The Rogue Knight (Jace x OC) Book 2

The Rogue Knight: 7

The large room beyond the doorway contained several groupings of comfortable furniture. In one corner, a string quartet played an unfamiliar tune, their instruments expertly weaving melodies and harmonies. Two other doors led out of the room.
I immediately felt out of place. This looked like a party for sophisticated adults. I reminded myself that with my disguise, I didn't look like a kid anymore. Some of the others could be young too.
Excluding the musicians, I counted eight other people in the room. Two stood talking in a corner, three sat together on a single sofa, and three others huddled around a table. Of the strangest, one looked like a living statue carved from black stone, and another wore a purple robe and had the head of a parrot.
After passing through the doorway, Mira looked like a jolly Asian woman with a tall, elaborate hairdo full of combs. Facing me, Mira covered a giggle. Wondering what I looked like, I approached a mirror. I was a middle aged women with short white hair and a round stomach.
I couldn't resist a laugh.
Mira joined the pair chatting in the corner. A bearded guy with an eye patch rose from the sofa and sauntered over to me. Nervous to begin the conversation, I reached out to shake his hand in greeting.
"No, no," the man scolded gently. "No touching in here. You must be new."
I lowered my hand uncomfortably. "Sorry.
Nobody told me. First time."
The man raised his bushy eyebrows. "Or you're feigning inexperience." He leaned closer and murmured something.
"I couldn't hear you," I said. "The music is a little loud."
"It should be. Discourages eavesdropping. What song are you singing?"
I scrunched my eyebrows. How was I supposed to reply to such a random question? The guy was probably speaking in code. "I don't know what you mean."
"Very well. What do you go by?"
"My name?"
"In the lounges I'm Hannibal. What do you go by?"
I hesitated. Should I make something up? Joe had warned me not to lie. "Nothing yet." Hannibal considered me for a moment, as if measuring my legitimacy. I found myself wondering what the man looked like.
"Out with it, then," Hannibal said. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm from out of town," I said. "I just want news."
Hannibal gave a chuckle. "Don't we all? Where did you come from?"
"Sambria, most recently," I said.
"I'll believe that, since Sambria is just across the river. Where in Sambria?"
I paused. How could I keep the answer vague?
"Lots of places. I've been on the move."
"Any news from Sambria?"
I thought about what to share. "Four hundred legionaires visited the Sky Raiders."
"What were they after?" Hannibal asked.
I wasn't sure how much to reveal. "I heard they asked about a slave."
"One slave?" Hannibal asked.
"That's what I heard," I said.
"Four hundred legionnaires?"
"Supposedly."
"Did they find him?"
"I'm not sure," I said. "I don't think so."
The man didn't seem particularly interested by my news. "How are things in Elloweer?"
"When was your last visit?" Hannibal asked.
"First time," I said.
"Welcome," he said. "The latest news is a disturbance up North. People are disappearing.
Entire towns have been found empty."
"Really?"
"It eerily matches your trouble with Carnag in Sambria," Hannibal said. "But this only came to my attention two weeks ago."
"Somebody took down Carnag," I volunteered.
"I heard that," Hannibal replied. "Any idea who did it?"
"I'm not sure," I said. Was there anything I could share to sound less boring? "I heard some legionnaires were involved. What do people know about this new problem in Elloweer?"
"Very little," Hannibal said. "Nobody who gets close ever returns. Our leaders are already beginning to panic. Like I said, the problem reminds everyone of Carnag. Forgive me for prying, but what brings you to Elloweer?"
"Just visiting," I said.
"Surely you have some business here. Perhaps I can help. I have many friends."
"I'm with people," I said, trying not to give away anything. "I don't have business of my own."
"Your affairs are private," Hannibal said. "I understand. Should you wish to confide in me, I spend most of my time in this chamber. I expect to remain here for the next hour."
"Thanks," I said, unsure how well I had done.
Should I have given up a bigger secret? Should I have pressed harder for information? The bearded man returned to the sofa. I hadn't noticed Mira leaving the room, but I no longer saw her. Everyone was engaged in conversation, so I decided to try my luck elsewhere.
