Ghost in the Vision by Jonathan Moeller

Author:Jonathan Moeller [Moeller, Jonathan]
Language: eng
Format: epub

11

False Faces

Caina had hastened across Istarinmul numerous times. Sometimes it had been out of urgent necessity. Other times she had been fleeing for her life – when she had escaped from Ulvan’s palace, or when she had fled with the Kindred assassin Anburj and his Immortals on her heels. Or when she had escaped Istarinmul with Cassander Nilas and the Umbarians chasing her.

Come to think of it, she had fled for her life in Istarinmul a lot.

But there was an advantage to having the friendship of the Grand Wazir.

Tanzir could commandeer horses in the name of the Padishah.

So Caina, Kylon, Seb, Ilona, Morgant, and Sophia galloped through the streets of the Cyrican Quarter, making for the fortified house of Countess Kalthane.

Caina was only an indifferent rider at best. Once, she had ridden a horse up the side of a pyramid in Rasadda, but that had been in desperate circumstances to stop the mad pyromancer Kalastus from destroying the city. In hindsight, Caina realized that she had been fortunate not to break her neck, let alone kill her horse in the process.

But the streets of Istarinmul were mostly either level or sloped downwards at a gentle grade towards the sea, and Caina had no trouble keeping her saddle as her horse galloped from the Old Quarter and into the Cyrican Quarter. Kylon, Seb, and Morgant likewise had no difficulty with their mounts. Even Sophia rode passingly well, but she had grown up in rural Ulkaar and was quite comfortable with farm animals. Only Ilona was not confident enough with horses to ride in haste through the city, but that was all right, since she simply rode behind Seb, her arms wrapped around his waist. Caina doubted that either of them minded.

Tanzir was behind them with more Radiant Guards, along with Martin and Claudia and the Imperial Guards, but Caina and the others had gone ahead first. As a valikarion, she had a far better chance against the Silent Hunters than anyone else. She could point out the Silent Hunters, and then Kylon and Seb and Morgant could cut them down.

But how many Silent Hunters had escaped the fall of their lair? Caina wasn’t sure. At least ten, and perhaps as many as twenty. That would be a great many Silent Hunters for them to fight.

But that many Silent Hunters could devastate a household. From everything that Caina had heard, Countess Kalthane took her security seriously, and so far, the Umbarians had been unable to kill her.

But could her security deal with sixteen Silent Hunters?

Caina didn’t know, but she somehow doubted it.

They rode on, rushing through the streets of the Cyrican Quarter.

“Make way!” boomed Kylon, brandishing his glowing valikon over his head. Her normally soft-spoken husband could be thunderously loud when he wanted, a skill no doubt gained while commanding Kyracian warships in battle. “In the name of the Padishah, make way!”

The group of sailors wandering up the street went to the side in haste, and Caina and the others rode through.

The

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