Chapter 72: The hunted
The moment they stepped into the cool night air, Claire fell into step beside Dominic.
"Harwick's petition is already filed with the Commerce Tribunal," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "The paperwork moved faster than it should have. He's been planning this since before the auction."
Dominic kept walking toward the carriage. "How long do we have?"
"The Tribunal won't convene for at least three days. Maybe four if the Crown's representative gets involved." Claire hesitated. "But that's not the problem. The problem is that Harwick's people are already circulating the rumor. By morning, every noble in the capital will be asking if the tenth-floor expedition was legitimate."
"It was legitimate."
"It doesn't matter. The question is what the capital believes." She stopped at the carriage door. "I've done what I can to slow the rumor mill, but I'm just a liaison. You need allies, Lord Kane. Real ones."
"I'm working on it."
Claire's eyes flicked to the street behind them. "Then work faster. You're being followed."
Florence was already at the carriage, her hand resting on the door. "Three men, two on the left side of the street, one behind. They've been shadowing us since we left the ballroom."
"Harwick's?" Dominic asked.
"Most likely. Or someone else who wants to know where we're staying." Florence's smile was thin. "They're not very good at it."
"Let them follow. Better to see what they do."
Dominic helped Theresa into the carriage, then climbed in after Florence. The driver snapped the reins, and the carriage lurched into motion, wheels rattling over the cobblestones. Through the window, Dominic caught a glimpse of the three shadows falling into motion behind them.
The system pulsed.
```
[New Quest: The Hunted]
[Objective: Lose or neutralize the pursuers without alerting the city guard.]
[Reward: 75 GT Tokens]
```
Dominic closed the notification and glanced at Florence. "Did you see the system prompt?"
"I saw the system prompt." She was already stretching, her fingers flexing. "We're doing this now?"
"We're doing this now."
Theresa raised an eyebrow. "In the street? This could draw attention."
"I have another idea," Dominic said. He tapped the driver's panel. "Take the next left. Slowly. Let them follow."
The carriage turned. The street behind them stayed just close enough for Dominic to see the three figures adjust. They were keeping their distance, but they weren't trying to hide anymore.
"Florence, can you handle two of them without making noise?"
She rolled her shoulders. "I can handle all three without making noise. The question is whether you want me to leave one breathing."
"I need one alive for questions."
"Fine. I'll leave the one who looks the most scared."
The carriage turned again, into a narrower street that ran between two high walls. The shadows here were deeper, the lanterns spaced farther apart. Dominic signaled the driver to slow.
"Now."
Florence was out the door before the carriage fully stopped. She moved like a ghost, silent and fast, and the first rider never saw her coming, she dragged him from the saddle, and a sharp blow to the back of the neck left him crumpled in the gutter. The second rider spun his horse, reaching for a blade, but Florence's fist caught him in the throat before he could draw. He toppled from the saddle, choking.
The third rider, seeing his companions fall, abandoned his horse and tried to flee on foot. Florence let him take two steps, then she was on him, her foot sweeping his legs out from under him. He hit the cobblestones hard, the air leaving his lungs in a wheezing gasp.
By the time Dominic stepped out of the carriage, Florence had already dragged the third man into the shadow of the wall. He was young, barely twenty, with wide eyes and shaking hands.
"Please—please don't kill me," he stammered.
"Then tell me the truth," Dominic said. "Who sent you?"
"I don't know his name. I swear. He paid us to follow you and cause trouble if we got close enough."
"Trouble?"
"Make a scene. Draw the guard. Anything to make you look like a violent thug in public." The man swallowed hard. "He said the goal wasn't to hurt you. It was to ruin your name."
Dominic's expression didn't change. "Where were you supposed to report?"
"There's a notice board near the Silver Boar at the east gate. When we had something worth reporting, we were to leave a chalk mark on the corner. Then meet at the old fountain after midnight." He hesitated. "That's all I know. I swear it."
Dominic looked at Florence. She understood immediately. "How do you leave the mark?"
"Two vertical lines on the corner of the board, near the bottom. And a circle next to it if something goes wrong."
"Anything else?"
