Hi everyone!
I know this is a very, very long chapter here (the longest I've ever written actually!)… I couldn't decide if I was to divide it in different parts/ chapters, before I finally decided to leave it like this, it made more sense to me and I find it much more coherent to read it in one go :)
I wanted to make a quick note to thank, once again, Ferilium and Light for all the great comments, and I wanted to make a special thanks also to Tales of A Fallen Star and Elis Zelis for all your loving messages, I know I've said it before, but it means so much to me!
As some of you already know, I find inspiration in lots of things when writing, especially in songs, movies, tv series, pictures of actual real places or backgrounds or landscapes... But I've been also really inspired by lots of Tomb Raider fan arts, such as stories, works, drawings, videos, like for example those made by Adayka, Random0905, Thatnorskchick, Angel in Shadow, Lara makedonskaya… I just wanted to thank all the unconditional tomb raider fans who, in one way or another keep the community alive, for all those incredible works, for all the great fan arts of all kinds that are so underrated but so important and so inspirational to some of us!
And a last thank you of course to all the people who follow this story and make it come alive! :)
25- Ad Astra
Her eyes opened suddenly, and she sat up with a violent jolt, gasping for breath. She turned her head in all directions, dazzled by the sudden bright light the darkness had just given place to. She raised a hand reflexively to her face to shield her eyes, which she found difficult to open fully. It took several seconds for her distraught eyes to adjust to the surroundings. She looked for a landmark, wheezing. No matter how hard she tried to breathe in deep breaths, gulping down as much air as she could, she felt as if she couldn't breathe properly and was suffocating.
After a few seconds, she felt her pulse slowly calm down. Gradually shapes began to appear around her. She felt something soft and comfortable beneath her. Silky sheets, and a bed. There was a large window and long velvet curtains, and an adjacent bathroom. Her eyes finally fell on the solid wood wardrobe, fireplace and bookcase opposite the bed, and it took her several seconds to realise that she was in fact in her own room. She was in Croft Manor.
She glanced outside, and the daylight told her it must still be early. It was a beautiful day. When she listened, all she could hear was silence. All was quiet in the huge mansion.
She pushed back her loose hair, which was in the way, and ran her fingers over her forehead. She felt a sort of blistering under her hair, perhaps even stitches in the wound that had hurt her a few days before. She then ran her hand down her back, and discovered that she was wearing a thick bandage, which was tightly wrapped around her ribs and torso. A spike of pain told her that the blow from the mythological monster was still there too. She frowned, her thoughts unclear.
She pushed back the covers and got out of bed in a hurry. She shrugged off the dizziness and controlled her balance roughly to make her way to the door. In her underwear, she jerked it open and stepped out. She made her way down the long corridor to the main staircase.
Her heart was pounding against her chest. Her head was buzzing furiously, but she paid no attention to it. She felt lost. She remembered the shrine and the Minotaur, she remembered the monastery and the glove, she remembered Persepolis perfectly, the arch in which she had slipped the medallion, and which had made the ancient city appear from the sand. She remembered that shrine and the griffins and that strange fountain. She could still feel the touch of the mosaic against the palm of her hand...
As she reached the stairs, the heavy kitchen door below suddenly opened wide, revealing a slightly bent old man, and an athletic young man with brown hair following close behind. Before she had time to call out to them, the American naturally turned his head towards her and his azure gaze focused on her. A smirk played on his lips.
"Hey!", he said.
The old man, who hadn't noticed anything until now, jumped up and turned around, glancing at the young man behind him. Then he looked up in turn. A radiant smile lit up his wrinkled face when he finally saw the young woman gazing at them from upstairs. He then changed direction and headed for the stairs to join her with his hobbling gait.
"Lara! You are finally awake, my child!", he said, holding his arms out to her.
Kurtis followed Winston, who tried to walk up the stairs with a hurried, but slowed, step. He couldn't hide his amusement at seeing the old man so suddenly invigorated that his protege was okay. Deep down, he himself was reassured and happy to see her, even if he remained his usual reserved self.
The butler reached the adventuress and took her hands in his with a tender, fatherly gesture. His small brown eyes shone with a lively sparkle, which warmed the young woman's heart, although she did not yet feel fully restored to herself. She gave a friendly squeeze to the old man's raspy hands, which didn't seem to want to let go of her, and smiled gently.
"I guess I survived… again," she said quietly, looking at the mercenary who had remained a few steps below.
Winston's smile widened a little more, but soon he dropped her hands and started moving again.
"I'll go and get something to cover you, you'll catch a cold if you stay like that, Miss!"
The two adventurers saw the old man climb the stairs as fast as he could and disappear a little further upstairs. Lara followed him with her eyes until the last moment, before turning back to the mercenary, who showed a satisfied and sincere smile.
"Nice to see you awake, sleeping beauty."
"Nice to see you too, stranger."
Her words amused the young man. They watched each other for a moment, savouring those few seconds of silence, before Winston's footsteps, coming back towards them, gently brought them back to reality. The butler approached Lara and handed her her blue satin dressing gown, which she quickly wrapped around herself. As she reached up to put it on, she winced as the pain in her back awoke. For a moment she had completely forgotten about the wound caused by the Minotaur.
"Sorry, I did my best with that," the mercenary apologized, pointing to the bandage around her waist.
The Englishwoman shrugged and tied the belt of the bathrobe.
"It doesn't matter, I'll feel better in a few days. All I care about at the moment is to know what happened."
She saw the American's eyebrows furrow slightly.
"Don't you remember anything?"
She looked him straight in the eye, and shook her head gently.
"I don't really know."
She felt Winston put an arm around her waist, inviting her to follow him. The three of them turned and went upstairs, following the butler to the small drawing room adjacent to the young woman's bedroom. He settled Lara on the big velvet sofa and disappeared again for a few moments before bringing back a huge blanket, which he unfolded on her lap, which made the young woman laugh.
"Thank you, Winston, but I'm not in agony."
The butler did not answer, concentrating on his movements. The adventuress looked around for him, but he was clearly avoiding her. She felt him nervous, and slightly distant. She took a look at Kurtis, who came into the room and took a seat opposite her in one of the big chairs. The old man muttered a few unintelligible words under his breath, before heading for the door and closing it gently behind him, still looking down. Lara and Kurtis suddenly found themselves alone together.
"Did I miss something?", the young woman asked, referring to the old man's attitude.
"I don't know, you tell me?", asked the American, also a little confused.
"I'm serious, Kurtis. We were in Persepolis, and I wake up here."
"You really don't remember anything?"
She nodded.
"I'm not sure. I remember the medallion, and the arch, and the city that rose from the sand, and this sort of open-air sanctuary. I remember the griffins and the mosaic. We went down into this fountain and we approached this pillar, the one with all these frescoes..."
