Something Wild (Child of the Winter Moon Book 1)

32: The King and the Traitor

"Ye couldnae tell us where ye were?!" Zoltan huffed the moment Juray walked through the door.

"Missed you too, Zoltan."

"Donae change the subject."

"Junior had a trap set up for Ciri."

"What?" Geralt asked. "Why?"

"Fuck if I know. He apparently thought I was her mother and was there for revenge. He also knows where Jaskier is. Which I think he might have had a hand in his disappearance as when Witch Hunters and Temple guard showed up he told me to tell Dandelion hello."

"Jaskier's in the dungeons under Temple Isle."

"Well, fuck."

"And the only person who could get him released or transferred is dead."

"Fucking hell, Geralt!"

"What? I'm not the one who killed him."

"Is there a plan?"

"I gotta find Junior before Cleaver kills him to find out why he set a trap for Ciri. And Priscilla is trying to figure out how we can find Dudu."

"Why Dudu?" Juray paused. "Your plan is to send Dudu into the lion's den to order Jaskier freed?"

"Transferred to Oxenfurt. Menge wouldn't free him. He had an execution in Oxenfurt planned for him."

"You know, I've lost count on how many death sentences Jaskier has had."

Geralt shrugged.

"So how are we going to find Junior?"

"We?"

"I owe him a visit."

"I'm going to track him down. You're going to wait here until I find out where he's hiding."

"I'm not waiting here."

"Juray, you're on the Temple Guard and Witch Hunters' radars."

"Are there Wanted posters with my likeness?"

"No," Zoltan said.

"Then they don't give a shit about me."

"You're still waiting here."

"No, I'm not."

"Juray, Whoreson knows you escaped. His men are going to be on the lookout for you and I can't track him down if I'm fighting off his men because you have a wild hair up your ass."

Juray snorted. "Fine. But you come get me once you find out where he is. I promise I won't kill him until you find out what his dealings with Ciri were."

"You'll be the first to know. Now stay here and behave." Geralt left the tavern as Juray flopped down in a nearby chair with a huff.

"Come on, Juray," Zoltan said. "If anyone can find Whoreson, it's Geralt. And you know he always keeps his word."

Juray sighed. "I know."

"Let's play some Gwent while we wait and you tell me what you've been up to while you were in hiding."

Geralt checked out Junior's house and establishments. Cleaver's men had arrived there first so any clues as to where he went were lost, although he did find signs of Juray's escape in the form of a broken back upstairs window. In the casino, Junior's friends attacked him the moment he started to ask about the crime lord. Where he found one of Bedlam's moles, who informed him that Whoreson was working with the Rendanians but didn't know the details. Geralt made a mental note to see Djikstra about it, since he seemed to know all the going ons in Novigrad. At the arena, Geralt pretended to be looking for a non-Witcher job and the arena master wanted to test his skill before hiring him on as a guard. Fortunately, Junior was at his arena. Unfortunately, Cleaver's men broke in and started to attack, which prompted Junior to order Geralt and the dwarves killed and forced Geralt to fight his way out of the arena. But not before finding evidence of Junior's arrangement with Radovid.