Masquerades - Kate Novak [100]
The halfling moved toward the window and peered out from the side. "I don't see-wait. Hmmm. Night Masks, nine that I can count. Probably more around the other side of the house. Hanging in the shadows across the street. Surrounding us."
Melman's face went white from shock, making the red markings of his burned mask stand out all the more. "He's found me out already! Those are assassins! I shouldn't have talked to you!" The vintner stood up, looking as if he might try to run past Alias, but Dragonbait pushed him back onto the bed.
"Don't be foolish," Alias snapped, keeping her voice calm and even. "No one knows we're here, and we can't be detected magically. More likely the Faceless had already decided to bring your career to an end. You're lucky we're here to get you out of this."
"Looks like they've gathered a quorum," Olive quipped. They're starting to cross the street."
"They'll soon regret gathering here," Dragonbait said, drawing out his sword.
Alias put a hand on the paladin's arm. "It's better they don't discover we've been here. Faceless won't suspect we've learned anything from Melman. We'll sneak out through the basement. Let's go," she said. Picking up the lantern, she headed for the staircase.
Dragonbait prodded Melman to his feet and out of the bedroom.
"He knows everything," the vintner insisted, his voice climbing an hysterical octave.
"Look, you've been cheating with your phony ledgers for over a year," Olive pointed out, following from behind. "If he knew everything, he'd have killed you sooner. If you just keep your mouth shut and keep moving, we'll get you out of this. No sweat."
They were just coming down the lower flight of stairs when someone began pounding on the front door with a mailed fist and shouting Melman's name.
Dragonbait halted in the front hall and hissed at the door.
Alias pushed Melman toward the secret passage and pulled on the saurial's tunic. "Remember how they burned Jamal's home?" she whispered. "We've got to keep moving."
The paladin growled with displeasure, but he followed Melman down the hall and guided him to the passage behind the statue. As Alias followed behind them, the pounding on the door stopped, replaced by the sound of someone or several someones throwing their shoulders against it. Alias set down the lantern and turned about to usher Olive down the stairs, but the halfling was nowhere in sight.
"Olive!" the swordswoman shouted.
Outside, the Night Masks began smashing windows all around the house, including the transom window over the front door. Something thumped in the dark hall, and Alias could see a tiny flame glowing on the floor. It was the same explosive device the Night Masks had used in the Thalavar warehouse.
The halfling appeared in the doorway of Melman's treasure room, loaded down with two sacks.
"Olive, get down!" Alias screamed, throwing herself at the halfling, knocking her halfway into the treasure room.
The explosion rocked the house, and the noise was deafening. The swordswoman was just rising unsteadily to her knees when a second, third, and fourth bomb went off.
"We've got to get out of here, Olive," Alias shouted, but the halfling did not reply. She was still breathing, but her leg was oozing blood where a piece of twisted metal had cut a gash through the flesh to the bone. There was no time to bind the wound. Alias slung the woman over her shoulder and stumbled to her feet. She cursed under the weight, realizing a good deal of it was gold coin.
Out in the main hall, the wall hangings were ablaze and the house was filling with smoke. Alias took a breath of the still-untainted air of the treasure room and dashed down the hall to the secret panel.
Dragonbait stood at the top of the stairs, anxiously looking for the swordswoman.
"Pull the panel closed behind us," Alias ordered as she half ran, half tumbled down the secret stair with her halfling load.
Dragonbait tugged on the panel, but the statue of Mask had toppled into it, wedging it into place. Sheathing his sword, the saurial moved out into the corridor to shove the statue