Read The Fall of Ventaris for Free Online Page A

?
    “Well, what happened to the Freehold? That never burned, and if it’s still there, it should belong to you now.” He looked sheepish, evidently realizing what he had implied. “I mean, you never heard anything about your brother or sister claiming it...”
    She waved away the apology, considering. She hadn’t thought of her father’s wealth in a long time, much less considered the matter of inheritance. Truth be told, with two older siblings she’d never thought to inherit much. Even if Justin or Marguerite were still alive, she’d heard nothing about a long-lost Kell claiming the country estate. “I guess it would be mine. I wouldn’t even know how to begin asking about it.” But that wasn’t quite true, was it? The very night she’d stolen that dagger she had a dream about Ahmed. He had always looked faintly familiar, but only then did she recall he had been one of her father’s servants. Ahmed had not been there the night of the fire. He never accompanied the family into the city. He would either know what had happened to her father’s country house or could point her to someone who did.
    Lysander was watching her. “You’re thinking about something,” he accused.
    She laughed ruefully. “Guilty.” So strange. Only this morning she’d been so certain she’d left all of these memories behind when she had taken up the mantle of Duchess and the Grey. Yet not ten bells later the old ache was back, and with it musings of what might have been, and what might yet be. She shook her head. “But let’s talk about inheritances later...I’m starving.”
    His lips curved into a grin. “Well, you can start spending all that money by buying me some breakfast,” he told her. She smiled at his smile, feeling better than she had in weeks. “Assuming there’s anything clean to wear in all this.” After some searching, they found a shirt and pants that weren’t too badly stained, and then they were off to see what the market had to offer.  
    The Shallows were busy under the gray dawn sky, and they had to wait while a crowd of beggars passed on their way to Bell Plaza. It was never wise to walk amongst a crowd of beggars, half of whom were expert pickpockets and the other half amateurs who were willing to try anyway.  
    “Last night, at the Bier , we were talking about sellswords...” she ventured, eager to talk about anything other than House Kell.  
    “Oh great gods...are you still on about that?” he laughed. “You’re looking for someone good with a blade who will have no qualms about working for a member of the Grey but one who also has a code of honor that will keep him from betraying you. That kind of man doesn’t just climb out of the harbor.”
    “Not out of the harbor, no,” she replied quietly.
    Lysander knew that tone, and he moved to block her way, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You’re not thinking...”
    “Thinking what?” Innocence never sat well on her face, but she thought she’d try it anyway.
    “All those questions about Pollux...” He shook his head. “You truly are mad. You realize that, right?”
    “But just think of it!” She said, leaping from innocence to excitement. “All the honor and fighting ability of a White, combined with the willingness to break the law when necessary...it’s perfect. You said yourself the court would like this problem to go away. In a way, I’d be doing the empress a favor.”
    “I doubt Violana would see it that way. Or the imperial headsman, for that matter.” He cocked an ear at the sky as if listening. “What’s that? Yes, I know. You’re absolutely right, no question.”  
    “What are you doing?”
    “Listening to the gods. They’re telling me you’re crazy and that I should hide in the Deeps until you come to your senses.” He stared at her with mock severity until her giggles got to him and they both collapsed with laughter in the middle of the street drawing irritated looks from the usual morning parade of beggars,