Suspicions

Dawn arrived with a mild drizzle. The fog concealing the truths of the world from mortal eyes was gone, though the misty, murky air of Vesporum remained as such, as it always did. The cold morning breeze whistled as it passed through the partially open window and disturbed the silken bedsheets.

It tickled Irene's naked skin as she stretched beneath the soft, warm sheets. The cold air was a welcome change from the damp fog she had to walk in yesterday. Her eyes half open, she yawned softly, and turned to the other side before closing her eyes again.

The cold breeze tugged at the silken sheets again. It found a way to get under them, and touched her back, sending a shiver down her spine. Her eyes opened wide, and she slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position.

She glanced out the window. The city seemed almost peaceful so early in the morning when no one was out and about. She welcomed the silence, though the drizzle did make some sound still. She didn't mind it though. It was much better than the smoke that tended to cover the skies.

But even that was better than nothing, she thought to herself as she hopped off the bed and put on some clothes. Anything was better than the clear skies and the bright, large moon. It's silver light was worse than the worst storms and coldest nights.

As she headed downstairs, she noticed Ivy's bedroom door open. As usual, her sister was awake much sooner than the average person. The smell of salami reached her nostrils halfway down the stairs, and she took off running.

"Good morning to you too, Irene." Ivy said with a chuckle as Irene entered the dining room. "I see your nose is as keen as always."

"Any less and I'd be unfit to be mom's successor." Irene's gaze focused on the plates. "I'm starving," She lied.

"How odd," Ivy's lips curled up with a smile. "And here I was, thinking I'd get to eat all this." She pulled a chair and sat by the dining table. Irene didn't miss a beat as she joined her sister.

As soon as she reached for that piece of salami, her stomach gurgled, declaring its time for breakfast. Ivy laughed out loud as they ate.

Only when they were done with their food did Ivy speak.

"There is something you should know," Her serious tone immediately shattered Irene's smile. Her expression hardened. "What is it?"

"I checked with some humans who were outside the Cathedral at the time of the killings. They claimed to have seen a shape run up to the two victims, stab them with a short knife, and ran off right away, without even checking if they lived or died." She tapped her nails on the table as she continued. "He was cloaked, and they believed he was a male, one of them heard him grunt. They claimed he was short, fast, and agile. Probably fairly young, for a human."

Irene narrowed her eyes. "That doesn't narrow it down at all."

"It does, actually." Ivy objected. "I had Vic check for his scent, and he followed it to an alleyway. To a dead end. He said it led up, to the rooftops." Her nails rested on the wooden desk as her gaze focused on her sister. "I can immediately think of one person who fits that description."

Irene's lips formed a thin line. "You're not saying that he planned all this, are you?"

Ivy chuckled. "No, he wasn't even in the city when the first person died. And he would have never tried to steal from you if his goal was something like this." Her smile soon disappeared, however. "But he may have been… turned."

Irene glanced out the window, at the murky morning view. "Then we must make sure such a thing has not happened yet." She stated. "And if it has…"

"Kill him?" Ivy suggested. Irene's lips curled up with a smile as she shook her head and licked her lips. "No, no we don't kill him." She whispered. "We will make sure to use him until he is no longer useful to us."

The somewhat worried expression on Ivy's face almost make Irene laugh. "Sister, please…"

"Don't worry, Ivy. I won't give him a chance to escape if he does indeed serve those vile creatures." Her eyes glimmered with excitement. "And if he does serve them, he will be of great use to us. Think about it, Ivy." Her bright blue eyes widened as she glared at her sister. "That woman will be forced to come to his rescue, or to kill him."

She could already imagine it. It would be all the proof she needed to get the sorcerer to do something. A single misstep on that vile woman's side was all it would take to bring an end to this rivalry once and for all.

Aoric brushed past the businessman and hastened his steps as he headed to the closest alleyway. He clenched his fist around the half a dozen or so silver coins as his lips curled up with a smile. As soon as he stepped into the narrow alleyway, he rushed at the old statue leaning against the walls of the old buildings and climbed up onto the rooftops.

His steps carried him to the poorer parts of the city. Under other circumstances, he wouldn't have stolen from the first somewhat well off person he had seen, but after spending the night outside in the cold, he didn't dare go hungry for another day.

A thief with little sleep could function still, but a sick thief was as good as dead. And if he didn't eat something warm soon, he was going to get sick in this cold, moist weather.

He cursed at the drizzle continuing since midnight and entered the first bakery he spotted. Not long after he was finishing up his warm meal. He sat inside, by the tables for a little longer to let his body warm up, and only left once he noticed no one else remained inside aside from the staff.

As he stepped out into the drizzle, he spied a black wolfdog with the corner of his eye. It was laying by the entrance of a narrow alleyway.

"Ah, I see what it is." He mumbled. So, he was right, after all. That dog did belong to the woman clad in black. "Let's see what they have to say."