Fallen Grace (The Death Dealer Book 1) (11 page)

“
I did not get the chance to really speak to him. He was walking a young woman home after she was attacked in the woods. He rescued her. He seemed quite dashing and heroic from what the woman said.” Grace felt guilty lying to her new-found friend, but The Death Dealer was not a secret easily laid out on the table. Even if it was, she didn’t want to let anyone in on it.

Ridley sighed and got a wishful look in her eye. “I do hope one day I will get the chance to meet him. Glenbard needs someone like him hanging around. The king’s guards do nothing but bully us lower classes. They expect bribes or else no aid will be provided. How’s an honest person supposed to raise money for protection?”

“That’s awfully funny coming from the Princess of Thieves,” the man Grace noticed before spoke from his corner.

“
Princess of Thieves?” Grace turned back to Ridley.

“
Around here we’re known as the ‘Fisherman’s Collective’, but most people call us the ‘Thieves Guild’; knowing full well none of us fish. Don’t look so shocked. People need to scrape a living around here. We don’t steal from our own class—often—not now that Marcus is in charge. We try to only steal from those who can afford it. We have honor, you know,” she snapped back at the corner dweller. “And we don’t attack folk in dark alleys, and we most certainly don’t kill defenseless people.”

“
You
do not do those things, but there are those in your precious Thieves Guild that see to such deeds. And you steal and pick fights with rogue thieves. If your precious Death Dealer ever came to Glenbard, I bet he starts by cleaning out the Guild,” the man continued.

“
He would not! He only goes after bullies, and there is no one in the Guild who’s a bully.”

“
You live with rather strange delusions, Ridley. First you tell her the guards only bully the lower classes, when you know full well they usually only bully your kind. Now you tell her there are no bullies in the Guild? Ha! You forget that even Marcus took the Guild’s crown through murder and treachery.” The man’s rant complete, he looked down into his mug.

Ridley turned away from the man in the corner and crossed her arms over her chest. She huffed loudly and angrily and took a few deep breaths. “It’s best if you stay away from Jack Anders. He’s just an old grump who tries to drag everyone down into his rut.”

“I’m not old,” he said. Ridley ignored him.

“
Used to be a rusher at the Emerald Rose.” Grace shook her head, indicating she had no idea what that was. “Sorry, lass…the Rose is on the port side and is the most dangerous place in Glenbard. Murders are regular there and rushers don’t usually last more than a week, but old Jack lasted a year; breaking skulls, fingers and making troublemakers disappear. The experience has left him less than happy.”

Grace looked over at Jack. He did not look to be much older than his mid-twenties. He did look a bit angry and his face was lined with cares, but underneath it all Grace saw a bit of decency. She wondered what made him so bitter. She looked away from Jack and back to Ridley.

“What is the Thieves Guild, exactly?”

“
Oh, we’re a group of ‘scoundrels’ as the guards call us, who banded together for safety. Vandals, thieves, people down on our luck, that’s where we all come from. We give to our families and friends who need it. The city magistrates and guard captains have tried to root us out for years, but we’re clever. We can all sneak around and get into places most other people can’t. People judge us harshly because we’re comprised of thieves, but we don’t hurt other people unless they hurt us first.” She lowered her voice. “Jack is right about some of our ranks being just as bad as murderers, but we root them out best we can.” Ridley must have noticed the shocked look on Grace’s face and laughed. “Don’t judge us too severely. We’re not bad people, and old Marcus is our king. He makes sure we follow a code of honor around here.” Ridley motioned to the fierce-looking man Grace saw when she first entered.

“
And you don’t mind that your father does this?”

“
Don’t be fooled by the title ‘Princess of Thieves’. It’s no more than a term of endearment from some of the men.”

“
Marcus is not your father, then?”

“
He is like my father. My own pa was in the Guild, and when my parents died I came into Marc’s care. I’ve been in the Guild since I was six.”

