Chapter Twenty-Six
I was in my cabin with most of my crew, hunched over the manifest of the Hunter—the Hulfrin ship—when Cesha returned. I looked up from the book to ask, “Did you find the Spider?”
She grimaced at the spool of thread set nearby on my desk.
“You failed?” I was shocked. Cesha was an exceptional tracker.
“Not exactly. They took the shipment to a place in the pleasure district. It's called the House of Silk.”
“The House of Silk,” I repeated, something about it sounding noteworthy. “Did you go inside?”
“I tried to. I barely got in the entry before I had to retreat. It was too bright in there and full of people. But I did see the Hulfrin take the crates upstairs. I'm sorry I couldn't go after them.”
“It's all right. We know where they took the thread. That's good enough.”
“So, it was a whorehouse?” Vasren asked.
“Yup.” Cesha leaned against the wall. “I've been in them before and never seen one so crowded. Men and women clients. Wealthy clients.” She tapped her side, and something jingled. “I got a little something for my trouble.”
“In the few minutes you were inside?” I snorted a laugh. “Did you see anything suspicious? Any Raltven?”
Cesha straightened. “I sensed Raltven, but it was muted. I think it was just the thread.” She nodded at the spool. “I saw something else though.”
“Go on.”
“The sailors didn't leave empty-handed. They carried more crates out than they brought in.”
“What?” I leaned onto the table. “Their payment was packed in crates?”
“Yup. Big ones.”
“Did you see what was in the crates?”
“No, couldn't get to them. I waited outside, near their carts. But they kept several guards on the crates as they loaded. Never took their eyes off them. It's necessary in that part of the city. I wasn't the only one sniffing around.”
“Damn,” I murmured.
A shriek came from the door. All of us looked over to see Navin standing there with an unknown Raltven woman. She had been the one to scream, and her stare was locked on the spool.
“Do you know what this is?” I picked up the thread.
She shook her head, her eyes wide. “No, sir. But it's terrible, I can tell you that.” She clasped her hand to her mouth and looked at Navin. “You feel it too, don't you? That's our magic in that thread, but it's wrong. It's so wrong.”
Navin nodded. “Yes, I feel it.”
“According to this manifest, it's silver and silk thread.” I tapped the open ledger.
“That is not silver thread.” Tesal came around the table, his hooves making hollow sounds on the floorboards. “For one thing, it's not silver.”
“Yes, thank you, Tesal.” I shot a look around the room to quiet the crew and then waved at a chair across the table from Vas and me. “Would you like to sit down?”
The Raltven woman looked from Navin to me and then took the seat. “Are you Hallaxgral?”
“Yes, I am. Who are you?”
“My name is Sana. My son, Rui, went missing a month ago. The Talons won't help me. They say there's no way to find a shadow.”
Vas made an angry huffing sound.
I glanced at him. “Are you truly surprised?”
“I'm disappointed,” he muttered.
Sana gaped at Vasren, then recovered and hardened. “Disappointed? Why, Dragon? We're all thieves and murderers, aren't we? That's what the Talons say. We don't deserve justice.”
“That is not what the Dragon King believes.” Vasren met her stare. “I'm sorry you've been treated poorly. I will do all I can to change that, including speaking to King Tor'rien on behalf of your people.”
“I don't believe you.”
“Then believe me, Sana,” I said. “This man is my mate. He's here to support me because he believes in justice as much as I do. If he says he will do all he can to help you, he will.” I reached across the table and took her hand. “And so will I. So will my entire crew. I promise you.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“Thank you for coming forward. Now, where was your son last seen?”
She blinked. “Oh, uh. Rui was drinking with some friends at a Raltven bar called Whisper. His friends said they left the bar together and only went their separate ways when they reached the Hole.”
“The Hole?”
“That's what they call the Raltven neighborhood here,” Navin said. “The kid never made it home.”
“Hold on. He vanished from a Raltven neighborhood?” I leaned forward. “And no one saw anything?”
“Yes, precisely.” Sana smacked the table. “Our people see everything in the Hole. No one comes or goes without us knowing about it, and no one attacks a Raltven without the rest of us coming down upon them. Rui should have been safe as soon as he entered the Hole.”
