Cloak of Blades

By Jonathan Moeller

There is no honor among thieves.

My name is Nadia, and I'm a shadow agent of the High Queen of the Elves.

That means I use magic to steal things for her.

Now she wants me to steal a treasure from an Elven lord without him even realizing that it's missing.

To pull it off, I'll need a crew.

But there is no honor among thieves, and not even all the magic in the world can protect me from a blade in the back...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jonathan Moeller
• Release date: Jul 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005774219

Jonathan Moeller

Standing over six feet tall, Jonathan Moeller has the piercing blue eyes of a Conan of Cimmeria, the bronze-colored hair of a Visigothic warrior-king, and the stern visage of a captain of men, none of which are useful in his career as a computer repairman, alas.He has written the "Demonsouled" trilogy of sword-and-sorcery novels, and continues to write the "Ghosts" sequence about assassin and spy Caina Amalas, the "$0.99 Beginner's Guide" series of computer books, and numerous other works.Visit his website at:http://www.jonathanmoeller.comVisit his technology blog at:http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/screed

Book preview

CLOAK OF BLADES

Jonathan Moeller

***

Description

There is no honor among thieves.

My name is Nadia, and I'm a shadow agent of the High Queen of the Elves.

That means I use magic to steal things for her.

Now she wants me to steal a treasure from an Elven lord without him even realizing that it's missing.

To pull it off, I'll need a crew.

But there is no honor among thieves, and not even all the magic in the world can protect me from a blade in the back...

***

Cloak of Blades

Copyright 2021 by Jonathan Moeller.

Smashwords Edition.

Some cover images copyright ID 33797977 © Roza | Dreamstime.com & Illustration 82931994 © Bezimeni Bezimenkovic | Dreamstime.com & Illustration 79323234 © Bezimeni Bezimenkovic | Dreamstime.com.

Ebook edition published July 2021.

All Rights Reserved.

This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination, or, if real, used fictitiously. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of the author or publisher, except where permitted by law.

***

Get New Books

Sign up for my newsletter at this link, and get three free epic fantasy novels (https://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1854).

***

Chapter 1: Fun In The Sun

I spent the long, hot summer of Conquest Year 317 helping my husband kill monsters.

Usually, this meant lurking in dark alleys or hunting for cultists in abandoned warehouses.

Today, however, I was sitting on a lounge chair wearing a red swimsuit, a pair of aviator sunglasses, a whole lot of sunscreen, and a constant scowl.

I would have preferred the dark alley.

For one thing, I wasn’t happy about spending the day in public wearing a garment that felt like underwear, even though it did cover everything from my shoulders to my hips. But it was skin-tight, and my arms, shoulders, and legs were completely bare. For another, even though it was ninety-five degrees Fahrenheit and humid, I was chilly. I tended to summon my magic when under strain, and hunting a lunatic who had been summoning up anthrophages was a bit stressful. So, I constantly held my magic ready, which drained away my body heat, which meant I was cold even though it was nearly a hundred degrees outside.

And my companion was enjoying herself, which was just annoying.

Nora Chandler was almost a foot taller than I was, with dark skin and dark eyes. She was also in excellent shape, which I could tell because she was wearing a strapless white bikini that didn’t leave very much to the imagination. Nora had well-toned arms and legs and a flat stomach, which was more of her than I had ever wanted to see. Without false modesty or false bragging, I was in very good shape myself. I exercised a lot, partly to keep my permanently unsettled brain on an even keel and partly because I did a lot of dangerous things, and it was a good idea to stay in shape for them.

But, still. All that exercise and I still looked spindly next to Nora.

And, worse, short.

I put the annoyance out of my mind and focused on my surroundings.

Which was easy, because our surroundings were loud and distracting.

We were at the Sunshine State Resort in Miami Beach, Florida. The resort was a sprawling hotel and convention center complex with a wide beach. Currently, Nora and I sat (lounged, really) on chairs facing the beach and the churning waves of the Atlantic Ocean, the air smelling of salt, sunscreen, barbecue, and liquor. Hidden speakers played music that sounded either Cuban or Mexican – I wasn’t sure which, but the lyrics were definitely in Spanish. Duke Curantar of Miami owned the resort, which had originally started as a base for his men-at-arms. But being an Elven noble is very expensive, a Duke especially so. While Curantar apparently did not like humans all that much, he did need money, and one of his advisors convinced him to turn the base into a resort.

