Knives & Knaves

By Sara Tiger Ryan

Someone has murdered Biff, one of Prince Lyzan's blade dancing instructors. The Prince calls in Miss Kitty's to discover who the killer is.
Sazzy and Dusty’s first inclination is to assume the knives were really meant for the Prince. So Miss Kitty's Entire are hurrying to find the killer before he or she strikes again.
But Sazzy is having a real problem with this case: it is triggering all her most vicious fears: of cellars, torture, and flying blades.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sara Tiger Ryan
• Release date: Nov 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005677749

Sara Tiger Ryan

Sara Tiger Ryan was born in New Hampshire. She now lives in Florida with her 2 cats. Make that minus one charming boy cat, add in a Mama cat who brought me 5 kittens--all of them adorable! Sara started writing novels in 1973 in high school study hall and hasn't stopped (for long) yet. She started out writing fantasy and added mystery. She also writes metaphysical non-fiction. Ryan was active in the small press in the mid 90's, and had her own 'zine, Star Triad.

Book preview

Knives

&

Knaves

Miss Kitty Mystery 21

Sara Tiger Ryan

dedicated to:

Intrepid Cinnamon

one heck-of-a-cat

who nearly deleted the entire story

just as I finished writing it!

He bounced in and

landed on the keyboard.

I looked up from patting him to see his dancing kitty steps had highlighted

the whole document and

the question

at the top of the file was: Delete All?

Argh!

No!

Phew, I rescued the story just in time!!!

Table of Contents

1 Seven Knives

2 Seven Knaves

3 Crossed Knives

4 Too Many Knives

5 Telling Knives

6 Green~Brown Knives

7 Knives & Keys

8 Palette Knives

9 Knives, Knaves, & Nightmares

10 One Sexy Knave

11 Thunder Like Knives

12 A Handsome Knave

13 A Knave Afraid

14Winter Deep

15 Blade Master

16 Seven Knives Caught

Appendices

About Sara

All Sara’s Books

All My Miss Kitty’s

The Next Miss Kitty

Bonus 1st Cady Mystery

All characters herein are entirely fictional.

Author's Note:

Herm is short for hermaphrodite.

All the work herein is copyright Sara Tiger Ryan, Tiger Moon Press. Smashwords Ebook Edition, October 2022.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting this author's work.

Chapter 1

Seven Knives

Sazzy set the pot of evening shalaka on the meeting room table, and tilted her head to one side. Familiar boot steps sounded striding down the hall. What was the Prince doing here? He ought to be at the palace snuggling up to his new dragon girl handfasted.

Lyzan came in looking haggard, his blond curls draggling in his eyes, his blue eyes haunted. He braced himself in the doorway and didn't speak.

Sazzy took a step towards him. What's wrong? Kinsal hadn't done something dragonish, had she? Or gotten hurt in the market again? Or, inconceivably, left?

Lyzan made a helpless gesture, then ran his hands over his face. Something. I don't know what happened. No one else in the school has my magic. Biff. Dead. He paused. I'm not making sense.

Someone at the school killed Biff? Do you need to borrow my truthsensing pendant to find out who?

Biff... No. Lyzan paused and blinked back tears. His mouth worked but no words came out.

Sazzy took an alarmed step toward him.

His whole class. No. I don't know. It was a new class in brass kissing. Throwing. You remember, you had one. All of them.

Sazzy laid a hand on his arm. Sit. Can I get you some shalaka?

I'm not making sense. It doesn't make sense. I was deliriously happy this morning. It will sound like a bad play. He drew away, went to the back bench and fiddled with the mirrors on Miss Kitty's Private Spy Agency's largest magic book copier. Is this Dusty's newest book?

It's your copy.

Tasser locked the doors. Every single knife thrown veered and slammed into Biff.

Sazzy braced herself on the closest chair back. She could see that. She could imagine all those knives coming at her. Or at Lyzan. She took a breath.

