Fallen Grace (The Death Dealer Book 1) (24 page)

Ridley took Grace up to her old room in the Angel’s stables. On her bed were several ornate dresses unlike anything Grace had ever seen. They were clearly meant for the summer seasons and were bright, happy colors, which many in Cesernan did not wear. In addition to the dresses, a few pairs of silk slippers were left for her as well.

“
Donald returned two days before I left and brought native dresses of Nareroc back for you. He also said your birthday is barely a week away, so you can expect a surprise from Marcus and me soon. I’ll be sure to get you somethin’ pretty to match the dresses…earrings, maybe. I know Marcus won’t see the need for a young lady such as you to own those things. He only likes to give practical gifts.”

Grace threw her arms around Ridley and hugged her tightly. “You don’t have to get me anything! Just the thought is the nicest thing you could do.”

“Come on now, you shouldn’t be surprised. We love you around here. You’ve been the friendliest person to come into the Angel or even Glenbard for the longest time. And you’ve done wonders with Jack. He used to just sit in his corner, never speak, and drink all day. He talks more and he’s less surly with everyone now that you’re here. He’s actually pleasant to talk to. And don’t think I was blind to his lingering stares,” Ridley pressed her hands to her heart, “as you two fawned over each other. As if I wouldn’t notice!” Grace smiled and blushed a bit, and then gave Ridley a playful push. “Don’t forget there are other people who are happy you’re back.”

Certainly Marcus liked her as an ally. Jack liked her too, but Grace had no idea she meant so much to the other people around the tavern.

“If Marcus tries to send you away again I’ll fight him tooth and nail.”

“
I don’t think we have to worry about that for a while. Now where is Donald? I need to speak to him.”

“
There is still work to be done on the trade ship he was on. He won’t be back until well after nightfall.”

Work
. Grace groaned. She had forgotten all about her own work. “I should see Mayhew today. I suppose I am out of the stable job by now. Even though Marcus spoke with him, I was gone longer than I should have been.”

“
Mayhew was furious those first few days after you left, but Marcus persuaded him to let you keep your job. He reminded Mayhew that you lasted longer than some of the boys who used to work for him.”

“
Oh dear, I should go speak to him and get right back to work then.”

Grace shooed Ridley out so she could change into her work breeches and shirt. She headed into the stables and found Mayhew brushing down Pilgrim. It appeared Olwen had already been taken back to Marcus’s private stables. When Mayhew saw Grace, he shot her a nasty glance.

“Look who finally decided to return.” He pushed the brush into her hands. “Finish brushing down Pilgrim. Tomorrow you’ll muck out all the stables, polish all the saddles and bridles, and milk Jim’s dairy cow. For now, make sure every animal in this stable has plenty of clean water and food. And you’re not leaving until it’s all done!” Mayhew stormed out of the stable and Grace began her work.

She worked quickly and without complaint. Many of the horses seemed glad to have her gentle touch back instead of Mayhew and his rough hands and gruff voice. Grace noted, and quite gladly, that Hammer was gone, although she knew Mac and Hammer weren’t gone for good.

As she worked, she hummed a little tune she picked up from some of the sailors who came through the Angel. She couldn’t recall many of the words, so she just hummed it. As she drew near the end, a voice sang out the last line, “'And she said her name was Rose’,” Jack’s voice finished the song for her.

“
I didn’t fancy you to be a singer,” Grace said, and put down the bucket of water she was hauling.

Jack picked it up. “Let me help you. Your presence is wanted for dinner, and no doubt you’re not leaving here until Mayhew is satisfied.”

“I only have to see to it that every animal is fed and watered now.”

“
You take care of their food and I’ll get the water.” They worked together in silence until only Pilgrim’s food and water remained.

“
Jack?”

“
Hmm?” He put down the water bucket to look at her. Her gray eyes sparkled as she got onto her tiptoes to reach his mouth and gave him a soft kiss.

