By this time, Knoxx had fully adopted the attitude of just taking things as they came. Even the revelation that King DeSiva had strangled his own queen to death had not shocked him as it once would have. It was a flat-out bizarre night, and one still far from over.
After imparting his rather dire warning to the diviner, Devlin jerked his head at him and retreated slightly.
Knoxx followed, knowing his brother would now wish to hear of his exploits in Stavrakos’s rooms.
“Did you get it open?” Devlin asked quietly.
Knoxx grimaced. “It took me a full three hours, but yes.” Because he’d had no reason to remain invisible while working on the safe, he fortunately retained plenty of energy to see him and Madilaine through the rest of the evening.
“Well?” Devlin gestured impatiently.
Knoxx rubbed his forehead, peeved. “It was empty.”
“Empty? That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Well, perhaps he doesn’t even know the safe is there, put in by the previous treasurer. Or he doesn’t retain anything of enough value to bother with it,” Knoxx speculated with a shrug. He wasn’t very happy to have expelled the time and energy required to break through the magical barrier only to have found nothing, but there was little they could do about it.
“Perhaps,” Devlin seemingly agreed.
“Did you see to the woman?” Knoxx went on, referring to the would-be assassin of the king.
At this, his brother smiled slightly. “Yes. I’ve also retained her services for future use. Between her, Tishan, and Ashe, I’m feeling rather well-armed for the all-out war I believe Stavrakos and I will soon be waging on each other.”
The mage pressed his lips together briefly, holding back a slew of questions over his brother’s ultimate intentions. “I know this is inevitable,” he finally said. “But please move with caution.”
“If I hadn’t learned to do that, I would have been dead years ago,” Devlin told him. He stopped and glanced back to the diviner. “You should go. I imagine Oliveah is climbing the walls by now, if she’s not already done something reckless in an attempt to find out what is happening.”
Knoxx nodded.
“Be careful,” Devlin further warned. “Some of the best assassins in the world will soon be hunting for her, if they’re not already.”
Wonderful, Knoxx thought, turning away. He approached the diviner as she rose slowly from the couch, holding out her hand. He took it and began to exude his Magic, quickly rendering them both invisible.
Devlin stepped to the door and opened it, allowing them a non-suspicious exit. The corridor beyond was empty, however, and Knoxx quickly led the way, keeping a firm grip on the diviner’s hand.
There were several knights to avoid as they headed downward toward the main exit, but this was an easy task. Madilaine clearly realized the danger and made not a sound, following his lead with silence and care until they found themselves in the outer bailey.
Approaching the gates leading to the city beyond, Knoxx found fortune was with them. A few late stranglers from the ball, clearly drunk, were now approaching the gates, at last meaning to leave. It was but an easy thing to follow along in their wake, hearing the knights securing the gates for the night just behind them.
The streets were dark and shadowed, but not entirely devoid of life. With twelve or so blocks to The Dancing Damsel, Knoxx kept alert, and whispered for Madilaine to continue remaining as silent as possible.
By the time they reached the inn, he’d spotted two men he knew to be assassins, and suspected the shadowy figure he’d spied lurking in an alleyway to be a third. In this, his brother’s warnings were entirely correct; for a price of two hundred gold, Madilaine Savannon was going to have to run far and fast to keep ahead of those now hunting her.
Now past Third-hour, the common room of the inn was, as expected, deserted. Clearly, all planned to rise early so as not to miss the final duel of the Challenge, set to commence at Seventh. Knoxx didn’t pause, heading straight up to his rooms on the second floor. Once he and the diviner were secured within, he loosened his hold on her and let his magic fade.
She reappeared before him, looking shaken. Considering the evening she’d had, he couldn’t blame her.
“Wait for me here,” he told her. “I’ll return with Oliveah as soon as I can. Lock the door after me, and do not, for any reason, leave this room.”
She nodded quickly.
