickness.

  Sixty gold. I had to secure sixty gold—and I had to do it quickly. I couldn’t risk Lonzo staying there a moment longer. Grant’s reward—if it had ever come—would have helped immensely, but that was off the table now. My work with Tom so far had yielded fifteen gold. Getting the rest was possible, but how long would it take? I could marry Rupert now and have the money right away . . . but no matter how nice he was, I still wanted to hold off on that if I could. Except . . . could I really? Even if I made the rest of the bond through Tom’s jobs, there was no way I’d earn enough to pay my own contract in time. I’d have to marry Rupert regardless.

  I rubbed my eyes, frustrated at my lack of options. Tom, I decided. It would have to be Tom. He’d always hinted at bigger jobs that were morally ambiguous, and I’d loftily turned them down. But now? With Lonzo on the line? How far would I go?

  I looked down at the letter and ran my fingers over the familiar handwriting. The pain of missing him filled every part of me. And I was surprised at the effect seeing Sirminican had on me. I spoke Osfridian with such ease now that my native language had almost ceased to exist for me. The words before me, even out of order from the encryption, triggered a flood of memories, and I suddenly longed to see the green foothills near my family’s farm and the graceful spires of Santa Luz.

  The Empire’s part of me. I feel it inside.

  A new understanding of Grant’s words hit me and, with them, a pang of guilt. No matter what he said, an element of revenge still drove him. It was obvious in how he described his uncle. But I realized now that there really was more to his wanting to return and that I had misjudged it. Was that enough to offset everything else he’d said and done that night? The spark of anger kindling in me said no.

  I focused back on the letter and again pondered the question of how far I’d go for Lonzo. The answer came quickly: as far as I needed to.

  I sneaked out to the Dancing Bull at my usual time, once the household was asleep. Now I had two roommates to elude, and I didn’t know if Tamsin would be so accommodating as Adelaide. Tamsin was a heavy sleeper, though, and I had to hope she’d just never know that I’d left.

  I received a slew of greetings when I made it to the tavern, many of the patrons offering to buy me drinks. I waved them all off with a smile and approached the bar, where I could see Tom standing. Just before I opened my mouth to speak, I realized Tom was having more than a casual conversation with the man standing opposite him. After a few moments, recognition hit me. He was one of the militiaman who’d come looking for Grant and me in the inn. I recoiled and nearly ran for the door until I remembered he’d never really seen my face, and the incident had happened weeks ago.

  “Allen, you’ll make me a poor man,” Tom was saying. I recognized the tone—amiable on the surface, irritated at its core. “We’ve already paid you far more than necessary.”

  The other man crossed his arms. “That patrol’s run by the city’s high-and-mighties. We convinced them it was someone else who started that brawl, but they’re still on us to find who did. That’s a lot of dodging for us.”

  “I don’t have extra coin to spare here. You’ll either have to wait or take something else in exchange.”

  “What do you have?” asked the militiaman, interest piqued.

  Tom thought for a moment. “We’ve still got some of the Belsian cheese. Brass candlesticks. Those bolts of silk. Three clocks left and—”

  “Silk?” interrupted the man. “My woman’s always fancied a silk dress. What colors?”

  “Come back around noon tomorrow, when it’s less crowded, and I’ll show you.”

  “Are you still mending things with the militia after the Flower Fest?” I asked, once the man was gone.

  “Yes. We had to grease a few—no, a lot—of palms, but in the end, gold—and silk, apparently—speaks louder to the militia than the governor’s directives. But don’t worry about that. Where have you been? We’ve all missed you.”

  “I’ve been busy. But I’m ready to jump into the work again.” My words came out a bit too vehemently. The frustration I felt over the fallout with Grant made me crave an altercation.

  I could just barely see an eyebrow rise behind the mask. “So it would seem. What’s stirred this fire?”

  “I need more money.”

  “Don’t we all. But something else has you worked up.” He put on an expression of mock astonishment. “Why, Lady Aviel, you aren’t letting some man play games with your heart, are you? Nothing but trouble there. Stick to your own path. You might even consider being a true angel and focus on a chaste life.”

  I scowled. “Do you have a job tonight, or not?”

  “We do,” he said, still with that mocking smile. “And I could use extra help. Jenks hasn’t returned from his last job, so we’re shorthanded. This is a good one too. Bad men to take down. If it’s a fight you want, you’ll get it.”

  He was right about the fight. Our target was a wagon coming from the north, as so many were now that the roads had cleared and opened up trade. This wagon and its cargo had already been stolen, and its new owners had left none of the old ones alive. They apparently had a long and bloody history. Tom had received a tip of where they’d be tonight, and we waited along the sides of a north-south highway, leaping out when the wagon appeared.

  Six men immediately jumped down, ringing the wagon with muskets and blades. A shot sounded right beside me, and one of the bandits on the wagons fell, clutching his leg.

  “Wait for it,” Tom said from my left. Two more shots came from the wagon, missing my comrades in the trees. “There—on the end, while the others are reloading! He’s going for the reins!”

