For the first time in years, Teclos found himself living comfortably.
Not safely.
He had long since stopped confusing the two.
The men from the Lantern House proved easier to deal with than expected. Neither was a vampire, nor were they thralls bound directly to Luther. They were ordinary men carrying orders from one of House Vael'thorr's lesser branches, paid to follow Teclos's trail and confirm whether he had entered Tessania.
The Black Thread watched them for three days.
Every tavern they visited was reported. Every stable boy they questioned remembered their faces. A washerwoman found coded letters sewn into the lining of one cloak, while Neri learned which courier they intended to use without going anywhere near them himself.
Once Teclos had enough information, the two men disappeared.
Their bodies were never found.
Harven asked what should be written in the ledger.
Teclos looked up from the letters taken from their room.
"Write that they left the city."
