The Howling Delve - Jaleigh Johnson [92]
The Shadow Thieves wove a complex web around their organization, relying on anonymity to protect their power bases. At least, when Balram had served Morel, he knew where his superior's authority began and ended. How much control could they truly have over their own lives if they didn't even know the identities of their masters?
"Do you have such strong faith in your family?" Aazen said, aware even as he asked it that the question had multiple layers.
Balram cook his meaning. "I would trust them, and you, with my life," he said without hesitation.
Aazen nodded. "Then I'll see to the Delve," he said, "and to Kail."
Balram watched his son's retreating back. He said, pitching his voice low, "I've already arranged to send a second party."
Daen stepped into the room, taking a seat on one of the dusty sofas. His bulk had diminished somewhat over the years, but any rumors that the Shadow Thief s heart was in any way failing him found themselves quickly and brutally squelched. "You believe he will betray you again, after all this time?"
"Once was enough," said Balram. "I'll not be blinded to him again."
"Ah, but you can't beat the lad into submission anymore," Daen pointed out. "And if he discovers you don't truly trust him, it may send him over the edge. This course of action may come back to bite you at the heel, my friend. How can you hope to stop him if he decides to go his own way?"
"By using any number of my other sons or daughters," Balram replied. "Those I've trained for a decade and more."
"The Shadow Thieves will support you," Daen agreed, "but that one is your blood. I wonder if you can forsake him so casually?"
"We'll see," said Balram.
In truth, Daen did not care whether the father or the son prevailed in this, yet he sensed in Aazen a fascinating strength: the ability to survive, even to thrive, under the most unique and terrible strain. The boy had lived in a hole in the ground and in the countless Hells of his father's making; yet he'd come out whole, or nearly so.
Daen had recruited runaways and child-cutpurses barely surviving on the streets, but most hadn't lived long and none ever knew who held their leads. Aazen had known that murderers and thieves protected him ever since he was a boy. He was a child of the Shadow Thieves, if such a thing existed. Daen didn't know if that meant a long and prosperous career within their ranks awaited Aazen, or a quick death, but he decided it would be fascinating to find out. Through experience, Daen had learned to pay close attention to the people who fascinated him, whether they were intelligent, greedy, sane, or mad. The ability to read people, to judge their actions and worth, was what made Daen so successful at what he did. And the Kottrun family had made him a very rich man indeed.
Dantane trailed behind Meisha as they caught up to the others. Ahead, the passage widened into a chamber comparable in size to the portal room. The path dead-ended abruptly in a wall of loose dirt and rubble.
"This is where we came in. No need to fetch shovels," Talal said sardonically.
"Boy's right," said Morgan. "You won't be tunneling through that, not with magic on it."
"I'm not disagreeing," said Garavin. He scratched his thick sideburns as he eyed the wall. "Though he might relish the challenge."
"Who?" asked Talal.
The dwarf grinned at the boy. "Ye'll see." He handed Dantane a tightly wrapped scroll sealed in green wax and bearing the imprint of an open hand lying upon an anvil.
Kail tecognized the seal of the Fallstone clan. As a boy, he'd seen it depicted on several documents in Garavin's map room.
Dantane unrolled the parchment and read for several breaths, nodding as if he'd seen similar text befote.
"Clear enough?" asked Gatavin.
"You'te certain you can control this?" asked the wizard. "There's no time to consttuct a summoning circle."
"It's not a summoning in the traditional sense," said the dwarf.