Ascension (Blight Book 1) Read online

  "That makes sense."

  "You seem different to me, however. I do not sense that you will challenge me. I find that both intriguing and disturbing at the same time."

  "Perhaps that is because I do not covet your position, Lord."

  "Why not?"

  "Please do not take my answer as disrespectful."

  "I will do my best."

  Leo paused, searching for the words. Finding none, he shrugged and spoke simply. "I believe that destiny has more in store for me than to be an alley lord."

  Lord Argon weighed the boy’s words and then nodded. "Perhaps that will be the case, young lion." He pushed the dagger forward. "Nevertheless, the time has arrived. I require a blood bond if you would stay and grow your fortune with me."

  Leo did not pause to consider. He reached for the dagger and drew the edge across his palm. Bright red blood began to flow and he closed his hand, holding it up in front of him. Drops hit the table as his eyes met Argon’s. "Tell me your words and I will bind them to me."

  Lord Argon extended his palm so that it lay beneath Leo’s fist and he said the oath. Leo repeated the words as his blood dripped onto Argon’s palm. When the oath was spoken, Argon nodded and licked the blood from his hand.

  "Today is the date of your birth, Leo. We are bound in blood and tied by intention until I release you."

  Leo stood from the table and knelt in front of the man. Argon tore a strip of cloth from his shirt and held it out to Leo, placing one hand on the young man’s head to complete the ceremony. Leo looked up and accepted the strip of cloth. He resumed his seat at the table and wrapped the fabric around his palm.

  Lord Argon slid the stack of gold coins toward Leo. "Now tell me how you plan to put this gold to work for us."

  25

  "Good morning, Leo."

  "Good morning, Syntha." Leo smiled and strolled towards the back of the coffeehouse. "Two warmed chocolates, if you please."

  "I’ll bring them to you when they are ready."

  Leo approached Alexander, who sat at a table in the middle of the room. He rapped his knuckle against the hard tabletop. "Join me in the back, Alex." Without stopping, he moved to the booth in the back corner and sat so that he was able to see the entire room. Leo drummed the fingers of one hand on the table and wondered which would appear first: Alexander or the chocolate drinks.

  Five minutes later, the beautiful, black-haired woman placed two mugs on the table.

  "Thank you, Syntha, they smell delicious."

  "You’re welcome, Leo." Her bright blue eyes sparkled above her perfect smile. "Made these two for you myself."

  "You’re too kind."

  Syntha laughed, which pleased Leo. As his fortune had increased over the months, the coffeehouse had become the best place for him to meet others. It hadn’t taken long for him to become enamoured with this stunning young woman who, at just two years older than him, had managed to start this business and turn it into one of the busiest coffeehouses in the entire city.

  Behind Syntha, Alexander stood and began to make his way toward Leo.

  "I have a little business to conduct with the ever-cheerful baker’s boy, but when he leaves I would like to discuss something with you, if you can spare the time."

  Her smile widened and she nodded. "Of course. I will stop by your booth when Alexander leaves." She turned and walked away, saying something to Alexander that made him grin and turn his head to watch her as she passed.

  "A beautiful day." Leo smiled and straightened in his seat.

  "It is if you have my gold." Alexander’s smile melted into a scowl as he sat.

  Leo nodded at the second cup of warmed chocolate. "That one’s for you."

  "I won’t drink with you." Alexander sneered. "Give me what is owed so that I may be done with you."

  Leo grinned and reached into his shirt pocket. He removed a piece of paper and pushed it forward.

  "What is that?"

  "Read it."

  Alexander made a disgusted sound and read the note. "A message signed by Doctor Johnston saying that this paper is worth sixty gold coins, payable to me." He dropped it onto the table and shook his head. "Why in all the hells would you give my gold to Doctor Johnston?"

  "I’m developing a new system."

  "A stupid system."

  "It’s actually very intelligent."

  "I don’t want to hear about it," Alexander snapped. "Just give me my gold."

  Leo laughed and pointed at the note. "Take that to Doc Johnston and he will give you the coins."

  "If he is still there. He’s probably taken the gold and left the city."

  "Is that what you intend to do?"

  "None of your business."

  Leo shrugged. "Fine. Take the note to him. He will be there, and so will your coin."

  Alexander snatched the note from the table, tucked it into his pocket, and stood. "It had better be."

  "You are a very rich man now." Leo stood also. "I will be interested to see what you do with it."

  Alexander laughed and then spat on the wooden floor at Leo’s feet. "For some reason, you get twice as much as I do and deserve none. I am leaving this city, but I look forward to the day when I hear you’ve lost everything and are back in the alleys, where you belong." He turned and stalked out of the coffeehouse.

  Leo chuckled and shook his head, sitting down to finish his first cup of chocolate, then pulling the second toward him.

  A few minutes later, Syntha returned to his booth, smiling as she sat. "A cheerful lad, that one. I’m surprised that the two of you are friends."

  "He’s not my friend, and I suspect we will see a lot less of Alexander from now on."

  "Oh?"

  Leo shrugged. "A hunch."