“
How old are you now?”

“
Sixteen, and I don’t regret those early years as a pickpocket or these last years as a full and proper member of the Guild.”

Grace smiled and nodded. She became The Death Dealer to punish those who preyed on the weak and poor. And it’s true; she would have attacked the Guild outright if she had not learned all this information from Ridley. If the Guild moved with any force, she’d have seen her life in Glenbard end rather swiftly.

She had to take into account all that Anders said. If there were those in the Guild who needed punishing, she would see to them. Grace would see how the Guild worked before deciding if she should go against them as a whole, though. Until that time, she would go after those who attacked and tried to kill the weaker folk. It would be safer than taking on the thieves all together.

“
Do you always give this information so freely?”

“
You’ll hear about the Fishermen’s Collective often enough, and I’d hate for you to be provided with false information.” She cut her eyes to Jack. “We’re not really a secret, after all. And you’ll be working here, so you need to know who your bedfellows are.”

~*~*~

Ridley readily agreed to show Grace around the city when she asked for a guide. The young Princess of Thieves was ready to do whatever she could to make her new friend more comfortable in her new home. Grace was thankful she had someone to talk to aside from Donald.

Ridley took her by the dock and showed her all the ships that were coming into port. Grace knew many of the flags the ships flew under. There was the crowned sun of Eurur, the golden star of Archon, and the two rearing silver horses from Sera. A myriad of other countries were in the port; countries Grace was not even aware of. Ridley had her by the arm and guided her along, but Grace’s eyes stayed on the port. She was in utter awe of how many came to Cesernan to trade. A sudden longing to sail out to sea overcame Grace. She sighed heavily as Ridley turned a corner and the view of the port was lost.

Grace’s eyes widened as they entered the next area of Glenbard.

“
This is the temple district,” Ridley explained.

Grace did not need to be told where they stood. The first temple was the biggest of all three on the street, and Grace was familiar with it. The insignia of the sun on the huge iron doors gave it all away. This was the temple to Ciro. The roof was domed and made mostly from glass so the light could enter and shine on the altar. Many high pillars ran around the temple, all of them lined in gold. Several smaller houses were next to the temple, each one with a domed roof; these were the houses of the priests of Ciro.

Across the street was an equally large temple with the sigil of a crescent moon on its iron doors. The temple to Kamaria. The roof here was high arched, but huge windows opened in the east and in the west. It was for when the moon rose and set, and it was built that way to allow the moon’s light to shine on the altar. It even sported a bell tower. This temple had the same type of pillars as Ciro’s did, only they were lined with silver; Kamaria’s color. Smaller houses were next to it, which housed the priestesses of Kamaria. Leading away from Ciro and Kamaria’s temples was a road to three, moderately-sized stone buildings.

“
That serves as a dormitory for priest and priestess trainees. They get locked in there for a full year without contact with the rest of the city! Can you imagine?”

Grace confessed, “My uncle was afraid I would be unmarried forever and he wanted to send me here to serve the Divine Twins. I came to Glenbard to find a husband and avoid those enclosed grounds.”

The third and final temple was entirely new to Grace. Every province had a temple to Ciro and Kamaria, but this third one was different. It was much smaller and plainer, and had the image of a winged star on the wooden doors. It sported a high vaulted ceiling and a few stained glass windows.

“
Who is this temple for? I am not familiar with the sign on the door.”

“
Diggery, the goddess of protection and guardian of lost souls.”

Diggery was not an unknown deity to those in Arganis, but she wasn't held in the same esteem as the Divine Twins. People in the north prayed to her to help guide them through hard times, but Grace had never seen or heard of a temple being erected in her honor.

“This temple is quite new to me. In Arganis, small figurines may be found of Diggery in wolf form, but no temples. Why has it been built here?”

“
Glenbard is a refuge for the damned and outcast. Many here consider Diggery their patron, so why not build a temple to honor her?”

