‘If I’m not back by this time next week,’ I said, ‘then—’
‘Don’t worry,’ Sally interrupted. ‘You’ll be back.’ She glanced at Becky. ‘Go to the kitchen and make sure that Martin isn’t destroying anything. That boy is as clumsy as a drunken one-night stand.’
For a brief moment Becky stared at her before springing up and almost running out of the room.
‘Now, Saiya,’ Sally said, leaning forward and knitting her fingers under her chin, ‘are you quite sure about this? There’s no guarantee that the girl’s mother is still alive. By going up against the Filits, even by asking awkward questions, you’re placing yourself in the mouth of the proverbial dragon. I’d hate for you to get burned.’ Her eyes grew sharp. ‘There aren’t any others like you left in Stirling. We might need your skills.’
I stiffened. No one knew I was a wraith but if anyone was going to guess at the truth – and guess accurately – it would be Sally. Rather than confront her and deal with the consequences, I slid past her comment and focused on her concern. ‘She needs my help.’
‘Her mother isn’t the only one who’s disappeared recently,’ Sally cautioned. ‘There have been others.’
I grimaced; I’d heard as much. You couldn’t spend as much time as I did in the shadows listening to secrets and not know that the Filit goblins were taking a more proactive interest in their citizens than usual. ‘Just because we’re at war doesn’t mean we shouldn’t stand up for ourselves.’
‘We’re not at war.’
I didn’t react. There wasn’t any point.
Sally sighed. ‘Very well. Watch the corners though, Saiya. Dangerous things are afoot.’
I tried to smile. Yeah. But one of those dangerous things might also be me.
Chapter Three
After downing Sally’s overly sweet tea, and trying not to wonder where she’d managed to procure sugar, I took my leave. Dawn wasn’t far off and there was a man I had to find before he sloped off to sleep away the daylight hours.
I nipped through the silent streets, keeping my senses alert. This was prime mugging time. I might not have had anything on me that would delight a would-be robber but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t try. Fortunately I managed to pass through the city unimpeded – at least until I reached the road next to the old bowling alley and just started to relax.
A couple stepped out in front of me. The man was heavyset, with broad shoulders and a swarthy complexion. He held a baton of the sort you used to see the police with when the police were still around. The woman by his side looked even grumpier, with long, dirty-blonde hair and an acne-ridden face that hinted of long-term drug use. I held up my palms, indicating I was coming in peace. Neither of them seemed impressed.
‘Whatcha doing here, Saiya?’
I sighed internally. ‘The usual.’
‘You’re later than usual. He ain’t taking callers now. Come back tomorrow.’
I held my ground. ‘Oh, he’ll want to hear what I have.’ My eyes swept across the pair of them. ‘In fact, if you deny him this he’ll be very, very cross.’
‘We’ll take our chances.’
It was beyond me why we had to go through these motions every time I showed up because they always let me pass in the end. Despite their brave words, they were genuinely scared of Marrock – and with good reason too. They didn’t like me, however; they didn’t like that I carried secrets or that I could seemingly unearth the darkest parts of a person’s soul. I could have told them that no one was interested in whatever they were hiding but they wouldn’t have listened. Instead we had to act out the same charade every damn time.
Rather than argue my way past, I folded my arms and regarded them calmly. The woman nudged her partner and gave him a meaningful look. In response, he cleared his throat. ‘Fine,’ he snapped. ‘But we have to search you first.’ A lascivious gleam entered his eyes.
More than prepared to ward off his groping, sweaty fingers, I peeled off my jacket and tossed it towards him. He caught it one-handed and glared. Then I yanked my T-shirt over my head and stretched out my arms. ‘See?’ I said. ‘I have nothing.’
‘You have the knife,’ the woman said.
I unhooked it and threw it towards her. She wasn’t quite as nimble as her partner and she fumbled with it. If she thought it was a weapon to be fearful of then she wasn’t as tough as she acted. Even from a distance it was clear how dull the blade was.
‘I want that back,’ I said. ‘Don’t lose it.’
Her lip curled. ‘This piece of crap won’t get you far.’