  "That’s a shame. He’s grumpy, but the man did drink a lot of expensive chocolate." Syntha sighed and her smile returned. "So what is it you wanted to speak with me about?"

  "I wondered if you might be interested in taking on a business partner?"

  "Really?"

  "I admire what you have done with this place and would like an opportunity to buy in."

  "I’ve had offers to sell, but never to partner." She leaned forward. "Wouldn’t you rather buy it outright?"

  Leo laughed. "Hells no. Part of the secret of your success, in my opinion, is you and your girls. I would be a fool to buy this and lose you as proprietor."

  "Well, that’s a refreshing perspective." She winked at him. "I don’t think it’s accurate, but thank you for the compliment."

  "We both know that it’s very accurate."

  "Maybe. What kind of partnership did you have in mind?"

  "I would like to buy into this location and help you open another."

  "Where?"

  "The Port district." Triax’s old territory and Lord Argon’s new one.

  "There are many wealthy traders who frequent that district." Syntha tapped one finger against her lip. "Which means that well-established coffeehouses already exist there. It would be a challenge to compete with them."

  "How much would it cost us to open a house of this size over there?"

  "It would be too expensive." Syntha shook her head. "Off the top of my head, I would guess at least ten gold to do it properly."

  Leo grinned. "I have forty gold at my disposal."

  "You shouldn’t have told me that, Leo."

  "You are trustworthy."

  "I like to think so."

  "I will put up ten gold for the new coffeehouse and would also like to invest twenty gold into this one. How much ownership would that buy of this location?"

  "I know for a fact that I could get eighty gold for this place if I wanted to sell."

  Leo nodded.

  "I don’t need investors."

  "I must make that a condition of partnership in the new coffeehouse."

  Syntha shook her head. "Who said I want to start a new coffeehouse anyway? I am doing fine with what I have."

  "Would you like to start a new h
ouse in the Port district?"

  She laughed and nodded. "Now that you bring it up, it does sound like fun."

  "Shall we work out a deal then?"

  Syntha paused and reached for his cup of chocolate. She took a drink and looked at Leo for a moment before nodding. "Yes. I think we should work out a deal."

  26

  It was close to midnight when Leo approached the back door of the baker’s house and knocked. After a few minutes, the door opened and the baker smiled. "Leo, you’ve returned. Come in, come in."

  "Thank you, sir."

  Once he was inside, the baker grabbed him by the shoulders. "Let’s have a good look at you." He turned Leo around. "You look strong and healthy, and your clothes are a vast improvement from the day I first set eyes on you, aren’t they?"

  Leo grinned. "Yes, sir. Thank you."

  "Are you hungry?" The baker glanced at the empty stove. "It’s been months since you were here last. I can make something if you’re hungry."

  "Thank you but I am fine."

  "Let me get you a pastry at least. Sit down. I will be right back."

  Leo sat at the table and the baker returned with two sweet treats. He set them on plates and placed them on the table. Then he sat down across from Leo. "When you stopped showing up I was afraid some harm had come to you. Then my boy—" He paused and tears welled up in his eyes. "Well, after the trouble with the dead Keeper and Alexander’s testimony, he no longer felt safe and struck out on his own. It’s been months since I’ve heard anything. I don’t even know where he went."

  Leo nodded. He knew where Alexander was, but remained silent.

  "Look at you." The baker reached out to grip his shoulder. "It looks like you put the silver to good use. I knew right away that you were a clever lad. I am so very proud of you, Leo."

  "I am most grateful to you, sir."

  "Please call me Noah."

  "That doesn’t seem proper."

  "Nonsense. Perhaps it wasn’t right for a filthy street boy to do so, but that boy no longer exists. You have become a fine young gentleman and I would be honoured if we addressed each other by name."

  "Thank you, Noah."

  The baker nodded. "So what can I do for you, lad?" He frowned and then leaned forward. "Did I speak too soon? Are you once more down on your luck and need my help?"

  "No."

  "Oh good." He smiled but his shoulders slumped.

  "I came to thank you for all of your help."

  "No thanks are needed."

  "It is. Fortune smiled on me when you found me in that alley. I have used the help you provided and turned the silver into gold."

  "Truly?"

  Leo nodded.

  "Good for you."

  Leo withdrew a small sack and lay it on the table. "I would like to repay you, with a bit extra for good measure."

  The baker sat back and raised his hands. "Absolutely not."

  "But—"

  "No." He shook his head and the tone in his voice became harsh. "I did not help you for money."

  "I understand that but—"

  "Listen to me very carefully." His voice softened and he lay one hand on top of Leo’s. "You don’t understand."

  "I did not mean to offend you."

  "You haven’t, but the point of what I did was to give with no expectations of getting back. Most will never understand this, but there is magic in that type of act, Leo. Powerful magic. For you to pay me anything would cancel the effects, both to myself and, over time, to you."

  "Interesting."

  "It is a secret I learned a long time ago." He raised his hands to indicate the house. "I was a poor boy on the streets as well until someone did for me what I now do for others. It does not always work, but every once in a while"—he pointed at Leo—"it does."

  Leo considered the baker’s words. "I am not like you, Noah. I cannot help others selflessly."