She hadn’t kissed him since that night on the road, due to the fact that Ridley was always watching them. Her face flushed with embarrassment, but still she smiled as she moved away. Knowing the upbringing of noble ladies, this was too forward of her. 

He patted the top of her head. “My little chick, you are a strange breed.” He bent forward and kissed her forehead first, then returned the kiss on her lips; running his fingers through her hair, loosening her ponytail. He pulled away, but let his hand linger on her cheek.

“
Jack! Don’t distract the girl!” Grace jumped back at the sound of Mayhew’s voice.

“
We’re hurrying, you cranky old man,” Jack growled. He smiled at Grace and picked up the water buckets again.

~*~*~

Donald sat with Ridley and chatted over various things. He wasn’t really interested in what was being said, he just wanted to see Grace again. He was filled with fear when he first learned she had run off. Now she was back and Mayhew wouldn’t even let him into the stables to see her. The old man shooed Donald away from the stable entrance, yelling that she had too much work to do.

The inn was bustling with activity that night. Marcus was in his usual seat of power, dispensing the members of the Guild to go where they could to do their thieving. Ridley was bouncing back and forth, talking to Donald and helping Marcus. Only Jack wasn’t in his usual spot. Donald hadn’t seen him yet that evening.

Finally Grace emerged from the kitchen area, looking more than a little drawn. Jack was with her, leading her by the hand, but once they came into the common room he released her. Donald was too distracted at seeing Grace again to notice. He jumped from his seat and left Ridley in mid-sentence.

He pulled Grace into a great bear hug. “You caused so much trouble for me! When Ridley said you had been sent away, I feared the worst.”

“She didn’t mention Henry?”

“
Well yes, but all I heard at first was, ‘Grace has left the inn.’” He led her to the table he shared with Ridley and Jack sat with them. This time both Ridley and Donald took note of how closely they sat to one another.

“
I am sorry, Donald.” Grace reached across the table and clasped Donald’s arm comfortingly. “You know I never meant to distress you. Please order our dinners,” she said suddenly. “Donald, will you come with me?”

~*~*~

Donald sat at the little desk in Grace’s room while Grace lay on her stomach on the bed. Jack and Ridley came and went with their food; leaving the Arganis natives alone in Grace’s stable room. Since Grace’s injury the two had not spent much time in each other’s company.

Now she listened with great interest to the story of Donald’s journey to the spice islands of Nareroc, and hoped she would one day get the chance to go there herself. But when his tale was finished, she had to start in on her own.

She told him about Mac and how she knew he was the man who stabbed her in the woods, and then she told him about Marcus’s cousin and how she was the woman Mac killed in front of Grace that night. Finally, she told him of the scuffle between her and Mac and Jack in the stables. She even confessed that Marcus had guessed her secret. Just how, neither one could fathom. As her tale grew to a close, the suspicions and theories began.

“
And why do you think Mac kidnapped her in the first place? What would killing Marcus’s cousin have to do with taking his throne?”

“
I don’t have the slightest idea. Marcus doesn’t trust him, but he pretends to believe Mac’s tale of finding his cousin on the side of the road beside her ‘murderer’, who was killed by The Death Dealer. Mac is brewing trouble. Marcus knows it, but hasn’t been able to call him out of hiding. I hope that with my return, I can find him.”

“
Good luck. No one has heard a word of Mac for three days, I’ve been told. Rumors at the dock were that Marcus drove him out. Other rumors say he fled Cesernan altogether.”

“
Can you keep your eyes and ears open down by the docks? I can get most any news I need here, but I cannot be all over Glenbard at once.”

“
I can see what people know, at least. There are a few members of the Guild who worked on board with me,” Donald said. “Just try not to get too far in. Mac has beaten you twice and I’m sure he could do it again. Marcus cannot protect you if you go out looking for trouble.”

