THE SABLE SPY | FOUR

  "MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, m'lord," the tired sea captain shrugged. "We drop the passengers off and hit the hay right off, sir. Once they're off they ain't our responsibility no more." Marcus and Laurence had set off early evening, trying to catch hold of the crew of the ship Cass had taken to Arecia in an attempt to gain something. So far, nothing. The ship was a perfectly normal trading vessel, the kind that occasionally took passengers when the price was high enough. He learnt that Cass had paid very good coin, and asked that she be the only passenger. No, the captain didn't see or know if anyone was tailing her.

As expected, Marcus thought to himself, but bloody annoying right now. He pressed down his annoyance. "You saw nothing, then? No one following the lady? She just grabbed her things and went right off?"

"She paid us more than anyone else. We don't look a gift horse in the mouth, we don't, sir. Asking questions risk raising anger. Me and me men saw nothing, good sir."

Besides him, Laurence shrugged. "We're not going to get anything out of this." Before he could respond, Laurence threw a coin in the air, catching it with his other hand before dropping it in the eager captain's hand. "For your troubles." He grinned, flashing his perfect teeth. "Thanks for your time." It was his talent, always putting people at ease. Marcus didn't usually share it, unless he tried very hard. Even then, it was only enough to fool a few society matrons and missus.

The captain smiled back, showing his yellowed teeth. Marcus offered a polite nod and started walking away, before stopping and whipping his head around. "Wait! If anyone comes by and asks about the girl, will you come tell us? And not tell them anything? We'll pay you for it. No. 5 Borewood Street. Tell them Dalton sent you."

" 'course." The man grinned. "Me ship leaves in two days. If you need anything, we're here."

"Well, that was pleasant," Laurence murmured as the two men started back. "Money does solve everything, doesn't it?"

"Oh please," Marcus hissed. "The moment someone swings by with a bit of cash they happily give away all their secrets. Does privacy mean nothing to these people?"

"Privacy and secrecy are specialties of our work. Most people do not share the same ideas regarding it. Besides, anything can be bought, especially if you're not one of us. People need money, Dalton. That man probably has a family to feed, parents to take care of. Every dollar counts. Might as well hand some over while you're at it. Not like we'll miss it."

"When did you become so charitable?"

Laurence beamed. "I always am! Have you only just noticed?"

Marcus shook his head in disgust. "Pig," he muttered, though there was no heat in it. Laurence liked to play the rogue a bit too much. It was often a nuisance, but no one stopped him. Most of the ton liked it, and since Laurence most frequently spent his time among the aristocracy, it was a useful skill.

"We're out of options, then," Laurence hummed. "Cass must play bait. Not very fond of the idea, I must say. Though both of us will be protecting her. The Vallerings' ball would be safe. Her lovely assassin doesn't know where she is yet, but if it is a Saian nobleman..."

"They'll be there," Marcus finished. "Any nobleman worth a salt would be at the Vallerings' ball. Who do you think it is?"

"Honestly? This was most likely done for profit. I don't think one of the newly instated nobles would bother with a scheme like this, so we can cut all those out. If they don't have money, they go panting to the royal family. They wouldn't dare refuse. It's been ten years, but everyone remembers too vividly how to start a successful revolution. It's going to be an old nobility. One of the ones who were neutral in the revolution, maybe, or an exile, like our dear Diaos. Those wouldn't give two salts about the international repercussions should it truly come to air, just their own safety. Explains why the fact that the person's Saian was not hidden well, but their identity was. They're the only ones desperate enough to pull something like this anyways. Plenty of exiles around Gira. Island nations seem to be banished Saian aristocracy's favoured hosts."

"Quite a few families in Asayama, yes. I think two minor houses went to Gana. Very irrelevant. What of Gira?"

"The Rui and the Fan come to mind. But from what I hear, both families are dealing with very illegal businesses now. Cass says whoever her assassin was is very secretive. I doubt it's either one of them, especially since they both loathe Gana. Most likely someone who does have business there, though."

"Bai Jinshuang?"

"The one who owns Bai and Guo? Unlikely. He despises criminal business. His company is strangely clean and very, very legal. Extremely rare and very commendable."

"Anyone linked to the Phikkais?"

Laurence gave it some thought before shaking his head. "Sorry, can't remember. I'll check when we head to Borewood. Where are we going now, anyways?"

