I returned to the room; Freya hid under the bed, releasing loud meows while Zanzabarr sat anxiously by the door with his leash dropped by his large paws, wanting to go for a walk. I smiled as I scratched the fur around his thick neck, then latched the leash onto his harness. Making sure Freya had enough food, water, and her papers were changed in the temporary box, I left. Exiting the elevator, Zanzabarr growled at an older woman who stood out in the hall, waiting for the lift; she shrieked in a loud cry, holding her small Pomeranian that yapped at the wolf who growled through his muzzle.
“Sorry, Ma’am.” I veered around her, pulling Zanzabarr away.
“I’m reporting you, you shouldn’t have that breed as a pet!” the woman argued, squirming into the small space of the lift, “It’s illegal, you know!”
“Yeah-yeah? Well, the raccoon around your neck called, it wants its fur back!” I mocked her dark green two-piece, pant-suit that was decorated with a fur collar and gold buttons. Turning away, I tapped on the window overlooking the pub inside; the ding of the elevator was no longer a distraction.
Lady D sat at the table, listening to the clanking of dishes in the kitchen, when she heard someone tapping on the window. Turning her head, she saw her daughter’s small face peeking through the panels, beckoning her outside. She shook her head, seeing Zanzabarr sitting beside her, panting. Grabbing her purse, she stood, placing the chair back in its place near the table, then gave a brief wave toward Ellen that shouted to come back anytime. Standing in the lobby, Lady D watched as patrons entering the Inn, veered around Zanzabarr; his yellow eyes scanned everyone passing by, watching as they avoided his large size.
“Come on.” she suggested.
“Yes please.” I tugged Zanzabarr’s leash.
Tourists, pedestrians, and potential refugees thronged the old cobblestone streets. There were many steampunk storefronts with antique shops thrown in between and together, all of the architecture blended perfectly together. Some buildings still operated with electricity, supported by grand generators or level 5 Electrokinetic Demons that jumped started the fuses with limitless electrical surges. I could sense the energy as it tickled down my spine, reaching out to my half-breed nature. Others ran on steam operated generators, you could see the hot steam rising above the rooftops along with the loud and grinding pumps and buzzing behind the buildings. Occasional storefronts displayed their futuristic holographic billboards and technology.
“I have to get one of those!” I pointed, walking by a store that was selling new phones and gadgets.
“You most certainly are not.” Lady D chuckled, “You’ve got more than enough.”
“Buzzkill.” I nudged her, “Besides, all of my gadgets are back in the Great City, so…maybe later.” I grinned.
Continuing through the streets, the overwhelming energy given off from passing Demons and Immortals, created a loud buzzing in my ear, and I couldn’t help but invade on their thoughts while offering respectful nods. It was such a relief because scattered among the rush were many half-breeds like myself. Growing a faint grin, I felt at ease. For now.
Steam-powered vehicles belonging to the 1900s Victorian era, drove up and down the streets while several shuttle buses had taken up the narrow streets. Hovercrafts too, flew about over the rooftops and passing vehicles, creating an awe-struck and shocking reaction for my mom and me, as we stood observing their power booster engines beneath the crafts. Strolling through town, we admired the architecture still standing then stumbled upon the business no one seemed to have seen. The outside was terribly filthy, requiring a very thorough clean, and through the dirt, I scarcely made out the faded, bold lettering.
WELCOME TO WH REALTY & TOUR GUIDE SERVICES
I removed the card from my satchel, handing it to my mom.
Her eyes read the address written, then she glanced up at the building. She stepped back, examining the buildings both left and right of the establishment along the street; all ran in four digits. The facade of the business was out of place with old, cracked red brick.
“Well, I’m guessing this is the place, hence the address.” she gestured toward the building.
“Yeah, but how ironic is the address? Yes Mommy, I know it’s just a number, but you’d think they’d keep it cleaner, right? I mean, are they even open?” I attempted to peek through the window. Rubbing the outer glass, dust crumbled from the surface, “Ugh, that’s disgusting.” I complained, then my eyes caught a glimpse of someone pacing inside, “There’s someone in there.” I backed away, standing next to my mom, dusting my hands together, wanting to rid the feeling of gritty debris.
