Shadowdance 01 - A Dance of Cloaks

quickly.”
    For a long while Zusa remained silent. When she moved, it was suddenly.
    “Come,” she said, grabbing Veliana’s arm and yanking her to her feet.
    “Where are we going?” asked Veliana.
    “I said come.”
    If Pelarak was upset at her leaving instead of staying to be a priestess, he didn’t show it. He remained in his seat as they left, not bothering to see them out. Veliana wasn’t sure if it was a conscious choice or not, but Zusa didn’t blindfold her when they exited the temple. As they marched south, Veliana interrupted the silence between them.
    “Is it really so terrible to do what he says?” she asked.
    The shadows seemed to curl off Zusa’s body like mist off a pond. It was as if anger fueled them.
    “If we do as he says, the Kulls will be furious,” Zusa said. Her voice trembled with rage. “How dare he deny me an apprentice. How dare he!”
    As they neared the wall, Veliana glanced over, an idea blossoming in her mind.
    “Who do you serve?” she asked.
    “Karak,” Zusa replied.
    “Help me out here, Zusa. In this matter, is it Alyssa or is it the Kulls?”
    “The Kulls have offered land for a temple in Riverrun, a prosperous town that has long denied us permission to establish a presence.”
    “Land owned by the Gemcrofts, correct?”
    Zusa halted and looked at Veliana. At least, Veliana assumed she did from the way her head tilted. It was hard to know with that damned cloth over her face.
    “What are you saying?” Zusa asked.
    Veliana shrugged.
    “Seems if you’re doing all this for the land, then the Kulls are irrelevant. We just need a promise from Alyssa.”
    Zusa crossed her arms.
    “What do you get out of it?” she asked.
    “Give me two days,” Veliana said, winking her good eye. “I need to find out what happened to my guild. Can you keep Alyssa safe and out of Pelarak’s hands until then?”
    The faceless woman thought for a long time. The shadows swirling about her slowly cooled.
    “Very well,” Zusa said. “Return to me afterward. I am not releasing you from your oath.”
    Veliana drew her two daggers and laughed.
    “I wouldn’t dare risk you lovely ladies coming after me when I sleep,” she said. “But let me seek my revenge on Thren, and I’ll behave … enough.”
    Zusa watched her go back into the heart of the city. She crossed her arms. Their plan was already fragile. Cutting out the Kull family would make matters even more precarious. Everything seemed to hinge upon the Kensgold.
    A Kensgold that would be starting in only a few days.
    “Forgive me if I go against your wishes, Karak,” Zusa whispered as she turned and dashed into the dark alleys. “But Pelarak is only a man. He is not you. We will do your will as we know best.”
    The bar was empty but for an unconscious man slumped over a table, a lone serving wench cleaning around him with a cloth, and two lovers feeling each other up in the corner. Gileas would have preferred them all gone, but he couldn’t afford to be choosy. With Veliana still alive, his days were numbered. After what he’d done to her, there was no way she wouldn’t come for vengeance. He sat in the corner opposite the lovers, leering at them, enjoying the sight of the woman’s thigh. When she finally glanced over and saw him, she flipped a finger at him and then returned her attention to her lover.
    Gileas pretended not to notice the man from the Spider Guild entering the tavern. He kept his head down, staring at the table as if stuck in a drunken stupor.
    “Strange place for a worm,” said the man as he sat down across from him.
    “Soil beneath the wood floor,” Gileas grunted. “And you’re late, Senke. I’m pushing my luck as it is.”
    Senke chuckled as he glanced about the room. The serving wench seemed determined not to acknowledge his existence, so he decided against a drink.
    “Second time now you come calling with supposed valuable information,” Senke said, sounding vaguely amused by the idea. “I’m not sure if I believe you have it or not, but apparently my master is willing to listen.”
    Gileas handed over a yellow piece of paper. Senke flipped it open, read it, and then raised an eyebrow.
    “This is her location?” he asked. “You’re sure?”
    “Would I lie to the great and mighty Spider Guild?” Gileas asked. “Spiders kill worms, or at least, they would if they fought.”
    “Yeah, but worms eat the spiders after they’re dead.”
    Gileas laughed as if this were the