Chapter 50

Bradfordshire. Ever since Elias first set foot in this place, he promised himself he'd never come back again. Elias sighed as he watched the dark city drawing nearer. And yet here I am again. Let's hope it is the last time.

When the ship embarked in Bradfordshire, Elias, to Rea's surprise, let the helmsman live.

»Wouldn't he tell the authorities?«

» There are no authorities in Bradfordshire.« Said Elias walking past her to get off the ship. »And I'm wanted either way. Wouldn't make a difference.« Elias put on his mask.

»Oh.«

Rea quickened her pace to catch up with him, trying not to look at her feet at the graveyard of dead bodies. She didn't want to get stuck in this town on her own.

Elias rushed through the dark, narrow streets like he had a time limit. Rea could barely catch up with him, trying not to bump into buildings and make wrong turns.

Eventually, Elias stopped in front of a door with a red mark on it. Elias opened it and they climbed up the stairs, helping Rea up into the room.

As Rea was looking around the humble room Elias said. »You should wait here. I'll go talk to Luana alone.« He looked out of the window.

»Wait, didn't we say we're going to do it together?«

»I know, but when I thought it through, I figured you stay somewhere safe. I am going to kill her, but I might die doing it.«

»What are you talking about?«

Elias turned to her. »If we're both there, she'll kill us both. It's better if it's just me.«

»Elias-«

»There's still a chance that she won't. There's a chance I'll live.«

»I can't just sit here and wait for you to die.« Said Rea with a worried voice.

Elias moved to the trapdoor. »If I don't come back till night, find Violet. She'll help you.«

Rea tried to stop him. »Elias!«

But he closed the door behind her. Men and their impulsive decisions. Rea sat down on the chair. He won't like it if I follow him. I guess I must wait. Wait and hope that he'll come back.

Elias was standing in the dark alleyway, looking at The Jade Paradise. The fire did quite a lot of damage, but it looked like that didn't bother The Green Woman. The place was still in business, there were just a little less clients.

The street was still busy, and Elias had no problems crossing the street and disappearing into an alleyway by the pleasure house. He came across the window, or more to say a hole in the building, where Luana's office once was, now only a destroyed room, everything burned down to ashes. Glad to know that my surprise worked.

He stepped in and walked to the door. He carefully opened it and peeked through it. The hallway was empty, so Elias entered it. The door in front of him was different from the others. It had a green mark on it.

Elias heard someone walking down the hallway, so he quickly sneaked into The Green Woman's office. He hid behind the closed doors. He slowly grabbed his knife as the door opened. As soon as he saw Luana, he pressed his knife against her neck.

Luana didn't even flinch. »Hello Elias. Last time I remembered you should be sailing towards Ascot.«

»Made a quick turn to deal with you.«

»How many of them died?« Asked Luana with a cold voice.

»All.« Whispered Elias.

»I don't know why I even asked.«

She tried to move, but Elias pulled her closer, moving the knife closer.

»I wouldn't move if I were you.«

»What do you want Elias? I can't just bring him back.« She said sharply. »And besides, there's so many other pretty boys to catch. You should find a better one.«

Elias grabbed her and pushed her against the wall, knife still at her neck. »You took everything from me.«

»There's always more to take.« Smiled Luana.

Elias slowly pushed the knife into her skin, red blood coming from it.

»You can't kill me.« She said with a smile on her face, but Elias knew she was scared. He could hear it in her voice.

»You want to test that theory?« He pushed the knife closer.

»If I die, they'll kill all jade boys.« Elias stopped. Luana smiled. »I know you want to save them.« Elias pulled the knife away, but he didn't let her go. »My business is important. Well, it will be till I live. I don't plan to give it to someone else.« She squeezed her eyes. »When I die, they'll destroy all of my pleasure houses, every single boy with it.«

Elias pushed her more into the wall. »You wouldn't dare to do that.«

»You want to test that theory?« Smiled Luana.

Elias loosened his grip. Luana started laughing.

»You are too predictable marily.« She pushed his hands away and started walking around the room. »I know that she's with you.«

She opened a drawer, grabbed a cigarette and lit it up. »I don't know where you are hiding her, but that won't be a problem. I will find her.«

»Don't touch her.« Said Elias coldly.

