Chapter 30
Ramaro darted after me and was soon at my side. “You shouldn’t warn an agama of a foot race with a human! We can’t be beat by you two-legged creatures!”
“Then race this!” I challenged him as we reached the rear door. I slipped inside and shut the door behind me.
A hard thud told me my plan had worked. I eased open the door a few inches and beheld the dazed lizard, swaying to and fro on his butt. His pitiful state forced a wave of guilt over me, and I opened the door wide.
That’s when he rolled onto his paws and dashed between my legs. “Ha!” he shouted over his shoulder. “Never trust a pirate, especially when they’re down!”
I closed the door and folded my arms over my chest. “Does the pirate know the door upstairs is also closed? Or has the pirate suddenly grown opposable thumbs?”
Ramaro slowed to a stop and plopped himself down with his back facing me. He waited a moment before he looked over his shoulder to glare at me. “Well? Are you coming, or not?”
“Coming,” I assured him as I sauntered down the hall.
Ramaro strolled out of sight, and I heard his footsteps pad up the steps.
I had reached the threshold of the foyer when a strange scratching noise came from the front door.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, but I tiptoed over to the portal.
The heavy wooden door didn’t allow me a look inside, so I reluctantly reached for the handle.
“What are you doing?” I jumped and spun around to find Ramaro standing at the bottom of the stairs. He strolled over to me with his tongue flicking out. “What’s taking you?”
I pointed at the entrance. “I thought I heard something strange and was going to see.”
He wrinkled his snout. “That’s rather foolish of you. What if it’s an unwelcome guest?”
I stepped aside and swept my hand toward the entrance. “Then why don’t you check it out?”
He lifted one of his clawed hands and wiggled his stumpy toes. “No opposable thumbs.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. I crack it open, and you look to see who it is. You’re so short, they won’t expect to look down, and you’ll probably be safe.”
He stood and puffed out his chest. “Open it.”
I grasped the handle and eased the latch off, so the door opened only a few inches. Ramaro peeked outside, and his tail stiffened straight behind him. He yanked his head back and showed off his wide eyes.
“Someone is hanging in the trap door!”
My heart skipped a beat, and I yanked the door open. The trap door was indeed open, and a pair of hands clung to the edge with all their might. I threw myself on the ground and latched onto the hands. My new vantage point allowed me to see the newest victim.
“Henry!” I yelled.
The young man’s brow was covered in sweat, and his whole body trembled. “Get me out of here!”
I readjusted my grip on him and nodded. “Sure thing. Just hold on.”
The boy was a little heavier than I estimated, and I had trouble pulling him up. He tried to get his footing, but the walls were too slick. His breathing became even more labored, and his sweaty hands didn’t help.
“Hold on!” I yelped as I felt him slip.
“I have no choice!” he countered.
His hands slipped out of my grip inch by inch until there wasn’t enough finger hold for me to bear his weight. My heart practically stopped as he dropped into the hole.
Until another arm shot past me and latched onto Henry’s wrist. I whipped my head to my right and found Marc kneeling beside me. He had a roguish smile on his lips. “You appear to need some help.”
“Please!” Henry begged.
Marc pulled him up with only one hand and set the young lad on the safe part of the threshold. Henry was as white as a sheet as he looked into the abyss he almost dropped into.
Marc clapped a hand on his shoulder, and the shaking lad nearly sank beneath the form of affection.
“No need to worry that much. You would’ve only fallen into a cage where you would have been fished out eventually.
” The poor boy’s face lost what color it had left.
Marc stepped aside and swept his arm toward the interior of the house.
“Let’s go inside, and you can tell me why you dropped by. ”
Ramaro wrinkled his snout as he strolled into the foyer. “That is a terrible joke.”
“I have more.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
We led the exhausted lad into the house and guided him to the dining room, where he was glad to plop down in a chair. The rest of us took up seats, though Ramaro scurried onto the table top close beside me.
Henry cleared his throat. “I came to tell you what we found out already about those Managers. The ones with the cat. They’re in the city right now.”
Marc nodded. “We met them last night.”
Henry winced. “Sorry about that. We didn’t get the info until this morning when they were spotted coming out of one of the stations.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “A station?”
“That’s the name of the Manager’s offices.”
“Was this before or after midnight?” Marc wondered.
“After midnight, sir. I was in on the scouting and heard the big bell at the church ringing the time.”
“Only shortly after our little game with them,” he mused as he leaned forward and clasped his hands together on the table. “What else did you learn about them?”
“The leader is called Durand. The other ones are Swinger and Leech.”
I snorted. “I think I can guess which one of them is Swinger.”
“And this Leach?” Marc inquired.
Henry wrinkled his nose. “He’s the quiet assassin in the group. If they need to make someone sleep forever, he’s the right guy to go sneaking into a bedroom and poisoning the person with a tainted leech.”
Marc smiled. “That gives us the advantage as long as they don’t catch us napping. We need only contend with the other two, and one of them is foolish enough to believe his mallet can break any magic.”
