Excerpt: Ca'ancartti

They arrived at a tiny courtyard, dimly lit by a handful of windows on the opposite wall. If there were windows on the side walls, they were invisible to Hap. The cart halted. The horse neighed softly, dropped its head when the reins slacked.
"Okay, you can get out now." The driver looked at Hap. He reeled.
"Why can't you get out of that... what'cha call it?"
"It's called a glamour, and I can't just step out of it like a costume. It wears off. I told you that." The voice was a woman's but the body remained that of a big scruffy unshaven soldier, unsure of its edges, slopping over itself like a carelessly carried pail of water. Now Hap stared, unable to turn away, tasting bile, feeling the burn of stomach acid as it threatened to rise and spew.
"Why can't you just turn it off?"
The scruffy soldier stared at him, pinning him in place. She huffed, scratched the rough beard with thick gnarled fingers, a slender black-leather glove flashing in and out beneath the glamourized hand. "Your daughter should be home by the time you get there. You should go now, she'll need you, after what she's been through."
"I thought you were going to pay me."
"No. I paid the money-lender. I had a friend get your girl out of the whore-house before we left."
"But--"
"--I've heard that glamours can get transferred, like the plague."
Hap's eyebrows rose, he opened his fists as if they'd just been freed from irons. He turned, clambered down and disappeared into the alley.
"Is he gone?"
Shell onSeton hopped off the cart. She pulled off her helm, reached to the top of her head, grabbed a fistful of hair in each hand and peeled the tangled mat downward, hair, face and body coming away, squeezing through filmy black leather with a tearing sound, sparking black stars that danced and popped as the glamour dissolved. By the time she was finished she had walked to the back of the cart, her own black leather clothes creaking softly, her shortsword moving easily with her step, her longsword hilt showing over her left shoulder, firmly held in its sheath by cross-over black belts. She brushed herself down, ridding the remains of the glamour.
Shell stood beside the trap, removed one glove and drew a brief circle in front of the trapdoor's keyhole. The iron grommet sparked and shattered. The door swung outward. She watched silently as Jaeger onAnda, her captain, swung his legs over the trap's threshold and jumped to the ground.
"That was sweet, onSeton, thanks."
"Hmm, you don't seem surprised."
"I figured our new High Commander would take his time releasing me to the Guv. We have a history," he said, "so the only explanation was a rescue. You know this probably gets us a quick trip to the gallows."
Shell shrugged.
"Any news?"
"Not much. The Sambro'on twins got split up, Collin to Cantata, Thoman assigned to the High-C personally. Haven't heard from the others."
Jaeger laughed. "That will please the brothers... I assume you have a plan?"
"Thought you'd never ask, Captain. This way."
Shell led her captain through a bead-curtained arch. The beads clicked behind them. They walked down a hallway lit only by a single doorway, Shell tossing a pouch through it as they passed. It thudded and jingled out of sight, holding the promise of a handful of heavy coins. The sounds of a cackle followed them. At the end of the hall, Shell paused before a wall, its ancient stones cut and fitted perfectly long ago by a master mason. She traced an X-shape from corner to corner to corner, then waited. The wall sagged and moaned. She gently pushed her hand through it and turned a knob.
Shell pulled Jaeger several steps away from the wall. It swung inward revealing a black hole. She looked at him. "Now, we jump."