Excerpt

1

A LOOK BACK

Oden Lan, Master of the Majat Guild, Assassin of the Diamond Rank, forced his face into a calm mask as he stared at the object in his hand—a four-pointed throwing star, the large diamond set into its center glittering so brightly that it hurt his eyes. The intricate lines of the golden inlay at the base of the blades spelled a word in the ancient runic language, used in the Majat Fortress as a token of the Guild's unique ancestry.

Black.

In the Majat dialect the word was pronounced "Kar" and sounded similar to the star bearer's name.

Kara.

Oden Lan's face twitched. It had been hundreds of years since the Majat Guildmaster had to arrange an assassination of one of his own, an elite warrior of the Diamond rank. The fact that he had to do it because Kara had betrayed her duty for the love of the sleek, blue-eyed Prince Kythar of the ruling House Dorn made things worse. The Majat Warriors were not permitted to love. If they had been, Oden Lan himself would have never watched Kara grow up from a little girl into the most incredible nineteen-year-old their Guild had ever seen, without letting her know how he felt about her. And now, he would never have the chance. She was dead, killed at Oden Lan's orders by another of the Guild's best.

A rustle of footsteps brought Oden Lan back to reality. He closed his fingers over the token in his hand, suddenly aware of the early morning chill creeping under his cloak, and the smother of the looming walls that made the courtyard adjoining the Guildmaster's tower seem dark and hollow, like a deep stone well.

"This had better be important," Oden Lan said into the gloom of the low archway.

A hooded figure separated itself from the shadows, its long, dark robe shuffling over the paving stones.

"Forgive the interruption, Aghat," the newcomer said in a deep, soft voice.

Oden Lan looked at him with curiosity. The way the stranger used the Guildmaster's rank as a form of address suggested familiarity with Majat customs, yet Oden Lan was certain he had never seen this man before. Finding an outsider, unannounced, in the Guildmaster's inner sanctum was so preposterous that Oden Lan couldn't even find it in his heart to feel angry. After all, no one in his right mind would come to the Majat Guildmaster, the man in command of the most impressive military force in the history of the known world, with bad intentions.

"Who are you?" he said.

"A friend." The man stopped halfway across the courtyard and pushed back his hood, allowing the Guildmaster a good look at his face.

He had heavy, gaunt features, his prominent eyebrows looming over deep eye sockets. His graceful posture spoke of warrior training, not sufficient, perhaps, to stand up to a Majat of a gem rank, but good enough to defend himself in a tight spot. His bulging robe suggested hidden weapons, perhaps a sword or saber strapped across the back. But the most unusual thing about him was his eyes—so pale brown that they bordered on yellow. From the shadows of his eye sockets they stared at the Majat Guildmaster calmly, without the fear or reverence that Oden Lan was used to seeing in the faces of his visitors.

"What do you want?" the Guildmaster demanded.

The man shifted from foot to foot, his calm look acquiring a touch of curiosity, as if he were studying a strange animal.

"I bring news of one of your Guild members," he said. "A Diamond, Kara."

Oden Lan's hand holding the throwing star clenched so tightly that the blades cut into his skin. He kept his face steady, shoving his bleeding hand into his pocket before the strange, yellow-eyed man could see it.

"I believe," he said, "that I have all the news of Kara that I need. If you have nothing else to say—"

"She's alive."

In the silence that followed these words the quiet rustle of the morning breeze seemed as loud as the howl of a hurricane.

Oden Lan stared at the man, trying in vain to quiet his racing heart. "What did you say?"

The stranger's lips twitched into a smile. "I'm afraid, Guildmaster, that the man you sent to do the job, Aghat Mai, failed to fulfill your orders."

Oden Lan took a deep breath.

Alive.

Could it possibly be true?

It didn't seem likely. Mai, a Diamond whose incredible skill had made him a legend in the Guild despite his young age, couldn't possibly fail. Even less so would he disobey a direct order. The reports had been clear about this. Mai had used his famous blow, "viper's sting", on her. A blade between the collarbones. Instant death.

Unless…

Oden Lan felt a chill creep up his spine.

"Tell me more."

