Kaid, you need to wake up NOW.
The words echoed with urgency, spoken over and over in his head yet there was no physical urgency on his end. There wasn’t, simply because he couldn’t. His thoughts, dreams, and reality had been purposefully scattered. When he finally felt his body shake gently awake, hearing the sound of crashing waves and birds chirping, nothing felt different.
Yet, something was different. The air in the Sand Castle felt wrong, almost as if it had been manipulated, carefully cultivated to be a heavy dark presence on such a wonderfully white and bright place.
His heart rate slowed upon feeling thin fingers gently combing through his curls, most likely the reason why he had woken up.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Jessamine laughed, “You hardly moved in your sleep.”
“Mm,” Kaid groaned, slowly adjusting his body to face her. She sat on the side of the bed, now moving her hand down to his beard to gently trace the hairs there.
“How are you feeling?”
“Okay, I think. Still slightly groggy. I feel like my body got rest, but my mind did not,” he answered, moving his good hand to rest on her thigh.
“Did you have any nightmares?” she asked, almost as if she could still sense a bit of his adrenaline spiked, racing heart.
“I don’t remember,” Kaid sighed honestly, soon sitting up slightly before kissing her forehead, “What did I miss last night?”
“Not much. I will say this life is rather dull without you to keep things going,” she leaned into his touch, “It got better when most of the squabble left. I learned more about Ryu and Persephone. I know she’s been dealing with a lot of stress on not knowing how to make her mark on the world. I think she will find purpose too. It was funny, though, Ingrid had an old relic from Ryu’s tribe just sitting in one of the rooms. Alec’s room, I think. She brought it out and Ryu joked that we were all now cursed. It was a good laugh.”
“Sounds like I missed out.”
“Mhm, but plenty to make up for today. You did well last night with Cadize. You kept good composure…unlike myself later in the evening,” she sighed, “I’m sure that might make headlines in Arilla, assaulting one of the richest women in the entire Continent.”
Kaid still felt his head was in a fuzz, only smiling softly at her comment but even Jessamine could tell his mind wasn’t exactly computing her words. This, coming from the man who had listened and interpreted every syllable she’d utter, whether it was just incoherent rambling or venting, or even the most soul searching of discussions.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Jessamine now was worried, “I can get Cadize.”
“No, I’m sure I’m okay. Sorry,” Kaid insisted, “Something just feels off, almost…wrong.”
“Well, what remains the same?”
Kaid blinked, reaching for his Oblivion to slow time. He still possessed that. He could admire the worry in Jess’s blue eyes, the gentle curve of her nose, or just the beauty of her thin lips. All of that remained. His memories were still intact. He remembered the day he first saw her in Caladin and later in Uhkhtar. He wouldn’t trade anything in the world to have those precious memories removed.
“You’re still beautiful so-”
“Oh shush,” Jessamine laughed, leaning close to kiss his lips gently, interrupting him.
“I will be okay. It could just be a lingering dream I can’t remember,” Kaid excused, moving his hand to stroke the crimson red strands of hair, “You will always be beautiful, that will never change.”
“I think it’s too early for flirting,” she blushed, “Otherwise, it will turn into an opportunity to miss breakfast. And, I don’t want to tire you more with sweat-inducing intimacy.”
Kaid laughed at that, now blushing slightly, “That’s what lazy morning sex is for.”
“Lazy morning sex takes time…”
“I can control time,” he retorted with a wink.
“People will certainly notice our absence,” Jessamine nudged him, giving him one last kiss before getting up to get ready for the day.
That was the perfect word to describe what felt different: absence. Something wasn’t different, it was merely lacking. What could cause such a sensation, Kaid had no sense as to what. Kaid tried to peer into the void for answers, but it took too much mental exertion. He wasn’t locked out of it, like a door with chains attached. Instead, there was a warning to stay away and come back later.
Kaid thought the feeling would fade as he got ready for the day, but it didn’t subside.
