I updated after one day! Wow this proves that I have no life what so ever. Of course, you probably don't either if you spend all day on this web site so I guess we have that in common.
PLEASE READ NOW!!!: I want to alert you all about an urgent cause. My goal for this story is for it to get at least 100 reviews by the time it comes to a close. If this happens then I will launch straight into book two of the story. If not then you will have to wait a bit. Plus if you haven't been reviewing and you do you will get a shout out at the end of my story along with every other person who has reviewed.
Kat: That's one way to bribe people.
Yep. It's usually quite effective too. Anyway it's your decision but I hope this motivates you. At the most there will be about... 5 to 6 chapters left in book 1 of this series. POWER TO THE PEOPLE!
Here's an update: My plan worked. It is a known fact that when I get into a debate I don't stop until I win. Basta got pretty fed up and just let me come with Meggie when she was taken back to Mortola to see the passage she would be reading that night. It was mid morning so I would probably have a good 4 hours after this to write out tonights events.
I feel so powerful! Tee hee! But trust me I'm not going go insane and become a mass murderer like what happens in the series deathnote. I'm just going to write out tonights events so that Capricorn and all of his followers die. I just have to figure out how.
Anyway...
In Mortola's room (Basically the basement. How quaint.) Meggie was shown the passage she would have to read that night.
"Hmm" I said reading over her shoulder "I'm seeing death, shadow, fire, ash, Capricorn, more death and other dark things." I looked up "Cheerful passage you picked out"
Mortola glared at me but I wasn't really afraid of this old lady so I just leaned back against the wall.
"Why did you bring the writer anyway?" Mortola snapped at Basta. Yes, blame Basta I like seeing him angry.
Basta seemed to like the fact that my being here was annoying Mortola so he didn't comment.
I had gotten the information I wanted about The Shadow and I was ready to go back and set to work on my writing but Meggie threw out an unexspected curve that I had not been notified of.
"There's something else" Meggie said when she had finished reading.
"What?" Mortola looked at her with a permenant glare that seemed etched permently to her face. Does she ever smile... let me refrase that does she ever smile about something that isn't evil? My guess is no.
"I will only read if I can see Dustfinger again before he..." she trailed off not ending her sentence.
Why can't she tell me before she throws these curve balls.
"What for?" Mortola asked.
I new why Meggie wanted to and it wasn't to see Dustfinger but the woman who she thought might be her mother. But Meggie for once had on a good poker face.
"I want to tell him I'm sorry." she said "After all he helped us."
Now I could tell that this was a performance. I'm good at being able to tell that kind of stuff. But it was a real good performance and enough to make Mortola think it was genuine.
"Suppose I say no" Mortola countered.
"Then I'll bite my tounge" Meggie said almost immediately "I'll bite it so hard that it swells up and I won't be able to read aloud tonight!"
Clever Meggie. I smiled in spite of my self.
Mortola laughed "Ha, this childs no fool. Fine you can have your silly wish. But you better read aloud tonight and you better do it well or you will regret it."
Meggie nodded once knowing that I had a plan. I guess that was helping her courage. She'd come along way from the trembling picture of innocence I had met... was it only a month or two ago? It felt like ages.
Mortola assigned Basta the task of taking us down to the crypt which he was less than happy about. He was muttering to himself the whole way and I considered reccomending theropy to him.
We reached the crypt which smelt like... dead things. Dustfinger and the woman sat in a cage at the far end. Basta stayed back from what he probably thought was going to be a heartfelt good bye scene.
Meggie and I walked to the grating. Meggie only cast a brief glance at Dustfinger before she became transfixed by the woman in the corner.
"Hey Dusty." I smiled.
"Callypso" he kind of smiled back "Are you going to have the honor of watching our deaths?"
"Oh yeah I feel honored" I muttered.
"I wanted to say that I'm sorry." Meggie said going on with her act though her attention was completely on the woman. Guess it was her mom after all. "About reading and everything tonight."
"Yeah and watching you die" I put in. But I added in a little wink communicating to Dustfinger with my eyes.
"Oh it's niether of you twos falt I suppose" Dustfinger sighed looking dejected but he flashed me another glance and knew he got my message.
Then he glanced at Basta "Oh what's that in front of you!" he pressed apiece of paper into Meggie's hand but Basta who had recovered from suprise noticed.
"A note hmm?" he strode forward and pryed it out of Meggie's fingers.