I went through a door and entered a less formal lounge where people reclined on divans and huge pillows. Near one wall an attendant polished a counter, avoiding the food and drinks on display. In a corner, a man tapped a massive xylophone while a woman played a flute.
Once in the room, I could no longer detect any sound of the string quartet. Of the six other people in the room, only two were talking. One guy hovered near the food counter with a drink in his hand; an old woman napped on a divan; a plump man hunched over a circular ottoman, studying an arrangement of playing cards; and a coldly beautiful young lady sat regally in a huge armchair like an empress on her throne.
Crossing to one of the mirrors in the room, I found that I looked like a young italian woman.
Seeing the reflection helped me realize I didn't need to let everyone know this was my first time in a confidence lounge. As long as I didn't divulge important information, I could be anybody I wanted, act however I chose. I couldn't do much worse than my first conversation. Maybe I would do better if I loosened up.
Surveying the room, I tried to relax. I looked around to find the beautiful young woman staring at me. She wore a snug, glittering gown
that reminded me of fish scales. She curled her finger, summoning me over.
The woman leaned forward and spoke in hushed tones. "I suspect the Rogue Knight might be the exiled Duke of Laramy."
"Wow," I said. "I have no idea what that means."
"Should I speak slower?" she teased.
"I don't know any of those people."
She blinked. "Surely you've heard of the Rogue Knight?"
"I haven't," I said. "This is my first visit to Elloweer."
She patted her hands together in delight. "In truth?"
"Yeah. This is my first time in a confidence lounge."
"I can hardly believe you, but let's pretend. I'm Vixen. Where do you come from?"
"Sambria." I said.
"Distant parts of Sambria, if you haven't heard of the Rogue Knight."
"Far from Carthage," I said. "Who is the Rouge Knight?"
"That is the question," she said. "His identity is a matter of much debate. The Rogue Knight became champion of a small community east of here. He has an insatiable urge for dueling and a knack for winning. He started with minor towns, but he has moved on to great cities. None of this sounds familiar?"
"No," I said. I wondered if what she was talking
about had anything to do with the info they needed to help find Honor. It definitely didn't seem connected to Dalton or Jenna. I was tempted to cut her off and ask what I really wanted to know, but she seemed excited about this topic, so maybe if I let her discuss it, she would eventually get to something I cared about.
"The Rogue Knight shows no interest in settling down to enjoy the spoils of his victories. Six knights now follow him. Some say seven. They live like vagabonds. When the Rogue Knight unseats a champion, he sacks the alderman and grants all taxes to the common people of the town. No officials or nobility get a copper bit.
Over a short span, the Rogue Knight has become quite the man of the people. As you might expect, his list of enemies grows quite long."
"Shouldn't he be called the Rogue Champion?" I asked.
"One could make that argument," Vixen said.
"But none of the lords or champions of Elloweer wish to bestow that honor upon him. He does not behave like a champion. They say he robs travelers. Some cities have declared him an outlaw. He is wreaking havoc with our government."
"You don't like him?"
"I would give my right arm to meet him," she gushed immediately. "My opinions have not yet crystallized. I burn with curiosity. I agree with our nobility that the man is a scoundrel, but you must admit there is something horribly romantic about such boldness."
I thought it sounded like the Rogue Knight had a groupie. "You know who he is?"
"Nobody has seen him without his armor," Vixen said. "His helmet conceals his face. But he could be the Duke of Laramy. It fits. The duke was a vocal advocate of the common people, and he often flouted convention. They say he died, but what if that was a ruse to conceal his new identity?"
"So it's a theory," I said.
"At the very least," she replied. "At best it is a brilliant deduction. The Duke of Laramy was notoriously handsome."
"Are there other theories?"
"Dozens. But here I am overflowing with gossip without asking after Sambria."
"Carnag fell."
"As we well know," Vixen replied. "The slayer of the fiend remains unannounced."
"I heard some legionnaires helped."
She waved away the information like it was a bothersome fly. "Are you really so devoid of knowledge? Don't you know something juicy? Then we could truly talk."
I leaned toward her and lowered my voice. "I heard that Declan, the Grand Shaper of Sambria, was chased out of hiding."
"No!" she said. "How certain is this?"
