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nineteen

Griff

Griff had no trouble tracking Kelsith.

The aura trail was still fresh enough thanks to the lingering taint from the void orb.

Still, Griff thanked the Light for their fortuitous timing.

If he and Cal had been much slower reaching Headquarters, the trail might have gone cold.

The faint splash of color led back out onto the street.

Griff unholstered his revolver, holding it up and at the ready in case he ran into any trouble.

He expected the route to lead him into back alleys, much as Cal’s aura had when he’d followed it earlier that night.

Thieves like Kelsith tended to prefer the shadows.

But to Griff’s surprise, the aura trail moved straight down the nearly empty street.

He frowned, his unease rising with each block that passed without the route swerving.

It was as if Kelsith hadn’t even bothered to conceal his trail.

Had he been that confident after his hand-off?

Griff supposed it made sense that the average thief wouldn’t expect to be quite this easy to track.

Still, his instincts whispered at him to remain on edge.

His confusion only grew when, barely a handful of blocks from Headquarters, he found himself outside the door to a tavern.

Torchlight flickered within, the smell of stale beer and the rumble of drunken laughter billowing out onto the street.

Kelsith’s aura headed straight inside.

Griff furrowed his brow, studying the door with a frown.

He knew this place—had walked past it plenty of times.

This screamed trap , but it wasn’t like he’d be walking into The Last Drop.

What was Kelsith thinking?

Even more on edge than before, Griff eased open the door and stepped inside.

Kelsith’s trail remained a distinct blotch of color in the air.

Griff scanned the room, wincing and narrowing his eyes against the glare from the other patrons’ flickering auras.

Had that been Kelsith’s plan—to use the crowd here to obscure where he went next?

His revolver still out but pointed toward the floor, Griff cautiously stepped between the tables, wary of an ambush.

But nothing about the nearby auras struck him as overtly suspicious.

His roving gaze halted on a cloaked figure seated alone at the table in the far corner, sipping casually from a mug of ale.

There was no mistaking it—the faint trail led straight to him.

Griff’s gut clenched as he approached the table.

Something wasn’t right here, even if he couldn’t put his finger on what.

Best to remain on his guard.

An older man—Kelsith, he presumed—glanced up at him as he approached.

He flashed Griff a grin and raised his glass.

“Ah, there you are! Took you long enough. Come, join me.”

If having Griff’s revolver leveled at him bothered Kelsith, he didn’t let it show on his carefree face.

Merciful Light, was this where Cal had gotten it from?

Griff didn’t take his eyes off Kelsith for an instant as he slid into the seat across from him.

Scattered detritus littered the floor, and he almost tripped over a coil of discarded rope.

He kept his revolver aimed at Kelsith beneath the table.

Kelsith watched him, his smile never wavering.

Once Griff was seated, Kelsith raised his glass.

“Ale, Inspector? My treat. I always find it makes difficult conversations flow smoother.”

Griff slowly shook his head.

“I’ll pass.”

“Pity. The ale here is quite good, considering.” Kelsith took a deep gulp, then set aside his glass, his grin widening.

“You know, I hoped it would be you that came for me. I’ve been looking forward to the chance to speak to Cal’s pet inspector. See what the fuss was all about for myself.” He leaned back in his chair, the picture of relaxation.

“Though to be honest, I expected Cal. I had this whole heartfelt speech ready to apologize to him for stealing the void orb. Perhaps I could give it you, and you could relay it for me?”

Griff’s grip tightened on his revolver.

“That won’t be necessary. We both know how insincere it would be.”

Kelsith feigned hurt, clutching at his chest. “Now, now, Inspector. Rudeness is no way to begin a negotiation. Surely you of all people know better.”

“Negotiation?” Griff gave a quiet snort.

Kelsith nodded, leaning in across the table.

“That’s what this is, isn’t it? I have something you want—information—and you…well, do you have anything I want?” Kelsith chuckled.

“That remains to be seen.”

This wasn’t going at all as Griff had expected.

Criminals usually tried to avoid or kill him, not chat him up in the local pub.

He didn’t have time for this nonsense with Cal waiting for him back at Headquarters.

