Semblance of Eden 26 ~ The Furies

Marcus' grip on the pistol doesn't waver, not even a little. He doesn't look away from me, either, but when he smiles, you can tell it's meant for Legato. You can tell it's genuine, too. "You must be Mr. Bluesummers. I'm Marcus Rien. I've heard a lot about you, and I can't tell you how nice it is to finally be able to put a face to the name."

Legato doesn't seem impressed. "Have you gotten yourself into a bit of a tight spot, Dominique?"

"Nothing I can't handle."

Marcus sighs, more bored than anything. "Dominique and I are old friends. We were just discussing her current business venture. Sort of a project she's been working on for a mutual acquaintance of ours."

I know I'm pretty good under pressure, but there's only so much I can take before I crack. "Don't listen to him, Legato." My voice sounds shrill. "He's going to lie to you. He's a good liar…"

Before I know it, I'm trapped between two annoyed looks. Christ, having these two in the same room, I suddenly realize how alike they really are. At this very moment, in an alternate universe, their doppelgangers are going dutch on martinis and manicures and holding hands under the table.

"I can see I've piqued your interest," Marcus continues, like I didn't say anything at all. "You see, Dominique has a unique talent, as I'm sure you know. She's quite handy in a pinch. There's no one alive who she can't get the drop on. Whether it's a man, or… something else. Wouldn't you agree?"

Legato's eyes slide over me. His mind is always a strong presence, but this is the first time I've realized that you can actually feel him thinking. "One would have to know a great deal about this "something else" before they could be certain."

Marcus just laughs. "Believe me, I know. So let's drop the silly intrigue act. Knives sent you here to kill me because he disapproves of my experiments. Scientific progress has always had an enemy in fanatics of every stripe."

"Fanatic or not, your time here is short, Marcus Rien. You and every human like you."

"It may be brief," Marcus says, "But that doesn't mean I don't have plenty of time to tell you about your trusted Lieutenant. Even a man like you must appreciate gossip."

"Marcus!" I snap.

"Yes, dear? Do make it quick. You heard Mr. Bluesummers, we're not long for this world."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here."

"My apologies. Perhaps you would rather tell him the story?"

I'm still staring down the barrel of his Colt, but a bullet is only the second most unforgiving thing in the room. The first is still standing in the doorway, staring at my back, filling up the place with the heat coming off his yellow eyes.

"Legato, listen," I say. "It's not Midvalley's fault, so I don't want you taking it out on him. He didn't know anything about it, and he was always so faithful to you it made me want to fucking puke."

"About what, Dominique?" he says. Very even, very measured.

"They sent me to kill Knives. When Professor Darius told me about him, and what he wanted to do, then what was I supposed to say? I couldn't just say no. So I took the job. And it's a good thing I never met him, Legato. It's a damn good thing. Because I was ready to take the shot, no matter what it cost me."

I hear him take in a long, slow breath. "I see. I might have guessed as much."

"But you didn't," I say. "Just remember that."

"No one ever accused you of not doing your job well," Marcus says. "And I'm glad we got that all out in the open. Because now—"

"What about the experiments?" Legato cuts him off. "The ones on human children. How long have they been going on?"

"Long enough," I say. "Long enough for you to have been one of them, if that's what you're asking. I don't know what Knives told you, but you're not divine. You're not some kind of prophet or anything. You're just like me. You didn't have anything to lose, and you wandered into the wrong town."

Marcus nods gravely, like a sympathetic doctor. "It's true, Mr. Bluesummers. You were one of my father's first success stories. But it was when we were transporting you to a more secure facility that bandits took the caravan. We lost track of you for a while, and my father feared the worst. But here you are, come back home just a few years too late to meet the man who made you what you are. Still, though, let's be glad we had a chance to become acquainted. You're really like a brother to me, when you think about it."

"Don't call me that," Legato says.

