The Blood Queen by Martyn Stanley

Author:Martyn Stanley [Stanley, Martyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Martyn Stanley
Published: 2014-07-28T22:00:00+00:00

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Shadows in the Night

The wind picked up as the night wore on. In lesser accommodation, the shutters would have been rattled and the tiles lifted and rustled, but the Palace was solidly built. The windows were expertly glazed and the embers of the open fires in both Vashni and Korhan’s room, and Votrex and Brael’s room were still glowing. Saul would have been faring equally well in his comfortable lodgings within the College of Wizardry.

It started to rain, the raindrops gently pitter-pattering against the leaded windows of both rooms. Brael stirred, he’d taken the bed alongside the interior wall, next to the door. Votrex had taken the bed nearer the centre of the room, his half-full chamber pot left carelessly between the bed and the window. Unheard to either of them, behind the heavy, woven curtains, a thin, flexible blade was being gently but forcefully inserted between the window and the frame. There was a soft jiggling, and the catch rose, leaving the window secured only by the holding bar at the bottom. Another thin, flexible blade was jiggled in between the metal frame and metal window, lifting the bar and allowing the window to swing open. The shadowy figure, which had rappelled down to the balcony outside Votrex and Brael’s room paused, listening at the window, then carefully lifted one foot in, followed by the other. He then pulled the window so it was almost closed behind him.

The intruder’s name was Quinn Farrell, Acolyte of ‘Orion’s Hand’, the organisation of assassins that reported directly to the Isharian church. He was well trained, and well equipped. As an initiate, he’d scored the highest marks in his intake, on the final test. He was often given the more taxing, or important marks - though none were as important as this, if his procurer was to be believed. It seemed implausible that one gravian could destroy the Isharian church and threaten the whole of Torea. Now having entered silently, peeping out from behind the curtains, he shuddered. The individual snoring in the bed next to the door looked thin, emaciated and unwell. He did not look a threat to anyone. Still, the contract had been accepted and he was his mark. From his cloak he silently pulled a slim hollow tube. Still hiding behind the curtains he removed a small glass tube which held his darts. He unscrewed the metal cap and pulled one dart out, before slowly inserting it into the blowpipe. He raised it to his lips and took aim, he took his time. He wanted to get a good clean hit, which would paralyse his victim in an instant, before slowly killing him. The poison was deadly, he felt thankful to be wearing gloves as he loaded his weapon. He breathed through his nose, slow, deliberate breaths, watching the subtle glow of the embers illuminate the room. He slowly filled his lungs and released a short sharp breath. The dart flew straight and true, embedding itself in Brael’s neck, causing him to grunt in pain, then lie still and silent.

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