Chapter 15
Valen Dreth rolled onto his back and stared dully at the ceiling. Something had woken him, but he wasn't sure what. He glanced around his small cell with bleary eyes. He was about to roll over and go back to sleep when something he'd seen hit home.
He sat up and rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't dreaming. No dream. The door to his cell was slightly open. He scrambled to his feet and hurried over, hardly daring to believe it. He reached out to push it open all the way, but drew his hand back when it touched something wet.
He moved his hand into the faint moonlight and looked down, horrified. His hand was covered in something red and sticky. The scent of blood reached his nose the same moment the cell door clanged shut behind him.
Dreth looked around wildly, his bloodstained hand held out in front of him. He couldn't see anyone in the corridor. There was no one in the cell except him. Who had closed the door? Where had the blood come from? And what was that sound behind him?
He spun around. He could have sworn he'd heard pebbles scraping across the floor. Was that the shadow of a person in the corner?
He screamed as cold metal slid across the back of his neck. He grabbed his neck and spun again, coming face to face with...nothing.
He was really scared now. Something- someone was in here with him. And he had no idea where they were. "W-where are you?" he demanded.
There was an answering whisper of breath on the right side of his neck. He turned in that direction, but before his eyes could register the shortsword leaning against the wall, an invisible hand grabbed his head and a thin line of ice pressed against the left side of his neck. His right arm was trapped behind his head by his attacker, so he used his left arm to grab the arm holding a knife to his throat.
"Who are you?! What do you want?!" he begged.
The voice that whispered in his ear was soft and almost gentle. "The Night Mother says goodbye."
His eyes bulged. "The Night Mo- No! No! Guards! Guards! Help me! Somebody help! Assas-!"
He fell silent as the line of ice against his neck turned to fire as the dagger was drawn across his throat.
Aria looked down at the growing stain around Dreth's body as she pulled her gauntlet over her bleeding left hand. She would heal the cut later, once she was back in the sewers. That had been more fun than she'd thought it would be. But now she had to get out.
She wiped her dagger on Dreth's filthy shirt, then put it away. She untied Sufferthorn's strap from the bottom of the cell door and picked up the sword and left the cell. She closed and locked the door behind her leaving the key on the table, exactly as she'd found it.
As quietly as possible, she slipped through the passages back toward the sewer entrance. She took her time when she needed to, remembering Teinaava's training. He had drilled into her to be just as careful getting out as she had been getting in. She could hear his voice in her head, saying "Everyone who kills for hire plans how to get in, but the truly successful ones plan how to get out, as well."
She got to the sewer entrance without incident and dropped into the darkness of the sewers. After the faint torchlight above, she had to pause for several minutes to let her eyes adjust to the complete darkness. She silently cursed herself again for not thinking to bring a torch.
She started off into the tunnels, trying to retrace her earlier steps. But it was no use. She'd navigated so many twists and turns that she didn't have the foggiest clue which direction was the right one to go. She lost track of how long she wandered around in the sewers. Every time she felt like she was getting somewhere, she'd find herself back where she started. She was starting to get worried.
She came up to an intersection. She could still barely see, but she was fairly certain she'd passed this place at least three times already. She slumped against the wall and rested her forehead on her knees. She closed her eyes. She was exhausted, but she couldn't give up. She had to get home.
She decided to rest for a few minutes. She wouldn't be able to get home if she collapsed in the sewers. Wrinkling her nose at the thought, she dug in the pouch on her belt for a strip of dried beef. Her hand stung, reminding her that she needed to care for her wound. She couldn't see how it looked when she pulled her gauntlet off, but it felt like it was still bleeding. After a couple of tries, she succeeded in using her new spell, but the effort drained her even more. Eating helped, but Aria felt around on her belt, then realized something else. In addition to forgetting a torch, she had neglected to bring water.
Definitely need to plan better, she thought to herself. The contract was complete, but if Aria wasn't careful, she'd kill herself through her thoughtless planning. She sighed and was about to get up when something stopped her. The air currents swirling through the tunnel had changed, meaning she wasn't alone anymore.
She got up slowly, pulling her dagger from her boot as she rose. She kept her back to the wall and looked around. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something moving toward her, a shadow on shadows. She waited.
When the shadow came within arm's reach, Aria moved quickly, just as Gogron had taught her. She threw out her arm and pinned the shadow to the wall. She was about to bring her dagger down when a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.
"You've gotten better since we last met, Aria," the shadow said.
Aria let go and took a step back. She knew that voice, although she hadn't heard it for several months. "Lucien?"