I've closed the school till we can find out who. This afternoon early. I only know it wasn't me, it wasn't... No one in that class has Dalgren magic. No one else in the school does—but me. Khaiyan was with me. Cousin T wasn't there. He doesn't have that magic anyway.

I hope you're being careful.

He laughed sharply. I don't know how to be that careful. I closed the school. Did I say that? I haven't told Mum or the Spymaster yet. The city guards. I came here. He met her eyes. His held fear, grief, and despair. I'm hoping Miss Kitty's will take the case.

Of course, her private spy partner said from his office, then Dusty came to the meeting room doorway.

Restoration shalaka? she offered.

I think I'd better. Lyzan dropped into the closest seat, leaned his elbows on the table and ducked his head into his hands. Merri's brother went for the guards. To the Everywhere Station. Your Cousins will throw me out. Detective Duggan came. His men call him Bulldog behind his back. The guards wrapped the whole place in crime ribbons. The workers had to stop repairing the steps. I don't believe Viv drove up them like that. No one ever said why her carriage burst into flames. The guards tied the bow under one of the porch support dragons’ necks. He drew a shaky breath. I hope that isn't an omen.

The outside door flung open and light steps raced across the waiting room and down the hall. Lyzan stood and moved to the doorway in time to catch Kinsal in his arms.

What's wrong? Kinsal asked shakily. What's wrong? Something awful. I had to come find you.

Lyzan ducked his face into Kinsal's dark amber waves and closed his eyes.

I know you sent that you were all right, Kinsal continued, but you don't feel all right. I had to come.

I understand, love. I came to hire Miss Kitty's. I was headed home next.

Something awful? Kinsal drew away and studied Lyzan's face.

Sazzy exchanged a look with Dusty. Yes, he was having the same thought: that the attack had something to do with Kinsal. With Lyzan handfasting a dragon. And Kinsal certainly didn't deserve more worry after spending a thousand years trapped in a necklace.

Sazzy poured a cup of shalaka. If no one else wanted any, she did. Not that she had gotten along with Biff. His smirky attitude had always made her want to slap him. But she supposed he didn't deserve to die for it. How many people were in the class?

Seven. Tasser has the roster. Why Biff? He wasn't that bad.

Sazzy took a breath and managed not to say: Better Biff than you.

Have there been any other incidences? Dusty asked.

I don't know. No. Yes. Maybe. Shod last year. Not this bad. We solved that. It can't be Molly. Unless it could. Lyzan braced himself on the closest chair back and caught a sharp breath. Your premonition drawing...

Let's move to the waiting room and sit in comfort, Dusty said, taking a step towards the hall door.

No.

My suite, Sazzy suggested and led the way—out into the hall, to Dusty's office, through that, through her office, to her suite.

Lyzan and Kinsal took the center of her fainting sofa and wrapped their arms around each other. Sazzy locked her suite's side door, which led to the waiting room, and tucked up in her favorite purple chair, leaving Dusty her orange chair.

None of them spoke.

When one of their office cats scratched at the door, they all started violently. ‘Eep!’

Sazzy let Sinister Magic in. The black and white cat went directly to Kinsal and rubbed his head against her shin.

Miss Kitty, their calico brindle cat, dashed in and leapt onto Dusty's lap, Their third cat, Stripes, wound her ankles, and their third partner, Thane, peered around the back hall corner.

As usual now, he carried his gray and yellow cat Rescue draped over his shoulders. His cream-colored kitten Client, pounced on his boot toes. He asked, What's wrong?

Sazzy waved him in so she could shut and lock the door again.

Lyzan made a wounded motion with his hands.

Dusty answered Thane, The nasty part of Sazzy's premonition for Lyzan just happened.

The headless stick figure?

Lyzan choked and bolted from the room...to the necessary.

Kinsal made a half move to go after him, then glanced between her and Dusty.

Dusty said, I started listening at the end. Sazz?

Sazzy sat again, made a lap for Stripes, and briefed Kinsal and the two men. When she heard Lyzan headed back, she stopped and concentrated on stroking the overly-tailed slate on gray striped cat on her lap.