“Hmm.” Lady D groaned, tucking the card in the pocket of her skirt, “Let’s go inside and see if he can help us. Mary, she suggested him, and this place, so she must know him enough to have referred him. And, if this is a portal to Hell, then well, he must be the Devil.” she grinned, looking at her daughter.
“That’s not funny.” I chuckled, then glanced at Zanzabarr who paced, taking in all the scents of the street; his nose was pressed against the pavement through his muzzle, sniffing the ground, “Zanzabarr.” I called out, followed by a loud and affirmative heeling whistle which he adhered to, followed by a tug of his leash toward me.
Walking through the door, a small bell loudly rang above our heads, alerting the man of our entry. Glancing around the, uh, office, it was cramped. A large fake plant blocked the light that came in through the window to our right. Maps covered the wall to the left of the room, marked with stars locating all of the popular tourist destinations. To the right, was an old L-shaped bookshelf in the corner that took up most of the wall space. Antique books worn with age, both leather, or cloth bound bindings looked as if they hadn’t been touched in years. Rolled parchments were neatly shoved upon each other on one of the other shelves.
Dust covered everything, even cobwebs hung in the corners.
But the key feature of the room was an old black desk in the center of the office space. Stacks of papers and folders sat on its surface, with a small lamp peeking its way through the mess and it too, had cobwebs hanging from it. There were two chairs placed in front of the desk, as if the man had known he would be receiving visitors. A hefty, somewhat heavy-set man in his early 40s with dark blonde-light brown, thinning hair and a trimmed mustache, sat in a creaking chair. Glasses were positioned on the ridge of his nose, aiding him in the reading of papers he held in hand, papers of which he momentarily laid down, when glancing in our direction.
“I don’t like this.” my words telepathically spoke to my mom.
Stacking the papers before him in a sloppy heap, he greeted in a jolly, but raspy voice,
“Hello, may I help you?” he leaned forward, creaking his chair continuously.
“I believe a friend of yours, Mary, highly recommended your, uh…” Lady D answered, quickly taking a step forward, “well, services.”
“What services would that be?” he looked at her above his glasses.
“Finding permanent lodging for my daughter and I.” she stated herself clearly.
“Clearly, she didn’t mean anything else!” I snapped, sitting my large wolf by the door. Approaching the desk, I leered at the man.
He nodded, then looked away, thinking a moment.
“Mary, yes, yes she’s a good friend indeed.” he smiled, “So, before we get started, where are the two of you from?” his hands reached into a drawer to his right, removing a notepad.
“Why?” Lady D questioned.
“Just in case I need to contact someone there, that’s all.” the man replied, “To verify who you are.”
“The Great City.” I added firmly.
“The Great City?” he seemed surprised, lowering the notepad. He was aware of the events taking place, “A lot of changes are happening there, and not good ones. You’re lucky the both of you had escaped when you did, being a half-breed…” his eyes studied the young woman then glanced at her mother, “and a magical practitioner.” he didn’t bother requesting information.
“Excuse me?” Lady D objected.
“Please, please…” he held out his hands in a friendly manner, “I didn’t mean anything by it, nor did I mean how that sounded. Forgive me loves, please. It’s been a long day.” he shook his head.
“Yes, my mom’s mortal and yes, I’m a half-breed!” I boldly proclaimed, “Congratulations on figuring that out, warlock, so what does this have to do with you helping us?!”
The man slowly stood, pushing the chair away from the desk, hitting the wall close behind him. Staring in her eyes, he then glanced at Lady D, before veering past the young woman’s petite shoulder, toward her large wolf.
“I’m a warlock, yes.” he raised his hand, revealing a ring on the pinky finger of his right hand; the metal glistened off rare strings of light. The sigil though, was too small to identify, “Having to hide what you are from others, is difficult. I can and do, understand your fear and you young lady, aren’t the first half-breed I’ve met. Just the first I’d be helping, that is all.”
