His sudden exclamation pulled Gorgo from his meditative trance. The warrior was instantly at his side, crouching, eyes tracking Cade’s pointed finger toward the distant estate.

  “Shit, you’re right!” Gorgo slapped his forehead with a sharp smack, his voice a low rumble of frustration and dawning realization. “A transportation formation makes perfect sense for a group of people who want to keep their comings and goings secret. Why didn’t I think of it? Many rich households in Kettle have them, though most are limited in range. We could have wasted weeks watching this bloody place and been none the wiser.”

  Cade started pacing, giving voice to his rapidly emerging thoughts.

  “Like you said, it’s essentially a spring cottage, or quite possibly a decoy meant to make them appear rather poor, at least by noble standards. The guards are here all the time to both protect the formation and any of the family members, if and when they decide to show up. I’m guessing they don’t announce themselves. More importantly,” Cade reasoned, a sharp glint in his eye, “this tells me that formation is very important.”

  “Makes sense. Are we staying or going back?” Gorgo asked, following the question with a deep, jaw-cracking yawn. Neither of them had slept for the last two days.

  “Let’s return to Kettle. We’re not going to fight the whole garrison, and since the mansion likely isn’t their primary residence, we could be here for a long time. I think it makes more sense to keep an eye on the human slave traders instead.”

  “That’s a lot riskier, though,” Gorgo countered. “A day, maybe two, is fine, but any more than that and you’ll start to stick out like a sore thumb.”

  Cade’s brow furrowed, and he resumed his restless pacing. “That’s a fair point. Crap, I knew it wouldn’t be easy to get this bastard,” he swore in a rush of frustration.

  “Wait!” Gorgo exclaimed, squinting. “I think someone just stepped out onto the balcony.” He pointed in the direction of the mansion’s left wing, where a slim silhouette stood out against the background, illuminated from behind by the soft glow of the blazing fireplace.

  Cade immediately focused his weary eyes, the muscles around them aching from the strain. Upon noticing a young, brown-haired woman dressed in a richly embroidered gown, his lips stretched into a wide smile that didn’t touch his eyes.

  “Well spotted. It’s a little too far to be certain, but King’s description matches her well enough. In all likelihood, this is young Miss Veronica. It seems our luck isn’t too bad after all.”

  “I think you should invite her out,” Gorgo said with a big grin.

  “You’re right. Since she decided to show up, she should at least stay for a chat,” Cade snickered menacingly. “By the way, how do you like my new disguise?” he asked, pulling out an intricately crafted mask made of dark, non-reflective metal. He passed the face shield to his friend.

  Gorgo examined the object in his hands, its weight surprisingly solid, the metal cool against his palms. His eyes sparkled with appreciation. “Great craftsmanship. The design isn’t necessarily my thing, but you can tell it’s very old. Possibly an ancient work of art, maybe part of some armor set. Or it could be something an assassin once owned,” he said, returning the mask.

  “I found it by accident in one of the antique stores while shopping for old books. Most of their stuff is usually rubbish, but this… It’s like the mask was waiting for me. It even fits perfectly.” Cade chuckled, the sound devoid of true humor. “Don’t even ask how much I paid; it hurts to think about it.” His tone turned grim as he put on the mask. “My Master once said that those who insist on taking innocent lives shouldn’t be surprised when the reaper knocks on their door. This is called karmic retribution. There's just one problem: karma works far too slow to my liking.”

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  While the mansion grounds were patrolled and its entrances guarded, anyone who took a closer look would soon realize none of the soldiers were paying much attention to their surroundings.

  There are many guards, but they aren’t doing much guarding. They patrol, but they aren’t vigilant. Cade confirmed this as his enhanced eyesight picked out the details while he circled the estate. They didn’t even bother to light half the torches. It’s like they’re doing the bare minimum expected of them. As long as I stay quiet, I should be able to get in and out without anyone noticing.

