Without a King (Greatest Thief 1, mxm)

Chapter Nineteen

The silence was broken by harsh screams. They echoed in from another cell, somehow piercing through the thick metal door to mine. I did my best to ignore them, just as I had been doing my best not to think about the weapons on the wall in front of me. I had opened my eyes only once since the director had left, to glance quickly around for any possible means of escape that I hadn't seen the first time. There was nothing.

However, despite the screaming and the probably unavoidable torture, I felt calm, almost resigned to what was going to happen. I had a simple plan: tell the director everything I could without putting Tannix under any suspicion. If he was going to get me out, he needed people to trust him.

The amount of trust I was piling on Tannix was frightening. I couldn't remember the last time I'd relied so much on another person. This was the first time I'd been in a situation where there was no hope of me getting out without help, and all I could do was try to survive long enough for help to come.

I wasn't sure how much time passed before my door unlocked. I opened my eyes to see what was happening, managing not to look at the weapons. Two guards walked in, one carrying a small table and one a chair, both of which were placed in front of me. The two guards returned to the door as the director walked in. He was carrying a pile of paper, which he put on the table before taking a seat. The door was shut, and the room went silent as we looked at each other.

Finally, he picked up a piece of paper from the top of the little pile and cleared his throat before he read aloud. "Lord West Draulin's son, Tandrix, seems to have picked up a companion. I suppose it was only a matter of time, given his position, before he would draw the lesser nobles towards him. There is something about this boy, however, which I find suspicious. First and foremost, I do not recognize him. Granted, I have only been with these boys for a week, and I have yet to get to know all of them. It is entirely possible that I simply did not notice him before he joined Tandrix. I will look into it further."

The calmness I'd been feeling seemed to break apart piece by piece with every word. I barely managed to hold back the panic when I realized what the director was reading. He paused to look up at me, his expression confident, as if he knew I would quickly crumble away. He remained like that for a moment, giving me a chance to speak. When I didn't, he turned back to his piece of paper.

"I overheard Lord Tandrix and the boy speaking today, and the boy referred to himself as Finn. I will look into my records for any sign of him." The director paused to flip the page over. "I had the boys practice climbing walls today, and I have realized what it is that unnerves me about this Finn. His Native appearance can easily be attributed to a Native parent, which is common enough among the lesser lords. However, I spoke to him after observing him climb to a roof with no hesitation along the way. He speaks with a distinct Native accent, and particularly he sounds like a Native from the city. During the noon meal I heard him say "Telt," which is a term used mostly by lower class Natives, rarely by upper class Natives, and never by Teltans."

I noticed that I was biting my lip only when I tasted blood. Malte had figured me out so much earlier than I'd thought, but aside from that, I knew the account was condemning. I had been hoping to claim to be an exploring thief who accidentally came across a fight. There was no way the director would believe that now. My mind raced, trying to figure out a way to explain it all away.

"I am planning to take Lord Tandrix and Finn on a trip to the lower city today, to gauge the boy's reaction and mannerisms. I have concluded that he snuck into our headquarters and somehow managed to blend in without anybody noticing. This can be partially explained by his friendship with Tandrix, since many of us, myself included, are hesitant to upset the young lord. I do not believe Tandrix has any idea that his friend does not belong in the Order. The only thing my theory does not explain is the boy's Order ring." The director paused and glanced up to look at my hands. I tensed, then remembered that Tannix had it. "While in the lower city today," he continued, "I noticed that Finn seemed unusually comfortable with the surroundings. Most young lords are confused and mildly disgusted when they see firsthand the way the Natives live. He told me that his name is Finagale, and that he is from a farming villa near Kitsi. It is possible, but unlikely."