33. The City of Randale
The City of Randale
Cahira
The journey to the gates of Randale had been surprisingly quiet. With no one having the answers as to what could possibly be awaiting them, tension ran high. Thick smoke had begun to spread around them. The only indication they were approaching the city. Randale was unpleasant at best.
The gods had abandoned the place centuries ago.
The city council consisted of greedy bastards who only looked out for themselves and what they could gain off of the sweat of the lowborn.
Their treasury was full of coins from their hardworking citizens.
Behind their black gates, Randale’s streets were ruled by a gang called The Silver Paradox.
A ruthless group of mercenaries who worked in the shadows and forced their law on what few citizens were left.
“Think we’ll run into any old friends?” she asked Jasper.
He huffed. “One could only hope the gods are not feeling humorous.”
“We all know when they’re bored, they become reckless,” she said.
“They’re always bored,” Jasper whispered.
Smoke snaked its way into her eyes, burning slightly and mixing into her clothes and hair.
Soot rained down as Randale came into view.
It was built amid the mountains of Gabbro and known for their blacksmith work and precious metals.
The incessant black clouds hovering throughout the city were as thick as the morning fog rolling off the northern lakes.
It made it easy to cover one’s tracks or hide a body within its shadows.
The large iron gates squeaked open and closed when a family left the city with haste.
Cahira caught quick glimpses of tall towers.
The spiked tips peeked through the clouds, looming over the people.
Once, the city guards had been stationed there to oversee that law and justice was enforced.
Now, The Silver Paradox controlled all high ground.
While the Master of Spies ruled the underground tunnels.
An explosion shook the ground, coming from the mines dug deep into the heart of the mountain.
Some of the miners were poor souls who made their living off the dirt from whence they came, and in this city, quickly returned to.
But most of the workers were prisoners, men and women who had debts to pay, homeless whose only chance to live a better life came from the few coins they received for their hard labor.
It was a perfect place for an assassin like herself or a man of shadows like Jasper to reside.
Cahira peeled her tongue from the roof of her mouth as if she could taste the despair and death the city emanated.
“Eos, bless this city.” Aradia’s soft gasp was the only shock in the group.
“This city is well past Eos’s help.” Disgust filled Fintan’s face and he rolled his neck with a small crack. He held all of his tension in his shoulders and Cahira wanted to reach out to rub it all away.
He glanced at her, feeling her eyes on him.
She offered a small, tight-lipped smile. He did not return it.
“Come on, we need to be behind the gates before nightfall,” Kaiden said.
She shook off her unease as they drew closer to the gates.
“Aradia,” Kaiden whispered behind them. “Your cloak.” He nodded toward her hood and she quickly pulled it over her head, covering her features.
“Who goes there?” A thin voice called from the ramparts.
“Travelers from the West.” Kaiden’s voice dropped and he pushed a rasp out, aging him more than his five and twenty years.
“We’re not admitting any new travelers.” A sneer of laughter floated above.
Cahira watched Kaiden shift on his horse, impatience running thin.
“We’re here on business with The Silver Paradox,” he said darkly.
It was risky throwing their name about, especially if you were trying to stay clear of the vile group in general.
But anyone with two brain cells to rub together would not question the claim of The Silver Paradox.
The laughter above died immediately. Silence stretched until the shuffle of their horses became uncomfortable.
“Open the gates!” The same reedy voice said. The black gates squeaked open and they entered the eerie city. “Welcome to Randale, travelers.” His voice reeked with betrayal and dishonesty.
Cahira refrained from burying her daggers in the man’s throat.
She would need all her wits to survive this gods-forsaken city.
Everything here was lifeless. Lanterns were lit low as they swung in a phantom breeze, sparsely placed down empty streets of rundown taverns and boarded-up windows.
Darkness lingered in every corner. She felt eyes on her, although no one was visible.
“I hate this place,” Rhydar’s voice floated between them all.
“Let’s find somewhere to settle in,” Kaiden said.
They slowly traveled through the smoke before finding the most put together inn. The Lazy Lunar was a palace compared to this. Cahira read the sign as they entered: The Hanging Tree.
“Hmph,” she mumbled. “Hope that’s not an omen.”
A white-haired lady rushed from behind a small wooden counter. “Can I help ya?” she asked.
“We need a few rooms,” Jasper took the lead, stepping in front of them all.
He would be the least suspicious and seemed to fit in with the rest of the deadly mercenaries in the city.
“Course. ‘Ow many nights?”
The woman's accent reminded Cahira of the northern miners who knew nothing other than the mines they worked in.
The innkeeper was fortunate to break away from the hard labor and make something of herself.
She looked around and tried not to shudder in disgust. Cobwebs and grime clung to the corners of the room.
The lantern glass was covered in candle wax so thick light hardly penetrated it.
