I rushed home to find three particular volumes and rushed back to Carmele’s house, who I decided not to leave alone except if absolutely necessary. So, I sat on an opposite roof, reading familiar lines while keeping an eye on her house and an ear out for Amero.

When the dawn finally forced me into the cellar again, it was reluctantly. The day felt long, and much could happen in it, and the Sleep found my soul full of foreboding. So, when light came to again, I almost punched the locked lid off the casket, and went straight to the ceiling, crawled to the stairs and whisked up like a ghost. I was of a mind to hold not a shred of power back.

But a stark surprise accosted me, and one ill-suited for my newfound fighting spirit. A crowd, outside the house, led by a priest! I listened in astonishment at the myriad of voices that shouted and whispered. They were townsmen, and they were clerics from the Saint-Germain Abbey and the old roman Cathedral, belonging to the bishop. Carmele?

Aventin came to join in the reception from upstairs, he looked positively livid. Anger hid the fear in him. “Master Archibald!” He said, “most of them arrived just before sundown, though I had an altercation with a priest, earlier, who demanded that you turn up at the Bishop’s bequest! At the Cathedral! I told them you were out travelling!” Then he frowned, “by the way, how did you get in?” He sounded almost hopeful. He wanted a way out.

I waved that aside, “they came at dusk, really?” Then whoever had arranged this was either an idiot or entirely ignorant. That was relieving, really. They were led by several clerics, priests and monks. I was of half a mind to face them and give a good scolding, but I thought better of it. “Sibylle is home?”

He nodded, “she left some two hours ago. But Pélagine is here, she’s in the attic, and very much panicking,” he paused, staring round the room before grimacing at me, “this is very much frightening, Master Archibald.”

I hummed thoughtfully. The question regarding where I had come from still lingered on his lips, but I didn’t bother to improvise an answer. “Alright then. We keep the doors locked. Let’s go to the attic,” I proposed calmly, and even smiled to him in the way that showed I found all this quite silly.

He followed me dutifully all the way up, and I took a moment to reassure Pélagine also before explaining my thoughts. “The way I see it,” I started jovially, “this is all a terrible misunderstanding. But I think our friends downstairs are too worked up to be reasoned with, therefore, I have decided to bring this matter to the Count’s son, our friend Robert of Nevers. I shall have a talk with him, and this matter shall be sorted swiftly. Really, I apologize for the inconvenience, and of course, you shall be compensated appropriately.”

“But Master,” Pélagine pleaded desperately, she thought me delusional, “they’re at the doors! How do you even wish to reach Lord Robert?”

I looked to the small window. They stared back at me, not comprehending. “The window, of course. The neighbour’s roof is very close, only a small jump away. Don’t worry too much, I am a carpenter’s son, we’ve worked buildings and roofs before,” I lied and opened the shutters. There were some two metres to the next building. Four men stood downstairs with torches, grumbling to each other darkly. They were not alert.

“You’re not serious,” Aventin said, but I saw something like awe in his eyes. I laughed quietly. Mostly for show, I was still fairly alarmed. Was this Carmele’s doing? Could it really be? It didn’t make sense. The witch! My eyes visibly cooled, though I tried to keep the mask up.

“I’m perfectly serious. Sit tight,” I said happily before cramping my way through the small window, holding the roof’s edge for leverage with my feet in its frame. I was tiring of the spectacle, but I made the awkward jump as convincing as possible and landed on the slightly lower, adjacent house with a clean grip in each hand. They stared at me from the window like I was something between an angel and a madman. “Don’t follow!” I forbade and waved before leisurely climbing the roof to the other side, where I could start moving freely.

Then I was off, for there was some investigation to be done here. The sun had just sunk beneath the horizon and there was still ample light even for the mortals. I had promised Carmele to accompany her back, so that is what I did, I found her at the manor’s house, though she was already hurrying down the street with Aude and Armand at her side. From her, I could glean nothing but fright, which guiltily pleased me, but the other two were open books.

A late deliverer of goods to the Lord’s House had just mentioned what was at work in the town, namely that the new owner of Old Pierre the Trader’s house was reputedly a demon, one that appeared only in the night, and that the abbey Gervais of Saint-Germaine as well as the bishop Hugues de Montaigu had both sent clerics and townsmen to apprehend me.

I came up behind them and hailed Carmele cheerfully, waving my hand. She jolted and turned, before visibly relaxing her tense shoulders. “Archie,” she murmured softly and came forward to greet me, brushing my hand in hers before examining my figure quickly for harm. I almost bounced with every touch, and my smile became genuine and widened. She did like me. What had happened between us was true and real!

But the other two looked afraid, they had backed away to a respectful distance away. Whatever. “Dear Carmele, I feared the worst,” I whispered gladly, touching her hair, her cheek. She grabbed the hand and lowered it, admonishing me with her eyes. Not there yet. Message received.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Yes, me too… do you know how? Oh and you two, stop acting like scared little rabbits. Archibald is a good friend, really, he wouldn’t hurt a fly if I asked him not to,” she said, and I pondered that. I suppose I wouldn’t. If she asked nicely.

That made them ashamed. In a softer tone, she told them to go home and that she would go with me to Robert of Nevers. Armand protested, but couldn’t do so insistently, eventually bending to her will.

“You family awaits you,” I said helpfully, reading exactly that from his mind, and he gave me a horrified look while Carmele glared at me. Admittingly, he irritated me. The valet had a lot more confidence than a man of his character ought to.

