Vixen's Magic

by Aron Lewes

  Wilhelm glanced across the table, where Kylin was dining with her brother. She was so engrossed in her conversation with Rai, she missed what Vala said.

  “I mean, it makes sense to me,” Vala continued. “You want her kisses, but she won't start doling them out until you put a ring on her finger. So... just marry her, for goodness sake! If my soul mate landed in my lap, I'd consider myself lucky.”

  “Do you really believe in her Chosen nonsense?” Wilhelm whispered. He hoped Vala would follow his example and lower her voice as well. Most of the time, his sister was way too loud for his liking.

  “Why not? If the little girl can bring the dead back to life, it's not so strange to think she might know her man when she meets 'im.”

  “You know how I feel about marriage, though.” Wilhelm's eyes were on his plate, where he mindlessly poked a piece of broccoli with his fork. He hated the vegetable, but Vala loved it. Because she was much more boisterous than Wilhelm, the Silenced sometimes followed her orders while disregarding his. Her favorite foods were usually the ones they prepared.

  “You could always change your mind,” Vala said.

  “Could you imagine me as a married man, though?” he asked. “I'd be a terrible husband.”

  “I think you'd be just fine at it.”

  Wilhelm's head shook as Vala disagreed with him. His sister's support for Kylin made him weary. He doubted he would change her mind, but he argued anyway, “If I married her now, it would be too sudden and too extreme. Marriage is more than I want to consider.”

  “Fair enough.”

  A curious smirk appeared on Vala's lips, which prompted him to ask, “What's so funny?”

  “I was smiling at the reply in my head, but I couldn't bring myself to say it.” Leaning toward Wilhelm's ear, she added, “If you don't want to get married, that's fine. Keep sharing your bed with your hand. I'm sure it's a fine companion for your little prick.”

  “Vulgar,” Wilhelm chided her. “You're vulgar and inaccurate. And I have plenty of female companions, by the way. That's one reason why I'm in no rush to saddle myself with one woman.”

  “Kylin's a good girl, though. I bet you don't find a lot of those.”

  “I bet she'd be pleased to know she has such a supporter in you,” Wilhelm said.

  “I just know a good match when I see one.” Vala shoved her last hunk of meat into her mouth and continued as she chewed, “You aren't likely to find a girl as nice as her, and she's already accepted your wicked line of work. I bet there aren't a lot of nice girls who'd be willing to overlook that.”

  “Has she accepted it, though? I'm not so sure.” His doubtful reply was followed by a sigh.

  Everyone finished supper around the same time, but Rai was the first to pop out of his chair. He asked, “Can I take Giorgio for a walk around the ship?”

  Wilhelm gave him a nod. “Of course... but keep an eye on him. When he was a puppy, he jumped overboard. I'm not sure he ever learned his lesson.”

  As Rai walked away, whooping with excitement, Wilhelm's gaze wandered back to Kylin. She was pretty, and he did like her, but the idea of a lifelong commitment made him shudder. “If only marriage wasn't a requirement...” he whispered to himself.

  “So...” Kylin cleared her throat, ridding her voice of the hesitation that made it waver. “I'm sure I've said this before, but I want to thank you both for taking us in. Rai might need a moment to adjust to our new home, but I don't want you to think we're ungrateful.”

  “You don't seem ungrateful, and the boy seems fine to me,” Vala said. “Besides, we enjoy having you around... at least, I do. It was gettin' monotonous, seeing this one's face each day.” She jabbed a thumb at Wilhelm. “Even a handsome man's face gets boring after awhile... especially if he's your brother.”

  “I doubt I could get bored of Wilhelm's face,” said Kylin, her cheeks raging red. “And... now that I've said something totally embarrassing, I should probably excuse myself. Thank you for supper.”

  Kylin dropped into a tiny bow and hurried from the room as fast as she could.

  “That girl really adores you,” Vala said. “I have a feeling she would follow you to the ends of the earth and beyond.”

  Wilhelm slicked back his hair and growled at the ceiling. “Can we not talk about Kylin for once? You said you wanted to discuss our next job. Let's talk about that.”

  “Right.” Vala unfolded a newspaper and slapped it on the table in front of Wilhelm. “We haven't been back to Thebes for awhile. I wonder... how much have you been keeping up with current events?”

