Blood ran from the man’s mouth and dripped onto the stones. He spit, but this time, he made a point of not spitting at me, but toward the ground. “Ben. He’s with Ben.”
Benahg? Well, damn.
I hesitated, and the man began to thrash again. As he did, I jammed another dart into his neck, not bothering to check which one. He writhed a moment and then stopped moving altogether. Only then did I check to see which dart I had used on him. Terad.
I stood slowly, wiping my hands on my dark cloak and grabbing for another dart. If Natash had gone to Benahg for help, and had been granted it, then I needed to be more careful. Most within Eban I dealt with were like myself and Orly, living outside the law, making our way through the underbelly of the streets. I thought Natash like that as well, especially given the way that he’d sent men after me at the Brite Pot and now here. But if he’d involved Benahg, not only one of the city’s councilors, but one who led the council, then I risked not only the dark side of the city but the guard itself.
I didn’t know if that made Natash stupid or desperate. Probably both. Desperate men often were stupid. But it made what I now needed to do even more difficult. Reaching Natash would be nearly as hard as getting to Orly—only, if I made a mistake, I was bound to get all of Eban’s might coming for me.
As I stood on the street corner, still crouched in shadows, I stared out at the street. As far as I could tell, nothing moved, but that didn’t mean that no one was out there. I climbed to the nearest rooftop and crouched, surveying the darkened streets of Eban. From here, I could see farther than I could otherwise, and with my Sight, I could make out even the rats scavenging. At first, I thought there wasn’t anything else, but then I saw the glint of steel.
One of the city guard. There would be another. They always patrolled in pairs, but they should not be here, not in this section of Eban, and not with Orly’s control here.
I found him on the opposite side of the street, also tucked back away from easy view. Then I knew that Natash had already managed to bring the might of Eban after me.
* * *
To read the rest, get part 2 of The Binders Game: The Watcher’s Eyes.
About the Author
DK Holmberg currently lives in rural Minnesota where the winter cold and the summer mosquitoes keep him inside and writing.
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Also by D.K. Holmberg
The Dark Ability
The Dark Ability
The Heartstone Blade
The Tower of Venass
Blood of the Watcher
Also in the world of The Dark Ability
The Painted Girl
A Game of Tsatsun: The Binders Game, Part 1
The Watcher’s Eyes: The Binders Game, Part 2
Playing the Stone: The Binders Game, Part 3
The Durven: The Forgotten, Part 1
A Forgotten Return: The Forgotten, Part 3
The Cloud Warrior Saga
Chased by Fire
Bound by Fire
Changed by Fire
Fortress of Fire
Forged in Fire
Serpent of Fire
Servant of Fire
Born of Fire
Others in the Cloud Warrior Series
Prelude to Fire
Chasing the Wind
Drowned by Water
Salvaged by Water
The Lost Garden
Keeper of the Forest
The Desolate Bond
Keeper of Light
The Painter Mage
Shifted Agony
Arcane Mark
Painter For Hire
Stolen Compass