The Gadget: The Rondon Chronicles Book One V. Timlin (mobi reader .txt) 📖

pedestrians, releasing Anouk from the spell. Her knees buckled and she staggered back, causing her heel to hit a step—she plumped down on it.

Vari came and sat next to her. “What’s the matter? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Anouk wrapped her arms around herself. “I saw Stalo.”

Vari stiffened and cast her eyes around. “What? Where?”

“Moments ago.” Anouk nodded towards where she had seen him. “He was standing just there. Then…” she closed her eyes and swallowed before opening them again. “…he walked away.”

“Why didn’t you say something?” There was no accusation in Vari’s voice, only concern.

“I…I…” Anouk started, but her throat tightened. Sobs shook her body and she buried her face into her hands.

Putting her arms around Anouk’s shoulder, Vari helped her up. “Not here,” Vari whispered in her ear. “Hold it until we get to somewhere private.”

Anouk gritted her teeth and nodded. Yes, Vari was right, a public breakdown was exactly what Stalo would want.

A horse-drawn carriage stopped next to them. As soon as the driver got the cabin door open, Anouk scrambled in as fast as she could and collapsed on the seat, her mind numb with shock. Vari sat next to her, but said nothing.

Anouk stared out of the window without seeing anything as the carriage joined the stream of other vehicles. Stalo had found her. Chilling proof of Nat’s warning that Stalo wouldn’t let it go until he had killed her. If he found her this easily, there was no way she could go back to London before he was either executed or someone killed him. She closed her eyes. It really sucked to be a loose end where death was the only way out—for both parties.

A touch to her knee startled her back to the moment. Vari gave her an apologetic smile. “It’s sometimes hard to get a steam carriage in the city centre. They are so popular.”

“This is good.” Anouk smiled back, thanking Vari in her mind for choosing a more mundane topic. In truth, she was relieved they hadn’t caught a vehicle that needed coal to run; it had already wracked her nerves to travel on one into the city centre, and she wanted no more excitement.

The clip-clop of horse hooves had a soothing effect, and as she calmed, Anouk was able to concentrate again.

“Isn’t it strange that Stalo showed up in front of the constabulary headquarters? I mean, his escape has been reported in the papers, and his wanted posters seem to be on every corner. Why isn’t he afraid the enforcers or bounty hunters will capture him?”

Vari nodded, her expression solemn. “It has to have something to do with those two soldiers of his.”

“He was wearing a gentleman’s suit.”

“Was he? Well, then it could mean he has acquired decent lodgings and a wealthy supporter, or he had some money stashed away. Since two of his old ‘friends’ have been spotted, there may be more around.”

Anouk was scared. Not only did Stalo have his old men around, but he might already have secured new allies. The way she saw it, her chances of getting back home alive had shrunk, nearing non-existent. Clenching her hands together in her lap, she forced herself to stop right there—she wasn’t dead yet. She was surrounded by three capable bounty hunters, she was armed, and she was a fighter. Hell, no, she wasn’t going to be giving up without a fight.

“Either way, he seems to have reasons to be confident then.”

“Aye,” Vari grunted. “But it’s not over yet.”

The knot in Anouk’s stomach loosened. Indeed, it wasn’t over yet.

Anouk hurried to change the subject before Vari’s early pragmatism could smash her faint glimmer of hope. “Every enforcer we spoke to was rude, including the chief constable. Are they always that cranky and curt?”

“Well, it depends.”

“On what?”

“On whom they are dealing with. If we had been two high-ranking Anglean males, they would have spread a golden carpet out for us. But we are two women, one Ulda and… well, you look an Anglean, apart from your eyes.” Vari gave a wry smile and continued, “And we are bounty hunters. So, not exactly the kind of people they care that much about.”

“Aren’t there other women bounty hunters?”

“Oh, yes, there are, but not as many and most of them are Ulda. And as I told you, Angleans care little about us Ulda.”

“Racism and sexism, always a ‘charming’ combination.”

“How is it in your world?”

“It depends. In some places it’s better, in others, the same or worse.”

Vari nodded, but didn’t pursue the topic further.

“How long have Angleans ruled the Ulda?”

“Several hundred years. There are legends how they were led to this land—that was supposedly empty—by Henraeik One Foot, their national hero. In reality, there was no empty land. The Ulda had lived here from ancient times. Angleans came over the sea and took everything by force—with steel and fire.”

An edge of bitterness had entered Vari’s tone. Anouk winced. “I’m sorry,” she muttered, not knowing what else to say.

Vari patted her knee with a smile. “It’s all ancient history; there is nothing to be sorry about.”

Anouk hesitated for a moment. “How have you managed to keep your culture?”

“Well, it hasn’t been easy, but I guess we are just stubborn.” Vari chuckled. “Also, it has helped that although Angleans are conquerors and militarily superior, they’ve had rather a weak government, until the current king that is. They’ve been squabbling among themselves more than trying to squash us. Furthermore, the Angleans don’t consider us important enough to deal with.”

Anouk was about to ask other questions when the carriage stopped.

“We are here,” Vari announced.

The cool shadiness of the park was welcoming after the bright, hot streets. Fitzwil sat on the steps of the caravan, smoking a pipe and looking in their direction. The smoke obscured his face, preventing Anouk from reading his expression. She couldn’t see Nat either. Maybe he was inside.

“Is Nat back?” Vari called.

“No,” Fitzwil replied.

Anouk felt distraught, while Vari said something that sounded like a curse, but in a language Anouk hadn’t heard