"I was thinking Newridge. See if there's anything about a new Saian noble in town. See if we can narrow down the list before we head to the Vallerings' to know who to watch out for."

"Clever," Laurence nodded in approval. "I'll join you, then. I'm starving. Could use a good meal."

"If you want a good meal, go to Borewood. Georgie can cook something up for you. Newridge's food is barely tolerable."

"I'm not as picky as you, Dalton. Food is food. It doesn't matter how good it tastes. I'm chomping it down either way."

"Did I mention that you're a pig, Dumont?" Marcus asked kindly, his smile tight.

Laurence clasped him on the shoulder. "I know, my friend, I know."

✴

"SO WHAT HAVE YOU been up to, Little Sable?"

Everyone else was out. Only Cadieux was left. Cadieux, who sat on the armchair he had dragged in yesterday when Marcus decided to watch over her while she slept. Cass met Cadieux's eyes blankly.

"The usual. Murder, espionage, almost getting killed. The usual, the usual."

"Just as I taught you." A sigh. "You need to be more careful, Cassalyn. Gira's dangerous and you know it. You still went, alone, without telling a single soul except your sister, who as we both know is as attracted to dangerous places as you are. You're going to get yourself killed someday."

"I'm honestly just surprised it hasn't happened yet," Cass admitted. "But I like it. In a year or two I won't be able to escape my family's wrath anymore, and they'll manage to drag me screaming and kicking to the altar for some advantageous match," not that she'd be letting that happen, "most likely whichever husband I'm bound to won't appreciate his wife running halfway across the world dealing in spies and murderers. The most I could be is a societal informant, and even then I'm not sure. I'll need to wed an Arecian husband for that. A Saian would not take kindly to me continuing my work here."

"So wed an Arecian husband."

Cass casted him a dirty look. "Don't you dare start what I think you're going on, Cadieux."

"Do you know, Marcus never told us what happened six years ago."

She remained silent, watching him warily, daring him to continue. He did. "But I have my suspicions. I'm not going to report you. You didn't do any major damage, and I think most of us expected it anyways. There's always the risk with recruiting foreigners."

"Marcus didn't."

"He felt betrayed."

"His problem."

"It's a bloody headache, that's what it is, having to separate two of your best agents who formed the best team because of a dumb fucking disagreement caused by neither of you being mature enough to discuss it like normal people."

"I was sixteen. He was eighteen. What did you expect? We can still barely look each other in the eye. Don't force it, Cadieux, please. You'll just make both our lives miserable."

"You're twenty-two now. He's twenty-four. Perfectly grown adults who should be capable of handling your own bullshit. Deal with it, Cass. I taught you both better than this."

"We don't want to deal with it, Cadieux."

"You don't want to deal with it. He's been moping around like a sad puppy and grinding on everyone's nerves. Think about it, girl. Saves us all a lot of headache and heartache."

"Didn't know you had a heart," Cass muttered as she pulled at her blanket with her good arm.

Cadieux grinned, showing teeth. "Oh I do, Little Sable. I'm just very, very good at hiding it. We missed you here. You should have come back earlier."

Cass stared at him. "You know why I couldn't come back. Ciri's was tolerated because most people aren't aware what Lady Kuroki teaches, and the school's Saian intelligence anyways, but everyone knows what the Arecian Secret Service is. You think I liked staying away?"

"You left far before your family began making progress."

"I thought you weren't going to push it," she said, clearly annoyed, nose scrunched up.

"Did I?" Cadieux asked, a smile edging up his lips. "I don't recall. How careless of me. I'm a spy, Cassalyn, and a damned good one at that. My promises don't mean shit. I taught you that a very long time ago. You are getting sloppy."

"Did you know, you are the latest in a line of many who have been telling me that." Cass leaned her head against the headboard of the bed and shut her eyes. "It is very insulting. Quite hurtful, if I must admit. I am becoming ordinary. My family is very proud."

"The Duchess?" He asked, confused.

"Not her. She is the most displeased. My other family, who wishes to barter me off to some old baron or viscount." She opened one eye. "I do believe the latest one they discussed with me was seventy. I think he's very dead now."

"You're a pretty girl. Young enough. Your great-aunt gave you a massive dowry. Why are they forcing you to marry so below yourself?"