Kaid was finally dressed when he went to shut the balcony patio door when Jessamine finally exited her room, “Oh, I don’t recall opening that this morning. Was it left unlocked?”
Odd.
“I guess so? I’m pretty sure despite my groggy state last night that I locked it,” Kaid insisted. It was practically engrained in his nightly protocol duties, making sure every door or window was locked securely.
“Hm, it’s fine. There is no safer place than here,” Jess shrugged, contradicting her words by securing a small blade in the strap around her thighs.
Yet, it wasn’t just that action that contradicted the statement. A blood curdling scream echoed down the halls, despite feeling close. Close enough to reverberate from the very walls next to them. Jessamine froze, yet the screams continued. Not screams of murder, screams of pain, emotionally toiling pain.
Kaid unsheathed his sword, being the first to enter the hallway. Just mere feet to his left was the sight of a servant still screaming out of horror. Approaching her, she immediately pointed into the room, her screams now turning into sobs.
Aunt Ingrid’s room.
Inside laid two deceased bodies, their blood soaking the limestone with a cherry hue. Ingrid’s cane laid beside her, broken almost in half by a harsh force. Ballard, her loyal butler, laid beside her, almost as if he had tried to stop the bleeding. Nothing pained Kaid more than the thought of living almost sixty years, living a rather chaotic, yet fulfilling life…not to die of old age. But to die from murderous intent.
Murder. Not that of a political figurehead or that of someone with true power. This was not a clean assassination, planned or seemingly well thought out. It just looked like undiluted rage had reached its limit. This was the absence Kaid had felt, an absence of what this place resonated: the doma of the palace eviscerated.
Kaid could hear the footsteps of Jessamine and knew immediately it was within his best interest to shield her from such horrors. He immediately turned, letting his height and broad shoulders do their best to cover the bloody nature. Kaid slowed time, watching her face fall at the sight. Even if he could try to prevent her from witnessing the brutality, he could not prevent her sense of knowing what was going on.
He could hide many things from her, the truth was never one of them.
“Kaid, let me see!”Jessamine shrieked, moving to brush past him. Yet, he was far too heavy to move out of her way. Kaid could begin to feel tears stain his linen shirt, echoing with the pain in her heart. Not just hers alone, but his as well. He didn’t know why Ingrid had been targeted, but she was dead.
If he wasn’t groggy, if what happened last night didn’t occur…could he have saved them?
Jessamine tried again with much fervor and got what she wished: a glimpse at the depravity. Her determination withered as immediately as it had swelled her into action. She crumbled in Kaid’s arms, wailing with her fingernails digging into his arms. No amount of fury or pain would bring them back. Nothing would bring them back.
The question was: why were they killed in the first place?
-
Kaid could not be with her to grieve. The moment the murder had taken everyone’s abrupt attention, it was clear action needed to be taken. Alec, surprisingly, had been the first to approach Jessamine and embrace her tightly. A lot of emotion filled that hallway, the greatest probably confusion. That was why they needed answers. Kaid wished he could be there for Jessamine, providing some feeling of safety or warmth for her.
She had lost too many people from her family, and perhaps this was the most shocking.
Cadize, Kiev, Sabine, and Kaid stood in the room, the door now closed and locked given it was a murder investigation. There had been plenty of discourse from Alec as to why Sabine was given permission to assist, but as a Shurta, she had seen her fair share of murdered victims.
“It looks gruesome, but the kills were both one clean strike at the neck. Oddly enough though, the one on Ingrid looks…” Cadize paused, having spent the last hour inspecting the bodies, “It’s hard to explain, given it feels like speculation.”
“It doesn’t look too deep of a cut, one you might see if the assailant held her from behind and slit her throat,” Kaid observed as well. He had to keep telling himself this was just two bodies of no importance. When he thought of it to be Ingrid, of her warm thought and touch…of the first time he met her.