Lucien Lachance pushed away from the wall. "A pleasure to see you again."
"What are you doing down here?"
"I was looking for you, child."
"For me?"
"Yes. I stopped by the Sanctuary early this evening, and Vicente mentioned that you hadn't yet come back from your contract. He and Ocheeva were worried, so I decided to look into it."
Aria didn't understand. "Wait, what do you mean they were worried? How long have I been down here?"
"Vicente said you left three days ago. The sun was setting when I entered the sewers."
Aria's eyes widened. "I've been down here for three days? By Sithis, I knew it had been a long time, but I didn't think it had been that long."
Lucien touched her shoulder. "Are you ready to go home?"
Aria nodded. "More than ready. I can't see a thing down here, so lead the way. Speaking of which, how did you find me?"
She felt Lucien press a small bottle into her free hand. "Drink that, and you'll see."
Aria sheathed her Blade of Woe, then removed the cork and sniffed the bottle. It smelled okay. She drank the contents. The liquid burned her throat, making her gag. She closed her eyes and coughed several times.
"Yes, the taste takes some getting used to."
She opened her eyes and looked up Lucien, then realized that she could actually see him. Everything was varying shades of grey, but she could see. She noticed Lucien's amused expression as she looked down at the bottle in her hand. "What is this stuff?"
"It's a potion of Nighteye," Lucien said as he started walking. "It allows the drinker to see in the dark. There are spells that do the same thing, but I've never been much good with the arcane. I prefer potions."
"And here I was, stumbling around in the dark for three days. If I'd known about these, I would have learned how to make one before I left."
Lucien glanced over his shoulder. "You didn't bring a torch?"
Aria shook her head. "No. I was too eager to start the contract, so I didn't pack as well as I should have. I brought food, but forgot to bring some water along. Vicente mentioned teaching me a fire spell, but we never got around to it before this contract came up, and I forgot all about bringing a torch."
"I have water outside. You can get a drink before we head back."
With Lucien's help, the trip outside didn't take long. Outside, the stars twinkled brightly overhead. Aria hadn't completely believed she'd been in the sewers for three days, but one breath of the fresh air convinced her. A few minutes after they left the sewers, the potion wore off. Aria blinked a few times as her vision returned to normal. The full moon overhead allowed her to see as she followed Lucien, pausing long enough to collect her bundle of clothing from the bushes.
Lucien led her across a nearby bridge back to the mainland. He pushed through some brush near the water's edge and Aria followed, stopping short when she heard a noise. Ahead, the shape of a horse seemed to melt out of the shadows of a large pine tree. Lucien approached the horse, speaking softly. He took hold of the bridle and turned to Aria. "This is Shadowmere, my best friend. She was a gift from Sithis. There is no better horse in Tamriel. She's faster than shadow, and stronger than anything."
Aria slowly approached the mare. She didn't know much about horses, but even she could tell that Shadowmere was a magnificent animal. Her back was level with Aria's shoulders, and her coat gleamed like liquid darkness. The horse's body was packed with muscles, yet she still looked slim and fast. The only unsettling thing was the mare's fiery red eyes that seemed to size her up. Aria tentatively put a hand on the mare's nose.
Shadowmere pushed against her hand, nickering softly. Aria rubbed her nose as Lucien looked on. "Interesting," he said. "Shadowmere normally doesn't like strangers." He looked at Aria thoughtfully. "I think she senses something special about you, child."
Aria smiled and gave the mare one last pat as Lucien handed her a tin container of water. After taking a long drink, she handed it back, then stood back as Lucien put a foot in the stirrup and pulled himself up. He held out a hand and Aria took it, using the stirrup as a step and swinging herself up behind him. "Hold on tightly," Lucien instructed. "She's spirited." He gave the horse a light kick.
Shadowmere leapt forward and seemed to reach a gallop almost instantly. "Spirited is right," Aria muttered as she gripped Lucien's waist. The mare ran faster than any horse she'd ever seen. She seemed to relish the challenge of running full speed at night.
As the moonlight scenery blurred past them, Aria noticed that they were riding on the roads instead of through the woods. "Aren't you worried about Legion patrols?" She asked.
"No. Most of the patrols in the area were sent to Kvatch."
"Why Kvatch?"
"You didn't hear?" Lucien asked over the noise of Shadowmere's hooves.
"No, I was in the sewers, remember? What happened?" Aria called back.
"Apparently, the city was attacked by daedra a few days ago. They say a gate to the realm of Oblivion itself was opened in front of the city, and the town was totally destroyed."
