Chapter 15 The Revenant
The Revenant
A week later I’m quietly sliding between the trees that parallel the nine-foot-high stone wall surrounding Guild Master Cosimo Vitorio’s estate.
The bell in the city center clock tower tolls half past midnight.
So far, everything is going to plan. Cosimo and his entourage returned from Hap two days ago, and I used the time to allow everyone to settle back into their routines and to prepare my assault.
As luck would have it, the timing also coincides with the end of the moon’s cycle, leaving the night sky pitch black except for the explosion of silvery stars. It’s a good omen.
This property is one of the larger estates in the city, with the front of the house situated close to the street and a sprawling back garden that ends at the edge of Lake Shadh.
The estate is guarded by off-duty Onyx Guild Protectors and a handful of Shades.
The guards and the ever-present eyes of Uguisu’s rival spies cluster at the front of the property making that a problematic entry point.
Access from the sides is equally challenging because of the high walls and poor visibility into the grounds.
Which leaves the rear gate at the private docks as the most viable option to gain undetected access.
Not that the garden is unwatched, but it provides the highest chance to avoid discovery.
I duck under a low-hanging branch and follow the treeline to the water.
It would be easier, and perhaps wiser, to kill Cosimo elsewhere.
There were any number of possible options while he was traveling, but I ruled them all out.
It needs to happen here, in his home, his fortress, where he believes he’s safest, so I can send the proper message through the organization.
Beware. You’re not safe, even in your sanctuaries.
The creaking of El Susurro, Cosimo’s private cutter, and the gentle lapping of waves against docks carry on the night breeze.
I slow my approach and stop a few paces inside the treeline.
El Susurro groans as it tugs against the ropes holding it firmly in place.
It’s a ship built for speed and a small crew, with a hull shallow enough to navigate the lake without issue.
It usually functions as a way to ferry Cosimo and guests to and from larger ships anchored further out, but I have no doubt it would also be a fast means of escape if needed.
There are very few frivolous things in an Onyx Guild Master’s estate.
I move closer, watching the two Protectors on the pier quietly exchange words. One offers the other a flask, and I use the distraction to slip onto the dock, using El Susurro for cover.
Crouching by the bow of the ship, I’m able to spy through the rear gate which is a dozen or so feet in front of me.
As vantage points go, it’s not ideal, but it’s the best I can do to observe the guard rotations.
I spent many nights skulking around these docks before Cosimo traveled to Hap, so it doesn’t take long to verify that the same patterns hold now.
The two guards move back and forth along the main dock, keeping an eye on the lake as well as the rear gate, but only as far as the torchlight can illuminate.
They aren’t slacking on the job, per se, but they aren’t as vigilant as they should be, and I plan to take full advantage of that.
A pair of Protectors appears at regular intervals on the other side of the gate, tugging on the iron bars a few times to make sure the lock is secure before cursorily glancing out at the dock.
Then they turn and move on to cover the rest of the property.
It isn’t a rigid pattern, but the variations are acceptable enough to give me confidence that I can get onto the grounds unseen. Once inside, I’ll have to improvise.
Most of the estate is swathed in darkness, broken only by the occasional patch of light from lanterns placed intermittently along the outer walls.
The three-story sandstone villa is barely an inky shadow in the moonless night.
The house is dark, save for the faint flicker of a candle illuminating someone’s path from the main floor to the upper levels.
It’s most likely a servant, finally allowed to retire for the evening.
Cosimo lives alone, with no emotional attachments to distract him or be used as leverage, and no family to pull him away from his work and call him to bed.
The faint glow in the second-floor corner window confirms Cosimo is still in his study.
The dock guards approach the gate as the next set of Protectors perform their cursory check.
There’s a brief exchange, which culminates in a momentary burst of laughter that carries across the water before the two groups separate and continue their rotations.
After waiting to allow them all to move further away, I dart to the gate, keeping low and close to the wall.
I activate my sigil and press my palm to the lock.
It opens with a loud clunk, and I pull on the gate, wincing as the hinges squeak.
Once on the other side, I cast Silence and push the gate closed, breathing only after the latch arm drops into place.
I send more power to my cloaking spell and disappear into the shadows of the perimeter wall while I get my bearings and wait for guards to investigate.
It doesn’t take long. A dim figure, barely visible in the darkness, approaches my hiding spot.
The lone Protector stops at the gate and peers into the night, tugging on the iron bars to check that the lock is secure.
They slowly turn in a circle, examining the grounds before scratching their head and sighing.
As they turn away from me, I step out of the shadow and clamp a hand over their mouth, swiftly plunging my dagger through their back and into their heart.
I hold tightly until the struggling stops, then pull the body into the shadow where I’ve been hiding, carefully tucking them away so they won’t be easily found.
The crunch of gravel under heavy boot soles is as good as a beacon, announcing the arrival of the second guard and telling me exactly where they are.
If I wasn’t here to kill Cosimo, I’d have several things to say about his shoddy security.
For now, I’ll be grateful for it. As the Protector nears my location, I move onto the path and slash out with my short knife, slitting their throat.
The gurgling is brief, and thankfully quiet, before they drop onto the gravel with a thud.
I don’t worry about the pool of blood. The stone and sand pathway will soak up the liquid, and the stain won’t be seen until the sun begins to rise. I’ll be long gone by then.
I heft the body over my shoulder and dump it next to the other one before moving rapidly down the central walkway.
Lined with chest-high hedges, the path is just wide enough for two people to walk abreast without bumping shoulders.
If I stay low, I’ll only need to avoid the pools of light cast from the lanterns and anyone approaching from my front or back.
Unlike the two dead guards, I concentrate on the careful placement of my feet, trying to minimize the sounds of my steps while listening for approaching Protectors.
There’s movement near the outer wall and further ahead to the left, but for the moment, my way is clear.
I dart down the thirty yards of path to the central fountain.
It’s a crossroads for the lower garden, where all paths meet and branch out in a symmetrical pattern.
The cover is minimal, and I’m sure Protectors will be passing through this spot soon.
Glancing around, I search for someplace I can hide and pick them off one at a time.
There aren’t any decent vantage points, so I move behind a large statue at the south end of the fountain and crouch down, listening.
Almost immediately, a pair of guards walks toward me from the direction of the house.
Their footfalls are rhythmic, both appear alert but relaxed, seeming unaware of my presence.
At the edge of the fountain, they separate, each following the opposite curve around the low wall.
I wait until the last possible moment, then hurl a dagger at the guard on my left, barely waiting for the knife blade to lodge deep in their eye socket before pivoting to my right and slamming another dagger into the second guard’s neck, just behind their jaw, severing their carotid artery.
It’s far messier than I prefer, but unavoidable under the current circumstances.
I duck behind the statue, ears straining to detect any additional movement in the area.
For several long minutes, the bubbling of the fountain and the call and answer of night birds in the trees are all I hear, so I retrieve my daggers, gather both bodies, and slide them into the water without another sound.
I spare a few extra seconds to rinse my hands and knives before making my way to the granite steps that lead to the upper section of the lawn.
Creeping along the right staircase, I stop at the top and scan the area.
There isn’t any movement in the immediate vicinity, but there is a small marble alcove a few yards to the right.
I dash across the grass and duck inside, taking a moment to breathe.
The crunching of boots on the path has me pressing further into the darkness, but the pair of Protectors moves by me without incident, not even bothering to check such an obvious hiding spot. For this alone, Cosimo deserves to die.