The adventuress concentrated with all her might, but despite all her efforts, it was pitch black in her head. She could not remember anything from that moment on.
"You passed out in front of me."
She looked up at Kurtis, who sat comfortably in the chair and put his feet up on the small coffee table.
"I fainted?", she repeated, as if the young man had just insulted her.
In a nonchalant and slightly provocative attitude, the mercenary crossed his hands behind his neck before staring at her with his azure eyes.
"Come on, don't be that humble with me," he told her with a smirk.
She tilted her head to the side and glared at him, as if to rebuke him. The mercenary took a breath and gradually became serious again.
"You put your hand on the pillar and collapsed," he said, looking at the adventuress' confused expression. "I just had time to catch you. I don't know exactly what happened. You just stopped reacting. It was quite strange actually... I even thought..."
He left his sentence hanging. His intonation had lost all trace of amusement or mockery. Lara looked at him very seriously.
"How long was I in a coma?"
"Almost three days."
Lara recoiled again, just as she had a few seconds before. She was visibly shaken.
"Three days?", she repeated in a disillusioned voice. "But what happened? What about the city, the griffins, the sanctuary? How did you get me here and back? What did you tell the authorities?"
Kurtis abandoned his relaxed attitude and crossed his arms against his chest.
"In fact, I had absolutely no trouble getting you back here."
"What are you talking about?", asked the young woman, taken aback.
"Nobody noticed anything."
"Are you telling me that you took me back from Iran to here, completely unconscious, without anyone noticing? Is this a joke?"
"With a few contacts, a few phone calls, a little off-the-books cash money and a helicopter, anything is possible, believe me. You'll just have to hold Winston to account."
"So you had me helicoptered?"
"Yep."
"No one asked any questions?"
"No one asked any questions."
"No warrant for arrest?"
"Nope."
"Does Winston know what happened?"
"In broad terms, yes."
"And the medallion?"
"Recovered it when I woke up. I kept it safe in my stuff."
"And the glove?"
"In a safe place. You'll have to hold Winston to account for that too as he took it away and put it somewhere safe in the mansion… Well, I guess, as he didn't want to tell me… 'just in case', he said..."
Lara nodded in agreement but couldn't help but frown, still greatly intrigued.
"But the city? We dug a whole city out of the sand and dirt and nobody noticed?"
"When you fell unconscious, I picked you up and carried you away from the fountain. I tried to understand what happened, so I put my hand on the pillar too. I passed out, but unlike you, I woke up a few hours later. The day was already breaking, but the site was completely empty. Everything was gone. The griffins, the shrine, the whole town... there was absolutely nothing left."
"How is that possible?", Lara insisted in a deep voice.
"You don't believe me?"
"That's not what I said. I said I don't see how that's technically possible."
"Between you and me, d'you really believe there're still impossible things in this whole story?"
There was silence between them. Lara felt her breathing quicken and the thoughts start to rush through her head again.
"Something clearly happened over there," Kurtis concluded, staring straight into her eyes.
Lara suddenly looked away, embarrassed. She glanced out the window and shook her head gently. She had just spent three days in a coma, and yet she felt exhausted. Her head was hurting badly now. All the images of the visions, the angel, the demon, death and all those darkness kept running in her head, and still felt so real to her. She still felt like she was trapped in there in the battlefield. She was facing the unknown again, and in this very moment, all she could do was blaming Kurtis for not feeling as lost and confused as she was herself. It was like looking in a mirror and seeing a completely hollow reflection of herself.
You've had visions too, right?
She looked up.
"How do you know?", she answered out loud, but without aggressiveness.
"Because I've had them too."
Lara frowned slightly.
"The first Shadows wars. The meeting of our ancestors, where it all began. The enemies of the shadows, our fight, the fall of the enemy into the flames of the underworld..."
"... my death," she murmured, shuddering as she thought of the burning sensation when she had seen herself tipped into the flames of hell with the demon. "But it wasn't like the ones I'd had before. They were nothing like Karel's. When he manipulated us, there was this nightmarish dimension... the shadows, the darkness that engulfs you, the pain, the death... whereas here, it's the opposite. There is only light, life. And this strength and power."
Lara fell silent. She felt the mercenary's eyes scrutinizing her gently and patiently, entrenched now in his position as observer.
"They're memories," Kurtis concluded in a neutral voice.
The words sounded rather strange to her. And yet, she had understood it long before she spoke to the mercenary. Deep down, she already knew. That explained why the sensations had felt so real, and why she had felt so connected to her visions.
"You told me you had visions too," Lara observed.
Kurtis' chest rose softly as he took a deep breath.
"The same as yours I guess. I mean, I've seen wars, our fight... or rather their fight against the original demon..."
"But there was something else, wasn't there?"
Her gaze focused on the mercenary.
"There's not much to tell," he replied, as he looked up. "There was this desert, this great void around me, sand as far as the eye could see. The sun burning me, the dryness. There was absolutely nothing, everything seemed lost in the middle of nowhere."
"And that's it?"
The mercenary rose his hands helplessly.
"I dunno what else to tell you. I was wandering, walking in this desert, and there was just this tree in the middle of nowhere, standing there in front of me."
"A tree?"
"A tree with colourful flowers. The one where you died I guess. At least according to what the prophecy said, and given what happened to the old demon me there."
"And that's it?", Lara insisted, frowning a little more.
"What d'you mean, 'that's it'?", The American said, frowning as well, unsettled by the young woman's sudden stubbornness.
"I'm just trying to understand," she told him firmly.
Lara straightened up slightly, her hands hanging in the air as if to indicate that her reasoning was quite obvious.
"A battle scene, an encounter, a final battle and a desert, is that really all we have? Is that what our escapade was for? Did you find anything else on your side while I was unconscious?"
"Like I said, I passed out too, and when I woke up, there was nothing left."
"So we dug a whole town out of the sand for this?"
The mercenary rose his hands helplessly.
"Did you see a magical source in your visions?"
Kurtis looked at her with his azure eyes, but did not answer.
"Well, neither did I," the young woman concluded cynically.
Lara let out a loud sigh, and let herself fall back against the back of the sofa. She took her face in her hands. She felt more lost than ever in a total blur. She had hoped to find answers in Persepolis, but now she was faced with an even more incomplete puzzle, the same sensation she had felt when she discovered that Boaz's mother, Eckhardt, the Nazis and the Svendsens were all connected in a way. It was a never-ending loop, and the deeper she and Kurtis dug to find out the truth, the deeper it seemed they were sinking into the darkness and the unknown.
"Why? Why put us through all this if it leads us down a dead end?", she insisted.
"Believe me, I'd like to have the answer too," the young man replied in a soft voice, helpless in front of her dismay.
"We're at a dead end," Lara grumbled through clenched teeth as she realised they were no further ahead than before they left for Iran. "Once again."