Ingrid was almost this invisible glue that had solidified Jessamine and Kaid’s relationship, the one who had blessed it really. She had given Jessamine the confidence to go after Kaid’s heart. Ingrid had also given Kaid a window into the Monnier family, the kindness Jessamine had learned from her ancestors, one even Jessamine herself tried to hide.
Kaid knew with Ingrid gone…forcibly removed from this world, that kindness would be limited.
“You’re right, the assailant swiped from the front, and it was at an odd angle. It almost looks unintentional. She stumbled into the attack,” Cadize nodded.
Sabine and Kiev were standing nearby, Sabine holding the broken cane before looking at Kiev.
“So, let’s say she’s holding her balance up with the cane. Look at the area in which this cane broke, not out of someone grabbing it and snapping it. It’s fragmented, still trying to hold together at the bottom,” Sabine noted, “Kiev, can you kick the cane from this angle?”
They demonstrated the action, Kiev just at the right height and spacing to kick with force on the cane. It proved Sabine’s theory well.
“But why kick the cane?” Kiev asked, shaking his head, “None of this makes sense.”
“Knock her off balance…enough for her to fall, maybe break a bone in the process,” Sabine shrugged, “Maybe an action just enough to get out of that room.”
“Except she didn’t fall to the floor, she lunged forward into the person,” Kaid swallowed hard.
“Hence a possible, accidental, death occurring,” Cadize nodded, “Ballard’s, however, was clearly intentional. The cut was deep, erratic still, but intentional. That’s why her cut stood out differently.”
“Well, even if the first kill was accidental, removing any witnesses is enough intention soon after,” Sabine crossed her arms. Sabine wanted to help. She truly did, not only to prove herself valuable, but also because she had witnessed an innocent older woman be killed. One who didn’t deserve it. It made Sabine question her allies, or future ones at that. If she was forced to pick a side, would she pick the one where people were murdered one by one for supporting her? Or the side committing such murder?
“It still doesn’t make sense, though,” Kaid stood from his kneeling position to catch his breath, “They’re not in their beds. They don’t appear to be dragged from them. Their bodies are angled away from the door, meaning this assailant had somehow gotten far into this bedroom before being noticed.”
“Time of death also lingers around three in the morning. At that hour, the party had long been over and everyone was fast asleep.” Cadize noted, “And the remaining members staying the night were well trusted.”
“Yes, Kaid and I went over any security issues. None of them had shown any ill intent towards Vitross, or Ingrid in particular,” Kiev hummed, “But clearly, it’s possible whoever was in this room was someone she might have trusted. I can check with the harbormaster later, to see if there were any sightings of a ship in the dark.”
“We will have to question the staff as well, we can’t just rely on guests.”
“A good suggestion, Sabine,” Kaid agreed, taking another long glimpse at Ingrid’s positioning. Her left hand was curled, not tightly but as if it had been pried gently. The action had caused the blood around that area to splatter slightly.
Kaid felt an odd radiance of energy when focusing on that moment. He knew from that moment of betrayal from Bridger, going into the Blackrock Isles that he could sense lingering energy. Particularly strong energies at that. Emotions could get lost in time. What was this radiance here that lingered so faintly in Ingrid’s palm?
“You think she was holding something?”
“I don’t think. I know. Whatever it was, the suspect pried it away when she died. Quickly too,” Kaid insisted.
“And whatever that object is, may help in identifying our suspect. We have no murder weapon, no motive…other than Ballard’s death of course. There was no motive of extreme murderous attempt. It feels almost accidental in nature, a flurry of adrenaline and overall bad luck.”
“Adrenaline and bad luck will not be enough to convince an Empress…” Kiev whispered, knowing that was true.
A death like this could inspire war. War, from a death that seemed far too coincidental yet accidental at the same time. An evening where Vitross had worked with Arilla to put Lungorian balls in an economic vice. A response like this seemed far too quick to enact.
Sabine paced slightly, “Is there any reason to believe maybe the person wants us to think it’s accidental?”
