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"I want you and Tanik to pro you can to keep Bal Piaras off of this island" I looked from one of theardless of where he is--or how long it takes Promise me"

Phaelan’s dark eyes were solemn "I swear to you that Piaras will not leave this island without me--and Taltek Balmorlan will not leave this island alive"

"That’s all I could possibly ask for Thank you"

I looked down at the embassy captain Tanik’s boys had done clean work, but they hadn’t been gentle

"Captain Ratharil is going to have one hell of a headache when he corinned "By the time that happens, he’ll be blindfolded and kept literally in the dark about where he is I’ for trouble in the cities where I do business When we’re finished with him, the boys will dump him in an alley, loosen his knots, and run like hell"

I knelt behind the guard and lifted one of his eyelids Dark green eyes, a few freckles, strong features, slight stubble on his face He hadn’t shaved today I hoped that didn’t violate souard rule With my luck, it would

"Could you stand hiet a look at all of hiet it Plus I need to see how tall he is"

"Ask and receive," he said brightly "Boys, you heard the lady Stand our guest up"

They stood him up and held hih the same process that I had with Phaelan When I looked in the mirror on the salon’s wall, I sao Captain Baran Ratharils

I straightened entle and authoritative I detected a hint of arrogant jerk Wonderful Ratharil was probably an asshole, hated by one and all

Phaelan stepped up and hugged , cousin"

I wore a large cloak until I’d cleared the harbor area, and once I got within a half mile of the embassy, I ditched it and walked briskly the rest of the way I didn’t go too fast, but Captain Ratharil didn’t see, either in himself or anyone else I combined Mychael’s confident stride with a touch of Phaelan’s swagger Soht forhat put the pride in Phaelan’s stride There were entirely toothe front of e to adjust myself every few steps Whenever I’d seen a ; now I found it absolutely necessary I ducked down a side street, reached down, and did what a otta do

Whoa

When I ca a little er in Ratharil’s step

True to his word, Tanik didn’t just tell me about the embassy base While I had waited for his boys to bring uard to copy, I memorized the plans--especially the fastest ways out of there If it involved survival, it was a what I could memorize Lucky for me, there were several likely routes

I o blocks from the embassy when I saw the Guardians

They were armed and armored for patrol I wasn’t sure if Guardians routinely patrolled the city, but that’s what it looked like they were doing now Even if Mychael knehere Piaras was being held, there wasn’t a da he could do about it The elven eh Mychael was an elf, he was also paladin of the Conclave Guardians He couldn’t enter the embassy in an official capacity, let alone search the place Taltek Bal the guards, had diploh the elven legal syste everywhere for me and Piaras--that is if he’d been able to leave Justinius’s bedside-- if the archus was still alive I hoped he was, and not just for Mid’s sake I liked the old guy The Guardians co for us Carnades’s orders

I wanted to duck into the shadows, but I had to remind myself that I wasn’t me, at least not to these four Guardians I didn’t know any of theood I also didn’t knohat the relationship was between Guardians and elven e a captain--butmale--I decided that direct eye contact was called for Not confrontational, but not evasive, either The Guardians ith a give-us-an-excuse-to-beat-the-crap-out-of-you look

So uard relations

As we approached each other on the narrow sidewalk, the Guardians didn’t , so e passed each other and one of the Guardian’s shoulders rammed into runted with the ier between the shoulder blades once I was past the to ht, but the elven e a full-scale attack at anya little insecure this evening He had Piaras No one had me That had to make the inquisitor just a tad bit nervous He knehat I was capable of, and he kne I felt about Piaras The guards patrolling the battle Ias much like Captain Baran Ratharil as I knehen I crossed the street and approached the eates

There were a uardhouse next to the warded gate I saluted the nored the lieutenants It felt like what Ratharil would do The major responded with a sharp salute, as did the lieutenants after they’d snapped to attention A disciplined and alert group of guys Just what I didn’t need

While I waited for the ward to open to admit me, I tried to clear le Taltek Balmorlan and kick Giles Keril’s bony butt from here to the harbor I was Captain Baran Ratharil, it had been a long day, it was after ht, and I was tired