The Rogue Knight (10 page)

“There was a creature called Carnag in Sambria,” she said. “Some kind of monster. People think this new problem might be related, but nobody really gets what's happening. We still don't understand where Carnag came from either. Some people think it was a shaper who went nova.”

“You haven't heard about any famous prisoners, have you?” Cole asked. “Secret ones? Maybe recent ones.”

Jill clenched her hands tighter. “There are always prisoners,” she said. “It's not the kind of thing you should get too interested in if you want to stay free.”

It was obvious that the High King's tactics had already worked perfectly on Jill—she was scared not only for herself, but for anyone who might cross him.

“I'm most interested in visiting Dalton,” Cole said. “Not to rescue him,” he added hastily. “I don't want to get him into trouble. But I miss him. He's my best friend.”

Her expression softened. “If you head to Merriston, watch out for the Rogue Knight. They say he's been stealing from travelers.”

“I don't have much to steal,” Cole said. “But thanks for the warning. The lady I was just talking to told me about the Rogue Knight. Is she trustworthy?”

“Vixen?” Jill asked. “Hard to say for sure. Her real name is Mavis Proffin. Have you heard of her?”

Cole shook his head.

“She's a regular—the wife of a local official. Vixen is much older than she looks. It's arranged so that she gets gorgeous disguises. She mostly cares about social gossip, but she's no dummy, and she's in a position to hear a lot.”

“Got it,” Cole said.

Jill glanced around furtively, even though they were still alone. “It's so good to see you, Cole. You have no idea. I wish we could talk more, but if anyone notices this conversation going long, they might get suspicious, especially if I don't have any info.”

“The Grand Shaper Declan was hiding behind the Eastern Cloudwall,” Cole said. “Legionnaires chased him out. That's the best info I have.”

“You don't mind if I share that?” she asked.

“Not if it helps you.”

“Thanks.”

“You won't come with me?” Cole tried.

Jill looked miserable. “I can't. It's too dangerous.”

Cole sighed. “Okay, I get it.”

“I wish we could meet up somewhere and hang out. I don't have privileges to go out yet.” She paused. “If you figure out how to get us back home, you'll come back for me, right?”

“Of course!” Cole promised. “Are you sure you're okay here?”

“Okay enough,” Jill said. “I think it's safer than trying to leave. At least for now.”

“All right,” Cole said. “I won't forget you. I'll help you if I can.”

“I won't forget you, either,” she said, failing to hide the desperation behind her words. “You're really brave, Cole. I know you're trying to do the right thing. It's lucky you got free. That doesn't happen much. Don't mess it up.”

He stared at the face of the old woman, trying to visualize the real Jill. He doubted whether his mind's eye was getting it quite right.

“Bye, Jill,” Cole said, his voice a little husky.

“See you, Cole.” There was no mistaking the deep emotion beneath her casual words.

Cole didn't want to leave her, but he knew the time had come. He walked through the illusory wall and back into the lounge with the xylophone. Vixen glanced his way, as did Stumbler. Deciding that his disappearance through the wall had drawn too much attention, Cole strode across the room and into a new one. People milled about as a guy patted tall bongos. Mind brimming with new knowledge, Cole crossed to another door. Each new room meant a new physical appearance. He hoped his hasty tour would make it hard for onlookers to keep track of him, then wondered if Jill was still watching.

The next room contained people at gaming tables. Some played cards. Others rolled dice. At one table they appeared to be racing caterpillars. Cole didn't linger.

After the next door, Cole ended up back where he had started. Most of the same faces were present, including Hannibal and the guy who looked like a statue. In the mirror, Cole found that he looked like a skinny teen with lots of freckles and really big ears.

A gentleman with white curly hair cornered Cole and struck up a conversation, but the man was boring. Cole shared his routine information and learned nothing of interest.

After the gentleman ambled away, Cole claimed a solitary chair. He couldn't keep his mind off Jill. She was the first person he had met from back home since leaving the slave caravan. And now he was leaving her behind because she was too scared to join him.

What if Dalton felt the same way? What if Jenna didn't want to be rescued? What if trying to save them made everything worse?

No. He couldn't think that way. Not everyone would be as wary as Jill. Cole knew that wherever he had ended up as a slave, he would have fought to get free. He felt certain that Dalton would leap at the chance to escape as well. And now he had a real chance of finding him! What about Jenna? Maybe Dalton would know something. In his gut, Cole believed that Jenna would want to run away too, whatever the risks.

But first he had to get away from Shady Lane. As he sat alone in the chair, Cole realized he wasn't sure how to find Mira or Joe to learn whether they were ready to leave. How would he recognize them? Were they still here? If he left too early, would he end up alone on the streets of East Carthage?

