by Lisa Daniels
“I was not aware of anyone. Just some sort of strange shadow creature, and it ran off when it couldn’t reach me. Is there any way for you to tell based on the magic you saw? Some way to triangulate or something?”
“Unfortunately, that is – wait!” There was excitement in his voice. “Could you replay up to the point where you noticed the light, please?”
Ivy closed her eyes and focused on the feel of the air around her as the seat swung a little faster. She trained her ear on the voices trying to determine if she had heard them before. One was female and two were male, but she couldn’t tell anything more than that.
“Good gods, they are a very long way away.” Augustin’s voice was very low as he talked.
“Do you know them?” Ivy leaned back.
“Actually, yes, one of them I do know. The other two voices are unfamiliar, but they appear to be working with him. It’s the female who is doing the casting. Since they are working with him, it means that we can trust them, but…” Augustin was mostly muttering to himself, but he now paused, trying to figure out which question to ask first. “Have you ever heard of Hisa?”
Ivy frowned, the name sounding familiar. “I don’t… no, I’ve never met anyone named Hisa, but…” She paused to try to remember where she had heard the name before.
“Do you know anyone from Senones?”
“I’ve never even made it to the continent. Never stopped to ask any of my marks where they were from either, so I am not aware of anyone from there who would be interested in saving my life. I can’t imagine anyone who would be interested in saving me, if you really want to know the truth.”
This was met with a slight sigh, but Augustin said, “So, the question is, what is their interest in you? I am very glad they brought you here, but why?”
“I have no idea. I’m just a thief. I’ve never had a higher purpose, and the only time I was ever of any value was when I was part of the Shrinton Thieves Guild. But I was run out of there, and most of them believe I am dead.”
“Wrong.” Augustin’s voice was firm, bordering on angry.
“No, I was there, I remember.”
“You have always had value, and right now your value is immeasurable.”
Ivy let her shoulders sag. “I don’t need you trying to make me feel better about everything. I know what I am and-”
Suddenly the seat whipped out from under her as the strange noise echoed through the room. Before she could hit the floor, she felt Augustin’s arms catch her.
“I am not saying this to make you feel better, to boost your ego, or to give you a false sense of your importance. You do have value. And we are not doing anything else until you understand that.”
“Yes, I have value in the same way that dirt has value.”
She was placed firmly on the floor, and Augustin pulled away. Ivy turned her head from side to side. “Oh, come on, are you going to pout because I am being honest? Aren’t you too old for that kind of behavior?” Her words were met with an angry silence. “Seriously, Augustin, let’s just get this done so I can see to get you out of here!” Continued silence met her words. In her mind, the white-haired man was standing a few feet away, glaring at her. Her senses told her that he was moving around her, almost like he was stalking prey. “Augustin? I know you haven’t left the room. I can feel you moving around. Just. Talk to me, okay?” Still he said nothing.
Ivy closed her eyes and stretched out her hands as she began to walk forward. “What do you think-” Her foot struck something, and she began to pitch forward. As she expected, arms reached out and caught her. She was righted, and the shifter silently moved away from her. “Augustin, this is not proving anything. Talk to me like we are two adults.”
“Only one of us is. The other is more like a young teen.”
“Hey, I can’t help it that you are so immature for your age, but I’m still willing to talk with you like you are an adult.”
There was a brief snort, but Augustin did not speak.
Ivy began to listen for sounds in the room to figure out where Augustin had gone. “What does it really matter if I have value or not? You need to get out of here because your friends are looking for you. That isn’t going to happen if you sit here trying to force me to acknowledge something which you will never convince me is true. Also, I think they are planning to go to Senones. I’m guessing they will want you to join them, then you can find out why they saved me.”
There was an intake of breath when she mentioned his friends, and Ivy turned toward the noise. Her hands were outstretched as she tried to move forward. This time she moved her foot more slowly, feeling the ground in front of her. “Augustin, please-”
She felt something behind her. Quickly spinning, she tried to face him. Reaching out a hand, Ivy tried to touch him to see if she had sensed him correctly. When her hands met nothing, Ivy tried to use logic on him. “Augustin, aren’t we supposed to be getting my sight back? How is this helping?”
A hand grabbed hers. “You have to realize your value because everything that you do is contingent upon you realizing your worth. Why should I help a creature with no value do anything?”
Ivy frowned, “Because you promised you would.”
“What is such a promise worth to something with no value?”
“You should want to keep your word despite what I am.”
“You don’t even have any idea what you are.”
“I’ve had over three decades to learn that I am nothing special. That the world would probably be a better place without me, but I am too selfish to give in to that. And that makes me worse than valueless.”
It felt like the room heated up for a moment, then there was the loud sound of exhaling.
“You know I am right, and that is why you are so frustrated.”
“I know that you are wrong, but my abilities to help you in any meaningful way are incredibly limited here.” A hand slipped into hers.
Ivy squeezed the hand, finally feeling more stable. “Please don’t do that again. I feel lost when I don’t even know where you are.”