“That’s because his mallet has magic that’s nearly the same as Jaeger’s hand,” Henry informed him. “I heard stories that he’s smashed barriers on houses where people were trying to hide from them. His magic was so strong that the buildings themselves were busted.”
Marc’s eyes rolled over to me. “Crestmoor seems to be going to great expense to capture you.”
I winced. “Lucky me.”
Henry’s eyes lit up, and he furiously dug into his pocket. “Oh, before I forget, here’s the extra something you wanted, sir.” He drew out two slips of paper and stood before he offered them to Marc. “Took some searching since it’s such short notice, but they’re good.”
“How much did these cost?” Marc wondered as he accepted the slips.
Henry grinned. “Nothing I couldn’t give, sir. Besides, the other fellas chipped in something, too.”
“Then that means you gave up those coins I gave you,” Marc guessed as he reached into his pocket.
Henry stepped back toward the doorway and held up his hands in front of him. “Don’t feel you have to pay me back, sir. I wanted to do it as a favor to you and Miss Larkin.”
Marc lifted an eyebrow. “You’ll lose your reputation as tight purses if you start acting like this.”
The young lad grinned as he slipped over to the jam and grasped the wood.
“I’ll remember that, sir. If you’ll excuse me, there are some things I have to do.
” He bowed his head to us and slipped out of sight.
The door soon opened, but there was a pause before his voice floated over to us.
“I don’t think I can close the door behind me. ”
I laughed, and both Marc and I got up. We found the young lad on the threshold with the open trap door at his feet. The large gap between the stone path and the house would have prevented even his ungainly young arms from reaching the door.
“What’s the matter here?” a voice spoke up, and we turned to watch Eldric stroll down the stairs.
“You almost trapped one of my guests in your toy,” Marc informed him as he used a hand to gesture to the hole. “Mind closing it?”
“Everyone always coming in unannounced. . .” Eldric grumbled as he sauntered over to a picture. The painting was of the mouth of a large canyon with shrubs and sparse grass. He swiped a finger across the canyon, and the trap door snapped shut.
Henry inclined his head as he gingerly stepped backward onto the hatch. “Thanks.”
“Don’t close that door!”
The shout came from outside. I leaned to one side and glimpsed Theo hurry up the path. Henry and he exchanged nods before the apprentice slipped inside, a smile on his face as he noticed us. “Good morning.”
“Too many unannounced people. . .” Eldric grumbled as he shuffled off to the dining room.
“My apologies,” Theo replied, more to us than Marc’s disappeared uncle. “I only wanted to see how you were getting along in the capital, this being Miss Larkin’s first time in our fair city. I hope you at least slept well.”
Marc pocketed the tickets. “Quite well, thanks.”
Theo’s eyes lit up as he closed the door behind himself. “Are those tickets to Miss Dolios’s concert tonight?”
“I wanted to see her perform,” I chimed in as I clasped my hands in front of me. “It isn’t often that I get to enjoy a live singing performance without having to do the work myself.”
“Then might I offer a further treat in meeting the lady herself?” Theo wondered as his eyes flitted between us. “I’m sure Miss Dolios would be very eager to meet a fellow singer, especially one as talented as yourself.”
I bit my lower lip and lifted my gaze to Marc. “I wouldn’t want to bother her.”
“Nonsense!” Theo insisted as he lifted his chin, and a far-off look slipped into his eyes. “Miss Dolios is a gentle soul who loves to meet new people. She would be delighted to speak with you.”
I shrugged. “Alright. Before or after the show?”
“After. She has a great many preparations to make ahead of every performance, and they can’t be interrupted.”
“Then we’ll meet you backstage, and in disguise,” Marc told him as he drew out a handkerchief from his pocket. “I’ll be wearing this around my neck so you can recognize us.”
Theo looked practically giddy as he bowed his head. “Excellent, Master Torvus. You think of everything. If you will excuse me, I will go make the arrangements. I look forward to seeing you two there.” He bowed, spun on his heels, and hurried away at a clip just short of a run.
I lifted my eyebrow at Marc. “He really wants us to meet her.”
“We’ll see why that is later,” he promised as he nodded at the street. “Now let’s go see an old friend.”
“And I’m going with you this time,” Ramaro spoke up.
“But Ramy!” The sing-song voice came from inside the house, and Gisela scurried out clutching her duster. “You promised me you’d catch that nasty, nasty mouse!”
“I made no such promise, human!” he snapped as he tried to scuttle away from her. She snatched him and hugged me against her ample bosom.
“But I can’t do it without your help!” she cooed as she squeezed him tight enough to make his eyes pop. “You just have to help me!”
While Ramaro made some terrible gargling noises, Marc caught my eye and nodded at the street. We slipped down, though not completely unnoticed.
“Don’t leave me with this female!” Ramaro screeched as he thrashed in her grip. “Remove me from her grasp this instant!”
Marc took my hand and, with a twinkle in his eye, hurried us away. Ramaro’s cries of terror echoed after us.