Urchin's Gambit: Empire of Resonance Novellas, #1

By L.W. Jacobs

To get out alive, Aelya has to go from prime suspect to lead investigator.

 

When Aelya woke up this morning, she thought she was going to pick up the score of blackmarket yura her gang needed to escape the streets. Instead she finds her dealer dead and herself arrested as prime suspect. To save herself she'll not only have to figure out who did it, but convince the Councilate investigator holding her chains he can trust her enough to get the job done.

 

An epic fantasy novella set in the Resonant Saga universe, twelve months before the start of Beggar's Rebellion.

• Language: English
• Publisher: L.W. Jacobs
• Release date: Oct 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9780999076965

Book preview

Urchin’s Gambit

An Empire of Resonance Novella

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L.W. Jacobs

Copyright © 2021 by Levi W. Jacobs

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Cover Art by Mateusz Michalski

Cover Design by Ricardo Montaño Castro

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing, Apr 2019

Most Recent, Mar 2021

ISBN 978-0-9990769-6-5

Americon Industries

387 15th St W #142

Dickinson, ND 58601

1

Aelya’s stump hurt. That was nothing new: it hurt when someone bumped it, hurt when she washed it, hurt when she even thought about it. But her arm hurt the most in winter, and it was so mecking cold outside she was ready to cut the thing off again.

She pulled the old blanket tighter around her body, trudging the snow-packed street in the cold morning light. A fresh coating of snow had fallen overnight, and the city felt muffled beneath it, ring of a blacksmith’s hammer echoing in the still air. What she’d like to do was find a fire and a hot cup of dreamtea—but there was no time for that. No coin for it either, because word was Riddlis the money-changer had died.

With her life savings, of course.

Aelya snorted, breath fogging white. Died. Yeah right. Riddlis had been neck-deep in the moss trade since it started ten years ago, a dangerous trade even before the Councilate started regulating it. Dying meant a lot of things on the street, but it rarely meant death. Riddlis was too smart to die, but maybe he’d gotten too worried to stay. Ran off somewhere warm to drink and piss the coin away—one of the Councilate cities, or a relative’s hut in the villages. If he had as much as she thought, he could live like a king out there.

Aelya flexed her good hand. She should have seen it coming. Should have checked her partner when he said he’d heard Riddlis was getting a load he needed to move fast, that he was selling at half-price. But the old money-changer had been solid for so long she’d just believed it. Other gangs had too—word had spread fast.

Too fast. That should have been her first clue—his load was supposed to be a secret, but everybody knew about it.

She crested the hill into Hightown, red brick walls bright against white snow. Other gangs could absorb the loss. Had plenty of members and plenty of reserves. But she and Tai had only started their group a few months ago, and they’d gambled their whole savings on this load. If this didn’t work it was going to be a long, miserable winter.

Unless she found Riddlis.

Aelya turned onto his street, air sharp with woodsmoke. The old man hadn’t survived this long without being crafty. What would be the one place no one would look for you, if you went missing and spread word you were dead?

In your own house.

She rapped on the door, not expecting an answer. There was none. Tried the handle. It was locked, and Riddlis didn’t have one of the new Seinjialese key locks. The door was barred.

From the inside.

Aelya smiled. Was the old man that stupid? Dead people couldn’t bar doors, and this was the only way in.

No, he wasn’t stupid. So he probably had backup in there.

She could deal with backup.

Aelya rolled the rough ball under her tongue, tasting bitter earth. Moss was expensive, but it made her doubly fast and strong when she ate it. And a little strength and speed went a long way if you needed to intimidate some sellswords.

Especially when you only had one arm.

Riddlis! she called, knocking again. I know you’re in there! Open up and you won’t have to buy a new door!

The old man didn’t answer—big surprise. Aelya bit down, bitter flavor erupting in her mouth, chewed and swallowed and waited. It took about as long as dreamleaf did to hit, faster on an empty stomach. Which hers usually was.

There. Not power or strength yet, but the possibility of it. Like someone taking the blanket off a bell and handing her the hammer.

Aelya struck, and power flooded her bones. She pulled her shank, in case someone was waiting on the far side.

Then she kicked the door in.

It made a satisfying bang when it hit the back wall, knocking over a