“No,” Cadize answered immediately, slowly adjusting Ingrid’s neck slightly to look at the wound, “Look at the fingers here, trying to cover Ingrid’s wounds. Those aren’t Ballards thick Arilllian fingers.”
Very small, yet noticeable prints were lingering around the wound as if to try and stop the bleeding. Whoever caused the wound also wanted to stop it in the first place.
“An accidental murder is still murder,” Kaid grunted, feeling guilt consume him.
“Did you hear anything last night, or rather early this morning?” Kiev asked Kaid.
“No. I’m afraid I was rather subdued by exhaustion. I didn’t hear anything,” the Guardian replied sadly.
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If he wasn’t fucking exhausted, he could have done something. Even stalled time just enough to catch a glimpse of the killer or anything that might be helpful. Instead he was stuck in some dark limbo.
A knock on the door interrupted their thoughts. Persephone opened it gently, sniffling slightly as her own tears had gotten to her. She had known Ingrid as well, grown closer after the Time Paradox to perouse the various art work or artifacts to enjoy. The loss of Ingrid felt just like the loss of any relative to her.
“Sorry,” Persephone apologized, “Kaid, Jessamine is requesting you.”
Kaid immediately walked over, knowing his primary duty was to his Empress. As he walked out to leave the room, Sabine had followed gently.
“Kaid…” Sabine paused, taking a deep breath, “I know you feel guilty. Please, this is not your fault.”
Sabine had avoided Kaid’s letters or correspondence after the removal of Shailud almost as a form of punishment. She was still bitter about the Time Paradox, but she knew in that moment of severance that Kaid held so much guilt on his shoulders. Guilt he wasn’t responsible for. The same was happening now. She didn’t know how much longer he could continue adding the weight of guilt he truly wasn’t responsible for. One day, it would crush him.
It wasn’t his fault. But something felt like it was.
“Figure this out Sabine, please,” Kaid insisted, sorrow laced in his voice.
“Of course…please give Jessamine my condolences,” Sabine nodded.
It wasn’t his fault. It couldn’t have been.
When Kaid had walked away, down the hall urgently with Persephone, Sabine had gotten a glance at the door handle and frame to Ingrid’s door. Inside the lock were very faint scratches, one Sabine was familiar with. Lockpicks. And whoever got into this room last night looked amateur at best.
An amateur thief, and a rather amateur killer resided among them.
-
Kaid entered the foyer where everyone was waiting for answers. When he opened the door, Jessamine’s tears had withered away. The grief that had once consumed her was replaced with determination, spite for vengeance. Kaid immediately made his way towards her, not before being impeded.
“Well? What do we know?” Alec asked, rather abruptly.
“It’s still an investigation,” Kaid insisted, as if trying to shove his inquisitive question aside.
“So, you’re not going to give answers?!”
“Not to you,” Kaid grunted, not having the time for this.
“This was my fucking Aunt, Kaid! And you’re going to stand there and tell me you don’t know anything?!” Alec shouted, his own grief morphing into anger.
“Alec,” Jessamine soon approached, “Stop, Kaid is only trying to help. He’s doing his job.”
“Very poorly at that, and he’s got his Uhkhtarian side bitch working on this investigation as well-”
“You watch your fucking tongue!” Kaid shouted back, feeling a swell of anger and emotions inside him as well. Everyone else had time to grieve, to internalize all the sorrow and pain. Kaid didn’t have that choice, he immediately had to get into work to figure this all out.
“Kaid’s wall is right next to hers. Surely, you would have heard something? Where is your alibi? The rest of us all have one,” Alec sneered, “Is anyone else having doubts about Kaid’s position? Sabine, a foreign adversary, arrives and assists in making a deal that threatens everyone. She spends most of her night with Kaid…and my Aunt is dead?! Does anyone else find this believable, that the two aren’t conspiring?”
Everyone in the room stared at him with confusion, and mostly just pity. They could see Alec unraveling at the loss of his Aunt, on the verge of tears for the unknown. Alec wanted someone to blame, so of course he would point the finger at the one causing all the problems in his life.
