The crowd was growing. More and more people were filling the streets and moving towards the Centre. Nikkita was currently caught behind a rather larger group of rowdy kids that were just old enough to be considered adults. She huffed to herself. As was customary for the Celebration of Heroes, they were all dressed in clothes of various bright colors. However, this group seemed to be of the working class as none of it was very fine or properly fitted to them.

Still, she felt a twinge in her heart at their capricious fun. She closed her eyes willing the dark envy away. It was a bright day. The sun was high in the sky. Shadows had no business on the streets this day.

Yet, here she was.

Across street was nearing ahead of the group. It would be her best chance to pass the group before her. She quickened her pace and moved to one side. As soon as they hit the intersection she nearly ran around them and settled back into a quick walk ahead of them. They didn’t notice her. She didn’t want them to.

Her side was still throbbing. She had to watch her step carefully else she set it thrumming with intensified pain. Her hands swayed gently at her sides. The Centre was only a couple more blocks away. The street she was on was one of the seven that lead straight to it. Going the other direction lead to a district full of grand homes where people lavished in luxury.

Well, people that could afford to own slaves did. Slaves generally always lived in poor conditions. Even in all the fancy houses they had cupboard rooms or worse.

Nikkita’s own Master lived in that area, several blocks away. His home was one of the nicest there. A very expensive manse with fountains, gardens, and more nonsense that he really didn’t seem to need. Let alone did he deserve any of it.

Her narrowed her eyes at her own thoughts. They were useless thoughts, even if she thought them too often to count. She forced herself to live in the moment.

The heat of the sun beat down on her and she could already feel herself starting to sweat. In the white clothes it wasn’t as bad as it could be, but it was uncomfortable. It also reflected off the glass of the windows in the buildings around her. She glared right back a particularly bright glint from the building on the corner ahead of her.

One more block. She could see how the Centre was filling quickly now. She sent out a quick thought to her twin, ‘I’m a block away.’

Dominique had target watch. It would be u to her where to meet.

Before Nikkita heard her sister’s response, she caught sight of a reflection of light that nearly blinded her. It sent a sharp sting through her eyes and made her stop, jerking her head away from it. Almost as soon as she did so, she stopped herself and looked for where it came from. Ahead. It had been ahead of her.

She stood stone still, only moving her eyes carefully to scan what was ahead of her. The reflection had not been off of a window; it was too small. She searched for the source, but the people on the street continued moving and her view was constantly shifting.

After a few moments she cursed under her breath and started walking again. Her eyes kept shifting through the sights ahead as if she could still find where that annoying glare had come from. She couldn’t pick out anything special though. She couldn’t see much more than just the different people flowing through the street. Now that she was near the end of the block that opened onto the Centre, the pace of movement was slowed. More people were gathering into groups conversing, laughing, and enjoying themselves.

Now she was weaving between these groups. Shifting her body carefully to step around them or squeeze between bodies. There were advantages to having a slight frame. Even though twisting her torso set an ache through her left side.

When Nikkita had finally broken into an opening, she was several feet into the open area of the Centre. The fountain was several feet ahead of her and a little to her right.

With a frown and shaking of her head, she gave up her search for that flash of light. There was just too much chaos to track it properly.

The area around the fountain was still surprisingly free of people, so she headed towards it. As she walked she took note of everything around her. Mostly, she was looking for her twin. Dominique wasn’t near enough to spot. However, a taller, older gentleman dressed smartly, if not richly, caught her eye.

He was facing towards the podium at the other end of the Centre; which gave her a clear view of his profile. He wore his dark brown hair unusually long. It didn’t appear to be going gray yet, but it still seemed that it had once been a rich color in his youth. His feather wear sharp, almost severe even, and he was frowning deeply. He stood nearly rigid; his figure was full, but not overweight. Those dark brown eyes were intent on the distance even as his thick eyebrows drew lower.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

In his dark gray suit, there was nothing remarkable about him.

Still, Nikkita swallowed. Her heart was racing in her chest. Goosebumps prickled at the back of her neck. Her body sang with warning. It told her to run, to flee. Told her that she should be far, far away from this man. More than anything, she didn’t want him to look at her.

She didn’t even realize as she took a step back, her arms bending slightly as to be ready to fight or defend.

When the city bell clanged out the noon-hour she actually gasped and pulled herself back another step. It rang again and the man she was still staring at for some forsaken reason like a fool turned.

Instantly his eyes locked onto hers.

That gaze.