Lyzan said as he came into the room, The city guards don't want the case because I'm in it. Detective Duggan asked me why I didn't just call the Spymaster down. I didn't think it had anything to do with the country. I was so happy this morning. He glanced between her and Dusty.

Dusty said, Of course we're going to take your case, Mister Kitty.

Lyzan settled next to Kinsal again. Kinsal took his hand and wrapped her fingers around it.

I'm the only one I know of in the school that has Dalgren magic, Lyzan repeated.

Why would you kill Biff? Sazzy asked.

Lyzan snapped his head up, expression horrified. I wouldn't.

Pretend it's a serious question.

Lyzan looked away, his eyes filling with tears. I wouldn't. He was a pain in the buttocks sometimes, his cocky attitude made me want to bash him over the head at times, his teasing made me want to slap him, but I loved him anyway. Underneath it all, he was a good person. He cared. He was an excellent teacher. No one else in school has Dalgren magic.

That you know of, Dusty added.

Did you have any visitors? she asked.

Tasser didn't mention any. Two days ago, on beginner's day, yes. Everyone was excited to be in Biff's class. Now I wouldn't be surprised if they all quit. I don't know when the city guards will release the building. Tris, Cousin R, Maclen, and all the Cousin Rag people are coming and going through the bulkhead.

Which gives the crime a whole other set of suspects, Dusty said, then glanced at her.

The Cousins don't kill unless there is no other option, Sazzy interjected. I can check their archives the next time I work the Savvy Cousin booth, but I don't remember any vendettas against Biff or the school. Besides, the Cousins are invested in the school; they are hardly going to jeopardize that investment by killing one of the main teachers.

Look anyway, Lyzan directed. Ask today—

It was falling down dusk when I came in, Thane said. Most of the booths were already closed when I went through Sidewise Market.

Lyzan covered his face briefly with his hands. I lost track of the day. Tomorrow, then, whether you’re working the booth or not. He paused. Consider that you have a Prince-warrant for anything you want to look into that you need one for and bribe money if you need it.

Evan, their bookbinder tenant, called in, I brought dinner from Edgy. Is anyone else here and hungry?

Lyzan pushed to his feet and gave Kinsal a hand to hers. We're expected to eat at the palace. I'll bring a payment by tomorrow morning.

You're part of Miss Kitty's, no payment needed, Dusty said.

I need to pay. Lyzan unbarred her side door and the two left with their arms wrapped around each other's waists. The five cats followed them out—or followed Evan's voice to the meeting room and food, rather.

Well, this a Dark Fate of a kissingmoon gift for the two, Thane commented.

You see it as political, too? Dusty asked.

If the Prince is involved, it's political, even if it wasn't meant to be, Sazzy said.

Isn't anyone hungry? Evan asked from the west hall.

Not much. Whatever Lyzan said, she was afraid for him, because the last time one of his instructors had been hurt, the attack had actually been directed at him.

Before the cats and I eat it all up, Evan prompted.

They adjourned to the meeting room and the table big enough for them and the friends that usually ate with them.

Dusty continued to the bench in the back of the room and fussed with the pages of his books, trading pages that had been copied by their three magic book copiers for fresh pages needing to be copied. Evan started serving. Thane fed the cats from a separate side dish of mostly fish pieces. Rescue, though, seemed to prefer the cheese.

Sazzy sat and stared at the plate of fish and cheese casserole Evan had set in front of her.

Evan finally asked, What's wrong?

After a moment, Thane told him, and Evan voiced the same concern she had, Because the Prince handfasted Kinsal?

That would make sense of the city guards' crime ribbon, Dusty said, but I don't see how it would relate to Biff's murder. He sat and poked at the food on his plate without eating. I'll go to the morgue tomorrow and check any magic that might be on Biff, if I can borrow your Fate-touched magic detector, partner.

Certainly. Especially if it meant she didn't have to go. She could already feel nightmares lurking without having to view the body.

