Chapter 19

It rained the entire way back to Cheydinhal. By the time Aria got to the basement of the abandoned house, she was shivering and sneezing. Her clothes were so wet, she was leaving puddles everywhere she stepped.

No one was in the main room when she entered, so she walked down the hall toward Vicente's quarters. The door to Ocheeva's room was partially open, and as she got closer, Aria could hear voices coming from the room.

"...do wish you wouldn't fold the maps, Vicente," Ocheeva was saying.

"But folding them takes up so much less space," Vicente responded.

"Yes, but it leaves them in such poor condition." Aria heard paper rattling. "Look. Leyawiin County is a disaster. This crease runs right through Water's Edge. Please, roll the maps."

Aria grinned and pushed the door open. "Am I interrupting something?"

Ocheeva whirled around. "Aria, you're back!" She dropped the map on the table and hurried over. "Oh, my dear, you're positively drenched!" She gave the girl a quick hug, then started ushering her toward the door. "Go right now and take a hot bath and change out of those wet things before you catch a cold."

Aria sneezed. "I think it's too late for that."

"Well, then go before you get worse. I'll have Teinaava prepare some hot soup for you." Ocheeva gave her a gentle shove toward the door.

Vicente came to stand next to Aria and put an arm around her shoulders. "You may as well go ahead, dear one. There'll be no piece until you do." He gave her a hug and a brief kiss before sending her off to the living quarters.

Aria felt much better after a hot bath. She was still sneezing, but the shivering had stopped. After hanging her wet clothes near the fireplace to dry, she went to Vicente's room to report the completed contract.

Vicente was sitting on his bed, sharpening his Blade of Woe, when she arrived. He looked up as soon as she stepped through the doorway. Instantly, he put down his weapon and stood up.

"Feeling better?" He asked as he pulled her into his arms.

Aria pulled away long enough to sneeze, then rested her head on his chest. "Yeah, although this sneezing is getting annoying."

Vicente chuckled, then kissed her gently. They kissed until Aria felt his fangs scraping her lips.

Vicente reluctantly pulled back. He brushed a lock of damp hair out of her face. "I was worried about you, out in that storm."

Aria grinned. "It made the contract interesting."

"I can imagine." He pulled out a chair at the table for her. "Tell me about it."

"Well, first I got caught in the storm, but that actually turned out to be a good thing..." Aria went on to describe her conversation with Motierre, her escape from Hides-His-Heart, and the battle in the Undercroft. Vicente listened carefully, his brown eyes never leaving her face.

As she told him about leaving Motierre at the Grey Mare, Teinaava knocked on the open door. He held a bowl and spoon in his hand. "Pardon me, dear Brother and Sister, but Ocheeva requested that I bring you this." He set the bowl in front of Aria. "A simple soup, to help with your cold."

Aria had been in the Sanctuary long enough to be wary of Teinaava's cooking. She was reluctant to try the soup, but with him standing right there, she had no choice.

"Thanks, Teinaava. It's good." Aria glanced at Vicente. The twinkle in his eyes told her that he knew she was lying through her teeth.

Teinaava grinned. "I'm glad you like it. Well, I should be starting dinner. I will see you both later."

As soon as he was out of earshot, Vicente and Aria burst out laughing.

"Come now," Vicente said as soon as he could catch his breath, "is it really that bad?"

Aria pushed the bowl toward him. "Would you like to try a bite?"

"I'm fine, thank you." He placed the bowl on his desk, at the same time retrieving a pouch of gold and a couple of other things. He placed the gold, a key, and a black ribbon on the table. "Here is your payment, and as a bonus for completing the contract, I'm pleased to award you this enchanted amulet. It's called Cruelty's Heart." He stood behind her and fastened a gold and ruby necklace around her neck.

Aria held up the pendant to study it. Although she was relatively new to the arcane, she could sense the amulet's power. The ruby in the center reminded her of freshly spilled blood.

"You also receive another advancement in rank," Vicente continued. He was still standing behind her, gently running his hand over her damp hair. "You exemplify everything the Dark Brotherhood stands for. Your blood is cold, and your heart hard. I hereby bestow on you the title of Eliminator."

Aria held up the key. "What's this?"

"It unlocks the well behind the Abandoned House above. I believe you are familiar with that entrance." He grinned and leaned down to kiss her again. "Now that that's taken care of, what should we do about dinner?"