~Edyta ~

Edyta dried her hair with a towel as her bare feet padded across the damp stone floor. She sighed in contentment and closed her eyes to feel the warmth of her clean skin. She was used to stretches of infrequent bathing but after half a season…

A bath is never a thing to be taken for granted.

Her smile faded when she caught sight of herself in the looking glass. Water dripped from the tips of short black hair splayed in sharp spikes. Long, untrimmed nails dug into the sides of the skin.

It's never a bad idea to switch sides when yours was losing. And these people win for a reason. They never stop fighting no matter what the odds are. But unlike others who are merely stubborn, something about them wins in the end.

This mindset was probably what made her such a sucker for Jairus's silver tongue.

He had found her easily enough. Being Vermin meant having to scatter and hide like the rat they saw in you, flinching from the light of day and keeping to the shadows at night.

…which meant she didn't have many places to go or stay.

You think it would have occurred to people smart enough to come up with soul eating rituals to make an inconvenience like eating in general be optional.

Jairus didn't immediately come. He let her struggle at first. And he continued to bide his time even when she could no longer reach into the mold covered flour bag for meager bread.

But punctiliously at the start of the next season, he knocked on the door. He knew she could sense him so the gesture was a pointless formality. She apparently had to be reminded of just how broken and denigrated she let herself become in the end.

But he brought warm meals, and she forgave him the same way a person on the brink of hypothermia would forgive the thief who robbed her blind but left behind a warm bath.

"So let me get this straight." Edyta crossed her arms and began to pace the room after the stew gave her some semblance of energy. "Devlen, after a series of misadventures, lost his magic and was incarcerated in cushy Dawnwood, as opposed to execution, or at the very least, Wirral, because why not."

Jairus nodded and continued eating. The hollow crate beneath him creaked as his weight shifted.

"Not that any of it mattered in the end since he didn't even have to serve half of that five year sentence of his. So you thought, surely, he must have worked out some kind of deal with that silver tongue of his."

He gestured for her to continue and poured himself a cup of warm water (she couldn't even afford tea at this point), raising it to his nose for a customary poison inspection.

"But what you found was even more absurd. Because not only was there a family, complete with two kids and a doting wife, but one maudlin Devlen prancing around yakking about making amends."

"All correct." Jairus took a sip of the water.

At that, she was now bent over, cackling her guts out. Tears ran down her face before she stopped. "And not only that, but he's also going around, complete with newly reacquired Sandseed lilt, calling whatever he was doing an addiction?! He really doesn't change, does he?"

He answered her with a nod and a smirk.

"And you convinced him to rejoin you and your efforts to do this…" She made a spinning gesture with one hand. "…whatever it is you're doing, because, again, why not. But now we get to the really interesting part where you're trying to get me on board as well."

Jairus stood and carefully pushed the chair-crate back as if it were antique. "However you feel about this addiction mythos, you do miss this, do you not?"

"Not as much as I'll miss living. Especially when there's going to be a very pissed off Soulfinder wandering around."

He made a dismissive gesture. "I assure you, you will not have to worry about Yelena Zaltana for much longer."

"Why? Because she's having another existential crisis?"

"She will be having something of that nature soon."

Edyta's stomach churned uncomfortably. But her voice remained even. "Thanks, but no thanks. The Sky's nice and all but I'm in no hurry to go there. Your whole scheme reeks of suicide and I have no interest in being your foot soldier."

Jairus didn't flinch. "Impressive. Even when you are on the brink of starvation and living in a hovel, you will refuse to take an opportunity when it presents itself. At the same time, you will find a way to rationalize that it was doomed from the start to avoid any guilt or shame. It appears Devlen is not the only one who…doesn't change."

"And you like to think yourself so special and omnipotent." Edyta stepped forward and forced her eyes to remain on him. "When has this kind of scheme ever succeeded? Rose Featherstone, First Master Magician, couldn't hold her own. Even the Ixian King couldn't."