  High above, Gorgo hovered directly above the mansion, his speeder a dark cutout against the cloudy sky, low enough to observe but high enough to be practically invisible. A long rope was tied to his craft, ready to be dropped in case things went sideways and Cade couldn't mount his own flier.

  After finding a perfect spot to approach the mansion’s left wing, Cade scaled the twenty-foot stone wall in a single, fluid leap. After ensuring the immediate area was clear, he jumped down into the shadows, landing with a soft rustle in a small, unwatched corner of the garden where the overgrown grass reached his waist.

  Cade waited patiently for half an incense stick of time as the patrol passed, their crude jokes about local prostitutes grating in the tense silence. Once they were gone, he made his way toward the outer edge of the left wing. He swiftly climbed the fifty-foot-tall building, his fingers and toes finding purchase in the rough-hewn stone, reaching the roof quicker than most people would take to briskly walk the same distance. Crouching, he quietly made his way toward the inner edge, the section overlooking Veronica’s balcony.

  Cade waited for another patrol to pass, then quietly climbed down the short distance to the balcony floor and once again assumed a crouching position. After approaching the thickly framed window, he carefully took a peek inside the chamber.

  It was undoubtedly a woman’s room. The walls were draped with colorful embroidered fabrics, several mannequins were dressed in precious gowns, and in the corner stood a large vanity mirror cluttered with countless small containers.

  The brown-haired woman under the covers appeared to be sleeping soundly. The fireplace was still burning strong, so it was unlikely a servant would be coming this way anytime soon.

  With utmost caution, Cade lightly pushed on the balcony’s double doors. It took him another half an incense stick of time to carefully ease them apart enough to safely pass through while carrying a body. He couldn’t risk the old hinges groaning and awakening the woman or alerting the guards below.

  Like a wild cat stalking its prey, he slipped inside the room without making a sound. After approaching the bed, Cade slowly stood up, his pale shadow falling on the sleeping woman’s rather unattractive face. He had the impression it was frozen in a permanent scowl, and not even sleep had managed to relax those taut facial muscles. Similar to her brother, she also bore pockmarks, though hers weren’t as pronounced.

  He was finally sure this was the right person.

  Placing his hand firmly over Veronica’s mouth, he slammed his fist into her temple. It struck with the dull, meaty thud of a sledgehammer, and her skull audibly cracked under the brutal impact.

  Cursing internally, Cade quickly checked the woman’s pulse, breathing out in relief as he felt the faint, steady beat. She was his best chance at catching Griswold off-guard. He pulled the young Brightheart woman out of her bed, dropping her unceremoniously onto the stone floor. He then fixed the sheets to make the bed appear unused before throwing her limp form over his shoulder. With his current strength, her hundred-something pounds were inconsequential; he barely registered the weight.

  Lastly, he quickly searched through the loose jewelry lying on the night table, picking up a gorgeous golden band richly engraved and encrusted with eight diamonds. A well-controlled trickle of blood qi told him everything he needed to know—this was a superior-quality storage ring. It was protected by the owner's spiritual mark, a problem easily solved at a later time.

  Cade carefully approached the balcony window, waiting patiently for the guards to pass. Once their boisterous laughter faded into the distance, he confidently jumped up onto the roof, his feet landing silently on its rough surface. Crouching in the stillness, the young Asura waited for a couple of breaths, ensuring no one had noticed or heard him. A moment later, he moved towards the outer edge of the building, stepping softly and steadily with Veronica’s body hanging over his shoulder.

  Hearing another patrol below, Cade crouched down and exercised his patience. After the two guardsmen finally disappeared behind the corner, he scaled the wall down supporting himself with one arm—an easy feat for him—then quickly crossed the distance separating him from the small, overgrown patch of the garden.

  Taking a final look at the mansion’s narrow windows to ensure there were no wandering eyes around, Cade smoothly leaped over the wall, disappearing into the night.