LUCKY THIRTEEN
How quickly some plans fall apart. How quickly some strategies flutter and fall, dead by the time they land. At any other point, Robin would have loved to ponder the Bible's words on such a subject and the Lord, God's will. In all her years in Italy, Robin Sena never found a more perfect matter of discussion, debate, and contemplation, especially not granted her lot in life. Even after the incident with the Factory, and all her months in training with Amon, Robin continued to meditate on the matter at great length, wondering why exactly the Lord would place her upon this earth and what purpose she was to serve.
Now, however, was not the best time to think about such things. Not with such a well honed blade just millimeters from her throat. No, a better thing to contemplate was whether or not Robin was at peace with her life, herself, the world, and her God. The finely sharply tonto could, and would, slice through her neck and arteries with slight effort and a swift slashing motion, ending her life in a matter of moments. Any other person would have been praying at that moment, thinking back on their life and memories. Robin was not most people.
Instead, her thoughts revolved around how everything fell apart in a second as Kristo passed from the shadows and into the back seat of Amon's car, armed and ready for action. Robin thought only of that, swallowing hard and feeling the lump in her throat pass under the cool metal blade. The momentary, lapsing question of whether the actual cut would be hot or cold, or both flashed over her mind, before her thoughts returned to the sadness at the swift decline of their plot to save Sakaki.
"Let me make this perfectly clear, so there can be no arguments," Kristo began, crooning the words with menace. "I can kill all of you and shadow meld before this car crashes. So everyone just relax, and we'll just… talk."
Amon steadied himself, concentrating on both the road and the assassin in his back seat. Kristo remained half in and half out of the shadows, ready at any moment to dive back into the darkness and the safety of the night, leaving his victims behind helpless, able to jump to any dark location. The deadly edge his katana lay across Karasuma's neck, while he held the tonto over Robin. The blades looked sharp, honed by a craftsman's skill hands, the hands of a master swordsmith. They probably could have cleaved a person in two with one, swift strike.
"Keep driving," the swordsman sang, as if reading Amon's thoughts.
"What did you come here for?" The former hunter demanded, glaring back momentarily in the rear view.
Kristo smirked slightly. "To make a deal."
"I don't make deals," Amon responded in a harsh tone.
The man with the blades shrugged in a small gesture. "You do now."
"What makes you think that?"
Robin's heart leapt up, thumping in her throat just beneath the razor sharp edge of the tonto. She whispered a silent prayer that her life be ended quickly and painlessly if it was her time, and that God grant her the peace of eternal life in Heaven. The teenager asked His forgiveness for her sins and swallowed hard. The blade dug in to her flesh a bit, letting loose a drop of blood, rolling down her neck with a strange warmth.
Kristo gave a sly glance down the length of his katana to Karasuma. "Seeing as I've got your lovely friends at the end of my little knives, I think you had better listen good to this deal." He turned his sight to Robin, eyeing the girl devilishly. "And seeing how I know about your secret."
"What secret?" Robin gasped.
Kristo gave a small wink to her, grinning. "I know you're a witch, and I know Solomon's been looking for you." The blade moved across Robin's neck, trailing over her skin. "I know who you are, what you look like, who you spend your time around. As long as I know what you look like, I can find you through the shadows. And I know you're being as hunted as we probably are."
"Make your point," Amon barked, angry that the swordsman would have dared to invade his car and threaten his friends.
The man with the blades cocked his head to one side almost playfully and mockingly at the same time. "You and your little friend, here," Kristo nodded in Robin's direction. "You need as much of a place to hide as we do. We know about you; you know about us." The man glanced to Sakaki. "Let Sakaki go. We, for our part, will protect you and keep your secrets so long as you do the same for us."
"What if I don't agree to your offer?" Amon argued.
Kristo looked to Sakaki. "I don't think you have any choice. I can kill you, your lady friend, and your little fire starter before I take Sakaki back into the shadows with me. So, really, your choices are death or the deal?"
"And what's my guarantee that you won't kill us tomorrow?" Karasuma asked.
The swordsman shook his head. "No guarantee. Just my word." He grew serious. "And my word is my law." Amon sniffed, almost rolling his eyes. "I would be taking your word on this, too." Amon didn't answer. "And I'm sure Brett can give your fire starter a few pointers on control and subtlety."
Amon thought for a moment. He had no other choice. At least, no options he truly liked. "And you'll protect Robin?" Kristo nodded. "What of Karasuma?"
"She can do whatever the hell she goddamned pleases," Kristo responded honestly. "She's not being hunted like you, this one here, Sakaki, or any of my friends and I. She can just go back to her life, or hell, or whatever she wants, I don't really care." The man sighed. "I just care that the others are safe."
