* * *
“How long do you think they’ll be?” Olivia asked Kace as the door to their room closed. They could hear Scarlet and Eckard walking across the floor and down the stairs.
“Who knows?” he muttered, sitting down up against the wall. Olivia followed suit as she looked around her. Eight different carpets made up the floor. There were six beds, three on one side of the room and three on the other with plenty of walking space in the middle. All there was in the middle was a small circular table with a vase that had no flowers in it. There were plenty of things all over the walls though. Paintings of people that used to stay in the inn, or of unknown places. Pictures drawn by children of lakes and animals and sunsets. Rusted pitchers and worn shoes. Beautiful necklaces and strange sculptures. Perhaps it was all put there as entertainment. It was certainly interesting to behold. Olivia found herself examining each painting and each item, inspecting every corner and surface, wondering how it was crafted and who the original owner was. She supposed that Remi’s poncho would be added to one of the rooms as another conversation piece, and it suddenly put a bad taste in her mouth. She turned back to Kace next to her.
“So it all worked out for Remi again,” she said. Kace scowled toward the center of the room.
“What are you talking about?”
“Her poncho was taken away, but it’s still going to be put up somewhere in the inn. No matter what happens from here on out, there’s a piece of her in this world. It’s like she’s left a part of her legacy.”
“It does her no good if she dies from the cold.” Kace peeked over at one of the beds where Remi was sound asleep and lightly snoring. He had taken the three blankets from the other beds and placed them over her.
“But people will still hear of who she is. And with that whole spectacle downstairs, the innkeeper will probably tell the story of what happened if someone asks.”
“What does it matter?” Kace snapped. “Why do you care so much?”
“I don’t,” she said in surprise.
“It’s obvious that you do. And it kind of pissed me off how you added to that ‘spectacle’ too. What’s your problem with Remi?”
“I don’t have a problem with her.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” he mumbled, facing the center of the room once more.
“Well, why are you so stricken with her? You’re like in love or something.”
“That’s not it,” he replied. “I meant what I said downstairs. I owe her. The Quietus may be ruthless at times, but we have some honor. For one, we always keep our word. And second, we repay our debts. Besides, I do want to see more of the world.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” she spat back at him.
He closed his eyes. “Jealous?”
“Fine. If you must know…I’m kind of sick of Remi getting all of the attention. I love her. I really do, but she’s still weak. I’m a lot stronger than she is, but everyone dotes on her. I don’t get it.”
“She needs the attention because she can’t handle it all on her own. Can’t you see that?”
“We’re not at home anymore. She should be treated just like anyone else. I thought that was how it was going to be, and that’s why I was fine with leaving with her. We could be equals. But we’re not. She’s still drawing all eyes on her while I remain in the background. No matter how hard I try, I’m still forgettable.”
“It’s because you try too hard. That crap you pulled downstairs? Taking off your poncho with Scarlet and Eckard? You looked like you were a puppet. Like you didn’t have your own brain. It was pathetic. I could understand why you would tell me about Remi’s condition when we first met, but you could have still said it in private. You didn’t have to make that one of the first things you said. Again, it made you look pathetic. Why would I want to hang around someone that’s so desperate for attention that they’ll throw me in the mud to get it?”
“Glad you think so highly of me.”
“No, I don’t,” he said truthfully. “But that doesn’t mean that can’t change. I feel like this is the first real conversation we had. So maybe this can be a fresh start. How’s that sound?”
“Yeah,” she said with a grin. “Can we?”
“Sure,” he said, glancing back at Remi. She hadn’t moved.
“I just have to say one thing. Just so you know.”
“Go ahead.”
“I’m not protecting Remi anymore. If I’m going to be my own person, I really can’t. My life has been tied from her from the beginning, but it’s cut now. It’s fine if you’re there for her, but I’m moving on. Hope you understand.”
“I get that,” he said.
“UGH!” Remi yelled. Kace and Olivia jumped to their feet as she flung the blankets off of her and onto the floor. “I’m all sweaty.”
“Payback,” Kace laughed. “Now you know how it feels.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have done that,” she groaned as she plopped her head back onto the pillow. “Okay, now I’m cold again.” She reached down to pick up them up when vomit spewed out from her mouth. Kace and Olivia jumped back and scrunched up their faces as she wiped the residue on her forearm. She glanced up at them with a weak smile. “Okay, that was gross.”
“Understatement,” Olivia said as she walked around the room, looking for a basin or bucket of water to access. Remi groaned and jumped out of bed, nearly falling onto her knees once her soles hit the floor. Kace rushed to her side and grabbed her clean arm, steadying her.
“Let’s go clean you up. There’s a bathroom at the far end of the hall. You think you can make it that far?”
“I’m going to have to,” she replied as Kace opened the door. He swung it open wide and looked down at her feet to make sure she could still walk while Remi stared straight ahead. Her eyes widened in horror as a man stood before her.
He had dark red eye-shadow around his eyes and thin lips. His hair was slicked back and greased heavily with a black, tar like substance. He wore a three piece dark blue suit and he was so lanky that his face was nearly as thin as a skeleton’s.
She could barely take in his features when he reached forward and wiped a strange, gooey substance onto the middle of her forehead. It burned on contact and Remi shouted in pain. Kace looked up to see the intruder cock back his fist and punch him square in the face. Kace went flying backwards into Remi’s bed. The intruder reached out for Remi’s throat when a blazing hot blade nearly stabbed his stomach. He moved to the side just as the tip cut into his suit’s fabric and then he turned around and ran down the hall.
“Are you okay?” Olivia asked her as she stared at Remi’s forehead. “Geez, that looks bad.”
“It feels terrible,” Remi said, looking back at the unconscious Kace. “But we don’t have time for this. We can’t let him escape.” Remi began running down the hall, still in her thin clothes as she prepared to unsheathe her eidolon. Olivia followed reluctantly, warming up her blade.
“Are you sure you’re up for this?” she asked as they sprinted down the stairs.
“No,” Remi replied, bursting through the inn door. “But whatever happens, you take care of you. Don’t let me hold you back. Even if I faint, you keep up the chase.”
“I’m not going to leave you behind,” she said as they saw the mysterious man running down the street to the right.
“Keep telling yourself that,” Remi said, giving her friend a wink. Olivia gave her a nod and then they both followed the lanky man. Remi grit her teeth as she tried to wipe the strange substance from her forehead. All it did was burn the tips of her fingers. She glanced at it for a second. It looked like a gel, but it had traces of little red squares inside.
What the heck was it? And why had the stranger marked her with it?