Page 24 of The Wind Dancer
“No,” the Daymaster shook his head. “I meant what I said. He deserves a chance to speak.”
“And you’ll believe him?” Fu Shang grinned.
“Unlike you, I still remember how to trust people,” Lian Shu glanced at the Nightmaster, his eyes flashing with a cold light. “But if he lies...”
“ThenI’lltake care of it personally,” Fu Shang smiled, showing his white teeth.
“Oh, will you two behave,” Yun interjected. “Honestly, you keep bickering like children.”
“Whatever you say, Mother,” Tang Fei snorted. “Let’s hear what the boy has to tell us.”
“Agreed,” Lian Shu nodded. “We will listen carefully, and after that we will decide.”
I walked through the secret passages of the guild, following the silent guard who led me to the council. Every step felt like a countdown to my verdict. My chest tightened, but I forced myself to walk calmly, with my head held high. The Shadow Walkers’ guild was where I had learned to survive, but today it might become the place where I would be trapped, or buried.
But even though I was set up, I didn’t have a choice, and I had to come.
It was impossible to hide from the watchful eye of the elders. According to custom and etiquette, anyone who wanted to work in a city had to present themselves to its heads, or face severe punishment. I had seen what happened to those who tried to work without permission from our elders. Running to another city might have been an option, but not a good one.
As I walked, I dug deep and realized I wasn’t afraid. Why should I be? I hadn’t violated any rules. The guild had no right to break its own laws — doing so would undermine its very foundation.
It was clear now why the mistress of the Garden of the Nine Gates had stood behind the counter and publicly offered me her protection and an invitation into her ranks. It was a message, and I was sure it had already reached the elders.
I was pulled out of my thoughts when the guard escorting me stopped in front of a massive carved door. Dragons intertwined on it in a swirl of shadows and scales. The guard opened the door, and I entered the hall where five people were already waiting at a long table.
I recognized all of them. My mentor often took me to negotiations, as if he had known what I would face today. But frankly, I felt uncomfortable here without him.
Lian Shu, the Daymaster, was fidgeting with a jade rosary. His expression was calm, but I knew that he was doing ruthless calculations behind that mask. He always spoke in an even tone, as though he were still an official. He hated taking unnecessary risks, and my job now was to show him that I wasn’t a loose cannon.
Fu Shang, the Nightmaster, looked relaxed, leaning back in his chair. But I could feel that he was tense. His snake-like eyes followed my every movement closely; it almost felt like his gaze was digging into my skin. He was a dangerous man who loved to play with his prey. He was the one who had tasked me to break into the dragonblood’s house and gave me an impossibly tight deadline. I needed to carefully consider how and when to play this trump card.
Old Yun, who was sitting in an armchair, looked at me with lazy curiosity. She may have looked old, but her eyes sparkled with a youthful light. I knew that she was the most dangerous person out there when it came to words. Rumor hadit that Yun somehow sensed lies — this was actually true. Even my mentor confirmed this, and no one I had ever met knew magic better than him. She would gut me if I wasn’t careful about what I said.
Jing Lei sat with his massive fists clenched. He didn’t even try to hide his anger. He hated my mentor, and after his death, he directed that hate at me. My mentor was the one who gave him the massive scar across his cheek.
Tang Fei, the fifth and youngest elder, was grinning at me. He was constantly poking fun at things, but there was always cruelty behind his smile. I couldn’t read him, and that unsettled me.
“Feng Lao,” Lian Shu spoke first, his tone, as always, flat, as though he were an official holding court. “Today, we decide your fate. It will depend on what you tell us.”
I was silent, waiting for him to get to the matter at hand. They would scrutinize every word I said, measure every break and even find meaning behind every silence. I had to be careful and let them make the first move.
“You broke into the dragonblood’s house and came out alive. That’s... impressive.” Fu Shang lazily ran his finger along the edge of the table. “The guards believe that the mansion was burned down by one of its occupants, but it’s pivotal that we know what actually happened inside.”
“Tell us how you got in,” Jing Lei demanded, his voice rang out like a hammer strike.
I first bowed my head, giving myself time to choose my words carefully. Then I realized how I could use this pridefulblockhead. It would baffle all of them and give me even more time to think. I looked at him defiantly.
“That is a secret I learned from my mentor. And I’m not going to share it.”
The hall was absolutely silent. Lian Shu raised an eyebrow, Tang Fei grinned wider, and Yun narrowed her eyes, clearly enjoying the show.
“Bold whelp,” Jing Lei growled, clenching his fists. “You think you can set terms for us?
I tilted my head a little and grinned. “Everything has a price. So does this information. If you really need it, then pay for it accordingly.”
“And what would the price for it be?” The Nightmaster’s voice grew softer, but that only made him more dangerous.
“Contacts,” I said, looking directly at the Metal elder. “The guards and nobles he has on his payroll so that his men may work unnoticed.”