  “Barely,” her brother replied. “I know the king died, but I'm not much for politics, so I haven't paid much attention to the aftermath.”

  “I'll try to sum it up as best as I can.” Vala drew a deep breath, filling herself with air. It was going to be a long story. “After the death of King James, there was a dispute between Prince Larien, the king's heir, and Prince Edmore, his brother. Edmore claims that Larien is the king's bastard and has no legitimate claim to the throne.”

  Wilhelm tried to follow, but he needed clarification. “Edmore is Larien's... uncle?”

  “Exactly,” Vala said. “And they both want the throne. The old king was a bit senile toward the end. Larien was his Regent for the last two years or so, and I don't think that's changed since his old man met the reaper. However, the Council refuses to crown a king until the dispute between nephew and uncle has been resolved.”

  “And... why should any of this matter to us?” Wilhelm asked.

  Vala's lips were taken over by a mad grin. “Because our next job is big. It's huge. It's easily the biggest we've ever had, and probably the biggest we'll ever get.” Vala lowered her voice, even though there was no one around to overhear her. “Edmore wants us to take out his nephew.”

  “So... we would be forced to take a side.”

  “Aye? But who cares! I'm happy to pick the side that's paying,” Vala said. “If we pulled this off, we'd be making a lot of money.”

  “That part sounds appealing.” Wilhelm leaned forward, his eyebrow raised, his face inquisitive. “Alright then. Just tell me what we need to do.”

  Chapter Four

  WILHELM AND VALA WERE halfway down the gangplank when they heard a shout from Kylin.

  “Wait!” she cried. Her bare feet, recently liberated from Vala's constricting boots, pattered down the wooden plank. She ran so fast, her long, black braid was soaring behind her. She stopped in front of Wilhelm, panting, and threw her arms around him.

  “This is unexpected!” Wilhelm said. “I don't think I did anything to deserve a hug, did I?”

  “No,” Vala agreed, turning away from the embracing couple. “You definitely didn't.”

  Kylin took a moment to catch her breath, and as she did, Wilhelm smoothed back the wisps that had escaped from her braid. “You look scared,” he observed. “What has you in such a panic, sweetheart?”

  Kylin smiled at his nickname for her. Sweetheart. It was a rare treasure to hear a term of endearment from Wilhelm's lips. “I just want you to be careful,” she told him. “Since this morning, I've had an unshakeable feeling that something bad might happen. I'm not an oracle. I'm not psychic, but... my intuition is usually correct.”

  “Don't worry,” Wilhelm said. “When you start worrying, that's when bad things start happening.”

  “Perhaps bad is the wrong word,” Kylin corrected herself. “I have a feeling that something big is going to happen, so... please take care of yourselves.”

  Vala replied, “Will do, love. Thanks for your concern.”

  There was a firmness in Vala's voice that said she was done with the conversation, so Kylin let them go. Not even her pout could make them pause.

  “That girl...” Vala sighed. “Doesn't she realize that all our jobs are dangerous?”

  “Maybe not, but... it's funny to hear her fretting over a pair of assassins. I know she hates what we do.”

  “But we're just too loveable,”
Vala said. “Or rather, you're too loveable. With that handsome face of yours, you could probably convince a nun to fall naked into your arms.”

  Wilhelm scoffed at her claim, then he handed her a flask filled with rum. Spirits were the quickest way to get her thinking about something else.

  The port was only five minutes from Thebes' city center, which was bustling and familiar. Prior to acquiring their ship, the city was Wilhelm and Vala's permanent place of residence, and a map of its streets still lingered in their heads. Though they hadn't returned for at least two years, Wilhelm remembered his way to the pub, where they were supposed to meet their insider.

  “Her name's Kate,” Vala said. “She's a maid in Kenwick Castle. She's supposed to get us inside.”

  “Let's hope she's not lying,” Wilhelm said.

  “That's pretty pessimistic of you. Did Kylin's warning get to you?”

  Wilhelm shook his head. “No, but caution is common sense. I don't surrender my trust too easily.”