There was silence for a few moments in the living room, both adventurers lost in thought. The American passed his hand over his eyes and took another deep breath.
"Maybe it's time to take a step back from all this," he muttered.
Lara looked up at him.
"So what, that's it? You're saying we just have to leave it there, that we should drop everything we've discovered?", she insisted.
"I'm just saying we may not have all the elements to go on at the moment."
"So what's your plan? Put the glove aside and move on?"
"I don't really see what else we can do," Kurtis replied coldly.
"There has to be a solution somewhere... the original source has to be somewhere..."
The Englishwoman's eyebrows rose sharply.
"I can't believe it. After all we've been through, after all we've discovered... how are we going to destroy the glove?"
"We need to take a step back, Lara," the American cut her off. "Maybe this isn't the right time… maybe it's time for us to put all of this aside for a while, until we get to the bottom of this."
"While we wait for a revelation to fall from the sky? Because honestly, I don't really see what could help us in our research now."
"Well, that's the only thing we haven't tried so far."
A very subtle smirk appeared at the corner of the demon hunter's lips, but Lara was definitely not in the mood for jokes.
"So we just leave it at that, that's where it ends? What was the idea, to throw this stupid prophecy in our faces and say "hey, just deal with it now"? To make us suffer by making us relive our past lives? To lead us on and torture our minds, once again?"
"You know I agree with you on this, but I think we're wasting our energy."
Lara let out a loud sigh, her mouth pressed against her clenched fist. She shook her head in annoyance.
"And what are we going to do in the meantime?", she asked, shrugging slightly.
"Something else."
Her gaze wandered for a moment, until her anger calmed down. Then the young woman nodded slowly, still focused, but clearly disillusioned. The tone of his voice left no room for hesitation or confrontation, but she quickly understood he had made this decision against his own will too. She was getting to know him. And she knew perfectly well that he was right. Despite all the atrocities they had said to each other a few days before, she could at least give him that. It wouldn't do them any good at the moment, especially as they were once again not pressed for time.
"I must admit that I don't see any other alternative for the moment either," the adventuress finally replied resignedly. "I don't necessarily agree, but I trust your judgment."
She saw a strange expression pass through Kurtis' yes, and the silence in the room grew a little heavier for a moment. Yet Lara did not take her eyes off him, and held the two icy flames that pierced her to the very core, as if the young man were trying to bring peace and calm to her.
"Let's do that, then," the Englishwoman continued, suddenly embarrassed. "I think a little rest won't do us any harm."
"I think so," added the American with a sincere and gentle smile.
He watched the adventuress snuggle up a little more in her thick blanket. She looked tired, and all these revelations were not going to help her feel better. He too was clearly feeling lost, and out of breath. He was still struggling to recover from the vivid, powerful visions he had suffered before waking up in the Iranian sunrise. And he wasn't sure he wanted to look any further at the moment, there was enough information to digest. And all that energy expended for so little result...
"I'll leave you alone," he suddenly said as he got up hastily from his chair. "I've bothered you enough with all this for now. Winston made some pancakes, he thought they'd help wake you up. 'guess he was right."
"I'll see if I have the strength to drag myself to the kitchen then."
"I can get ya food if you want," the mercenary nicely offered.
"I'll be fine, thank you. I think I'll just hang out here for a bit... a shower won't hurt me either, I think... and then, we'll see," she answered in a soft, sleepy voice.
Their eyes met once again, and they exchanged a shy but knowing smile.
"I'm gonna get some fresh air," Kurtis announced, pointing to the door. "Or maybe do a few laps if I'm brave enough. If I'm allowed to, of course."
"No problem."
Silently, Kurtis turned and headed for the door. Before exiting, he turned back to the young woman, his hand already on the door handle.
"I'm leaving for Los Angeles tomorrow morning."
Lara watched him for a moment without showing the slightest reaction, a little unsettled and taken aback. She knew he was serious and that his decision was well thought out. Even if she found it hard to admit, she hadn't really expected this, and strangely enough, she hadn't even considered for a second that he might leave.
"Okay," she simply replied without emotion.
Her brown eyes met the azure eyes of the demon hunter, and for a few seconds, they just looked at each other without a word, as they used to do sometimes, not so long ago. Before getting destabilized, Kurtis looked away and opened the door.
"I won't stop you if you want to leave, or if you have things to do," Lara said. "But I won't kicking you out in any case, there's plenty of room for you here."
The American merely nodded in response. He knew very well that staying here would only stir the pot, and he was by no means the kind of man to impose himself where he was not wanted. Even if things seemed to finally get better between them, even if his inner self was screaming at him to resist and fight, his reason had taken over. His decision was made. He had to leave, to take distance. It was better this way for the moment.
After one last brief glance, then another sharp nod, Kurtis finally turned away and disappeared behind the door without a word.
—
He looked away from the window and blew on the small cup in his hand. He could feel the warmth of the china warming his fingers in earnest. A strong smell of coffee wafted up to his nostrils, coupled with the smell of the toast Winston had left in evidence further down the table. But he didn't pay any more attention to them.
He took a sip of coffee before putting the cup back down, this time staring into space. Once again, he hadn't slept very well. The nights had been restless since they had returned from Iran. As soon as he closed his eyes, images kept coming back to his mind. Particularly bloody and violent, and extremely realistic, battle scenes. So realistic that he would wake up several times a night thinking that the blade he had just seen in his dream had actually pierced his insides. He could feel absolutely everything, down to the slightest ray of sunlight, the slightest breath of wind that he perceived in his visions. He could also smell blood and wet earth, hear screams and tearing flesh, and the sound of weapons crossing paths. Everything seemed so real that he even thought they were memories. Memories that had been triggered since they had entered the sanctuary of Persepolis with Lara. It seemed like a crazy hypothesis, yet it was the only logical explanation he could think of.
He took another sip of coffee and tried to think of something else. But he felt far too tired to try to fight the incessant flow of his thoughts that morning. Just then Winston entered the kitchen, dressed in his usual three-piece suit, still looking hazy and sleepy. He grinned at the American before reaching for a large cup to pour himself a fragrant tea.
"Good morning, Mr Trent."
"G'morning, Winston."
"How are you feeling today?"
Kurtis raised his cup to his lips to drink, and glanced at the butler. His tired look betrayed him, and the old man shook his head gently with compassion.
"I am sure everything will be fine," he said, but maybe more for himself. "A little rest will do you good, I'm sure."
"That's the problem, I never have time to rest. And so whenever I have the opportunity to do so, I can't," replied the mercenary in a bitter voice. "First the visions caused by Karel, then the nightmares about being buried underground in Cappadocia, and now this... looks like I'm doomed or something, this is never gonna stop."
"It is terrible indeed, and certainly exhausting for you."
Kurtis smiled kindly at him.