I met her gaze, like for like. ‘Oh, I think you’ll find it’ll get me far enough.’ We were all posturing now. What a waste of time.
The man pointed at my legs. ‘You might still be concealing something there.’
I rolled my eyes. I was still wearing my shadow gear so my jeans were skin tight. There was no way I could hide anything under that constricting denim. All the same, I played along, unbuttoning them and rolling them down my legs. He licked his lips and continued to stare.
‘Happy now?’ I enquired.
He raised a hand and pointed at my knickers. I narrowed my eyes at him while the woman next to him sniffed. ‘She’s clean.’
‘Nah,’ he grinned. ‘I think she’s actually very dirty.’ He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. When I still didn’t react, he wrinkled his nose and shrugged. ‘Fine, yeah, whatever. She’s clean.’ He addressed me. ‘You can go.’
I curtsied melodramatically and pulled my jeans up. I pulled my T-shirt over my head and walked over, holding out my hand for my leather jacket. The man smirked for a moment and held it just out of my reach. ‘Come and get it.’
From the building behind us, a window opened. ‘Give it up, Pat. Marrock’s orders.’
Pat’s face twisted in a spasm of fear. He tossed the jacket to me and I shrugged it on and smiled. ‘Thank you.’ I pointed at my all-but-useless knife, which the woman was still clutching. ‘I’ll be back for that.’
She hissed at me but she didn’t dare do anything – not with Marrock having already given the word. I walked past them, resisting the urge to saunter. There was no need to rub salt in the wound.
Marrock’s bowling alley looked the same as it always did. I had no idea why he chose to make this place his lair; to me, it was beyond depressing. There was something about the rows of dark and silent bandit machines, not to mention the stacks of unused shoes, which always gave me the shivers. I picked my way through, aware that there were numerous hidden pairs of eyes watching my approach, and then strode down the middle lane to where Marrock had set up shop. He said he put his desk at the far end of the bowling lane because he was frequently bowled over by what people did and he enjoyed the metaphor. I suspected he simply liked forcing his visitors to make the long walk towards him whilst he watched, as if he were some kind of rubbish-heap king sitting in a throne room and granting an audience to his supplicants. He didn’t scare me though. Much.
An array of flickering candles lit Marrock from below, making him appear more imposing. In truth, he was remarkably small in stature – although I’d seen him put down two men twice his size. What he didn’t have in size, he made up for with bravado. Sometimes it’s the small ones you have to watch out for.
‘Saiya!’ Marrock stood up from his makeshift desk, balanced as it was with all four legs straddling the bowling lane, and stretched his arms out expansively as if to draw me into a hug.
I stopped in front of him with my arms by my sides. I didn’t get close to men like Marrock if I could help it. I didn’t get close to anyone. Fortunately he got the message and grinned, as if I were an amusing child. He sat down again and leaned back in his chair. ‘I presume you’re here to barter,’ he said.
‘I am.’
His smile widened. ‘I always enjoy your visits. What do you have for me?’
I tapped my fingers against my thigh as if considering. It was never good to appear over-eager. ‘A wealthy gobshite wh
o pulled a fast one on a prostitute. Agreed to a price then walked out without paying.’
Marrock rolled his shoulders. ‘Giving me that information sounds more like an act of civic duty than providing anything I want to hear.’
It was – but he didn’t need to know that. Besides, I knew that there were plenty of madams dotted around the darker city streets who would pay him for my information. I shrugged. ‘Fair enough.’
Marrock sighed. ‘I suppose I can take it off your hands. Do you have a name?’
I nodded. ‘I do.’
‘I have a wonderful bottle of Châteauneuf du Pape,’ he said. ‘Will that do as payment?’
He was being unnaturally compliant; most people would jump at the chance of some decent booze and I’d normally be one of them. Not tonight though. I considered my options. ‘How about something along first-aid lines?’
‘My dear Saiya, a few glasses of good red wine and you’ll have all the first aid you want.’
I didn’t answer; I just waited.
Marrock’s left eye twitched. ‘Fine,’ he said. ‘I can do you a basic kit.’