  They had been instructed to look for a green scarf, and only one woman was wearing one. Kate was in the back of the pub, swigging from a bottle of hard cider. She was a middle-aged woman, passably handsome, with bright red lips and rosy cheeks. Vala and Wilhelm slipped into her booth, but neither spoke until she identified herself.

  “I'm Kate.” She stuck out a hand, which was captured and kissed by Wilhelm. “Goodness, you're a pretty one! They don't make men like you anymore, do they? How did a charmer become an assassin?” She paused to raise an eyebrow. “You are the assassins, ain't ya?”

  “We are. I'm Wilhelm, and this is my sister, Vala.”

  As Wilhelm confirmed their identities, Kate threw back her head and fanned herself. “My lord, you really are handsome,” she said. “I know we're meeting for business, but there's a part of me that'd rather take you home with me. Please say you aren't taken.”

  “I'm...” Wilhelm glanced at Vala, whose eyebrow hovered on her forehead as she awaited her brother's answer. He finished with a sigh, “I am taken. Sorry.”

  “And yet, you don't sound too happy about that,” Kate said. “If you're ever on the market for another lady, you can find me here.” She grabbed a napkin, scrawled her address in crimson lipstick, and stuffed it into Wilhelm's pocket. “Now... I guess we have other matters to discuss?”

  Vala cleared her throat as loudly as she could, sharing her aggravation with the woman across from her. “We need a way to enter the castle, Kate. You're supposed to provide that.”

  “I am.” Kate tossed a bundle of clothes, haphazardly folded, onto their table. “There. It's a maid's uniform and a soldier's uniform. I'm a maid myself, you know. You'd think I'd be better at folding clothes, but I've been working in the castle for over twenty years. When you have to change a hundred bedsheets every single day, you learn how to fold things in a more time-saving way. Quick and ugly is the only way to do it.”

  Toward the end of Kate's speech, Wilhelm's thoughts drifted. The lady's heaping cleavage was detrimental to his concentration.

  “Anyway, those clothes should get you through the servant's entrance,” Kate continued. “If anyone asks, tell them Kate Klaussen hired you.”

  “You have the authority to hire people?” Vala asked.

  “No... but everyone likes me. If they hear the name Kate, I doubt they'd give you a hassle.”

  Vala accepted Kate's answer with a shrug. The maid's plan was dubious, at best, but they had no better way to enter the castle.

  “Also... I'd like to say that I'm very serious.” As she spoke, Kate leaned across the table to caress Wilhelm's sleeve. “If you ever find yourself in want of a lady, come to Kate. I would be more than happy to keep you company.”

  Vala grunted at Kate's brazenness and dragged her brother from the pub.

  “I can't take you anywhere,” Vala complained. “We were in that pub for two minutes, and you already had a lady begging for your love.”

  Wilhelm didn't reply. He only smirked.

  “I can't believe I have to be a maid.” Vala sneered and held up her uniform. The skirt was black and frayed, and it smelled like Kate's cheap perfume. Vala exaggerated a gag when she sniffed the garment. “I don't want to be a maid. I would rather be a soldier!”

  “They usually don't hire ladies as soldiers, so I think you're out of luck,” Wilhelm said. “If these uniforms get us into the castle, we can't complain.”

  “You're wrong. I can complain. And I will complain.” Vala waved her uniform under Wilhelm's nose. “She obviously didn't wash this. It smells like her.”

  “It's not a bad smell.”

  Vala groaned at her brother's reply. “Well, you're not the one who has to wear it! You actually liked Kate, didn't you? If there wasn't a Kylin, I'm pretty sure you would have hopped into that lady's bed.”

  Wilhelm neither confirmed nor denied his sister's claim, but he was still smirking, and his smug expression said more than enough.

  “Well, let's get changed into these clothes,” Vala said. “Believe me, if the pay wasn't worth it, I wouldn't bother.”

  VALA AND WILHELM SLIPPED into Kenwick Castle very easily, and not a single soul questioned them as they traveled down its winding halls. It was the middle of the night, when soft candlelight danced on the wall. Vala walked ahead of Wilhelm, keeping her eye on the wayspinner's needle. It guided her to the prince's quarters, where she got down on her knees and picked the locked door. When it opened, Wilhelm handed her a crossbow. She was the superior shot, so if they had only one chance to eliminate the prince, she would be the one to take it.