SkittersDelightday

Sazzy snatched awake and froze, listening hard. Voices. She held her breath.

Evan, their bookbinder tenant, and Tony, their receptionist, laughed.

Sazzy relaxed and brighted her bedside wizardglobe. No knives were pointed at her. No sword poised to slice her open from the back. She slid up against the headboard and hugged herself. Her shoulder hurt from her dream. She twisted around and rubbed the small portion of her scar that she could reach. It wasn't open and pouring blood like in her nightmare, only nastily ribbed.

She had let go of Ziah's hand again in her nightmare. Hadn't she solved that? Chiary and Das had both insisted that she couldn't have saved Ziah from the time whirlpool. Ziah had told her in her shaman journey that it was him that had let go of her hand. She had barely saved herself. She had crawled out of the portal, leaving a trail of blood behind. In actuality there had been only one Ai'Bet slaver with a sharp curved sword, not the seven like in her nightmare.

In her dream, the building she and Ziah had run into getting away from the slavers had been full of maimed ghosts (like in her case for her warrior mage friend, Breck Hexmaster). She had drawn a portal for them to go through-her, Ziah, and the ghosts. In actuality, she and Ziah had run into the building because she had sensed a portal to all times in it, a way to escape. She had opened the portal so she and Ziah could get away from the slavers.

Only the sword had followed her through the portal. And, thankfully not the slaver.

Maclen wrote up the murder at the blade school for the Cousin Rag, Tony said. It doesn't sound gruesome unless you think about it.

The Crier featured the ice follies, Evan said. I guess they didn't hear about the murder until too late to put it on the front.

I'd rather go to the ice follies than a murder, Tony answered.

Sazzy made a face. Her, too. But she couldn't imagine anyone hiring Miss Kitty's Private Spy Agency to go have fun at the town's ice follies. Not that she didn't intend to go see the ice sculptures, especially as she supposed her only remaining best friend's handfasted would enter, as he had the last few years. Merriweather would expect her to go vote for Beau's sculpture. Last year he had made a gargoyle holding a kitten. She wondered what he would make this year to top that.

Those thoughts were far more comfortable than remembering her dream, or speculating about their new case.

Lyzan came to breakfast and set the premonition drawing she had done for him in front of Dusty. I couldn't find any clues in it, maybe you can.

Sazzy might need to make another one specifically on the murder, Dusty said.

It has to be, Lyzan said, as he dropped a few silver coins in front of her.

She left the coins. She didn't feel comfortable taking money from the Prince, any more than she would feel comfortable taking money from Thane or Dusty. Tony was new. She might charge him or Evan half price.

One knife might be an accident, Lyzan continued, But not seven all at once from seven different people. The Spymaster sent Paff to help the city guards.

They are most likely to see that as interference, their ex-guard friend and owner of their sometimes branch office, Cady Longwish, said, coming in with breakfast. He set the skillet on the table and laid his hand on Lyzan's shoulder a long moment before sitting. The markets are ablaze with rumors and speculation. The consensus is that it was really directed at you and—or your handfasting, not your school.

That's what I'm most afraid of.

How about if— Dusty began. The outside door slammed open and closed several times, and footsteps racing across the foyer announced their upstairs landlady's dance class had arrived. The children's steps clattered up the west stairs, and that door slammed over and over, too.

When the noise subsided, Dusty started over, How about if, while I'm at the morgue, partner, you whip us out a handy new premonition drawing that reveals the killer, making this our easiest case yet?

You've obviously been writing too much, Evan interjected teasingly.

Dusty flashed Evan a grin, You might be right. Then he lifted his head, listening to the footsteps coming down the hallway. Good, Saffie made it after all.

Saffie came in, laid his hand on Lyzan’s shoulder a moment, then dropped a kiss on his handfasted's head. Dusty answered by catching hold of Saffie's hand and kissing his fingers.

Egad, let them go on a second year kissing moon and they turn overly mushy, Maclen teased from the doorway. I'm here to mooch breakfast and find out if you have anything more on the blade school murder for the Cousin Rag.

