Nightsworn | The Whispering Wall #2

Eighty Three: An Assignment

Jordan hadn't been alone with Marick like this since he signed with the Devils.

He had decided he very much preferred it that way.

The Devil leader's style of intimidation was different from Arlen's. Arlen often played with a vicious-looking knife as he waited, somehow pinning his victim with both eyes, even the blind one. Marick's tactic was leaving someone to sweat in a chair while he pretended he'd forgotten them. Jordan had no idea how he made total disinterest so sinister. The man browsed a bookshelf in one corner of the upstairs study and let Jordan fidget and flinch at every noise from the Caelumese gathered downstairs. The anticipation was only compounded by the fear that Cael would lose patience and storm up here any moment. He could still taste blood in his mouth from the blow the Angel had dealt him.

"So."

Jordan jumped and twisted to face forwards again. Marick seated himself at the other side of a large polished desk, a little worse for wear but still grand. Jordan wondered if it was stolen, and then concluded it was a stupid thing to wonder. Of course it was stolen. Likely everything in the house was stolen, including the house itself.

"It seems Arlen has been sending you on some strange missions lately," Marick said. He flicked through the pages of a book as he spoke. "I already knew about your foray into Cael's rooms, but I am curious what you were doing sniffing about in Ethred's."

"You knew?" His heart sank like it was made of lead. This confrontation had been storing up for a while, then, and everything he had done since had just compounded it.

Marick chuckled, but his eyes remained humourless. "Of course I did, boy. I didn't get where I am by being ignorant of my members' movements." He tilted his head. "Well?"

Lying would just piss the man off if he knew about these plans for fact, and lying badly would just insult him further. Well, Jordan couldn't do any other kind of lying. But he could omit.

"Harkenn sent me to investigate Ethred's rooms," he said. "I asked Arlen for help with it."

"Harkenn expected you to break in?"

Tread carefully. "He told me to use whatever means were at my disposal, so I did. He didn't specify that I had to use the front door."

Marick's mouth twitched in what might have been a smirk. "Well, I can definitely tell you've been around Jesper and Akiva."

Jordan wasn't sure whether that was intended as a compliment or not. He certainly didn't take it as one.

"What did he want you to find?"

"Evidence that Ethred had been there recently," Jordan replied. "Anything that might reveal his plans."

"And did you find anything?"

"Lots of papers. Hidden weapons. No evidence that he'd been back."

Marick stared at him for so long that Jordan was sure he was fucked. If he'd had a chance to speak with that priest, he would know about the vial. But then Jordan would have to admit that Usk took it and probably still had it, and then on to potentially betraying Arlen and breaking his word. What price would the assassin exact from him for that?

"I have a job for you," Marick finally said.

Jordan stared at him. "A...job?"

"Mm." Marick steepled his fingers and peered at him over the top of them. "I'm sure you won't object to it, considering how much trouble it's caused you lately." Another silence. "Boy, I want you to get rid of Silas."

"Get rid of..." He was starting to feel stupid, sputtering and staring like this. "As in...?"

"Yes, Calder." Marick smiled and it chilled him. He'd never told Marick his guild name, and his use of it made the prospect feel somehow worse. "Yes, as in killing him. I don't expect to have to spell it out for you in future."