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

[29.2] Give and Take

Sinith was dying more quietly than Iavor Beaufort would have thought possible for a city of its nature.

The early evening painted the world with red shadows. Iavor walked through familiar streets turned strange, his face hidden beneath a wide-brimmed hat. He bore the burn of the fading sunlight with ease – after a decade trapped in his own body neither alive nor dead, this mortal pain was almost a relief.

Sinith was city of commerce. Merchants of all ilk occupied every corner, buying and selling everything that could be had with money – and many things that ought not. The market was the city and it rarely slept. Yet, just a few hours past dusk, vendors were shuttering their businesses and closing their stalls. The late-night establishments that ordinarily kept the night bright and noisy remained curiously dark.

Iavor had seen Sinith livelier in the midst of war.

The evening crowds were thin and lacked the exuberance of men in search of entertainment. The few pedestrians to cross Iavor's path did so in a hurry, taking no note of their surroundings or the predator in their midst. The result was a curious dissonance between mind and body: the body feared, but the mind was muddled and knew not how to put up a sufficient guard. It was a subtle state, easy to miss or cast aside as inconsequential. Iavor perceived it without trouble, too acutely aware of the spell that blinded Samodevia's human residents to the extraordinary aspects of the kingdom not to pay close attention to such divergences. If this phenomenon was not isolated to Sinith, the spell itself could very well be in flux or fading.

Iavor's lips hooked at the edges. The day the kingdom discarded its veil of willful ignorance would be a good day indeed.

The dour surroundings doused Iavor's good cheer before long. Sinith's human residents were scarce on the ground; the city's supernatural inhabitants were absent entirely. While the two did not mix casually, their lives often ran in parallel lines. Sinith was an old city and its non-human communities had deep roots. To find them all gone did not point to good things.

Iavor deemed the reconnaissance at an end. His path changed, weaving through a neighborhood that was only ever lively at night and ending at a brashly-painted building. A casual onlooker would have no trouble identifying the place and its purpose.

The front doors were open. Warm light spilled into the yard, flickering with the wind. A woman waited in the foyer. Her age was difficult to discern, the traces of time skillfully hidden behind delicate cosmetics.

"Good evening, Madam Byrd," Iavor greeted.

Madam Byrd responded in kind. "Any difficulties?" she asked.

"None at all," Iavor reassured.

The woman nodded in acceptance. She looked at Iavor, expression considering.

Arya had arranged Madam Byrd's establishment as a shelter for Iavor and his party. They could not remain at Gondin Manor after all, and all connections Iavor had once had within the city were either gone or likely to be under surveillance. Whatever arrangement existed between the Amith Capil and the Madam, it currently worked in their favor. Few would think to seek men wanted by the Queen's Court at a place that was by all appearances under the Amith Capil's protection.

"A letter arrived for you," Madam Byrd said. "And a horse."

The letter was expected – Iavor had sent Horus to Elsendorf, just for that purpose. Zenith's arrival was also not surprising. The beast always seemed to know when his presence would be needed.

"Thank you for your trouble," Iavor said.

"Sir guest is too kind. In truth, the staff found the beast somewhat fearsome. One of the young men in your party settled it in the stables. He should be there right now, in fact," the woman said.