"And unfortunately, sleeping or resting won't help. Not to mention the fact we're caught up in this damn prophecy now..."
Winston grabbed a tea bag and sat down on the table a little further away. He glanced at him questioningly, his thick eyebrows furrowed. Kurtis looked down, deep in thought.
"I mean, I guess Lara's been going through the same thing since we found that damn text. It all started when we found that pillar. I haven't slept since we got back, that can't be a coincidence. It's because of all this she's in this state, and that damn glove..."
"I am sure everything will be fine, Mr. Trent. I know Miss Croft will be back on her feet soon too. I have seen her in worse conditions than this."
"It wouldn't be the first time she's escaped death, indeed," the American quipped.
The mercenary stared at the burning liquid in his small cup, lost in thought again. The butler watched him with an inquisitive though almost amused eye from the other end of the table.
"Miss Croft is not quite used to someone being that worried about her, I think."
Kurtis smiled in spite of himself, caught in the act.
"I'm not worried about her...", he replied a little abruptly.
He clutched his coffee cup in his hands, his eyes still lost in the dark liquid. He felt the weight of the butler's gaze on him, and couldn't help but look up at him. The old man was staring at him with a strange expression. He gave him a gentle, compassionate smile, which somewhat unsettled the mercenary.
"She cares much more about you than she lets on, believe me," he said in a voice that was meant to be soothing.
The mercenary let out a nervous chuckle and looked away.
"She has a very peculiar way of showing her attachment to people she cares about, then. Or maybe I'm not one of those people."
There was a heavy silence in the conversation, and for a moment Kurtis regretted the words that had just come out of his mouth. Winston seemed to sense his discomfort, and suddenly became nervous too.
"Forgive me Mr. Trent, I know it is none of my business-"
"It's nothing Winston, don't worry. I don't… I don't usually like to talk about my private life, you know. I don't think there's anything more ridiculous than getting people involved in my relationship..."
The young man fell silent abruptly, realizing what he had just said. The butler watched him with a malicious smile that he could not hold back, satisfied with this exchange with the American. Kurtis straightened up and ran a nervous hand through his hair before sinking back into his chair, hands cradled behind his neck. He stared at the ceiling, hoping to avoid the old man's mocking gaze, but he knew it was too late. But strangely enough, he felt confident with him, and he knew he could count on his discretion.
"Truth be told, I'm not sure about what we are, or about what we're supposed to be, or about where we are, you know," he said in an almost shy whisper. "Things have been rather complicated between us lately."
"It is true that Miss Croft is not always easy-going, I do agree with you."
"I've to admit I'm not an easy one either. But that's no surprise to you, right?", the mercenary answered with a smirk.
"That's what Miss Croft has implied on several occasions, indeed. But it is normal, and only human to have pride, and it is never easy to put your ego aside, especially when it comes to the person you love. I had the same problem with my wife."
"I see," retorted the American. "You used to insult each other all day long, calling each other selfish, cowards, hotheads and threatening to kill each other with guns at the slightest annoyance?"
Winston's smile faded slightly, overwhelmed by nostalgia. Kurtis suddenly felt foolish, realizing that the butler had been a widower for many years, and that perhaps his words had hurt him.
"It was a bit different in our case, indeed," the man tried to joke. "We had our own world, and our own habits, and therefore our own confusions. It wasn't as... rough and animated as you, I suppose."
"Forgive me, Winston, I didn't mean to-"
The old man waved his hand and took another sip of the hot tea. He slowly regained his composure before continuing.
"No matter what sets us against the other, it has always seemed obvious to me that the most important thing was simply to be there for them. And to try to understand them. Not to lock them into a box we would like them to fit into, but rather to create the box and the protection that would suit them and be adapted to them. In some cases, this is more difficult to do. Some people resist. Miss Croft is one of those people. She is a woman who has always been alone, and above all very independent. It is difficult, if not impossible, to hold her back. I don't think we can hold that against her, because every one of us has a side which can't be tamed. I am not saying you should excuse her for everything, that would be a mistake really. But I think Miss Croft needs to be challenged sometimes. And honestly, I don't think anyone else could stand up to her like you do without trying her patience."
Kurtis finally turned his head and met the butler's knowing gaze, who took another long sip of tea.
"And who knows, maybe things will be different in a few weeks," he added, staring the mercenary straight in the eye.
The young man suddenly felt a twinge of sadness.
"I don't think so, Winston," he replied in a flat, emotionless voice.
The old man's keen eyes scrutinised him and rounded slightly as he seemed to understand the meaning of his words. He recoiled slightly.
"Oh..."
A terrible expression of sadness came over the old man's face. Kurtis felt him liquefy on the spot, overwhelmed by the revelation he had just given him.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Trent. So, so sorry."
The young man turned his head away, a little embarrassed, and waved his hand vaguely.
"It was bound to happen eventually anyway. I mean, with the lifestyle we both have... I guess we're the kind of people who can't aspire to certain things."
"Don't say that, Mr. Trent."
"I'm just being realistic."
The mercenary grabbed his cup and drank what was left of the coffee. At the other end of the table, the butler, who knew better than to insist, did the same and finished his tea in silence. Then he stood up slowly, and approached the mercenary to take his empty cup and clear it.
"Believe me, if there is one thing I've learned from Miss Croft, it is that things can always be rebuild in the end."
Kurtis looked up and found himself facing the old man who was staring at him intently. He nodded slowly, though obviously unconvinced, and Winston finally turned his back on him.
"If you'll excuse me, I'll go and do my business," the butler added. "A little housework will keep me busy until our beloved Lara deigns to wake up, perhaps."
Kurtis rose to his feet. He grabbed a piece of toast and bit into it, laughing at the fact that Winston literally spent his days running around the mansion and cleaning up.
"You're right, I think the third book on the fifth shelf of the fourth bookcase on the right isn't quite in line with the rest."
Winston turned to him and gave him a cold look.
"As for me, I think I'll go stretch my legs outside on Lara's facilities, if you'll allow me."
The old man looked at him suspiciously, then nodded very softly in approval.
"As you wish, Mr. Trent. You are somewhat at home here."
Kurtis gave him a grateful smirk, although for a moment he wasn't quite sure what the old man meant. Without waiting for an answer, Winston turned around, and the two men headed for the door.
"But if you need anything, let me know. I'm never far away anyway," the butler added over his shoulder.
The mercenary couldn't hold back a small laugh.
I know that
They went through the door at the same pace and went out.
—
LATER IN THE EVENING
She took a powerful impulse and launched herself forward at the last moment, narrowly missing toppling into the void. She hung in the air for a few seconds before landing hard on the platform, whose wood creaked under the impact. Carried away by her momentum, she let herself fall forward and rolled, before stabilising herself in a crouch. She immediately straightened up and ran headlong to gain momentum and jump into the air again. This time she had much less trouble reaching the other side and grabbing the rope net hanging from the wooden structure. Her fingers gripped the rope tightly as her legs, still numb from fatigue, cushioned her landing.
