Delila
"I have found him brother, after 16 years of searching." Jerik looked at his sister. "I still don't understand why you care about him Delila. There have been so many after all so why does this one matter to you?" "He matters because he got away from us. No one has ever done that before. And he was my husband." "Why did you marry him anyway Delila? I can't see that he is anything special."
Delila just glared at her brother. For all his usefulness he could be so dense sometimes. She sighed. "Jerik, he had money, power, and position and that is why I chose him. It was his money love that funded your experiments. His name gave us a position in society that we weren't able to attain on our own. If father hadn't been so foolish, none of this would have been necessary."
"Ah yes, father and his foolish notions of morality. Well he's gone now and we are free to do as we please sister." "If you call living out in the wilderness freedom!" Delila spat at her brother. "I for one do not care for the accommodations. I much preferred our previous home."
"You know sister, his return from the dead means his money is no longer yours." Jerik's laugh was nasty. "Maybe he'll come back to take it from you." "It's more likely he'll come after you brother. After all, it is you who dabble in dark magic not I. But I think not. He really seemed to not recognize me at all." Delila turned to face her brother. "What do you mean he didn't recognize you?! He saw you?!" Jerik was furious. "How could you be so foolish!" Jerik grabbed her by the arms. We've been free for 16 years. How could you be so stupid!" He stormed over to the window. "Everything might be ruined!" He continued to rage at her. She turned to glare at him again. "If you hadn't shot at him, we wouldn't have to worry now would we!" "So what are we going to do sister?" Jerik snapped. "I don't know Jerik, I just don't know."
I spent the following week tailing Johannes. His routine didn't vary at all. He spent his days in the temple studying and his nights in various nightclubs drinking and eating. On the last night of the week, we were back at the special tavern. I didn't want to chance another meeting with Delila here, so I found an empty room upstairs to sneak in by. I stood on the upstairs landing in the shadows where no one could see me. Johannes met the same man he had met last week. It was clear to me they cared for each other. They sat very close together and the looks they shared were only meant for lovers.
After a while they came upstairs and took a room. I stepped up and listened long enough to confirm that the two were indeed lovers. I took my place again in the shadows, keeping an eye on the floor below me. I was watching out for any sign of Delila, but she didn't show. After about an hour, Johannes came out of the room and left alone. A few minutes later, his partner came out and left by the kitchen entrance. I followed him to his home. His house wasn't much to look at but it did have a mail box out front. I opened it and found some mail inside listing his name.
I was curious now. I had been following this guy for two weeks and not once had he made any contact with my employer. I think it might be time to look into him a little more deeply, since he claimed that Johannes was an associate of his. The last two weeks have convinced me that his story is a lie.
Shrugging, I stuffed the mail back into the box and took off for home. I was tired and a little bit bored. This assignment was too easy and not one I was eager to continue. I got back to the barracks and wrote out my report along with a detailed listing of expenses. I tucked it into my cube and lay back on the bed, hands behind my head. Tomorrow, I was going to tail my employer. That would certainly be more interesting and might just shed some light on what his reasons were for having me follow Johannes who, so far, had no contact with my employer.
The following morning I sent a message to the Lord Bainhall requesting he meet me in the same location. He arrived a short time later looking very displeased. I grinned at him and handed him another packet. His lips thinned when I told him his 'associate' had a lover whose name was Jakes. He gripped the packet so tightly his hands turned white. Curiosity got the better of me and I asked him, "why do you want this guy followed?" Bainhall jerked back a few steps and stammered, "it's none of your business." I quirked an eyebrow at him. He wiped his free hand down the front of his robes in a nervous habit I thought he probably wasn't aware he had. He tucked the packet into the front pocket of his robes and said, "next time, I'll contact you."
I laughed, incredulous. "You still want me to follow him?" "Yes!" he hissed. Gulping, he turned and strode off. I waited until he got several hundred yards away, then followed him. It wasn't hard. He flittered from one place to the next without staying very long at any of them. He finally made it to his home, which was near to where Herrel's family home is. I watched for about an hour then took off. If I was to catch up with Johannes, I had to get to the temple quickly. I dashed off a message to one of my assassin buddies to keep an eye on Bainhall. I wanted to know if he left the house tonight and if he did, where did he go.
