I’d probably been saved because the goblin servant returned – and this time he really did have a chocolate cake with him, a real chocolate cake that was bigger than any piece of confectionary I’d seen in years, siege or no siege. I goggled at it, counting five whole tiers. There were only four of us in the damn room – and I was supposedly non-existent and one of us was a servant. This cake would feed my entire street for a week and yet it had been given to two VIPs who looked only slightly interested in it.
‘Wow,’ the human said.
Wow? That was all the man could say? The servant departed silently while we all stared at the cake. I was aware that, five miles away, my physical form was salivating.
‘Indeed,’ agreed Gabriel de Florinville. ‘But are they trying to impress us or divert us?’
Personally, I was both impressed and diverted, not to mention royally pissed off at the waste. The goblins were probably trying to achieve the same effect on their invited visitors.
‘You’re the one who seems to have a hotline to the goblins’ inner thoughts,’ his companion grumbled. ‘You tell me.’
Rather than answer him, de Florinville walked over to the cake and dipped his finger into the icing like a child. The ganache glistened. I noticed a small smile on the Dark Elf’s mouth but it only just registered before he turned and swiped at me without warning.
I threw myself backward, doing everything I could to get away but it was too late. The Elf had hold of my shadow and was already murmuring the incantation required to keep hold of me. I writhed and pulled at my wrist, desperate to get away, but his grip tightened and burned into my shadow. Pain flashed through me as magical symbols appeared on his skin, glowing golden against his flesh.
I struggled. All I needed was a second then I could run. I already had a route – I just had to fly across the ceiling, reach the far window then I’d be out into the night sky and fleeing down the castle walls.
The Elf was obviously aware of this and he wasn’t letting go.
Concentrating, I let my legs to grow more substantial. I kicked upwards, connecting with a broad, muscular thigh, and the Elf hissed out a curse. I tugged and kicked some more but his grip tightened, sapping my strength until all I could feel was mind-numbing pain and ever-growing exhaustion.
‘Cease,’ he commanded, his voice reverberating around my skull. He was using his power to turn my own will against me. I knew it was happening but I was powerless to stop it. ‘Cease,’ he said again.
I fought against it as best as I could but in seconds he had me on my knees. Pain shot through my veins, flaring out from where de Florinville’s fingers encircled my wrist. I dragged my remaining energy into an imaginary ball, preparing to push it against him in one last-ditch effort to break free, but he was one step ahead of me.
‘My pocket,’ he said to his friend. ‘There should be a binding in there.’
If he bound me, I was lost. I pushed and shoved while the human fumbled. Blood roared in my ears; I could see their lips moving but I could no longer hear any words. Come on, Saiya. Do something. Then the Elf lashed out towards me with a thin strip of leather and, as it wrapped round me, I knew my time was up.
The magic bound me, making my shadow virtually inert. The worst of the pain dissipated, reducing to a dull throb, but that was little comfort. The binding was stronger than anything I’d ever felt and I knew there was no escape as long as that leather, with its deep elven magic, was wrapped around me.
The human man gaped at me ‘Is that…?’
De Florinville nodded, his eyes dark chips of ice. ‘A wraith. A shadow assassin. No prizes for guessing who is his target.’
‘Those goblin bastards!’
Idiots. I was a wraith, sure, but I was no assassin. If I were, they would both be dead already. Couldn’t they see that?
‘Not the Filits,’ de Florinville murmured, his sharp gaze still fixed on me, pinning me in place as much as the binding did. ‘Ghrashbreg was right about one thing; the Filits can’t afford for either of us to be hurt.’
‘You think the Gneiss sent this … thing?’
‘It’s certainly possible. They could blame my death on the Filits and reap the rewards from the resulting fallout. Or maybe there’s a third group we are unaware of.’
‘You should kill him now. Use the binding to strangle him.’
Make it quick. Please.
De Florinville shook his head and my heart sank. ‘No. I want to see whose shadow this is. I’ve come across wraiths before but never…’ His voice trailed off.
‘Never what?’
