Masquerades - Kate Novak [37]
Alias's brow furrowed in puzzlement. "Lord Dhostar made me a job offer only an hour ago. How did you find out?"
"Picked it up on the street," Olive said. "Mistress Ruskettle!" the Thalavar shipping clerk called out.
"Just a minute, Drew," she responded. "Look, I have to attend to some things. You can reach me at House Thalavar."
Olive joined the Thalavar shipping clerk, and the pair escorted the customs inspector aboard the Thalavar ship.
Alias gave a mock shudder. "Olive as a respectable member of the community. The Time of Troubles was less confusing."
"Aye," Dragonbait agreed.
"So, what do you think?" Alias asked the paladin. "About what?"
"Should we accept Dhostar's offer?"
Dragonbait sighed. He ran his fingertips down the tattoo on her right arm, the tattoo that had first bound them together. "Alias, you must make this decision for yourself," he said. "You have many reasons to remain. Although you did not really grow up here, Finder put it in your heart to feel it was home. You still need to try to discover why he choose Jamal's face as that of your memory mother. Olive is here. You could sing together again. And, of course, I know you would thrive on challenging the Night Masks."
Alias bit her lower lip and fought back a wave of sadness. Dragonbait had been her companion from the day she'd been created. He was more a father to her than Finder had been. "But you're leaving Westgate, aren't you?" she asked.
"I wish to return home to CopperBloom and my family. I don't expect you to feel obligated to return with me, and I don't want you to feel you cannot stay without me. You have many friends here already. I will stay with you for ten days, whether you choose to work for the croamarkh or not. But I will not work for him."
"Because of Kimbel?" Alias asked.
"Kimbel is part of it, yes. More importantly, I don't think the croamarkh is worthy of my services. I will serve you, though, as best I can, while I am still here."
Alias sniffed the air about them. Dragonbait's emotions had perfumed it heavily with the smell of lemons and roses. "You're both happy and sad," she laughed.
"Parents always feel that way when they kick their children out of the nest," Dragonbait explained. "Dhostar's son is returning."
Brushing a tear from her eye, Alias turned about in time to see Victor running down the gangplank of the Dhostar ship. His momentum carried him nearly into Alias. He stopped inches away from her. He stood looking down at her for a moment before he stepped back with a flush on his face. Running his fingers through his hair to brush it off his face, he made an embarrassed apology for nearly running her down.
"I don't fall down so easily, Lord Victor," Alias replied with a grin. "Shall we continue our stroll? Dragonbait and I were both enjoying it."
"Yes," Victor replied. "We should make for the Harbor Tower. There's a spectacular view of the city from the top."
Alias nodded, and the three left the pier and set out for the lighthouse that marked the harbor entrance. Looking south, across the harbor, the city lay spread out before them, rising from the water to the high wall. Alias could not remember seeing any other city with so magnificent a view of itself as Westgate.
"So," Victor began, "what can I tell you to convince you to join us in our fight against the Night Masks?"
"You should tell me the truth, whether it convinces me or not," Alias replied. With an ever so slightly flirtatious grin, she asked, "If I accept this post, will you continue to be my liaison to the croamarkh?"
"Oh, yes," Victor said. "I'll be the man to handle any problems for you. Father would hardly delegate this matter to Kimbel."
"Tell me about Kimbel," Alias said.
"Um, well." Victor