The inside of the lock-up resembled others I had visited in the past. A set of stairs on the far side led to an open landing on the second floor. Four wooden doors, with a barred opening at the top of each, secured the prisoner’s rooms. When occupied, a guard would stand outside the door. But nobody stood up there now.

  On the ground floor, a table sat in the middle of the room, with enough seats for a dozen yaksha. Only one was occupied. Two additional guards stood behind the sitting yaksha, one on each side. Each held maces that looked eerily similar to the ones I found on the bandits. Before addressing any of them, I scanned the rest of the room. Four shelves lined with drinks sat behind an oak bar, lining the wall behind the table. To my left were two doors. One would be to the Watch Captain’s room, the other would hold beds for the other guards.

  As I approached the table, the two standing yaksha shifted their stance, appearing ready to attack, but the man at the table raised his hand, as if telling them to wait. The right side of his face didn’t move as he spoke, a condition likely related to the finger-thick scar that ran from his temple to the side of his chin. “Stevyn the Ghost, for what do we get the privilege of your presence?”

  I halted when he was slightly out of range of my hammer and peered at him. He was a younger man, surviving no more than thirty winters. His hair was well maintained, cut short and didn’t look greasy. Not how I’d expect to find a bandit, or a man who traveled far to take the place of a fallen watch captain. “Do I know you?”

  He shrugged. “My name is Viraaj Nahola. I doubt you’d remember me, for I was but a pawn in the battle. While I swung my mace hoping to land a few hits, you mowed through our enemies with your oversized hammer.” He pointed to a chair, offering me a seat.

  I waved away the chair. “I’m always pleased to meet a fellow soldier, but I must inform you, I’m now Stevyn the Cursed.”

  He shrugged. “I heard such, but don’t think a valuable warrior like you should be stripped of such a memorable title.”

  His attempts to flatter me were obvious, but I wasn’t sure why. Perhaps he was the type to flatter men, as a tactic to draw them to his side. But he also could be hoping to hide something, presenting himself as likeable in hopes a positive assessment of him would result in enough trust to keep others from poking around. “We both know what we think matters not, but only what the royals command.”

  He nodded.

  “Are you the watch captain?” The smug look on his face made it obvious that he was, but I was curious how he would present himself. The watch captain who was appointed by the Bala family hung from a rope just outside the door. While I imagined someone ordered him to assume the role, I doubted they had the time to go through the proper process.

  He glanced at the two men standing behind him, as if making sure they were still there. “I’m filling the position temporarily, as the former captain met an unfortunate end.”

  “Is he the yaksha still swinging from the rope?”

  He nodded. “I left him there until the royals send someone to investigate.”

  While his words indicated he understood the limitations of his power, the general look of his facial expression displayed a man annoyed at being questioned by a knight. I wanted to push a little harder, see if he flinches. “Perhaps you should take good notes, then remove him from the public eye. The citizens of Chinpo seem quite uneasy.”

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  “Were you sent to counsel me?” The tone of his words gave away his disdain. No watch captain I’ve ever met would speak to a knight as such, even one who was disgraced by the prince he once served. Among other things, this meant he was dropping the attempt to flatter me into compliance.

  “Nobody sent me here. I was merely passing by and wanted to relay the location of a bandit camp to the local guards.”

  “Really?” He sat up in his chair. “Do you know if they’re the same ones responsible for the captain?”

  “Was he slain by bandits?”

  He nodded. “After a failed attempt to arrest them, they rode into town, slaughtered his guards, and hung him right outside of the lock-up.”

  I scratched my chin as I studied not just his face, but the faces of the men standing behind him. If they knew I disarmed one of their cohorts and found a mace similar to theirs on him, would they continue to think me too dull to know they were in cahoots? My large stature often made yaksha think I was elevated to knight based on my brute strength, not my wit. Few of them knew how much Prince Tilman had relied on me for strategy, nor would I want them to. Being underestimated allowed me to probe for information without being suspected of doing so. “I’m surprised the royals only sent you and a few guards. For such an attack, I’d expect to see soldiers marching through the village.”

  “I’m sure they will send such reinforcements, but I would like to get the village under control before they arrive. Maybe prove myself worthy of gaining the position of watch captain on a more permanent basis.” He thought for a moment. “Capturing the bandits responsible for the attack will be a big step in that direction. Please relay the location of the camp.”

  Gripping my hammer tighter, I said, “If you’d like, I’ll travel there with your guards and lend a hand.” I locked eyes with the yaksha. “You can take all the credit.”

  “I appreciate the offer, but my guards are well equipped to handle a simple bandit camp.”

  Glancing at his guards, I studied their faces. Neither had the look of a yaksha thirsty for a fight, nor that of one weary of getting into one. Instead, they stood expressionless, common with soldiers who had fought one battle too many, or those who didn’t think there would be a battle. I figured they were in the latter camp. Not only did they carry the same type of weapons, but their maces were of similar design. I had no doubt they once fought beside the bandits, but wanted to finally confirm it. “Do know I have made your task a little easier by slaying two of them earlier this night.”

  The men behind Viraaj stiffened. The one on the right didn’t control his facial expression as well as the other two. His eyes widened and his mouth twisted into a scowl.

  “Can you describe the men you encountered?” Viraaj asked.

  “They wore armor and carried maces. The two I met up close were of average height.” Grinning, I added, “I would describe their faces, but I crushed their heads too much to remove their helms.”

  The guard with the expressive face took a step forward.

  The captain put his hand out, stopping the movement. “He’s eager to go out and capture the others, but we must wait until Patra Dawn.” He glared back at the guard and raised his voice. “Acting rash will cause us more problems than it’s worth.”

  His words were as hollow as the position he held. For a moment, I considered pushing him further and trying to discover who he worked for, but doing so would expose me to whomever pulled his strings. With poison coursing through my veins and my name dragged through the mud, I could ill afford to create a powerful enemy. “Since you won’t be requiring my aid, I shall take my leave. I must find a place to stay this night.”

  The captain thought for a moment. “When do you plan on leaving our town?”

  “At Patra Dawn.” I smiled. “I’d imagine I’ll be riding out before your boys have a chance to head to the bandit camp.”

  The captain glanced up the stairs, then back at me. “None of our cells are currently occupied. If you would like, you and your servants can stay here this night.”

  I nodded. “That would be much appreciated, but first I must go out and gather supplies for my trip.”

  “The rooms will be here when you return.”