Updated: Friday 6th/10/2023
Chapter 9: Midnight Murders
D'Artagnan sighs he was on the roof again. This place right here was one of his favourites. He had a wonderful view of Paris from here and it overlooked the Court of Miracles. On the days that were fine he slept up here in his little nest. In the Winter he slipped inside. But he just preferred it up here. Maybe because he felt closer to his parents and HIS older brother up here looking at the heavens. Looking at the stars on a clear night was beautiful.
He would hate it if anything tainted this place.
It had been a day since the little feast fiasco and his friends meeting with his Brothers and when they came back the message, they delivered hadn't been exactly pleasant…They had told him after things had settled down a bit.
Oh, he was going to be in so much trouble. But it was necessary. He now had a few leads to follow. And he had just made his come back with his friends to show the Court was still protected even now. He knew his brothers wouldn't understand. Even Porthos. But this place had been his home for longer then Porthos and these people bought him back from the dead basically and from his depression. Even as a child of 4 he thought he had lost everything. But the Court showed him he hadn't. He gained new family. Brothers and Sisters and a Mother Figure in Flea.
And he had added to it with Athos, Porthos and Aramis. And they too were the best thing that had EVER happened to him. But he had kept secrets and he didn't know if they would forgive him for it. As whoever is behind this is making threats and he could go after his brothers. He could have put them all in terrible danger. For a man he couldn't place yet!
Who could hold such a grudge against him?
That was the question he had been trying to answer since this whole mess started. This person probably had ruined the life he had built in the Musketeers. Would they even accept him back now or when his past was revealed? Treville, his Godfather, might. But in the eyes of the King?...
He growls darkly, "Maybe there is no hope for me from this"
Maybe when the person was caught, he could just slip away from the Musketeers and immerse himself into the Shadows of Court life again and fully become the Shadow of Miracles once again. He had already bought shame on the Musketeers and they would surely not want him back.
"What am I to do?" he sighs, "Brothers I might even break my own rule I just set up and go to you for advice"
Suddenly a gunshot echoes around the Court of Miracles breaking the peaceful silence. He should have known it wasn't going to last.
D'Artagnan jumps up and runs in the direction he had pin pointed the shot to have come from. He jumps over rooftops and bounces his legs of alley walls until he gets to the area, he had identified the shot to have come from.
He pulls his pistol and draws a dagger.
D'Artagnan slowly creeps forward. Some of the residences that were up at this hour were running scared.
He puts his fingers to his lips of a terrified family.
"Did you see anything?" he whispers.
"Black masked men", they whisper.
He nods and gestures for them to run farther into the Court. They quickly do what the Shadow of Miracles tells them.
He knew he maybe be letting some of the criminals get away if they had discarded their cloaks and masks. But there were innocents in the area and someone had just gotten shot and could need medical aid.
Suddenly Henri and Matthew appear with their pistols drawn. They nod at each other and cautiously make their way forward.
Looking around corners cautiously until D'Artagnan notices blood and whistles softly to his brothers as a signal and nods towards the blood and they nod seeing it.
They start to treed more cautiously. And soon find the blood trail of the victim. It was a woman who had pulled herself into the alley.
He kneels down to her to check her pulse as Henri and Matthew watch his back. The woman's heartbeat was faint and he knew by the wounds that she wouldn't make it. He saw her scared eyes looking at him.
Gently taking her hand he comforts her with giving it a gentle squeeze.
"Shh go in peace to Gods embrace. It is ok", D'Artagnan tells her gently, "What is your name?"
"Ada"
"I am sorry we didn't get to meet under better circumstances Ada", D'Artagnan says to her softly, "That is a very pretty name"
"They…came couldn't stop…them...one man had a burn like scar on face and another had a big birthmark on his hand", she gurgles out.
"I know", he says softly.
"Evil", she whispers.
"Yes, they are. But where you are going only angels of God are allowed", D'Artagnan tells her running his fingers through her hair in comfort.
"Ple…ase stop them", she gargles out.
"I will. This I vow to you. My word is my bond", he replies.
"They said…the Falcon getting stronger. Falcon knows, Falcon remembers and to tell the Shadow of Miracles that his and everyone's day of reckoning is coming", she gargles out.
"And you have. Go now and feel no pain and know only peace", D'Artagnan says softly, hating that this woman had to die to give him the message.