"You seem to be focusing on the negative again." He lectured. "You deny they had reigns? You deny that they ever held power? Was the Cloudmist's Jewel never Queen?"

"They died."
"As we all must. No reign lasts forever." Jairus ran a finger idly down the blackened wall. He rubbed the dirt between the pads of his fingers and sniffed. "Even a hut like this was once a more functional structure. Do you still remember your favorite platitude? I call it your favorite because it was what you always told those women who came to you."

"You will not always be blessed." She said dully. Jairus's voice joined in finish. "But neither will you always suffer."

"My favorite is, 'power is fleeting.'" He turned to the side and laced his hands behind his back as he beheld the empty cabinets in the kitchen. "But it is all there is in this world."

He picked up the basket he brought and placed it on the kitchen counter.

"And the trick," He began restocking the cabinets, "is to ensure that whatever you do in this world matters in the end, before your chance…," he raised a slender eyebrow at a skittering cockroach, "…slips away."

Edyta chewed on the inside of her lip and crossed her arms.

"A soul is a precious thing, Edyta. It alone holds the most power in this world. Will you let that chance slip away? Will you let more fall into that state?"

And as if suddenly recalling urgent business, Jairus strode past her and clasped his cloak on. "Ixia. MD-6. Undercover for one full year. Decent weather and decent pay: You retain one soul for every three you ferry over. Let me know when you are ready to come back to work."

Unconsciously wringing her hands, she called out as the door opened, "Are there really that many? Even now?"

He replied over his shoulder, "More than they will ever care to know."

The door shut behind him.

"Edyta?"

She jolted from her memories at the Soulfinder's voice. She blinked at her approaching reflection in the mirror.

"Are you ready?"

She burst into a barking laugh. The Soulfinder's stance struck battle ready in her astonishment.

Edyta only shook her head and wiped a stray tear away. "Inside joke."

~Yelena~

I inhaled the moist, clean air and took in the sight of green brambles peeking through patches of unthawed white. Carts and people moved past Maren and I as we sat behind in the fenced patio. A lit hearth sat in the center, warming our bones with the logs' crackling sighs.

"I ever tell you about that time I accidentally cheated on a history test with Bain?" I asked.

"…No." Maren couldn't hold back her laughter. "Please tell me this story."

"Souls talk more than people realize, even when they're ready to leave this world." I continued cheerily. "This one time, Bain tested me on the Greenblade Compromise that ended the blood feud with the Bloodgoods. It was something to do with cigars, harsh words, and gold."
"Didn't you say you talked to the dead Bloodgood Councilman before he passed on? Or, more specifically, he talked to you. You mentioned he was one of your chattier souls."

"Exactly." I smirked.

"Ah."

"I tried to tell him." I added. "I got a long lecture about how important this was. And how it had nothing to do with him being a Bloodgood, of course."

"And what did he say?"

"He stopped listening at that point and stalked out of the classroom. But all was forgiven because my account happened to do incredible justice to the Bloodgoods."

"I wonder why…" But her smile suddenly faltered and she grabbed my hand. "I've seen those two before."

I followed her line of vision to see two hooded men walking toward the steps of the tavern. "Where?"

"MD-5." We averted our eyes quickly.

"I see." I kept my gaze fixed on my potatoes. "How do you feel about dessert?"

She grinned. "Chocolate. I'm buying."

The last bite of the cake melted in my mouth as our targets left the tavern. Maren nodded once to me and stood.

I took a large breath and followed her out the gate and down the trail. We streamed past merchants and idlers to the edge of Snake Forest. The branches and the late hour casted dark shadows over our path. Cold wind rustled the shrubbery as we cut across to the foot of Peach Lane.

She placed her hands on her hips at the front of a nondescript house. "That should be it."

We watched as the same hooded figures knocked once for admission. After they disappeared inside, we waited several minutes before rounding the building towards the back. Maren swiftly picked the locks of the door and we crept in.

The inside of the building was empty, save for several stray chairs and tables covered by a layer of dust. We snuck across the living are and froze at the sound of voices.