"That's everything. I've said everything." The man's eyes darted to the street. His mouth opened as if to shout.
Florence's hand came down before a sound escaped. The man slumped.
Dominic studied the three unconscious riders.
"We can't leave them here," he said. "If they wake and talk, things could get shaky."
"We could stash them," Florence said. "There's a ruined gatehouse we passed by, we could keep them there."
"Can you mark the board?"
"Like I was born to do it." She was already moving, dragging the first rider by the collar. "Get the other two. And get the carriage out of here."
Dominic hauled the second rider upright, then the third. They were heavy, but the bond lent him strength. Together, he and Florence carried the three unconscious men through the dark to the ruined gatehouse, propped them against a collapsed wall, and bound their wrists and ankles with strips torn from their own cloaks.
"Sleep well," Florence murmured.
They left them in the dark and slipped back through the streets. The carriage was waiting where the driver had hidden it, by the time the wheels faded into the distance, Florence was already gone.
The system pulsed again.
```
[Quest Complete: The Hunted]
[Reward: 75 GT Tokens]
[Current GT Tokens: 2,155]
```
The manor was silent when they arrived. Lysandra met them at the door, her rods crossed on her back, her expression sharp. She looked from Dominic to Theresa, then past them toward the empty street.
"Where's Florence?"
"Working," Dominic said. He stepped inside, Wobbly bouncing up to greet him with a soft burble.
"What's wrong?" Lysandra's eyes narrowed. "You came back tense. Both of you. Something happened."
Theresa's hand found Dominic's arm. "We were followed from the ball. Florence is tying up loose ends."
Lysandra's jaw tightened, but she didn't ask more. She just nodded once and turned away, her fingers twitching toward the rods on her back. "This was on the front step." She held up a small, unmarked black envelope. "It appeared sometime after you left."
Dominic took the envelope. The paper was cool to the touch, almost cold. He broke the seal and pulled out a single sheet of dark parchment.
Lord Kane,
You've made an enemy of House Harwick. That was inevitable. But you've also made an impression on those who watch from the shadows. If you wish to know why Hector Harwick is so interested in the tenth floor, meet me at the Fountain of Sighs in the old city, at the hour before dawn. Come alone. I will not harm you.
—Vora
Theresa read over his shoulder. "The hour before dawn is only a few hours away. If you're going, you'll need to leave now."
Dominic opened the system interface and navigated to the shop.
The shelves materialized in the air before him, items categorized by type, each with a price and description. He scrolled quickly, scanning for something that would give him an edge.
Then he saw it.
```
[Item: Ward of Truth]
[Rank: A]
[Effect: The wearer can sense when a spoken statement is a deliberate lie. Does not work on beings whose power exceeds S-rank by more than two levels.]
[Price: 250 GT Tokens]
[Note: Trust, but verify.]
```
He bought it without hesitation. The item materialized in his hand, a thin silver band, cool to the touch, with a small crystal set at its center.
```
[Purchase Complete: Ward of Truth]
[GT Tokens Remaining: 1,905]
```
He slipped the band onto his wrist. It adjusted to fit, the crystal pulsing once before going dark.
Theresa crossed to him, her fingers brushing the ward on his wrist. "I'll be with you through the bond," she said quietly. "If something goes wrong, I'll know. And I'll come." She paused. "But if Vora speaks in ways meant to wound, rely on the ward, not on anger. You are sharper when you are calm."
"You sound worried."
"I'm always worried. It's part of loving you."
The word landed between them like a stone in still water. Dominic opened his mouth, but she placed a finger against his lips and shook her head.
"Come back," she said. "That's all I ask tonight."
He nodded, unable to find words.
Lysandra caught him at the door. Her hand closed around his sleeve, not hard, just enough to make him pause.
"You're going alone," she said. It wasn't a question.
"Theresa will be checking on me through the bond." He paused. "I won't be alone."
Lysandra looked away, then back. "But if something happens, I won't forgive you for not taking me."
Dominic covered her hand with his. "Then I won't let anything happen."
She held his gaze a moment longer, then released him and stepped back.
Dominic stepped into the carriage, and disappeared into the darkness. The hour before dawn was approaching.