“Put your fists down, Emma, I’m not here to hurt you.”
I recognized the voice immediately, and with that clue, all the rest of it fell into place. The ruff of fur around the collar of the uniform, the brisk, smooth gait, the lanky silhouette, all became familiar. The woman was the Blackbird, an agent of the Blueroser government, skilled in combat, infiltration, and psychic powers. She was also Lady Joyce Alonhall, a rake who had once come very close to getting her fingers around my heart.
“Alonhall,” I said, putting down my fists. “Did you follow me?”
“Of course not,” she said, and though her face was covered up by a mask, I could almost see her pout. “I just happened to cross your path.”
I folded my arms and glared at her, causing her to stop in her tracks. “You just happened to cross my path in a completely different city? By total coincidence, you ended up in the same place I did, out of all the cities and all the neighborhoods in the entirety of Imbrium?”
“I didn’t come here directly,” Alonhall said. “Only got here three days ago. Spent a while disassembling a Cassandran spy ring in Cape Raven.”
I didn’t move. The fear had broken with the revelation of who it was following me, but the fight-or-flight reflex hadn’t retreated, and I realized I had a lot of anger still to deal with. “I don’t believe you,” I said. “I mean, why should I? Seriously, I’d love to hear a reason why I should believe the secret agent and assassin.”
Alonhall circled slowly around me, at enough of a distance calculated to be non-threatening, considering her actions. Then she sighed, and pulled the mask off of her face. It was bizarre, seeing that pale face with the clipped blonde hair and sunken cheeks, the long jaw and heavily lidded eyes, matched with a body clad in an outfit designed for sneaking and fighting. She really had a face meant for lounging, for being decorated with makeup that would inevitably get smeared off when she retired to a secluded place with a well-rounded partner or two. It was, frankly, unfair how attractive I found her.
“Emma… I don’t need to stalk you. I’m not obsessed. And despite what Halflance may have told you, I don’t get my jollies by watching other people do things.”
“You were following me all across Urcos,” I said.
“Because you were involved,” Alonhall said. “If it weren’t for you, Emma darling, there would be no treaty with the Durkahni. Don’t try to tell me that I was stalking you just trying to keep you safe.”
“Sure, sure,” I said. “And that’s why you never told anyone. I’m pretty sure I remember you deliberately handicapping yourself in the middle of a duel to the death rather than risking that I find out the Blackbird was you.”
Alonhall stopped pacing around, averting her eyes from mine while giving a sharp sigh of annoyance. “I’m a government agent, Emma. An assassin, a spy, a thief, a manipulator, and countless other things. Can’t have just anyone finding out. It’s incredibly risky for me to even be standing out here in the open with my mask removed.”
“The Musician nearly killed you,” I said. “You had to run away to the freaking mountains, live in a cave for a week. That’s the part I don’t get, the obsessiveness. It’s not like I’d start telling everyone.”
Alonhall shook her head convulsively. “You’re too involved. Didn’t want your feelings regarding my… secret identity, shall we say, to influence your dealings with the mask.”
“So you wanted me to be in the dark,” I said.
“Don’t phrase it like that, Emma. How would you have reacted if you’d known? Would you have continued to hate me? Would you have refused to work alongside me? Would you have sought me out and tried to berate me for all of my moral and sexual failings?”
I threw up my hands. “I don’t fucking know how I would have reacted, because you spent so long keeping it a secret!”
“Exactly. You don’t know, Emma, and neither did I. And as much as I may love a little bit of drama… can’t have that affecting an important mission, if you get it?”
I sort of understood. But at the same time, I didn’t. Hell, it was entirely possible that if she’d come forward I would have done something stupid. Or maybe her being honest would have shown me that she deserved more credit. But then, if she’d been honest about her intentions, she just wouldn’t be Lady Alonhall, would she?
“So, why approach me now?”
“Oh, that’s much simpler,” Alonhall said. “I wanted to give you a warning. I’m guessing by the fact that your first instinct upon seeing me was to attempt to punch me in the face that you’re unarmed?”
“Yes…?”
Alonhall winced sympathetically. “That’s a mistake, Emma. Carry a sword, a gun, whatever you think you can get away with. This time around it was just me, but that might not be the case next time.”
When Alonhall finished speaking, it left the air feeling dangerous, sharp. She was still faintly smiling, looking as though that were a casual bit of advice and not a terrifying statement of impending danger and death. I was used to both, of course, but that didn’t make it any less frightening.
“Though I suppose with that unique body of yours, you might not need a weapon anyway.”
“Alonhall,” I said, and I made her name sound like a threat. “What, exactly, do I need to be prepared for?”
“I really shouldn’t tell you, Emma,” she said. Alonhall rolled her eyes like a child debating whether to tattle on her friends. “State secrets and all of this and that.”
“Fuck you! You don’t get to walk up to me, tell me I should bring a gun wherever I go, and then not explain why.”
“However, you already know exactly who I am. So I suppose if my superiors find out about you, they’ll have you assassinated regardless of how many other secrets I let you in on.” She snickered. “If you’ve already fucked the queen, why not fuck her daughter on the way out, eh?”
“I loathe that idiom, but if it means you’ll stop messing with me, then I’ll accept it.”