As she pushed up to climb, she felt her foot slip. The muscles in her arms suddenly contracted to hold her back. She let out a loud grunt as she pulled herself up with all her might, and pulled herself upwards. After one last push, she managed to pull herself to the top of the platform, albeit a little breathless.
She straightened up and took a moment to anticipate the next obstacle. She knew the course by heart, and had explored it from almost every conceivable angle. And yet, for the first time in years, she felt drained of all strength. She who had felt so strong and resilient a few days before suddenly felt limp and empty. Unconsciously, she had acquired a taste for this strength that reminded her of her young adventurous years. But this time, she had the impression she no longer had control over her body and that her strength, which she thought had increased tenfold, had suddenly disappeared completely, which reminded her of what had happened a few days earlier in Antarctica. She was losing control in the face of the unknown, and she couldn't bear the thought.
Trying to banish her bad ideas and put them aside in a corner of her head, the adventuress took a breath before jumping forward, head first. She stretched her arms out in front of her before suddenly finding herself submerged in the icy cold water she had just dived into. With great strokes of her legs and breaststroke, she progressed very quickly underwater, slaloming between obstacles that she had recently added for Kurtis to train on, before coming up into the open air a little further on. She pushed back the small amount of hair that fell into her eyes and looked up at the wooden structure that now faced her. She took a few steps forward, her movements slowed down by the water and reached the wall covered with a new net of rope. She was a little out of breath, and her muscles were seriously starting to hurt, but there was no way she was going to give up now, when she was almost at the end.
With another hoarse, powerful grunt, she raised her arms and grabbed the rope to hold on to. She climbed the whole structure, not without uttering a few insults to herself and this body, which she found particularly lazy that night. In a last effort, she finally reached the platform at the top, on which she pulled herself up with a ferocious scream.
She took a few seconds to catch her breath, face down, before slowly rising up on her elbows. She straightened up, then sat down on the edge of the platform that stood several metres high, her feet dangling in the air. Sweaty and soaked, she raised her head towards the clear, pure sky, the colour of which was gradually turning black.
She stayed there for several minutes, without moving, enjoying the silence of the falling night. The day had seemed really endless, stuck in her room doing nothing but thinking about the discussion she had had that morning with the mercenary, and replaying the visions that still haunted her. She had tried to eat a little, but had been quickly disgusted by the small dishes Winston had prepared with great care.
She had tried a few laps in the pool, and the water had done her a world of good and had calmed her down somewhat, but only for a while. Kurtis, on the other hand, had gone about his business in the manor, obviously preferring a bit of solitude, or perhaps simply to give her some space.
After a quick dinner for the three of them in the kitchen in a relatively simple and intimate atmosphere, Lara had discreetly slipped away to change into her sports outfit, before going down to the garden to do some exercise, under the reproachful gaze of her butler, who was visibly worried about her health. But in his great kindness, the latter had not insisted any further and had let his protégée go, not without giving her several worried looks.
She suddenly heard a noise, or at least movement, somewhere in the garden. At first she thought it was birds, or perhaps small animals creeping through the hedges. But soon the small, light noises gave way to much lower, louder, jerky sounds. She heard thumping noises, like knocks, coming slowly closer to where she was. It was when she heard a huge "splash" not far away that she realised what it was all about.
From her vantage point, she watched the mercenary progress underwater, and noted that he had improved considerably. He was far from an expert of course, but his efforts were quite honourable, and his progress notable. He dodged the various obstacles with agility before finally surfacing and taking a deep breath. He got to his feet and straightened up, pushing his black hair back. He looked up at the wooden structure in front of him, and the young woman noticed the surprise on his face when he saw her perched up there. He started to move again and began to climb the rope, which led him directly to where the adventuress was standing.
Out of breath and with a grunt, he pulled himself up next to her and lay on his side for a moment to catch his breath, while the young woman looked down and pretended to look at a watch on her wrist.
"Not bad. Your time is almost as good as mine when I did this course for the very first time."
Kurtis let out a bitter laugh and pushed back the wet hair that was falling into his eyes.
"That was just the warm-up. It's all about surprise effects, you know?"
"Of course," Lara replied with a mischevious smile.
"And then, as I know the course by heart now, I try to practice it different ways, you know, to test my speed and the progression in different ways. Someone told me the labyrinth course is quite well thought out too, but I don't feel like going down there these days."
Lara laughed again.
"Right. I don't want to hear about labyrinths, bulls or caves for at least the next ten years."
The American straightened up and sat down, his back resting against the wooden structure behind him.
"At least I have this advantage when I hunt demons: they haven't got enough intelligence to hide in potentially unaccessible places. But I think I'm kinda getting used to traps, monsters and all kinds of weirdness of yours now."
"Look at you," Lara told him in an amused voice.
Kurtis nodded with a smile. He suddenly got up on his feet, then turned to the young woman.
"I'll try to finish, at least for the sake of the little honour I've left," he explained, pointing to the zip line whose cable was passing right over his head.
The adventuress stood up abruptly and, without taking her eyes off the young man, walked over to him and joined him at the edge of the platform. Below, the zip line was disappearing into the darkness. The two of them stood next to each other for a moment, glaring at each other.
"OK," she simply replied.
Before he could react, Kurtis saw Lara suddenly crouch down and hang from the edge of the platform. Her movements and responsiveness, but especially her speed, took him by surprise. Without thinking, the mercenary grabbed the zip line's handle and let himself be dragged forward, into the void. His feet suddenly left the platform and he found himself launched into the air at full speed. Soon he could see the end of the course and the end of the cable. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw the adventuress speed down the rope hanging from the wooden tower, drop to the ground and start running in an impressive sprint. He thought he had a head start, but soon found himself with the young woman on his tail. He still had a few feet to go before the zip line crossed the finish line, but he realized the young woman would undoubtedly arrive before him at this rate.
Kurtis let go of the handle and let himself fall. He landed heavily in the gravel, rolled to break his fall, and then stood up and started running too. Lara was close on his heels. He heard the gravel crunch under her boots as she gave a push to catch up. Soon they found themselves running side by side, drawing on their last bit of strength, before finally passing the wooden arch that marked the end of the course. They crossed the finish line at the same time, both panting. Kurtis stopped running suddenly, while Lara continued for a few more feet, before slowing down slowly. They leaned forward, bent double, hands resting on their knees to catch their breath. They glanced at each other warily, watching each other carefully.
"You almost had me," the mercenary finally said, sitting up.
"You seem a little out of breath, don't you? You're going to have to train harder than that," the adventuress teased him as she too straightened up, hands on her hips. "Unless it's one of your... what did you say? "Surprise effects"?"