"Really? Were there any survivors?"
"Not many. There's a small refugee camp outside the city. Most were killed in the attack."
"Is the gate still there?"
"No. The town guard managed to close the gate. There are rumors going around that a young woman who was traveling on the Gold Road helped them, then led the soldiers as they took back what was left of the city."
They passed a few more miles in silence, each absorbed in their own thoughts, then Aria tapped Lucien's shoulder. He turned his head to hear her better as she asked, "What did you mean when you said Shadowmere was a gift from Sithis?"
"Just that. She was a stillborn foal, but Sithis saw fit to bless her. When I found her, she was an untamable creature, terrible and fierce. Too dangerous and uncontrollable to be approached, but too magnificent to be destroyed."
"How did you find her?"
"A dream from Sithis. The stable owner called her a monster, but when I saw her, I sensed a kindred spirit of darkness. She had attacked everyone else who tried to mount her, but was calm for me and allowed me to saddle her. The owner refused the gold I offered, though. I think he just wanted both of us gone."
They fell silent as Shadowmere raced toward Cheydinhal. When the got closer to the city, Lucien kept Shadowmere off the roads. The mare never hesitated as she plunged through the forest, leaping over boulders and weaving between trees with ease. Just after midnight, they came within sight of the city.
Lucien reigned Shadowmere to a stop in the woods to the north of the city, about a mile from the walls. Aria was impressed. The journey had taken less than half the time it had taken her previously. Shadowmere wasn't even winded.
"We'll continue on foot from here," Lucien said, dismounting. He helped Aria down, then led the way toward the city.
"What about Shadowmere?" Aria asked, looking back at the mare.
"She'll be fine. She knows her way home from here."
Aria glanced around at the dark woods. "Do you live around here Lucien?"
"Yes. Perhaps someday, I'll show you where. But not tonight." He held up a hand as they got closer to the city walls. They slipped past the lone guard outside the gate and into the city. Instead of entering the abandoned house, however, Lucien led her around the back to a well. He pulled a key from the pocket of his robe and unlocked the grate and pulled it open. "Ladies first," he said, motioned toward the hole.
Aria leaned over the wall and peered down. Metal rungs set into the wall disappeared into the darkness. She could hear water dripping below. She looked back at Lucien with a raised eyebrow.
"Quickly, child. The guard patrol will be by soon."
"Okay," Aria said hesitantly. She sat on the edge and swung her legs over the side, carefully lowering herself into the well. Step by step, she descended the ladder. She heard Lucien follow her, pausing long enough to lock the grate behind him.
About twenty feet down, Aria felt water instead of the next step. "Now what?" She whispered up to Lucien. "We swim?"
"You could, if you like. The steps go down for another ten feet. But if you'd like to remain dry, there's a ledge about a foot from the ladder, to your right," he said over his shoulder.
Aria put a foot out and felt around. She found the ledge he'd mentioned. It was only about nine inches wide and about three feet long. She stepped onto it and hugged the wall, moving aside so that Lucien could come down. He reached the ledge and leaned over to feel around on the wall. After a moment, he found what he was looking for. A section of the wall swung inward, spilling red light over the water.
Lucien stepped through the doorway, taking Aria by the arm to keep her from falling in the water. Directly in front of them was a black door, identical to the one in the basement, with the same glowing handprint at the top. As Lucien shut the door behind them, Aria saw the shape of a small skull about the size of her fist embedded into both sides of the one of the stones. Lucien turned the skull from the inside, latching the door. He turned and touched the handprint.
"What is the color of night?" the rasping voice whispered.
"Sanguine, my brother," Lucien replied.
The door shuddered and swung inward. Aria followed Lucien and found herself in the main room of the Sanctuary. "How come I've never used this door before?" She asked as the door shut behind them.
"The grate is kept locked," Lucien answered. "Once family members reach a certain level, they are given a key. It's mostly used for quick access to the Sanctuary." He led the way through the main room and down the darkened halls toward Ocheeva's room. He knocked briefly, then pushed the door open without waiting for a response.
Aria had just enough to time to see two people sitting in front of the small fireplace before Ocheeva engulfed her in a frantic embrace. "Aria, my dear girl! We were so worried about you!" She pulled back and held Aria at arm's length. "Are you alright? What happened to you?"
Vicente stepped up next to Ocheeva. "Yes, I believe we would both like an answer to that question." He gently pulled Aria from Ocheeva's grasp and hugged her. "You had me worried, Aria."