Knoxx remained visible as he charged down the stairs and back out into the night, heading for The Green Rose at a dead run. With several assassins already on the prowl he suspected Oliveah too was in danger, by way of association. It was probable she and the diviner shared a room within their inn, and if any assassins came looking for Madilaine there, Oliveah might not survive the encounter. Knoxx was mentally preparing himself for anything as he raced through the streets, knowing there was a good chance he would find the young woman either being tortured for information she didn’t have, or already slaughtered in her bed. For two hundred gold, no assassin would be particularly bothered with dealing out a little collateral damage.
But as it happened, both he and his brother had underestimated Oliveah Oslund. Anticipating the very circumstances Knoxx was now contemplating, she’d prepared for the situation well.
Exploding through the front doors of The Green Rose, Knoxx came to a skidding, frantic halt as four swords instantly rose as one in his direction. One was held by Nathon Wythe. The others were leveled by the three warlords currently in Aralexia. He was uncertain of Oliveah’s connection to the warlords, but this question wasn’t high on his list of priorities.
“Wait! It’s the mage!” Oliveah quickly exclaimed, pushing impatiently through the men.
Knoxx was still trying to overcome his shock at nearly being skewered by multiple blades as he watched her come forward.
“What happened?” Oliveah demanded, now before him. “Where is she?”
After another moment he found his tongue. “Dev managed to keep her from reading for the king, but the same cannot be said of the prince. A price of two hundred gold has now been placed on her head.”
Oliveah winced. “But you got her safely from the castle?”
“Yes. She’s back in my room at the Damsel. My brother said you would tell me how to oust her from the city.”
“She’s there alone?” Baiel Maves then demanded, looking at him.
“We arrived under the cover of invisibility. None know she is there,” he explained.
Oliveah was now looking quickly to Maves. “The Damsel is your inn as well, yes?”
Maves nodded quickly.
Nathon then seemed to pick up on Oliveah’s thread of thought. “She’s been seen in Baiel’s company the past several days. They may go there looking for her.”
“Go!” Oliveah told the warlord.
“What room?” Maves shot to Knoxx.
“Two-fourteen.”
Maves was then gone in a flash of red cloak.
Knoxx was observing all of this with a spinning mind striving to keep up. “I take it you’ve already seen some excitement this night?” he asked.
One of the remaining warlords scoffed. “A couple of men have come round. We were sure to discourage any interest they had here.”
Knoxx wondered if those assassins still breathed, and then shifted his eyes back onto Oliveah. He was beginning to understand why Devlin held such a healthy respect for her cunning. Evidently the diviner had some sort of romantic connection to Maves, a circumstance Oliveah had masterfully turned into a powerful resource. He made a mental note never to cross her.
She was looking back at him now, making her determination clear. One way or another, Madilaine Savannon was making it out of Aralexia alive.
“So what’s next?” Knoxx asked her.
“I need to speak with Madi,” she said, stooping briefly to take up a leather satchel from the floor and starting for the exit. Knoxx assumed the bag he
ld some of the diviner’s things, giving further evidence to Oliveah’s fore-thinking abilities.
Knoxx kept beside her as they started down the street, with Nathon and the warlords coming just behind.
“The docks are likely going to be your best bet,” he said quietly. “Never mind the assassins, the Legion will never allow her departure through either of the city’s gates. I could get her out, but I can’t keep her invisible forever.”
Oliveah was nodding. “You’re right, a ship is our only option. But you will have to get her onboard, for I suspect the harbormasters and captains will soon be informed to be on the lookout for her, if they’ve not been already.”
“And then?”
“She can remain in the cabin, unseen, until the ship reaches the coast. It will not be a pleasant week for her, but she’ll manage. Once arrived in Fortunia, she can relocate to an ocean-going vessel and leave Dhanen’Mar.”
Knoxx didn’t ask what country the diviner would be sailing to, because he really didn’t want to know.
“We should do this as quickly as possible,” he told her as they hurried onto the next block. “The longer we wait, the more people there will be looking for her.”