Kurtis straightened up, a smirk frozen on his lips, but a confident look on his face.
"I didn't want to make a fool of the house's host, whose humble guest I am."
"Of course," the young woman replied mischievously again.
They stared at each other for a moment, and without admitting it to herself, Lara appreciated this pleasant moment of lightness between them. Still panting, she then turned away and walked quietly towards a small wooden apprentice house not far away, stuck on the corner that Croft Manor formed here. Kurtis watched her open the door and disappear into the shelter for a few moments, before returning with two towels, one of which she tossed to him and he caught on the fly. He stuck his face in to dry himself off, then wrung out his still-soaked shirt and trousers a little. When he looked up, Lara had wrapped her towel around her shoulders.
Without even consulting each other, they set off in the direction of Croft Manor to return, walking at the same leisurely pace as they skirted the outer walls. Overhead, the sky gradually lit up with thousands of stars, unconsciously reminding them of the Minotaur's cave and the lost prophecy.
After a few moments they passed through one of the back doors and entered the mansion, which was completely dark. All was quiet, and they assumed Winston should have been in his room, no doubt gossiping in front of one of his TV series' episodes about the Royal Family, which Lara found boring as hell.
"I've already told Winston not to wait for me for breakfast tomorrow morning, I'm leaving quite early," the mercenary suddenly told her as they walked through the great hall, heading for the grand staircase.
"I'm sure he'll make you something anyway, you know him," the young woman replied as they walked the first steps of the stairs.
"D'you think you could keep the glove for a while?"
"You want to leave the glove here at Croft Manor?", the Englishwoman said in astonishment.
As they climbed the stairs, she turned to the young man beside her.
"I don't know many people who have a safe as big as my own house, not to mention the armoury upstairs and all the secret rooms in this manor. I know it's safe here. I know you'll hide it well, so no one will know where to find it. And I understand you're kinda used to strange objects."
The adventuress could not hold back a slight laugh, and nodded.
"No problem. And you can pick it up any time you want, of course."
Kurtis smiled. They reached the first floor and headed for the bedrooms and the library. They walked down the dark corridor, but as the mercenary was about to say goodnight and disappear in the guest room, Lara kept walking until she stopped before the library's door, hand on the handle. She turned to him.
"By the way, did you fly the helicopter that brought me back here?", she asked him abruptly and without any link to what they had been talking about so far.
"Yes, why?"
"You can fly helicopters?", she answered, eyebrows raised.
"Got my licence when I was in the Légion. I was the one who flew the aircraft on missions in general. The guys used to call me… Flying Kurt."
A laugh escaped the young woman, even if her eyebrows were now furrowed. Kurtis smiled gently.
"Does that surprise you?"
"I don't know. I mean, I didn't know about that… You never told me, actually."
Kurtis shrugged innocently.
"You smash motorbikes, and I smash flying objects."
An amused smile appeared on the adventuress' face.
"It can still be useful in any case," she told him playfully.
The young woman's eyes met his. Kurtis gave her a knowing smirk, and even took the liberty of giving her a discreet wink, the kind he liked to address to openly tease her. Exactly like the one during their chase in the Louvre, full of impetuosity and challenge, but above all full of mystery. One of those that belonged to them alone.
But as he was to enter his room, Kurtis noticed something in Lara's eyes. She kept looking at him insistently, as if she was expecting something from him. He frowned, trying to figure out what was going on. The British lady then opened the door with a creak, before nodding to the young man. Had he been dreaming or had she just invited him to follow her?
A little bit unsettled by her attitude, he took a look around to make sure she was not addressing maybe someone who could have hidden behind him, before moving away from his room. He slipped through the library's door, glancing around suspiciously, scanning the large room they had just entered. Strange, almost frightening shadows loomed on the walls and the old wooden floor, adding to the gloomy atmosphere. Lara disappeared for a moment from his field of vision, but he was guided by her voice which suddenly sounded somewhere in front of him.
"Speaking of useful things, I can't help but feel a slight twinge of guilt when I think of the griffins."
Kurtis realized she was on her way up to the library's first and second floors. He followed her up the first wooden staircase, across the mezzanine to the back of the room, before climbing a small, slightly unstable wooden ladder. Above him, Lara was waiting for him in what looked like another small, low-ceilinged room, which he had never noticed existed.
"You're the expert here, but I guess they wouldn't have survived outside the city anyway."
The mercenary understood they had just reached a sort of attic, located in the upper part of the mansion, and above the library. The smell of dust was overwhelming, almost suffocating here. He noticed some furniture stored and abandoned, some boxes of old stuff piled on top of each other. At the far end, Lara was waiting for him in front of what looked like a tiny hatch.
"If they depended directly on the medallion's energy, and if they died where the city was built, I think they would not have been able to leave it indeed."
The adventuress grabbed a handle, gave a sharp tug, and tilted the small hatch open with a squeak. There was a small window behind it.
"But they seemed like good companions, indeed," concluded the young man, who finally reached her level.
"That may sound silly to you, but even if I didn't really know them after all, I felt connected to them. Besides, I think I liked the idea of having monsters for company. A super-powered guardian surrounded by her griffins sounds pretty badass, don't you think?"
"Yes, but again, this idea has already been exploited in another story."
They exchanged a smile, before the young woman slipped out of the window, under the questioning gaze of the mercenary who leaned forward to take a look outside.
"Be careful not to slip!", he heard.
He placed his hands on the window frame to steady himself, before stepping through the window himself. He found himself on the mansion's roof, perched several feet high, not far from the edge of the roof which stopped short not far away. He turned his head and saw the young woman sitting a little higher up. He stepped onto the worn red tiles, and although he feared for a moment that one of them might come off and carry him away, he reached the Englishwoman without difficulty.
She was sitting on a sort of flat relief on the roof, as if its tip at this very spot had never been finished. Kurtis couldn't hide his surprise.
"Construction defect," Lara explained before he could ask the question.
Kurtis turned one way, then the other, observing the strange landscape the roof formed around them. He looked up at the sky, then at the view around them. Down below was the outdoor obstacle course. Far ahead he saw the boundary walls of the Crofts' property, beyond which the green English countryside stretched as far as the eye could see.
"I find it hard to believe your parents never got it fixed."
"My father was particularly fond of this place actually."
Lara looked up at the clear sky.
"His office used to be settled below us, in the space we walked through to get here. He liked to come up here. He used to come and sit here to take the time to think, or to get some peace from work, or even from me when I was too stingy with questions…"
The mercenary smiled at this thought and sat down next to the young woman.
"That was a way for him to clear his head when he was too busy at work. Which is basically something that happened almost all the time. When I was a child, I used to join him and sit with him. We would spend hours looking at the sky. He taught me a lot about constellations and astronomy, even though I was too small to realise it at the time."
