Exploitable Weaknesses by Brian Keller (red queen free ebook txt) 📗

wondered who she should tell. The professor would certainly be interested but she had no interest in reviving that particular relationship nor in going out in the storm to pursue the matter. She rose and dressed, knowing that she had almost no chance of going back to sleep now. She could feel that he was to the east. The Waterfront District, perhaps even the Wharf City. She smiled as she considered how much she’d learned about the city since she’d been free of the University’s shackles. She had no doubt that University life appealed to many, but those would be the scholars and mages. She could have qualified to be either, or even both for that matter, but the University had decided against developing those capabilities in her. “I suppose they felt it might make me difficult to manage.” She smirked at the irony of it, “Now that they’ve alienated me, I’m in a position to help further their goals, but there’s no one around to tell.”

She left her room to walk the halls. She could hear the winds howling from somewhere further down the corridor. Perhaps she’d venture to the kitchen. Someone was always awake there. In that regard, the cooks were more dependable than the guards.

Long before she reached the kitchen she felt a familiar tingle and began to smell freshly baked bread and hints of a sweet smell she couldn’t identify at first… honeysuckle! She stopped walking and looked around. There was no one nearby. She reached out and immediately detected him, “Felis. Step out of that alcove where you’re tucked away. You want me to know you’re there. You did that on purpose.” Felis stepped out into the lit corridor. He gave a short, semi-formal bow, “So glad you decided to take a walk. You’ve moved rooms since I was here last, and I wasn’t certain where I might find you.” Iona answered his bow with one of her own and replied, “The Gifted young man, Cooper, is exercising his abilities. That woke me.” Felis smiled, “I’m not surprised. In fact, that likely coincides with why I’ve come.” He paused to gauge her interest. She said nothing since she knew he hadn’t come all this way only to remain silent. He had more to say, and he would, in his own time. Felis watched her for almost a minute before he spoke again. When he did, it a simple question, “Do you trust me?” She thought about it before she replied, “I shouldn’t, but I do.” Felis nodded, “That’s fair. Will you come with me now? I want to show you something.” She almost repeated herself, “I shouldn’t, but I will. I’ll get dressed. You’d best come with me. You might find it difficult explaining yourself to any guards that find you lurking in the halls.” Felis shrugged, “They don’t usually see me, but I’ll follow along. That way I’ll know which room is yours.” She didn’t have to turn and look at him to know that he was grinning at her.

Once they were in her room she gathered her clothes and stepped behind a curtain. While she changed, she asked, “Where are you taking me?” Felis hesitated for a moment as he considered his reply, “You’ve already agreed to go with me, so I suppose there’s no reason to keep it a secret. We’re going to Miller’s Flats.”

*****

The guard had tucked himself against the wall in an effort to hide from the wind and rain. Kinsman had told everyone that they needed to spare the lives of the guards whenever possible, and he meant it. Killing Lukasi agents, drug dealers and slavers was one thing. Killing guards for simply doing their jobs was something else entirely. He had very few darts remaining that had been coated with Debilitas, a paralyzing poison that Miss Camilla and Aden had developed. It wouldn't be possible to replace his supply until Miss Camilla had a working laboratory again, and even then Miss Camilla had admitted that Debilitas was mostly Aden's creation. Without his notes, she doubted whether she could reliably recreate it. Kinsman used one of those precious darts now. The guard woke when he felt the jab and had time enough for a sharp intake of breath and the beginning of an exclamation, “Wha-!?” The panicked expression in the man's eyes spoke volumes. Kinsman pulled one of the furs over the man's face and spoke into his ear, “In ten or twenty minutes you'll be fine again. We'll tie you up now because we'll be here longer than that. You'll be spared as long as you don't cause problems. Make trouble and you'll be fish food.”

He searched the guard for the gate key and came away with an entire ring of keys hanging from a hook on the man's belt. As he gazed at the collected jumble he estimated between fifty and seventy keys. “Which of these could possibly be the gate key?” he wondered. He answered himself, “The shiniest. It'll be the one most used.” He sifted through the keys and picked the first well-used key he found. His Guild mates gathered around the door when they saw him on the other side. The keyhole of the gate had a small, hinged flap that covered the keyhole. He pushed it aside. The key went in without difficulty but it wouldn't turn. He looked through the remaining keys and selected one that had an additional polished mark that corresponded with the metal protective flap. That key turned and he pulled the gate open with a creak of metal-on-metal.

He hadn't noticed it until he turned to face into the prison, depending on where you stood, the gateway passage acted as a wind tunnel. He stepped to the right, near the subdued guard, and held up the keys, “I think the cells run along the inside perimeter, but that's just a guess. There's no way for us to know which keys open which