Cole decided they would have worked very quickly if they were already gone, and he figured they probably wouldn't take off without him. His best option was probably to stay put and watch for people exiting.

A new person came into the lounge from outside, talked to Hannibal, and moved on. A freakishly thin woman entered from a neighboring room and briskly exited. Cole continued to wait, feeling edgier as the minutes passed.

A man and a woman came into the room from the gaming lounge. The handsome man had black hair slicked back and a small mustache. The woman had green skin and snakes for hair. She pointed at the ceiling, softly said, “Away,” then scanned the room.

Hair squirming, the woman watched as Cole approached. “I know a guy named Twitch,” Cole said quietly.

“I know Jace,” she replied. It had to be Mira, which meant the guy was Joe.

“We should go,” Joe murmured.

“What about a permanent illusion?” Cole asked.

“Not here,” Joe whispered tersely.

They exited together. In the furry hall, a previously unseen door appeared ahead of them. They went through, then through another, and found themselves back in the room with the gangly bespectacled man.

“May I see your keys?” the man inquired.

After a look at Cole's key, the man escorted him to the trident door.

“Once you retrieve your things, put on your mask and return to this room,” the man instructed. “Please leave the key behind.”

Cole did as requested, leaving his key in the lock of the trunk. He met up with masked Mira and Joe, and they left the room together through a different door from the one they had originally entered. Cole desperately wanted to share what he had learned from Jill, but decided he had better wait until they were alone. Two large men escorted them down a staircase, along a plain hall, then up some stairs to a door. They walked out to find themselves in an alley with their coach waiting.

Joe, Mira, and Cole climbed into the coach, and the large men shut the door. Once they were rolling, Joe took off his mask. Mira and Cole followed his example.

“I saw someone from home!” Cole announced, barely able to contain his excitement.

“Really?” Mira asked.

“A girl named Jill, from my school,” Cole explained. “She's a slave—some kind of apprentice in training. She told me where I can find my friend Dalton!”

“That's wonderful!” Mira exclaimed. “Where is he?”

“At a confidence lounge in Merriston,” Cole said. “The Silver something. Jill wouldn't come with us, even though I tried to convince her, but I know where she is now, so I can come back for her.”

“Good information,” Joe approved. “I met with one of the Unseen. Apparently, the main confidence lounges in Carthage have fallen under heavy government supervision. He warned that it would be too dangerous to hire any of the enchanters working there. He gave me the name of an illusionist who can help us—Verilan the Incredible, a prominent local performer. We'll go to his show tonight and meet him afterward. Did either of you pick up any leads about a valuable secret prisoner?”

Cole shook his head.

“I heard a lot about the Rogue Knight,” Mira said. “People are also talking about a big threat in the north. People are vanishing. They suspect it's an Ellowine Carnag.”

“It's a safe bet that Honor's power is on the prowl,” Joe said. “My contact thought this illusionist could have some good information for us. He also warned me that Enforcers have started making inquiries about a girl and three boys traveling together, perhaps with an adult male. The contact guessed that I was the adult male in question, and I made no attempt to dissuade him.”

“Did he know who I was?” Mira asked.

“He hadn't heard your name,” Joe said. “But he had seen a sketch of your face. Sounds like the Enforcers are pretty sure we're here. One of their best is coming to personally oversee the manhunt. They call him the Hunter. He's infamous. Most Enforcers limit their work to specific kingdoms. Hunter runs operations in all five. Chances are he has some unusual shaping abilities.”

“Or shapecraft skills,” Cole said.

“Nothing would surprise me,” Joe said. “In short, we need to hurry and disguise your faces, then we need to get out of town.”

C
HAPTER

 10 

ILLUSIONIST

“I
love illusionists,” Twitch said, fingers drumming on his knees. “With all the trouble we're in, I can't believe we're on our way to a show.”

“We're not after laughs,” Mira said. “The right disguises could help us avoid a lot of trouble.”

They had boarded a coach in front of a museum several blocks from their inn. Joe thought the vehicle would help mask their arrival and departure. It was not the same coach they had used to visit the confidence lounge.

“But meanwhile we get a show,” Twitch enthused. “I've loved dazzle shows ever since I was little. They make the impossible come true.”

“Illusionists fake the impossible,” Jace scoffed. “They fool your eyes. Big deal.”

“The good ones make it seem real,” Twitch insisted. “You know they're tricking you, but it looks amazing. The point is to be entertained.”

“Verilan charges a lot for his services,” Joe said. “The show will display the quality of his seemings. Enjoy it. Just don't forget that the real purpose tonight is to get disguises for Mira and Cole. We need to be alert.”

“I'm excited for the show,” Cole said. “I've never seen a magic act done by an actual illusionist.”

“How could you put on a dazzle show without an illusionist?” Jace asked.