"Deal."
xxxx
They sat in silence.
Kathain kicked a pebble over the stone sparring ring in between Brett's feet as he walked. The fire elemental strolled the outer edge of the ring, following the thin carvings etched in the rock slab. Dragons spun and dove along the mist, curling and winding around one another, snapping with sharp teeth and deadly talons. Brett tiptoed over each of the snarling creatures in the design, pacing uneasily.
He couldn't believe Kristo had gone after them.
Geoff sighed. "You didn't think you could stop him, did you Brett?"
"No."
The awkward silence persisted.
Kathain looked to Nycole, who sat looking rather sadly at the smoothly worn stone; the precognitive put an arm around her friend. "Don't worry. Everything will be alright. I promise."
"You promise?" Nycole raised a hopeful eyebrow. "Promise, promise?"
Kathain knew what the girl asked when she nodded; Nycole had been hoping Kathain had seen it. "I swear to you. They'll be back."
Sure enough, the front door creaked open. The others, who had been sitting in the back of the house, jumped. Nycole leapt to her feet and ran, scampering through the house on bare feet, rushing to the front door. She lunged at Sakaki, throwing her arms around the former hunter.
Kathain just walked up behind her, giving a nod of respect towards Kristo as he entered. The swordsman didn't say a word, just continuing into the home. He paused for a moment to reclaim the sheathes to both his katana and tonto. The man silently moved to the wall of the main room, giving a small regard to his weapons before placing them on the hooks on the wall. His fingertips slipped over the hard wood of the sheathes, respecting the blades.
"Thank you, Kristo," Nycole whispered.
The warrior shrugged. "Whatever."
Brett looked to the others who entered. Amon and Robin. Karasuma had taken Amon's car back to her home, However, now, the former hunter and the Craft user remained, and looked like they were planning to stay. The fire elemental's muscles tensed as flames rose up his arm.
"Hold," Kristo ordered tersely. "They're here peacefully." Brett nodded, knowing Kristo would never place them in harms way. "We have a deal."
For the next few hours, Robin sat and met them, while Amon patrolled the grounds, going his separate way from Kristo. While the two men moved across the property, scouting and keeping watch, the others worked to start cooking the dinner that the intrusion had so rudely interrupted. Robin sat at the counter while Nycole and Kathain laughed nervously, stirred spaghetti sauce, trying desperately to be normal even with the Craft user stranger.
They seemed so close, like family, even Sakaki. Robin had to admire that. They were so utterly different, so unique and unusual, but they were drawn together by fate, destiny. Despite their differences and problems, the band of witches had formed a family. The teenager almost wished she and Amon could have been so close.
Robin looked to the two girls as they joked about something. "Um…. So… you are all witches?"
"Yup," Kathain answered honestly; Nycole jabbed her elbow into Kathain's ribs. "What?" The precognitive looked around to the room, as all eyes went to her. "It's not like we have anything to hide. I mean, c'mon." Nycole folded her arms across her chest. "If they're going to be staying with us for any extended time, we should probably just be honest with them from the get go."
"Fine."
They returned to the evening meal, as introductions went all around. Robin laughed at their jokes, easing up slightly but keeping her guard up, especially under Brett's scrutiny. She prayed this stay would be only a temporary situation. She started when the fire elemental spoke directly to her.
"So, Robin, what kind of movie's you like?"
xxxx
Amon watched from a distance as Robin seemed to be getting to know the others. He refused to even attempt to find friendship or companionship with the witches who dared blackmail the hunter. The witches would not find solace or comfort in Amon. He stepped back, ready to return to the home, only to feel cold steel press into the base of his neck.
"Kristo…"
The shadow walker grinned. "The one and only."
"What do you want?" Amon snarled..
Kristo grinned. "Only you, Amon. And your blood if you ever, EVER hurt any of the others." The former hunter didn't react at all. "You lay a finger on any of them, and I will crush you. I will see you ripped apart… literally."
"I figured as much."
Kristo nodded. "Fine then." He pulled the gun back and returning it to the holster. "As long as you get that."
Amon whirled out his gas gun, and Kristo drew his pistol again at the same time, drawing at the same time. "As long as you understand the same thing."
Kristo chuckled menacingly as he stepped back, into the shadows. The man fell away as the darkness seemed to condense and pool. The shadows swallowed the swordsman up, concealing him. Amon squinted, trying desperately to see Kristo in the deep, dark black of the night, but the man was gone.
"As long as we have an agreement, Amon."
xxxx
Happy? All's well that ends well and all that crap…. Nah… not in my dillusional realm.