“So, either your son left willingly or he was taken by someone as talented as a Raltven.”
Cesha snorted. “No one can match our skills.”
I ignored her and sat back in my chair, my forehead creasing in thought.
I didn't believe the boy had run off. He'd been out with friends.
People don't go out with friends and then, nearly home, decide to leave their home and family without a word.
That left abduction. He was taken by someone with the ability to navigate a Raltven neighborhood without being seen.
Not only that—they could also take a captive without being seen.
My mind churned. I looked down at the manifest, just to focus on something, and a name near the top of the page caught my attention.
“Lord Bara Vanculf,” I murmured. “Why does that sound familiar?”
“What did you say?” Drellan drew up beside me.
I looked at him. “Lord Bara Vanculf. Do you know him?”
Drellan ran a clawed hand over his furred face. “I've heard stories of a man named Vanculf who was banished from a tribe of Hulfrin for conducting strange experiments on the dead.”
“A necromancer?”
“No, he didn't have that ability. No one knew what his experiments were for or about, but they must have been shocking if he was banished for them.”
“And now a man bearing the same surname owns a ship carrying strange cargo somehow infused with Raltven magic.” I tapped the manifest. “Sana, you're the woman who heard rumors of Raltven skeletons for sale, correct?”
“Yes, sir. I told that to the Talons too, and they just laughed at me.”
Vasren made another furious sound.
Sana stared at him again. I knew how she felt.
Dragons were legendary elitists. The first time Vasren had alluded to all races being treated fairly in Rushao, I'd nearly lost my Kat mask and laughed in his face.
But he truly believed in his King and the King's laws.
He believed that everyone was entitled to protection under those laws, no matter what race they were.
His naivety had shocked me nearly as much as it had shocked him to learn the truth.
“Pay him no mind,” I said to Sana. “He's still adjusting to life outside the royal palace. Now, where did you hear those rumors?”
Sana frowned at the mention of the royal palace, but then answered, “From other members of my clan. They came to me when I was looking for Rui and told me what they heard.”
“And where did they hear it?”
She stared at me.
“Sana, I have stolen, lied, and killed in the name of vengeance. I will not judge your kin.”
“Boss, she's trying to tell you that they were on jobs at the time,” Navin said. “They probably heard people talking while in shadow-form.”
“Yes, Navin.” I shot him a silencing look. “I'm trying to get her to tell me precisely which people were overheard.”
“Sorry, boss,” Navin muttered.
“Sana?” I looked at her.
“I don't know, sir. I don't think they know either. We focus when on a job. Sometimes we hear things that we don't think about until after we're home.”
“I see.”
“I would tell you if I knew!”
“Yes, I'm sure you would.” I held up a hand. “I'm not implying you wouldn't.”
Her gaze strayed to Vasren.
“Sana.” I reclaimed her attention. “Go back to those people who heard the rumors and ask them to try to remember where they heard them and who said them. Then warn your people. All of them. Tell them even the shadows are no longer safe. Don't go anywhere alone.”
Her stare shivered, but she nodded as she stood. “Yes, sir. Thank you for your help.”
“I will do my best to find your son, Sana.”
Sana's expression softened. “You're a good man. Thank you, Hallaxgral.”
Navin gave me a heavy look and escorted the woman out of the cabin.
I looked at Drellan. “Find me everything you can on Lord Bara.”
“Yes, boss.” Drellan strode out.
“Sudar, since you already know the layout, I want you back on the Hunter,” I said. “Find out what's in the crates they took from the House of Silk.”
“Done.” Sudar slipped out of the room.
I stood up and pocketed the thread. “Brothers, with me.” I motioned at the three Brandva brothers.
“The rest of you, get out there and find me more information.
It doesn't have to be about this case. I want to know about everyone who's gone missing in this city recently, especially those whom the Talons have ignored.”
“Yes, boss!” My crew waited for me to exit first with Vas and the Brandva brothers, and then we all went topside, going our separate ways on the dock.
We would strip Weiha naked and reveal every secret it hid.