The merchant's name was Henrik. Fat, sweaty, lived in a nice house on the edge of the Black Market.
Kael watched the house from across the street. Two guards at the front door. More inside, probably.
"Just scare him," Lyra had said. "Don't kill unless necessary."
Kael could do that. Probably.
"You're getting better at this," Soulrender observed. "Patience. Planning. Not just charging in."
"I learn fast."
"You have to. Or you die."
The sun was setting. The guards were changing shifts. One went inside. The other stayed.
Kael moved.
He crossed the street casually. Just another person walking home.
The guard saw him too late.
Kael grabbed him and slammed his head against the wall. The guard crumpled. Out cold but alive.
Kael tried the door. Locked.
"Windows?" Soulrender suggested.
Kael circled the house. Found a window on the side. Second floor. Unlocked.
He climbed up using a drainpipe. Pushed the window open. Climbed through.
Inside was a bedroom. Empty.
Kael moved to the door. Listened. Voices downstairs. Henrik yelling at someone.
Kael crept down the hallway. The stairs led to a large living room. Henrik sat in a chair, three guards around him.
"The shipment was supposed to arrive yesterday!" Henrik was saying. "Lord Voss will be furious!"
"Not my problem," one guard said.
"It will be when—" Henrik stopped. Looked up. "Who the hell are you?"
All three guards spun toward Kael.
"I'm the problem," Kael said.
The first guard drew his sword and charged. Kael sidestepped, tripped him, kicked him into a wall. The man didn't get up.
The second guard was smarter. He grabbed Henrik and put a knife to his throat.
"Drop your weapon or the merchant dies!"
Kael lowered Soulrender. "Alright."
The third guard moved to grab him.
Kael spun. Swept the guard's legs. Grabbed his head and slammed it into the floor.
The second guard pressed the knife harder. "I said drop it!"
"You're not going to kill him," Kael said calmly. "You need him alive. He pays you."
The guard's eyes flickered. Doubt.
Kael moved. Faster than the guard could react. Grabbed his wrist, twisted. The knife clattered to the floor.
Kael punched the guard in the throat. He went down gasping.
Henrik tried to run.
Kael caught him by the collar and threw him back into the chair.
"Sit. We need to talk."
"I'll pay you!" Henrik squeaked. "Whatever you want! Just don't kill me!"
"I'm not here for money." Kael pulled up another chair. Sat down. Rested Soulrender across his lap. "I'm here with a message."
"From who?"
"From everyone you've been stealing from. Every merchant you've squeezed for protection money. Every shop you've taxed for Julian Voss."
Henrik's face went pale. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Kael grabbed his hand. Pressed it flat against the chair's armrest. Raised Soulrender.
"Wait! Wait!" Henrik shrieked. "Okay! Yes! I collect for Lord Voss! But it's not my fault! He forces me!"
"I don't care about excuses." Kael brought the blade down. Not on Henrik's hand. On the wood next to it. The black blade sank deep.
Henrik screamed anyway.
"Here's how this works," Kael said quietly. "You stop collecting for Julian. You tell the other merchants to stop paying. You tell them someone's fighting back."
"He'll kill me!"
"I'll kill you if you don't. Which would you prefer?"
Henrik was crying now. "Please. I have a family."
"So did the people you extorted. Think about them next time." Kael stood. "You have one week. Get out of the city. Take your family. Go somewhere Julian can't find you."
"Where?"
"Not my problem. Figure it out."
Kael pulled Soulrender free. The guards were starting to wake up.
He walked to the door.
"If you tell Julian about this visit," Kael called back, "I'll come back. And next time, I won't be merciful."
He left before Henrik could answer.
Outside, the streets were dark. Kael walked back toward the safe house.
"You didn't kill him," Soulrender said. "I'm disappointed."
"Lyra said scare him. I scared him."
"You're getting soft."
"No. Strategic. If I kill every merchant, there's no one left to spread the message."
"Clever. I suppose you're learning politics too."
"I'm learning survival."
Kael turned a corner and stopped.
Three men blocked the alley ahead. Armed. Dressed in black.
Not random thugs. Professional.
"More assassins," Soulrender said. "How exciting."
The lead assassin stepped forward. "Kael Voss. Lord Julian sends his regards."
"How did you find me?"
"We've been watching Henrik. Waiting to see who'd come for him. You're predictable."
Kael drew Soulrender. "Predictable gets the job done."
"And gets you killed." The assassin drew two daggers. "We're not street thugs, boy. We're the Crimson Blades. Julian's personal killers."
The other two spread out. Surrounded him.
"Last chance," the leader said. "Come with us quietly. Julian wants to talk."
"I doubt that."
"Then die here."
They attacked as one.
Fast. Coordinated. Better than the guards or gang members.
Kael blocked the first dagger. Dodged the second. Kicked one assassin back. Parried another strike.
These were good. Really good.
"Use me," Soulrender hissed. "Really use me. Stop holding back."
Kael let go.
Let the sword in. Let the power flow.
Red light exploded from Soulrender. Shadows coiled around Kael's arms.
The assassins' eyes went wide.
"What—" one started.
Kael moved. Faster than they could follow. Soulrender cut through leather armor like cloth.
The first assassin went down. The sword drank his strength.
The second tried to run. Kael caught him. The blade found his heart.
More power. More speed.
The leader backed away. "What are you?"
"Someone who's done talking."
The assassin threw a knife. Kael caught it mid-air. Threw it back.
It took the assassin in the throat.
He fell.
Kael stood among three bodies. Professional killers. Dead in seconds.
"Better," Soulrender purred. "You're learning to embrace the power."
Kael looked at the bodies. He should feel something.
He felt nothing.
Maybe the sword was right. Maybe this was who he was now.
He cleaned the blade and kept walking.
Somewhere in Voss Hall, Julian was realizing his assassins weren't coming back.
Good.
Let him realize.
Let him understand.
Kael Voss wasn't dead.
And he was coming.
* * *
END OF CHAPTER 9