“Mmm.” I scoffed.
“All right, let’s move onto more pleasant matters.” he took his left hand, gesturing toward the bookshelf in the corner, “I think I may have what you’re looking for on that shelf.” he then tugged at the collar of his striped shirt, loosening his tie, “Is it me, or is it getting hot in here?” he shuffled away from the desk.
“Really? I haven’t noticed.” I grinned.
Lady D said nothing, reaching out her right hand, pinching her daughter’s arm.
“Ow, what the f…” I looked at her, rubbing my arm. The look in her eyes and expression on her face, said enough, “What?! I didn’t do anything.” I muttered softly, shrugging quickly.
The man squeezed around the ledge of the desk, making his way toward the bookshelf. When he was sitting down, you wouldn’t have been able to judge his height but now that he was walking across the room, he was at least 6 feet. His blue eyes scanned the shelves, while his fingers ran over the old parchments and books, before removing one of each from its place. Turning, he smiled at the two women, then returned to his desk. Gently tucking the scroll and book under his arm, he attempted to clear his desk of all the dusty papers and old files stuffed with documents.
“Please forgive the mess. I’ve been away on business and I didn’t find out until just this very morning, that…” he huffed, “my office aide called in sick.” he shook his head, “Can’t rely on anyone these days.” he huffed.
“Looks like the office aide hasn’t cleaned for ages.” I muttered, then flashed a quick smile.
Lady D sighed, closing her eyes.
The man said nothing more and once clearing his desk of the last stack of papers and folders, it was then my dark eyes took notice of a carving, deep into the wood, of a large arcane sigil with various markings within it.
What it meant, I was unsure, but the warlock immediately slammed the parchment and book forcibly atop the surface of the desk, as if trying to conceal it from my view. He rolled out the parchment, weighing it down with paperweights.
His mannerisms revealed he was nervous, but his silence was more unsettling.
Dust flew everywhere upon the constant disturbance of the papers and folders. Waving our hands, we blew the dust away from our faces, and if I didn’t know any better, I felt a sneeze coming on but I managed to contain it. Zanzabarr, however, released a blunt snort while pawing at his nose through the muzzle.
The man kindly apologized, as he too, waved the dust away.
“I deeply apologize, it’s just been quite some time since I have had the opportunity to glance through these.” he grinned.
“Are you sure it hasn’t been centuries?” I innocently looked away, scratching behind my left ear.
Giving a glance in her direction, he ignored the remark.
Lady D firmly nudged her with her right elbow, but her loud thoughts were pretty clear, thoughts of disappointment.
“My goodness, where are my manners?” the hefty man stood, straightening his posture, “My name is William Harley, but you can call me Billy.” he reached out, shaking their hands, calling attention away from minor distractions, “Please, sit.” he gestured at the chairs, then gently pushed the parchment toward them, before flipping through the book.
“May I ask you a question?” I crossed my legs, “Billy?”
“You may. Within reason.” he glanced at her above the rim of his glasses.
“What’s up with your address? The server at the Inn thought we were crazy coming to a place like this with that particular set of numbers.” I leaned forward, tapping my fingers on my knee.
“A number is just a number, is it not?” he answered bluntly, “I meant it as a joke, really. It doesn’t affect my business or any of my clientele.”
“Clearly.” I expressed sarcastically.
“Yzavela, that’s enough!” Lady D’s voice grew agitated.
Billy squinted, flashing a faint grin growing on the corner of his mouth, noticing the young woman’s sarcasm, “SHE IS A VERY SARCASTIC LITTLE BIRD, YOU’LL BE QUITE THE CHALLENGE FOR THE IMMORTAL, INDEED.” he thought, then glanced back at the books’ pages. He didn’t realize that the young woman had intruded in on his mental string of words.”
“IMMORTAL? WHAT THE F*CK IS GOING ON HERE?!” I thought, adjusting myself in the chair. Glancing over my shoulder toward Zanzabarr, he laid by the door, keeping his eyes fixed upon Billy’s every move.
