Felix relaxed back into the couch, "You're a quick one," he mused, that proud grin dangling on his lips.
Lyla stared at him, trying not to breathe too loudly, afraid the sound would come out as an exhalation of excitement or relief. What were the odds she'd get this lucky
She had to play this right. From what she'd gathered about him, he had an arrogance and pride he couldn't quite hide, and he was a talker.
She widened her eyes, looking at him with glowing admiration and wonder, "I've always wished I could meet an Illusionist," she breathed.
"Is that so?" That was pride in his voice
"Yes, I've read a bit about your gift. It's so cool."
"It is, isn't it?" he spared a glance at Mor, who simply rolled her eyes
"Can you…Can you tell me about it?"
And just like that, like an open faucet, he started talking. Many of the things he said she already knew, but for those she didn't, she tucked the information away, no matter how trivial it seemed.
At some point, Lucien and Mor excused themselves, but she couldn't care less, not when Felix was not only telling but showing her. Seriously, what were the odds?
*
"Felix has always been an idiot when it comes to beautiful women," Mor said once they were surrounded by trees and shadows.
"He knows his limits," Lucien answered casually, leaning on a tree, but she knew he was alert. Prepared for even the slightest oddity
"So do you believe the girl?"
"She seems to be telling the truth about being a protector, but there is still so much she's hiding."
"Then why keep her at your house?"
"Curiosity"
"And?"
Lucien chuckled, "And maybe we can learn something from her that will help our cause."
"She doesn't seem like someone who will willingly share what we might need."
"That's where you come in; it will be easier to trust you."
"Because I'm a woman"
The male only smiled, "That and because you've always been the most convincing of us."
"Fine, but what if she doesn't have anything useful?"
"We get rid of her."
Tucking his hands into his coat, he walked into the darkness.
Lucien had several things he was sure of, and right now, it was the fact that 'Laura' was more than who she claimed to be. The thought of her being a spy from Luminara had crossed his mind, but he wondered if they would risk leaving one of their own on this side? And if they did, then that meant a couple of things.
One, she had to be incredibly skilled for them to be so confident in her; two, maybe she wasn't the only one they sent. Three Luminara was planning something, four the people on the other side were more daring than they let on, and five…he might have to speed up his plans.
Even then, there were still some loopholes, such as how they would have known about the attack in time to prepare someone to come. Had they already had this plan in motion and were just waiting for the right opportunity? Did they stage the attack?
On the chance that she wasn't a spy and she was lost, there was still more to her, and they had this rare chance to get information from the other side.
Another thing that had been bothering him was how the people who planned the attack managed to make a hole in the wall. It had been tried long ago and failed, so how then did they pull this off? Even the six high leaders had to compile their magic to make a vacancy.
Although he had heard rumour that the Keeper had a permanent vacancy in her house, one she could access to visit and stay in Umbraeth. He didn't know how it worked, how the six had been able to keep it open, or even if it stayed open while she was on one side.
There had only ever been one attempt from people to find it, and well…there was no witness to say how that had gone. The culprits had simply disappeared from the face of Luminaraeth.
Lucien hated how lately, he always seemed to have more questions than answers.
The smell of cheap liquor welcomed him before he entered the dingy tavern. Chatter drowned the sound of music played by a slender man on the tiny stage, lively laughter vibrating through the walls, a big contrast to the environment.
Women dressed in tight dresses sat on the laps of financially better-off men, which wasn't by much, but at least they could spare some coin.
He aimed for the corner table where a man was sitting. He needed to be done with this as fast as possible. The smell of piss and puke made the air suffocating.
"Any updates?"
"Not even a hello," the man took a big swig from his mug, making Lucien cringe.
"It isn't that bad, you know," he said, shaking the mug.
Lucien looked at his partner, giving him a flat look that made him chuckle.
"Okay, okay," he leaned in, "nothing yet," another swig, "but I asked around and managed to find a man who knew something…"
Lucien couldn't contain his anticipation as he leaned in closer.
"We located him in Veythar. Guess what we found when we entered his room?"
His hope sank; he knew exactly what his partner suggested: "he was dead."
"Yep, been dead for at least a day. They made it seem like a suicide. The watchers conveniently found his body the next day, ruled it as a suicide, and trashed his body on unmarked land."
"You took it right."
"Of course, already have Livie looking at it."
Lucien nodded, "Be quick. Those bastards might come searching."
"Of course, any news on your side?"
"Nothing"
"How's my sweet Mor doing?"
"She still hates your guts."
He gave a hearty laugh, "They say there's a thin line between love and hate."
Lucien shook his head in amusement. His friend and partner had been chasing after the redhead for years now, and she hadn't deigned to give him a single chance. Leo never minded, though; he always loved a good chase, and Mor was worth the hunt.
Leo brushed his hand through his long, dark blue hair; it had grown longer, and he had come to like it that way. He played with the ring on his lower lip before saying, "This is some weird shit, man, and fucking dangerous too."
"Going soft on me"
He grinned, "You know I love the thrill."
"Worried about Mor? She can handle herself, you know."
"I know, but…" he cursed
"You know I'd never let anything happen to her."
"I know."
"Plus, I've tried many times to give her an out."
"Yeah, that woman is more stubborn than a horse."
Both chuckled
A woman dressed in a tight black dress approached them, smiling seductively at Leo before her hungry eyes settled on Lucien. She leaned, giving him a clear view of her cleavage.
"How about you and me have some fun?"
Lucien seized the woman, "No."
The woman was taken aback by the direct answer, but she recovered quickly, "It'll be a good time, I'm sure your friend won't mind."
Leo grinned mischievously, "I don't."
"See, so how about you and me…"
"Leave"
"Come on, don't…" he stood abruptly, making the woman stumble back
"I'm leaving, keep me posted," he said to his friend
Moving through the crowd, Lucien made his way to the door. There was only so much he could take, and right now, he was in no mood for trivial things. He had just been walking by a table filled with young men when something caught his eye. Some flecks as tiny as sand sat in the middle of the group, glittering in purple, black, and blue.
He halted, looked, and was certain of what he saw. There was only one thing he heard that looked like that…Crystal Ecstasy