Chapter 15: Enslaving a duke

To say I was angry would be a mild understatement. Daniel and Tami along with several dozen other children had been rounded up off the streets. It was not on the king’s orders or any of his council. It was a duke that was also a merchant that traded with other city states and countries.

The king did not want to get involved with the matter because the duke was very powerful. I had slipped out of the house and for a change Dragon and the others came with me. I was not headed for his estate I was going to his warehouse just outside the city. One look at the warehouse and I was growling at the strands of magic protecting it.

I moved to a small door in a corner and used two silver pen knives to move the spell strands off and away from the door. Once the that was done I picked the lock before going to the corner drain pipe. I carefully moved spell strands before I started climbing. Once on the roof I moved up to the peak and leaned over to check the roof vent.

It was not protected so I worked it open and glanced in. I turned to hang before swinging in and onto a thick beam. I knelt to look down into the darkness of the warehouse. When I saw the hounds I glanced at Jewel and Dragon, “They need to be distracted.”

Dragon leaped after the tiny Jewel and I began moving in. I climbed down to another beam before checking the warehouse floor. I shook my head at the drakes playing with the hounds before climbing to the floor. There were two very large cages in the middle of the room with boys in one and girls in another.

I moved to the door and ignored Daniel’s hiss, “It is trapped.”

I pulled out a pouch and sprinkled a couple of pinches of insect dust on and over the lock plate. The spell strands slipped off and fell away before I picked the lock. I opened the door as Daniel started waking the other boys, “Come out but wait until I have the other cage open.”

I moved around and to the other cage before removing the spells on the lock plate and picking it. I opened the door, “Bring them out Tami.”

I led them towards the corner door and had them stop. I moved closer and used silver pen knives to slide the spell strands to the side and off the door. I opened it and gestured, “Come on.”

Dragon appeared as the children poured out and I glanced into the warehouse, “Lead them home.”

She took off as Jewel landed on my shoulder and the drakes flew out. I glanced at Griffin keeping watch, “Take the message I gave you home.”

He leaped and flew up and over the warehouses, the message was for Jasmine and Silver to check the children for trace spells. I closed the door and removed the silver knives before walking to a thick wooden pillar. I climbed up and then out before coming down the drain pipe. I removed the silver knives from there and the outside of the door.

I walked away into the night and headed through the city towards the duke’s estate. I was not surprised when Daniel and Tami appeared, “Time to get even.”

They grinned as we continued to move through the shadows. As we got closer to the estate I noticed more night people in the shadows. As we passed they fell in and began to follow. When I reached the estate I stopped to look at the wall. Like most nobles he used protections and like most nobles he ignored his own servants.