"…shouldn't have been so reckless. How could you have been so careless?!" The heavy fabric of a cloak rustled furiously from behind the wall.

"Well it wouldn't have happened at all if you had just listened to me from the start." A second voice sneered his contempt. But I could still discern the slight, halting indicator of anxiety lodged in it. "You should've known that you were looking for trouble staying with one client for this long. I bet my retirement fund that Valek was already on our asses before today. If he isn't eavesdropping on our conversation right now, then he's probably sitting around somewhere biding his time like the sly bastard he is."

"Valek, Valek, Valek. You weren't so worried about him when you decided to announce to the whole district who we were and what we were doing!"

"Will you both shut up?" A third female voice boomed.

Silence and the slight shifting of shadows.

The voice continued with rational, delegating alacrity. "It doesn't matter who's fault this is. The point is we're all too hot and need to have disappeared by yesterday. So here's what's going to happen. When she gets back, Astrid is going to go into town to pick up enough rations for a single traveler's fortnight long journey. Nate, you're going to prep our documents so we can cross the border without any trouble. Mar, you and I are going to pack and tie up loose strings. We'll be ready to move by dawn with the farmers."

"What about our client?" The retirement fund gambler asked. "I have a feeling her boss won't be too happy if we just upped and left."

"Don't worry your pretty head about that, Nate. I said loose strings, didn't I?"

"Getting away with murder isn't as easy as it used to be around here. Did you forget why we picked up a desk job as opposed to everything else we could be doing?"

"He's right, Aleida." Mar said. "We can't just walk away."

"We're not going to kill her you idiots." She said through clenched teeth. "When she comes around tonight for her papers we're going to seize her. Because if we have her, we'll have the bargaining power with Valek. As for her boss, whoever he or she is will have hell to pay with him. They kill each other and we creep away in the smoke. Got it?"

There was a pause as her colleagues contemplated.

Mar spoke again, "What if the boss disappears as soon as his henchwoman is captured? How can we be sure Valek will go after them and not us?"

"Because," A cocky, arrogant lilt colored her voice. (Did they teach them to sound like that the first day of assassin school?!), "you know Valek. That man won't stop at anything to get whoever's at the top. And I have a feeling we shouldn't underestimate this boss either. If we're especially fortunate, they'll be foolhardy enough to go after Valek. It'd be entertaining to see who comes out on top."

Another pause that I imagined was filled with the nodding of heads. For in another instant there was a shuffling of feet as everyone hurried to complete their tasks.

Maren and I backed slowly away from the wall. The quiet squeak of the hinge was the only warning we had before the door swung open. A woman lowered her hood to reveal cropped brown hair and a jagged scar across her eye: Astrid.

We froze.

More rapid footsteps and we were surrounded by four master swordspersons with their blades at our chests.

Maren tilted her head towards me with a resigned look as we slowly raised our hands. "There has got to be a reason why you're always attracting the homicidal ones."

"I'd be glad to know really."

"Weapons?"

I gave her a sheepish smile.

"Lock picks?"

I shook my head.

"Seriously?!"

"Pointy."

"You couldn't make an exception?!"

"Nope."

Astrid's grip tightened on her sword. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "This was almost too easy."

"Almost being the operative word here." Glass shattered beneath Maren's boot.

A heavy fog spilled out, obscuring the entire room. She dropped to the ground, a knife glinted in her hand as it sliced into an arm. A dropkick brought the man down onto his back.

I picked up his sword and deflected an attack from the right in the nick of time on bended knee. The sword swung again but I ducked, flipped onto my hands and kicked the weapon away. Blades clanged behind me and Nate's body fell to the ground. Maren tapped my shoulder to warn me and I struck to the left.

But our victories were short-lived. Astrid lunged for the door and flung it open. The smoke dissipated. There was a sharp, stinging jab and I fell. Maren escaped as I watched her and lay paralyzed on my side.

Shadows loomed over me as weapons were sheathed.

Astrid faced Aleida and gestured to me. "I'm telling you. This was too easy. We should just kill her and be done with it."