"It's reliable."
"Some have surmised that Declan would have passed on by now."
"He's alive and well. He was hiding behind the Eastern Cloudwall."
She gasped. "At the Brink? Absurd."
"I guess there was space back there," I said. "He found a way in and built a fort. A bunch of legionnaires flushed him out."
"Declan got away?"
"Nobody knows where he went. But I heard they almost had him."
"These are indeed novel tidings," Vixen said.
"Substantial if not scandalous. Very well, I owe you something remarkable. Since we've visited the topic of the Rogue Knight, I will impart recent developments that are not yet public."
"Okay," I said, a little disappointed that she was still focused on the knight and didn't have anything else to reveal.
"From a dependable source close to the matter, I hear that the Rogue Knight has challenged none other than Rustin Sage, champion of Merriston."
"Where is that?" I asked.
She chuckled as if I were kidding. "Don't pretend ignonance of our capital. Do you wish me to belleve you are a stranger or a fool?"
"I really am a stranger, I just got to Elloweer." I said. "When is the fight?"
"Postponed indefinitely," Vixen said, her voice low and excited. "Rustin refuses to acknowledge the Rogue Knight's right to challenge him, and he has the full backing of the governor. Naturally, this is all being kept quiet. No champion wants to seem afraid to fight."
"Is he afraid?" Iasked.
"The Rogue Knight has slain too many proven champions, including Gart the Headsman, who everyone thought would rule Cirestra unchallenged until he died or stepped down.
Can you imagine if the capital's taxes were completely dispersed among the common folk?
It would cripple the government. Anarchy would result. Chaos. The cities the Rogue Knight has taken have either plunged into confusion or else have quietly ignored his edicts. I have it on good authority that the capital will use all necessary means to deny the Rogue Knight his duel."
"Interesting," I said, still unsure whether the knowledge was relevant to my problems.
Vixen whispered for the first time. I could barely hear her over the music. "If you're as new as you act, be careful where you repeat those tidings. For example, Stumbler over there is one of Henrick's knights. He would not appreciate such tales being spread. When they're not killing one another, champions tend to stick together, especially on the matter of the Rouge Knight."
"That guy's a knight?" I asked.
"He's much younger and stronger than he looks," she assured me.
"I guess anything is possible in here," I said."He could even be a girl."
"Not so," Vixen corrected me. "They keep the seemings at Shady Lane true to your gender.
House rules."
A bony old woman shuffled over to them. I had not seen her enter the room. One of her eyes was notably larger than the other. "We should talk, ma'am." she offered.
"And who might you be?" Vixen challenged.
"Nobody to worry about," the old woman said.
"Anyone here who lives on Upton Street should mind her own business."
Eyes darting to me, Vixen looked shocked. She forced a smile.
The old woman stepped close to me. "Seriously, follow me."
I wasn't sure what to do. The old woman seemed intrusive and probably dangerous. "Why me?"
She brought her dry lips to my ear. "I'm from Arizona too."
So excited and curious that I could hardly keep my mouth shut, I followed the woman. She led me to a side of the room away from either of the doors and stepped through the wall. The dark
wooden panels looked completely solid.
Extending a hand through the illusion, I experienced a faint sensation similar to penetrating cobwebs, and then went through.
I entered a cozy space with framed art on the walls. A round table and four chairs served as the only furnishings. The old woman sat down in one of the chairs, and I sat next to her.
"Okay, we can actually talk now," she said. "This is one of the secret unmonitored rooms."
"You're really from Arizona?" I asked, desperate for an explanation. "Who are you?"
"I'm from Mesa," she said. "I got kidnapped with you, Kendal! This is crazy! I can't believe you're here! I'm Jill Davis."
"I know you!" I exclaimed. "You're a sophomore!" I had seen her in the halls at school last year. She had sung in the talent show. I had finally found one of the kids from my slave caravan! I tried to picture how she really looked under the illusion. It wasn't easy to overrule my eyes. "Your brother is in my grade."
"Jeff," Jill said. "We used to trick-or-treat together. He was off with his own friends this Halloween. I'm so relieved he isn't stuck here, but I keep wondering what would have happened if he'd been with me, maybe I wouldn't have ended up here, either. Don't you have a brother too?"
