Secretive Meeting
Royce pulled her cloak tighter, seeing it would be blown away otherwise, as she sat on the dock, bare legs dangling above the choppy bay water. Black Rose Street was deserted, everyone locked away in his or her home or shop to avoid the wrathful tempest.
Royce thrived.
She smiled, inhaling the scent of salty air. Tilting her head back, the raindrops horizontally pelted her face like tiny needles. The wind toyed with her blonde locks while splashing her with spray from the ocean below the dock. Lightening flickered in the distance, followed by the rumbling of thunder several seconds later.
How nice it would be to conjure storms, Royce thought. She would have to look into it. Now the gale was moving, as indicated by the growing gap between bolt and thunder. Royce lifted herself from the dock and slowly began to cross the street until she reached her shop.
Royce had recently moved into the little building tucked away in the corner of Black Rose Street. It wasn't much to look at, but she found her temporary home quite hospitable. The view of the sea was breathtaking. She'd never seen such a beauty in the frontier.
Royce hung her cloak on a wooden peg, muttering a simple spell to start a blaze in her fireplace. Her shop was a room, walls and carpet black, with a table and crystal ball in the center used to read her customers fortunes. In the back was her bedroom, also black, dotted with candles that surrounded her large, oak-posted bed. Her small washroom was in a similar fashion.
The fortune-teller bathed and changed into a plain black robe. Royce owned a lot of those. She sat down at her table, as if waiting for a few customers to come wandering in after the storm. She half shut her eyes in concentration, then grinned to herself.
Nash would be along shortly.
Nash gulped, reaching for the doorknocker. It was a gargoyle, eerily glaring at him. He placed one hand on the metal ring and lifted it. Before he brought the knocker down, the door swung open with a creak. Nash stood, dumbfounded, staring straight into the little shop. There she was!
Royce sat at a wooden desk with a chair pulled up in front of it, obviously for him. The room was plain, save for a fireplace off to one side and candles and pillows lining the walls. Nash almost laughed when he saw a glass sphere on her desk, like a crystal ball out of a child's tale.
"Come in, Nash," she ordered. Royce was wearing a black robe again, this time the hood was down revealing her pretty face, decorated with more black makeup than the day before. She rose from her seat to help Nash in. He couldn't help admiring her figure. This robe, thin material that appeared to be silk, clung to every curve of her body, opening to reveal a tempting amount of cleavage. It came half way down her thighs, which were a bit too skinny for his tastes, but still dainty and fair.
She linked her arm through Nash's, helping him hang his cloak above the fire before gesturing for him to sit down. He did.
Royce settled herself into her seat across the table from Nash. Setting her elbows on the table, she placed her hands under her chin and leaned forward, gazing into Nash's brown eyes.
"Why am I here?" he asked, shifting towards her in response.
"You're troubled, Nash," she said gently, taking his hand. She spread his palm and ran her index finger across it, sending a pleasant tingling sensation up his arm. "You long for the Ausa daughter. You know you are a talented and handsome magician, even Ghaleon considers you his favorite student, but you wonder why the girl fails to be impressed by you."
Nash swallowed. "How … how do you know so much about me?" he stumbled over his words.
"Nash, my dear, does the sign above my shop not advertise 'Fortune Teller'? I am gifted with foresight, my friend, and have been gazing into my 'crystal ball,' watching you," she smiled, titling her head, causing her hair to swing loosely past her face. She still held Nash's hand, which she stroked affectionately.
"Why me?" His voice nearly cracked. What was he doing here? Crystal balls? Foresight? Nash usually thought this all was a bunch of bullshit. Royce dropped his hand, leaving Nash desiring her touch once more.
"I was drawn to you, Nash. I will be straightforward with you; I am attracted to you. To your amazing potential. I am about to tell you something that will change everything you believe..."
Nash leaned close, eager to inhale every word breathed by Royce's soft lips.
"Nash, the Althena you know does not exist…"