The advisor was right. The place made a lot of money.

It was August 27th, Conquest Year 317 (or 2330 AD according to the older calendar), a little after 7 PM, and the setting sun to the west threw long shadows across the beach. There must have been two or three thousand people on the sand. About two-thirds of them were the human men-at-arms of Elven nobles taking their leave time at the resort, men in their late teens and early twenties with crew cuts and a lot of muscle definition. The remaining third were women of roughly the same age, most of them wearing swimsuits, though a few had on beach shirts and skirts.

Numerous men-at-arms got married before they began their mandatory six year terms of service at the age of eighteen. But quite a few did not, and many of the men-at-arms here were looking for an evening of female companionship. For the soldiers who couldn’t quite manage to charm themselves a girlfriend, the resort also offered discreet licensed brothels, though they were beyond the financial reach of most men-at-arms.

I didn’t like the Sunshine State Resort at all. I was too loud, too expensive, and too awash in alcohol. I don’t drink because there’s too much crazy inside my head, and I don’t want to let it out. Also, we had passed our one-year wedding anniversary last month, and sitting here in a swimsuit as soldiers on leave cruised for women irritated me. Though to be fair, I was wearing a translucent earpiece tucked behind my left ear, and I could talk to my husband whenever I wanted.

And we were here on business.

Relax, tigress, murmured Nora. She turned her brilliant white smile towards a group of passing men-at-arms, who smiled back at her. You look like you’re chewing aluminum foil. She spoke with a northern English accent, which meant aluminum seemed to have way more syllables than it should.

I wish I had a gun, I said.

You do have a gun, said Nora. In your purse.

She was right. I had a gun in my heavy canvas purse, which rested next to my lounge chair. I also had the transmitter pack for our radio earpieces and my aetherometer, which was currently set to track for the aura of the summoner we had followed here.

I wish I had more guns, I said. Also, body armor.

Nora sighed and stretched. It’s much too hot for body armor. Honestly, tigress. Compared to some of the things we’ve had to do, sitting on the beach is one of the least bothersome. Her smile returned. But this is one of the few times I’ve ever heard you complain about anything.

I wish Riordan was here, I said. Quite a few men had looked me over as they passed. I suppose I couldn’t blame them – given the resort’s reputation, it wasn’t as if I could expect to sit here in solitude.

I could be if you need me, came Riordan’s quiet voice in my ear.

You’re too frightening, said Nora. Our summoner likes to go after lone women or small groups. He sees Riordan, he’ll steer clear of us.

That was a good argument. The Shadow Hunters’ commission had come from one of the Elven barons of Miami’s suburbs. Something had been attacking and killing women visiting the resort. So far, three women had been found dead, and all of them had been half-eaten.

I knew the signs of an anthrophage attack when I saw them.

I knew them very, very well.

So the Shadow Hunters had been hired to kill whoever had been summoning anthrophages in the Miami area. They had been doing that sort of thing all summer, and since Tarlia hadn’t given me any new jobs since I had stolen the contents of Duke Vashtyr’s laptop, I had been helping my husband and his colleagues. We had taken down eight summoners across the United States over the course of the summer, and I knew that other groups of Shadow Hunters around the world had accounted for another thirty. It had become easier to summon things from the Shadowlands ever since the Sky Hammer, and someone had printed up a lot of brand-new copies of the Summoning Codex and had been sowing them around the world like poisoned seeds.

I know, I know, I said.

You need to relax, tigress, said Nora. How often do you get to simply lie in the sun?

We’re in the shade, technically.

We’ve spent all summer chasing every lunatic who managed to get his hands on one of the new copies of the Summoning Codex, said Nora. Compared to waiting in a hotel, skulking in an alley, or running through a junkyard, this is pleasant.

To be fair, we were only running through that junkyard to stop some wraithwolves from eating people, I said.

Details, details, said Nora. Do you know what your problem is?

Why do I get the feeling you’re about to tell me?

Nora continued as if I had not spoken. You don’t relax. You never relax. It’s important to work hard, but you also need to play hard. Else you’ll go nuts.

She had a point, but I was already nuts.

I was spared the need to answer by a buzzing noise.

Something was vibrating inside my purse.