The Prince looked up from pushing his scrambled eggs around on his plate and glanced between her and Dusty. Do you think I should offer a reward for information?

She and Dusty both shook their heads. Dusty said, That's more likely to bog us down with people coming in for the reward money for things they pretend they saw or heard.

I hope you're keeping Miss Kinsal safe, Maclen said between bites. Half the people I interviewed said they thought she was the real target.

She doesn't come by the school that much. Mum coaxed her to stay at the palace today, even so. The Prince pinned Maclen with a sharp gaze and ordered, Don't make things worse.

Did you hire Miss Kitty's?

And if I did?

Then if I put it in my article today, it ought to strike fear in the bad guy's black heart; Miss Kitty's hasn't failed a case yet.

Actually they had. Or she had: Shalin Lyy's. But she didn't mention it because she didn't want to give Shalin away—and, on one hand, she was relieved that she had failed—meaning Shalin had stayed free and lived. She glanced at Lyzan. Are we going to be able to visit the scene of the crime?

The city guards still have it roped off, Maclen interjected.

As soon as I can get in, you can get in, Lyzan answered.

You can get in through our door now, Maclen said, you just can't get into that room. They have it cordoned off and padlocked.

Which meant he had tried.

Lyzan stood. I'll go test that out, I need some papers from my office. He started out.

Maclen sprang up and grabbed another piece of toast, saying, Wait up, I'll walk with you. He hurried after the Prince.

Dusty pushed his plate to the center of the table. My appointment at the morgue is in just enough time to get across town. Saffie, do you want to walk with me? Sazz, I need your magic detectors.

She walked the two men to the foyer door, fished her two magic detectors out of the Fate-made pocket in her private spy kit (which hung on the clothes rack by the foyer door) and handed the detectors to Dusty.

Cady called from down the back hall, Wait up, you two; I'll walk you as far as Das'.

Then you can tell him I won't be running today, Dusty said, holding the door for Saffie to go out while he waited for Cady.

Cady paused at the door. I'm between cases, if you guys need help.

I can't imagine we won't, Dusty said.

Can you ask Dair if he knows anything that would help? Sazzy asked.

Cady hunched his shoulders in briefly. I can. When Finn was killed, Dair mentioned a Skyland healing gallery where spirits go after violent deaths. It sounds as if Biff would be there. So not able to give us any answers.

Any little clue at this point, Dusty said, met her gaze and said, Keep an ear out for our Prince. All of us.

Yeah, Cady answered, touching the malachite communication earring he wore.

She and Dusty echoed his gesture, then the three men left. Sazzy retreated to her office, sat, and stared at her desk top without seeing it.

Stripes leapt onto her desk and rubbed his cheek against hers.

Is that encouragement? she asked.

The overly-tailed, slate gray on lighter gray cat snagged one of her colorsticks with a claw and rolled it across the desk. Sazzy caught it before it tumbled off the edge. All right, an even nastier premonition drawing than ever.

Instead, it ought to just be full of magic clues leading to the baddie, Thane said, pausing in her office doorway. He wore Rescue on his shoulder and Client peeked out of his cloak pocket. You already drew the worst part.

Unless this was only the first worst part and Lyzan and Kinsal really were the real targets. Are you headed somewhere?

Feon is having a folly party at the museum next week, I'm the main go-get-this-person. I probably should have gone with Saffie, since that is likely where he was headed, but I wanted to check the Crier in case someone mistakenly listed a huge, wonderful, cheap building I can buy for my cat and dog rescue house.

That would make a far more fun premonition drawing than the one Dusty wants me to do.

Is Lyzan still here?

He went with Maclen to try to sneak into his office at the school so he can get the money to pay his other instructors this week.

Once Thane left, Sazzy tried to make herself do the premonition drawing for the Prince's case, instead her mind snagged on Thane's rescue house and she started a drawing for that before catching herself.

The end result looked good, but the road to the building appeared difficult and jagged with a big, dark thing just