Logan’s muscles burned as he crested the hills just to the north of Nethas. The weeks of walking served only to give him sore muscles, but at least his goal was in sight. The forbidding grey walls rose up over him and the fresh scent of the lake that encompassed it filled his lungs.

  At the northeast edge of the lake, a large statue rose out of the water. It was a woman, dressed in a flowing grey rock robe with hair molded to flow against the wind. In her right hand was a sickle. In her left hand was a bundle of wheat.

  Logan whispered a small prayer of respect to Briln as he sat down.

  ‘Frenal,’ Talan said. ‘The castle on the lake.’

  “It’s Nethas,” Logan said, unsure what she meant. “It’s the capital of Tyra, the center of the Five Kingdoms.”

  ‘That might be the name you humans gave it after our fall,’ Talan said. ‘But I know those walls. That is Frenal, built by sylvestrian hands.’

  “Well, I don’t know much about it,” Logan said. “I know it’s a good place to find jobs and that the Order’s temple is there.”

  He pulled his flask from out of his pocket, taking a long drink of the cool water. Why did he have to agree to take her to Nethas? The journey had been long, and it ate away at the money he had saved.

  ‘Let’s go then,’ Talan urged. ‘We need to see that map.’

  “Wait,” Logan said, putting his flask away again. “I have to say something.”

  ‘What?’ Talan asked impatiently.

  “I want out,” Logan said. “I mean, after this, after I get the map. I want you to break the pact. I want you to release me.”

  Talan emerged from his left, coming out of his shadow. She floated in front of him, her dark form blocking Nethas from his sight. Her green eyes narrowed dangerously and she crossed her arms over her chest.

  “I’ve told you what will happen if I do not stop the Savod from escaping their seal,” Talan said. “You’ve felt the power I can give you as well. Why would you not want to help me?”

  “You’re a darkling, a trickster,” Logan said. “You say you’re a sylvestrian, but they’re just legends. So are the savod. They aren’t real.”

  “I could freeze you here,” Talan said. “I could leave you here until your die of thirst.”

  “You could.” Logan crossed his arms. “And you would then be three days behind. It wouldn’t solve your problem, and it would make it worse. Nethas is home to the Order. They don’t like magic.”

  “It seems I was wrong.” Talan sighed. “I did choose poorly.”

  “And I made a mistake agreeing to take you here,” Logan said. “I’ll fulfill that part of our bargain. But, I will not go any further.”

  “Fine,” Talan said, melding back into his shadow. ‘Just get me to the library.’

  The sun rested above the hills to the west as Logan approached the north of the four bridges that led into Nethas. There were few out at this time, mostly commoners leaving to their farms beyond the lake. They paid Logan no mind, and he did the same.

  Five soldiers stood guard at the gate in a line, watching over the departing people. They were five women in shining armor. Logan immediately recognized them as knights of the Order. Luckily, they weren’t after mercenaries. They were always more concerned about mages.

  “You there.” The leader pointed to him, opening her helm’s visor to reveal her pale face. “Stop.”

  Logan stopped, already guessing the reason. He held his hands up at shoulder height, revealing his sword and knives to them. She had probably seen the tip of his scabbard sticking out from beneath his cloak.

  “What is your business here?” she asked.

  “I’m here looking for work,” Logan said. “I’m a mercenary.”

  She looked him up and down, giving him the same glare that all city guards gave to outsiders. Logan had seen it far too many times before. He didn’t flinch from it, holding his ground and waiting patiently. Anything else would likely land him the gallows for a short time.

  “Move along,” the knight said, dismissing him.

  Logan walked past without further incident, finally reaching the stone streets of Nethas. They were empty of all but the merchants, artisans, lesser nobles and beggars. All able-bodied men that the king could find served on the plains.

  ‘So, do we go to the library now?’ Talan asked, entering his thoughts again.

  “At night,” Logan said as he turned down a dark alleyway. “I want to see the grounds during the day first.”

  ‘Your people have ruined Frenal,’ Talan said to him as he entered a less populated street. ‘It used to be so beautiful inside the walls. The gardens would be in bloom now. The streets would be lined with a thousand flowers.’

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  Logan stopped, looking at a beggar in tattered robes that was asleep against the stone crevices of a small building. Filth filled the streets and an acrid odor was heavy in the air. There wasn’t beauty in this part of the city, but one street wasn’t all of it.

  “You don’t really get a say in it anymore,” he whispered. “If this was a sylvestrian fortress, it isn’t anymore.”

  Talan went quiet again, not responding to his words. Part of Logan was glad for it. Every time she spoke in his mind, he found it hard to think. He continued on, past the markets and the stone keep. He passed patrols of knights five times in the streets.

  Finally, Logan reached the Order’s main grounds. He took a seat on a bench across from the black iron fence that surrounded the grounds. There were three gates on the eastern edge, and two knights guarded each one.

  It was odd. The temple was open to the Order’s followers during the day. They didn’t need to keep a guard at every entrance. With the coming night, he had hoped that they would lock the gates and leave only a few guards patrolling.

  The sun was slowly descending behind the tall walls of Nethas; soon he wouldn’t be able to see it clearly. Logan searched the grounds, hoping to see any sign of the reason for the increased presence.

  There were groups of white tents scattered on the grass, each group fenced in with hastily constructed wooden planks. There were people milling around within, all dressed in plain grey tunics and pants. Each group had its own guard.