“I will promise not to do that again, if you will agree to try to find your worth. No, I don’t want an argument, I mean it. If you want me to stay within easy reach, I need to know that you will try to see you the way I see you.”
For a moment, Ivy pondered what he was saying. How does he see me? Am I just some sort of project while he is bored? A pathetic excuse of a person who has fallen into his path? Why does he care? Without having any other choice, Ivy agreed. “If you can show me why I matter, I promise that I will try to see in me what you see.”
He gave her hand a squeeze. “Thank you. And just so you know,” he brushed a bit of hair out of her face, “you looked cute, like a little lost lamb. If you don’t follow through with your end of the deal, I will have to resort to that again. A little part of me kind of hopes you do.”
“Are you flirting with me?” Ivy gave him a sideways look. He tried to let go of her hand, but she squeezed it tighter as she picked on him. “I didn’t know that someone so old could be interested. Here I was thinking I had lost my charms since none of the men I was with while looking for you showed any interest.”
“I apologize. You did look so helpless, I can’t imagine that it is something you show often.”
“Oh, you think I hide my insecurities, do you?”
“I know you do.”
Ivy laughed, “How is it that you shifters can so easily see through me?”
“It’s easy for – wait, what do you mean by that?”
“I always thought I hid that kind of thing very well.”
“Not really. But I meant when you said ‘you shifters’ a bit ago. Do you know a lot of shifters?”
“Actually, that’s a funny story. The first shifter I was ever aware was a shifter was named Ash, and I met him a few days ago.”
“Ash? Tall, broad shoulders, dark green hair?”
“Yes. I told you that your friends were looking for
you.” Ivy tilted her head to the side and tried to remember exactly what she had told him. “I could have sworn I told you, Augustin. They are looking for you, well, not Ash, but the rest of them. They plan to find you first then Noely said that they are going to Senones, and-”
Augustin’s voice was different as he cut her off. “Noely? You know what happened to Noely?” His hands were on Ivy’s wrists.
Shocked, she stammered, “Yes, she, Cyprian, and Anani are looking for you. They-”
Augustin’s hands dropped and it sounded like he had staggered backward. “They are looking for me. Dear gods, we-we have to get out of here before anything happens to them.”
“Wait, what are you talking about?”
Augustin pulled her into a hug. “She’s still alive. Thank the gods, Noely is still alive. I’m sorry, I can’t-” Suddenly Ivy’s mouth was covered. Her mind reeled while she tried to process what was going on. Augustin was kissing her. For a moment, she stood still. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck.
As soon as she reacted, he pulled back. “I am so sorry. I couldn’t help it. That is – I can’t believe it. And she’s with Cyprian. Oh gods….”
“It’s every bit as bad as you would think.”
“You would think after so long, they would be able to find common ground. She always is so stubborn, and he will never assert himself when she is involved.”
“Yeah, they have certainly moved past that. They haven’t just found common ground, they’ve found a common bed wherever they go.” Her face flushed. “Noely makes no bones about talking about what kind of lover he is. Almost makes me jealous because he is incredibly good-looking. A little psycho, though. I liked Ash better.” She realized that Augustin was only half listening to her.
“Oh gods…” The man was silent for a few moments. “Well, good for them. It’s about damn time. And you say Anani has come back?”
“Yeah, Ash called him because he had to chase after a woman.”
“Anani was chasing after a woman? Has he finally gotten over Zandra?”
“Huh? What? No, Ash is chasing after a woman. A human actually. She’s a medic.”
Augustin groaned, “I had hoped that he would have grown out of that by now. Especially if Hisa is really in Senones.”
Ivy sighed, “Oh, he’s quite serious about her, despite how recently they met. Ash called Anani in, but I’m not sure how helpful Anani can be.”
“Oh gods, gods, gods. This is… I am so sorry, Ivy, but I don’t know if we can be patient right now. Their lives are in danger.”
“What do you need me to do?” Ivy gave him a smile, knowing full well what he meant.
Two strong arms pulled her into a hug. “Thank you so much, Ivy. Regardless of what happens, I owe you everything.”
“Well, actually, I’m not really big about putting things on hold either. So, if you want to pay me right now, I would take another kiss, then we can call it even.”
Augustin stood still for a moment. “I don’t think I heard you right.”
“Your reaction tells me that you heard what I said exactly right. Another kiss, and we can call it even.”
“Are you-are you certain you want to be kissed by such an old man?”
“You’ve already done it once. I just want to find out if you can manage something a little more passionate after all these years.” She felt her face flush as she said it. Ivy had no idea why she felt so embarrassed, but it was too late to take it back now.
Augustin was motionless for a moment, then he slowly pulled back from her. Ivy felt disappointment flood through her until a hand was placed on her face. Augustin’s mouth slowly met hers, causing her to gasp when his lips finally touched hers. His lips were cool, but not unpleasant, and they warmed up the longer they touched hers. Her hands slid over his shoulders and around his neck. Her mind was so focused on how warm and solid he felt, not at all like she imagined an old man should feel. His hand stroked her bangs and behind her neck. His other hand slid around her hip, pulling her body to his. Ivy responded by taking a sharp breath and pushing her body into his. She opened her mouth a little, inviting his tongue into her mouth. For a moment, she felt his tongue slide in, but it quickly slipped back out.