Nikkita couldn’t bring herself to even breathe. All the tension she bundled up to fight or flee vanished. Her heart seemed to nearly stop as if even it’s unseen movement would bring whatever terror down on her. Sweat slicked her skin and chilled her. She couldn’t hold in the shiver it caused.

There they stood eyes locked on each other as the people around them moved more purposefully towards the far end of the Centre. Nikkita couldn’t hear any of it. As if she had gone deaf, she didn’t hear the chattering. She couldn’t hear the bells continuing to toll. Anything outside her direct focus was a blur. Just swirls of color that meant nothing to her scramble mind.

It was only a few moments, but the ire in his face faded into a cool, calculating look. The staring match went on, but slowly Nikkita became more aware of herself and the bodies closing in. Her hand twitched. His pale lips curved slightly at the ends. Not true amusement, but almost. He looked her up and down with intense assessment. She blinked as soon as his eyes left her and when they opened again she saw it. There on the lapel of his tunic was a somewhat large breastpin. Just a simple oval about the size of a goose egg in which she could see her own reflection.

It made her mouth throat tighten, that little mirror. Even from the distance, and even as the angle of it was wrong, she was staring at herself in that mirror. A tendril or recognition and another of thought tickled the back of her mind but couldn’t break through the primal instinct she had fallen into.

The bells gave a final chime and his eyes met hers again.

I’m staring at a god, the thought flashed through her. She didn’t know where it came from. It wasn’t Dominique’s voice, but she didn’t believe in the gods. A ridiculous series of stories that had no proof and were merely parables to teach children. They weren’t real. They weren’t.

Her gut told her differently.

The sounds of the crowd came roaring back into her ears. He smiled a little more widely then nodded his head slightly before he turned and walked away.

She physically jolted at his departure. She lurched forward a step, her hands lifted into fists at waist height, and her shoulders lifted in tension. It felt like she she couldn’t get enough air as she gasped for each breath in heavy pants.

Fa’ual. Blue and green eyes closed tightly as Nikkita pulled herself upright and force her body to relax. Her side was throbbing deeply with each breath pound of her heart. She she opened them again he was gone. Completely lost to her sight. Also, the Centre had nearly packed full. Many people were around the fountain, and people weren’t moving any further forward in the space between it and the stage.

A few colorful words hissed out of her and she reached a wordless thought out to her sister. Dominique was already there, though, walking around the back of the fountain. She looked incredibly annoyed and folded her arms as she came to a stop in front of Nikkita.

“I can’t believe you’re just standing here, Nik.” Dominique was nearly seething.

Nikkita put a hand to her aching left side, “I… I um,” she looked away from the reflection of blue and green eyes, to the ground next to her sister. Her usually aggression was gone. Had she really just had a staring match with the god of truth and lies? He had looked so angry, and what was that smile before he left? The hammering of her heart fading, to instead again become a light and quick ta-too. Sh looked back up, “I think I just saw something I couldn’t have seen, Dom.”

Dominique scowled, pulling her lips back to flash her teeth. She only bared them for half a second, but it still mad Nikkita wince. She was the hot-headed angry one. Dominique didn’t get riled up like that. But she knew why her twin was so irritated, and before Dominique could say anything, she broke in, “Not now. I know, I had expected to get to you sooner. Let’s just get into position. Where is Caspius?”

Still glaring, Dominique answered in clipped tones, “He’s up at the front. There’s too many people in the way to get near him again now.”

Nikkita nodded and, without conferring, they made for the fountain to wait out the speech. There they each stepped up onto the edge of the bowl. Standing there they could see over the crowd before them. There was still a great deal of chattering voices around them, but it was quieter now and fading quickly.

A man was standing on the platform waiting patiently for people to settled down. Nikkita had keen eyes, and even at the far ends of the Centre, she could see the features of Argullas Svellen clearly. She stood straight, but at his age he was still slightly stooped. He had a small polite smile on his weathered face.

While the crowd finished setting, she shifted her gaze around the the people nearest the platform. Dominique had said he was at the front.

Right on cue, Dominique’s gentle voice drifted into her mind, ‘He was near the street behind the platform when you said you were a block away.’

Nikkita didn’t respond but she did concentrate her attention where Dominique had said. Dominique had done most of the work studying the target, but Nikkita had spent enough time helping to know what Caspius Morrowan looked like. Of course, the man was so tall, he was hard to miss.

He wasn’t there anymore. She slowly scanned around there searching farther out slowly. There is was! He had moved to the corner of the street that lead towards the Daerune. Likely, he would make his way there after the speech. Others would as well to get good seats.

She frowned as the last of the conversation faded when Argullas began to speak.