Lady D leaned forward, examining the parchment that was a map, similar to those pinned or framed on the wall to her left. But this one marked housing locations and communities.
Billy opened the left drawer of his desk, retrieving several brochures, sliding them across the desk toward the women. He leaned back in his chair, resting his elbow on the arm, just watching and studying them.
I didn’t know if he took this seriously, making it sound like we sought places for a luxury vacation, but I knew my mom made it clear we were searching permanent lodging. Not just a site-seeing tour, but hey, I’ve said enough for the time being, so whatever.
Skimming through the brochures, more so my mom than I, my eyes wandered toward the symbol carved on the desk that was hidden beneath the parchment. Inconspicuously, I slowly reached out my left hand, attempting to lift the corner of the parchment, hoping to catch another glimpse of it, to study it further, but my mom gently laid her hand over mine.
“Yzavela, sweetheart, stop it.” she whispered then her voice reached out telepathically, “Be nice.” her stern look affirmed her plea.
“I am BEING NICE.” I spoke through a smile then glanced at Billy, he sat in the chair the rocked slightly, watching our little mother-daughter moment, “Sorry. This happens a lot.”
Studying her rather strangely, Billy offered a friendly smile. Breaking his gaze, he tapped the arms of the chair then stood, excusing himself, needing a moment to use the restroom. He received smiles then turned.
I watched him, he stumbled toward an alcove partitioned off, blocking off views of the storage room and restroom but once he disappeared around the corner, he was out of line of view.
Billy entered the storage room.
Dawdling around for 5 minutes, standing on a small footstool at a window overlooking the back parts of the adjacent walls and buildings across the way, a narrow space stood between them. Muttering a loud enough chant to be heard among the fleeing winds sweeping through the alley, he summoned for a Raven in a brief Latin incantation. Stepping off the footstool, he waited for the bird to arrive, writing on a piece of paper he snapped into existence. Removing a pen from his pocket of his loose trousers, he wrote words in a magical ink, leaving the contents invisible to the eye, except for the one to which it was addressed. In a quick script, he wrote:
“Greetings, Marxus.
I know it’s been quite a long time since we have dealt business, but I wanted to inform you that I think I have found the one you’ve been searching for. There’s a young woman in my store, a half-breed and Sir, she NOTICED the arcane sigil on the desk. She’s here with her mother, a mortal practitioner like myself, and they’re searching for lodging. With that said, and with your permission, I will send them to the Isle. And have no worries, Mr. Castillion…I will make all of the necessary arrangements, they should arrive in maybe a week, or less, give or take. But Marxus, Sir I must warn you, the young woman is special. Strange, and too smart in the mouth, but special. Your servant and friend,
-William”
Rolling the parchment, he waited, then heard loud squawks. Glancing at the window, a Raven appeared on the windowsill, squawking and stretching out its wings as it hopped in place. Billy reached out, speaking softly to it, stroking its soft black feathers. It gently pecked at his hand as he attached the rolled parchment to its foot before he carefully took its body in his hands. Stepping foot back on the footstool, he raised the bird to the window instructing firmly,
“Fly with haste, little one, fly with haste!” he gently tossed the bird into the air, watching it fly above the buildings and their rooftops. Billy’s view of the sky was obstructed by the building across the way but he knew the Raven would deliver his message promptly. Closing his eyes, taking deep breaths, he opened his mind and it was as if he flew alongside the bird that flapped tirelessly, soaring above the town of Whitehaven, then across the Irish Sea disappearing deep into a thick blanket of fog, delivering the message to the man of the Isle. However, once the bird passed through the fog, his telepathic connection was broken. Shaking his head, grunting as he took a step off the stool, he needed to return to the office.
“Geez, what the hell is taking the man so long? Did he flush himself down the toilet into the sea or something?” I huffed in complaint, growing anxious, I was tired of waiting and the games, “It’s been like what?! Ten minutes?!”
“Depends on what he’s doing. He’s a hefty man, so you gotta go-you gotta go.” Lady D teased, leaning in.