"Sister," I corrected. "Ashley, she's a pain, but I miss her anyway."
"I know the feeling."
I blinked, still trying to put Jill Davis's face onto this old woman's. "How'd you recognize me?" I asked.
"I was helping the enchanter who prepped you when you first came in," she said. "We can see into almost all the rooms here, even the changing rooms. Not to watch people take off their clothes or anything. They just remove their masks, then we change how they look. I couldn't believe it when I saw you!"
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I was going to ask you the same thing!" Her excited tone and posture didn't match her aged features. "The slavers sold you and Cole first, before we got to Five Roads. The buyer took you somewhere in Sambria. Sky something, I think.
Ansel made it sound really scary. Is Cole with you?"
"Yeah, Cole is in the lounge too! He's going to freak when I tell him I saw you! Anyways, we went to Skyport and joined the Sky Raiders. But we earned our freedom."
"Really?" Jill replied. "So quickly? Did somebody buy you and free you?"
"Sort of," I said. "It's a long story. What about you?"
"I went to Junction City," she said. "They took the kids with shaping talent. Nineteen of us. We
all met the High King. He was . . . well, it was pretty scary. They gave us tests, then sent us off to different kingdoms based on our abilities.
Your friend Dalton came with me to Elloweer."
"He's here?" I asked, thunderstruck.
"Not in Carthage," Jill clarified. "They sent him to train at a confidence lounge in Merriston."
"The capital?"
"I guess it's a big deal for them to send someone there," she said. "He's really great at illusions."
I could hardly believe the precious information I was getting. Dalton was in the capital of Elloweer? He could make seemings? The task of finding my friends had started to seem hopeless. "What about Jenna?"
"Jenna Hunt? I'm not sure where she went. She came to Junction City with us. Once they split us up based on our abilities, we never saw the kids in the other groups. She isn't in Elloweer."
"Do you know the name of the confidence lounge where Dalton went?"
Jill scrunched her brow. "I did. I've never been there. It's been a while since I heard it. The Silver something. Deer, maybe? No. It was silver something though."
"That's great!" I said. For the first time, I had a solid lead about Dalton!
"Are you really free to go visit him?" Jill asked.
"Yeah," I said.
She bit her lip. "You're so lucky, being free.
Dalton belongs to the High King now, just like I do. And the king is basically the emperor of this
whole world. You should see his castle! He has zillions of soldiers, and some of them have shaping powers. You don't want to get on his bad side. If you'd met him, you'd understand."
"I know how bad he is," I said, thinking of Mira.
"But there's got to be a way to get you and Dalton free, like I got free."
Jill's eyes filled with hope. "All I've thought about is someone getting me out of here." Her expression wilted. "But, Kendal, I don't know if anyone's told you They say we can't get back home, no matter what. That even if we find a way there, we won't be able to stay-we'll always get drawn back here. If I snuck off, I'd be a runaway slave with no place to go."
Resting my elbows on the table, I bowed my face into my hands. I knew the High King was powerful. And I also known there was no way for us to get home permanently. Even if that was true, did it mean they shouldn't try to find each other? Did they have to accept slavery as a way of life? Who could say for sure there was no way of escaping the Outskirts?
"I'm not trying to get you down," Jill said. "You guys were really brave trying to help us back at the wagons. I wanted Tracy to die after what she did to you. But we're stuck here, Kendal. Dalton and I are marked slaves. If we rebel, it'll just get worse. I saw someone try once, and . . . it was bad." She shivered, clearly disturbed by the memory.
I leaned toward Jill across the table and lowered my voice. "You don't want me to bust you out of here?"
Jill regarded me anxiously. "Are you kidding?
Of course do! You're the first person from our world I've seen since coming here. But how can we do it without getting caught?"
"Let me talk to my friends," I said. "We can figure it out."
Jill's wrinkled features contorted with worry.
"Who are your friends? Are they powerful enough to keep us safe from the High King?"
"We've made it this far," I said, unsure how much I should share. I didn't want to put Mira in danger, but I needed to give Jill some confidence. "They're members of the resistance. Working in a place like this, you must have heard of them."
