Chapter 10: Four is a Party

It was a struggle getting out of bed. Quite a literal one. As I tried to sit up, I had to shove half of the redhead's body off me as she groaned in protest. Finally swiveling my feet to the floor, I reached up and stretched, my back protesting. At least I had some limbering up this morning. I hadn't thought I slept poorly last night, but apparently, I hadn't moved, and everything was stiff. Or maybe I was just older than I thought.

"I'm getting up." I grabbed my old clothes that had been tossed on the floor the night before and wiped the sweat off my face. I needed to bathe soon as I didn't get to do one last night. Okay, I felt a little gross, but it wasn't too bad. 

Walking over to my wardrobe, I started dressing, and Five groaned wordlessly from the bed, still not quite able to move. Part of that had to do with the restraints I hadn't untied yet. I looked over to check, but she seemed to enjoy herself as she lay slightly contorted underneath a folded blanket. Her eyes glazed over. 

Practiced hands slid weapons into harnesses in a pattern that I paid a little more attention to this morning. So far, everything had gone just fine when I was acting by instinct, but I wanted to have myself ready for anything in particular. I made careful note of where each slit in my clothes was and how to draw each contraption. After I had a good idea, I went through and checked each vial for some sort of label or identification. 

I did find dates that I assumed were expiration dates, but I wasn't sure which poisons went on which needles or which ones were antidotes. I'd have to figure that out soon. Maybe One would be able to help me. I packed a little bit extra in a small travel bag that I tied to my waist. Knowing that I needed to travel soon, I wanted to be ready for any opportunity. It would be interesting to see how quickly the people here could make the trip happen. 

Then I went to Five and, with gentle fingers, untied her wrists and ankles. She could have gotten out by herself, surely, but she smiled up at me. The smile showed an infinitely more docile version of what she was several hours ago. She wiggled into a kneeling position in front of me as I gently rubbed some feeling back into her wrists. 

"Thank you, master." She said, holding her hand out. "I hope you had a good night's sleep." 

I just gave her a small smile. Five was the most extreme of the three Numbered I had met so far. Nine was timid, stoic, and dutiful. One... Well, One was special. I could tell her fierce intelligence at a glance, and her strange, devoted loyalty was something else. But Five, Five was psychotic. 

I mean, to be fair, they all were. But Five had a special brand of crazy, one that I hadn't figured out yet, and honestly, it frightened me a little. I was just glad she was on my side. I think. 

We made it down to breakfast. Five served me as I sat in the little cafe-like lounge that was apparently my exclusive breakfast chamber. I wasn't sure when she would eat, but she didn't lay out a plate for herself, and I didn't offer. Soon, I hoped that I'd be able to have breakfast with her, with each of them. I just needed more time to learn about them before I broke my cover. 

For now, I assumed that maybe she snuck some food in while she was getting the plates from the kitchen. Why didn't that maid just drop off food like the day before in my study? I wasn't sure, but they all were terrified of Five, so I didn't question it. 

After I had a little bit of my toast, I mentioned to Five to break the silence that I would be going on a trip and that I needed to get to the neighboring country's capital as soon as could be arranged. 

She just smiled at the request in a way that made my skin crawl with the cold amusement in her eyes. Clearly, she knew what my goal was, and she had precisely negative qualms about it. 

"I'll make sure everything is ready, master," she said and gave me a polite curtsy and winked at me as she turned to leave me for my breakfast. As I started in on the food again, I didn't have anything to do besides reflect on the strange dream I had had last night. 

I was completely certain that it had been real. Not just the dream had been real; I had had it and hadn't imagined it happening as a dream, but I talked to real people. My memory of that dream was too vivid, too real to be anything else. It just didn't make sense otherwise. So, I had to act as if it was real. Besides, it was just speeding up something that I probably had to do anyway.

But at the same time, if I accepted it as gospel, then there would be so many more complications in my life. Starring into my eggs, I thought. Trying to figure out this organization would be enough of a problem. But that was just the beginning. Did I have some hidden masters that had some sort of blackmail on me that I owed allegiance to? Or was it more along the lines of allies? 

It seemed like James was on my level, and I was doing him a favor if he owed me one. But the old man organizing it definitely seemed to be, if not a superior of some sort, definitely a first among equals. It was clear that I belonged to some sort of secret order or shadow organization. But that wasn't it. We had talked about 'our world' being invaded. It was unclear if it was James also, but I assume since he cared about a king in our world that he was in this world. 

