Chapter 29: The Crimson Sorceress Wants the Same Monster I Do

The examiner lowered his sword.

"Enough."

"Is that good?"

"You’re irritating."

"People keep telling me that today."

"Iron approved."

Raven set down the sword.

"Then it was good."

Tomas looked at him.

"You’re Level Five. Don’t start taking Awakened missions just because you’ve killed two."

"I already took one."

"I know."

"Then your advice is late."

Tomas took a deep breath.

"You’re going to die."

"Eventually."

"I mean soon."

"That’s less convenient."

Tomas shook his head.

"Out."

Raven received his new badge thirty minutes later.

Iron.

That expanded his access to contracts.

More importantly, it expanded his access to information.

The gray-haired clerk handed it to him.

"Try keeping this one for more than a week before doing something that forces us to promote you again."

Raven put the badge away.

"No promises."

"I know."

She lowered her voice.

"And be careful with Lady Nacht."

Raven looked at her.

"Why?"

"Because she’s a Nacht."

"That still doesn’t mean much to me."

"They call her the Crimson Sorceress."

Raven waited.

The woman continued.

"Blood Magic. One of the best of her generation. Two years ago, she wiped out an entire bandit company by herself. According to the report, they found forty-three men dead and almost no blood on the ground."

Raven thought about that.

"Efficient."

The clerk stared at him.

"That’s all you have to say?"

"Were you expecting me to faint?"

"Most people at least look concerned."

"I am concerned."

"You don’t look it."

Raven pointed toward the door.

"Because she isn’t trying to kill me."

"Yet."

"Then worrying now would be wasteful."

The woman closed her eyes.

"One day, I want to know what kind of place produces people like you."

Raven thought about Black Hound.

"No."

"No what?"

"You don’t."

He picked up his backpack and left.

---

News that Valeria was hunting the Crimson Mirehorn reached the hunters’ district before nightfall.

That told Raven two things.

First, the noblewoman wasn’t trying to keep the hunt secret.

Second, she probably wanted other hunters to stay out of her way.

It was working.

When Raven reached the hunters’ office and asked about Blackthorn Forest, the man behind the counter immediately answered:

"Reserved."

"An entire forest?"

"The hunt."

"By who?"

The man looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Lady Valeria von Nacht."

"Ah."

"You know her?"

"Unfortunately."

The clerk blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing."

Raven placed his new Iron badge on the counter.

"I need maps of the area."

The man didn’t touch the badge.

"I just told you the hunt is reserved."

"I didn’t ask for the contract."

"Then why do you need the map?"

"Tourism."

The man stared at him.

Raven stared back.

"You’re not very good at lying."

"I’ve been told that today too."

"I’m not giving you a map so you can interfere with a Nacht hunt."

Raven pulled out five crowns.

Placed them on the counter.

The man looked at the coins.

Then at Raven.

"You can’t buy me."

Raven added two more.

The clerk looked down.

"That’s insulting."

Raven removed one.

"Then six."

"That’s not what I—"

Raven added two.

"Eight."

Silence.

The man looked around.

Took the coins.

Pulled a map out from beneath the counter.

"You were never here."

Raven stored the document.

"Local integrity continues to impress me."

"Go fuck yourself."

"Possibly later."

He left.

Asteria was teaching him a remarkably consistent lesson.

The rules were rigid.

Until you found the right person to pay.

Raven could work with that.

---

Valeria was waiting outside.

Leaning against her carriage.

Arms crossed.

The expression on her face was far too satisfied to be coincidence.

Raven looked behind him.

Then up.

Then at her.

"Are you following me?"

"No."

"Then you have a statistically improbable number of coincidences."

"I saw you go inside."

"Which means you were waiting."

"Maybe."

Raven kept walking.

Valeria fell into step beside him.

The guards followed several yards behind.

"You just bribed an official."

"No."

"I watched you."

"I paid an undocumented administrative fee."

She laughed.

"You’re worse than I expected."

"Your standards must be low."

"Did you get the map?"

Raven looked at her.

"No."

"There’s a corner sticking out of your backpack."

Raven glanced behind himself.

Part of the parchment was sticking out.

He pushed it back inside.

"Not anymore."

Valeria smiled.

"You’re going after the Mirehorn."

"Yes."

"After I told you I was too."

"I was looking for it before I knew who you were."

That was only partially true.

He’d found the information because of her.

But the creature fit a need Raven had already identified perfectly.

"Then I suppose we’ll be competing."

"If you want."

"Doesn’t that worry you?"

"What?"

"That I’ll get there first."

Raven looked down the avenue.

"If you get there first and kill it without destroying the gland I need, I can buy it from you."

"And if I don’t want to sell?"

"I’ll find another one."

"That simple?"

"Yes."

Valeria looked genuinely confused.

"You don’t seem like someone who gives up that easily."

Raven looked at her.

"I wouldn’t be giving up. I’d be changing targets."

She remained quiet.

"There’s a difference," Raven continued, "between persistence and becoming obsessed with one solution."

Valeria studied him for several steps.

"Do you always think like that?"

"Keeps me alive."

"Sounds exhausting."

"Death seems more exhausting."

"I don’t think dead people get tired."

Raven considered that.

"Point to you."

Valeria’s smile returned.

They reached an intersection.

Raven needed to head toward his inn.

Valeria toward the noble district.

She stopped.

"I’m leaving tomorrow at dawn."

Raven stopped too.

"Good."

"I’m telling you when I’m leaving."

"I heard you."

"Normally, an intelligent man would interpret that as an invitation."

Raven thought about it.

"Then you should find an intelligent man."

Valeria stared at him.

Raven kept walking.

"Raven."

He raised one hand without turning around.

"Good night, Crimson Sorceress."

That stopped her.

Raven continued.

Valeria remained at the corner, watching his back.

One of the guards approached.

Roland.

"My lady."

"Yes?"

"Would you like us to prevent him from leaving Greyhaven tomorrow?"

Valeria looked at him.

The man maintained a neutral expression.

She smiled slowly.

"No."

"Have someone follow him?"

"No."

"Then..."

Valeria watched until Raven disappeared into the crowd.

Most men tried to impress her.

Some tried to seduce her.

Others feared her family name.

Others wanted to use her.

Raven Ashford had managed something far more irritating.

He seemed perfectly willing to live without her.

And that was intolerably interesting.

"Let him go," she said.

Roland inclined his head.

"As you command."

Valeria turned back toward the carriage.

"If he reaches the Mirehorn before we do, I want to know how."

"And if he kills it?"

Valeria remembered the completely serious expression he’d worn when he said he wanted to eat a raw gland.

A small smile appeared on her lips.

"Then I want to watch."

---

In a cheap room in the western district, Raven spread the map of Blackthorn Forest across the table.

He wasn’t thinking about Valeria.

Not much.

She was beautiful.

Very beautiful.

She was also rich, powerful, probably dangerous, and far too accustomed to getting what she wanted.

That made her four problems with long legs.

Raven already had enough.

He studied the forest.

Water.

Roads.

Flooded quarry.

Swamps.

Last sighting.

The Mirehorn.

Awakened.

Level 18–22.

Stronger than the Gloom Stalker.

Possibly by quite a lot.

And if Valeria really was as powerful as people claimed, she’d be hunting it too.

Raven pointed at the quarry.

"Well."

Two hunters.

One creature.

One specific part each of them needed.

That could end civilly.

Raven thought about the people he’d met since arriving in Veyr.

Cannibals.

Corrupt officials.

Religious fanatics.

Nobles.

Mercenaries.

He looked at the map again.

"Yeah."

The odds of it ending civilly seemed fairly low.