the sable spy

CHAPTER FIVE,

"The ambush was sloppy," Laurence shrugged. "I don't think we're dealing with professionals. Very disheartening. I much prefer dealing with those. Amateurs are stupid. Reckless. They do not think before they act, so they are unpredictable. Someone recognised one of the men. Hired randomly, most likely."

"I almost got killed by a bunch of amateurs. Wonderful. Now can we stop discussing murder at the breakfast table?"

"Who was the man?" Cadieux pressed.

"One of Ole' Bailey's men."

"Explains the half-planned ambush. There's a reason Bailey's dead now. Mercenaries and thugs, then, hired off the streets for gold. You won't find much there."

Georgie took the moment to walk in. Her eyes glazed over the table, noting the half-empty coffee cups before she wrinkled her nose. "Remind me to throttle Seylace when he comes back. My cooking and brewing deserves much more respect than he's offering them right now." She scowled, stomping over to remove the cup. "The rest of you better clear your dishes, or there will be consequences." She gave Cadieux a daughterly kiss on the cheek before vanishing out of sight.

"A house of spies and assassins, but Georgie manages to be the most terrifying anyways. Astonishing," Laurence snickered, taking a sip from his tea. It was a morning routine for them. Laurence and Marcus tended to spend their nights here. It was, possibly, one of the reasons Laurence was so renowned for being a rake. He never did seem to spend any nights in his own bed, though for completely different reasons than people believed.

"You should have met her mother, if you find her scary," Cadieux mused. Immediately, the room grew a bit more somber. Cadieux's sister had died tragically in a carriage accident years prior. It seemed like such an anticlimactic way to go for the wife and sister of spies. Georgie's father had died a few months later, growing reckless and disregarding his own safety after the death of his beloved wife. Shot by a bunch of Caeshiremen who mistook him for an enemy spy. Justice had not been served, Arecia and Caershire's newfound peace too important to sacrifice for the unnecessary death of one single spy.

Quietly, Benjamin excused himself to go on whatever mission had been assigned to him. The rest of them fell into a comfortable silence, eating their food, until Cass said, "Has there been no word from Ciri?" She didn't say it, but they could tell she was worried. She hadn't bothered hiding it.

"Kuroki sent us a message informing us that she had not been able to keep extreme close contact with your sister, since her mission was... unsanctioned." A glare in her direction. "I assume she was doing the investigation she promised you." Cadieux pinched his nose. "You two are going to drive us all into an early grave. Did Ciri say nothing to you of her destination?"

Cass shook her head.

"She'll be fine, most likely. Watch her suddenly appear in a few days laughing and joking as we all suppress the urge to strangle her. She does it all the time," Marcus told her reassuringly. She did not want his comfort, so she turned away. Cass could almost feel his disappointment. She pretended not to notice.

"Is it possible this truly is some vendetta against both of us, and not just an issue of corruption?" She asked quietly, placing two fingers on her temple and rubbing. "It would explain her silence, which is rare, and the coincidental timing of my attack. Where could have Ciri gone?"

"Kuroki said that she believes Ciri took a ship to Barlen."

"Barlen, the seaside city? Is there anything interesting in Barlen that would attract my sister?" Cass asked, frowning, her eyebrows creased.

"They have good seafood," Laurence supplied. That was his way of saying he didn't know. "Does it concern anyone that Ciri has vanished in a seaside port city, after our dear Cass was chased from an island of trading by angry men with knives?"