I didn't know what it said and for a moment I paniced but then I remembered Basta couldn't read.
Sucker.
"Read it" he held the note up in front of Meggie's face. She just shook her head and I felt like cheering. She was learning to be brave. Just like had. Guess that's what happens if you hang around these people long enough.
Basta's voice turned low and menacing "You'd better read it little witch."
There again with the witch! Why does she get that name and I get stuff like sweetheart and princess! That is so unfair!
"Go ahead and read it Meggie" Dustfinger said improvising "Basta knows I like a good drop of wine."
Nice cover "I didn't know you drank Dustfinger" I said playing along "Want some counceling for that?"
"Well seeing as I'm going to die soon I don't think it matters." Dustfinger shrugged.
Basta seemed to believe him but Dustfinger blew it by looking pleased with himself.
"On the other hand I believe that's a few too many letters for just a drop of wine." He turned back to Meggie "Read."
"No!" she spat snatching the letter from him and pushing it back through the bars to Dustfinger.
Basta then slapped her across the face.
"HEY!" I shouted my hands clenching.
Dustfinger was smirking at Basta and dangling the letter over his head taunting him from inside the cage.
Then Basta grabbed Meggie's arm and held his knife to her throat. This had never happened to Meggie before and fear now showed through onto her face. I was used to it by now but this?
"GET OFF HER!" I lunged at Basta and brought him down at the force I was going to and Keggie scurried away from him. Basta regained his footing and struck me so hard across the face that my head hit the wall and I saw stars.
"You little witch" He spat at me.
Hey there we go! A nickname change! Victory!
"Yes Basta" Dustfinger taunted "You'd rather go around threatening and hitting girls than venture in here. You are a coward!"
Basta's attention turned off me. I could already feel a red welt forming on my cheek and Meggie ran over to my side as Basta, fuming, and unlocked the cage. That idiot! SHouldn't he know that Dustfinger's up to something?
"Are you ok?" Meggie asked me.
"I've had worse" I muttered "How about you."
"Fine" she said still looking shaken.
"Good" i sat up to watch this scene play out.
Right now it was a battle with words. Dustfinger had plenty of tricks up his sleeve too.
Basta had his knife out and was no doubt planning to scar Dustfinger's face a little more.
But then Dustfinger flipped the lid off the coffin and cursed Basta on the dead mans bones. Really I wanted to burst out laughing at Basta's superstition.
Then Basta lunged at Dustfinger with his knife but Dustfinger was preforming that evasive dance that I'd seen him do that first day in the church. There were many times that the bright blade swished alarmingly close to him but Dustfinger was quick. But suddenly he was trapped in a corner. Basta sensed he had one and began to slowly move forward with his knife. Meggie's mother luckily had good aim and she hit him in the head with a rock. That gave Dustfignger the distraction he needed and the next moment he had Basta's knife in his own hand pointed straight at the one person I hated most in the world.
Despite my self I felt two feelings: Triumph that my worst enemy may be about to die and disappoint ment because I wouldn't be the one to kill him myself.
But Dustfinger didn't kill Basta. Instead he snatched the keys from him and he and Meggie's mother jumped from the prison, closed and locked the door.
Basta started calling loudly for help and I knew that more black jackets would show up at any moment.
"We can't take her with us" Dustfinger was pleading with Meggie's mother but she refused to leave her daughter. I found my self missing my own mother. Where was she now?
Dustfinger finally shook his head cast me a glance and then ran for the stairs.
Flatnose came down with another blackjacket and looked suprised to see Basta behind bars. "Hello Basta. What are you doing in there?"
"Shut up you fool" Basta snarled "Open this door! Where's the fire eater!"
"Oh he escaped again" Flatnose shook his head "Capricorn won't like that."
"Open this door or I'll tell him it was you who let him go!" Basta was red with fury.
"Who's the one behind bars?" I muttered.
Basta cast me a vicious glance.
"She speaks the truth" Flatnose sighed and crossed his arms "And it seems the fire eater ran off with the keys." He studied Basta for a minute looking pleased "I could get used to this sight. You behind bars. No knife to threaten anyone with."
"I could get used to this too" I said feeling a satisfaction as well. Basta. Helpless. I liked this.
Resa was forced into another cell by the other black jacket at Flatnose began to pull us away.
Basta was glaring at me as I turned around for one last glance. I let a small smirk touch my face then I shrugged and the doors closed.
Remember the review deal!