Part 4
A fine sheen of sweat coated Neve's forehead as she sat down on a bench, breathing deeply after her workout. She felt no less pissed off than when she'd started.
"What's eating you?" Rashel had been in the gym was well, battling the punching bag and sparring with one of the trainers.
"Issues," Neve answered.
"Issues, by any chance, regarding this ridiculous thing with Xalaria Redfern?"
Neve didn't want to get into her reasons for why she hated Xalaria. Rashel just seemed to despise anyone who came from the Night World Council. She needed to watch herself, make sure she didn't let anything slip.
"I don't understand that," she said finally. "Isn't she supposed to be - "
"A dangerous psychotic bitch," Rashel said, grabbing a weight from the rack and starting to life it, one foot resting on the bench beside Neve.
"And Thierry's letting her wander around free and not killing her."
"He's assigned bodyguards to make sure she doesn't do anything."
"Why'd you hate her so much, anyway?"
Rashel put the weight back. "My reasons," she said, and walked away, calmness clearly forced. Neve shrugged, not really getting it herself, and walked to her room to take a shower. There was a message on her desk reading 8pm. Paris Paris. Effile Tower. Her contact tended to like to meet in the Vegas hotels. They were so crowded with such a diverse range of people it should be impossible to spot them.
Linus was knocking on her open door. "I'm one of the guards," he told her.
Neve nodded. "Okay." She headed to her wardrobe, looking for something to wear.
"Okay? That's it?"
She pulled out a plain black dress with spaghetti straps, then a bright pink one with a glittery bust. "Yeah. What'd you want me to say?"
"Where are you going?"
"Vegas."
"Oh." Linus turned and left, closing the door behind him.
Neve stared after him for a few seconds, then swapped the pink dress for a lime green one of the same design. She slipped out of the mansion later that evening, heading through the tourists pausing to watch the dancing water display outside the Bellagio hotel before crossing the Strip and heading over to Paris Paris.
She scowled a little at the queue waiting for the Eiffel Tower look out post. Was she supposed to go up or what? //Go up,// her contact's mental voice told her. //It's safer up there.// Neve winced, she wasn't all that crazy about heights. The wait was about fifteen minutes to get to the lift. She closed her eyes as it went up, trying to prepare herself for the platform at the top. It was such a pathetic thing that heights scared her. She tried not to look down, focusing on the spectacular view of the Vegas lights after dark across the desert than looking down.
"There's an unconfirmed rumour that Xalaria Redfern is missing," her contact said.
Neve nodded, folding her arms across her chest. "Yeah, she's at the mansion with amnesia."
"Amnesia. That's...interesting."
"Linus is one of the guards. I'll be killing the bitch shortly."
"You'll do no such thing."
"What?" Neve turned to glare at her contact, eyes flashing with anger. All she needed was Xalaria Redfern out the way then she'd get her glory.
"You will bring her to me."
"I don't understand. I thought we'd *agreed* - "
"We agreed I would help you achieve the wealth and power you deserve. This will help you with that."
Neve scowled. That wasn't exactly what she'd been thinking she'd do. She had been so *pleased* when she'd learned Xalaria had amnesia. This had been her chance. Only now everything was spoiled. "You want me to bring Xalaria to you."
"Yes. What are Thierry's orders?"
"She's staying alive for the time being. She has two guards, one is Linus Blackthorn."
"He works with you."
"Yes."
"All right. Just make sure you bring Xalaria Redfern to me." The contact walked away, stepping into the lift, and was gone. Neve sighed, and stood in line for the next one.
* * *
"I knew I never liked her." Maggie watched Neve stepping into the lift.
Delos frowned. "Do you know who she was speaking with?"
Maggie shook her head. "How am I supposed to know?" She couldn't believe it. Neve was some sort of spy for a secret Night World organisation, clearly not the Council, Xalaria was one of their favourites, and she was trapped inside the Daybreak house with no memories. "If only we could find Xalaria a Daybreak soulmate who can make her good."
"You can't *find* someone a soulmate," Delos said, smiling a little. "But we know something Thierry will be very interested to hear."