‘With iodine. And morphine.’
‘The iodine I can manage. Morphine will cost you much more. But I’ll throw in a few paracetemol just for you.’
I breathed out; that was more than I’d hoped for. I tilted my head slightly to show I understood. ‘Very well. His name is Murthers.’ I gave a brief description of the young idiot from outside Kanji. Marrock looked bored but I knew better. He listened carefully to everything and he always remembered. In that respect, at least, he was like me.
‘Is that it?’ Marrock enquired. ‘I assumed you would have more. After all, it’s not often we see you at this time of night. I was hoping for something far juicier than a wanker who can’t keep his dick in his pants.’
I smiled. ‘Stirling has a visitor.’
‘Another rat joining our sinking ship?’ He tightened his lips. ‘I’m not interested.’
My smile grew. ‘You’ll be interested in this one. I don’t have a name but I know enough to pique your curiosity. And everyone else’s.’
‘Without a name, your secret is not worth much to me.’
I held his gaze. ‘Don’t count on it.’ I crossed my arms. ‘You know I always bring you the good stuff.’
Marrock smirked. ‘You do indeed. In fact, if you weren’t quite so talented, I’d be tempted to offer you a position of another kind.’
I didn’t bite. If Marrock was disappointed by my lack of reaction, he didn’t show it. ‘Do you want to hear it or not?’
‘I’m still not sure it’ll be worth morphine. A few more grubby paracetemol, maybe. Not much more.’
‘I don’t want morphine for this.’
Marrock pursed his lips. ‘Indeed. What do you want then?’
‘Information.’
For the first time ever, I think I managed to surprise him. ‘The secret seeker wants to know some secrets?’
‘Just one.’ I didn’t have time to race around trying to find out the truth. Ange didn’t have time. I knew that Marrock had plenty of others who sold him information; if anyone knew the truth, he did.
Marrock knitted his fingers together and stretched them behind his head. ‘Go on,’ he purred. ‘What do you need to know?’
I didn’t bother prevaricating any longer. ‘The real reason why the goblins have arrested Ange Horrocks. Not the official explanation – I want to know exactly why they have her.’ Because when I had the why I could work on what it would take to get her out.
Marrock regarded me silently for a moment. ‘That’s easy. I should ask, though, if you are planning a rescue mission, little Saiya. I’d hate to have my best purveyor of truths destroyed in a foolish errand of mercy.’
‘I’d hate to be destroyed too, Marrock,’ I countered. ‘I’m not planning on getting myself killed by the Filits. What I do with the information is my business.’
He laughed. ‘So it is.’ Lifting one hand, he beckoned. From the far corner, a young man ventured towards us, stepping across the bowling lanes. When he reached Marrock, he bent down and listened while his boss murmured in his ear. After some murmuring back, Marrock looked at me. ‘Tell me about this visitor then.’
‘I need your assurance first that—’
‘Enough!’ The spark of anger in his eyes was enough to warn me off. It was never easy to tell where the line was with Marrock; apparently I’d just crossed it. ‘If I deem your information good enough, I will tell you what you need. Quid pro quo, Saiya. Quid pro quo.’
There were other information dealers I could go to but Marrock had never done me wrong before now. Of course, there was a first time for everything but I had to trust someone. ‘Fine.’ I shrugged at him. ‘Drum roll please.’ I paused for effect before saying, ‘It’s a Dark Elf.’
The fact that Marrock didn’t even twitch told me everything I wanted to know. He was as surprised by this information as I had been. The Dark Elves had power, wealth – lots of both – and there were very few of them. For one to risk visiting Stirling was news indeed.
The minion beside him was less capable of controlling himself. ‘Bullshit!’ he blurted out. ‘She’s lying.’
Marrock shook his head slowly. ‘Saiya doesn’t lie. Not to me. She knows what will happen if she does.’
‘But…’
‘Fuck off, Bear.’
Bear opened his mouth as if to argue before belatedly remembering who he was about to argue with. He marched off with a face like a winter storm.
‘So?’ I said, not even smirking when he slipped on one of the lanes and almost went flying. ‘Why have the goblins taken Ange Horrocks?’
