Arhyen remained by her side as they began to walk, occasionally herding her in one direction or another, any time they needed to turn down a different street. At first, Liliana worried about losing their way in the darkness. Everything in the area looked the same, even during the day. Without the sun, the bland buildings were entirely unremarkable. Yet, Arhyen seemed to know just where they were going, and soon they reached a more populated area lit with street lamps. He took her arm in his, presumably so she wouldn’t get lost in the growing crowd of nighttime denizens, and Liliana began to relax. She breathed in the heady night air, tinged with a sweet, flowery scent wafting off many of the women they passed. Another scent, more pungent and acrid than the first, hit her nostrils any time they passed an open door.
Arhyen guided her along past many busy establishments filled with laughter and the smell of food. She looked at each one longingly, wishing to go inside. She wanted to be a part of that laugher, and she especially wanted to eat that food, but unfortunately, they kept walking.
Finally, just when she’d almost lost hope, Arhyen stopped in front of a wooden door. There were no windows on the face of the short, brick building, but she could hear conversation and laughter emanating from within. Arhyen knocked on the door, and a little metal hatch she’d failed to notice before slid open. A pair of eyes could be seen peering out at them, then the hatch slid shut, and the door opened.
Arhyen waited while Liliana went in ahead of him, then quickly followed after her. The noise within the place was louder than expected, almost as loud as the train they’d ridden the previous night. The clinking of glasses mingling with the raucous conversation made Liliana feel almost dizzy, and the sensation wasn’t helped along by the thick, hazy air. She noticed several patrons holding cigarettes to their lips, and the acrid smell she’d noticed outside suddenly made sense. Her father had often smoked tobacco from a wooden pipe, but this smoke smelled slightly different, or perhaps she just wasn’t used to such a large amount of it.
“This way,” Arhyen whispered in her ear. He pulled the coat from her shoulders and hung it from a nearby rack.
The man guarding the door eyed Liliana curiously, probably because she’d been staring at the whole scene in awe. He was a full head taller than Arhyen, and twice as wide, with no hair on his lumpy scalp and several scars littering his face. Suddenly terrified that she’d drawn too much of the man’s attention, she hurried ahead of Arhyen in the direction he’d pointed out to her.
Many of the male patrons looked her up and down as she passed, and quite a few of the women too. Some murmured their hellos to Arhyen, and a few inquired about his new lady friend. Joking with a few, but ignoring most, Arhyen placed his hand at the small of Liliana’s back and hustled her through the crowd.
They reached the end of the room, and the long span of wooden bar, to find a curtained doorway. Not bothering to knock or announce himself, Arhyen pushed the curtain aside. Liliana walked through, as instructed, then he followed, allowing the curtain to fall shut behind him.
Inside was a small, dimly lit room with a single table in its center. The table was scattered with cards and poker chips, just like the ones her father had owned. Around the table sat four men and two women. All turned to gaze at them, though Liliana was more entranced by the poker set. She’d thought her father’s had been special, but apparently it was not, as the black, red, and green chips looked exactly the same.
One of the men, with silver hair and a patch over his eye, waved to them in greeting. “I see you’ve brought something far more valuable to bet than coin, Arhyen,” he observed.
Liliana wasn’t quite sure what the man meant, but Arhyen seemed to take it in stride. “Just coin tonight, I’m afraid. This jewel I’m keeping for myself.” He offered her a wink as everyone at the table shifted seats to make available two side by side.
Arhyen approached the table and held one chair out for Liliana, placing her next to one of the women, then took the other seat himself, next to a gangly man with a horribly prominent adam’s apple, and a week’s worth of stubble on his grimy chin.
The stranger seated on Liliana’s left, a woman in her upper years with her hair done up in a prim, gray bun, wearing a black dress with a collar all the way up to her throat, gave Liliana a shrewd look with her hawk-like eyes, then turned her attention back toward the cards in her hands.