“
I will be fine. I just have to keep Marcus and the Guild blind and deaf to what I’m doing until I know something for sure. You and Jack can help with that part.” Grace rolled off her bed and pulled her Death Dealer jerkin from her trunk.

Someone knocked on the door, causing Donald to jump slightly. Grace returned the jerkin to its spot and closed the trunk. “Hello?”

“It’s Marcus.”

Donald rose. “I’ll leave you to talk with him in private. No need for me to hear any of this. But please be careful.” He touched Grace’s shoulder and kissed her cheek.

Opening the door, he bowed his head to Marcus and left. The King of Thieves entered and closed the door. “Welcome home. I would have liked to welcome you properly, but my dear, we have business to attend to.” He sat in the chair Donald had so recently occupied.

He looked old these days. The rumors flying around Glenbard said that for almost a decade, no one had challenged Marcus for his throne in earnest. Many tried, but if what Ridley and others said rang true, no one had ever gone to the lengths Mac was going to now. Grace hated to think it, but it was very possible that the fierce old man could lose his seat of power to scum like Mac.

“My leaving didn’t draw Mac out, but I expect you think my return will?”

“
Nah – originally I believed his pride was hurt because he couldn’t conquer you, but now I think he has learned to have as much patience as he needs. Mac figures he’ll have his chance at you when he sits on my throne. I’ve called you back because only one person has the ability to sneak around this city and the surrounding woods.”

Grace removed her jerkin and hood from the sack under her bed. “I can try to track down Mac tonight.”

~*~*~

At one o’clock that morning, Grace went out into the dark alone. Since first coming to Glenbard, she had discovered a weak line in the gate that circled the city for protection. Using any of the roads to head out into the wooded areas was impossible, but Grace had found a small hole she used to crawl through that led directly out of the city. Crawling through the muck and mud, Grace emerged on the other side of the city walls.

The last anyone heard in regards to Mac was that he was moving about close to Glenbard. These, of course, were marketplace rumors and based on the sightings reported by traveling merchants, who had a tendency to exaggerate the truth. Still, Marcus advised Grace to take heed of the reported sightings. If their eyes had not deceived them, Mac and his band were some five miles east of the city.

Trying not to crunch the leaves too much underneath her feet, Grace moved about as best as she could in the dark until a dim fire came into view. Grace kept low to the ground and moved forward. Voices murmured, but she wasn’t able to make out anything distinct. She needed to get closer. Grace grabbed a low branch of a nearby tree and climbed to a higher branch before crawling out as far as she could. She had a better view from her new spot and she could better hear those down by the fire. This move was risky because if just one person looked up into the trees, they might see her eyes peering from her hood. For the moment no one looked, and she easily blended into the shadows.

There were about twenty men sitting around the fire. Grace recognized several of them to be lesser members of the Guild, and then she spotted Mac. He stood beside the fire and began to address the men that sat around him. “Everything is in place, then. More of my men will be arriving from Salatia any day now, and then all we have to do is lure Marcus away from Thom and those other grovelin’ fools in the Guild. We will dethrone the King of Thieves and I will take his place. Then you rogues will have your day. Marcus don’t believe in takin’ women as part of our plunder or in killin’ those that get in the way. Once he, Thom and Ridley are taken care of, there’s no one to stand in our way.”

“
How do you plan on gettin’ Marcus out here, anyway?” Grace recognized the voice of Geary; a relatively well-known member of the Guild. Grace had never pegged him as a dishonorable fiend like Mac.

“
Leave that to me,” Mac growled. “It shouldn’t take much to lure Marcus out. He just needs the right incentive.”

Grace crawled back toward the trunk of the tree. There was no time to waste. She scrambled down the tree and hurried back toward the city as quietly as a mouse. Crawling back through the gate’s hole, she took to running again; keeping to the shadows and the alleys. Marcus lived on the fringe of Glenbard’s lower city, so getting there unseen was easy. The city seemed almost designed that way so thieves could move about easier.