  “This complicates things,” Logan whispered, pulling his cloak closer around himself as another patrol of knights passed by him.

  ‘Can’t you just go in and ask to see the library?’ Talan asked.

  “Only the Order’s priests are allowed in,” Logan whispered.

  ‘You can still get in there, right?’ Talan asked.

  “I don’t know,” Logan whispered, keeping an eye on the people passing him. “I need to find something out first.”

  The shadows stretched further as Logan stood, continuing down the street. He kept an eye to the left as he traveled north, watching as the people milled around their tents. The more he watched them, the more he was sure they were spillovers from the overcrowded gallows.

  When night fell, he was far from the grounds, closer to the slums of Nethas. This was the best place for a mercenary looking for work or information. Logan knew it very well, a lot better than the rest of Nethas.

  He reached the edge of the wall, finally reaching the home he was looking for. It was a ramshackle wooden home, hardly different from any of the ones about it. However, it was the person inside that mattered.

  ‘This is what you were looking for?’ Talan asked. ‘It’s falling apart.’

  “I don’t care about the look of the building,” Logan said as he came to the door. “I only care if Shadow is still here.”

  ‘Shadow?’ Talan asked.

  “That’s what he calls himself,” Logan said.

  He knocked on the door, using the code of five he remembered. Hopefully, Shadow would recognize it. Hopefully, it hadn’t changed. After he was done, there was nothing to do but wait.

  “An old knock for an old customer.” The scratchy voice of Shadow came through the door. “What do you call yourself and who are you with?”

  “Logan of the Crows,” Logan said.

  “Dark wings over a field picking off the kills of greater beasts,” Shadow said. “I always wondered why Adrian chose that name.”

  “It’s a fitting name for a group of mercenaries,” Logan said. “I’ve come for some information. Are you willing to give me it?”

  “Information is not mine to give,” Shadow said. “It is merely mine to sell. Ask what you want to know, and I will tell you the price.”

  “What is the Order up to these days?” Logan asked. “They seem to be everywhere.”

  “That you can find on any street, it is hardly worth a fee.” Shadow laughed a nasal laugh. “Surely there is something more expensive you want to hear.”

  “Do you know of a way to sneak into the Order’s grounds unseen?” Logan asked. “Some way that is not watched by their knights.”

  “A juicy morsel this is,” Shadow said. “What need do you have to go there? Do you wish to give your life over to the Order?”

  “It’s a job Shadow. That’s all,” Logan said. “Give me your price.”

  “Five silver pieces will do,” Shadow said. “Slide them under the door, and I will tell you all I know.”

  Logan did as he asked, pulling out the silver pieces from the bag within his cloak. His heart ached to pass with his coins, but at least it would be over soon. He slid them under the door with the toe of his boot, the metal scraping against the wood.

  “Excellent,” Shadow said, the jingle of the coins sounding clear through the door. “As to your first question then, there is talk that the king has gone mad. He sees spies and assassins at all times and in all things. They say that the Order has gone mad with him, using his authority to capture any who even smells of magic.”

  “Then that’s the reason for the increased number of knights,” Logan said, rubbing his beard.

  “It started after the death of an ambassador from the Tower,” Shadow continued. “Someone heard the man making a deal with a dark creature to kill the king.”

  “Did anyone see it?” Logan asked. “What did it look like?”

  “A creature black as night,” Shadow said. “Larger than a man with two bright white eyes. It sounds like the witness was inhaling vapors to me.”

  ‘A savod,’ Talan said.

  “As to your other question,” Shadow said. “There is an old passage in the walls of Nethas, just where the Order’s fence meets the walls. A hidden latch will open a door, but you might not like where it leads.”

  “Where?” Logan leaned closer to the door.

  “Down it winds, and far it goes,” Shadow said, his voice dropping low. “And up through the gallows the path goes.”

  “Is there no other way?” Logan asked.

  “The greater the risk, the greater the reward.” Shadow laughed. “If that is all you need from me, then leave.”

  Sighing, Logan turned away, starting back the way he came. With so many prisoners on the main grounds, he couldn’t simply climb the fence. They would catch him before he even made it across the grounds. They guarded every entrance, and there were few who passed the gates that weren’t women. He couldn’t disguise himself and cross.

  Going through the gallows was foolish. If any of the prisoners saw him, they might sound an alarm. However, it would also probably be the least guarded, as the outside camps would need more attention.

  ‘So, what will you do?’ Talan asked.

  “It’s risky,” Logan said. “But I don’t have a better plan.”

  ‘There might be something I can do to make it better,’ Talan said.

  Logan smiled grimly as a hollow pit opened in his stomach. The same fear from every one of Adrian’s insane battle plans gripped him tight. For some reason, Adrian always made the worst plans for their jobs.

  “I really wish more of those had worked out.” Logan sighed, wishing he could quell the feeling.

  There was no helping it as he neared the Order’s grounds again. Knights guarded every gate, and a few groups patrolled the fence line. More and more, this plan made him uneasy.

  Logan swallowed the lump that sat in his throat as he neared where the iron fence and wall met. There were no guards nearby, and the nearest patrol was far away. He felt along the wall carefully, searching for the latch.

  With a quiet click, he found it, his hand catching the loose stone. He leaned into the wall, pushing with all of his strength against the stone. With a lurch, the door gave way and sent him tumbling into darkness.