"I have," she said, her face paling. "Kendal, you're in tons of danger! The High King does awful things to anyone he catches who's a part of that."
I tried to hold my frustration in check. I had finally found someone from home, and she was clearly scared to leave. What if she was too scared to come with me? Was I supposed to just leave her here?
I tried to recall everything I knew about Jill. My sparse memories of her mostly involved her chatting with friends. Since she was a grade higher, I'd never known her well. I remember her brother, Finn, making fun of her because she never learned to swim. Jeff had claimed she was scared to put her head under the water. I guessed if she'd been a nervous person back home, she'd only be more anxious here. Still, I had to try to convince her.
"So you're just going to stay in this place?" I asked. "Seriously? With all these people you don't even really know? Haven't you thought about running away before?"
"Of course I've thought about escaping," Jill said, lowering her voice. She looked torn. "I don't know, Kendal. Sooner or later, runaways get caught, and then things get really ugly. I told you, I've seen it."
"Bad?" I asked.
"The punishments are harsh," Jill said.
"Probably to scare the rest of us from trying the same thing. It kind of works."
"I can't promise everything will be easy if you come with us," I admitted, thinking of what me and my friends had already been through and the risks of traveling with Mira. "But it has to be better than staying here."
"Slaves who can shape don't live so badly," she argued. "Don't get me wrong, all I want is to be back home. But if I'm stuck here, do I have to make it even harder? At least making seemings is kind of fun."
"Doesn't being a slave kind of wreck the fun?"
Jill flushed. "I guess I try not to think about it all the time." She narrowed her gaze. "Tell the truth. Are you actually a runaway?"
"No," I assured her. "I really got free."
"Then wouldn't having me around make everything more dangerous for you?"
"What if we bought you?" I suggested. "We could do that with Dalton too. My friends have money."
Jill looked excited for a second, then her face dropped. "I don't think I'm for sale. The High King seemed super interested in keeping the slaves he bought for himself." She hesitated. "I can't believe you're free. That never happens."
"I had help," I said. "Why did the High Shaper send you here? Does he run this place?"
"The High King has people controlling all the legal confidence lounges," she said. "It's where a lot of the top enchanters find work. But if you're mixed up with rebels, Shady Lane probably isn't safe for you."
"Did the High King hurt any of you?" I asked.
"Did he mess with your powers?"
"Mess with our powers?" She looked confused.
I looked around the room, then took another chance. "Have you heard of shapecraft?"
"You mean shaping?"
"No. Shapecraft is when people shape the shaping ability. The High King may just be training you so he can steal your Shaping powers and do weird experiments on you."
"What?" Jill exclaimed.
"He's done it to others," I said. "I know it for sure. People have told me his shapecraft experiments will only get worse."
"Thanks for telling me," she said, her voice hushed. "I haven't heard of shapecraft, but I'll be extra careful."
"Do your bosses know we're talking?" I asked.
"Not officially," Jill said. "I didn't let on that I knew you. They tell us to enter the lounges in disguise if somebody seems interesting. The owners are as eager for secrets as anyone who comes here. My bosses always have a few regulars out there mingling. We also listen through the walls, ceilings, and floors as best we can. We learn all sorts of things. If somebody asks about us talking, I'll say you made me curious because I'd never seen you here before.
Most of our clients visit regularly. I'll tell anyone who bothers me about it that you're just some traveler looking for news."
"That's true," I said. "I really am traveling. I'm only here today because I'm tagging along with some people."
"Yeah . . . maybe you should dump those people, though. If you don't, you could end up in jail. Or worse."
I didn't want her to worry, and I definitely didn't want her to know too much about my actual situation, in case someone forced the information out of her later. "The people I know aren't super involved in the resistance," I lied.
"Just watch out," Jill said. "They crack down hard on those people." She wrung her hands. "I hope your friends are really careful. Kendal, this is a dangerous place. We shouldn't talk much longer. I just—I really don't want you to go." I wish I knew the right thing to do. I hated leaving her here, but I could tell she was too afraid to come.
My top priority was to find Dalton and Jenna, and help Mira. "Do you know anything else about anyone from our world?" I asked.