I reached into it and lifted my aetherometer.

Playtime’s over, I said. I’ve picked up something.

Nora sat up, swinging her feet to the ground. Her cheery demeanor vanished, replaced by the cool, calm mask of a Shadow Hunter about to enter combat.

What do you have? came Riordan’s voice in my ear.

The aetherometer was a flat bronze disk about the size of my hand, with a crystalline lens over a dozen different dials, all of which were jerking back and forth as they analyzed the local magical fields. The dials could mean different things depending on the context, their meaning conveyed to me via the telepathic link I shared with the device. The High Queen had given me the aetherometer as a wedding present, and it had been useful. I could use the spell to detect magical forces easily enough, but the device was more powerful and persistent.

And right now, it was picking up the aura of the summoner.

All three of the murdered women had been killed within five miles of the resort, and the aetherometer had picked up the echoes of an anthrophage at the sites of their deaths. The echoes had been too faint to trace back to the summoner, but the aetherometer would recognize the summoner’s aura if he came within range.

He’s nearby, I said. Within a half-mile. I think he just came to the resort.

Which way? said Nora.

Um. I frowned at the dials for a moment and then pointed along the beach. That way. He’s getting closer.

He’s somewhere near the main bar, said Nora.

I’ll head in that direction, said Riordan. He’s probably searching for his next victim.

I’ll see if I can identify him, I said, watching the dials.

Ready? said Nora, getting to her feet.

I nodded, tucked the aetherometer into the canvas purse, and stood up, slipping my feet into a pair of sandals. Nora remained barefoot, which had to be painful given how hot the concrete and the sand were from the Florida sun, but she didn’t mind.

We headed north along the wide concrete pathway overlooking the beach proper. Ornamental lampposts arched overhead, and wooden benches sat at the edge of the path every so often. Given Florida’s frequent violent weather, the benches had all been set in concrete and bolted to the ground. To the left rose the resort’s towers, with hundreds of hotel rooms facing the water. On their balconies, I saw people getting the night’s drinking underway. This place had to go through an ocean of alcohol.

The crowds had gotten thicker while Nora and I had been watching them, and hundreds of people splashed in the water. Others walked along the pathway, and Nora and I both drew some admiring glances as we passed groups of men. Nora favored some of them with her brilliant smile and ignored others. I kept a constant scowl on my face, partly because I didn’t want to talk to anyone and partly because I was focused on my aetherometer.

Just as well we’re here to work, murmured Nora. You would seriously cramp my style otherwise, tigress.

Yeah, well, I’m sure you call me ‘tigress’ because of my chipper personality, I said. Nora laughed at that. I glanced at my aetherometer’s display. He’s close. Somewhere in that bar.

The bar in question was huge. It ran along the base of one of the hotel towers, with a dozen workers serving drinks to the crowds. A wide patio held numerous round wooden picnic tables, each one equipped with an umbrella. Nora sat on an empty table at the patio’s edge. I eyed the wooden seat dubiously, having a sudden mental image of taking a splinter in my ass. But the seat was in good repair, so I sat down next to her.

Anything? murmured Nora.

Hang on. I set my purse on the table and drew out the aetherometer. I scrutinized the dials, letting the instrument work. He’s definitely somewhere nearby. Maybe in the crowd by the bar. I think…

I fell silent, frowning.

Nadia? came Riordan’s voice.

I think he’s walking right towards us, I said. I looked at Nora. Pretend to laugh at something I just said.

Nora smiled and let out a long laugh, lifting one hand to her chest, and I feigned a smile and shot a quick look around. Despite the crowds, this part of the patio was relatively deserted, with most of the people clustered around the bar or the tables closer to the beach.

A lone man walked towards us.

He was youngish – late twenties or early thirties. Trim, fit build, with a pale complexion that had to burn easily under the Florida sun. He had dark hair and bright blue eyes, and he was wearing the uniform of a Sunshine State Resort employee – dark slacks, white dress shirt, blue jacket, blue tie, and a lanyard with an employee ID around his neck.

And there was the faint echo of a magical aura around him, identical to the one the aetherometer had detected at the dead women.

That’s him, I said, keeping the smile plastered on my face. Walking right towards us.

Acknowledged, said Riordan. I will follow you at a distance.