Aleida stood firm. "And you think Valek wouldn't hunt us down for killing his girl?"

"He does live for vengeance." Mar added, "Besides, our client wants her. This may work out better than if we took the goon."

I wondered if they knew curare didn't take away a victim's hearing.

"If, that is, he'll even want her back." Nate crossed his arms and grimaced. "Then again, everything has always been 'to the death' with him. That man took himself way too seriously." He said the last part with astonishing vehemence.

The severity in Astrid's voice was replaced with mocking amusement. "Except when it came to you apparently."

The shadow flashed as the figure lunged and stopped midway.

"That's enough, both of you." Aleida snapped. "Search her and lock her in the basement. Give her another dose before you leave."

One perk of Curare I suppose: you can't feel the violating, violent handling or the bruising.

The door banged shut and several locks click into place. I wish they hadn't put me on my face with arms twisted and tied at an odd angle behind my back. The numbing and soreness later wasn't going to be pleasant.

I sighed inwardly. You'd think I'd be used to this sort of thing by now.

~Valek~

Maren was taking too long. She should be back by now. What if something went wrong? Why hadn't she reported yet? What if…he should…

No.

He forced himself to relax and rationalize. There was no point in wasting precious energy speculating on infinite possibilities. It's always better to focus on the situation at hand and be prepared for complications. He ran a hand through his hair as his mind ran through preparations again to ensure he didn't miss anything.

"It's nice to see Yelena well again." Janco said cheerily across his desk, momentarily distracting him. "And of course you two back to going at it like rabbits again."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Ari rolled his eyes. "There hasn't been much of that going on, remember, Janco? We've all been busy with this investigation. And Yelena…well."

When their boss wouldn't budge, Ari sighed. "You'll have to excuse the crass joke. You know how Janco can be."

Gone was the poker face. Valek looked ready to throw someone out the window. "How can any of this be even remotely funny to you? After everything she's been through?!"

Janco sobered. "I never meant it that way. I just think it's a good thing that the two of you are back to your old routine, that's all."

Ari nodded. "It has to be a strain on the relationship. You two are apart for most of the year already. Four months has to be a long time to go without, especially being together all the time. Intimacy is an important part of a relationship, after all."

Valek set the papers down slowly and briefly seemed at an absolute loss of words. "Why would it even cross your mind, let alone be acceptable, to consider a person being obligated to provide sexual contact for the sake of a relationship?"

Janco stammered, "Is that what that really sounds like?"

"Yes. Because what you just described isn't intimacy." Renewed horror filled Valek as he was made to recall her stark, dissociated gaze and the heartbreaking way she tried so hard to please him. "It's…I don't even have any words for it."

They paled.

Maren strode in, breaking the silence. She glanced from Janco to Ari and back again. "I know that face on Janco. He gets it when he knows he's being an idiot – three times a day at the least. Can't say I'm used to seeing it on Ari though…"

But Valek had stopped listening and had wandered across the office to the empty conference table. His nails dug into the wood as he looked without seeing at the maps strewn about it. Phase one was complete – the easy part. But the rest…

"She'll be fine." Maren spoke from behind him.

His chest tightened. An itch between his shoulders and on the pads of his feet relentlessly spurred him toward action. Tears pricked his eyes as he forced himself to stand still.

She sat in one of the chairs and appeared collected. "You're not worried about anyone hurting her. You're worried about Yelena hurting Yelena."

The corner of his mouth turned up ironically. "Is it paternalistic of me?"

"Being overprotective can put someone in that category."

Valek sat down wearily.

"You need to trust her."

"I'm terrified."

"That's fine. Just don't act on it."

He sighed and drummed his fingers absently against the table. Her words echoed in his mind, you can trust me.

He recalled the way her eyes sparkled again with renewed vigor. The fear remained but there was also optimistic courage.

Please review!

Reader: Thank you so much for your comments, as always. :) I hope future developments won't disappoint. And I'm doing a lot better (thanks for asking).