Aria returned his hug. She couldn't describe how good it felt to have someone worry about her. "Sorry, Vicente. I got lost."
Vicente guided her and Lucien over to the table, where Ocheeva had laid out some bread and cold ham leftover from dinner. He poured them each a glass of water. "Tell us what happened."
They ate as Aria told them everything, including toying with Dreth and getting lost in the sewers. "Thank the Night Mother, Lucien found me and showed me how to get out. Otherwise, I might have been wandering down there a lot longer."
Vicente leaned forward. "So, you infiltrated the Imperial Prison, eliminated Valen Dreth -in a most amusing manner, I might add-, and killed not one guard. Most excellent! Wait here while I get your reward."
As he left the room, Ocheeva reached over and took Aria's hand. "Well done, Aria. You are the first family member in centuries to complete a contract in the Imperial Prison. We grew worried when you didn't come back yesterday. Our sources hadn't heard anything about Dreth's death, so we were beginning to think something terrible had happened to you. I'm more relieved than I can say to see you safely home." She looked over at Lucien. "Thank you, Lucien, for finding her and bringing her home."
Lucien nodded and pushed his empty plate back as he stood. "My pleasure. However, I must be going. I have duties that need attending to." He started to leave the room.
Aria got up and followed him. "Lucien, wait!" He stopped and turned back to her. "Thank you for coming after me. I don't know what I would have done without you."
Lucien smiled and gave her a hug. For a moment, Aria felt like she was in her father's arms again. "You're more than welcome, dear child," Lucien said. "Keep up the good work. I'll be watching."
Aria smiled and sat back down at the table as he left. Vicente came back a minute later. He handed her a small pouch. "In addition to your standard reward, I present to you this bonus." He held up a set of finely crafted brass scales. "These are the Scales of Pitiless Justice. While carried, the scales will magically enhance you're strength, intelligence, and agility...but diminish your personality. A powerful tool, indeed."
Aria accepted the scales. "Indeed." She looked at Vicente with a raised eyebrow. "What am I supposed to do? Strap them to my belt while I fulfill a contract? Come on, Vicente," she said with a grin.
Vicente shrugged. "I never said you had to actually use your bonus. The scales are yours now. You can do with them as you please. You can sell them or strap them to your belt or keep them as a decoration, whatever you wish." He looked at the empty place at the table. "Did Lucien leave already?"
Ocheeva nodded. "At least he took the time to eat something this time."
Vicente shook his head. "That dear boy works too hard."
"I think I'll keep them." They both turned to Aria. She was looking thoughtfully at the scales and hadn't heard their brief conversation. "They'll be a reminder that I need to balance my eagerness to complete contracts with careful planning. If I'd planned better, I would have brought a torch, not to mention water, and not gotten lost."
Ocheeva and Vicente nodded in agreement, then Vicente put a hand on her shoulder. "Well, if you're finished eating, I think we should let Ocheeva get some rest."
Aria nodded and stood up. They started to gather up the dishes, but Ocheeva shooed them away from the table and gave them each one last hug and said goodnight. Aria followed Vicente from the room. They stood in the dim hallway for a moment, then Vicente spoke. "I'm sure you must be tired. I'll let you get some rest, as well."
Aria shook her head. "Actually, can you teach me that fire spell you mentioned? I don't want to be caught it another situation like today."
Vicente smiled and agreed. Aria put her things away in the living quarters, changed out of her armor, then joined him in the training room. Vicente placed one of the practice dummies on the far side of the room and came to stand in front of her.
"Destruction magic isn't as easy as restoration. With destruction magic, you have to bend the magika to your will instead of simply letting it run its course." He held up a hand and a ball of snow grew, hovering slightly above his palm. "As you know, vampires tend to be rather flammable, so I'll teach you the fire spell, but I'll demonstrate with a frost spell."
"Will you teach me the frost spell, too?"
Vicente smiled at her eagerness to learn. "Patience, Aria. Let's see how well you grasp the fire spell. First, I'll teach you how to summon fire. This spell also casts a protective spell over your hand so you don't burn yourself on your own flame." He taught her the spell to conjure a small flame. Aria said the words out loud. It felt just like it had when he taught her the healing spell. She hadn't been expecting the feeling, so when it came, it took her off guard. A couple of sparks flickered in her hand.
Vicente shook his head. "Focus, Aria."