Luana looked at him, squeezing her eyes and examining him. »I won't if you come with me.«

»What?«

»You said you would do anything.«

Elias walked to her once again pushing her towards the wall. »That was before you killed him.«

»And now it's before I kill her and the boys.« She smiled. »Look. You become my jade boy and come with me, and I'll leave everyone alone.«

»You're lying.«

»This time I'm not.«

»And how would I know that?«

Lauan grabbed a paper on her desk and showed it to Elias. »Sign it and I won't hurt them.«

Elias looked at the contract, his grip once again loosening. Luana smiled and leaned to his ear. »I promise.« She whispered.

Elias was looking at the words that he couldn't read. It's a trap. I can't go through it again. It would kill me. He tried to hide the shaking of his body, as Luana sat down. The scars on his back started to hurt. He could feel every slit all over again. He wouldn't want me to do it. Tivon wouldn't let me.

» Let's say this Elias.« He looked at her. »I give you until morning. If you don't come back, they die.«

Elias put the paper on the desk and quickly left the room, hearing Luana laughing behind him. He ran. He was trying to run away from her laughter stuck in his head. He could feel it crawling under his skin, her touch on his skin, the blade slicing his back. He ran. I can't go through that again. Tivon wouldn't let it.

But they will die. She will die. And it will be all because of me again. He ran until he came to the marked door. Tivon wouldn't let me. He tried to catch his breath, leaning his head against the door. If Tivon was here, he wouldn't let me. If he was here, he wouldn't let me go through that again. If Tivon was here... But he is gone.

Elias felt like someone grabbed his heart. Tivon isn't here anymore. You can't do a thing about it. And he can't stop you.

He didn't know when he could feel again. It felt to him like a whole decade passed since he could last hear and feel. His nose filled up with a damp, but sweet air. Everything felt familiar. This is wrong.

Last time he could remember anything he was drowning. The last thing he could feel was blood running out of his body and coldness covering his body like a blanket. The last thing he remembered that he heard was his name. Tivon!

He suddenly opened his eyes, forcing his body to sit up. His breathing was uneven. He was gasping for air. Was it air? He felt a sharp pain on the left side of his chest. He unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a scar across his chest, where his heart was. Was?

He put his hand on it and to his surprise, he felt it beating. He was alive. Why was he alive? He should have been dead. He felt the blade enter his body that day, he heard all the explosions, and he felt the water entering his lungs. He remembered the darkness and then... nothing. He was dead.

Because of his panicking, he didn't even get the chance to look around to see where he was. Tivon looked around the place. He found himself sitting on a plain bed in a small wooden room. The walls were covered in different dried flowers, some hanging from a ceiling by a rope. On the shelves were rocks of all colours, jars filled with leaves and herbs and bottles with various liquids. On a bedside table, there was his bag, Elias' dagger on it. Where the hell am I?

He heard someone humming a song in the other room. He heard that song before. Tivon once heard it from a music box, but where and when, he couldn't remember.

He took the dagger, holding it firmly behind his back. He followed the source of the humming. When he exited the room, he found himself outside, surrounded by a thick damp tropical forest. The room where he woke up was a little house and before Tivon, there was a wooden bridge, connecting a little wooden house with another bigger but similar one. The humming of a woman's voice was coming from it. Tivon followed it, slowly uncovering the fabric covering the room.

When he moved it, the humming stopped. There was no one in the room. Tivon quietly stepped in, looking around the room. There was a fireplace in the middle of it, on it a pot with a sweet-smelling liquid. Like the other room, this one was also decorated with shelves and dried plants hanging from the ceiling.

»Hello Tivon.«

Tivon tripped on his feet falling, dropping his dagger. He quickly grabbed it and turned around, holding the dagger before him with both hands.

There was a woman in a brown patched dress standing in front of him. Her long curly hair was loosened. She had long black nails, and her brown skin, dark as a coffee was covered in tattoos. She was looking at him with shining golden eyes. Her black lips moved into a big smile.

»You won't need that.« Said the witch with a strong accent. A witch Tivon saw that night in front of The Emerald Palace.

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