The Grave thief

CHAPTER 6

Ashin Doranei thought hard about turning round in his seat and glaring at whoever was smoking that heavily spiced tobacco; it had been tickling the back of his throat for an hour or more and it was really starting to a

Standing up first was an option, but if he had any money he wouldn't have bet himself he'd be able to manage it.

Hah, don't bet for money no more, he said to himself, got more fun stuff than that t'do. He flapped weakly at his pockets for a moment. Somewhere he had a couple of wyvern claws, wi

Bastards let me kill it first, that's not agains' the rules? There're rules for us? There're rules for men like me?

'So where's the love of my life then?' said a woman from the other side of the bar.

Doranei wavered a moment before adjusting his head enough to look her in the face.

Bugger me… looks lot like a woman 1 shagged.

Doranei let his head sink down again and tightened his grip on his drink.

Prob'ly not a surprise, fa

With painstakingly slowness a thought struck him and with great difficultly Doranei turned his head again, this time to look down the length of the bar.

Shit. Must've forgotten to leave the Light Fingers. Why th' hell would I sit in this dump so long?

Another tankard of beer slammed down on the bar top in front of him.

Ah,. Doranei's battered face skewed into a lopsided grin as he reached for the tankard. That's why.

'Still awake, there? Where's your Brother then, m'lovely?' The woman spoke slowly and precisely.

M'lovely. Qods 1 hated bein' called that-that why I stopped shagging her? A fitful burst of activity took place in Doranei's memory.

Or was it 'cos I said she smelled like a mule ar' she kicked my balls up into my guts? He nodded sagely and Ja

'Still playin' the mystery then? Fine, piss on you. Let's see if you're drunk enough for me to nick one of those posh cigars you're smokin' these days.'

Ja

Doranei stared down at the bar for a while, then tried to reach for his pocket. He got his hand in there on the second attempt.

Cigar case's gone. Bugger. That supposed to happen here? Someone nickin' from me in a Brotherhood pub? Bloody stupid, that.

Ja

'Now then, m'lovely, where's your boy Sebe? Next time you see 'im, tell 'im I've missed 'im and all 'is lovely scars. Gods, you should've 'eard me scream when I saw 'im bald as a fucking baby last week! Scary bloody baby, but never mind, I love 'im anyway. But I said to 'im, m'lovely, "I've got nothin' to 'old onto", I said, and you know 'ow much I like doin' that!' Ja

Ja

'So what were the women in Scree like, eh?' Ja

'Lookers? Bet they're an ugly lot, all black-haired Farlan bastard stock ain't they?'

'Women?' said Doranei suddenly, as though only now waking from a dream.

'Fuck me, it lives,' Ja

She reached out and patted his cheek. 'Doranei, m'lovely, am I to think you're finally past pining for me and 'ave got yourself a lady, or did you just meet a whore even better than me?'

Doranei took another swig of beer and let the words slowly settle into an order he could understand.

Women.

Pining.

Lady.

A vision of the three women he'd seen most often in Scree appeared in his mind: Haipar the shapeshifter, Legana, the Farlan assassin, and of course Princess Zhia Vukotic, vampire, and enemy of the Gods.

'Bloody scary,' he a

Ja

Doranei thought a little longer. Eventually he shook his head hard. 'Not ugly, beautiful,' he said once he'd regained his balance. He clutched the bar for support.

'Why's that scary, then, m'lovely?'

'Too beautiful. Too dangerous. Too-' His voice trailed off, his attention fixed upon the tankard before him.

'Piss and daemons, you do 'ave it bad, don't you? What's 'er name, then?'

Doranei focused on Ja

Ja

'Secret.'

'A secret? M'lovely, I've seen every bloody inch o' you from more directions than I care t'remember; you've got nothin' you need to 'ide from me.'

'Can't tell'

Ja

'Not th'only reason,' Doranei muttered, a stubborn set to his jaw. Unbidden, his finger touched the small scar Zhia had left on his bottom lip, his only memento of her.

'Not the only reason,' she echoed, 'aye well, I've 'eard stories about what 'appened there, so I can believe you.' She took a long swig of his beer. 'I'd be drinking brandy in your place if 'alf of what I 'eard went on there was true.'

'All true.' Doranei tugged the beer from her grip and drained it. 'But we burned him. Can't forget that. Long time comin'. I burned the bastard.'

'Burned him?' Ja

Doranei felt his face twitch at the suggestion, knowing only too well who she meant. The Light Fingers was a Brotherhood pub, a safe place for the agents of the king and the city criminals they were recruited from. Ja

Doranei's face darkened and he shook his head slowly. 'Not him, not yet. I-'

His sentence went unfinished as a hand thumped down on his shoulder. Ja

Ah, smells like a mule. 1 remember.

'There's my beauty,' Ja

'Whispering sweet nothings to my girl?' said a voice in Doranei's car. He grabbed the bar for support and levered himself around. There was a face there, indistinct and wavering for some reason.