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paid subtle visits to palace guests and encouraged a
delightfully adamant rumor that the palace was
haunted; they d sent them home making holy signs on
their chests, haunting them a ways down the road; they
had stirred up uneasiness by shadowing guests on their
guarded, reputably safe journeys to the palace&
That was all they ever dared do to irk the royal
family, however. It was too much exposure, too much of
a risk.
Had they been afraid? Clevwrith wondered that
now, marveling over the nature of the thought. Curious,
but it seemed that was so; those associated with the
crown intimidated the spies. It had never quite occurred
to him before. That s where he was different, he realized
distinctly.
He wasn t afraid of anything.
Did Despiris get scared? Now that it was a
possibility, he supposed it would be good to know.
Maybe he would ask. She d only ever seemed eager to
throw herself in danger s path, matching his own
feelings.
A barely distinct breeze slid over his skin, more of an
intuition as the real breeze slid over his clothing. He
looked up at Despiris. She was getting better at entering
discreetly.
Have you eluded them? Clevwrith asked her
simply.
They didn t give chase, but they know there are two
of us now. Despiris thought she saw amusement cross
his face, but had the out-of-place suspicion again that it
was disguised pride.
Clevwrith looked her up and down, in a way that
made her feel his eyes. Welcome to the game.
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Des smiled. What are the rules, Spylord?
Rules, Clevwrith said with a dark twinkle in his
eye, are forbidden.
Despiris s smile widened keenly. She liked the sound
of that. When does the fun start?
Soon, Clevwrith promised, amused.
He didn t always want to talk much, Despiris knew.
It was best to leave him to his silence. Who knew what
ingenious thoughts twined through his intricate,
brilliant mind? She had an idea of those thoughts,
unlike anyone else, but she had to wonder at their
unreachable extent.
This time, however, Clevwrith wasn t finished. He
had gone without human interaction for a long time,
resigned to the lifeless shadows of his legacy, but
perhaps he was finally getting used to the idea of
dealing with a live companion again. Did you make
any mistakes?
I nearly slipped on the roof on the way over, she
admitted, displaying her sheepish guilt.
I saw that. This time, it was real amusement that
sparkled in his beautiful blue eyes.
Despiris felt a blush creep up her neck despite
attempts to suppress it. Of course she knew he would
notice her mistake, but it was still embarrassing.
No matter, the Spylord dismissed it. If that s all,
that s nothing.
Des was a bit surprised at that, but accepted it
without question.
Good job, then, Clevwrith praised. The throb of his
voice was something she felt deprived of the more she
heard his rare utterances, and she cherished every word
he said. That voice had taught her everything she knew
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Spychild
everything of value, anyway. Secretly, she sometimes
worried about her master, the man who had been like a
brother to her. Why was he so silent, beyond the reason
of being accustomed to having no one to talk to? Why
was he so secretive even where the world couldn t see
him? Seemingly, sometimes, so withdrawn? If it really
was just the mysterious side of him, unable to be cured,
she supposed she could not complain. If that was
proven to be the only cause, she would let it rest. That
side of him enthralled her. But it seemed different than
mysterious sometimes, something more involuntarily
subdued rather than teasingly suppressed.
Reward yourself, Clevwrith said. You re free to
experiment with your own devices for the rest of the
night.
She left him without another word, afraid that
lingering would give away the absent depth of her
thoughts.
Clevwrith turned back to staring at his wavering
reflection in the clear water. He withdrew the single
wanted poster from the folds of his cape, studying it for
a moment. Then, in a subtle motion, he dropped it into
the water, watching the ink stream off the page and run
with the water currents. There was something
significant in that action, as he destroyed the last piece of
evidence that implied he worked alone and that he was
the only trickster to be reckoned with. With that, he
freed Despiris of her ties, setting her loose. His eyes
lingered on the ink stains as the single identity he had
been known for was washed away. Things would
change now. From now on, it would be different.
The Spylord s apprentice had been unleashed.
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7: Permission Granted
Permission denied. He is no more than the wind creaking in
the rafters, a ghoulish figment of your imagination, the king
had said, but recent events proved that he was not merely
more than the result of dark imagination, but more than a
ghost as well.
I would not bring it up if I didn t believe in its
importance, your Majesty, Lord Mosscrow promised
adamantly. And I wholeheartedly believe this is a
rising threat.
Just how much of the meeting did he overhear? the
king inquired.
I would be a fool to assume less than...all of it. His
gaze slid sheepishly to the floor as he said this.
You are certain it was the same man that everyone
whispers about?
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The one and only, and his apprentice, the Lord
Advisor assured him, trying to be patient. What would
it take to convince his king of this treachery?
When did he take on an apprentice?
It was not the council spying on the Master of the
Shadows, your Majesty, but quite the other way
around, Mosscrow pointed out with a frown of
impatience. We know nothing. He knows everything.
If he wanted to, I imagine he could tell you which pillow
you favor the most when you sleep.
How did he gain entrance to the council building?
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