Nobody, however, believed in his theory.
“Answer me! You didn’t hear anything!?” Alec shouted once more.
“Enough! Alec, please, stop,” Jessamine insisted, her voice growing sorrowful once more, “Kaid has an alibi.”
Kaid swallowed hard at that, immediately shaking his head to not disclose this information. Such revelation could be seen and taken as a betrayal from Alec, nor did it feel like proper time to disclose such. Yet, it was the only alibi he had. If Jessamine wanted her brother to calm down, to give him a slight peace of mind…she had to tell him.
“I was with Kaid the entire night…I didn’t hear anything either,” Jessamine whispered, revealing that truth.
At that, Alec’s demeanor cracked. It fell blank, blank because he felt so many emotions at once.
“S-so…you two really are…” Alec swallowed hard, taking a step back.
“That’s not important right now…finding this killer is,” Kaid insisted.
“How dare you lie to my face,” Alec turned towards his sister, “You told me you two weren’t romantically involved. You promised me and yet you lied to me? What else have you lied to me about? You’re still as manipulative as I fucking remember-”
Kaid had enough. He was sick and tired of the disrespect, even if it was just blind grief talking. There was no excuse for his sick, cruel words. Kaid was sick of Alec thinking he had this privilege here, that servants should be at his beck and call or that he had a right to power here. He was owed nothing. Least of all, Jessamine’s respect, which she had given to him and he had now squandered it.
The excuse was that they were all grieving. Individuals grieved in their own ways, and men often were swayed into bouts of frustration, anger, and desire for violence. Kaid fell victim to that, too.
Kaid slammed his fist across Alec’s cheek hard, without hesitation. The action alone knocked Alec harshly into the floor, a pained grunt leaving his lips. The action had alerted everyone within the room to rise to their feet. Persephone, Christine, Kassandra…all the bystanders immediately ran over in fears the punch would result in greater violence.
“Kaid!” Jessamine shouted, stepping between them, “That’s enough!”
Her voice was the only one loud enough to silence everyone, enough to maybe even quell the emotional, time ticking bomb in this room that could kill everyone upon implosion. A radiance of calm had spread into the room, infecting everyone except the one person Jessamine couldn’t touch: Kaid.
“I don’t have the energy to do this,” Jessamine finally felt the tears form again, her hands shaking.
Kaid didn’t need Jessamine’s wave of calm now upon seeing her break apart again. He immediately removed any lingering aggression to approach her, feeling her almost collapse in his arms. Yet she had this desire to stay strong, to remain on her feet and most of all carry this investigation forward. She needed to.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Kaid pleaded, whispering in her ear, knowing he had let his anger get the better of him. Jessamine leaned further into him, knowing he too was reacting out of grievance. It didn’t help Alec had immediately escalated the situation. She knew she could not fault either of the two men at her side.
Alec slowly rose, caressing his sore jaw as he watched Jessamine’s demeanor fall in Kaid’s arms. He should have seen it. There were plenty of signs, rumors from those around him that all pointed to Kaid manipulating Jessamine. This seemed to be the final confirmation, words from Jessamine herself. Oh, he didn’t need her words. He had known. He had known and that’s what conspired this entire disaster. She had admitted it only far too late.
Pure devastation, all of it, any of it…all that would still be to come…it was all Kaid’s fault.
Jessamine composed herself slightly, taking a deep breath, “We should question the staff. Line them up, all together…someone must know something. I’ll invade all their minds if they have to.”
“Jess, are you sure?” Kaid asked. He knew what that could mean, what appearance that might give to grieving servants. Kaid knew that Jessamine, as of late, only used her Oblivion when absolutely necessary. Now, that itch of darkness needed to be scratched, even if the justification was that of murder.
Alec was about to retort something, before Jessamine caught on to it first.
