Spear of Destiny James Baldwin (free romance novels .TXT) 📖

“Uhh… I didn’t do it.” I held my hands up, Suri looming over my shoulder in confusion.

“No, my Lord, it’s nothing you did. You were at that horrible auction at the winery!” The jeweler exclaimed. “You and the red-haired battlemaiden, you saved my life!”

It took me a moment before it clicked. “Ohh, hey! You were selling accessories at the cocktail party before it turned into a royal clusterfuck. How are you, man? You doing alright?”

“I was most fortunate to escape with my life and limbs intact,” he replied, leaning on the counter as I stopped in front of it. “But thanks to you, I returned to my wife and children in one piece. What about you? Are you still a mercenary for the Royal Court?”

“Nope. Well, kind of? We were both made counts by the new king,” I said. “I’m the Voivode of Myszno, and she’s Voivodzina.”

“And before you apologize for not ‘Your Gracing’ us, don’t sweat it. Neither me or Hector think of ourselves that way,” Suri added.

“A Voivode! Khors’ breath! A title well-deserved, I say.” The man beamed. “Ahh, to think that I knew one of the lords of the realm before he attained his station! And you, lady? Are you well?”

“Doin’ all right. Lost an arm in the fight. The Masterhealer grew it back for me,” she said.

“That is wonderful to hear. The regrowing, not the loss.” The jeweler splayed one long hand over his chest and bowed from the neck. “I am Viel Falka, in case I never introduced myself at the party. What are you looking for?”

“Anything that increases mobility, evasion, stealth, or that protects against knockdown,” I said. “Anything that helps with water elemental resistance.”

“We have some things you might be interested in. And I will give you a substantial discount, in thanks for saving my life.” Viel turned to the wall of drawers behind him, pulling out a number of small boxes. “Let me see... oh yes, this might be good...”

I waited as he came back and laid out the selection of items on the counter, opening the clam-shell boxes so I could scan the contents.

  Improved Brawler’s Wristband

50 Armor

15% Evade

+10 Str and Con

300 gold olbia (25% discount)

Can be upgraded.

Simple wristbands studded with enchanted blue crystal. Ring of Peace

Protects against the Fear and Hypnosis debuffs.

150 gold Olbia (25% discount) Amulet of the Berserker

After receiving 150 points or more of damage, this ring increases your attack power and AP regeneration by 15%.

200 gold Olbia (25% discount) Amulet of the Spark

Boosts AP regeneration by 20%; regenerate 1 point of Adrenaline per minute when outside of combat.

350 gold Olbia (25% discount) Ring of the Ocean

Blessed by priests of Rusalka in their dark rites, this ring offers 15% protection against the Water element.

200 gold Olbia (25% discount)

“I’ll grab them,” I said, looking back to Suri. She nodded.

“Certainly.” Viel closed the boxes and handed them over. “I will have a different selection of between three and five items suitable for Starborn every week—assuming you are only interested in Artificed goods. For normal jewelry, you can simply browse the store selection.”

“What about…” I trailed off as my HUD chirped: a call from Rin. “Sorry, give me a second.”

“No problem.” Viel shrugged.

“Hi guys!” Rin said once we picked up. “Okay, so, I spoke with Ebisa, and she’s fixed a meeting for us at the Viper’s Pit!”

“Sure. When do we meet?” I asked. “And where’s the Viper’s Pit?”

“Oh! It’s the big pit fighting club in the International District. Kind of the hub for the city’s thieves’ guild, too. Anyway, we have to be there after seven p.m., so we have a bit of time. Ebisa said that if you have any questions, you should go back to the castle and ask her.”

“No worries,” I said, looking to Suri. “And thanks. I think we’ll go and do just that.”

Chapter 34

Ebisa was able to confirm what I’d already suspected. Karalti couldn’t fly us to Meewhome. For one thing, the Azure Passage, the trans-oceanic flight to the island, was simply too far for her to make in one trip. For another, Meewhome was a sealed territory. A mini-Caul of Souls protected the claw-shaped island, which lay about two hundred miles south of the Shalid. To pass through the barrier, you had to have a special token of passage linked to the barrier. The token was not something you could fit in your pocket. They were figureheads—literal figureheads, as in, a full-sized sculpture mounted on the bow of an airship. The only way we could get there was to be smuggled in.

That’s how the four of us ended up in the International District at night. Cat Alley, as it was known by the locals, was one of the few genuinely dangerous places in Taltos. The neat cobbled roads and colorful apartments that were the norm in the city ended at the heavily guarded district wall. On the other side was a slum: huts and old rowhouses, lean-tos, covered wagons turned into houses. A sluggish canal ran through Cat Alley, splitting the neighborhood into roughly equal halves. Women and their young children occupied the entry side of the canal, and the other side, closer to the city wall, was where the males lived.

We kept our purses close and our swords closer as we moved through the district, sticking together to deter gangs of sharp, hungry-eyed cutpurses eying us from the shadows. All the while, Cutthroat snorted and huffed, baring her teeth at anyone who looked at her the wrong way. We crossed a bridge and turned down a broad curved street, which ended in a courtyard with high, spike-topped walls. It was lively at this time of night, the air full of the smells of