“You just showed me.” Suzy sighed again and smiled to herself. “Besides, you look a lot like someone I met not long ago, and I’m starting to think there was more to him than meets the eye.”
“Greene?” Cai asked.
Suzy nodded. “He didn’t look comfortable in clothes. Just like you.” She looked over at Cai. The light of the city blended with the glow of her candelabra and outlined his form. She could feel the heat of his body even without touching him. She wanted to reach out and put her hands on him, but first she needed to know exactly who, or what, he was.
Just as she opened her mouth to ask, a tingle at the nape of her neck made her turn back to the window. She saw only rain, but she had the impression of a new presence, not far away. Her tattoo began to itch again. Suzy rose, padded over to the window, and looked out. She’d planned to see if there was any sign of more strange men, but when she looked down at the street, she could not hold back a curse.
Cai materialized next to her and she cursed again, this time in surprise. Damn, he moved fast. He’d gone from resting on the bed to standing next to her in one second flat.
“What is wrong?” he asked.
Suzy pointed down at the street where five individuals stood in a semicircle, just below her window. In the gloom they looked like shadows, featureless and still, but Suzy had the distinct impression that they were looking up at her. She could not tell anything about them other than that they wore dark clothes and, of course, that they were bad news. There was no reason for five persons to stand outside her flat at this time of the day. Or in this weather. Or in any weather at all.
“They’re just standing there,” Suzy whispered. “I think they’re looking up at my window. Do you think they can see us?”
“Of course,” Cai said as if Suzy had asked if they had arms and legs.
“What are they up to? They’re giving me the creeps. Someone’s going to call the cops. In fact, I’m calling them right now.”
“Few can see them,” Cai said. “You’d need a mark, or belong to a faction.”
Suzy, on her way towards her phone, stopped. “A fraction of what?”
“They’re no reason for alarm,” Cai said. “They are waiting for us. For you, that is. Because you agreed to doing the task.”
Suzy blinked. “I did a what when?”
“I overheard the phone call,” Cai said. “I’m impressed. You are a brave woman. Both beautiful and bold.”
“Hold up.” Suzy pressed a hand to her forehead. “I remember the guy on the phone saying something about a task. Some kind of parcel, right?”
“Precisely.”
“And I hung up on him.”
“Did he ask you for help?” Cai asked.
“Yeah.” Suzy shook her head. “He asked me if I’d do the right thing. That was surreal.”
“And you said ‘sure’, I believe.”
“But that – no, wait.” Suzy turned on Cai. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I’m afraid,” he said, “things are already in motion.”
Suzy shook her head “Nothing’s in motion as far as I’m concerned. And no one told me it was dangerous.” A thought struck her. “Don’t tell me it’s about drugs. In that case, I am so not doing this.”
“Drugs?” Cai looked confused. “Of course not. You are to receive the medallion of – ”
“Yeah, I got that bit. I thought that was code for something. Is it really a painting? Or are we talking about actual jewellery? Not stolen, I hope. Bloody hell, I can’t believe I agreed to this. I didn’t agree, but I guess I did anyway. Is that right?”
“To be honest, it’s a little different to – ”
Suzy shook her head. “Let’s get it over with,” she said and rose. She wanted this out of the way. There were too many things to take in. Delivering a message, they’d said. They couldn’t have been more vague, but it sounded as if it involved lots of walking. That called for a pair of sensible shoes. Suzy dug under the bed and produced one low Dr Marten. Its other half had to be close.
“What arms do you plan to take?” Cai asked.
Suzy paused in her search and glanced along the bed at Cai. “Huh?”
“What arms with you bring? For protection, I mean.”
“Protection from what?”
“I’ll come with you,” Cai said. “At least as far as I can. But there’s a risk their champion will track you down before it is over.”
“I’m totally lost now.”
“Oh dear.” Cai looked miserable. “Haven’t you studied the texts? How else did you acquire the mark.”
“The – oh, you mean the tattoo? I got it at a studio. I found the pattern in a book.”
Cai looked at Suzy and waited.
“...and that book,” Suzy continued, “I, um, sold. To a pawn shop. Hey, no need for that face. I couldn’t have known it was valuable.”
“That book,” Cai said softly, “held all the knowledge about your chosen path.”
Suzy leaned close to Cai, daring him to argue. “I – haven’t – chosen – anything. All I know is I got a tattoo, cue insanity and danger. Who’s this champion you mentioned?” She definitely didn’t like the sound of that. She imagined more thugs, hiding in alleys and closets.
“It’s a sacred tradition, old as the moon. A ritual, I think you would call it. The messenger needs to bring the medallion to safety before the other forces claim it. If they do, the entire world is in danger.”
“This is madness.” Suzy said. Her head felt light, and the room threatened to begin to spin around her. “Who’s this messenger?”
Cai bit his lip and spread his hands apologetically. “You, of course.”
*
Dear Reader...
My sincere thanks for reading these stories.
If you have the time, please do not hesitate to visit Amazon and write a few words. Your contribution would be hugely appreciated.
Yours,
Also by Dorian Mayfair:
A New Orleans Haunting - An Erotic Gothic Short Story (Suzy's Adventures Part 1)
Strangers in the Woods - An Erotic Gothic Novelette (Suzy's Adventures Part 2)
Midnight in Brooklyn - An Erotic Gothic Novelette (Suzy's Adventures Part 3)
The Secret Mistress - An Erotic Victorian Novelette
All books by Dorian Mayfair
Moonlight Meetings - Three Erotic Supernatural Stories (The three first stories from Suzy's Adventures) Page 10