David Mcintee - The Light of Heaven

"Hello Dai. Thought I'd find you here." Batsen started, his eyes darting to either side in anticipation. He outstretched his hands, his brow knitting in concentration. "Your taste in accommodations hasn't changed much, has it?"

"I know where I'm safe. You don't, Travis. You never did, or you never would have come looking for me."

"I have my reasons."

"What do you want with me?"

"There's a man in Turnitia who takes a vested interest in certain things associated with members of your jolly little profession."

"Pro or con?"

"Both, depending on the circumstances."

"And he's interested in me?"

"Not unless you were in Kalten for the Ducal wedding."

"Ah," Batsen said with a smile. "Ludwig Rhodon."

"Was that you?"

"If it was, it would be between me and my paymaster. But, as it happens, no. Not my doing."

Crowe heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Gabriella.

"What did you say about Eminence Rhodon, scum?" She said, rushing over to Batsen. "Were you behind it? Is that why came after me and Erak?"

"I've no idea why I was hired to kill you. It doesn't matter in any case; all that matters is that I complete my contract and collect my fee." Batsen said blandly, then he exploded into action, a spinning kick sending Crowe's blade flying. The rope binding his wrists burned to ashes in a second. Eyes closed, Batsen leapt high into the air, hurling a sizzling blizzard of sharp hail from his body. The ice storm coiled its way to Crowe, who lashed out at a brazier with one foot. The ice flashed into steam as the hot coals met it head-on.

Batsen cupped a small flame between his hands before hurling it at Gabriella.

She turned her head away instinctively, but too late to stop the fire from hitting her. She didn't feel a thing, though green and purple spots danced in front of her eyes when the brightness of the flame disappeared. Cursing herself for being taken in by some mere distraction, she lunged for him.

Batsen skipped backwards as she attacked.

"What are you?" he hissed. "The darkness, the fire — "

A punch in the face ended his question, but he rolled with it, spinning away and coming into a guarded stance.

He gathered his powers around himself, rising into the air as it crackled with energy. Gabriella ran, stretching up one hand to grab at his ankle. The instant her fingertips brushed the cloth of his trews, he plummeted down onto the ground.

Gabriella wasn't going to give him a chance to use any more magic, but immediately rammed her blade through him.

Batsen, looking utterly surprised, spat out blood. Breathing seemed to make him wince and Gabriella could tell he was barely managing to cling to each second of life. He would be lucky to draw more than half a dozen more breaths.

"I know you're working for Goran Kell" Gabriella snarled. Batsen only laughed, an agonised, bubbling sound. "But you're not going to stop me finding him."

Batsen struggled for another breath. "Who would have… thought? Brotherhood and Faith, working together. You and Travis."

"What?"

"Sister DeZantez… and Brother Crowe. It won't last." Batsen's laughter dissolved into bubbling coughs. "Give my… regards… to Kell…" With a final cough of thick, almost black blood, he fell silent.

Gabriella stood and wiped the blood from her blade before turning to Crowe.

"So, 'Brother' Crowe?"

"You're making a big mistake."

"No." She stalked towards him. "You did that."

He backed off. "Don't do this, pet. I've almost gotten to like you. There aren't many people who get to there and it'd be a shame to have to keep their numbers down, even by one."

"I wish I didn't have to do this."

"You don't."

"I have a duty to God."

"God never asked you to kill me."

"He just did." She stepped into his path, one blade going for his sword hand, the other, drawn quickly, for his throat. He deflected the shot at his throat and suddenly the blade heading for his hand was slashing across his shirt at gut-level.

They danced back and forth, he trying to use his longer sword to block both of hers, she trying to get around his from two directions at once. They were quite evenly matched, but Crowe could already see blood seeping though her surplice from her earlier wounds. Quick as a flash, he shouldered forward. He struck home accurately, causing pain to explode across her body.

Gabriella fell and he batted her swords away. He stood over her, one boot crushing the hand that was reaching for one of the felled blades. He rested the point of his broadsword against her throat. "All I have to do is push."

"Then do it," she snarled. "I'm your enemy and you're the self-proclaimed murderer. Get on with it."

"I'm no more a Brother of the Divine Path than I'm an Enlightened One of the Final Faith."

"That's not what your Shadowmage friend said."

"You're going to take the word of a man who's tried to kill both of us over mine?" Crowe shrugged. "All right, love. I never claimed to be the world's most trustworthy man. But neither is your average hired assassin. Think about this one, right? This bloke was hired to kill you, and failed. With his dying breath, he got you into another fight, against a man who was a better fighter than he was." He paused to let that sink in. "Against a man who, being a better fighter than him, might have more chance of killing you than he did." He could see in her eyes that this was making sense to her. "Not many people get recruited as a willing participant in their enemy's revenge, Dez. But it is a pretty bloody good trick if you can manage it."

"And what's this speech meant to do?"

"Save your life. I will kill you if I have to, but I'd rather not have to."

"Why? Don't you want me off your back?"

"Sure I do. But that bastard just did his damnedest to kill me as well as you and I'm in no mood do him any bloody favours." He spat on Batsen's corpse.

Gabriella relaxed slightly. "All right, so you're not a Brother, but you've worked with them."

"Their money's as good as anyone's. I've worked with the Faith too. That's why they call it being a mercenary, love. The clue's in the name."

"And are you working for the Brotherhood now?"

"If I'm not working for them I'll say no and if I am working for them I wouldn't want you to know, so I'd still have to say no."

"So, someone, who may or may not belong to some religious organisation of which I can't approve, paid you to do a job…"

"I ain't in the habit of risking my life for free, Dez. Or fraternising with members of the Faith's military order for free. Actually I should have charged double for that."

"What sort of job?"

"I was hired to find out who hired the man that shot Ludwig Rhodon. I'm told Goran Kell's the one who wants to know, for some reason."

"You're working for Kell?" She was astonished and reached for her sword.

"I'm not working for Goran Kell, Dez. Not directly, anyway. I'm working for a man who Kell went to, to try to find out who's making him look like an arse. Sandor Feyn," Crowe went on. "You won't know him. He usually goes by aliases.

Gabriella grimaced. "I've heard enough bedtime stories, sinner. Karel Scarra already told us that he and Kell — "

"Hired a bloke called Lukas Bertam to off an Eminence? I heard that too. What you don't seem to have heard is that Lukas Bertam isn't the assassin who took the shot and isn't the bloke you and Brand killed."

"Of course he is!"

Crowe radiated smugness. "Did you get a relative to identify the body? Didn't think so. Bertam got himself fished out of Turnitia's harbour two weeks before the big day and someone took his place. Anyway, so Kell's worried that someone is setting him up and he goes to his opposite number in Turnitia. Kell asked him to find out who hired the assassin that took the shot and Feyn asked me, as I do a run between Turnitia and the Huntress. Apparently Kell wanted to ask me himself, but Feyn isn't stupid enough to put us together. Kell doesn't know who I am and I don't know any more about him."