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dollar map stashed away at the manor. His Chinese contact, Tsai, had given him that map. Rhane exhaled. Things had just gotten more complicated.
    He slid the book underneath the back seat, deciding to go inside the library after all. One of the librarians greeted him as soon as he entered. It was a pale, skinny college kid who was more in need of a haircut than Rhane had ever been. He asked if Rhane had renewed his membership for the year.
    Two lies came out without him thinking. “Yeah, I have. I’m just here to pick up my kid.”
    “Okay. Let us know if you need anything.”
    “I will. Thanks.”
    Following the trail no human could, he went up the stairs and headed straight for the reference section. It didn’t take long to find the book’s former hiding place. The scent on the aisle was overpowering. Something else had been there recently looking for it. That was all Rhane needed to know. He went back to the lobby, not missing the scrutinizing glare from the skinny kid as he slipped through the front door.
    Rhane’s next stop was Clever Dust Booksellers. He thought the quaint design of the building fit the name perfectly until he noticed the flower arrangement in the front window. It was comprised of wolf’s bane and the deep blue blossoms of monkshood. They were a warning to keep away. He pushed through the front door and the smell hit him like a freight train. It was the same from the library.
    The shopkeeper, a mirthful looking fellow with many miles and stories behind him, stood at the counter. “Harry” was written on the name tag clipped to his collar. The old man broke into a smile. “Welcome, sir. How may I be of assistance today?”
    Rhane got straight to the point. “I need to speak with a woman who works here, Lara.”
    Harry seemed confused. “Excuse me?”
    “Lara,” he repeated, “I need to see her.”
    “I’m sorry. You must be mistaken. There is no Lara working here.”
    Rhane slowly moved closer to the counter. Harry wasn’t being truthful. His heart had started to race. His jolly body trembled with the lie. Rhane leaned in next to the old man. “What if I told you I was certain she was here?”
    Harry’s eyes widened with panic and roamed to the back of the shop. “Please,” he whispered. “Lara does not wish to see you.”
    Rhane heard footsteps that abruptly stopped. He smiled, putting a conscious effort into making himself less frightening. “You don’t mind if I have a look around,” he said, striding toward where the noise had come from. Past several rows of bookshelves, he came to a workshop where numerous projects lay uncompleted. His eyes swept the area but noticed nothing unusual. Rhane stepped into the room. Immediately, a different feeling sank upon him. Something else was there. It was watching him, carefully hidden.
    With a few cautious steps, Rhane went forward. A curtain hung conspicuously in the back corner. He grabbed the tattered material and yanked the curtain aside. A flurry of motion exploded behind him, leaping from the shadows with a hiss. Even as the sound split the air, the heat of its breath grazed Rhane’s neck. He whirled to deflect the attack, closing his hand around a slender but strong wrist. Rhane pulled forward and sideways, using momentum to change its direction like a whip. The thing went flying across the room and landed with a crash, sending everything cascading from the back wall in a tumble. But his attacker was up in a flash. It fled the room, a blur of red hair spilling from a dark cloak.
    Rhane ran behind it, banging the door against the building as he burst outside. But as fast as he had moved, the alleyway was empty when he reached it. He dropped into a low crouch, listening and smelling for the other presence. Nothing. The rogue, she was long gone.

Chapter 9
     
    “What would a rogue want with a catalogue that details dark lords? Most of the filth in it would be of their kind.”
    Thanks a lot, Rhane thought. “Maybe she was