Once alone, Carmele asked me accusingly, “what possessed you to say that?”

“It is a man’s duty first and foremost to care for his family, isn’t it? I think it was a friendly reminder to consider his priorities.”

I knew she wasn’t buying it, but she let it go, mumbling something demeaning about men and manliness under her breath. “Now, how has this happened?” She questioned hardly, frowning, all the while she took my arm in our usual way. I had forgot to present it. Rude of me.

“The witch,” I proposed, enmity dripping from my tongue, “she told on me because she wants you all for herself.”

“What?” She genuinely seemed confused, her delicate, sandy eyebrows furrowing.

“Well, with some guidance, you have great potential to be a witch, I think she believes,” I told her, watching her face closely. There had to be some kind of shock there, no?

“Oh.” She was very calm, but indeed surprised.

“Oh? That’s all?”

“I mean, I’m not too surprised. I have always been very special, you must realize. It is what attracts a special one like you, isn’t it?” There was some wryness in her tone, I firmly believed.

“We’re special, are we?”

“Very. But suppose old Rachelle did tell on you. You really think she went directly to the abbey or the bishop? As a witch? They’d laugh her away. Maybe throw her out of the town. At worst, make her an example at the city square and have some kids throw rotten food in her face…” she wrinkled her small, straight nose. Adorable. “Is there anyone else?”

“Only you and her… and Amero. But he’s like me, meaning, same point as Rachelle.”

“Right. Well then, we can assume there’s connecting link, yes? Someone with effective access to clerical men of power… probably someone with a grudge against you.” She was getting at something. A sigh escaped her lips, but I was too smitten with every gesture and word to understand.

“What?” I let out, “who?”

“I am quite popular, you certainly know, I have several suitors hoping I will allow them courtship.” I followed her eyes to Robert’s mansion.

“That’s… it makes sense,” I said, stuck between admiring her some more and begrudging Robert.

“I know,” she said, fixating me, “now, no manly stupidities, yes? We go together and we talk with Robert. He certainly listens to me. And in all fairness, his heart is in the right place, and he is very reasonable, and quite keen, it is simply that…”

“He desires you,” I breathed, and I could not keep the dangerous hostility out of my tone. If she was intimidated by it in the least, she showed not a shred of it. No mortals had managed that before her.

“Yes, he does, but Archie, his intentions have been clear to me for many, many years. I think it is why he is here, instead of in Nevers with his older brothers and father. But I have never responded to his interest in that way, not once, in… I think six years? While you, Archie, I have known you for three weeks. I know what I want, really. So don’t ruin it, you hear?” She was very close, we had stopped walking and she was turned to me, with her shoulder pressing on my arm, and her grey eyes pinning my brown.

A smile took my lips, a broad one, I wanted to kiss her so dearly. “I wouldn’t dream of ruining this,” I said slyly, and her eyes rolled. We found the backdoor entrance of the manor as usual, but a guard was there, he had a sword on his hip and a kite shield balancing on the ground, held by his hand. Beneath the nasal helmet, he eyed me consideringly.

“I know you, Carmele. Who’s he?” He asked in a neutral voice, but it had an edge to it. I was not exactly a comforting presence to most people. There was much unsettling about me that they couldn’t exactly put their finger on.

“He’s Artaud,” she said without hesitation, “a cousin of mine. Inoffensive.” But I could tell she was taken aback, and didn’t how to get me in. There usually wasn’t a guard here. Robert was culpable.

I smiled to him, stepping forward and he laid a hand on his sword, but Carmel put her delicate form in between us. “Don’t be rash! Herbert, I know you, and I can say that Artaud will do no one a bit of harm! I simply… Armand left home, and I forgot a large pot of water, a bath for Robert, which I need removed! I brought him instead, you see. It’s too heavy for me! Or can you do it?”

The guard, or Herbet, frowned. “I can neither leave my post nor allow this man in, Carmele. And you, Artaud, not one step closer or I draw steel. You can fetch the bath in the morning, when Armand comes back. Or any other manservant.”

Carmele drew a blank. “Alright then, we do that.”

I had promised Carmele not to do anything impulsive. We quietly withdrew from the mansion and out of sight, into the first building’s alley. “That’s never happened,” Carmele frowned. I shrugged.

“That’s alright, we shall have to do things my way then. Don’t say it! I promise to be civil. It is simply that I worry for my servants, the crowd outside was screaming for blood and banging my door.” This alarmed her and silenced the words she had ready on her tongue. “But I hate to leave your side, Carmele, it is imperative that I know you are safe. So, ideally, you would stay here, where I can quickly find you.” Then it occurred to me. “Or, actually, there’s a nice roof near here, perfectly safe, where no one but me can reach you.”

“That’s out of the question,” she interceded hard, staring at me like I was a madman.

“It’s really no trouble –”

“No. No!” She said, holding a hand up resolutely.

“Fine. But will you stay here at least?”

“Yes.” Her arms were crossed, “I will wait, if you promise to not hurt a hair on Robert’s head…”

“Naturally,” I slipped in unwelcomely and she continued with an irritated glare.

“…and, and, you!” she took a silence in protest, before visibly softening, “and you. Be very careful, Archie. I expect you to return whole and preferably unharmed, you hear?”

“Absolutely.” I beamed a smile at her, and quickly, I kissed her on the forehead, and she batted me away like a fly. She hit only air, but I saw that her eyes shone with delight, and the mouth was tightly pressed for hiding a smile.