With the door closed, Aleena let out a breath. She had been playing with fire there, and she had just run the risk of being burned. A smile slowly started to grow on her lips. She had him, he wanted her. The way the Shadowman had looked at her. Aleena could have cut the air; it had been so thick with lust.
Shaking her herself out of her dimwitted stupor, Aleena made her way upstairs to her bedroom. It was not a fancy place. It was simple and clean. Aleena did not spend much time in her bedroom. There was simple a mattress that was lying on the floor; two feather filled pillows, olive green sheets, and, a white handmade quilt darned with purple ivy designs. That had been lovingly stitched by her mother when Aleena had been a child, and her mother was only a few days pregnant with Hugo.
The window to the room was open, and the warm winds floated inside. Wrapping around Aleena with sweet caresses, on the sill of the window sat a porcelain bowl, which was filled to the brim with rose water. A clean washcloth lay folded beside the bowl.
Pulling her hair free, Aleena made her way to the window and cleaned her face with the lukewarm rose water. Scrubbing her face clean of the day's grime and sweat, with a sigh she pulled the washcloth from her face and set it down.
The stars shined brightly against the dark backdrop of the sky. It was a lovely night. Aleena felt at ease, even with thoughts of her schemes to throw Facilier off balance. Her mind began to wander into other regions of thought. She loved New Orleans, and she felt that in Tiana and Charlotte she had found honest friends, almost kindred spirits. Aleena always thought of settling down, halting her constant traveling. She was only 25, but she wasn't getting any younger. It wouldn't be long until time caught up with her body. And the fact that age always had a negative impact on a lady's physical features, Aleena knew that she wouldn't be able to support herself like she use to. However if she settled down and made New Orleans her permanent home, she could earn herself an honest living. Be the city's local herbalist and healer. With her abilities and vast collection of knowledge, Aleena could easily put Facilier out of business.
But, in back of her mind, Aleena felt a twang of guilt at the thought of pushing Facilier out of his lively hood. Enjoyable as it was to step on his toes. Aleena didn't have the heart to destroy him. The man was evil, but he was a man. And anything she did too him, would come back at her three times three. Even if she didn't use her abilities, smoldering his vest and knocking him about was nothing. But destroying his mind, destroying him completely, well there would be more than smoke in the air. There would be blood as well.
No Aleena could not allow herself to hurt another human, not because of her ethics, but because she herself would suffer abuse, far more terrible than what she inflicted upon her victim. A small smile grew on Aleena's lips; the game she played was childish. She knew in her hardest of hearts that she like Facilier. Man whore, smooth talker, and scam artist that he was. Aleena liked him, maybe even loved him, though when around him, Aleena made sure that the only emotion toward him that went though her mind was lust and a hatred for said lust.
But, one thing never seemed to cross her mind, that perhaps the feeling was mutual. In fact it was mutual. Across town in the darkness of his Emporium, The Shadowman was sprawled out across his bed. Facilier loathed her, but in his heart he loved her. When he saw her being attacked by that Spaniard, he felt he was prepared to do more to that sycophant that crack him over the head. And the burning of the jealousy in his heart, when he heard the gossiping hags in the market area, as they chatted about how she was spending time with someone other than himself. Facilier couldn't help it; he wanted that bewitching bitch of a woman. And he would have her, because Felix Facilier always got what he wanted in the end. No matter how long it took, Facilier was a patient man.
With a smirk, the Witch Doctor got up. Looking at his bed, his classic gator like grin painted his lips. He could just see that little Irish wench, stretched out on his bed. Eyes drunken with lust and ecstasy, her white flesh glistening with sweat from a night thick with screams and moans of pleasure, Aleena screaming his name and begging for more. Him withholding it, and making her squirm and beg like a good little girl should. Facilier had been so close to such a night, when he had taken her into his home and even managed to seduce her. His ears hungered to her cries of pleasure. His mouth watered to taste her. Over all, his body aced to feel her warm white flesh under him.