He was made sure her eyes were on him so she could see someone that cared before the end. He watches as she takes her last breath with the words.
"Thank you…Shadow", and with those words she was released from this word.
D'Artagnan closes her eyes gently and looks up to find some more of his friends and Shadow Runners around him.
The women were crying and the men looked sombre. He sees Flea in her dressing gown with tears running down her face.
"That was beautiful Charles", Flea whispers putting a hand on his shoulder.
"It was the least I could do for her. She was an innocent", he replies roughly.
"This killing has to stop Charles", Flea whispers, "I don't know how much more the Court of Miracles can take"
She and Eleanor start to wrap the body in linen.
"As long as we stand Flea we will hold out and I swear to you the person and his allies that are behind this will meet the end of MY blade!"
"And ours!" the Shadow Runners around him call softly raising this weapons above their head in salute as Ada, an innocent, was lifted by four of the Shadow Runners to prepare her for a farewell…
Charles D'Artagnan looks up at the sky and see the full moon at its peak.
Midnight.
He made a vow this was going to stop soon before anymore of his people die and anyone, he loved…
(Line Break)
At a different part of the City, Athos, Porthos and Aramis were hitting brick walls with their investigation. And no other word had come from the Court of Miracles and their Brother.
But they did know the medallion had to be specially made with someone with money to burn. But why a falcon?
"It has to do with falcons and their prey. It just has to be", Aramis sighs as they sit in Aramis's room at the crack of Midnight.
Athos plays with the medallion. He believed Aramis was right. But there was something else…
"Someone maybe wanting to prey on people that wronged him or her?" Porthos suggest.
"But why the rich AND the poor?" Aramis asks him, "If this means standing above someone. Who would kill people in BOTH categories. Normally it would be the rich standing over the poor"
"And what does it has to do with our brother?" Porthos asks.
"You're being quiet Athos. Well, more than usual", Aramis says to their stoic brother.
"Can't you feel it?" Athos asks them.
"Feel what?" Aramis asks him.
"Something is wrong. Very. Wrong I fear our brother is in grave danger. I had this feeling last night and no message has come from the Court of Miracles. We don't even know if our Brother is ok!", he growls.
"There would be a dozen different reasons that the D'Artagnan's friends haven't contacted us and it might not mean anything bad has happened", Porthos tries to reason with his Brother.
"I am going to the Court", Athos says reaching for his hat.
Porthos blocks his exist.
"You can't Athos. Then you put the WHOLE Court in danger!" Porthos exclaims.
"I care about OUR Brothers safety!" Athos growls.
"Athos, going to him now would be leading the Red Guards right to him. They probably have been warned to look out for us. If the Guard see us, they WILL follow and we WILL led them right to D'Artagnan's hiding place", Aramis reasons, "He is SAFE there!"
"Safe in the Court of Miracles?" Athos scoffs.
"I have a feeling Athos that our brother has hidden many things including how well he knows those in the Court", Porthos reveals to him, "It is a feeling I have and the feeling those four gave off. The bond they showed to D'Artagnan can't be forged swiftly. No, this bond looks like it is has years and so much hardship to develop"
Athos clenches his fists at that. He still couldn't believe that D'Artagnan had been keeping secrets from him…them. After everything they have been through.
"Whatever THIS is Athos we will find the answers and then we can face our wayward brother", Aramis assures him.
"I hope…"
Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Athos goes slowly to answer it his hands on his weapon. That he still had on his hip.
He cautiously opens the door and relaxes to see Treville. But there was something in Treville's face that could only mean trouble.
"There was been another murder not far from here. We are needed as it looks like they are going to place the blame on this one on D'Artagnan too…"
(Line Break)
"Should we send a message to your Brothers?" a soft voice asks.
"Send a scout and then in the morning I'll send Chelsea with a couple of others"
"What about the cloth found in Ada's hand?"
"We'll give it too my Brothers. They can trace it with Chelsea tomorrow and Chelsea can guide them to the body of our would be assassin from the other night. Maybe they will learn something I missed"
(Line Break)
"Has the message been delivered?"
"It has Sir. And your deed was timed with the first just at your specific time you mentioned"
"How delightful!" the woman squeals.
"Happy Anniversary Charles, I hoped you like your present", a man toasts with his wife for another successful kill...or kills…
~~Author's Note: What Do You Think? Please Review:)!~~