Marrock shrugged. ‘I have no idea.’
Anger flashed through me. From the way he’d spoken, I’d assumed he had the information I wanted. ‘You—’
‘Relax, Saiya. I don’t know yet. But I will know.’ He smiled at me like a benevolent dictator.
I gritted my teeth. ‘This information is time-critical.’
‘Of course.’ He waved a hand. ‘I will get you what you need but I would like to extend our bargaining a little further.’
Wariness crept through me. I had a very bad feeling about this. ‘Go on.’
‘If there is a Dark Elf within our city, everyone will know about it within hours. Information like that doesn’t stay secret for long.’
Of course he was right. Hell, Isabella Markbury had known that the Elf was going to be at Kanji. He might be traipsing around town with a hood over his head but by morning everyone would know he was here. It was one of the reasons why I’d made the effort to get to Marrock so quickly.
‘There’s power in being the first to know,’ I pointed out.
‘True,’ he acknowledged. ‘But I still want more.’ I could already feel the resignation seeping in. I knew what Marrock wanted; nevertheless he spelled it out for me. ‘I want to know who the Dark Elf is. Knowing his identity will go a long way towards knowing why he’s here. Because, Saiya, I also want to know his motivation. His real motivation.’
‘I’m not a mind reader. His name is one thing but his motivation? I’m not sure I can get you that information. I’m not sure anyone other than the damned Dark Elf himself could get you that information.’
Marrock gazed at me meaningfully. ‘Try.’ He paused. ‘The rewards will be worth it. Not only has this got to be more interesting for you compared to seeking out the sleazy affairs from the underbelly but, in return, I will personally ensure that your friend is released.’
I stared at him. ‘You don’t have that kind of power.’
‘A lot of people owe me a lot of favours. I can manage it.’
I looked into his eyes. Marrock wasn’t boasting, he was simply telling it as it was and for some reason that made me feel more nervous. Perhaps I’d massively underestimated him. ‘In that case,’ I said, because I really didn’t have a choice, ‘we have a deal. But I want Ange freed as soon as I come back to you with t
he information.’
‘I trust you. I’ll start preparations immediately.’ He beckoned over to the dark corners of the alley again, indicating that our conversation was at an end. ‘And remember, Saiya, as you said, time is critical.’
Yeah, I thought sourly as I stalked out of the bowling alley, grabbing my first-aid kit from an outstretched hand as I left. And nothing said impending disaster more than a ticking clock.
Chapter Four
The countdown might have started already but there was little I could do about it in the immediate aftermath of leaving Marrock’s. I retrieved my knife from his still-growling security guards and headed home, crashing out as soon as my head hit the pillow. It wasn’t until I woke up the next day that I began to plan. I sipped at my dandelion drink, a surprisingly tasty substitute for coffee made from the roots of the weed, and considered my options.
There would only be one place where the Dark Elf was staying for the duration of his visit. Stirling Castle loomed over the city, its shadow far more constant than mine. Perhaps once upon a time it had been looked up to as a beacon of hope and optimism, a symbol of the might of not just this city but this country. These days, it was just the building where a great deal of our misery came from. Orders and pronouncements were decided within the castle walls and issued from the castle gates. Virtually all of the Filit goblins lived there. It was certainly big enough to house them all.
The one curiosity was that even though the castle was a massive, obvious target, the Filits never seemed to consider abandoning it and the Gneiss hit it only once during their initial bombardment. In fact, after the large crater appeared in the south side of the castle’s outer wall, the shelling stopped for almost a month.
Most people seemed to think that the goblins wanted to preserve the history of the building and were doing their best to avoid damaging it – although they certainly had no qualms about destroying other historical areas of Stirling. These days Cambuskenneth Abbey was more piles of rubble than impressive ancient stonework and the Tolbooth prison building was once hit so badly that all the prisoners inside escaped through a hole in the wall. Unfortunately it had been quickly repaired. Perhaps the Gneiss left the castle unscathed because they wanted it as their seat of power and they didn’t like redecorating.