"Things are not what they used to be, Madame Abelle.."
Hushed voices woke me, stirring my mind from the deep, warm darkness of slumber into rousing. I barely opened my eyes, watching the shadows before me, the flicker of a candle - mum sitting at a table, sipping tea, with a hooded man at her side. Lucien, his voice taut and rough.
"I can see that much." Mum spoke softly, as not to wake me. We had been put in the common room together. Through the blueish darkness I could see her bed, still untouched. "Time was a man would take off his hood when speaking to a lady."
Lucien snorted, but I heard the rustle of cloth. He'd removed his hood. "You may not have changed, but much here has. Rumours of treachery fly unchecked through the sanctuaries, brothers and sisters are disappearing. The surface may seem calm, but in its depths, the Brotherhood spirals. Your daughter's appearance came at a poor time."
"Rumours of treachery?" Mum sounded intrigued, her teacup thumping gently on the table. "Does it hold truth?"
"No one wants to say it, but yes. There have been rumours - an assassin among assassins." Lucien laughed softly, bitterly. "I have no doubt I am suspected."
"What?" Even in a whisper, maman could convey ferocity. "My Lucien, turning traitor? Not the way I trained you."
"I am no longer your Lucien, Abelle." Even amused, Lucien's voice was strained. "Things have changed. Even among our families, there is suspicion and fear. Your daughter may be your family, but as things are, we cannot accept her as our own." The creak of a chair, the rustle of movement. "You know I can't release her until I am certain she can be trusted. Even then, with all she's seen..."
"I trust her. Isn't that enough?" Mum hissed. I could almost hear her hands clench. "If you won't release her, then take her as one of the family." I could feel her eyes on me as she turned towards my bed. "The Brotherhood is in danger, and I think Dusty can help. She has more power than she sees, and I believe Sithis will help her find it."
...Sithis?
"You want me to make her a sister?" Lucien murmured, sardonic. "You want me to take this innocent little mage and turn her into a murderer?"
"No. Not like that." I tried to keep from shuddering in relief. "But she can aid you. I have heard from my - friends at the mages guild that in her time there she's become an excellent alchemist, and I have no doubt she is a skilled mage."
"I was to receive a murderer from you, Abelle, not an alchemist." A scoff. "Anya would have been infinitely more easy to accept. Will you stay, then? What of her, and your husband?"
Silence. Mum spoke briskly. "Anya is settled with her family - she has three children, Lucien. She won't be a sister anytime soon." A sigh. "And Davide is on business in Skyrim. He won't notice my absence."
"You truly believe...?"
"I do. Swear to me, Lucien. Swear you'll do this for me."
He hesitated. Mum hissed, her feet dragging along the stone floor. "I taught you the essentials of the Dark Brotherhood. I cared for you as a fledgeling. By Sithis, Lucien, if you don't do this for me I will haunt you to your dying day."
"...You know, of course, I never get the raw end of a deal."
Mum laughed bitterly. "Clever boy. But you are receiving your reward, Lucien. Dust will prove valuable, I swear to you."
"She had better." Lucien stood. "You will rest, then?"
"Not yet. I wanted to speak with Vicente, first."
Footsteps, light and soft - mum's. I squinted through the darkness, watching Lucien's shadowed form. Shivers crawled down my neck as he approached my bed, gazing at me with a strange smile.
"You were awake."
"Yes." I met his gaze, his face tinted in the shadows.
"Then you know what I expect of you." He left without another word, robe sweeping behind him as he simply melted into the shadows. The clatter of the door and I was alone save my thoughts, weary and dragging.
Power, revealed by Sithis? I squeezed my eyes shut, nuzzling soft fleece. I let my mind wander, and my thoughts became whispers, then dreams.