* * *
A fine sheen of sweat coated Neve's forehead as she sat down on a bench, breathing deeply after her workout. She felt no less pissed off than when she'd started.
"What's eating you?" Rashel had been in the gym was well, battling the punching bag and sparring with one of the trainers.
"Issues," Neve answered.
"Issues, by any chance, regarding this ridiculous thing with Xalaria Redfern?"
Neve didn't want to get into her reasons for why she hated Xalaria. Rashel just seemed to despise anyone who came from the Night World Council. She needed to watch herself, make sure she didn't let anything slip.
"I don't understand that," she said finally. "Isn't she supposed to be - "
"A dangerous psychotic bitch," Rashel said, grabbing a weight from the rack and starting to life it, one foot resting on the bench beside Neve.
"And Thierry's letting her wander around free and not killing her."
"He's assigned bodyguards to make sure she doesn't do anything."
"Why'd you hate her so much, anyway?"
Rashel put the weight back. "My reasons," she said, and walked away, calmness clearly forced. Neve shrugged, not really getting it herself, and walked to her room to take a shower. There was a message on her desk reading 8pm. Paris Paris. Effile Tower. Her contact tended to like to meet in the Vegas hotels. They were so crowded with such a diverse range of people it should be impossible to spot them.
Linus was knocking on her open door. "I'm one of the guards," he told her.
Neve nodded. "Okay." She headed to her wardrobe, looking for something to wear.
"Okay? That's it?"
She pulled out a plain black dress with spaghetti straps, then a bright pink one with a glittery bust. "Yeah. What'd you want me to say?"
"Where are you going?"
"Vegas."
"Oh." Linus turned and left, closing the door behind him.
Neve stared after him for a few seconds, then swapped the pink dress for a lime green one of the same design. She slipped out of the mansion later that evening, heading through the tourists pausing to watch the dancing water display outside the Bellagio hotel before crossing the Strip and heading over to Paris Paris.
She scowled a little at the queue waiting for the Eiffel Tower look out post. Was she supposed to go up or what? //Go up,// her contact's mental voice told her. //It's safer up there.// Neve winced, she wasn't all that crazy about heights. The wait was about fifteen minutes to get to the lift. She closed her eyes as it went up, trying to prepare herself for the platform at the top. It was such a pathetic thing that heights scared her. She tried not to look down, focusing on the spectacular view of the Vegas lights after dark across the desert than looking down.
"There's an unconfirmed rumour that Xalaria Redfern is missing," her contact said.
Neve nodded, folding her arms across her chest. "Yeah, she's at the mansion with amnesia."
"Amnesia. That's...interesting."
"Linus is one of the guards. I'll be killing the bitch shortly."
"You'll do no such thing."
"What?" Neve turned to glare at her contact, eyes flashing with anger. All she needed was Xalaria Redfern out the way then she'd get her glory.
"You will bring her to me."
"I don't understand. I thought we'd *agreed* - "
"We agreed I would help you achieve the wealth and power you deserve. This will help you with that."
Neve scowled. That wasn't exactly what she'd been thinking she'd do. She had been so *pleased* when she'd learned Xalaria had amnesia. This had been her chance. Only now everything was spoiled. "You want me to bring Xalaria to you."
"Yes. What are Thierry's orders?"
"She's staying alive for the time being. She has two guards, one is Linus Blackthorn."
"He works with you."
"Yes."
"All right. Just make sure you bring Xalaria Redfern to me." The contact walked away, stepping into the lift, and was gone. Neve sighed, and stood in line for the next one.
* * *
"I knew I never liked her." Maggie watched Neve stepping into the lift.
Delos frowned. "Do you know who she was speaking with?"
Maggie shook her head. "How am I supposed to know?" She couldn't believe it. Neve was some sort of spy for a secret Night World organisation, clearly not the Council, Xalaria was one of their favourites, and she was trapped inside the Daybreak house with no memories. "If only we could find Xalaria a Daybreak soulmate who can make her good."
"You can't *find* someone a soulmate," Delos said, smiling a little. "But we know something Thierry will be very interested to hear."
* * *