Page 72 of House of Crimson Cloak and Silver Teeth

When he’s done, he slides down the wall and sits on the cold stone floor with his head in his hands. “Tomorrow, I’ll report to the Council. Tell them we found the bodies. Killed by rebels or bandits or whoever they want to blame. The families will get closure.”

I keep watching him in silence.

“My parents don’t know,” he says without looking at me. His voice is hoarse. “About any of this. They don’t know I’m broken.”

I offer him water from my flask.

Garrett lifts his head. His face is pale, hair stuck to his forehead with sweat. “You meant what you said? You’ll help me finish this?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” The question is raw. “You barely know me. This isn’t your fight.”

Because leaving him alone with this will destroy him. I don’t say any of that though.

“My contract is to keep you alive for fifty days,” I tell him, keeping emotion out of my voice. “What you’re doing here may fail or violate my assignment. Helping you conclude this quickly is in my best interest. I’m protecting the guild’s asset, nothing more.”

Something in Garrett’s expression crumbles at my cold assessment. He nods once and pushes himself to his feet. His legs shake but hold. He looks toward the palace, then back at me.

“Five more.” He wipes his mouth and meets my eyes with renewed resolve.

“Five more,” I agree. “And then it’s done.”

“And then it’s done,” he repeats. His voice is steadier as he pushes the horror into a box he can close.

I nod to his promise and wonder what the fuck I just agreed to.

Five more, then he walks away.

Garrett means it. I can see it in his eyes. I believe him when he says he’s done after that. I hope the vow is enough to keep us both from falling completely into the dark.

Part II

What Big Teeth

Chapter Ten

Garrett is already dressed, sitting at his desk with papers spread out in front of him. The same papers from last night, I realize as I blink sleep from my eyes. The records he found from the dead Valorians.

He doesn’t look up when I stir. He’s completely focused on the documents. My body aches from hauling corpses through the palace tunnels last night. Three bodies, each one dead weight that we dragged through narrow passages and up stone stairs.

I study him in the early morning light filtering through his window. The raw emotion and the breakdown in the barracks are gone, locked away behind something cold. This is Commander Clayborne and he is focused on the mission.

He must sense me watching because he turns to face me fully. His eyes are clear, assessing. “Are you sure about helping me? We’ll be executing the knights without trial.”

I hold his stare. My throat is dry, my mind still fuzzy with sleep. But the answer comes easily. “Yes.”

I’ve spent years being a weapon someone else wields. I don’t know if I’m making the right choice. This could destroy us both. But I know that walking away would destroy him for certain. I will not watch him burn himself to ashes trying to balance scales that can never be balanced.

“Thank you,” he says quietly. The commander mask slips for just a second, and I see something vulnerable underneath. “For not running or judging me.”

“I’m an assassin, Garrett. I’m not exactly in a position to judge.” I tell him.

Some of my targets were innocent or didn’t deserve death. But these Valorians… they chose their crime. At least this time, the targets actually deserve it.

“You could have walked away,” he says, and there’s something almost tender in his voice. “Pretended you never saw.”

I don’t want his gratitude. I cut him off before he can say more. “The five who are left. How do we find them?”