  Dirk in hand, I raced toward the front of the wagon. One of the men had scrambled to the driver’s seat and was trying to flee, now that he’d assessed the odds. I jumped up to the seat and stabbed at the side of his torso. The blade drew blood, even though the worst of its blow was deflected by his ribs. He missed when he swung at me with his own knife, but his forearm managed to hit me and knock me back into the seat. He loomed over me, and I kicked as hard as I could. My boots slammed into his stomach. I charged forward with the dirk while he stumbled back to the wagon’s edge. I landed another sharp kick to the stomach, and he fell to the ground.

  Behind me, in the wagon itself, Elijah and Lesser Tom were fighting other bandits. There were only three of them left up here now. Those on the ground had engaged with Tom and Anders. I moved to help Elijah and Lesser Tom, and then I spotted one of the fallen men rear up from the road and aim at Elijah. I leapt forward as the gun went off, knocking Elijah down.

  “Go!” yelled Tom from the darkness.

  Lesser Tom pushed the last man over the edge and moved to the driver’s seat. He seized the reins and urged the nervous horses on. I knelt in the rumbling wagon’s hold with Elijah and tried to help him sit up. The bullet had grazed his arm.

  “I’ve had worse,” he told me, seeing my concern. He dabbed at the bloody sleeve with his cloak. “But you should’ve let me be and taken care of yourself. You could’ve been killed.”

  “He was out of range. I probably wasn’t in that much danger.” I patted Elijah’s good arm. “Besides, we’re friends.”

  He looked a little startled at that declaration and then began to smile. “I suppose we are.”

  I grinned back and clung to the wagon’s side as we thundered forward. After about a mile, Lesser Tom
drew to a halt, and we waited in the darkness. Minutes later, I heard more hooves pounding on the road, and Tom and Anders came riding up with our horses in tow. Tom immediately dismounted and climbed up into the wagon, his eyes fixed eagerly on the three sealed crates we sat around. Anders was right behind him, carrying a crowbar. He opened the crates while Lesser Tom lit a lantern. We all leaned in.

  Elijah grunted in approval. “Balanquan trade goods. The north only just thawed out. Someone was eager to get these down here and get a jump on the sales.” He lifted an elegant sculpture of a woman riding a deer. At first, it looked like the stone was black, but then I could see a silver sheen on the smooth surface as he rotated it in the light.

  “We can’t make anything like these. It’ll fetch a good price with the right buyers,” said Tom. He nodded to another crate. “That silk over there will too. I guess that means I can replenish what Allen fleeces out of me. I don’t suppose you’d like a silk dress, my lady? No? Well, I’m sure this other crate will please you. More fruit, fresh from the lovely Balanquan coast. Mistress Smith will adore you even more than she already does.”

  We headed back for the city in triumph. Tom and Anders led our party, discussing the best ways to sell the sculptures and silk. I rode near the back with Elijah, who always readily explained things to me. He’d already held me in high regard for saving his family, and helping him tonight only furthered my standing. He seemed to think of me as a younger sister. “The stone in those Balanquan statues—I’ve never seen anything like it before,” I remarked.

  “They have a lot of it up there. We don’t, so it’s a good deal for them. Rich collectors get excited by it and think they’ve gotten a hold of some lost relic. What we’ve actually got is just regular art they’d use in any home. But like I said, it’s worth a lot here.”

  “How do you know that? Have you ever been to their empire?” This was actually more information than I usually got from Aiana or Grant. They spoke little about the Balanquans. I was curious about the land Grant was willing to risk so much for.

  “When I was younger, my pa was a trader, so we were up there a lot. We even lived there for a time. They’re pretty closed off now, but the trade still flows from the borders.”

  “What’s it like there?”

  Elijah grew reflective. “Pretty. But different. It’s so different from here that it didn’t even seem like a real place, you know? Even though it’s so far north, the eastern coast is warm—something about the sea currents. They’ve been in Adoria a lot longer than us, so all the homes and businesses . . . they’re not new and thrown together like in the colonies. All the wood and stone are carved. I loved it as a kid. Stare at some home, and you’d always find something new in the woodwork. Animals. Leaves.”

  “What are the people like?”

  “Different from us.” He shrugged. “But also the same.”

  We took the goods back to the Dancing Bull, and Tom directed his men to take them down to the storeroom. Once he was satisfied, Tom relaxed with a mug of ale and eyed me shrewdly. “So. What’s this about you needing more money?”

  I grimaced. “There’ve been some unexpected developments—new debts I need to pay.”

  “I hope you’re not shelling out to this man of yours.”

  “There is no man!” I insisted. “This is for family.”

  “Ah. That certainly ups the stakes, doesn’t it? Lucky for you, I might have an opportunity that could work out quite nicely—assuming fifty gold would be of any use.”

  “Fifty?” More than triple what I’d already earned. Combined, I’d have enough for Lonzo’s bond. “In just one job? What kind of job?”

  “I have another big haul coming up in a couple of weeks—similar to what we did with the Queen Grace. Sneak onto a ship, sailors—hopefully—detained not killed, and then off we go with the cargo.”

  Suspicion dampened my enthusiasm. “If it’s so easy, why does it pay so much more than the last one?”

  “Because the cargo is worth more.”

