Jade looked as though he’d bitten into a lemon. “None,” he said, curtly. “Randor won’t let either of you live.”
Emily looked from one to the other. Jade was right, they had to take the chance to link up with the Levellers, but…Cat was also right. They could be walking straight into a trap. The Levellers might have been subverted to the point that they were nothing more than an appendage of the crown. And yet…she could see their point too. They’d be terrified about exposing themselves to the king. Randor wouldn’t hesitate to purge them too if they were arrested. The advantages in reaching out to other rebels were balanced by the dangers of revealing themselves to the wrong people.
“We can do it,” she said, trying to project a confidence she didn’t feel. “And, while we’re setting up the meeting, we start looking for other options.”
Cat sighed, heavily. “Jade…if we meet them, and they’re real, what are we going to tell them?”
“We get their help,” Jade said. He looked determined, but Emily could see an undercurrent of desperation. Jade wasn’t used to being helpless. “And if there is a price, we pay it. Later.”
Emily had an odd flicker of déjà vu, remembering when Imaiqah–and Paren–had introduced Alassa and her to the men who wanted a greater say in affairs, the men who’d risked everything to fight for their king in exchange for promises…promises that had never been kept. Jade was right and wrong; there would be a price, but it might not be one he was willing to pay. The Levellers wouldn’t be fooled again.
“We’ll talk about it later,” she said. They’d have to talk about concessions…although, right now, none of them were in any position to make concessions. “When is the meeting?”
“Probably at least two days from now,” Master Abrams said. “I’ll have to tell them you’re interested, then…they’ll have to set up a meeting place. I don’t know where they’ll have in mind, I’m afraid. Somewhere where they can have a secret conversation without arousing suspicion.”
“Here would be ideal,” Jade said. “They could rely on you to guarantee their safety.”
“Not for them,” Master Abrams said. “Too few ways in and out of the area. An alert force of guards could block all the exits before we knew they were there. They’d want somewhere a little more public.”
“Public,” Cat repeated.
“It’ll make it harder for the guards to seal all the ways out without being noticed,” Master Abrams pointed out. “And there’s a risk of triggering off a riot if they start setting up barricades in the wrong place. But they’ll let us know.”
Cat met Emily’s eyes. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Emily looked back at him, evenly. “Do we have a choice?”
“No,” Jade said. “And we’ll go into the meeting with our eyes wide open.”
Chapter Sixteen
“A BROTHEL,” CAT MUTTERED, AS THEY STRODE towards the building. Night was falling, but the streets were crammed with people. “Why am I not surprised?”
Emily shrugged, smoothing down her loose pants as she looked around. Two days–two days of haggling with information brokers while waiting for the Levellers to get back in touch with them–had taken their toll. She’d had far too much time to think about all the ways the meeting could go horrifically wrong, but the need to do something–anything–had been gnawing at her too. Jade had paced the room like a caged lion, alternatively dreaming up wild plans for breaking into the Tower or snapping at Emily and Cat for not coming up with anything. She wished he could accompany them, even though she knew the dangers. It would give him something to do.
And instead, he’s watching from a distance, she thought. It was a compromise, one that had satisfied no one. She would have been happier if Jade was a long way away, just in case something went badly wrong. He’ll intervene if we run into trouble.
She studied the brothel as they circled the building, noting the three entrances at the front–all guarded by masked men–and the more discreet exits into the alleyway behind. A man who exited the brothel could claim, with a straight face, that he’d merely taken a wrong turning, although Emily rather doubted his wife would believe a word of it. Sailors were known for frequenting brothels, even if they were married. The sexual liberty they’d never dream of allowing their wives was theirs for the taking.
They walked up to the largest door–the one advertizing the most expensive whores–and held out the card they’d been given. The bouncer inspected it for a long moment, then motioned for them to enter the building and walk up the stairs. Emily glanced at Cat, who shrugged. She reached out with her senses as she started to climb, looking for possible traps. Apart from a handful of obscurification wards, there was no magic in the building at all. She hoped that was a good sign.
Not a bad place to meet, she thought, as she reached the top of the stairs. A single door was gaping open, inviting them to step inside. The others were closed. Their occupants wouldn’t open them until their customer had finished and left, guaranteeing their privacy. There’d be a riot if the guards tried to storm the building and arrest us.
She braced herself, readying a spell, then walked into the room. It was empty, save for a king-sized bed and a small drinks cabinet set against the wall. A man with tanned, vaguely Arabic skin stood at the far end of the wall, clearly ready to bolt down the back staircase as quickly as possible. She looked at him as she removed her scarf, allowing her hair to fall around her shoulders. He looked surprisingly familiar. His curly dark hair reminded her of Imaiqah.
“Lady Emily,” he said. The accent was strikingly familiar too. “I wish I was meeting you again under better circumstances.”
“Me too,” Emily said. The man was related to Imaiqah. She’d bet good money on it. “I’m afraid you have the advantage over me, sir…”
The man laughed, harshly. “Tam,” he said, simply. “Imaiqah is my cousin.”
Emily nodded. Imaiqah had a lot of cousins, too many for Emily to keep straight. She didn’t know how Imaiqah managed to remember all of her relatives, let alone make sure to send a small present for their birthdays. If Tam had ever been mentioned to her, she didn’t remember. She hoped Tam didn’t realize just how ignorant she was of him.
“It’s good to see you again,” she lied. “And I’m glad that you escaped the king.”
Her mind raced. Tam must have seen her, probably when she’d attended a couple of family gatherings as Imaiqah’s guest, but she didn’t recall seeing him before. Perhaps he’d been nothing more than a face in the background. His features suggested a considerable amount of mixed blood, more than most locals might be prepared to tolerate. She rather suspected he preferred to spend his time in Beneficence. No one made fun of people with uncommon features there.
Tam came forward. “I think you need to close the door, then we can talk.” He glanced at Cat sharply, then looked back at Emily. “I hired this room for the night, and paid well over the base rate, but someone will talk…”
“I understand,” Emily said. She wished she knew Tam better. “How…what happened to the rest of your family?”
“The majority managed to flee, when we heard the king was coming after us,” Tam said, morbidly. “Others…got swept up in the general purge of the Levellers or were killed resisting arrest. I managed to get most of the womenfolk out of the city before the king put watchers on the docks, but…we lost a few people. It wasn’t a good time.”
Emily shivered. “And yourself?”
“I had to remain behind,” Tam said. “The Levellers needed me.”
“Good,” Emily said. “Have you heard anything about Imaiqah?”
“Only that she went into the Tower” Tam looked worried, just for a moment. “Beyond that…nothing.”