A Court Of Night and Fire

Chapter Eighteen

Articus methodically and discreetly checked his weapons as he watched the group look for a table in the crowded common room.

In Capri, unlike Ghourd, it was illegal to carry a weapon unless you were a Peacekeeper. They had the paperwork that would tell everyone that they were Peacekeepers but Tekal protocol stated that it was a last resort.

His dart knife was comfortably lodged in his right boot and both his da'kka and sa'dka were hidden under his short overcoat, yet in easy reach.

Articus saw Cedrick doing the same as the man's eyes casually followed the newcomers. While his lips didn't move, he could just hear the man whisper "You want to tell me something?" Even with his heightened hearing, it was a strain to hear over the room's murmur.

Cedrick had seen the nod as well.

"Haven't seen him before," Articus replied in the same way.

Cedrick looked right at him and then shook his head. "What in the seven hells is going on?"

The way the Darkling had looked at him and Cedrick... "He can tell how strong we are," Articus said confidently.

"What?"

They way he looked at both of us--not just me." And then, as if the Gods suddenly gave him the crystal clarity of insight, he said, "He is like me."

The Ghourdian nervously looked from the group who had just found a seat to Articus. "You are talking nonsense Articus."

"No," Articus said the word slowly, almost painfully. "I'm sure of it."

He looked up to see Cedrick studying him. It could only mean one thing. I'm half Darkling, or full Darkling. It would explain a lot.

As if reading his mind, Cedrick nodded. "How do you want to play this?"

Articus consciously removed his hand from his sa'dka's handle--he hadn't realized he'd reached for it. I wouldn't attack Cedrick even if it came to that, he told himself.

Survival first, you idiot, the devil in him lectured. Articus was beginning to wonder if that devil was something more than just the cold logical part of his brain as he'd came to believe.

"I--I don't know. The strong one seems to sense us but not the other ones. He probably thinks we are Darklings as well. There must be more Darklings than we had thought if he thinks it isn't uncommon for us to be here, people he doesn't know."

Cedrick slowly nodded to his logic and frowned. As the group sat down, both Cedrick and he tuned into the group's conversation.

"What our luck. Why are we even here? We should be four cities away before they show up," one of the three weaker ones was saying. He was the tallest and lankiest Caprian of the group.

"Boris, we are safe here?" asked the leader of the group, giving the nervous tall-and-lanky man a glare.

Boris, the strong one, nodded but his eyes darted for a fleeting instant towards Articus's table. "Aye."

The fourth man, an average sized Caprian, hissed, "Sean is right, we should be leagues away from here. We haven't seen them yet, and that alone is making me nervous."

"It will take them at least a week to find us even if they were here now," the leader said coolly. "And we have our orders from the Chief. We need to be ready."

Hells bells, what is going on?

Cedrick gave Articus a look that mimicked what Articus's head was playing with. But he ignored it for the time being.

The slave girl Cedrick had flagged over came to their table after getting an ear full from a disgruntled drunk. Having forgotten her, Cedrick fumbled for an excuse. Meanwhile, Articus's logical side started working.