“Alec, I need you to remove yourself. I know you’re grieving, so take the time to do so. When we have answers, we will share them with you,” Jessamine insisted, removing herself from Kaid. She approached her brother, slowly opening her arms for another embrace. He hesitantly did so, his hand trying to provide comfort with rubs of her shoulder.
Yet Alec’s eyes remained open, glaring right at Kaid
-
Gathering everyone had taken quite some time. When Jessamine stood amongst the thirty or so individuals of staff who had all assisted with the party, she felt nothing but sorrow. Not one emotion seemed to stand out so quickly amongst the rest, wavering Jessamine’s confidence. By now, her tears were dry and eyes still slightly red, but she was overcoming her own sadness with action.
It was all one could do when sad. She had done the same when her mother died, when she thought Kaid was dead…she had to keep moving, keep doing whatever she could…even if that meant doing evil deeds. Jessamine was not immune to them either.
“If anyone has anything to bring up, there is no judgment here. Anything odd, out of the ordinary, can help,” Jessamine started off politely, before changing her tone, “And if anyone thinks they could hide something from me, you are sorely misguided. If you’re hiding something, I will find it.”
The room remained silent, a few scared sniffles breaking the silence but nothing more. Jessamine’s eyes scanned the room, finding nothing quite speaking to her yet. There were no shouts of emotions that she could normally read like a book. This felt like literature thrown at her feet she couldn’t quite decipher, perhaps her own grief blinding her. She was about to invade deeper, only she saw Kaid lingering in the back, seeing sorrow and guilt on his face.
She couldn’t pry too deeply. Not when that man had once shown faith in her, faith in her goodness. It was in this place over three years ago that she had shown him a true glimpse of her darkness and he still remained strong with her. She had to keep trying, despite the voices whispering to let it consume her.
Yet, that was not needed as a man took a step forward. His demeanor was shrunken, not out of fear but a nervous bundle of energy. He was confused, anxious, and most of all grieving as well.
“I…I’m sorry, Empress,” he spoke, “I’m Chef Cortez. I…I cooked for your Aunt every night, as a sous chef. Not the main one.”
Jessamine blinked slightly, wondering what a simple sous chef could offer for information.
“Go on,” Jessamine encouraged.
“I don’t know what this might have to do with what happened, but it was odd regardless. I was notified two weeks ago about the party, and in doing so, I was responsible for the shopping list. When I was at the markets, a strange man approached me with a small package. He said my wife and children’s names, almost like a threat. All he said was to do as I was told, or else…” Cortez paused, “Inside the package was only a small container of powder, and instructions.”
Jessamine tilted her head inquisitively, “And this…man that threatened you? Do you recognize him?”
“No. I never met him in my life. I’ve never seen him. He spoke only as a messenger…not the actual deliverer of the threat.”
“What were the instructions?” Kaid asked politely, moving across the room to stand next to Jessamine.
“I was in charge of the main appetizer: the soup. I was told to make the gumbo without shellfish originally by Ingrid, and that was the plan. However these instructions simply stated to continue with the original recipe, unmodified. I was promised that there would be one dish, and one dish only, that would be requested without shellfish. Whatever dish that was, I had to sprinkle the powder in it,” Cortez explained, “That’s all I know. I swear. I thought my family’s life was in danger. I don’t even know what this is about. I don’t know who’s dish it was. I even went to a friend to evaluate the powder, to try and tell me what it was. It wasn’t poison, he told me that…he said it was…gods, I can’t remember. A sleeping drug? It was just a drug and nothing more!”
“Did a dish get requested back without shellfish?” one of the servants asked, everyone very intrigued by this revelation of information.
“One, just as promised. But it wasn’t Ingrid’s, I swear!” Cortez defended himself.
If not her, then who?
Jessamine’s heart stopped, remembering the moment last night when her spoon had dipped into the grained soup of spice, sausage, and shellfish. She was immediately the first to glance over at Kaid’s bowl, seeing the same amount of shellfish. She was also the first to point out that Kaid’s course needed to be altered, meaning that was the bowl taken back into the kitchen.
