I sighed. While that wasn’t exactlyourproblem as the Elder Guard, it was still a frustrating expectation. The Elders made their stance on intervening with mortals quite clear. We, the mortal guardsmen, served the city-state of Sophrosyne, the Arcane Studium,andthe Nineteen, and yet the entire continent of Atlas had a tendency to rely on us for strategy and matters of collective regional security.
“We’ve also received word that the first Light Conduit in the last twenty years just got accepted into the Studium.”
A Light Conduit?Holy Hel.
“Yes,” Hanjae confirmed, reading my expression. “It’s a big deal, and the Elders have requested that we keep a close eye on things now that she’s arrived. She and the Makar girl could easily become the next targets, so keep your men vigilant. Keep looking. Acquire your information by any means necessary,within reason, but Kieran?”
“Yeah?”
“Get started on the rest of thattomorrow.”
“I’m fine, Hanjae.”
“Commander Ka,” he corrected, narrowing his eyes. I resisted the urge to roll my own. Hanjae only ever pulled rank on me when he wasn’t in the mood to argue.
“And I don’t give a shit how bright-eyed and bushy-tailed you’re feeling this morning after yourdalliances, Captain. Go home. Take a damn bath. And wash that fucking coat.”
“Yes, sir.”
Though I swore up and down to Commander Ka that I’d go straight home and rest, that had been a bold-faced lie. Though to be fair, he probably knew it.
On paper, my title in the Elder Guard was the Captain of Scouting and Reconnaissance. In practice, I was more like their spymaster—and I had several informants to meet with and pay off on my way back to the townhouse.
I withdrew a small fortune’s worth of Lyra from our coffers before leaving headquarters and made my way over to the Merchant’s Quarter with heavy pockets, paying no mind to the way they’d jingle every now and again when the pouches jostled. Though I could have easily slipped into the Shadows and remained unseen, I kept my stroll casual and enjoyed the warmth of the morning sun. I would be so lucky to encounter a thief with the balls to fuck around and find out. Let them make my day.
Alas, Sophrosyne was indeed home to some of the best and brightest minds in the realm, none of them stupid enough to attempt robbery against an armed guardsman. As such, my walk remained rather uneventful until I rolled up to my first stop: Duncan Falk, a butcher with connections to the Pyrhhan Black Market.
Yes, even the region of Pyrhhas, shining star of the Atlassian Courts, had its own seedy underbelly—and Falk was in bed with some of their key players.
“Falk,” I greeted the heavyset man whose bald head had already begun to glisten as the cool air of morning gave way to the warmth of early afternoon sun.
“Ay, Vistarii. I have your order in the back, come, come.”
Falk nodded to his apprentice before leading me away from his stall in the open-air market, back towards the small shop where we typically did business. It was a slow afternoon, so he locked the door behind us for privacy without hesitation.
“Listen, boss, imma cut to the quick with ya. I know yer men have been looking into that Jerricks boy, yeah? An’ I put out feelers, but no bites. Somethin’ has most of my people skittish these days, but no one’s talkin’.”
“That’s unfortunate,” I murmured.
“And uhh, respectfully, sir, I’m not sure if ya really helped matters by lettin’ Corvus go. Not sure what y’all did to the man, but uhh, he’s all sorts of banged up in the head now…”
I raised a brow.
“Yeah. Well. You know. Folks are gonna be spooked.”
I nodded. “That’s to be expected, I suppose. As things settle down, though, I’d like for you to keep putting those feelers out. Flesh trade, blood cults… I’m looking for people who are explicitly interested in Conduits. If you catch wind of buyers, I want to know immediately.”
“Yessir, you got it.”
I withdrew two pouches of Lyra and tossed them his way. The man gave me a quizzical look, as I’d just tossed him double what I typically paid him for information.
“For this week, and consider the rest an advance for your swift call the next time you catch wind of anything. You know how to reach me.”
“Aye, Captain. Always a pleasure.”
I wasn’t sure I’d call it that, but I didn’t mind working with the butcher. Despite his harrowing appearance as a massive man, often found in bloodstained clothes and wielding a meat-cleaver, he was actually fairly harmless. His connection to the Black Market was purely circumstantial—his father was the criminal who built those relationships, and when he died, he’dpassed them down to the “next in line,” hoping that Duncan might one day follow in his nefarious footsteps.
Alas, as far as my background research could tell, the worst crime Duncan Falk had ever personally committed was coming up short on his taxes.