The Quarrygate Gambit, page 34
“Who?”
“Someone powerful, I’ve been trying to find out. The crime bosses in the city are in chaos since Fenmere died. It could go as high as Gemmen for all I know.”
“So who has Corsi?” Asti asked.
“I don’t know,” Josie said. “I swear to you, I don’t. But as much as you don’t trust me, as much as you hate me, believe that I am with you on this. I have always been with you.”
“You betrayed us!”
“I was working a different angle, and had to secure my own position in this neighborhood. But now I am telling you, we need each other. We are together on this.”
“On what?” Verci asked.
“On making the bastards who are behind it all—the Andrendon, the fires, taking your son—making them all pay.”
“We’ve been working on a plan,” Asti said. “This business with the paintings and Neville House tipped your hand, and I’m not sure if our plan can still work.”
“What kind of plan?” she asked.
“It was a long-game plan, with just the two of us,” Asti said. “But now that’ll have to change.”
She could see it in his eyes, the gears were clicking together.
“If we’re together on this, we can make it all work. Stop them and save Corsi.”
Verci shook his head. “If this turns left like so many other things have, if Corsi—”
“The plan needs to be perfect,” Asti said. “It’ll need time, it’ll need us keeping up appearances. We need to look like we’re behaving.”
“So they are willing to give Corsi back,” Verci said.
“So they won’t suspect it when we move,” Asti said. “And I swear to you, brother, we will get him back. Even if I have to burn this whole city to the ground for him.”
Good. Josie wanted them back in the fold, and even if the reasons why were horrifying, if it got her the Rynax boys back, that was good. And she’d make sure whoever took the baby was suitably punished. There were rules to this game, and babies were off limits.
“Whatever you need, if I have it, it’s yours,” Josie said.
“Good,” Asti said. “Because we’re going to need time, we’re going to need space, and we’re going to need money.”
“I can do that,” Josie said.
“And we’re going to need everyone.”
“What do you mean, ‘everyone’?” Verci said.
“I mean every damn friend, ally, rival, and enemy we’ve got in North Seleth,” Asti said. “Everyone.”
* * *
To be concluded
in
THE ANDRENDON PLAN
Acknowledgments
And here we are, back to Maradaine, back to the Rynax family. And as cliché as it can be for heist stories evolve into found families, the Rynaxes and their extended friends and allies really are one to me.
But I’ll still do the horrible things to them. It’s in the job description.
Years ago, when I knew how I would be breaking up the phases of the saga, one phrase kept drumming in my head for Phase Two: Autumn in Maradaine, everything will fall. This is definitely true here, as we put Asti, Verci & Raych through a lot of hardship. And, as you can see at the end, I intend to continue to do that.
Everything with Maradaine is improved and strengthened by the work I’ve been doing on my podcast Worldbuilding for Masochists, and I can’t express how much my co-hosts, Rowenna Miller and Cass Morris, are just the best people to work with. Brilliant, creative minds, and incredible anchors of support. More support came from patrons and fans, like Brian Yost, Nina Mulligan, and Ember Randall.
Also instrumental were my usual sounding boards: Daniel Fawcett, forever my absolute rock when it comes to every element of this saga; and Miriam Robinson Gould, the best first reader I could ask for.
Of course, as usual, I relied heavily on my publishing team, including my editor Sheila Gilbert, and everyone at DAW and Astra: Betsy, Katie, Josh, Leah, Sarah, and Jordan, plus countless others whose names I don’t know.
On top of that, my family remains a source of strength and inspiration. This includes my parents Nancy and Lou, and my mother-in-law Kateri. And, of course, my son Nicholas and wife Deidre, who have continued to put up with me during this incredible journey through Maradaine and beyond.
And thank you, dear reader, who hopefully just read the last words of this book, and are eagerly awaiting the promise that it holds. I am equally excited to deliver on that promise.
Marshall Ryan Maresca, The Quarrygate Gambit