And ever since that dinner, Kaid had been fighting a sleeping drug.
It all came together, yet the main piece was still missing. How did a man threatened to drug soup of the Vitross Guardian result in the matron of the home murdered?
“Who’s soup was it?” The question was asked amongst the servants as if they were asking each other who knew. Nobody did, because they hadn’t been paying attention to such a miniscule thing.
But Kaid and Jessamine did.
Kaid was about to remove himself, feeling his breathing grow heavy. This was all his fault. Somehow it was, how could it not? It didn’t make sense, but clearly something had happened amidst this turmoil. Jessamine had reached over, holding his hand tightly. She didn’t want him to leave. She didn’t want him to feel alone in this.
They couldn’t be alone in this. Whatever agent had conspired this plan, whatever this murderous suspect wanted…it wanted them alone. It had guaranteed them being alone. It wanted to split the insides of Vitross politics with disbelief, sowing seeds of mutiny amongst their own people. Stupid of this person to think this would not try and make them stronger.
Sabine and Kiev slowly poked their heads into the chamber before stepping inside, sensing the tension. Jessamine sensed nothing more out of the ordinary.
“Cortez, that was very helpful indeed. Do you still have the package and instructions?” Jessamine asked gently, feeling her heart begin to race again. She could feel the overwhelming emotion approach again, but she needed to remain strong and absolute amongst her Aunt’s staff. Someone needed to be strong around them.
“I do, yes,” he nodded.
“Please go retrieve that for us…the rest of you are dismissed. Please be assured, your salaries will be paid in full. I cannot promise what future lay ahead for any of you after the funeral…but I will do whatever it takes to bestow the kindness you gave to my Aunt before her passing,” Jessamine assured, her voice breaking in the end.
Many of the servants looked as if they wished to give Jessamine a warm embrace, quite inappropriate for the standards. Yet, they were all in pain. All of them. Death happened often in this Continent, too often. Kaid thought he’d be so used to it by now, but he wasn’t.
The room vacated, leaving only Jessamine, Kiev, Sabine, and a very silent Kaid.
Kaid could feel the tears in his eyes, wiping them away gently as he had let go of Jessamine’s hand. Jessamine knew if she turned to glance at him, she too would let it consume her as well.
“We overheard what Cortez said,” Sabine noted, “I know it sounds confusing but…I think after we reveal, it won’t anymore.”
“What did you find out?” Jessamine asked, afraid of the answer.
Kiev took a deep breath, looking at his friends before exhaling sharply, “Ingrid was not the intended target. Nor Ballard. The room was only used as an avenue. The balcony Ingrid had is only a good six feet leap towards another balcony, obviously one not up to standards on Empirical Guardian Safety standards. But, that was why Ingrid designated Jessamine’s room to be the following room after.”
“What are you saying?” Jessamine whispered.
“Scratches on the lock on Ingrid’s door are identical to the ones outside Kaid’s balcony door. Someone deliberately broke into Ingrid’s room to utilize that balcony as a means to get into Kaid’s room. And from what it looks like, that person succeeded in getting into that room,” Sabine insisted.
That explained why the balcony door was unlocked this morning. But it didn’t explain much of anything else.
“I…” Jessamine paused, covering her mouth slightly, “So, someone intentionally had him drugged, broke into his room…for what?”
Kaid, you need to wake up NOW.
The words echoed again in Kaid’s brain, words from the Void, words of warning. Someone had tried to warn him in his sleep, and maybe they had succeeded. Kaid did not feel harmed, his Oblivion was not bothered, and nothing had appeared to have been stolen from his room.
“They wanted to kill me,” Kaid answered, exhaling sharply. The feeling is the same, same as that night with the necromancer in Arilla. Someone tried following the script, again. And just as they had failed then, thanks to Jessamine, maybe he had her to thank again so unknowingly.