I caught a glimpse of my husband in the crowd near the bar. He was wearing dress pants, a white shirt, a black jacket, and wrap-around sunglasses. If you looked at him, you would think he was a banker or a lawyer come for an after-work drink.

Though not many bankers had arms and shoulders that bulged against their shirts the way that Riordan’s did.

The hotel employee strolled towards our table, and Nora caught his eye and smiled, sitting up a little straighter as she did, her shoulders back. The man faltered for a half-step, and I made myself smile as well. He approached our table, and I saw that the name on his ID card was Anthony.

He seemed completely unremarkable. Totally non-threatening. Looking at him, you wouldn’t realize that he had kidnapped and killed three women.

But appearances are so often deceiving.

Look at me, after all.

Are you ladies enjoying your stay at the Sunshine State Resort? said Anthony. He had a pleasant voice with a southern drawl.

Oh, we totally are, I said. I decided to act a little inebriated, hoping to lull Anthony off his guard. This is such a nice place. Like, I’ve drunk so much I’m a little embarrassed.

Nora snorted. Don’t mind my friend. She’s a lightweight. Two beers, and she’s taking off her top and dancing on the tables. Four and I have to drive her to hospital.

I’m glad she’s having a good time, said Anthony, smiling. Your accent? England?

That’s right, ace, said Nora.

Are you from London? said Anthony.

No, Manchester.

Anthony blinked. I had the impression he had never heard of the place, but his smile resumed a second later. Well, I hope you’re enjoying your visit to America.

I really am, said Nora. I shouldn’t rag on my friend here. She raised a hand to her mouth, hiccupped, and then laughed. I’m afraid I’ve had rather too much to drink myself.

He took a half-step closer towards us. His genial expression remained in place, but I could all but see the interest in his eyes. The surface is often deceiving, but sometimes things reveal their true nature, and I suspected we were about to see Anthony’s.

I glanced over his shoulder and saw that Riordan had drifted closer.

What are your names, if you don’t mind me asking? said Anthony.

I’m Elizabeth, and this is Julie, said Nora, patting my shoulder.

Are you from the UK too? said Anthony.

What, do I sound British? I said, affecting a terrible English accent. Nora rolled her eyes. Some people can do accents well. I am not one of them. No, no, no, I’m from Wisconsin. No point in lying about that since I did sound Midwestern. That’s why I can hold my beer so well, regardless of what Lizzie here thinks.

Lizzie? said Nora. Only my mum calls me Lizzie.

You seem like good friends, said Anthony. Have you known each other long?

Only a few years, but we’re besties, I said, throwing an arm over Nora’s shoulder. She jerked a little. My skin probably felt cold from the amount of magic I was holding ready. We both moved to New York to get jobs, and we wound up working at the same bank. I think we both needed a vacation, so we came to the Sunshine State Resort.

To get hammered and maybe make some new friends, said Nora. I had never heard her sound flirtatious before.

I could all but see the calculations going on behind Anthony’s pleasant expression. Two single women, both of them on vacation and far from home. If a local disappeared, someone might notice. But two women on vacation from New York? It might be days, even weeks, before anyone missed us.

Well, said Anthony, reaching into his coat pocket. I’ve got a surprise for you. I started to draw magic together for a spell in case his surprise turned out to be a nasty one, but instead, he held out two shiny plastic cards. They were a silvery color and had the resort’s logo on them. Take them.

I did, but only with two fingers, in case he had some sort of contact drug smeared across it. What is this?

A VIP card, said Anthony. That’s one of my jobs here at the resort. I’m a Guest Experience Manager. Every night I hand out a few cards for people to get into the VIP lounge. It’s all the liquor you can drink, free of charge. And, if you excuse me for saying so, the management likes me to pick pretty women for the lounge. Makes the place look classy…and I think you two are very classy.

For God’s sake. Had that really worked before?

But he had killed at least three women that we knew about, and it looked like he had picked me and Nora to be four and five.

I looked at Nora. What do you think, Lizzie?

Is it a posh lounge? said Nora. Should we go back to our room and change?

Oh, no, it’s poolside, said Anthony. I think you two will fit right in.

If there’s free liquor involved, I’m in, I announced. I got to my feet, feigning a drunken wobble, and grabbed my purse.

Oh, all right, said Nora. I wouldn’t want you to get into trouble without me.