“Right.” I moaned then looked toward the partition, hearing a door open and close, followed the sound of a flushing toilet.
“I apologize for that, lunch didn’t seem to agree with me.” he announced, patting his stomach, “Now.” he took his seat, “Did you choose a place you’d like to go? There are many.”
“Billy, Sir…my mom and I aren’t on a vacation!” I objected, abruptly standing, throwing the brochures onto the desk. I grew tempted to just set them ablaze, “We came here because Mary, a fellow magical practitioner like you and my mom had claimed you could help but god damn it, you’re not taking any of this seriously! We need your help, and you’re treating this as if it’s all fun and games! Do you think this is fun and games when you’re chased out of your home late at night, with no idea of where you’re going next or if you’ll be caught and tortured because of what you are?! Or hunted down like animals?! Because this…” I gestured around, “this is bullsh*t!”
Turning in her chair, looking up at her daughter, in a loud voice Lady D proclaimed firmly,
“Yzavela, I understand you’re a half-breed and just naturally hot-tempered, but you know better. Watch your god damn temper and sit down!” she pointed at the empty chair, “Now!”
“No, Ma’am…” Billy waved his right hand toward the mother, trying to calm her mood, “it’s all right, let her vent.”
“No, it is not!” she stood, facing her daughter, “She’s raised better than that, half-Demon or not. Now you and I both know what happens when you get angrier than this, now sit down. Please.” she glared at her with anger, worry and much disappointment in her brown eyes.
Clenching my fists, I released a heavy sigh. Taking my seat, I apologized softly, clearing my throat.
“It’s not me you have to apologize to.” Lady D seated herself once more, listening to the sincerity in her daughter’s voice. After her words were accepted, Lady D continued after the tension in the room passed, “William, look…despite her outburst, my daughter is right. There was a mass evacuation in the city yes, and hundreds of residents lost everything dear to them yes, including lives and loved ones, you have to understand that there was hardly enough time to grab the things we escaped with, including our pets. We were, and still are, terrified of what’s ahead of us, so you can’t blame us if we’re jumpy or perhaps in some cases…” she looked at her daughter who sat quietly next to her, “a little hot-tempered. So I too, apologize for our cautious and paranoid behavior. You presented us with the map, book and brochures yes, and showed us areas yes, but we don’t know where any of these places are. We’re not familiar with these parts of the U.K, so if you can just give us a recommendation or point us in the right direction, it’s greatly appreciated. We understand things take time, so if you need to contact us, we are staying at The Night Table Inn and Pub, room 268 but we might not be there for long, because we’re hoping to move on before we’re discovered. Let’s face it, we do stand out.” she stood, “I think enough has been said, so we’ll take our leave. Have a pleasant afternoon, William.” she turned, waiting for her daughter who quickly stood, approaching her wolf.
“Ladies, wait!” Billy abruptly stood, reaching out his hands. He watched as the two women turned to him, looking at him curiously, “I understand what you’re going through, I do, and I honestly can’t imagine the fear you’re facing but yes, you do stand out, especially with your hound.” his blue eyes gazed upon the black canine, heeled by the young woman’s side.
“Wolf.” I announced.
“Wolf, apologies.” Billy bowed his head, “But he alone calls for attention and unfortunately, not the kind you need, so please, take a seat.” he gestured at the chairs a second time. He waited, watching as the women shared a glance between them then grinned, as they returned to the chairs, taking the offered seat, “There is a place and well…” he closed the book and pushed aside the parchment, “you wouldn’t find it on any map or in any guide book.” he raised his pale eyebrows.
“Meaning?” Lady D questioned.
“This place, it’s…hidden from sight, but very much there. It’s extremely secluded from the public, and protected by ancient magic that I have never heard of. However, it requires special admission.” he clasped his hands in front of him, placing them on the desk.
“Sounds like a cult.” I scoffed, folding my arms.
“It is not, I assure you.” Billy cut her words short, “It’s a place of beauty, magnificence, and is highly safe. It’s owned by an old friend of mine, you should feel safe and welcomed there with no problems.”