Liliana watched as Arhyen reached into his breast pocket and withdrew a wad of bills. He threw them in the center of the table, and eyepatch man pushed a stack of chips toward him.
“Your girl not playing?” eye patch man asked with a crooked grin.
“No,” Arhyen began, but Liliana cleared her throat to interrupt him.
He turned to her, surprise clear in his light brown eyes.
“I know how to play,” she said weakly, suddenly regretting drawing attention to herself.
Arhyen laughed and pushed half of his chips in front of her. “This I’d like to see.”
Those already playing finished their hands, and the chips in the center were pushed toward the unfriendly woman on Liliana’s left. The other woman at the table, many years younger than the first, with strongly rouged lips and dark hair, gathered the cards in her black-gloved hands, expertly shuffled them, then dealt everyone a new hand. Liliana lifted the cards placed in front of her, hoping these people played by the same rules her father had taught her.
The betting began, and she mimicked the others, unsure of how much each chip was worth. Next, cards were exchanged for new ones, more betting ensued, and it was time to show the hands of those remaining in the game, just Arhyen, the gangly man, and all three women, including Liliana. She observed each hand as they were placed upon the table, but was hesitant to act, as she was unsure if these people had different rules.
“You won,” Arhyen commented, somewhat surprised, then laughed.
Eyepatch man pushed the chips in the center toward her, and another round took place. She did her best to keep from grinning. Her father had taught her that one shouldn’t gloat when they won at something, but it was difficult to resist.
As the night wore on, she won several more rounds, and conversation began to pick up. Those around the table spoke of many things, but mainly rumors of occurrences within the city, as well as the business of other people not present.
“I have one,” the gangly man announced, wanting to take a turn at divulging information. “I heard from me butcher that Fairfax Breckenridge has disappeared, and that all the alchemists in the city are after his research.”
If Liliana’s heart wasn’t mechanical, it would have stopped. They were talking about her father. Arhyen cast her a wary glance, then turned to the gangly man. “What would they want with his notes?” he asked curiously. “Surely he researched nothing that the rest of them don’t already know.”
The gangly man shook his head in reply, but another man, one appearing around Arhyen’s age, but wearing suspenders and a top hat, spoke up, “I heard he was researching dangerous compounds for warfare, like smoke bombs, but with a bit more punch.”
Eyepatch man shook his head. “No, that’s not right. I heard he was researching medicine.”
The young woman with the rouged lips leaned forward conspiratorially. “You want to know what I heard?” she asked.
Everyone at the table, save Liliana and the older woman, nodded. “I heard that he was trying to create the essence of the human soul.”
Liliana gasped. She had a dreadful, sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“I also heard he had a daughter,” the woman added, “and the alchemists want to find her too, to see what she knows.”
Liliana did her best to act naturally, but her hands trembled as she re-stacked the chips in front of her. The rouge-lipped woman watched her movements curiously. Liliana turned her gaze down toward the table, unsure of why the woman was watching her so intently.
Arhyen suddenly took her hand in his. “I think it’s time to get my lady to bed,” he an
nounced lasciviously.
The men at the table erupted with laughter, but the rouge-lipped woman continued to watch Liliana. Arhyen helped her to stand, and she was overcome with gratitude, even if she was quite sure that he’d also made a joke at her expense. He could paint her up like a jester for all she cared, if it would get her out of that room.
Eye patch man exchanged their chips for bills, which Arhyen snatched up and stuffed in his pocket. The wad seemed to be thicker than what they’d started out with. He bowed toward the table. “Thanks for the game, gentlemen and ladies.”
They all waved him off as they continued playing, and Arhyen guided Liliana toward the curtain. At the feeling of eyes on her back just before they exited, Liliana glanced over her shoulder to meet the dark gaze of the rouge-lipped woman. The woman offered her a knowing smile, then the curtain swung shut, barring her from Liliana’s view.
“That was . . . interesting,” Arhyen remarked as they left the room behind them.
