She woke up late in the evening, and she knew. She'd come home at dawn, tired and dispirited, but when she opened her eyes to see the last rays of the day falling across the floor, she knew. She knew this was the night that all of her work, and all of Emma's work had paid off. They'd found every corner of the city where he'd want to be. Every nook, every crevice, every oddly open space where the wind got through, and they'd found someone to check it, frequently enough that he'd have to be nervous, have to be scared. And for eleven days, there hadn't been a rape. Eleven days. That was twice as long as he'd gone since he'd started. And she woke up that morning, and she could feel his desperation on the wind. She could taste the hate and the powerless and the raw need of him. It disgusted her. She felt violated by the very connection to him. But it was worth it because she knew. She knew she was going to find him. Anabell had told her. And Anabell had told her to be prepared. So, she got out of bed. She dressed. She ate dinner. She slid knives in her boots, up her sleeves, in her hair. She slid her Sai across her back. And she got ready for battle.
She followed her nose, moving from one spot to another, trusting her gut since the wind told her nothing. She kept moving all night, ignoring the throbbing of her feet and the sound of the bells tolling midnight and later.
And then she knew once again. She just knew. Like Anabell had put her hand on her shoulder and whispered it in her ear. She jogged to the outskirts of Corus on the opposite side of river. She'd avoided this alley ever since Grandon had trapped her there, but if the wind hadn't come to her there while she was sleeping, she never would have been able to stop him. It was the perfect place for him really, windy but very dark and secluded. Plus, it was in area populated by people who knew not to get involved in anyone else's business.
She crept down toward the alley when she got a sudden flare of fear, and power from another. She moved silently towards it, hearing struggling, when from the man she sensed awareness and excitement and knew there was no more need for secrecy.
She rounded the corner to see a cloaked figure holding a knife to a woman's throat. Her dress was slightly torn, but she looked otherwise unharmed.
"Hello, Provost," he said. "Took you long enough."
He shoved the girl at her suddenly, sending Zenobia falling backwards with her on top. She struggled to get up, pausing to ask the girl if she was alright before she took off running after him. He was fast and had a head start, and Zenobia was having trouble gaining any ground on him, her legs and feet loudly reminding her of how much surface she had already covered that night.
She kept running, ignoring the searing in her side and the ache in her lungs. She wouldn't let him get away if it took the last breath in her body. She followed him over fences, up along rooftops and down every back alley. He took a right in the Cesspool, and she saw her chance. She continued to run forward then rolled under the fence and kicked down the backdoor of a rambling tavern. He may have known Corus twenty years ago, but she was betting he didn't know that in the past this tavern had been a lively inn and had expanded into the building next door so Mistress Lurean would have room for her bakery. Nor would he know that when Adalia had been murdered, her husband had shut down both buildings, but never had the heart to sell them. More importantly, he wouldn't know that you could use the tavern to get into that building and out the back of the alleyway he was currently running down.
She darted out the back door of the former bakery, and he ran straight into her, sending them both flying backwards. His cloak fell back, so when they both stood, she was looking him right in his blue-green eyes. His dark auburn hair fell in a lick across his handsome face. Zenobia's eyes wandered across his high cheekbones, the healed scar that ran down the side of his face and rosebud lips, the features eerily familiar.
He gave her a big smile as he pulled two large knives out from under his cloak. "Well, well. It is nice to finally meet the daughter I've been hearing so much about."
Zenobia's stomach lurched. "You're not my father," she spat, pulling our her sai.
"Really, darling girl? Can't you see the family resemblance? Mayhap this will help." Zenobia felt the bolt come down from the sky, and her own magic flared from her body on instinct before the whole world went dark.'
Author's Note: I had been thinking about adding in more about the planning and all that, which is why I hadn't published this earlier, but in the end I decided it was better as is. I actually wrote the next chapter after this one a long time ago. I'm going to try and do some minor edits and get it up before I go home for Christmas, but I can't promise. You should review and encourage me to find time! I was sad that I had only two reviews last time. Did you all give up on me?