“Tomorrow,” she came back firmly. “After the final duel.”
Knoxx frowned over at her, puzzled. It made no sense to wait so long.
“I need time to secure her protection. And I didn’t realize who would be fulfilling that task until this afternoon.” She paused and shook her head at herself. “Although the answer was staring me in the face all week.”
He glanced at her again. “I would presume Maves to be both willing and able.”
“No,” she shook her head. “He needs to bring Taleb to Lutarre Keep, and begin training him.”
Knoxx took that in silently for a moment. The fact that she’d at last definitively named Taleb implied much. “Where is Taleb?” he finally asked.
“Still with the Healers. They wanted to ensure he received a full and uninterrupted night’s rest so he would be at his best to fight tomorrow.” Her voice was tense while saying this, which he thought was reasonable. Now slated to face Kale in the final duel, it was anyone’s guess as to what would happen on the field in the morning.
They held to silence for the remainder of the way, finding the street outside The Dancing Damsel still and deserted.
“I’ll remain here,” one of the warlords stated, taking up a post at the door.
Knoxx led the rest of them inside, up the stairs and to his room. They found it empty.
“Baiel must have taken her to his quarters,” Oliveah deduced quickly, turning to the remaining warlord. “Where?”
He brought them down the hall and to the last door on the left, knocking gently. Maves answered it a moment later with his sword drawn.
“Is she with you?” Oliveah hissed quietly.
He nodded.
“I need a few minutes with her alone.” Oliveah pushed past him and into the room.
Maves joined the others in the corridor and shut the door behind him.
“Any trouble?” Nathon asked him.
“None yet,” Maves answered.
Knoxx wasn’t surprised. After his talk with the Jennite Callan Ashe this morning, he knew a total of three assassins had now been sent after the warlord, only to have all “mysteriously” disappeared. It was unlikely any more of their kind would now be anxious to get near him, no matter how tempted they were by the prize Madilaine’s head would bring. Little doubt they all presumed it was Maves himself who was killing them off.
Maves was now looking at him with a slight frown. “How did you get mixed up in all of this?”
Knoxx shook his head wearily in return. “At this point, I’m not even certain myself.”
The warlord shrugged off the response.
The creak of a door then sounded from mid-way down the corridor, and a familiar face looked out curiously. He took in the group in silence.
Knoxx forced a bland smile at his commander, who must have been drawn by the sound of their voices.
“I don’t even want to know,” Flynn said, vanishing back into his room and slamming his door.
Knoxx exhaled heavily. While not at all happy with the circumstances, Flynn would no longer be offering any resistance to them either. Knoxx’s confession of the truth several days before had at least accomplished this much.
It was some time before Oliveah finally reappeared, but her look of determination had only strengthened in her absence. She stepped into the corridor and pulled the door closed behind her, leaving the diviner alone within.
“Baiel,” she began, locking him in her sights.
He didn’t respond, instead just looking back at her steadily.
“I believe it is safest to leave Madi with you tonight. Tomorrow at Eighth,” she went on, now glancing to Knoxx, “the mage will bring her to the northern docks.”
Knoxx nodded.
She continued. “I will have Sabian arrange for passage beforehand, so getting her onboard will be the only obstacle.”
“I can manage it,” Knoxx told her confidently.
“Good.”
“And you?” he then asked her. “You can’t chance returning to your inn tonight.”
“I’ll be with Nathon at his,” she said.
Oliveah’s plan appeared amenable to all, and they broke up quickly. After she disappeared down the stairs with Nathon, Knoxx observed Baiel disappearing back into his room while the lone remaining warlord took up a stance at his door. Between the three of them, a warlord at the outside door, one outside Baiel’s room, and Baiel himself in the diviner’s own company, the mage thought it unlikely Madilaine would not make it through the night safely.
He retreated to his own quarters and shut himself within, thinking he’d never calm himself in time to get a decent amount of rest this night. Throwing himself onto his bed still fully clothed, he was asleep in minutes.
Chapter 46