“Of course,” Alonhall said. “Well, there’s something you need to know about my…personas. The Blackbird doesn’t get sent to a new location unless something unpleasant is happening there, something that warrants violence and espionage. Alonhall, on the other hand, has had quite enough of chaos and carnage, and tends to stay in places where there is peace and calm.” She gestured at her clothes. “I came to New Alderburg as the Blackbird.”
“That doesn’t give me any new information,” I said. “What. Kind. Of. Danger?”
“Oh, all sorts,” Alonhall said with a flirtatious smirk. “Human bones found in the river, dozens of skeletons stripped of all flesh. Sudden increases in reports of smuggling and of ghoul activity. Young women, students of the university, found eviscerated in their own homes. And to top it all off, sightings of unknown creatures, hybrids of human and beast.”
“That’s… that’s a lot. Like… a lot, a lot. I guess I do understand why you’re suggesting I should be armed.”
“Told you so.”
I frowned. “Is that it, though? Did they—your superiors—just send you over here because they heard some spooky shit was happening? Is there any sort of connection?”
“Maybe. I might even say probably. It’s very unlikely that all of these things started happening at once by coincidence, after all. But, well, ‘spooky shit’ scares parliament, and when parliament gets scared, they send me.”
“Seems a little unfair to send you in with no idea of what to expect,” I said. “Do they want you to just figure it out?”
“Yes. Emma, it’s sort of my job to put the pieces together like that. I’m rather good at it.”
“Sure, alright,” I said.
Alonhall nodded, then placed the mask back over her head. “Well, it was nice talking to you, Emma. There’s very little time to waste, though, and I probably shouldn’t be seen talking to you. Farewell.”
“Buh-bye,” I said, rolling my eyes. Alonhall started to retreat back into the darkness, moving at a quick jog. Seeing her run off tripped a switch in my head, and I felt suddenly guilty. “Wait!” I said.
Alonhall stopped. “Yes?”
“I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but… I have some experience with this sort of thing. From Urcos, and before that as well.”
“I vaguely remember that the last time you tried to do this sort of thing, you ended up getting challenged to a duel,” Alonhall said.
“Yeah, well, I was new to it then. Had a bit more experience since. I don’t really plan on doing much investigation, having too much fun being normal, but if I happen to see anything…”
“Are you proposing something? I do love myself a proposition.”
I sighed. “Would you stop with the goddamn… Yes, I am proposing something. I’m proposing an alliance. If I see anything, or if it turns out you need my help,”
“Unlikely,” Alonhall muttered.
“I want us to be able to get in contact and share notes.”
Alonhall paused for a long while. “Alright. Offer accepted. Where can I find you, I’ll be sure to check in every week or so.”
I gave her the address of the complex I was staying in, as well as several admonishments to not try figuring out which specific room I was staying in so help me. Alonhall informed me that she was hardly staying in the same place two nights in a row, and that I would have to wait for her to initiate. Asshole. Still, when we said our goodbyes, I felt like I’d made the right choice. Sure, the city streets at night were about five times scarier than they’d been before, but at least I hadn’t fucked up.
I broke out into a sprint in order to get to the streetcar stop before the last car of the night left, and made it with a minute to spare.
…
The next day was Hexaday, which meant no lectures, no meetings with Dr. Tersine, and absolutely nothing to do. So I slept in late. Had a lot of weird dreams that night. Sexual dreams, nervous dreams, frightening dreams about ghouls and half-people stalking me through the night. When I finally rolled out of bed, my thoughts were less on Alonhall’s warning and more on regret over the fact that I hadn’t gotten laid last night.
I lazily dressed myself, fingers lingering on each button of my shirt and the curve of my hips as I secured my pants. The view out the window suggested that it was going to be a beautiful day, warm and bright. Perhaps I’d find a place out by the riverbank, a place where I could sit down and read and relax all day. Or maybe I could go get some errands done; go shopping for clothes, check out the dueling club I’d heard about, get Anna an appreciation gift for taking care of the ouroboros pendant, which I’d started wearing more and more regularly.
Whatever plan I would have decided on, my morning didn’t go uninterrupted long enough to decide on it. I had been out of bed for less than an hour, still slightly groggy and slow-moving, when there was a sharp knock on my door. Before anything else, I went for my sword. There shouldn’t have been anyone knocking at my door: Anna and Unity had keys, and Alonhall had been warned against looking for my room. Alonhall’s warning still weighed heavy in my mind.
The door had only opened a crack when it was shoved open, nearly knocking me back. Standing in the doorway were two officers of the city police. They glared at me from under the brims of their helmets, one having a hand on her sword while the other kept her arms folded behind her back.
“You. Emma Farrier,” said the more relaxed of the two. “Did you know a student at the University by the name of Maria Faith?”
“Yes?” I said. In my head, I was thinking about everything that could have gone wrong. Was this because of the altercation with Laura? Was she secretly married, and my kiss had attracted attention? “What’s going on?”
“You’re coming with us,” said the other guard. “Maria Faith was murdered in her home last night, and you were the last person seen with her.”
Well that happened a lot faster than I had been expecting
Aww poor girl
Ah, that didn't take any time at all
I have suspicions about Tersine. It's still way too early to confirm anything, though. I hope I'm wrong! Being right right now would take all the fun out of it.