Shadow Blades (The Cimmerian Cycle #2)

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Cormac leapt out of the bed to meet the figure. He heard Isabel put down some dishes and she leant on the door frame. Rider pulled back his hood.

"Finally!" Cormac had to refrain from shouting.

Rider grumbled, "Sorry."

Cormac went over to where they had been sitting for dinner, on chairs by an old crate. He sat down and motioned for Isabel to join them. Rider pulled a red bundle of fabric out from under his cloak.

"It wasn't easy to out here," he handed Isabel the bundle. She shook it out, catching the mask, and wrapping the cloak around her shoulders. She smiled.

"Now you look like an assassin," Cormac said, "Just be careful that you keep it wrapped around you as you won't be wearing a proper uniform and will be easy to spot."

Isabel nodded, and collecting the fabric, she left to deposit it in her room. Cormac waited until she returned to explain the plan that had been brewing in his head for days.

"We are going to have to split up to gather intelligence." Cormac said.

"What are we looking for?" Isabel said.

"Anything that might give Lord Hidefield motive to kill the king. We need to what he is sending in messages to the king and when they meet in person. We also need to have him watched and see who else he meets. This is the only way we can clear my name." Cormac said.

"What about protecting the king?" Rider said.

"Who cares about the king? He had me hanged. This is about something bigger," Cormac said.

"Why should we have any duty to the king?" Isabel said, "Cormac and I were orphans. We don't owe the kingdom anything."

"Hey," Rider raised his hands, "I was just asking. Sometimes you are so confusing. If you really despised him, you would've assassinated him. Maybe you should stop acting like you have some higher purpose."

Cormac shook his head, "Rider, fine. You can enter the palace and tail the king for a few days. There's a perfect spot to hide in the throne room if you can get in there unseen. I'm not going anywhere near that place. Isabel can follow Lord Hidefield. I'll go back to the guild and have a look around."

Rider and Isabel nodded to show they understood, but there was a look and Isabel's face that suggested she was uneasy. Cormac raised his eyebrows.

"Is it safe for us to split up like this? And Cormac I don't think you should go back to the guild. They all want you dead." Isabel said.

"Yes, I'll be fine," Cormac said, "We've lost so much time already and both the king and Hidefield need to be watched. It sounds strange but I think the guild is the safest place for me right now."

If he was caught, then he knew Hidefield would not be stopped in achieving whatever goal the lord had in mind.

"I have an idea," Isabel said, "At midnight we'll meet back up at that house in the city's south. We need to swap information frequently or else this whole exercise will be pointless."

"That's a good idea," Rider said. Cormac silently agreed. She was right. If one of them dropped out of contact, then they could not know if their lives were at risk.

Cormac felt like the others thought he was getting the easy option but he didn't want to have to stay underground any more than he had. He would have liked to go to the castle and catch a glimpse of Kiayani, but Cormac knew a lot more was at stake.