Annoyed, he loudly cocked his revolver beneath the table, satisfied when Kelsith’s eyes flicked down at the sound.

“How about I just arrest you? Then, you can negotiate with the magisters to your heart’s content.”

Kelsith gave another chuckle.

He slowly raised his arms, waving his empty hands toward Griff.

“Come now, there’s no need for that. I’m no threat. Can’t we be civil and talk this through like gentlemen?”

“That depends on if you tell me what I want to know. Who hired you to deliver the void orb?”

Griff clenched his jaw as Kelsith tutted.

“I can’t break my client confidentiality. That wouldn’t make me very trustworthy, now would it?”

“As if you’re trustworthy to begin with after how you betrayed Cal—twice now, if I’m not mistaken.”

That seemed to hit a nerve.

Though Kelsith’s grin never wavered, Griff caught a telltale flicker in his aura.

“I take it he told you about our last mission together.”

“He told me how you left him there. And how you vanished without a trace, abandoning him.”

“All true.” Kelsith took another unhurried gulp of ale.

“It was nothing personal. Just business. I couldn’t have an apprentice who’d begun to constantly question and defy me. Especially one with such an impressive gift as Cal’s.”

Griff hadn’t allowed himself to focus much on Kelsith’s aura so far, not wanting to risk the distraction.

But now, the threads of darkness seeping through Kelsith’s tattered patchwork of an aura were impossible to miss.

A chill settled deep into his bones as he read between the lines.

“It was a trap,” he whispered.

“It wasn’t carelessness or bad luck that made the heist go south, like Cal thinks. You set him up to be caught!”

Kelsith merely shrugged.

“Who can say how the protectors detected him?” His eyes flashed, a slight scowl twisting his lips.

“Though, they must’ve been as incompetent as ever since they let him escape.”

Staring at the man Cal had called a mentor, who that poor, abandoned boy had placed so much undeserved trust in, Griff felt a surge of loathing.

He wanted nothing more than to knock him out with a well-placed bullet and be done with this distasteful conversation.

But the case had to come first. This man, detestable as he was, might have valuable information they needed.

“Now’s your chance to make it up to Cal,” Griff said, straining to keep his voice calm.

“You owe him. So, tell me about the void orb. Why does your client want it?”

To his surprise, Kelsith chuckled.

He relaxed back in his seat, lowering his raised arms and taking another sip of his ale.

“Let’s just say that my client considers it a sound investment to get this nation back on course. When the Brotherhood failed to deliver, my client hired me to ensure that the matter was properly handled. I’d hoped for a time that I might be able to convince Cal to come around. But with the deadline for my contract approaching, I had to make my move, Cal or not.”

“I thought you said you wanted him out of the way. Why did you care if he was on board or not?”

Kelsith hesitated.

He played with his mug, swishing the amber liquid within.

“Despite what you may believe, Inspector, I am not a heartless monster. When I realized he was involved and saw him again after so many years, I allowed my sentimentality to get the better of my judgment. I thought perhaps I’d been too hasty all those years ago—that I might be able to make use of his unique gift after all.” He shrugged and took another deep gulp of ale.

“I was wrong.”

Griff let that go, resisting the urge to argue.

After all, Kelsith was right—Cal had outgrown him.

And his inability to see Cal’s proper worth was proof of it.

“What does the void orb do?”

“Void if I know.” Kelsith smirked at his own pun.

He finished the last of his ale and set the mug aside, swiping at his mouth.

“I’ve already told you all I know, and I grow weary of this conversation. Perhaps it’s time we go our separate ways.”

Griff narrowed his eyes on the thief.

“It’s in your best interest to cooperate. We already know that High Commander Pern is your client. Cal is at his office right now to confront him. If you help us, I’ll ensure you receive the maximum leniency for your part in all this.”

Kelsith chuckled.

“How magnanimous of you. But I think I’ll take my chances.”

Griff barely heard the thief’s words, so focused was he on his aura.

The instant he’d mentioned Cal and the High Commander, the aura had shifted, a wavering pulse of blue billowing through it.

Was that…concern?

“Something’s wrong,” Griff said.