Beside her, Kurtis lied down and crossed his legs in a relaxed attitude.
"There was a time, long ago, when my father and I used to go and sit on a huge rock near our house. You may have seen it when we were in Salt Flats by the way. We would just sit there and watch the sky and the stars too. He would tell me about his battles, and tell me about the demons he had fought. And sometimes we would even talk about something other than the Lux Veritatis."
Lara watched him carefully as he took his ease, his gaze lost in the sky above. Then, a little reluctantly, she let herself go back to lie down. She tried to find a comfortable position, her hands placed and crossed rather ceremoniously on her belly.
"I felt like I was on top of the world, and that nothing could happen to us in these moments," the American murmured beside her.
Kurtis took a deep breath and savoured the fresh, clean air that spread throughout his body. He reached into his pocket for a cigarette and his lighter, which he realized, had miraculously survived the water obstacles. With one hand, he opened the pack to take a cigarette before placing it at the edge of his lips. He lit it and took a long, deep puff.
"Ad Astra Per Aspera," he said as he breathed out the smoke.
"To the stars through the difficulties," Lara replied.
"That's what he used to tell me all the time."
"It's kind of ironic when you think about it, don't you think?", she murmured.
"Why's that?"
"All these extraordinary things… the struggles… the difficulties… it's a bit of a summary of our lives, isn't it?", the young woman said in a slightly mocking but still soft and temperate voice.
"Maybe so," Kurtis replied with a smile. "An eventful life. A life of hardship and sacrifice."
The young man fell silent abruptly, suddenly thoughtful, and took another drag of cigarette. Lara turned her head towards him, and her large brown eyes watched carefully as his profile and figure took shape in the darkness. For several seconds she found herself enjoying the features of his face, the scar under the eye she knew so well, his lips, his muscular torso that rose gently with his controlled breathing. And for the first time in a long time, she didn't just see the mercenary and the demon hunter. She saw him, the battered man, the fighter, the companion. The real Kurtis. And for the first time in a long time, she allowed herself to look at him.
Feeling her gaze weighing on him, the mercenary turned his head too, and suddenly found himself immersed in the burning flames of the adventuress' gaze. He scanned her face, looked at her sensual mouth and rebellious locks of hair. Without realizing it, they started breathing at the same rythme. A shiver ran through them both from head to toe, although they didn't let it show.
How d'you feel?
For a long moment Lara just kept staring at him, without answering. Through the cigarette's smoke, she watched him blink slowly, before his two azure pupils returned to her. Then, feeling a bit uncomfortable, she looked away, and got lost into the immensity of the heavens. She took a deep breath and sighed excessively, her eyebrows raised.
"Considering I had to sneak into a Norwegian villa, then into a lost laboratory full of creatures, then into cargo ship full of mercenaries, that I got tortured and beaten up by two psychopaths, injected with Nephilim DNA, that I almost died in a cave full of traps, almost got crushed by one of the biggest mythological monsters I've ever met, all to uncover a text that completely changed the meaning of our lives, that we almost got blown to bits by yet another psychopath, that we almost got torn apart by griffins, that I almost didn't wake up after touching a piece of mosaic, and that I survived anyway... I guess I can say I'm not too bad."
The mercenary made no comment and did not move next to her, and even though she could not see him, she knew he was just standing there, attentive.
"You know that's not what 'm talking about," he said softly in a whisper this time.
There was no animosity in his voice, but Lara felt the need to sit up straight, too embarrassed to stay still. She drew her knees up against her and wrapped her arms around them. With a distracted movement of the hand, she pushed back the small strands of hair that were bothering her, her eyes lost in the distance. She could feel that tiny, yet oceanic gap inside her, cracking and slowly making its way inside herself. She shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't know," she finally told him almost inaudibly.
Her eyes watched every star and every constellation above their heads.
"I don't know what to say to you."
She took a deep breath. She had the strange feeling of being stuck against a cliff she was desperately trying to hold on to, so as not to topple over and fall into the void. And yet she suddenly felt extremely serene, as if things were simply and naturally happening.
"Because I don't know how I'm supposed to feel, actually," she finally revealed in a sincere whisper.
She sighed loudly.
"I didn't see it, while everyone around me saw that I... I mean, I'm coming to the conclusion it might not be for me. I don't know if I'm cut out for it. I don't know how to do this kind of things. I don't know how I am supposed to do it. It's ridiculous. I'm going to be ridiculous..."
Kurtis straightened up and sat down too.
"Lara..."
"I mean, look at me... Can you imagine me...?"
Her words died on her lips, but against all odds, a smile appeared on Kurtis' serious face.
"... as a mother?", he said.
The young man took another drag on his cigarette, and Lara shook her head gently, now looking away.
"You have survived the worst traps ever, you have defeated the greatest and most powerful gods, you have survived the worst monsters and spirits of all kinds. Believe me, I think you can handle a baby."
Unexpectedly, this remark made the young woman smile.
"I don't know," she replied. "It's just that... I never thought about it before. I don't think I've ever thought about it until now. And then I think maybe you were longing for something else. Maybe you wanted to find someone with whom you would live a steady and quiet life and with whom you would have a bunch of childre-"
"Do I look like I'm looking for that?", the young man interrupted her.
Lara looked at him from the corner of her eye.
"You should know better than anyone life's never done as you imagine it," Kurtis kept going. "And in any case, I've never made up my mind about it."
Lara's large eyes met the two azure pupils of the mercenary. She struggled to decipher the emotions she saw in his eyes, but she could no longer feel the resentment, nor the anger. Their torments suddenly seemed far away. There was just this depth, this warmth and softness.
Kurtis looked up at the sky and took a deep, slow breath.
"I grew up telling myself that what kept me in the real world, and what would help me not to go crazy in all the Lux Veritatis imposed on me, was knowing that I'd always have a family around me. My parents, and especially my mother as you might have guessed, were always a crucial point of reference. I've always thought my life was far too hectic, far too unstable, and far too dangerous. The only horizon I could see was pain and death... and I thought it was a bit of an inevitability, no matter what I did. I always convinced myself it was something I was not entitled to. I mean, I've always thought this was something I didn't deserve you know… I've always thought this was something that was not to be part of my life..."
He watched the stars for a short second, suddenly silent.
"... until I met you."
Lara turned her head towards him, and silence suddenly fell between them. She scrutinised the mercenary's face next to her. His words sounded strange, as if an earthquake had struck her. But she realized it was not the kind of earthquake that destroys everything in its path, or sows desolation. It was just the opposite.
"I just wanted to protect what I hold dearest."
"And that doesn't make you a coward in any case," the adventuress replied softly.