  “Who are you stealing from?” I asked. “Is this another just for-profit job from some poor merchant trying to make ends meet?”

  “It’s for profit, but I can say with absolutely honesty the man who owns the cargo is most certainly not poor and makes his living by the deaths of countless people. And I hope you know that I value life, just as you do. As always, we’ll try to do this with as little harm to the crew as possible. The Six know I can’t afford any more bribes.”

  I was growing tired, now that the thrill of the fight had faded. And I knew it would be best if I didn’t go near any kind of job that even Tom admitted wasn’t noble. Lady Aviel’s original purpose had become clouded, and there was no black and white anymore, the further I became involved with Tom. I was lost in gray.

  But fifty gold. For one night’s work. And Lonzo’s freedom.

  I never thought you were that kind of person, Mirabel.

  I ignored Grant’s voice in my head. After everything he’d put me through, defiance suddenly felt as good as what I could do for my brother.

  “I’m in.”

  Tom gave me the details about when and where the job would occur, and then I made my exit. I returned to Wisteria Hollow and found both Tamsin and Adelaide sleeping soundly. I slinked into my own bed, falling asleep almost as soon as I closed my eyes.

  It made for another exhausting day, but I was cheered by the thought of earning Lonzo’s bond so quickly. Just like every recent day, however, every lift in my mood ended in a horrific crash.

  Adelaide was leaving tomorrow.

  I’d known it was coming. I’d even helped with the shopping. But the reality of it, that she’d be gone the next day, off into a new frontier . . . hit me in a new way. I’d just gotten Tamsin back. I wanted them both with me now, safely together in the security of our room. But the world had other plans. Adelaide left early to pursue more preparations, so I couldn’t even have the day with her. Tamsin was off to a fancy tea, and me? I actually had no engagements until nighttime.

  That was a rarity around here, but the Thorns had been giving most social opportunities to the Gray Gull girls. Jasper knew of Rupert’s interest—and that it’d likely be my only resort after I’d put off any other potential husbands. So, Jasper wasn’t wasting resources to show me off anymore.

  “Good news,” Aiana said, intercepting me again after breakfast in that way of hers. Sometimes I thought she actually lurked outside the dining room. “I have the day off too. We can work on some crossbow lessons and put a smile back on your face.”

  “Somehow, I don’t think Jasper or even Charles will agree to that.”

  “Well, they won’t know, of course.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “I’m authorized to chaperone you for walks. We’ll go off into the wooded patch to the west and get some target practice in.”

  I was still lukewarm about learning the crossbow, but getting outside—freely—was a precious opportunity. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

  Aiana looked pleased at my acceptance and reached into her coat. “But first, this. For someone who’s supposed to be ‘out,’ you’re certainly getting a lot of messages.”

  I took the letter, angry at myself for again hoping it might be from Grant. Stop it, Mira, I scolded myself. You’re letting him ruin your life. Tom was right. Follow your own path.

  But then, what else was this? Who else would be sending me letters via Aiana? Lonzo again?

  A sudden fear that he’d been injured or killed seized me, and I nearly tore the paper as I opened it. When I saw who the message was from, my jaw nearly hit the floor. I had to read it twice.

  “Everything okay?” Aiana asked, noting my reaction.

  I slowly dragged my gaze up. “I’m not sure. It’s from Silas. And . . . he wants me to do a job for him.”

  CHAPTER 26

  SILAS SEEMED EQUALLY ASTONISHED TO BE A
SKING.

  I’ve never approved of you being involved in this, but a situation has come up that only you may be able to help us with. Governor Ryan of Paxton is in town, and my other spies have learned he’s a major player in the conspiracy. He’s in Denham to deliver a letter to another courier, and we need to get it before he disappears. While here, he’s staying at Governor Doyle’s. Word has it you’ll be there tonight. I don’t like asking you to risk yourself, but if there’s anything you can do to locate the letter, we could potentially crack this mess wide open. The choice is yours.

  I lowered the letter and saw Aiana’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Something tells me I won’t like what that says.”

  “It could be worse,” I replied, tucking it into a pocket. “Now teach me how to use a crossbow.”

  No one questioned her as she escorted me outside on what seemed to be a simple stroll. The sun shone brightly for a change, but the letter preoccupied me so much that I couldn’t appreciate the day. What should I do? The fact that Silas would actually ask me underscored the job’s importance. But he hadn’t given me a lot to go on: one letter somewhere in a giant estate. What if I was caught snooping in the governor’s house? We could potentially crack this mess wide open. I didn’t want to be involved in anything Grant was even distantly connected to . . . but I couldn’t ignore what was at stake.

  “Get your head out of the clouds, Banle,” Aiana told me. We’d reached the edge of Wisteria Hollow’s property, and she produced a small, sleek crossbow from the cover of a scrubby bush. “You need to focus on this.”

  “What did you call me?”

  “Banle.” She crooked me a smile. “It’s like a baby bird. One still in the nest who wants to fly.”

  “You just gave me a close name.” I couldn’t help smiling back, though I wasn’t sure if I should be flattered or not. “Banle.”

  “No, Bahn-lay.”

  “That’s what I said.”