‘Nothing. No wraith can survive without its shadow form for less than twenty-four hours. Whoever this is, they will come here. They’ll have no choice.’ A nasty smile crossed his mouth as he addressed me. ‘Do you hear that? You’ll have to come to me. Tell me who you’re working for and I’ll let you go.’
I gathered the last of my strength and rose up. I couldn’t communicate with him while I was like this; I couldn’t tell him I wasn’t an assassin and that I was working for myself . Instead, I did the only thing I could.
I turned my head to the side, knowing it would allow my shadow to become more distinct, then I stuck out my tongue. Screw you, I imagined myself saying. Screw you, your friend, the goblins and all bloody five tiers of chocolate cake that none of you deserve.
Chapter Six
I yanked my consciousness back to my corporeal body, leaving my shadow hanging uselessly in Gabriel de Florinville’s hands. My heart was fluttering against my ribcage and nausea was pushing up through my stomach, threatening to overwhelm me. I took several shallow breaths, forcing myself not to throw up. It wouldn’t help the situation. It wouldn’t help me.
Despite my flippant, childish gesture to the Elf, I was very aware of how precarious my life had suddenly become. I could curl up into a ball and feel sorry for myself; I could spend the next twenty-four hours castigating myself for being a fool – or I could damn well do something about this situation. I wasn’t dead yet and I was a survivor. Everyone was who was still living in Stirling.
I got to my feet, walked to the bathroom and stared at my gaunt reflection in the cracked mirror. It was my imagination that I already looked as if I were wasting away; it was far too early for anything like that. Even so, I knew that time was not on my side. I would grow gradually weaker until it wouldn’t matter how hard I tried to fight back and regain my shadow; I wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing. De Florinville would always be stronger than me – but I still had plenty of tricks up my sleeve. As long as he didn’t reveal my existence to the goblins, I could finagle my way out of this. Either that or I’d die trying.
Aware that I needed as much strength and energy as I could muster – and that conserving rations when I might not be here tomorrow to enjoy them was a pointless effort – I splashed water on my face and returned to my stash. I finished off the chocolate and the rest of my goodies. This time I didn’t savour the food. I fleetingly let myself remember the glistening cake that de Florinville had used to divert me and swallowed the last mouthful of my own miserable chocolate.
I changed my clothes, divesting myself of my shadow battle-gear and pulling on a once pretty but now faded dress covered with sprigs of red flowers. Where it had once accentuated my curves and looked sexy, it now hung on me, emphasizing my boniness. The effect was one of desperate fragility but I wasn’t beyond using my natural state to manipulate either the Dark Elf or the goblins, not when my survival depended on it. The latter probably wouldn’t blink an eyelid; the former, however, might be swayed. I doubted it from what I’d seen of him so far but there was still hope. There was always hope.
I filled up a water bottle from my almost empty reserves, grabbed the first-aid kit I’d got from Marrock and stuffed them into a backpack that I swung on my shoulders. The good news was that I had some of the information that Marrock wanted; that might give me leverage to renegotiate the terms of our deal. I had to take every advantage I could get with th
e tips of my grubby fingers.
I headed for the door then, pausing, I swung my head round. My flat wasn’t much – not these days, anyway – but it was mine. I might never see it again. I took in the drab wallpaper and the shabby furniture shrouded in darkness from the dark sky. ‘See you,’ I said softly, hoping I was speaking the truth. A second later, I was out the door and heading down the corridor.
The goblins who’d been stationed outside since Ange’s arrest had been replaced with a new set. It was dark enough for them not to notice that I was shadowless. Without Becky in tow I appeared innocent enough so I simply pushed open the main doors and strode past them.
‘Oi!’ The nearest one pushed away from the wall and started after me. Good.
Giving the impression of being just another well-behaved citizen with nothing to hide, I halted and turned round. I didn’t smile too broadly. The goblins tended to like it when you showed fear, erroneously equating it with respect. Instead, I hugged my arms around myself and offered them a wobbly grin. ‘Yes?’ I asked, eyes wide.
‘Who are you? Where are you going?’