Anthony’s eyes flicked up and down me when he thought I wasn’t looking. I was betting the Poolside VIP Lounge was where he had his summoned creatures waiting. His eyes lingered on my left hand.

You’re married? said Anthony.

I was still wearing my wedding ring. I hadn’t taken it off, thinking it would deter men from hitting on me. It hadn’t really worked, but that had only been an excuse. I hadn’t taken it off, because, well…I didn’t want to take it off.

Freshly divorced, said Nora, patting my shoulder. Why do you think we needed a boozy vacation?

Good save, said Riordan in my ear, voice dry.

This way, ladies, said Anthony, gesturing. Please, follow me.

We followed him across the terrace, my sandals slapping against the concrete, Nora quieter in her bare feet. I shot a quick glance to the side and saw Riordan following us.

Anthony led us to a side entrance to the nearest hotel tower, and we entered and walked down a carpeted hallway. I was already cold from holding my magic ready, and the sudden blast of air conditioning made goosebumps stand out all over my skin.

Chilly? said Anthony, glancing back at me.

Yeah, I said, sliding off my sunglasses and slipping them into my purse. What is the freaking temperature in here?

Don’t worry, said Anthony. It’s very warm in the lounge. In fact, here’s a shortcut.

He stopped before a metal door that had UTILITY printed across it in black letters. I glanced at Nora as Anthony swiped his employee ID across the lock, and she gave me a quick, shallow nod. She was ready for action.

Almost there, said Anthony, and he swung the door open.

We stepped into what looked like an industrial laundry room. A row of massive washers and dryers covered one wall. Half of them were disassembled, their mechanical innards exposed. The floor was polished concrete, and the fluorescent lighting overhead was harsh and stark.

This doesn’t look like a shortcut, said Nora.

The door clicked behind us, the lock engaging.

It’s not, I’m afraid, said Anthony, spreading his hands. I would like you to meet my pets.

Three of the dryer doors clicked open, and the anthrophages unfolded themselves, claws tapping against the concrete floor.

A wave of pure hatred and revulsion went through me.

Anthrophages came from Earth’s umbra in the Shadowlands, and while they were human-shaped, they really didn’t look human. They were gaunt with gray, glistening skin, the muscles taut and ropy beneath it. Their eyes were a venomous yellow, and instead of noses, they had triangular craters in the center of their faces. Despite that, the creatures could track almost anything by scent. Black claws topped their fingers and toes, fangs filled their mouths, and a row of black spikes jutted from their spines.

They ate human flesh. I knew that very, very well.

The three anthrophages prowled towards us, and I remembered the feel of anthrophage claws shredding my skin, of their fangs sinking into my flesh.

Do you like my pets? said Anthony, grinning. The genial hotel employee had vanished, a leer distorting his features. Take off your swimsuits, and we’ll get started. He unbuckled his belt and started to undo the front of his pants. Or my pets will rip them off you. The easy way or the hard way. I think I prefer the hard way, though, it’s more fun to watch…

Dumbass, I said, raising my hand.

Anthony stopped with his fly halfway down, a look of confusion going over his face. I suspected me calling him scornful names wasn’t part of the script he had in his head.

This wasn’t going to be, either.

I cast a spell. A sphere of elemental fire leaped from my hand, glowing with brilliant light. It was about the size of my thumb joint, and I had packed a lot of energy into it. I focused my will, and the sphere zipped back and forth. It had more than enough power to burn through the skulls of all three anthrophages, carving tunnels through their brains in the process.

In near unison, all three creatures fell dead to the floor.

The look of shock on Anthony’s face would have been comical under other circumstances.

Now, I said, and I called another fire sphere over my palm, letting it spin and glow. Where is your copy of the Summoning Codex?

What? sputtered Anthony. I don’t…I don’t…

You’re really going to want to tell me, I said. Where is your copy of the Summoning Codex?

I don’t… started Anthony.

There was a flash of something like a shadow near the door as Riordan sliced through the lock, and he stalked into the room. His eyes had turned solid black, and his Shadowmorph had taken its blade form in his right hand. Fear replaced Anthony’s surprise, and he stumbled back, eyes wide with alarm.

Should’ve told me, I said.

Where is the Summoning Codex? said Riordan, his expression and voice calm.

Anthony backed away,