The man bowed his head. "She and Aghat Mai are both at the King's court. I've seen them myself. Aghat Mai has resumed his duty as the head of the King's bodyguards—following your orders, I believe. As for Kara, she's spending her time getting closely familiar with the royal heir, if you know what I mean."

Oden Lan hesitated. Now he was beginning to think that the man was crazy. What he was saying was impossible. Mai was one of their Guild's best. If, for some unknown reason, he had failed to kill Kara the first time, he couldn't possibly just stay around her without trying again.

He should have this man executed for prying into Guild affairs. Yet, something kept him from calling the guards.

"Perhaps there's been a mistake?" he asked carefully.

"It was my impression that the Diamond Majat don't make such... mistakes."

"I was referring to you."

The man held his gaze with calm confidence.

"I wasn't there when they fought, and cannot be certain what happened, but I saw the two of them afterward, fighting side by side. In fact, Aghat Mai took considerable risks to save Kara's life."

Oden Lan frowned. This seemed preposterous. Yet, the stranger was clearly certain of his words.

"You seem to be extremely well informed," he said.

The man bowed. "I pride myself on having good sources of information, Aghat. But I can see that you still don't believe me. Please, don't take my word for it. Ask the Jade who was on this assignment with Aghat Mai—Gahang Sharrim, if I am not mistaken."

Oden Lan lifted his chin. For how unremarkable he was, the yellow-eyed man did seem to be well informed.

"Not that it's any business for an outsider," he said, "but since we are having this conversation, I don't mind telling you this. Gahang Sharrim brought back Kara's armband, and reported on a successfully completed assignment. In fact, he seemed to be quite proud of it."

"Question him again, Aghat. Ask him what kind of blow Aghat Mai used to kill her."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I heard," the man said softly, "that Aghat Mai is rumored to have invented several special blows, which made him quite famous in your Guild. One of them is called 'viper's kiss'. Am I correct?"

Oden Lan froze. No outsider could possibly know this. This man was either a spy or…

He should call the guards. But the thought that, despite everything, Kara could still be alive, continued to hold him in place. He had to know.

"Go on," he said.

The man smiled with the calm confidence of one who has the situation well in hand.

"This blow," he said, "looks as deadly as the 'viper's sting', entering the body in exactly the same spot between the collarbones, but by a skillful tilt of the blade it merely sends a person into a deep coma, until the victim can be revived by a special pinch on the pressure points. The wound is still serious, of course, but with proper care it could be easily treated."

Oden Lan's skin prickled. It would have taken a hell of a lot of skill for Mai to use "viper's kiss" against an equal opponent. But if he had managed to execute it on Kara, it was indeed indistinguishable from the "sting" on the surface. Even Sharrim, Mai's partner in the assignment and the best of the Guild's Jades, could have been easily fooled.

But why would Mai do such a thing, knowing that sooner or later the truth would come out? And how could this yellow-eyed stranger possibly know this?

"How did you come upon this information?"

"This is not important, Aghat," the man said. "The important question is whether or not I am right, isn't it? Call in Gahang Sharrim. Ask him."

"I fail to see how this would help," Oden Lan said. "I heard Gahang Sharrim's report. You, on the other hand—"

The man waved his hand in dismissal. "I am not your problem, Aghat. You have treason brewing in your very midst. I came here with humble hope that bringing you this information could be considered a gesture of good will, and that in future you would consider me a friend."

Oden Lan gave him a long look. It felt surreal. There was no way he, the commander of the most powerful military force in existence, the man feared by kings, was having a personal conversation with a stranger, far too well informed in Majat affairs to be allowed to walk freely within these walls. And yet, something in the stranger's face, in the way he held himself, put his suspicions to rest. This man couldn't possibly be an enemy if he freely came forth with this kind of information, could he?

"What you are suggesting is ridiculous," he said. "But given the graveness of the accusation, I will question Gahang Sharrim again."

He signaled and a Majat guard appeared from the shadows at the edge of the courtyard.

"Take this man to the guest quarters. Keep him safe. Master—?" He turned to the yellow-eyed man with question.

"Tolos," the man supplied.

Oden Lan nodded.

"Until we talk again, Master Tolos." He turned and strode away.