Grace looked at the winged star and knew where she would be coming after dinner this evening.

“Come on – there’s still more to see.” Ridley took Grace by the arm again and led her away from the temples.

~*~*~

              “Stay here and I’ll get us some dinner,” Ridley said, and had Grace sit where they did earlier that day. The Angel Tavern was getting pretty full and Ridley wanted to make sure they had a place to sit and eat their dinner.

All around the tavern, people were looking at her; whispering and snickering. Most were big, burly men who seemed to think there was something amusing about her, but Grace was unable to put her finger on the exact reason. She turned her head from side to side and tried to count just how many people were eyeing her.

A man’s voice said from behind her, “The men have a bet going with Jim Little. You see, you were only hired as a joke to help Mayhew muck out stables.” Grace turned to face Jack Anders and noted that he hadn’t moved from his secluded corner.

“
Do you ever move from that spot, sir?”

“
Of course, but only when the tavern is ablaze.” He looked at all those looking upon Grace. “Now there,” he continued, seeing Grace scowl, “don’t let the bet hurt your precious feelings. This sort of thing happens whenever someone new is brought in to deal with Mayhew. The only difference this time is that you are a female. Most women around here are too smart to work for him.”

Grace turned away and caught sight of Ridley across the tavern. She waved excitedly to Grace.

“Now that she’s found you, you’ll never get her to shut up.”

Grace snapped her attention back to Jack. “If being rude and bitter is your choice then fine, but you shouldn’t try to bring the rest of us down into your rut. Ridley is a sweet girl and has been kind enough to show me around. What reason do I have to want her to be quiet?”

“I’m just telling you – once she starts, she won’t stop.” Jack took a puff from his pipe. “I find it all very funny that someone as proper as you is becoming friends with someone as low as Ridley.” Grace gave Jack a nasty glare. “Ridley’s a nice kid, but you two aren’t exactly from the same game.”

“
What are you talking about?”

Jack looked around and got out of his chair. He leaned over the table and hung his face in Grace’s. “I’m no fool. I was once a stable hand for the King, and I saw all the knights. You don’t have to play this game with me, Grace. You’re from Arganis; your accent proves it to any who would doubt. But you have Lady Dedre’s nose and you have Lord Daniel’s eyes: little gray orbs of malice, and his deceptively tiny ears that no doubt catch all rumors to use for blackmail. Whatever you did to get out of court must have been very daring or very stupid.”

Grace wanted to respond, but her voice was stuck in her throat as Jack’s green eyes bore down on her. She wished she could speak, yell, or simply throw things in his direction. She did none of those things; she just continued to glare at him.

“
Jack! Leave poor Grace alone!” Ridley’s voice cut through their tense stare-down. Jack backed away from the table and returned to his own seat.

“
I was just having a chat with your new friend.”

“
She doesn’t want to chat with you,” Ridley snapped. She placed a plate of potatoes and fish down in front of Grace. “It’s the cook’s specialty. It’s actually all he can make that doesn’t taste rotten.”

Grace forced a smile and dug into her plate. Ridley chatted on and on, but Grace didn’t hear any of it. Her eyes kept straying toward Jack, who openly watched her with interest.

“Don’t be bothered by him,” Ridley finally said. “He likes to ruffle feathers. He’s really quite harmless.”

Grace pushed her plate away. “I’m sorry, I have lost my appetite. I am going for a walk.”

Ridley nodded and Grace rose from her seat. “You scared her away!” she heard Ridley say when she was some feet away.

~*~*~

Diggery’s temple was deserted, so Grace sat near the altar with her head bowed. She certainly needed guidance, especially after her encounter with Jack. How was it possible for one person to get so far under her skin? She had never before been so irritated by a person so quickly. He said her eyes were filled with malice...no, filled with malice just like her father’s. And ears that caught rumors for blackmail? What was
that
supposed to mean? Anders stood there and made dreadful assumptions about her father.