any of us, she had the best reason for being here.”
“Almost.”
“Never thought she’d stumble at the final hurdle.”
“Maybe it wasn’t a stumble,” Ash shrugged. “Maybe she just chose not to jump. I’m glad she’s not going to be here for initiation. Deciding not to murder an innocent makes her better than this place.”
Tric looked at her sideways. “You passed the trial. You murdered an innocent.”
“Because I have a better reason for being here than Mia did, Tricky.”
“And what’s that?”
“Familia,” she said.
“Mia was here for her familia too.”
“Aye,” Ash nodded. “Difference is, my da is still alive. You’d be surprised how motivating a grumpy ex-murderer with no testicles can be.”
Tric smirked, turned his eyes to the dark again. Ash spoke softly.
“Mia said to tell you goodbye.”
“She’ll be back,” Tric said. “I’ll see her again.”
“… I’m not so sure.”
“Hand’s robes might suit her. And what’s she going to do, fold up? Her? No way.”
“O, she might decide to join the Hands. But still, I don’t think you’ll see her again.”
“Why’s that?”
Ash sighed from the depths of her toes. “Like I said before, it’s quite a nose you’ve got there, Tricky. And I can’t have you sniffing around the entrée this eve.”
“What do y—hrrk.”
Tric blinked at the dagger in Ash’s hand. The blade gleaming red and dripping. He looked down at the stain spreading across his shirt as she buried the knife in his chest again. And again. And again. He gasped, reached out toward her throat, eyes wide. But quick as lies, she shoved him hard and sent him backward over the railing. Tumbling down, down into the everblack wastes below.
Without a sound.
Without a whimper.
Gone.
Ash looked down into the darkness. Whispered soft.
“Sorry, Tricky.”
The girl knelt with a kerchief, soaked up the blood that had fallen on the stone. Cleaning her blade and slipping it back into her sleeve. Checking over her shoulder. The altar was still deserted, Hands bustling about the kitchen in preparation for the coming feast. Nine places set at table. One for each of the three acolytes who would be initiated at feast’s end. Five for the Ministry; Drusilla, Mouser, Solis, Aalea and Spiderkiller. And the last, at the table’s head, for the Lord of Blades. The Black Prince. The head of the Red Church congregation himself.
“Cassius,” she whispered.
“It’s done?”
Ashlinn turned and saw a figure in stolen Hands’ robes.
“It’s done.” Ash straightened, looked out over the wastes. “Little Tricky won’t be around to smell a thing. Presuming there’s something to smell, of course.”
“I’ll carry my end,” her brother replied.
“Don’t fuck it up, Oz,” Ash warned. “You set our last chance on fire. We could’ve had Cassius in a bag months ago. He was just sitting here in the open.”
“I told you, that idiot Floodcaller saw me on the sneak. What was I supposed to do?”
“O, let me think. How about murdering him and leaving his body out in plain sight? Make it ten times harder for us to get a second shot?”
“Jumping Cassius like a pair of alleythugs was a stupid plan, I told you that at the time. Floodcaller getting in the way was a blessing. We’ve had months to prepare this. Poisoning the feast will net us the whole bag of vipers with one stroke. The acolyte who crafted the toxin for me is dead. And the only acolyte who had a chance of sniffing us out is dead. Stop your fucking whining and just be ready.”
“I’m ready,” Ash hissed.
Osrik checked over his shoulder again, dropping his voice lower.
“You met with them yestereve all right?”
“Aye.” Ash nodded. “After they gave me the gossip to top Masks and then some. Like I said, Luminatii boys get all the juice.”
“Are they ready?”
“No doubt. Our noble justicus has his First and Second Centuries on standby. Two hundred men hit the Porkery at sevenbells. You just make sure Adonai is motivated.”
“That freak loves his sister more than life. With my knife to her throat, he’ll dance the fucking Balinna if I tell him to.”
“Be careful when you take Marielle. You saw what she did to—”
“I’m not a child, Ashlinn,” Osrik snarled. “I’ll handle the weaver and speaker. You just deal with your end. Have Cassius and the rest of the Ministry bound and gagged when Remus and his thugs arrive. The confessors will want to speak to the lot, so we’ll need to Walk all of them. No manacles.”
“No fear.” The girl smiled grim. “Shahiid Aalea taught me a few rope tricks.”
“In a few hours.” Osrik nodded. “These walls come tumbling