She shook her head. "I just know the other kids they sent to Elloweer. Melissa Scott went to a confidence lounge in Wenley, and Tom Eastman went to a lounge in Stowbarth. I'm always hoping I'll hear more, but I never do. That's why I was so excited to see you!"
I suddenly remembered the other huge question that had brought me to the confidence lounge.
"I heard something is making people disappear.
Do you know anything about that?"
"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?" I 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. Not to rescue him," I added hastily. "I don't want to get him into trouble. But I miss him. He's one of my best friends."
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," I said. "But thanks for the warning. The lady I was just talking to told me about the Rouge Knight. Is she trustworthy?"
"Vixen?" Jill asked. "Hard to say for sure. Her
real name is Mavis Proffin. Have you heard of her?" I shook my 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," I said.
Jill glanced around furtively, even though we were still alone. "It's so good to see you, Kendal.
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," I 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?" I tried.
Jill looked miserable. "I can't. It's too dangerous."
I 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!" I promised. "Are you sure you're okay here?"
"Okay enough," Jill said. "I think it's safer than trying to leave. At least for know."
"All right," I said. "I won't forget you. I'll help you if can."
"I won't forget you either," she said, failing to hide the desperation behind her words. "You're really brave, Kendal. 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."
I stared at the face of the old woman, trying to visualize the real Jill. I doubted whether my mind was getting it quite right.
"Bye, Jill," I said, my voice a little emotional.
"See you, Kendal." There was no mistaking the deep emotion beneath her casual words.
I didn't want to leave her, but I knew the time had come. I walked through the illusory wall and back into the lounge with the xylophone.
Vixen glanced my way, as did Stumbler.
Deciding that my disappearance through the wall had drawn too much attention, I strode across the room and into a new one. People milled about as a guy patted tall bongos. Mind brimming with new knowledge, I crossed to
another door. Each new room meant a new physical appearance. I hoped my hasty tour would make it hard for onlookers to keep track of me, 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. I didn't linger.
After the next door, I ended up back where I had started. Most of the same faces were present, including Hannibal and the guy who looked like a statue. In the mirror, I found that I looked like a skinny teen with lots of freckles and really big ears.
A gentleman with white curly hair cornered me and struck up a conversation, but the man was boring. I shared my routine information and learned nothing of interest.
After the gentleman ambled away, I claimed a solitary chair. I couldn't keep my mind off Jill.
She was the first person I had met from back home since leaving the slave caravan. And now I was leaving her behind because she was too scared to join me.
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. I couldn't think that way. Not everyone would be as wary as Jill. I knew that wherever
I had ended up as a slave, I would have fought to get free. I felt certain that Dalton would leap at the chance to escape as well. And now I had a real chance of finding him! What about Jenna?
Maybe Dalton would know something. I believed that Jenna would want to run away too, whatever the risks.
But first I had to get away from Shady Lane. As I sat alone in the chair, I realized I wasn't sure how to find Mira or Joe to learn whether they were ready to leave. How would I recognize them? Were they still here? If I left too early, would I end up alone on the streets of East Carthage?
I decided they would have worked very quickly if they were already gone, and I figured they probably wouldn't take off without me. My 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. I continued to wait, feeling edgier as the minutes passed.
Two men and a woman came into the room from the gaming lounge. The handsome man had black hair slicked back and a small mustache. The other was an old man with wrinkled skin. 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 I approached.
"I know a guy named Twicth," she said quietly.
"I know Jace," I replied. It had to be Mira, which meant the guys were Joe and Cole.
"We should go," Joe murmured.
"What about a permanent illusion?" I asked.
"Not here," Joe whispered tersely.
We 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 my key, the man escorted me to the trident door.
"Once you retrieve your things, put on your mask
return to this room," the man instructed.
"Please leave the key behind."
I did as requested, leaving my key in the lock of the trunk. We moved through the room together and through a difficrent door from the one they had originally entered. I desperately wanted to share what he had learned from Jill, but decided to wait until they were alone. Two large men escorted them down a staircase, along a plain hall, then up some stairs to a door.
We walked out to find ourselves in an alley with our coach waiting.