“We have magicians in my world even though nobody can shape,” Cole said. “They pull off some cool tricks with just skill and special props.”

Jace snorted. “This will crush anything people can do without shaping.”

“Here we are,” Joe said. “Stay close to me.”

The coach slowed and then stopped. Joe opened the door. Cole exited last.

The mirror surface of the building reflected everything in intense shades of electric light. As he moved toward the front doors, Cole saw his reflection blazing a brilliant green. Everyone in the crowd reflected as a different glaring hue.

Beyond the doors, they passed through a lobby where the floor simulated a pond teeming with decorative fish. Despite the authentic appearance, there was no sensation of wetness as Cole walked across it. This already looked way cooler than the magic shows he'd seen on TV back home. Chelsea had always been into that stuff. He wondered what she would think of this.

In the performance hall, rows of benches flowed up and away from a semicircular stage. The hall was small enough to have no terrible seats, but Joe led them to a prime bench just right of center, about ten rows from the front.

Watching the stage expectantly, eager audience members chatted with neighbors. Cole longed to share in the atmosphere of anticipation instead of trying to wish himself invisible. Everyone who saw his face represented a potential risk. After taking his seat, he hunched forward and lowered his head.

Cole had worried that Twitch's insectile appearance would draw unwanted attention, but about one in every dozen members of the crowd looked as bizarre as Twitch or worse. A guy just a few seats down on their row had a huge, lipless mouth with triangular sharklike teeth.

Audience members were still trickling in when a guy strode out onto the stage. Though not a large man, his leopard-print vest showed off a chiseled torso and arms. He wore his long, blond hair tied back in a ponytail. His tan skin looked lightly sunburned. The audience cheered.

After absorbing the adulation for a moment, the performer raised his arms to calm the outburst. “Find your seats at your leisure,” he called. “The starting time didn't apply to you. Nobody is bothered by your tardiness.”

The audience laughed, and he flashed a winning smile. Extending one arm, a large hoop appeared in his hand. When he moved the hoop in front of himself, all portions of him visible through the circle appeared to be a curvy woman. He raised the hoop high off to one side, then swung it down, and a shapely brunette appeared beside him, waving to the crowd. She smiled, but there was no warmth behind it.

“Meet Madeline, my lovely assistant this evening,” the man said. “And I am . . .” He cupped a hand behind his ear.

“Verilan the Incredible!” the audience shouted.

“The what?” Verilan asked, brows knitted in befuddlement.

“Incredible!” the audience roared, Twitch among the loudest.

Verilan and his assistant proceeded to work wonders. Juggled swords turned into clouds of butterflies. Water leaped from one container to another until bucket by bucket and barrel by barrel Verilan created an elaborate fountain. On a huge canvas, Verilan painted birds that came to life and swooped around the performance hall. Madeline and Verilan danced together above a sea of flame. Cole was pretty sure Chelsea would have been on the edge of her seat. Too bad he didn't have a phone to take some videos for her!

At one point, Verilan called for volunteers. It took a hard scowl from Joe to make Twitch lower his hand. The chosen man was placed inside of a cabinet. Verilan proceeded to fold the cabinet into a tiny cube and swallow it. Later in the show, Verilan carved a huge block of wood until it came to life as the missing audience member. The confused man returned to his seat.

Cole was delighted by the quality and variety of illusions. He could see why Twitch loved dazzle shows. No show on Earth could compare.

After countless marvels, Verilan announced his most dangerous trick. The lighting dimmed. Three empty cages were wheeled onto the stage and spaced with a good distance between each of them. Verilan escorted Madeline into one of the cages. After a blinding flash, a huge leopard replaced Madeline in her cage, and she now occupied a different one. Another flash, and Madeline moved to the final cage, leaving behind another leopard. A third flash removed Madeline from the stage, leaving only Verilan and three caged leopards.

The applause broke up as one of the leopards began heaving against the side of the cage. Verilan tried to keep smiling, but he looked distressed. White foam dripped from the leopard's jaws. Fluid muscles heaving, the leopard burst from the cage and rushed Verilan, biting his chest and shaking him violently.

Cole tried to jump to his feet, but Joe's extended arm held him down. “Wait,” Joe ordered.

Trailing horrible amounts of blood, Verilan tore away from the ferocious leopard. The other two leopards burst from their cages as well. Verilan collapsed, and the leopards pounced, viciously tearing into him until nothing remained but his ruined vest.

Madeline rushed onto the stage carrying the hoop from the beginning of the show. A leopard charged her, and she held up the hoop like a shield. When the leopard sprang through the hoop, it disappeared. Madeline used the same technique to dispose of the other two leopards.