“We went there for information,” Liliana observed weakly.
Arhyen smirked, placing a hand at the small of her back to guide her forward. “Of course. There’s no other reason to play cards with amateurs.”
Liliana didn’t think the people in the room had been amateurs in the slightest, but she didn’t comment. The exterior room now had a more sleepy feel to it. The conversation was just a dull murmur, and the glasses on the tables were all empty. No one paid them any mind as they walked past.
They reached the door, still guarded by the massive man, and Arhyen retrieved the coat to drape back around her shoulders. The doorman stepped aside and allowed them to venture back out into the night. Liliana heaved a sigh of relief as the cool air hit her face.
“About what they said . . . ” Arhyen trailed off, stopping about a yard away to stand in the halo of a street lamp.
Liliana shook her head, not wanting to discuss it. She took a step closer to him. “They know about me. So what?” she asked defensively.
He frowned. “You may be in danger.”
She started walking, wanting to be as far away from the establishment as possible.
Arhyen had to jog to catch up with her. “I’ll keep you safe,” he assured, then paused. “Starting right now,” he added.
At his words, Liliana glanced around them until her eyes landed on an alleyway across the street. A man in a cloak stood there. His smooth face reflected the moonlight. No, not his face. A mask.
As Liliana and Arhyen watched, the masked man lifted a black gloved hand and waved at them, then turned back down the alleyway and ran. Liliana moved to run after him, but Arhyen caught her arm. “This is clearly a trap,” he growled under his breath.
“But we can’t just let him get away,” she countered.
Arhyen grunted in frustration, then let go of her arm. She was right. They jogged across the street side by side, then took off running down the alleyway where the man had disappeared.
Arhyen knew it was a terrible idea to chase after the masked man, but Liliana had an excellent point. They couldn’t just let him get away. Liliana’s shorter legs were somehow carrying her faster that Arhyen’s could carry him. He pushed himself harder, barreling down the dark alleyway, not wanting Liliana to run into danger ahead of him.
He rounded a corner and came to a sudden halt as Liliana stopped beside him. There was no sign of the masked man. Liliana looked to Arhyen, but something else has caught his eye. There in the moonlight, in the middle of the street, lay a single piece of paper with a rock holding it in place. The wind whipped at the paper’s edges as the pair approached. Neither one speaking, Arhyen knelt to retrieve it.
He stood, his eyes skimming the words written on the parchment. Liliana peeked curiously over his shoulder. For her benefit, he began to read out loud, "My dearest daughter, if you're reading this, I have perished. There may be men looking for you, even now. As you know, my research was very important. It helped make you what you are. It is the reason I have been killed. You must take my journal, you know which one I mean, to a man named Victor Ashdown. He will care for you, just as I have. Liliana, there is one last thing you must remember. You are not human. You cannot live a normal life. Find Victor Ashdown, and he will explain everything."
Liliana looked up to Arhyen with wide eyes as he finished reading. “Why would this man have a note from my father?"
Arhyen stared down at the note with distaste. "There's no way for us to know that this note is actually from your father. This could simply be someone trying to trick us."
Liliana’s eyes shimmered in the moonlight with unshed tears. "But what if it’s real?"
"The first order of business is to find this Victor Ashdown. If we can locate him, then we'll have all of the information we need." He glanced around them as he spoke, but the masked man was gone. He shook his head. “Let's go home."
Liliana nodded somberly.
Feeling like he should say more, but not knowing if it would help, Arhyen led the way back to the street.
They walked together in silence for some time. A cool breeze picked up, making Arhyen glad Liliana still had his coat around her shoulders. He was just preparing to speak, when Liliana cleared her throat, and looked up at him. “How will we find this Victor Ashdown?"
"It shouldn't be too difficult," he assured her, glad she’d spoken first. “There are only so many people in the city, and Victor Ashdown is likely of some importance if your father would entrust him with such a task."