I caught up to Johannes just as he was leaving the Temple. This time he was dressed in better rags than usual. He also didn't head to any bars. Instead he took a flight transport to Altgard Observatory. This was going to be a problem because the Observatory only had a small staff and hardly any visitors. Everyone was going to stand out. I waited a few minutes then took the next flight after. When I arrived Johannes was just entering the observatory. I strolled off in a different direction until I was out of sight, then slipped into hide and came back. The observatory was cool and quiet inside. I could barely hear voices coming from the second story, so I slipped up the stairs, pausing every so often to listen. No one seemed to be coming down which was a good thing as the stairs were quite narrow.
There were several small rooms off the main corridor on the second floor and most of them were empty. I finally came to the end of the hall and in the last room was Johannes. He was talking to a man who was cloaked in shadow, and their voices where a whisper so I couldn't hear them from where I was crouched down. Clearly these two weren't the one I had heard talking earlier. I slipped farther into the room and ducked down behind a shelf. I could see both men now and they were talking earnestly although still in whispers. Johannes was shaking his head no to something the other was saying. The other continued to press, then some kinah changed hands. Johannes sighed and his shoulders drooped. Clearly he was unhappy about something. And then the other man looked up straight at where I was hiding. I could swear that he was looking right at me although I was in hide. A small smile curled around his lips, and I had the feeling that he knew that I was here. I studied him closely. He looked vaguely familiar to me, but I couldn't recall where I might have seen him before. He was dressed in dark robes and had long dark hair as well. He was tall with a slender build, but he didn't look like a weakling. The more I studied him the more uneasy I became. The impression came to me that this man was dangerous and I should get out of there.
Johannes sighed again and turned to walk out the door. I turned to follow him, when a woman slipped past him into the room. My mouth fell open as Delila walked in. She glided over to the man until she stood next to him. Her small hand reached up to caress his face. She smiled up at him with a sultry look and said, "Is he here Jerik?" Jerik waved a hand in my direction, and from his fingertips flowed wisps of black smoke which writhed like snakes. I shivered and started towards the door. I didn't know what kind of magic it was, but I didn't want it to touch me.
But, I was not to be so lucky. One of those snake-like ropes of smoke wreathed around my ankle and ensnared me. More of them began to flow around my legs to hold me in place. I couldn't move. I couldn't see how they could know I was there at all. With a yank, they jerked me to the ground. Twisting, I managed to pull my daggers out as I hit the ground on my back. Hide vanished and I was visible to them. More of the snake ropes reached out and ensnared me. I slashed at them with my daggers and they jerked away from the metal. I guess they didn't like cold, hard adamantium. I continued to slash at the ropes until several wrapped around my wrists.
I was trapped now and I lay there glaring up at Jerik as the ropes tightened on my wrists until I felt the bones grind together and crack. With a grunt of pain I dropped the daggers. Jerik came closer to me and kicked the daggers out of my reach. He muttered something and the ropes became solid like true rope. He smirked at me, then said "Welcome back….brother." Delila came up then and knelt beside me. She slid her dainty claws under my head and leaned down close to me. Her lips were inches from mine. Her gold flecked eyes studied me intently. I stared back defiantly, because there was nothing else I could do. In a seductive tone she whispered, "I've missed you for so long love. I'm so glad your back. We've been looking for you for such a long time."
"I don't know you!" I hissed between my teeth. "I wish you would stop this. You have mistaken me for someone else." She moved even closer to me. Her breath was warm on my cheek and her lips were painted a blood red color. She tilted her head to the side and I had a flash of memory of her like this somewhere. Damn it, why couldn't I remember. "Let's just get him and go!" Jerik said impatiently. "Someone is sure to detect us, and you know this kind of magic leaves a scent." "Patience brother," Delila said as she turned to look over her shoulder to look at her brother. "I think my love needs some convincing." She turned back to me and lowered her head again. She studied my face as she turned my head this way and that. She gently traced a claw along a scar that flowed down from my ear to my right shoulder. Her touch burned me and I shivered involuntarily. "Solo… you still respond to my touch."
Then she kissed me. Her lips were soft and gentle, but her touch left me hot and cold at the same time. I tried to twist my head away from her, but her hands held me still. I was still bound by the smoke ropes and try as I might I couldn't break their hold on me. My lips parted under hers and I thought about biting her lips. But I've never been able to harm a woman, so I let her kiss me. She sighed and slid closer to me. Her claws tugged at my jerkin but the snake ropes wouldn't let her do anything. She trailed kisses along my neck down to my collarbone, and my body began to respond to her. Damn it, this was not the time to be thinking of taking her to bed. This woman meant me harm and I needed to figure out a way to escape. Jerik solved my dilemma by kicking me hard in the head. My world went dark and I knew nothing more.
To be continued…..
