Queen's Shadow || Kingdom at the End of the World - Book II

[26] Blood Oath

The Gondin household appeared deserted.

Sitting in a row of stately buildings, the manor had once served as a seat of power for a brilliant and shrewd businessman. Albert Gondin built his business around managing the riches of other men. He was singularly gifted at creating wealth from more of the same; it was no surprise that his own station in life rose to match his clients' profits. The manor he built in the heart of Sinith, where every piece of land was worth its weight in gold, stood as better proof of his abilities than any advertisement.

The grandeur of Gondin Manor was in no way diminished. Nonetheless, there was something palpably missing behind its noble shell.

Valeri Beaufort paused with his hand raised to knock. He listened intently, straining already exhausted senses. There was a single heart beating inside the darkened house. Its unsteady, harried rhythm spoke of an uneasy night.

Valeri let his hand fall. He used a great deal of force, hoping to draw attention swiftly and avoid peeping eyes from curious neighbors. The resulting echo reverberated with alarming intensity. Valeri took a startled step back. He glanced over his shoulder, conjuring opened windows and lit lanterns all around.

The night remained undisturbed. Only Zenith was there to scold him, the horse's large head nodding toward the door meaningfully. Valeri laughed under his breath.

"Fear's eyes are big, my friend," he said quietly.

Valeri was not adventurous by nature. Prior to his acquaintance with Ira Hale and the debacle that was his short-lived engagement to the false Silva Layfe, he spent his days in comfortable isolation from the world. There was nothing to fear in the halls of Beaufort Manor except the monsters that lived in Valeri's own head. He had made peace with them over the years.

It took three days to reach Sinith. Fear was Valeri's companion every waking moment. They moved at a frantic pace, keeping away from cities and roads and jumping at every shadow. Valeri had not known such misery even at the height of the war.

There was no Iavor Beaufort or Ira Hale to assuage his fears. At this moment, in the dark, Valeri was alone – save for a horse and a dead man. Neither could offer much in terms of advice, save perhaps for Zenith's sarcastic stares.

Footsteps came from inside the house. Valeri drew near just as the door parted open, a wan, gentle face peeking from within.

"Good evening, Miss Gondin," Valeri greeted.

He was prepared to force his way inside. His kind required permission to cross over a threshold, but this woman could not deny him entry. She had Valeri's blood in her body and he, her oath of servitude, freely offered.

Young miss Gondin did not attempt to run. She opened the door wide and stepped aside without a change in expression.

"You are here," was all the woman said.

She went further inside. The hallway was unlit, the dark thick like ink. When Valeri did not immediately follow her, she turned to look at him with raised brows.

"There is a night patrol due by soon. I would very much prefer not to be known for entertaining men late into the evening, if it is all the same to you," she said.

Valeri nodded briskly. "A moment," he said.

Dimitri lay slumped, the man's hands thrown loosely around Zenith's massive neck for support. Valeri retrieved him with some care. There was no need to make his own job more difficult by aggravating the soldier's wounds.

"Hide well, my friend," he bid Zenith in parting.

The horse snorted once, then trotted off down a dark street to places unknown. Valeri spared a moment's worry that the beast would find trouble for himself in the large city – horses were of value, and Zenith was without match among his kin. Valeri had no worry about Zenith suffering any injury. He was far more concerned with the possibility of alerting the Amith Capil to their presence via some foolish thief stomped into ground meat under Zenith's hooves.