Trick of Shadows (The Duskhunter Saga Book 2) by Sara Roethle (free e books to read .TXT) 📕

of putting it, but we don’t even know if that rumor is true. What we do know is that this ledger was filled out nearly to the day she died.” I pulled my braid from being trapped between my back and the edge of the bed we leaned against.

“How do you know which day she died? I assumed it was not as the duke claimed judging by the smell . . . ”

I smiled, glad he’d noticed. “I know mostly from the smell, and the fact that she was moved. Lady Montrant claims she ended her friendship with Charlotte two weeks ago. That is about as long as it would take for a body to get to that stage of decomposition if it was left in a place warmer than the duke’s estate.”

“Why do you think the duke is lying about her death?” he asked.

I shrugged, still looking down at the abbreviated names in the ledger. “Who can say? I think he saw the bites on her neck and figured calling us here would be a good way to cover up what really happened. We would see the bites, hunt down the vampire, and the murder would be solved.”

“So he didn’t count on us actually having brains,” Steifan said caustically.

I laughed. “It is not an uncommon assumption. We are warriors, not scholars.”

Grinning, he gestured down to the ledger. “So what do we do with this?”

I lifted the book and flipped to the final filled-out page. “Just two names on this page. If she made these meetings, they might have been the last two people to see her alive. Tomorrow we try to find them.”

Steifan read the page. “Well I’m not sure how we will locate S.D., but I recognize the second name, J. DeRose. At least I recognize the surname.”

I tilted my head. “Odd, that she would mention a surname when most other names are abbreviated. Do you know any DeRoses in Silgard?”

He cringed. “The DeRose family probably has around one hundred living members, fifty or so of which dwell in the city. Ignoring the children, maybe twenty-five.”

“And how many with the first initial J?” I asked.

“I could not say, but I imagine Bastien will know. The DeRoses are a prominent family.”

I gave the ledger one last look, then shut it. “So tomorrow we will search for J. DeRose. We should get some rest now while we can.”

He lifted a brow. “No more hunting vampires? I assumed you would want to go back out.”

I stood. “Asher claims there are many vampires within the city, we may find one or two, but the chances of finding the one who bit Charlotte are slim. Now that the ledger has provided us with more to go on, I would rather rest, then pursue more likely angles tomorrow.”

Still seated leaning against the bed, Steifan looked up at me. “Do you think Asher could figure out which vampire bit her?”

I tossed the ledger on the foot of the bed, then retrieved the sheathed Seeing Sword where I had left it on the ground beside me. “Even if he could, I would not ask him.”

“But you asked him to steal the ledger.”

I leaned the sword against the head of the bed where I could easily reach it if we were awakened. “He wouldn’t be able to find the vampire,” I sighed. “A bite on a dead woman is not much to go on. Normally when a body turns up, we can hunt the area and find the vampire’s flock. But there are no territory lines here. We cannot pin a death to a certain flock just judging by the location. And like I said, I’m not sure the bite is what killed her.”

He stood and straightened his shirt. “But if Asher could help, you would ask him?”

I narrowed my eyes. “I asked him tonight, did I not? His presence may vex me, but I would not put that above solving this murder.”

He held up his hands in surrender. “My apologies, I did not mean to imply as such.”

“And you will do well to not trust him either,” I forged on. “I may be his human servant, but to him, you are just food. Do not let down your guard around him, nor any vampire.”

Steifan fetched the lantern from the ground, then moved around the bed to set it on the windowsill. “Believe as you like, but I’m quite sure he won’t harm me, because I am important to you.”

I flopped down on the bed, nestling the back of my head against a pillow. “Every part of that sentence is irritating to me.”

He walked to his side of the bed and plopped down beside me. “Are you more irritated that I am important to you, or that Asher so obviously cares?”

There was no way I was answering either of those questions. “Remember when I told you to be careful around Asher?” I asked evenly.

“Yes, that was only moments ago.”

I smiled sourly up at the ceiling. “Well you should be even more careful around me, I’m just as likely to tear your heart out.”

He laughed, then got up to extinguish the lantern.

I shook my head, smiling in the sudden darkness. Steifan really believed I wouldn’t tear out his heart. Maybe I was going soft.

Chapter Six

As promised, Bastien met us in the square an hour after dawn. I almost didn’t recognize him without the duke’s showy livery.

I said as much as he approached where we stood just outside the inn.

Looking down at his boots, he tugged the hem of his tan tunic. “I reckoned you’d not like me drawing any extra stares.”

I realized I’d embarrassed him, and it really was smart for him to dress in less conspicuous clothing. His tunic and breeches, while well-made, were unremarkable. He did not stand out in the markets, nor would he be noticeable amongst peasants. He would obviously still be recognized in the White Quarter, but there it would not matter as much. There everyone already knew what