Augustin stepped back. “I apologize. I got a little carried away, and I took advantage of your request.”
Ivy wanted to tell him that she didn’t mind, that she wanted so much more, but he took her hand. “You need to get some sleep. We will focus on restoring your vision. Once your sight is restored, we will get out of here and stop them before something happens.”
“Augustin…” Ivy had so many thoughts running through her head that she wasn’t quite sure where to start.
“It’s okay, you don’t need to say it. I understand. Now let’s make sure you are comfortable. I think I know what we need to do, but it is going to take a bit to get your vision back.” He leaned forward and gave her a small peck on her forehead. “Thank you so much. You have given me hope for the first time in years. Thank you, Ivy.”
All she could do was nod. The familiar sound was followed by Augustin gently picking her up and putting her down. Ivy hoped he would join her, but she couldn’t tell where he was. She didn’t feel his arms when he put her down, and she suspected it was to make sure that he didn’t get too close to her again.
Ivy closed her eyes, wondering just what was going to happen. Clearly Augustin was surprised that Noely was still alive. Who was she to him if Cyprian was her lover?
Giving her head a small shake, the thief tried to stop thinking about the future and thought about the way Augustin felt when he kissed her. An old man. The man you finally fall in love with is an old man. There is something seriously wrong with you, Ivy. A smile spread across her face as tiredness tugged at her consciousness. At least he’s really sweet, and very caring.
Feeling conflicted, Ivy finally drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 10
Worth Dying For
Ivy had no idea how much time passed. Every day seemed to be the same. Augustin was distracted and he was only half aware of their conversations, making her feel as if her primary role was pretty much over. Part of her wished that she had never said anything about his friends. The shifter was so much different now that he knew. Another part of her wished that she had told him on the first day. Then she wouldn’t have gotten her hopes up that he was actually going to be there for her like he had promised. She wasn’t about to bring it up either. It was obvious that the man had suffered a lot, and this was the chance for him to finally be free again. As much as she wanted to remind him of his promise, she couldn’t bear to take away his excitement about the prospect of getting out.
Several weeks went by, but nothing seemed to change. As hard as she tried, Ivy didn’t seem able to make her eyes work again. She tried doing something similar to when she repaired her hand, but it didn’t work. These attempts always happened at night when she was lying down to sleep. She would think about the room as she had seen it when Augustin had shown Ivy her sudden arrival. Every morning she was disappointed when she opened her eyes to darkness.
Augustin tried to give her guidance on healing, but he said that every species healed differently, so his method likely did not work for her. The more time passed, the more frustrated Ivy got with herself. She learned not to criticize herself in front of Augustin, so she internalized her thoughts, constantly reminding herself how often she failed.
You always do this, don’t you. When you need to be on your game, you blow it every time. Every damn time. She was standing near what Augustin had said was a door, but she had not touched it. Until she could see it, Ivy didn’t want to create bias as to what she should see. Her thoughts were dark as she stared into the darkness.
A warm hand took hers. “What are you doing there?”
Ivy wanted to squeeze his hand, but decided it was best to keep him at arm’s length. Like the other shifters, he exhibited an ability to read her thoughts, and she didn’t want to
be reprimanded again. At least that is what she told herself. The truth was it would be that much harder to adapt if she got comfortable with him now. “I’m just frustrated.”
A hand patted her shoulder, then moved away. “It can be frustrating, but you will get it.” Ivy heard him turn to walk somewhere else in the hallway. She had learned her way around without him through some parts of the prison. They were in the hall not far from the room where they spent most of their time. She had learned where Ester spent most of her time, but they largely avoided each other – Ester because there was no reason to get close to a thief, and Ivy because she didn’t want to do anything to offend the powerful woman.
Ivy had spent some time trying to find the various things that Augustin offered her for sitting and sleeping, but neither in her memory of the room nor her exploration turned anything up. Ester had muttered something about everything being made of metal and causing her some discomfort. For some reason, the experienced medic was not interested in sitting on whatever Augustin had to offer. Ivy was intrigued by the fact that she could never find anywhere comfortable to sit when Augustin went out exploring on his own. However, she didn’t feel she could complain considering he was always willing to give it up when she needed to sleep. She hadn’t bothered to ask what there was left to explore of the prison.
“Well, I think that is enough for today. Why don’t we get you back to the room so you can rest? I would like to go check a couple of things.”
“Augustin?” Ivy wrapped her hand around his, which he always offered her when he felt the work was done.
“Yes?” He pulled her gently back toward the room.
“What exactly are you exploring?”
“I could show you a bit, if you would be willing to touch the door.”
“Really? How?”
He shifted their direction. “Here, I will demonstrate.” He placed her hand on the door. There were numerous markings and carvings in it. The entire thing was metal, and it felt warm. “Do you feel that?”