Setting the hoop aside, Madeline crouched over the bloody remnants of Verilan's vest. Scooping the tattered material together, she molded the rags into a small cube. Then she unfolded the cube into the cabinet from earlier, opened it, and out came Verilan, shirtless but otherwise unscathed.

The crowd went wild. Cole clapped and whistled along with them. Illusion or not, it was the coolest trick he had ever seen.

Verilan reached into the hoop and pulled out a leopard-print vest. After putting it on, he passed the hoop over Madeline, and she disappeared. Waving good-bye, he raised the hoop over his head like an oversized halo and dropped it. As the hoop fell, Verilan vanished.

The cages exploded into flocks of origami birds. As the paper swans, sparrows, owls, and eagles soared overhead, they burst into colorful flames and disappeared. A rotund announcer came onto the stage, thanked everyone for coming, and asked for the crowd to exit in an orderly fashion.

“That was awesome,” Cole said to Twitch.

“Best I've ever seen,” Twitch gushed. “That guy can do anything.”

“He's good,” Mira agreed. “There are limits to how many illusions one person can generate, and how elaborate they can be. Verilan has serious talent.”

“I agree,” Jace said.

“You liked it?” Cole asked, surprised.

Jace shrugged. “I pictured card tricks and dancing lights. Simpler stuff. It was better than I expected.”

“What now?” Mira asked, turning to Joe.

“We wait,” Joe said. “Keep talking to one another. We want to look like we're casually lingering. Let everyone clear out.”

Cole and Twitch discussed their favorite parts of the show. Cole had seldom seen Twitch so enthusiastic and let him do most of the talking.

Before long the room had emptied except for Cole and his friends. The rotund announcer approached them. “Show's over, folks.”

Joe stood up. “I have an appointment with Verilan.”

“Do you now?” the announcer said, looking him up and down. “We use passwords for such things.”

“Seeming is believing,” Joe replied.

The announcer unclasped a bracelet from his wrist, and suddenly he was Verilan. “Now you're speaking my language,” Verilan said with a toothy smile. “And who are these young people?”

“This is your biggest fan,” Jace said, indicating Twitch.

Twitch wilted under the attention. “I really liked the show,” he said softly, avoiding eye contact.

“I aim to please,” Verilan said warmly. “We should go backstage.”

Twitch shot Cole an excited glance.

They followed Verilan to the front of the performance hall, onto the stage, and back into one of the wings. Catwalks crisscrossed above them. Cole passed bulky props, tall black curtains, and numerous ropes that stretched up toward the high ceiling.

Verilan led them to a plain door. Behind it they found an untidy dressing room lit by white globes. Madeline awaited them in her form-fitting stage outfit. They all entered, and Verilan closed the door.

“Are these your after-hours clients?” Madeline asked.

“Yes,” Verilan said. “I understand you want two permanent disguises?”

Joe glanced uncertainly at Madeline.

“Relax,” Verilan said. “We're a team.”

“For two of the kids,” Joe explained, indicating Cole and Mira. “We need seemings that can withstand scrutiny from skilled enchanters.”

Verilan gave a chuckle. “No seeming is flawless, friend. But mine rival the best.”

“That's why we came to you,” Joe said.

“My services don't come cheap,” Verilan said. “Two platinum each.”

“Two each?” Joe exclaimed. “My contact said it would be a lot, but that's outrageous.”

Verilan grinned. “Nobody made you come to me. If you care to hunt for a better value elsewhere, be my guest.”

“I can pay.” Joe sighed. “Go ahead.”

“Why throw away so many ringers on a couple of kids?” Madeline asked.

“Our business is our own,” Joe said.

“Not if you involve me,” Verilan said. “If my cover gets blown, I become a wanted man. I need to know who I'm working with and why. Are the kids going to be used as spies? Are they fugitives? If they get into trouble, could it get traced back to me? What's the story?”

The blatant curiosity made Cole uncomfortable. He shared a look with Mira and Joe.

“Knowing the whole story will greatly increase your level of risk,” Joe said. “I'm a member of the Unseen. Can't we leave it at that?”

“Afraid not,” Madeline said. “We've heard the Enforcers are looking for four kids travelling with a grown-up. But we have no details.”

“They're looking for us,” Joe said. “The kids are wanted. Isn't that enough?”

“Not if we're doing business together,” Verilan said. “We prefer the risks of knowledge to the risks of ignorance.”

Joe turned to Mira.

She stepped forward. “I'm Miracle Pemberton, daughter of Stafford, High Shaper of the five kingdoms. I'm the same age I was when my father stole my shaping abilities, faked my death, and tried to lock me away. I've lived in hiding for years. We're on the run.”

Madeline glanced at Verilan. “Could this be true?” She squinted at Mira. “You have the aura of a powerful shaper.”