Their eyes didn't leave each other's, and neither of them dared to move in this very moment. Lara's reason tried to fight a little harder, but the walls were now down. And the more she stared at him and looked into the azure sea of his eyes, the more the obvious became clear to her.
"You were right to accept the contract with the Svendsens. It was none of my business," Lara told him.
"You were right to be suspicious, I shouldn't have rushed into it," Kurtis answered softly.
"You were right to go looking for the glove."
"You were right to go looking for me."
"I should have trusted you…", she murmured.
"I should not have lied to you. I shouldn't have hidden you the truth."
"I should have been more careful about...", the adventuress said as her gaze quickly looked down.
"And I should have been there. I should have been with you when…. I shouldn't have let Saija come near y-"
"Forget about that brat," Lara cut him off. "Leave her where she was buried alive."
"That's not very nice…"
The adventuress noticed a strange sparkle in his eyes.
"… but I really don't care, in any fucking way."
They gave each other a knowing smile. All of a sudden, Lara raised her hand to catch the cigarette the mercenary had stuck between his lips and took it away. With her other hand, she grabbed him by the chin and pulled him closer with a disconcerting determination. As their lips met roughly and tenderly, she felt the American's hand went along her arm, up to her shoulder before delicately catching her by the neck. They enjoyed this moment for long seconds, taking the time to savour each other and to enjoy this warm contact of reconciliation, torn between anger, resentment, forgiveness, and the desire to finally be together again.
Kurtis brushed his thumb across her cheek in a loving gesture, before gently parting.
"I had no right to treat you like that," Lara told him.
"And I had no right to talk to you the way I did," Kurtis added.
"You were right about the code and the paintings. And, well… about lots of other things. I'm wrong, sometimes."
"Sometimes I'm right," the young man retorted.
For a very short second, the young woman wanted to protest, but finally changed her mind in front of the mutinous look and the smirk the demon hunter was giving her. She pouted, more amused than she thought.
"I know I have a temper. And that I can be harsh on people sometimes… And that I can be a real bitch, too."
"Definitely."
As Lara started protesting and grumbling for real this time, the demon hunter silenced her with his mouth on hers. But after a brief moment of resistance, the young woman totally gave in.
They took a long and deep breath as they breathed each other in, and soon fell backwards, unable to resist each other any longer. The tiles underneath were not very comfortable, but Kurtis didn't care. His arms wrap around her as if he wouldn't let her go, and their legs intertwined tightly.
"You know, regarding-", Lara breathed as she sat up slightly.
The American set his clear eyes straight into hers. His firm hands caught her face.
"Just take our time."
She closed her eyes to savour his magnetizing touch, and this sudden rush of electricity that burnt her to her very soul. She felt like her whole being was slowly coming back to life as the mercenary's fingertips brushed her skin, as if every single inch of her was waking up. And when she opened her eyes again, she found herself lost in that spark of life, this strength, the calm behind which lies the storm.
She couldn't resist catching his mouth in hers once more, pressing herself a little more against him. They groaned together as she bit his lower lip and their hips pressed together. His hands roamed over her, slid down her back, over her hips, and scratched her thighs with affection. He shuddered when the Englishwoman suddenly stood up, and with a deft and sensual gesture, reached under his still wet shirt and hastily removed it. He barely had time to get rid of it when the adventuress' hands were already sliding down his trousers to undo his belt.
"Miss Croft?"
Kurtis frowned and cocked his head, not sure about what he had heard. There wasn't a sound in the huge mansion though, maybe it was just his imagination. Lara did not seem to react too much either. But after a few seconds of waiting without anything to happen, and under the suppliant look of the adventuress, he straightened up into a sitting position and grabbed the young woman's shirt. As soon as he got rid of it and threw it further away, his lips pressed forcefully against her neck, before moving down to her collarbone, then the plexus, then just above her two breasts. He felt Lara's back arch as she pressed her body against his. His own breath got shorter and faster against her cheek, then her jawbone before going down to her neck again.
"Miss Croft, Mister Trent? Are you there?"
They stopped moving and glanced at each other. This time they had both heard the voice of the old butler lurking nearby. Perhaps he was in the library at this very moment, and would soon catch them once more in a soon-to-be compromising position.
Maybe if we don't make any noise, he won't notice we're here
Kurtis didn't believe it, and neither did Lara. He met her fiery gaze and felt her hand titillate his lower abdomen dangerously in provocation. The young man couldn't hold back an ironic smirk at the situation they were in, and at the thought of what might be behind that defiant, mischievous smile she was giving him. But before he could stop her, her fingers had slipped a little lower. He grabbed her by the neck and pulled her violently to him to stifle a moan of pleasure against her mouth.
"Miss Croft? Mister Trent?"
This time Winston was much closer. Maybe a little too close.
The two adventurers parted slightly and stood still for a moment, both panting. They waited, dreading the sudden appearance of the butler. If he were not far away, perhaps he would have heard them - and strangely enough, they both hoped he really would for once - and discreetly slipped away to leave them alone. At least that's what a normal person would do.
Lara ran her hands through Kurtis' dark hair as he held her tight and took a deep breath to inhale her scent. She nibbled his ear gently before going back to his mouth.
"Miss Croft?"
There was no room for doubt this time. The old man's hoarse voice echoed just below them.
"Godamnit, Winston...", the mercenary muttered in an exasperated breath.
Kurtis felt Lara's lips part in a big and sincere smile against his. He smiled too, though clearly annoyed. She straightened up slowly, letting her hands roam over his chest.
"Yes, Winston, I'll be right there!", she said, turning her head.
The mercenary let his beloved go and huffed loudly in frustration. They exchanged an amused, if frankly disillusioned look before the young woman pulled away from him. She grabbed the shirt lying a little further on the tiles and quickly put it on, before walking down to the attic window. Reluctantly, Kurtis straightened up and followed the adventuress to make his way back to the library. As they both slipped through the window and got back inside, they came face to face with a butler who looked more than uncomfortable but who avoided the American's accusatory gaze with quite some dexterity.
"I'm very sorry to come and bother you, but I think there's something you should see."
His small, piercing black eyes watched Lara, then Kurtis, with great insistence. His voice showed a certain apprehension, even a certain anxiety. The two adventurers exchanged a puzzled look, and they soon understood something was wrong, judging by the serious expression on the butler's face.
Without further ado, Winston turned away and moved with a surprisingly quick step and without even waiting for them, went down the ladder, then the library stairs. The two adventurers followed him at a run, unable to contain their surprise, while the old man crossed the whole floor and led them to the other side to the living room. When they entered, the room was barely lit, but the TV was on a news channel. When their eyes fell on the woman on the screen, the adventuress and the demon hunter stopped dead in their tracks, out of breath.
They froze for several seconds, unable to speak a word. They looked at each other as Miranda Svendsen, who was in the centre of the picture, stepped up to a podium to speak.