Chapter Forty-Six
It took a few days to find the names in the ledger, but my team was good at investigation.
Yes, they were experts at drinking in taverns and extracting information from people.
Or simply eavesdropping. Those weren't their only techniques, but they were the most successful, especially when they had some basic information to start with.
Not only did they find the Spider's suppliers, but they also found her lair.
“Katai, you know I support you, but when the Talons can help, you should let them.” Vasren waved at the ledger.
We were back on the Reprisal, my crew crowded into my cabin, with several of the new but temporary members listening from the door.
There were just too many of them to fit in my cabin now.
I sat at my small dining table, the ledger open before me to show the list I had written in it.
Not only were there the full names of the people who had supplied the Spider with captives and bones, but there were also the names of their gangs, and where they could be found.
There wasn't just one bone-cleaner as I'd thought, but several. It made me sick to think that so many people were willing to murder and then defile the bodies.
“You have proof of their crimes—records and ribbons,” Vas went on.
“Let me take this to the Talons. They'll listen to me.
Then we can hand over the men in the basement, and you can focus on the Spider.
I can even prove what the Spider did by putting a ribbon on one of those bastards in the cells.
And I promise you, I won't let the Talons keep the ribbons. I burn them if they try to take them.”
I looked from Vasren to the rest of my team. They looked as apprehensive as I felt. Especially the newest Hulfrin members. They wanted hands-on vengeance. I didn't blame them, but they could get that vengeance by squashing the Spider.
I handed Vasren the ledger.
“Boss!” Cesha snarled.
Yes, she was still angry. It was looking more and more as if she had a personal connection to the crimes.
“These men are average criminals. Thugs and murderers.
Yes, they're our type of targets, and what they did to their victims was especially heinous.
But we have a greater threat to eliminate.
We've already given them a three-day lead.
I'm hoping the Spider is in hiding and word hasn't reached them about the House of Silk.
But honestly, I don't see how they wouldn't know.
That means they're either on the run, in hiding, or preparing for a war. The Talons have the numbers to win the war, and they can get to all of those bastards at once, while we would have to take on one group at a time.”
“Fuck that. I'll take my chances going at them one at a time,” Cesha said. “They'll all be dead before morning.”
I stood up and went to Cesha to lay a hand on her shoulder.
“The biggest monster is ours. We need to kill the Spider and destroy her loom.
That's what's most important.” Then I looked at the others.
“I want to make a difference. I want to help those who have been forgotten.
Kill the monsters. But this is not about glory.
I don't care who stops those bastards, as long as they're stopped.”
“But the Talons won't kill them. They'll give them a trial.”
“And we have proof that will convict them.” I motioned at the book in Vasren's hand. “Cesha, as much as I value justice, I value all of you more. We must not be overconfident. We fight in the shadows—something you know all about. So, let me ask you this—does a shadow-form guarantee safety?”
“No, of course not.”
“Exactly. It is merely a tool. As our strength and determination are tools. But the professional assassin watches and waits for the best time to attack. They use their wits as much as their tools. We must be wise about this. It is not us against the Talons. They are good people.” I paused to grimace.
“Mostly. And they are trying to uphold the law. But they are also hindered by those laws. We are not. So, see them not as enemies but as unknowing allies. Another tool for us to use. In this instance, they are better equipped to apprehend our targets. I would rather win through them than fail and lose one or more of you.”
“But if he goes to the Talons now, they'll look for the Spider. They could get in our way.”
“Do you really think they're going to find her before we get to her?”
They looked at each other, and then at me. Finally, they nodded.
“Good. I'm glad we're of one mind.” I motioned to Vas. “I need you to go now. Stop at the House of Silk first and let Sion know that we're handing the prisoners over to the Talons. Send him back here. I don't want him anywhere near that place when the Talons arrive.”
“All right.”
I went to the trunk where I'd stowed all the silk items we'd taken from Bara and found in the House of Silk.
At the top were ribbons. I removed a fresh pair and handed them to Vas.
“Take one of the prisoners with you under your control.
Use him to convince the Talons. I want a promise from their captain that they will apprehend everyone on that list. Once you get that, meet us back here.
I need to know that the Talons will handle this before we go after the Spider. If not, I'll have to adjust the plan.”
“I will make sure that they go after these gangs today.” Vasren flicked the book. “Prepare to take down the Spider. We're going after her as soon as I return.”
The rest of us watched Vas leave, weaving around the Hulfrin in the doorway and the hall. We waited to hear his heavy footsteps grow faint. Then they all turned toward me.
“What? As if any of you want to go to the Talons?” I huffed.
“That's not it, boss.” Baelxa snickered. “You just bossed around that Dragon.”
“Oh, he tried to take some of that control back.” Navin smirked.
Sudar mimicked Vasren. “We go after her as soon as I return.”
They all started laughing.
“Hey!” I shouted.
They all went still.
“He's my mate, and he's trying to be supportive. It's not about control. He knows I'm in charge of this. And most importantly, he could kill all of you within seconds. So don't snicker behind his back.”
They stared at me for a few seconds. Then they shuffled and cleared their throats.
“Yeah, all right, he's a Dragon. We get it,” Baelxa grumbled.
A few of them chuckled.
“But hey, he's the boss' mate. That makes him our Dragon,” Navin noted. “And like the boss said, he can do the shit we can't.”
That improved the mood greatly.
As the crew went over all the possibilities of having a Dragon on the team, I imagined walking into the Weisha Hall of Talons to hand over the information that Vas was about to.
It would probably go as well as when I had entered the Hall of Talons in Kochan to report my findings concerning Kun-Lo's disappearance.
They only half-listened to what I said, barely looked at my proof, and then sent me on my way.
Because I was human. But no one ignored a Dragon. Not if they wanted to live.
Yes, as much as it annoyed me, it was good to have a Dragon on my side.
“All right. Let's go over the map again.” I pointed down at the drawing of the Spider's home that Cesha had made.
It was in a nice neighborhood of Weisha. Which meant there was some space between the homes. And that meant there would be less of a chance of the Spider's neighbors hearing her scream.
Perfect.