“And why is that?!” I leaned forward, “Billy.”
“Because half-breed, there are Demons, Immortals, Wraiths, Lycynians and other magical practitioners that reside there. Even several half-breeds such as yourself that might share in your hot-tempered nature.” Billy stared deeply into her eyes.
“Half-breeds like me, I doubt that.” I mocked, “But it sounds like a zoo, taking in all the strays of the world.”
“Wait, Lycynians?” Lady D wondered, “What are they?”
Billy looked at the woman, seeing her ignorance of their kind.
“Um…” he groaned, “they’re nasty and unnatural creatures. Think werewolves but not like those predicted in movies and whatnot, but their scent, bloody hell, is unbearable like a dog that’s extra wet and dirty.” he watched as the two women had attempted imagining the scent, “Precisely.” he pointed, seeing their facial expressions were of disgust.
“Well…does this place allow pets?” Lady D worried.
“They’re part of our family, we’re not going anywhere if we can’t take them with us to this…zoo-island.” I added, bluntly referring to Freya and Zanzabarr.
“Absolutely. They have many animals and pets there, even a large barn and elaborate stables with the most magnificent horses.” Billy gushed with admiration, “There are Demons that communicate with them, it’s quite the place in which you and your hound will be welcome.”
“Wolf.” I snapped, making his breed clear, “He’s…a wolf!”
“Wolf, again I apologize.” Billy smiled, “This island is also residential with a village square, shops, Inn and Pub, harbor and everything else you need for an island community. All I’ll say more on the place is this, you’ll be given lodging free of charge, but in return, you must give back in any way that you can.”
“And what ways would that be?!” Lady D argued with great concern and curiosity.
“Not in the ways you’re thinking of, Ma’am.” Billy shook his head, “If you have a talent or skill that’s useful to the Isle, that is your contribution.” he paused, hearing a beeping from his pocket watch, “Excuse me.” he removed the timepiece, and noticed the time was later than he expected, “Wow, that’s the hour already?” he announced in a huff, “I’m sorry ladies, but I have other things I need to tend to. I will make all of the arrangements which should take a week, maybe less but that depends on the availability of my contacts, and their forms of transportation. I will send word when everything is ready, yes?” he stood with a smile.
“All right.” Lady D muttered, feeling as if they were rushed out of the office, “Thank you.”
“No worries.” he showed them to the door, “And in case we don’t see each other again, travel safely and it was a pleasure.” he shook their hands.
“You too.” I grinned.
Nodding, he closed the door in a hard slam, locking it quickly.
“I don’t trust him.” I turned, looking back at the office space.
“We don’t have much of a choice anymore.” Lady D answered.
Billy drew the shades, but peeked through a gap against the window, watching as the two women walked down the street. Reaching up, grabbing onto the bell, the annoying ringing had become bothersome. Turning away, he rushed toward the desk, beginning to reach out the CONTACTS he spoke of, while the glamour of the establishment, faded around him.
Returning to the Inn, Freya had bravely greeted us upon our entry, meowing loudly in complaint by our 3-4 hour absence. The small black feline rubbed across our ankles, purring and flickering her tail, before meowing as Lady D reached out her hands, sweeping her into her arms.
After the feline and canine were given their dinner, both my mom and I ventured back downstairs to order takeout. While we waited, however, we discussed the possibilities that were taking place in the Great City at that very moment. Feeling the sense of dread and painful memories of the previous night and that of our escape, we attempted focusing on much more pleasant things, laughing about something humorous.
Ellen emerged from kitchen, carrying two takeout bags. As she approached the two laughing women, she grew a wide smile for their laughter was contagious.
“Everything all right?” she handed them the bags.
“Ye-yes, thank you.” Lady D cleared her throat.
“Just something we found a little funny, that’s all.” I added.
“Well, whatever it was, it’s good to hear laughter in this place, everyone ’ere is bloody dreadful and depressing.” the server complained, glancing back toward the bar where men sat, “But, what can we do, you know?” she shrugged, looking back at the women, “Enjoy your dinner ladies, and have yourselves a lovely evening.” she lowered her head, then turned but just before she walked too far away, she called out to the women as she turned to them once more, “Oh, by the way, did you ever find the business you were looking for?! The one with the strange address?!”