I licked my lips and dropped my voice to a whisper. ‘I’m Saiya. I’m going foraging.’
His lip curled up in a sneer. ‘Foraging for what?’
‘Nettles. I was going to make nettle soup. I’ve got another three days before I get my rations and I’ve got nothing left. I…’
The goblin held up his hand. ‘Shut up.’
His companion ambled over and peered at me. ‘Leave her be, Boxburn. This one’s hardly dangerous.’
Boxburn ignored her and continued to glare at me. ‘What do you know about Angela Horrocks?’
I took a step backwards. This was becoming tiresome. Maybe I should have come up with a different plan and climbed out of the window like last time. I didn’t want them to focus on Ange, I wanted them to focus on me.
‘She … she … lives upstairs,’ I stammered. ‘She’s been arrested. I don’t know why.’ I shook my head violently. ‘I don’t know her that well, I promise. I don’t know what she’s been doing.’ Given that I was telling the truth, I reckoned I must appear believable.
‘What about her daughter?’
‘Becky?’ I blurted out. ‘Has she broken the law too? Have you arrested her too? She’s just a kid. You can’t…’
He growled under his breath and stepped towards me. Again I took a step back, maintaining the dance of a terrified human. At this rate, we’d be doing it all night. ‘We’ll do whatever we want to do. We’re in charge.’
I swallowed. ‘Yessir.’
‘What’s in the bag?’
I pulled it off my shoulder and fumbled with the zip. ‘Water. And bandages. Sometimes I get stung when I collect nettles so I need the bandages for protection.’ I hoped I was injecting just the right amount of tremble into my voice.
Boxburn folded his arms and stared at me, as if he were sure I was taking the piss. Wary of overdoing things, I bit my lip and gave him a wide-eyed stare. ‘It’s tasty,’ I said. ‘The soup. You’d think it wouldn’t be nice but it really is.’
‘What does it taste like?’
‘A bit like spinach. It’s really good for you though. Clears your complexion and keeps everything working.’ I pointed down at my bowels. ‘You know…’
With any luck, that would do the trick. One of the few goblin secrets I’d unearthed during my shadow runs was that constipation was a familiar complaint. Goblin gullets weren’t designed for rich food and there was no remedy in Stirling for their delicate constitutions. I thought it was a fairly useless titbit of information but every secret had its uses, if you’re smart and patient enough.
‘There’s a patch of nettles down by the south walls. No one else knows about it yet and I want to get there before others see it. That’s why I’m going now. If other people see me going out, they’ll follow me and take the nettles for themselves. I found them so I should have them.’ I sounded plaintive and whiny but it was necessary.
‘Huh.’ The goblin scratched his belly while his companion came forward. She nudged him in the ribs and gave him a meaningful look. He nodded briefly and bared his teeth in a dramatic snarl. ‘Everything that grows within the city walls belongs to the city wardens.’ He brought his face down towards mine. ‘It belongs to us.’
‘It’s only nettles!’ I protested. ‘You don’t want nettles! You can eat whatever you want!’ I twisted my fingers together. ‘Please. If I don’t get them now, someone else will find them. It’s only for a bit of soup.’
‘You’re sneaking out in the middle of the night. You’re stealing nettles that don’t belong to you.’
‘I’m not stealing! I…’ My voice faltered and I dropped my head. ‘I’m sorry,’ I mumbled. ‘I’ll show you where the nettles are and you can have them.’
‘No,’ he barked. ‘You’ll do better than that. You’ll retrieve the nettles, make the soup and bring it to us. You’ll bring all of it to us. If you don’t, the gallows might find a new candidate.’
I sucked in a breath and began to shake. ‘Yes.’
‘Yes what?’
‘Yes, sir.’ I peeked up at him.
A self-satisfied smile wreathed the goblin’s face. ‘That’s better.’
I made a swift calculation. ‘The nettles need to be soaked to remove their sting,’ I said. ‘But I should have the soup ready for you by midday tomorrow. I’ll bring it to you here.’
‘No. We’ll be at the castle. You’ll bring it to us there.’ He pointed to himself and his partner. ‘Boxburn and Tamash. You don’t leave it with anyone other than us.’