"I can see you're disturbed by the news. Heavens, I wonder why? Perhaps Dominique is right, and you really did think there was something spiritual about you." He laughs. "Some celestial trick. But no. No, you're cobbled together from blood and bone just like the rest of us."

He reaches for the top drawer of his desk. "I have your file right here, as a matter of fact…"

"Leave it be!" For a second, the air in the room gets hot, and I can hear his power fill the room like the buzzing of a cloud of gnats. Marcus freezes where he is, and I wince in anticipation of what's to come.

Marcus shakes his head, and he laughs. "Oh, it sort of tickles. I'm afraid it won't feel nearly as nice when I put a bullet in you, Mr. Bluesummers. But if you try that little trick again, I may be forced to."

This time, I do risk a glance back at him. I don't expect to see him looking utterly bewildered. Like someone switched all the street signs, and now he's hopelessly lost.

"Legato…" I murmur. He doesn't look at me. His eyes are fixed on the carpet.

"I suppose that's that," Marcus says. "Dominique, would you do me the honor of executing Mr. Bluesummers? It has been a pleasant meeting, but I think it's time we brought things to a close."

When I hesitate, Marcus sighs. "You don't have much of a choice, do you? He knows the truth now. He'll kill you if I don't. You have to come back to me, Dominique. It's your only option. But I want you to do this one thing for me, just so I know we're on the same page."

"All right!" At some point, I pressed my hands to my ears to keep him out. "I'll do it! Just stop talking! Both of you, stop talking about me like that. I worked my ass off for you two, and I'm not going to let you stand there talking about me like I'm some kind of machine. Like I'm just here for you to use until I'm gone."

My gun's in my hand now, and I stomp over to Legato and jam it up under his chin. I force his head back so he has to meet my gaze. His eyes flash, but I guess with Marcus watching, he doesn't want to try to pull one over on me.

"You know," I tell him. "You're still not the worst thing that's ever happened to me. Hell, you barely even crack the top ten."

I cup his cheek with my free hand, and I stand up on my toes. He lets me kiss him without much of a fuss, and it still makes me feel a little lightheaded. Slowly, his hand goes to tangle in my hair. It rests there, against the nape of my neck.

Marcus clears his throat. "Any day now, darling."

"Ready?" I say, the word muffled by his mouth.

I thumb back the hammer of my gun. I'm feeling pretty good now.

Ready.

The word is there, rolling around in my mind where there wasn't anything a second ago. It doesn't sound like his voice, but it feels like his hands. Like he's taking the tip of one finger and traced letters on my skin.

The hand that's up under my hair drifts back, and he trips the switch on my eye patch. I grab the collar of his white coat in both hands, and I reel back on my good leg and pull him down. He lands on top of me, and Marcus empties four chambers into the empty doorway where we stood a moment ago.

I kick Legato off, and by the time I turn around Marcus is already scrambling behind the desk for cover. I squeeze off one shot, and it catches him in the back. I can tell from the noise he makes when he hits the ground that it wasn't a killing shot, and in a way I'm glad. I don't want to have to do it. For once, just this once, Legato can clean up his own mess. He can know what it's like to really get his hands good and dirty.

But he's still stretched out on the floor behind me, taking his sweet time getting up. And Marcus is moaning and gasping from behind the desk. I sigh, and cock my gun. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. You can just forget any promises I managed to extract from Legato. That wasn't chivalry, honey. He was just trying to get laid.

I circle round to the other side of the desk and turn my head so I'm looking at him a little askew so I don't have to see his eyes. And I blow Marcus' pretty little head into confetti. Hell, it isn't any harder than any other time.

I whip around, and I catch Legato in my sights as he's picking himself up off the carpet.

"Don't think I forgot about you," I say. "You stay right there."

If he thinks I'm going to let him kill me here, he's got another thing coming. No, not in this office, my body stretched out beside Marcus' like, in the end, I forgave him or something. No, I'm not going to make it that easy for him.

I flip open the Eye and then I run.