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never was.
    I’d failed to get answers from Orly and after speaking with Carth, I was left with nothing more than a sense of confusion. That left dealing with Natash. Even with the risk of entering this massive compound, he was the easiest problem to solve.
    But now wasn’t the time. Not until I knew when he’d return. For all that I knew, Natash wasn’t even in the compound right now.
    Noise from the street caught my attention. People jostled away from the center of the street and the iron gate in front of the house opened. I pushed through the crowd and saw a glimpse of Natash as he walked among four guards, each dressed with dark leathers and moving with the grace of the sellsword I’d seen with Orly.
    Damn the timing. Now that I knew Natash was here, could I really wait and attempt to return later?
    I reached the corner and turned, weaving my way down the street and making an effort to keep my head low as I went so that I could remain somewhat hidden. Another guard watched around the side of the wall on this street, but from what I could tell, there was only one. I weaved toward him and as he noticed me, I flicked a dart toward him. He blinked a moment and then fell in a heap.
    Evanshaff. Carth had left a vial of the oil. My experience with it told me that it had uses, but it was normally hard to acquire. It would last longer than coxberry, and didn’t require that I kill the guards.
    I stopped next to him and pulled him to the side, propping him against the stacked stone wall. He carried a crossbow and a short sword. I left the sword but took the crossbow. A weapon like that had uses, especially since I didn’t know what I might find.
    I made my way down the street and stopped between two lanterns, where their shadows mingled. Glancing around, I quickly leapt over the fence and landed in a crouch on the other side. I heard nothing to indicate I’d been spotted. Natash and the group he’d entered with had disappeared into the house.
    The yard was vibrant for Eban. Flowering plants grew along the wall. A few evergreens were groomed so that they appeared to take the shape of animals. The sounds of running water whispered in the night, but I couldn’t see the stream. Maintaining a garden like this would take incredible wealth.
    I kept low as I started toward the house. Candles flickered in three of the windows facing this side, and voices murmured quietly somewhere to my right. I veered that way, moving as stealthily as I could.
    A couple lounged on chairs behind a statue. They were well dressed, and spoke softly to each other. I wasn’t a Listener and couldn’t hear what they said, but my Sight showed me the wandering hands and the caressing. I wouldn’t have to worry about those two.
    I moved on, keeping my head bowed as I did. I nearly stumbled onto the next guard.
    He stood off to the side of a path leading to the house. Had I not been focused on the house, I might have smelled the tobanash he chewed. His eyes went wide when he saw me, and I jumped forward, clamping my hand to his mouth as I jabbed at him with an evanshaff-tipped dart.
    He twitched and then went down, sliding slowly to the ground.
    I let out a soft breath. I’d almost been caught before I even had a chance to reach the house. That alone should have warned me off, but I was determined, especially after what had happened to Talia.
    With a quiet effort, I dragged the man into the garden and dropped him next to a cluster of trees, leaving him covered by a shadow. If anyone came looking for him, they would sound the alarm—but then, if anyone came looking, I might be in trouble regardless. There was no way of hiding him short of throwing him over the wall, and that would only lead to more questions.
    I made my way back toward the house, checking my remaining darts. The pouch held nearly a dozen, and I had the crossbow were I to need it. The weapon was a little more blunt than I preferred, but then again, I preferred coming out alive. That had