A murky scent hung around her and Cahira shifted above a water damaged rug. She wasn’t looking forward to seeing the inn during the daylight.
Jasper looked around. “Does it matter?”
Not even a mouse squeaked, which Cahira painfully knew were undoubtedly infesting the thin walls.
“We’ll stay as long as it takes to conduct our business. Believe me when I say you’ll know when we’re gone.” The shadows around him darkened with his voice.
The lady took a step back, fear passing over her face, although she kept a polite smile on her lips. “Course, Mr.?”
Jasper stared at her.
“Mr. Copper.” She jotted down his fake name in a book. Cahira noticed the other Mr. Coppers written down before Jasper and smiled. Dust formed in the air when she snapped it shut. “I’ll give yer me best rooms.”
Jasper nodded, slipping behind her, and followed her up the rickety stairs.
Cahira tried not to place all her weight onto the steps, which ended up making her look like she was hopping.
“Just,” Jasper growled behind him, “walk.”
She stuck her tongue out. The stairs groaned under the weight of seven people. A splintering crack followed by a heavy oof filled the stairwell. They all looked back at Rhydar whose leg had fallen completely through a step.
Aradia held her hand over her mouth to stop the giggles erupting from her.
“Careful now, I been meanin’ to fix that damned step fer months now,” the lady called behind her.
Cahira snickered and winked at Rhydar.
Rhydar muttered something, making Aradia laugh even more as she helped him pull his leg out.
Fintan and Kaiden shot a worried look up toward Jasper who only shrugged and continued to follow the lady.
The innkeeper lit candles down the hallway as she went, turning the second floor surprisingly cozy, if not a bit eerie. Two rooms were on this floor.
“A’ight, now these rooms are me best rooms on this floor. Be able to sleep fore of y'all comfy like,” she said.
They all looked at each other.
“Rhydar.” Jasper headed to the end of the hall, pushing the door he crept in slowly. Cahira counted her breaths until she saw him emerge. “Clear.”
“Where’s the other room?” Cahira asked.
“Just one more floor, you two can follow me.” She turned without declaring which two and walked up the stairs.
Cahira turned around, expecting to see Kaiden or at least Aradia.
Fintan stood there, looking stoic and hesitant.
Her heart soared at the same time as her stomach sank.
She peeked behind him and saw Kaiden and Aradia would be sharing a room.
The realization made her feel slightly better if not a bit smug.
She knew Aradia was brimming with discomfort and she could practically feel the heat coming off of Kaiden.
“Sweet dreams,” she said sweetly, wiggling her fingers in a teasing wave.
“We’ll meet in the morning,” Kaiden called. “Early.”
She didn’t bother to see if Fintan followed her or perhaps was a gentleman enough to offer Aradia the room with her.
Gentleman or a coward, he’d have to face her at some point.
She was more than ready for this conversation.
Otherwise, she would have jumped at the chance to rectify her relationship with Aradia.
She smirked when heavy footsteps as familiar as her own sounded behind her.
She swallowed and turned the knob on the door.
Oh gods.
Fintan’s warm breath raised the hair on the back of her neck. “What’s wrong?” He leaned over her to look in the room.
There was one small bed.
“Ah, I see,” Laughter filled his voice. “Perhaps you would prefer if Aradia slept with you?”
Yes.
“There’s no point in bothering her now. She’s probably already settled in.” She turned her head to look up at Fintan. “We could talk some things out, no?”
Fintan’s face fell as he pushed past Cahira and into the room. “There’s nothing to say.”
Cahira scoffed, closing the door behind her with a small click. “You and I both know that is not the case.” She leaned against the door, crossing her legs at the ankle. The perfect look for someone at ease and the complete opposite of how she was feeling. “We’ve barely spoken since —”
“I think you said everything you needed to then.” His voice was like gravel — tired, hard, and hurt.
“Then let’s not talk about us and talk about how we’re going to save my brother.”
Fintan stiffened. “Deal.”
Cahira sagged onto the bed. The springs poked at her backside and shifted with a loud creak.
Great.
Even if she was on good terms with Fintan, there’d be no way the whole inn wouldn’t hear the squeak of their bed. The thought brought a smile to her face, but she quickly pushed it away.
“I can’t lose him, Fintan.”
“No one’s going to lose anyone. We’ll watch over each other like we’ve always done and get through it together.”
He sounded more certain than she felt. Perhaps it was another reason why she had fallen in love with him.
The reassurance and strength he always seemed to exude even when their realm was going to shit.
He had proven to be her safety over and over again and she wanted nothing but to curl against him and give in to it all.
Her body warmed where he brushed against the side of her arm, attempting to take off his boots. It had been a long time since they had shared a bed, but every second had been filled with a pleasure that embedded in her mind and imprinted on every crevice of her body.
She ran her tongue across her lips and closed her eyes.
Gods above, this is going to be a long night.