"My great-aunt grows older by the day," she admitted. "She only has a few years left, I think. She likes me and my sister too much, they think, especially think we're so distant. Many do not mind. Her heir, my second cousin, Tam, he does not care. He tells me that he will only take over the ordinary business and the land and the title. Her spy network goes to me. He does not know what to do with it anyways and it is too valuable to just ignore. But not all of them are so agreeable."

"Could this have been one of your relatives trying to clear the way?"

She gave it a bit of thought before shaking her head. "Unlikely, if only because I cannot think of a single one smart enough. Most of my family are idiots, as you would know. A few very smart ones, but the rest are idiots."

"Could it be the very smart ones?"

She thought a little bit more. Finally, she said, "It is quite tragic, wondering if any of your family would hate you enough to want to murder you. No. I do not think any of them particularly have murderous intentions towards me. We are a happy family, us Diaos."

"Not what Ciri says."

"Ciri says too much."

"No, she says just enough. Your sister is immensely clever. Lady Kuroki has trained her well."

"Perhaps you should have sent me to her," Cass murmured, sliding back down into the blankets. "Instead of training me here for the field."

Cadieux shook his head. "Your sister was born for the courts, Cassalyn. You weren't. I took one look at you and I saw someone who'd terrify the entire high society. Marcus agreed. Told me you made half the other kids shit their pants even as a little child. You were born for the battlefield. To slide behind enemy lines and walk out of a burning building you caused. Kuroki trains her girls well, but you didn't belong there."

Now Cass was annoyed. "And you chastise me when I do what you have trained me to do."

"I'm angry at you because you're not choosing your battlefields correctly. You're running into things blindly in some damned desperate attempt to escape from your reality. You're not dumb enough to think you yourself could handle the Gira politics and corruption. You didn't care. You went alone anyways. That is why I'm angry with you, Cass. Stop running."

"I cannot work for you."

"I'm not asking you to."

"Then where do I stop? With my family in Asayama, begging for the Yies to let us back in? What then? Do I let my relatives shove me into a marriage I do not want and be the perfect society lady for the rest of my life? I was not made for that, you know."

"What I do know is that they're letting women be officials in the Saian court now. Very rare, but the princess, the emperor's niece is pushing it. Did you know that they're calling her the Fox of Sai now? She's young and inexperienced, no matter how smart they say she is. You could be her advisor."

"I am an exiled noblewomen who's only barely related to any peers. It is an impossible dream, Cadieux. You always were the realist, what changed?"

He did not answer her, as she did not expect him to. Instead, he stood up. "Dumont and Dalton should be back by now. I'll go see what's taking them so long. Take some rest, Cass, and think about it."

He left her drowning in her own thoughts, thoroughly disturbed and completely unable to find any peace or rest. Just as he intended. Damn the man, she thought to herself. Maybe she'll ask Georgiana to cook him rotten food. Georgie would not agree, of course, being so loyal to the uncle who had taken her in and gave her a home when no one else would, but it would make her feel much better.

Growling, she shifted uncomfortably under the blanket, staring up at the blank ceiling. The candles lit strange shadows on it, which she glared at. Great-aunt Vinelle would laugh, she thought, if she saw her like this. Ciri would pat her on the shoulders and say something wily and coy.

She glued her eyelids together, trying to force herself to sleep. If she was asleep, Laurence and Marcus would not come in to disturb her with whatever news they may have gotten about her attempted killer. She was much too tired to hear about murder and listen to them all scheme and plot.

A few minutes later, a shuffling sound could be heard from the stairs. Cass leaned back and pretended to be asleep, though she knew it wouldn't fool anyone. Everyone in this house, even innocent Georgie knew better than that. It was Laurence, who she could imagine vividly with his signature smug smirk.

"Didn't find anything." He did not call her out for her poor acting. She was pleased to be at the receiving end of such delicate politeness. It was quite rare for anyone to be so kind to her. "I'm afraid you have no choice but to attend the Vallerings' ball."

And just as quickly he walked into the room, he exited, though this time he did so silently. She did not hear his footsteps, but could feel his presence leaving. Slowly, she opened one eye. She was correct. Not that rusty after all. Laurence had left, though the door was left wide open. She suppressed a sigh.

This was going to be a long week.