“What aren’t you telling me about Cal? What do you know?”

Kelsith appeared torn for a moment.

Then, he sighed and closed his eyes, tipping back his head.

“You asked what the relic does? Let’s just say that both Cal and the High Commander are about to get their first taste of the Void.”

Griff’s eyes widened, his entire body tensing as he realized what Kelsith was implying.

They’d gotten it all wrong!

High Commander Pern wasn’t the suspect—he was the target!

Kelsith hadn’t been there tonight to deliver the void orb to his patron.

He’d been setting a trap: one Cal had walked right into.

Merciful Light! “ Thanks for the intel,” he said.

Aiming at Kelsith beneath the table, he prepared to fire a stunning shot.

Kelsith must’ve anticipated the move, however.

Before Griff could fire, his chair jerked to the side, throwing off his aim.

His bullet went wide.

Panicked shouts rang out around them at the loud gunshot.

Griff’s chair teetered precariously, then toppled over, spilling him to the dirty floor.

By the time he’d recovered enough to raise his revolver for another shot, Kelsith was already dashing past. The rope Griff had almost tripped on earlier uncoiled itself from his chair leg and wound up Kelsith’s leg to perch on his arm like a loyal serpent.

“Ta-ta, Inspector,” Kelsith called behind him as he dashed through the crowd of startled patrons.

“Perhaps we’ll meet again someday. Pleasure seeing you!”

Anger flared in Griff.

He shoved himself to his feet and ran after the thief.

There was no sign of him outside, save the faint trace of his aura vanishing down the nearest alleyway.

He stared after Kelsith’s trail, indecision tearing at him.

Though it was becoming harder to track him the more time passed since he’d held the void orb, Griff might still be able to catch him if he went now.

Gritting his teeth, he turned his back on the alleyway and sprinted the other way toward Headquarters.

The Void take Kelsith!

He had to reach Cal and the High Commander before it was too late.

Thankfully, he hadn’t wandered far.

He made it back to the building in record time.

Abandoning any pretense of stealth, he barreled through the main office complex and into the hall leading to the High Commander’s office.

Sasha stood alone at the far end, guarding the door.

When Sasha spotted him, his mouth fell open.

He looked like he’d seen a ghost. “What…how did you…?” His gaze darted from Griff to the closed door behind him.

Griff didn’t bother trying to figure out what Sasha meant.

The man might’ve once been his friend, but that was before Griff learned he was involved in this mess.

There’d be time enough to process Sasha’s betrayal when this was all over.

He aimed his revolver at the protector and shouted, “Put your hands behind your head and get down on the ground. Now!”

Sasha plastered on a confused smile.

“What is this? Is this some kind of joke?”

Griff clenched his jaw.

His finger trembled on the trigger.

“Do it now, Sasha, or I swear to the Goddess, I’ll shoot!”

Sasha splayed his hands out, taking a step forward.

“Come on, Griff. It’s me. I’m your—”

Griff shot him in the chest. The bullet exploded in a crackle of azure runeflame that transformed into a glowing net.

Sasha shouted as he toppled over, the net wrapping around his limbs.

Ignoring Sasha’s flailing protests, Griff stalked past him and threw open the High Commander’s door.

His heart plummeted when, instead of the familiar office, a swirling violet void greeted him.

I’m too late.

He stretched a tentative hand out, yanking it back when the chaotic magic threatened to sear away his skin.

Focusing on it with his aura-sight, he studied the ebb and flow of magic.

The very sight of it twisted his gut and made him want to vomit.

It was like the foul aura from that void orb amplified a hundred-fold.

As best he could tell through his nausea, the magic had sealed away the room beyond, the swirling portal ahead of him some kind of planar fissure.

Cal and High Commander Pern must be trapped inside.

Which meant there was only one thing Griff could do.

Steadying himself, he braced his legs and faced the portal.

From the ground nearby, Sasha ceased his writhing.

“Don’t be a fool, Griff! It’s too late! They’re gone! If you go in there, you’ll be trapped alongside them!”

I’m coming, Cal.

Ignoring Sasha’s cries, Griff hurled himself into the violet maw.