Aria bit her lip and tried again. Since she was more prepared this time, she had better success. A tiny flame grew in her palm, but in her excitement at performing the spell correctly, she got distracted and lost her focus. The flame died instantly. Vicente encouraged her to keep trying. After more than an hour, she was able to summon a flame in less than a second and keep it lit for as long as she wanted. The more she did it, the better she got.
"Excellent," Vicente said as she extinguished the fireball in her hand again. "Now, let's see if you can put that fire somewhere other than your hands." He moved to stand behind her. "Try hitting the dummy."
Aria focused on the dummy's chest and summoned her fire spell. When she had a small flame in her hand, she tried to throw it like a ball. The fireball flew through the air, hitting the wall about eight feet from the dummy. She tried again, this time hitting a barrel on the dummy's other side.
Vicente quickly tossed a frost spell to extinguish the flames. He shook his head. "You don't have to throw your arm like that. Will the magic to direct it. Visualize where you want it to go and force it to go there."
Aria frowned and focused again on the dummy. She was determined to master this spell. She imagined the fireball flying from her hand and hitting the dummy. When she tried to cast the spell, she started to swing her arm by habit. Halfway through, she remembered and stopped, throwing off her aim. Another scorch mark appeared on the wall behind the target. After several more misses, Vicente shook his head again.
"Like this." He reached around her and put his right hand on the back of hers, holding it in the proper position. He told her to try the spell again. Aria tried to focus on her target, but it was difficult when he was standing so close. She forced herself to focus and cast the spell again.
Her nervousness worked its way into her magic, resulting in a much bigger fireball than she'd planned. The force of it threw her off balance, but Vicente put his other arm around her waist to hold her steady. The fireball hit the target with enough force to knock it off the stand and against the wall. It fell in a burning heap on the floor.
Aria was stunned that she'd been able to do that. She stood there with her arm outstretched, then turned her head to look at Vicente. She lowered her arm as they looked at each other, ignoring the flaming dummy. His arm tighten around her waist as he bent his head and kissed her gently.
Just then, the door flew open. Aria leapt back as Antionetta burst into the room. "What's going on? What was that noise? Are you guys okay?"
Vicente tossed a couple of frost spells to put out the flames. "We're alright. I was teaching Aria how to cast a fire spell."
Antionetta glanced at the smoldering heap and the scorch marks on the wall. "How's that working out for you?" She put a hand on Aria's shoulder. "Are you alright?"
Aria nodded. She knew her face was red. "I'm fine. I...I should probably get some sleep. It's been a long day..."
Antionetta nodded and grabbed her hand. "Sure. Come on. It's late." The girl pulled her from the room. Aria glanced back over her shoulder and saw Vicente watching them leave. He had a look of longing in his dark eyes.
Once the door was closed, Antionetta dragged Aria into a shadowy corner of the room. "Okay, out with it. What happened?"
Aria was still flustered. "With the contract or in the training room?"
Antionetta swatted her. "You can tell me all about the contract later. I want to know what happened in there."
Aria shrugged. "He taught me a fire spell. So what?"
Antionetta rolled her eyes. "Aria, your face is red. Vicente's eyes were nearly black. I'm not stupid. Something happened in there, and it didn't have to do with a fire spell."
Aria leaned against the wall with a sigh. Her feelings were all over the place. It would help to confide in someone. "All right, all right. I'll tell you. Right before you came in...he kissed me."
"He kissed you? Yes, finally! What did he say? What was it like?" Antionetta was talking so fast that Aria had trouble keeping up.
Just then, the training room door opened. Both girls stopped talking as Vicente left the room. Aria really hoped he wouldn't look in their direction. Thankfully, he continued toward his own quarters without stopping.
Once he was gone, Antionetta poked her in the side. "Well?"
Aria sighed again. "He didn't say anything. It was really quick, but it was...nice."
"Just nice?" Antionetta groaned. "I wish I hadn't interrupted. I should have checked the keyhole first."
I wish you hadn't interrupted, too, Aria thought. Out loud, she said, "So what do I do now?"
"What do you mean?" Antionetta asked.
"Well, why did he kiss me? Does he have feelings for me, or could there be some other reason?" Aria lightly banged her head on the wall.
Antionetta put a hand on her arm. "I don't know. Give it some time, and see what happens. If he truly has feelings for you, he'll tell you." She took Aria's arm again. "Now, come on. You need to get to bed."
The two girls went to the living quarters, where the fire was flickering faintly. As she got ready for bed, Aria realized just how tired she was. After the contract and the ordeal of learning the fire spell, she nearly fell asleep while undressing. It only took her seconds to drift into a deep sleep.