“You know what, it turns out the person who wrote it down, obliviously didn’t realize it had closed.” I answered in a calm demeanor, “Shame too, but thanks for asking.”
“No worries.” she waved then returned to the kitchen, loudly yelling at the chefs who dropped a set of dishes she had just stacked moments before the takeout delivery.
Looking at my mom, we shrugged then returned to our room.
As Billy locked the doors of the establishment that had taken its empty facade from the outside, a man appeared behind him, hidden in the shadows.
“William.” his deep voice spoke.
Startled, Billy turned, dropping the office keys, observing the Immortal Marxus Castillion, emerging from the shadows. He stood alongside the desk, tall and elegant, like a man of great respect. And he was.
“Bloody hell, you gave me a fright!” Billy sighed, then knelt down, picking up the keys that jangled loudly in his hands.
Examining the small space that cleared out all of the interior illusion, Marxus answered bluntly, rasping with a Spaniard accent.
“Apologies for the sudden fright, but I’m not here for a social visit, William.” he affirmed, “I’m here because I received your message earlier this evening.” he looked around, “And I see this place still hasn’t been cleaned.” he ran his fingers along the desk’s surface, raising his left eyebrow, leaving clean lines through the thick layers of dust.
“Yes, well…” Billy mumbled, tilting his head, “we both know it’s a mock-up and we both know you didn’t come to discuss my illusions or tricks.” he grinned, “And may I say Sir, you’re looking very elegant this evening. Special occasion?” his blue eyes studied the man’s appearance in high admiration.
“No, I’m not.” Marxus stated firmly, ignoring Billy’s innocent comment, “Are things in order?” he made direct eye contact.
“Yes. Give or take a week, or so, maybe sooner.” Billy walked over, placing the keys on the desk.
“Very good, then I will make the proper preparations on the Isle. Now, tell me more about the women, more importantly about the young woman. You stated in your letter that she’s a half-breed?” Marxus grew curious, because he remembered his dragon’s vision about a half-breed. Pulling a chair close, he reluctantly sat, after dusting off its surface.
“Oh, yes.” Billy muttered, pulling the other chair close, “Well, first of all things, she noticed the symbol on the desk, the one you had created for your vague search.” he rested his right hand atop the bare desk, leaving behind a handprint among the dust, “But that’s not all, I don’t think.”
“Oh?” Marxus inquired, elegantly crossing his legs.
“There was a moment where she became agitated and I swear Marxus, with my own eyes, I saw a flicker of flame in hers. It wasn’t a glare off my glasses or hers either.” Billy finished.
“A flame in her eyes, you say?” Marxus mumbled, reflecting the man’s words, “Hmm.” he stood, pleased that everything was falling into place, “All right.” he turned, removing a black velvet pouch from his pocket, laying it on the table between himself and Billy. Thousands of dollars could be made on the collections market from the high-quality silver coins hidden inside.
“While the offer is greatly appreciated…” Billy gently took the pouch off the table, “I must decline, because I never ask for payment.” he handed the pouch back to the Immortal.
Holding it in hand, Marxus nodded. Hiding the pouch back in his pocket, he shifted his feet to turn away, but added over his shoulder.
“Once you’ve heard from your contact, let me know.”
“I will.” Billy grinned, then watched as Marxus disappeared. Sighing heavily, he turned away, pacing around the office before he too, left; the business became nothing more than another closed office looking for lease among the line of other empty spaces.
Marxus was aware that the wheels were in motion and that his quest was concluded, but what he wasn’t aware of, was the strength of the young woman’s personality or even that of her blended heritage. Surely, though, he would find out. He returned to the island that slept, preparing to inform the old, great dragon, that SHE was coming.
And soon.
“Soon, Blue One...soon the Isle will have its new Keeper.” he whispered.
“Indeed.” the dragon muttered verbally, without the movement of its scaled lips.
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