Liliana gazed up at the moon as they walked, not replying right away. He almost thought she wouldn't speak any further, when she said, “I cannot expect you to help me find him. I feel I've already asked far too much than our original bargain implied.”
Arhyen almost laughed, the notion was so ridiculous. He was the one who had lost the journal. If he did not have Lilliana’s memory to aid him, he would have been facing an inevitable death. Ignoring her statement, he replied, “We'll start asking around in the morning. I have some friends in the Postal Service that might have heard his name, but if not, there are many other ways to locate him. Your father expected you to find him on your own, so it shouldn't be a terribly difficult task.”
Liliana fell silent. Her boots were the only sounds as they left the busy district of town. Though it was dark, Arhyen easily navigated the narrow streets that would lead them to his home. He walked cautiously, at any moment expecting another surprise visit from the masked man. He thought of the note now in his pocket, then shook his head. The masked man had already done his job. They would not see him again that night. Yet, if he had been previously hired by Liliana's father to deliver a message, then why had he stolen the journal? Perhaps the note was a fake, and the masked man wanted to lead them to Victor Ashdown for some other reason. Arhyen had no idea what that reason might be. Perhaps Victor Ashdown could tell them.
He glanced at Liliana’s face, illuminated by the soft moonlight. She deserved answers, and he was going to find them for her.
Chapter 7
Arhyen unlocked the numerous locks to the front door, then held it open and waited for Liliana to step inside, once again reminding her of the tripwire. He felt bone tired, despite the long nap he’d taken. As he ventured inside the dark apartment and resealed the door, he realized yet another problem. Liliana stood near the sofa awkwardly. Did she sleep? He felt oddly uncomfortable at the thought of her remaining awake while he slept, even though that had been the situation earlier.
“You can take the bed,” he offered, not wanting to put her on the spot by asking if she needed sleep.
Neither of them had bothered with turning on the lights, but in the dim light shining through the curtained window, he thought he saw a tear run down her face. She hovered near the sofa and her piles of alchemy books, pawing nervously at her hair
He moved toward her, then lifted his hands to comfort her, but hesitated, leaving them hanging in the air, unsure if it was alright to touch her. She looked up at him, allowing the moonlight
to briefly illuminate her face, and the tears that rolled down her cheeks.
With a sigh of resignation, he lifted a hand to her cheek and wiped away the moisture.
She stared at him with wide eyes, seemingly startled by his decision to touch her.
“You should get some rest,” he muttered.
She shook her head. “I don't sleep.”
He glanced at the bed, then back to her. “You could try?”
She seemed to think for a moment, then nodded as more tears fell down her face. He gently guided her toward the bed and pulled back the heavy quilt. She sat stiffly, then slowly laid down, still fully dressed. Feeling a bit like he was taking care of a child, he moved to her feet and started unlacing her boots. He slipped off one boot, then the other, letting her feet fall back to the bed in turn while she stared up at the ceiling.
He placed her boots on the floor, then pulled the blankets over her. Satisfied that she was as comfortable as he could make her, he turned to move toward the sofa, but her voice stopped him.
“I've never laid in a bed before,” she said quietly.
He glanced over his shoulder at her in the darkness. “My Lady, you haven't done many things before. It doesn't mean you shouldn't try them.”
She laughed quietly. “So how does one sleep?”
He moved back to the bed and sat near her feet. “First, you close your eyes,” he instructed. He waited for her to close her eyes, then continued, “Then you take deep, even breaths.”
Her breathing slowed.
“Now you think about something pleasant,” he continued softly.
“Like what?” she murmured.
He laughed quietly. “Like chocolate cake.”
The moonlight illuminated her small smile and closed eyes.
“Just keep thinking about it,” he whispered. He stood and slowly began to back away from the bed. “Then let your mind wander where it may.” Reaching the sofa, he lowered himself to the cushions. “And try not to snore,” he added quietly.
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