  Prince Larien was so deep in sleep, not even the creaking door could wake him. His mouth was gaping, and his head was cradled by a huge, downy pillow. Vala tiptoed into the room, raising the crossbow as she approached their target's bed.

  Aiming the weapon, she whispered, “It's nothing personal. We're just doing what we were paid to do.”

  Vala drew a breath and fired the bolt. It landed in the center of Larien's head.

  Then she heard a voice, deeper than her brother's. It demanded, “Drop your weapon, or I will kill him.”

  Vala was usually immune to fear, but the ice cold voice put a shiver on her spine. Slowly, with a clenched fist, she turned to greet the speaker.

  Prince Larien was standing in the doorway, aiming a crossbow at Wilhelm's head.

  Chapter Five

  HAD THERE BEEN ONLY one crossbow aiming at them, the assassins might have tried to fight their way out. However, the prince was accompanied by six armed soldiers, each with a long range weapon. Any attempt to escape would have ended in death.

  “Drop your weapons,” the prince demanded, but both of his would-be killers were frozen, stunned by the turn of events. “Why aren't you moving? Are you waiting for me to say please? Drop your weapons now, or you'll get an arrow in the eye.”

  Vala complied first, and Wilhelm followed her lead. As she lowered her crossbow, she pointed at the fresh corpse in Larien's bed. “I don't understand,” she said. “You look exactly like the man in this bed.”

  “We're not exactly alike, but I admit that he's a fairly convincing copy. That man is Eldris, my body double,” Larien said, crossing the room to get a closer look at the body in his bed. “Rather, he was Eldris. It's unfortunate that he had to sacrifice himself, but... better safe than sorry, I suppose.”

  “I still don't understand,” Vala said. “Our device is supposed to point us in the right direction. Why didn't it lead us to you? We—”

  Larien claimed a chair in the corner of the room. Though he sat, his crossbow arm never stopped aiming. “I knew my uncle would eventually send an assassin. I also knew he would hire the best. It took some time to research your tactics, but I did... and I also learned how to combat them.” Turning to one of his guards, he said, “Sir Abelard, show them the mark.”

  Abelard obeyed his master. He ripped open the corpse's shirt, revealing a crusty red symbol on the body double's chest.

  “Eldris wa
s bloodmarked,” Larien explained. “That symbol, written in my blood, tricks the wayspinner into thinking that he is me. I hate that Eldris had to sacrifice himself, but it was the only way to ensure I wouldn't be murdered in my sleep.”

  Vala cocked her head and asked, “Is it too late to say we're sorry?”

  “Try me.” Larien poured himself a glass of wine as he replied to her sarcastic query. Tilting the goblet toward his lips, he added, “I'm a very forgiving man.”

  “Well then... I'm sorry,” Vala winced at her apology. “It isn't as if we wanted to kill you. In fact, had you gotten to us first, we would have been happy to knock off your uncle instead. We go where the money is. You can understand that, right?”

  “Assassins. What a twisted and ugly profession,” Larien criticized them. “In what world should human lives have less value than coin?”

  “We go after bad people... usually,” Vala said. “You're the exception. You seem like a decent man. You're so decent, in fact, that I'm sure you would be willing to let us go?” All of Vala's teeth were exposed by a cheesy—yet oddly charming—grin.

  Larien swirled his wine, chuckled, and said, “I'm afraid that's not going to happen.”

  Wilhelm, who had been silenced by the prince's arrival, finally spoke up. “Are you going to execute us?”

  “No, I'm not going to do that, because unlike you, I don't make a habit of killing people.”

  “Not even people who try to kill you first?” Vala's reply earned her a smack on the arm from Wilhelm.

  “Even then, I can be merciful.” Larien's lips were stretched apart by a yawn. It was, after all, in the middle of the night. “Actually, I have plans for you. I need to discuss something with Abelard. Please sit on the bed while we deliberate.”

  Vala and Wilhelm sat on the end of the bed, not far from Eldris' corpse. A nervous glance was exchanged between sister and brother as Larien conferred with his knight.

  A few minutes later, Larien asked, “Which one of you is more skilled?”