  "Of course you can."

  Leo shook his head. "I will not."

  The baker’s smile softened and after a moment, he shrugged. "Your fate is your own, Leo. I cannot change that, nor would I want to. I am simply pleased that you are better off because of our time together."

  Leo retrieved the money from the table and put it in his pocket. "I am definitely in a better place, Noah."

  "Good." Both men stood and embraced.

  "I wish all the best for you, Leo."

  "I wish the same for you, Noah."

  27

  Leo, Stick, Mouse, and Oak—Lord Argon had taken to calling them Leo and his pride—stood on an empty rooftop above the new territory. Weeks had passed since Triax had been executed and the alley swept. Bodies of the dead had been removed by crews specially suited to the task and, like a forest after the fire, life was starting to return to the alley.

  Society was demanding and harsh. Every day people who were once something became less and needed a place to either lick their wounds and regroup, or a relatively safe place from which to begin a new life.

  The alleys were much more than a haven for the downtrodden; they were a place filled with opportunity for the right type of person. Drugs, whores, thieves, slaving, Pit recruitment, and many other dark industries were fed a constant stream of human resources emanating from the alleys and their denizens. As new souls appeared, the professionals circled them like hunters stalking innocent prey.

  "Lord Argon has given me his blessing to work in the new territory." Leo held up a small brown scroll, which was rolled tightly and wrapped with a thin golden cord.

  "You mean writ." Stick dangled one leg over the roof’s edge, letting it swing as he used his knife to strip the bottom portion of bark from a piece of fresh iron wood which, Leo knew from experience, would become a new quarterstaff.

  "No. I mean blessing."

  Stick’s hands stopped working as he looked at Leo and raised both eyebrows. "Lord’s blessings are rare. You are very fortunate to have been granted such a thing."

  "We are very fortunate." Leo held the scroll above his head as Oak stepped forward to hug him.

  "I can’t believe it!" Oak laughed as he lifted his friend off the ground and hugged him. "You know what this means, don’t you?"

  "More responsibility and expectations added to our lives." Leo returned the embrace and then tapped Oak on the shoulder and squirmed out of the hold. He stepped back and raised a hand for calm. Mouse smiled and shook his head while Oak nodded and moved to look over the edge of the roof once more.

  "Leo is right," Mouse said. "With a blessing, Lord Argon will expect more tribute."

  "That’s why we are gathered." Leo tucked the scroll into his vest. "It is time to get serious about building something profitable."

  Mouse laughed. "You have generated more profit in a few months than most do over their entire lives, Leo. How much do you want to earn?"

  "When I say profitable, I don’t mean gold or silver, Mouse. Money has no value."

  "If that’s the case then I will have yours, brother." Stick ran a dry cloth over the freshly exposed wood and held it up to inspect the surface.

  Leo removed a gold coin from his pocket and twirled it along his fingers with practiced ease. "Currency is a tally system to let others know how you rank compared to the rest. It could as easily be sheets of paper traded for goods and services as coin. The object does not matter; it is what the object represents."

  "Paper instead of gold." Oak snorted and shook his head. "Some of your ideas are truly amusing."

  Leo tapped his breast pocket. "The scroll of blessing is an excellent example."

  "He’s right." Mouse picked the scrap bark from the ground where Stick had tossed it and began to rip off small pieces.

  "Our profit, the goal for our lifetime of effort, must be to gain influence and power. The money will tell us how we are doing, but it is the land and titles that matter."

  "And the control."

  "Yes, Mouse. Control is the endgame."

  "Titles?" Oak’s eyes followed a cloaked woman as
she moved through the alley below. "You wish to be an alley lord, Leo?"

  "No, but I do expect that you will be."

  Oak looked up and frowned. "He may be my father, but he has more sons out there. Some will have their ambition set on succeeding him."

  "Ambition is one thing, success is another. I expect you will be alley lord when the time is right."

  "With our help, it should be attainable." Mouse nodded.

  "I never seriously considered it."

  "It’s part of my plan."

  Stick looked up from his carving. "What else is part of your plan, Leo?"

  Leo shrugged. "For the moment, it is to determine how we are all best put to use with the skills we have."

  "You lend the money, Oak provides the motivation for people to pay you back." Stick brushed the shavings from his lap. "Mouse gathers the secrets and information, and I . . ." He cocked his head. "What is it that I do?"

  Mouse made a clucking sound with his tongue. "You pretend to do nothing, but are able to do everything."

  "That is a kind thing to say, Mouse. Thank you."

  "It’s the truth."

  "All of you understand the power of loyalty." Leo said. "I want you to keep your eyes open for others who can be trusted."

  "No one can be trusted."

  "Everyone can be trusted with the correct motivation." Leo knelt and traced a series of circles into the loose gravel. First a small circle, then another surrounding it, and another around that. "We are the inner circle. It is time to expand and build more around us."

  "The further out the circle, the less like us they are," Stick said.

  "Yes, but all circles will be united by a strong force."

  "What force is that?"

  "Desire for power."

  "You envision a long game, Leo."

  Leo drew a long line in the dirt. "A very long game indeed, Mouse."