But the way the old man said, it sounded like we weren't the only world in question. That was only further backed up by an invasion from outside the world. Some sort of empire. It was too much to take in right now, and I'd have to gently probe One for more information. Or maybe go to a library and see if I could find anything about that in history. It sounded like we were good guys, but the fact that I was an extremely capable assassin whose own organization feared my wrong movement kind of led me to believe otherwise. But maybe it was relative. 

There was just too much to fully unpack right now, and I needed more information. Otherwise, I'd be left speculating wildly and endlessly. When I finished my meal, Five still wasn't back. But I stood up and was about to head out the door to my office to see if I could continue going through the material based on what One had told me to prepare for doing my job. Five returned right as I was about to leave. 

"This way, master," she said and led me through a new set of corridors that I did my best to put in my mind. And for the first time, I saw the outside. 

Squinting up, I saw a few stray clouds in the brilliant blue sky. The sun shining through cast down bright light over a field of oak trees off in the distance. We were at the top of a little hill, and as far as I could see, there was nothing but forest in front of us. A single road snuck through, gently curving around in the other direction. Behind me sat a dark castle that couldn't have been more cliché if I had tried to build it myself. Where the black stone had come from, I had no idea. 

Standing in the sun felt weird as if I was slightly tired. But that wasn't it; all around me, sharp shadows were cast in the bright light, and I could feel my affinity with them in a sort of familiar way. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but the two carriages, each pulled by a team of six horses, standing in the castle's little oval driveway, took all of my attention. 

Five touched my shoulder. She gave me a soft smile before she turned around and headed back inside. Leaving me alone with the three women standing in front of the front carriage. A coachman sat in the driver's seat, ready to go, and a few servants piled into the rear carriage. I saw several bits of luggage packed onto the top of each vehicle. 

Looking at the women, I recognized two of them. With a smile, I walked down the small flight of stairs to get to the three women waiting by the front carriage. One greeted me with a curtsy and a smile. "Hello, master."

"Good to see you this morning." Nine echoed, and so did the third woman. She was also a beauty, having dark black hair similar to Nine. But instead of the vivid eyes and forgettable face, she had a cute nose button nose with a sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of it. She wore black silks and a smile that right now looked a little forced, but any other time would steal the heart of any unsuspecting man. 

I paused for a split second, waiting for an introduction before remembering that I should know who this was. I racked my brains for an idea, and judging based on the notebook that contained my schedule, she was probably Four. She was supposed to attend to me this evening, and apparently, she, One, and Nine were coming with me. 

I didn't question the arrangements. Seeing that if I hadn't asked at all and Five had set everything else, I couldn't complain. These assumptions made me think this was standard protocol for how I traveled, taking the next three Numbered up in rotation with me on a trip. I would need to ask One about why the next six of the Numbered that I hadn't met hadn't shown up in the rotation yet. 

Four opened the carriage door for me as I walked in. Inside, I found a rather spacious compartment with four padded seats, two facing forward, two facing back, and storage space underneath the seats and what looked to be folding beds pushed up against the walls above our heads. It would be a couple of days' ride, and they appeared to have fully prepared everything. 

I sat in one in the far seat facing forward, and the other three women followed me in. Nine closed the door as she sat in the last seat, Kitty-corner for me. She knocked on the front of the carriage, and I heard the driver snap the reins, and we began to move forward at a walk. 

A slightly awkward silence filled the air as all three of my Numbered just looked at me passively. I wasn't sure what to say, and I was trying to figure out what would be a reasonable conversation to start when One surprised me. After taking off the light jacket, One laid it across her lap and gently grabbed my arm. Pulling it up and over her shoulder, she snuggled into my chest without really thinking. I wrapped my arm around her and tucked it into the side of her waist, pulling her a little closer as she snuggled in. 

Looking up. I saw the stunned gazes of Four and Nine staring at my fingers wrapped around the now-frozen One's waist. She looked up at me slightly, the tilt of her head, and I could feel the smallest shrug of her shoulder into me. Then she relaxed, and a brief bit of rock-hard muscle under my finger returned to being yielding flesh. Had my hand been a little too far? It did seem a bit out of character for me. Or was it One pushing it too far?