Claire learned her first lessons about power in the fog-laden streets of Sirron, where ancient powers still whisper through stone and shadow. Born into a merchant family with connections to the occult underground, she witnessed the delicate dance between public respectability and hidden influence. Her parents maintained a reputable trading business while secretly dealing in forbidden artifacts and knowledge.
Young Claire absorbed everything, from proper business etiquette to the forbidden arts practiced in hidden basement rooms. Her natural aptitude for commerce and the arcane made her exceptional from an early age. While other children played with dolls, she studied ancient texts and learned the art of maintaining two separate lives.
The tragic loss of her parents during a business venture gone wrong left Claire alone at sixteen. Their deaths, officially recorded as a merchant ship lost at sea, actually resulted from betrayal within Sirron's occult circles. This early lesson in treachery shaped her future approach to power and leadership.
“Where are we going?” Claire asked.
“Over there.” I pointed to the next rooftop over. For now, it was clear of Jakaree.
Her gaze swept over the considerable distance. Before she could protest, I grabbed her at the waist and, with two strides, launched us toward the other roof. We landed a bit wobbly, but I steadied Ms. Carter and only then saw that she’d closed her eyes. When she opened them, she saw we were safe.
The next closest roof was even further than the one we’d jumped from, and I didn’t like my odds of making it. We needed to get to the street before the Jakaree caught up to us.
- THE ASSASSIN’S CUNNING
Claire used her inheritance to travel, seeking knowledge and power across the continent. She collected rare books and artifacts while building a network of contacts in legitimate and shadowy circles. Her ability to present a harmless facade while orchestrating complex plans caught the attention of the Warders, who recognized her potential.
Her rise through the Warder ranks proved swift but careful. Claire never revealed her full capabilities, allowing others to underestimate her while she gathered power and influence. When the previous Primus died under mysterious circumstances, she emerged as the natural choice for leadership, though few knew her true identity.
Upon arriving in Alchester, Claire established The Dusty Shelf as her public face. The bookstore served multiple purposes: a legitimate business, a cover for darker dealings, and a way to control the flow of occult knowledge in the city. She cultivated a reputation as a knowledgeable but unremarkable bookseller, someone who faded into the background of memory.
The relationship with Aravar Tillwood began as a calculated move to gain access to artificer secrets. Claire genuinely grew fond of him, but when he dared to risk everything she had built, she arranged his death. The decision to eliminate him demonstrated her ruthless pragmatism in protecting her secrets.
As Primus, Claire orchestrates the Warders' activities with subtle precision. She maintains multiple identities and safe houses throughout Alchester, allowing no one to know all her movements or plans. Her leadership style emphasizes patience and careful planning over brute force, though she never hesitates to employ violence when necessary.
The Dusty Shelf provides a perfect cover for her activities. Legitimate customers seek rare books, while hidden clients pursue darker knowledge. Claire maintains detailed records of every transaction and interaction, building a vast repository of information she uses to maintain her power.
Her living quarters above the bookstore contain hidden rooms filled with powerful artifacts and forbidden texts. These secret chambers connect to a network of tunnels beneath Alchester, allowing her to move unseen throughout the city. Only her most trusted lieutenants know of these passages, and even they know only segments of the complete network.
Claire's true strength lies in maintaining an absolute separation between her identities. The kindly bookstore owner never betrays a hint of the power she wields as Primus. She attends merchant guild meetings, pays her taxes promptly, and maintains a friendship with other shopkeepers while simultaneously directing operations that shape Alchester's underground.
Years of careful manipulation have positioned Claire at the center of a vast web of influence. She controls the flow of occult knowledge through Alchester while gathering secrets about everyone important in the city. Her position as Primus allows her to shape events according to her vision, though few realize the true source of their misfortunes or successes.
FIRST APPEARANCE
Claire first appears in The Assassin's Cunning (Assassin Without a Name Book Two).
