"Mickey Zucker Reichert - Darkness Comes Together" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reichert Mickey Zucker)

'There's dogs," Josafah jabbed a hand toward the dark courtyard between the wall and the mansion.

"Taken care of," Nightfall shot back, disentangling himself from the rope.

Josafah scanned the nearby courtyard with his talent and found nothing out of place. He started down the
wall, carefully placing each hand and foot in crevices formed by the stonework. A rumbling snore rose
abruptly from beneath him. He glanced down to three unmoving animal forms, shifted his position, and
continued to the ground. Once there, he discovered three dogs in various positions of repose, all sound
asleep. Two were sturdily built, short-haired beasts with spiked collars and strong jaws, the last a leggy,
half-grown animal with a cloth collar embroidered with childishly crooked designs. Quietly, Josafah slit
each throat.

Nightfall touched down beside him. "What are you doing?" he asked accusingly, despite the necessity for
hushed tones.

"Assuring our safe escape," Josafah hissed back.

Nightfall crouched beside the dogs. "Sleeping drug would have lasted till midday, at least."

Josafah shrugged. "Death lasts longer. Safer."

Nightfall hefted the puppy's head. "This one was a pet."

"Pets bark, too," Josafah crept toward the mansion, thrusting his talent into the darkness. "You've killed
your share of men. Are you getting dewy-eyed over a couple of mongrels?" Without waiting to see if
Nightfall followed, Josafah continued forward. His hire had claimed that Lord Karthorian took brats off
the street, used them, then tossed them back out when they grew too old for his purposes. It seemed
likely Josafah would find scrawny and terrified urchins, in addition to guards, within the mansion.

Dodging bushes and trellises, Josafah crept through the courtyard with all senses and his gift attuned. The
mansion rose three stories, the lower two windowless and solid brick. The upper story did contain
windows, most shuttered or covered with a thick flap of leather. Eventually, Josafah located one that lay
open. Pausing beneath it, he fitted his climbing claws.

Josafah glanced around for Nightfall but found only the dark shapes of stone benches and foliage. He
cleaned the dogs' blood from his dagger, then settled it loosely in its sheath. Likely, he would need it
several times before locating the master's bedroom. Without further delay, he settled the claws into
irregularities in the brick and worked his way up the wall.

Josafah had barely reached the second level when a corner of bricking crumbled. His left-hand claw
swung free, tossing his balance sideways. A moment later, he crashed to the ground, pain slamming
through his left hip and shoulder. Breath rushed from him in a harsh grunt, and his lungs spasmed. For a
moment, he found breathing impossible. The surety of death washed over him, and he felt the first fine
stirrings of fear. Then air rushed back into his throat. He gasped in aching pants until his senses returned,
then assessed the damage: bruises on hip and shoulder, nothing broken. Cursing beneath his breath, he
re-gathered his tools and began the climb again.

This time, Josafah reached the window ledge. Re-vealing as little of himself as possible, he peered into
the room. A small figure huddled on one of several straw pallets, the others empty. "тАж like it here. He