“In that, they clearly failed to do so,” Sabine nodded, sorrow in her voice. Her friend could have been killed. Honestly, she felt a tad grateful it had been Ingrid to surmise to a murderous death and not Kaid. She felt horrible for thinking that way.
Jessamine rubbed her face with her hands, trying to add friction to the loosening of her emotions, tightening the skin to prevent more tears, “That’s it? That’s all we know!?”
“We have no motive, and we have no reason to wonder why this killer didn’t succeed in the true target. What we do know is that Ingrid and Ballard were both waiting for this killer when he, or she, returned through their bedrooms,” Kiev pointed out, “From there, the killer got sloppy. The killer most likely threatened them with a blade, but wanted to leave the room rather than kill further. Upon most likely kicking at Ingrid’s cane, wanting her to fall off balance, she was sliced accidentally by that killers blade. The killer then tried to stop the bleeding as Ballard intervened. Ballard was killed because he witnessed this accident. The killer immediately removed himself, or herself, from the blood and took off. No further blood could be found in the hallways.”
Sabine sighed, knowing this wasn’t an answer Jessamine wanted to hear, “That’s all we know.”
It was more than what they knew an hour prior, however.
The room was silent. All Kaid wanted to do was find the nearest furniture, whether a chair, table, valuable Monnier antique and shatter it into the floor. All of this, as always, was his fault. The moment he had stepped outside Caladin, he had held this invisible target over his head. He held it from loving Jessamine, he held it from his own heritage outside his fucking control.
All he wanted was to be normal. He didn’t want to be a hero, a savior, or the weight of such goodness. He just wanted to be a lover, a lover who could be equally as loved with gentle fervor.
Gentle, good men did not exist in this Continent. They would be hurt, tortured repeatedly until that goodness bled out, striped away like lashings upon his back.
“We should investigate anyone in the area that might have been affected by the Time Paradox. Ryu, anyone from a village that might have been destroyed, someone that might have been blighted by that event,” Jessamine immediately established a game plan.
“I…you can’t believe that is strong enough motivation to kill Kaid?” Sabine’s eyes widened.
“Did you not feel such anger towards whomever created that Time Paradox? Did your feelings only change when you realized it was Kaid?” Kiev asked, knowing he was right. Sabine had been bitter, angry, and full of vengeance. When she found out that event had been caused because of Kaid, because of an action intended to be good…all that had faded.
“Well, what about Caladin?” Sabine asked, “Did you ever wrong anyone there?”
Kaid immediately shook his head at that, remaining silent with his thoughts. No words from the void were whispered to him, no words of encouragement or sorrow. He still felt temporarily locked out of that place, of the opportunity to try and obtain some resemblance of truth.
There was nothing. Nothing but pain.
There was only one motivating factor that proved strong enough to remove Kaid. Not the Time Paradox, not an incident in Caladin from years ago. All of that had been wrapped around a mistake outside Kaid’s control and that was him being born. The best motivating factor was removing the Lungorian heir from a position and stature he could care less about.
All this carelessness, however, did not scream Lungor. They had always been precise in their assassination attempts against Jessamine, crafty and cunning in finding avenues to hinder Jessamine. Would such differ so greatly when their victim was now Kaid? Whatever political entity, or deranged individual…there must be one thought in their head. Kaid was a threat to them, a great danger where they would do whatever it takes to stop them.
A lingering, distant thought seemed to enter Kaid’s mind. It seemed so subtle then, given his thoughts were heavily on rescuing Jessamine and making sure she was alright. The thought didn’t occur to him until now. The intention may not be to kill him, but weaken him. Not only weaken him physically, but weaken his resolve? Kaid was already afraid, how could he not be?
This infiltrator might have failed to kill him, but they might have succeeded in other ways. Kaid had not been the only entity to instill fear over the Continent these past two years. Another, one perhaps even deadlier than Kaid, may not have been so easily dispatched as originally thought.
Kaid finally spoke up, the thought coming to him and he could no longer keep it to himself anymore, “What if Pestilence was still alive?”