Fallen Angel
Chapter 3
A bird sang off in the distance, its melancholy song complementing the tune the young maiden played on her harp.
The large vaulted room she played in accentuated the notes, almost pulling them higher into the sky and beyond. Light shined into the room trough the large, ornate windows that reached almost has high as the roof. The tune ended, and the dark haired maiden turned towards her only audience - a woman of possibly middle years.
The woman sat in an ornate chair, the only other furniture in the room other than the small stool that the maiden sat on. The woman sat in silence - her dark blue clothes absorbing all light that dared to approached it - the only sound coming from the birdsong outside, before speaking.
"Thank you dear, I wish to be alone for awhile".
The maiden curtseyed and, taking the stool and harp, left the room through the only exit - a set of large, ornate wooden doors. For a while silence returned, dust motes dancing through the rays of light.
"Heimdall dear" she said at last, her voice revealing a upper class, well cultured accent, "if you must enter, just do so - I can't stand you skulking in the shadows like that".
One of the shadows parted from the background, and revealed itself to be a man of middle to late years, with a bald head and a goatee white with age. He wore robes of cream and pale blue, such fitting his station as head of the war office.
"My apologies" said Heimdall, his voice giving off an English accent, " I didn't wish anyone to see me arrive - the Girl?...."
"She did not see you" said the woman, dismissively, "grant me with some sense to not hire her if it had been such".
"Indeed my lady Frigga" bowed Heimdall.
Frigga paid him no mind - or at least did not seem to. "How go things on Midgard?"
"As expected, ma'am" Heimdall spoke, moving round to stand in front of Frigga "Demon central have sent an operative to assist in the investigation"
"And who have you sent on the heavens behalf?"
"One of my best operatives" Heimdall respond, carefully choosing his words.
But it was done for naught "You sent him, didn't you" said Frigga, her voice remaining level and emotionless.
Heimdall sighed "As I said he is my be-"
"I CARE NOT - "Frigga screamed, then stopped and calmed herself down." I care not if he is you best agent, in case you forgot what he did -"
"And in case YOU forget" Heimdall interrupting Frigga" I come to you as a courtesy BECAUSE of what happened - officially I answer to one of higher authority than both of us".
Frigga held Heimdall's stare for what seemed an eternity, and then nonchalantly turned away, as thought they had merely talked bout the weather. "Will he succeed?"
"As I said he has assistance - apparently one of Demon centrals best agents"
Frigga smirked "And if you believe that you'll believe anything".
Both people remained silent for a very long minute before Heimdall spoke." Frigga, when he finds out - you'll know what he'll do...."
Frig smiled slightly, "I care not for that - in fact I wait to see his face when he does. Now, if there is no other business?"
Heimdall, taking his queue, bowed and left the room, the doors opening by themselves.
When the doors closed Frigga reclined back into her seat and closed her eyes, allowing the sounds of birdsong outside and the heat of the sunlight to flow over her.
As she slept a pair of golden, cat - like eyes gleamed in the shadows of the room.
They blinked once, and then were gone.
Loki picked the banana peel from his jacket pocket. "Almighty, what did I do to deserve this?"
"What are you whinging about, I got us out didn't I?"
Loki grunted - true, it was due to Marla's portal gate that they'd escaped from the house before the redacps got them - but he still didn't want to admit it.
Even a god has his pride.
Marla's portal had deposited them in an alleyway a few streets over from Astartes' apartment - although Loki was sure it was more than coincidence that, although Marla landed none the worse for ware, he got deposited on a pile of rubbish filled bin bags. In the distance the sound of police sirens could be heard.
"So, any bright ideas? Thanks to you and your damned car, we're now on the ten most wanted lists."
Loki shook his head " come off it, I mean it's not as things -"
Marla, moving like quicksilver, was face to face with Loki "don't - finish - that - phrase" she whispered, pronounciating each word carefully.
Loki, for a second registering shock, quickly returned to his grim, sardonic mask of old. He put his hand out " you gonna help me out or what?"
Marla, grimacing, complied, and a short while later the pair were dashing from alleyway to alleyway, always on the alert for police or passer-bys. Eventually they reached a crowded street and, after waiting for a lull in the crowd, they merged into the bustling mass of shoppers and pedestrians.
"So, now what're we gonna do, with the goon squad after us, we're still nowhere near finishing this job" Marla grumbled.
"It won't be a problem" said Loki "Heimdall will handle that . Something about this job just doesn't sit right though"
"What you mean?"
"Firstly. we go to her house and nearly get turned into redcap chowder"
"Secondly, we find parts of her logs have been altered" Loki counted off.
"Third, if this demon is so dangerous and high up in the council why the hells hasn't demon central sent a full team here - why just the two of us?"
"And finally, why the hells is the murderers face hidden, if it's that demons? He must know we know it's him, and why kill Astartes so messily?"
"Ah, maybe he was silencing her" said Marla.
"And why didn't he just disintegrate her?"
"Because, idiot, his energy thread would have flagged up on Nidheg instantly, and we would have found him already"
"But he's already out, wouldn't his thread have been spotted already?" conjectured Loki.
" Not so," said Merlin "With the correct masking programs he could hide his thread"
"The same type that's.... never mind" Loki said, noting Marla's quizzical look.
"Correct, but only someone on the council could have activated the program, and the demon himself couldn't set the program himself"
"So someone on the demon high council is helping him?" said Marla, confused. "But, how-"
"Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice" grumbled Loki as he hailed a passing taxi.
TO BE CONTINUED