The Guild of Assassins by Anna Kashina Read Free Book Online

off his robe. Tolos hurried forward and helped Nimos up from the ground.
    “He will not be able to speak until his throat heals,” the Reincarnate said calmly.
    Tolos forced his eyes away from the gaping wound.
    “Take good care of him,” the Reincarnate said. “And try not to get anyone else killed. That time vortex you summoned to pull everyone out of the Illitand Hall was an impressive tribute to your special power, but it did spend a lot of our resources. I must return to the Bengaw Outpost as soon as I can to replenish them. I hope you and Kaddim Nimos can complete what you started and that you will have good news upon my return.”
    Tolos bowed, watching the Reincarnate stride out of the courtyard. Then he gestured to the nearest cloaked figures, who took Nimos by the arms and carefully led him away.
    Their work on bringing down the Majat Guild, started over a decade ago, had seen many setbacks, including the most recent ones, when two of the Guild’s best Diamonds were able to acquire resistance to the Kaddim’s mind control. Tolos hoped that the Kaddim’s recent scheming had set their plans back on track. With luck, both Kara and Mai were on their way to answer the Guildmaster’s summons, and King Evan was about to respond to the message from the Monastery the only way he could. Nimos, once fully recovered, would help to finish the rest.
    Soon, the Majat Guild would be so crippled they would be unlikely to ever recover to their former glory, and the kingdom of Tallan Dar would finally cease to exist. He could not wait to see this happen.

5
PLANS
    When Kyth entered the small council chamber adjoining the throne room, he was surprised to find it nearly empty. Besides his father, only three people sat around the small table by the window overlooking the stunning Crown Lake sunset. Kyth kept his back to it as he lowered into a chair opposite Mother Keeper, Egey Bashi, and Raishan.
    The Majat Pentade was absent. Kyth knew why his father wanted to exclude them from the gathering, but he could only imagine what kind of an argument it must have caused.
    “This isn’t a formal council,” King Evan said in response to Kyth’s questioning glance. “And thus I only asked the people I can fully trust to be present.”
    Kyth nodded, even though he couldn’t stop wondering. His father and Magister Egey Bashi had always been at odds, even if grudgingly respectful of each other. As for Raishan, he pledged no loyalty to the crown and was bound by the code of his Guild. Yet, under the circumstances, Kyth, for one, appreciated his father’s decision to include Raishan in this gathering. The Diamond was the only man who could stop Kara from carrying out her insane plan to follow Mai to their Guild. He was also a reasonable and dispassionate man, likely to listen to Kyth’s arguments in favor of such interference. True, Kyth had promised Kara to keep her decision secret, but he would never consider keeping such a foolish promise if he thought he could save her life by breaking it.
    “Here, Kyth,” Evan said. “Read this.” He thrust a piece of parchment into Kyth’s hands. Its spidery writing said:
    As Your Majesty is undoubtedly aware, the Conclave does not consider outside appointments by the crown. Your wish to appoint the renegade priest Brother Bartholomeos the Holy Father of the Church was duly noted and we are grateful to Your Majesty for sending him our way. The renegade has now taken his rightful place in the Monastery dungeons and will await the decision of the Holy Justice regarding his fate.
    We are duly informing Your Majesty of our intention to hold a new election by the Conclave at our earliest convenience and will keep you full y apprised of the proceedings and their outcome.
    Signed:
    the members of the Holy Conclave
    Gurath 23rd, the G reat Shal Addim Temple, Aknabar
    “It is a wonder,” Egey Bashi said darkly, “that they bothered to use any pleasantries at all when writing this letter.”
    “If