A worried expression flashed across my face. ‘But I can’t get into the castle.’
He delved into his pocket and drew out a small wooden token. ‘Here,’ he said. ‘This will get you inside. If anyone stops you, show them this. You won’t have any trouble after that. We’ll be in the guardhouse.’
I dutifully bobbed my head. ‘Yes, sir.’
The goblin tapped his foot. ‘Well, go on then. We’ll be wanting that soup for our lunch tomorrow so you’d better get a move on. I won’t be happy if someone else takes our nettles.’
‘Yes! I’ll go right away. Thank you, sir. Thank you.’ I bowed and scraped then darted off, taking extra care to stick to the darker side of the street so my shadow’s absence wasn’t noted.
From behind me, I heard both goblins roaring with laughter and clapping each other on the back. I didn’t bother looking. Curling my fingers round the token that would give me almost everything I needed, I gave a small smile that was far more genuine than anything I’d given Boxburn. The odds had just increased ever so slightly in my favour.
***
Less than twenty minutes later, I was in front of Marrock’s bowling alley. As always his two goons were present but curiously neither of them tried to stop me; they simply glowered as I passed. I was concerned when they didn’t pat me down for illicit weapons or look inside my bag. In all the months I’d been selling secrets to Marrock, I’d always been stopped. When I entered the alley and stepped onto the bowling lane to begin the familiar walk towards Marrock, I half-expected to be greeted with plastic sheeting on the floor ready to catch my blood splatter. I couldn’t think of any other reason why they’d let me pass unimpeded.
This time Marrock didn’t get up. He didn’t extend his arms in a gesture of warmth; he didn’t even smile. He simply looked up with a tired expression on his worn face and watched my advance without blinking. When I reached him, he remained silent. Normally, I’d have enjoyed the peace and quiet but now it was simply eerie.
When Marrock didn’t say anything, I opened my mouth to speak. He flicked his wrist at me and I swallowed my words. I remained rigid and tense, waiting to feel a merciless blow on the back of my neck.
After what felt like an eternity, a voice called out from somewhere behind me. ‘She’s alone.’
Marrock didn’t take his eyes off me. ‘You’re absolutely sure?’
‘Positive.’
He absorbed this for a moment and then got to his feet.
‘Boss…’
Marrock gestured irritably and strode towards me, stopping less than an inch away. He leaned in and sniffed, his nostrils flaring. ‘Saiya,’ he murmured, in a dangerously soft whisper. ‘Sweet Saiya.’
I didn’t move a muscle.
‘Normally I can scent out betrayal in a heartbeat. People aren’t as good at hiding from me as they think they are. Traitors stink, you see. Deception clings to them like a skunk’s smell. I cannot smell betrayal on you, Saiya – and yet all the evidence points to the contrary.’
I met Marrock’s steely gaze. ‘Our relationship benefits both of us. I would have no reason to betray you, Marrock.’
‘Oh,’ he dismissed, ‘I can think of plenty of reasons. The goblins, both Filit and Gneiss, let me to do what I do because they know I keep the likes of you in check. They trust me.’
I kept my expression blank. It didn’t take a secret seeker like me to know that Marrock played all sides. Everyone knew he worked with the Gneiss goblins; everyone knew he worked with the Filit goblins. He smiled and smarmed at whoever was in front of him – but when it came to profiteering he had no boundaries. He understood where the lines were and was careful not to cross them. He knew where to stop in order to stay safe. All the same, he would deal with whoever planted themselves in front of him. I used the wee man as much as he used me but I would never trust him. I wasn’t sure anyone would.
‘What exactly has happened?’ I asked carefully. Gabriel de Florinville surely couldn’t have tracked me to this place and threatened Marrock. It was impossible on all counts. But something had spooked Marrock.
He gazed at me, his expression inscrutable. ‘I made enquiries about your friend. Or,’ he said with a short, humourless laugh, ‘I tried to make enquiries.’
Dread began to slink its way through me. ‘Is she still alive?’