The Legend Of Black Eyes 63 The Scheming Game

Before I reached the door to my room though, I heard Agatha calling for me from behind. "Myles, my dear boy, can I have word?"

I turned and gave the Herbologist my brightest smile. "Yes?" I innocently asked.

"Raiya told me your nightmares have intensified," she said, walking slowly toward me. Raiya didn't tell you anything. You overheard us, you slimy Herbologist.

"Y-yes," I stammered. I looked at the floor, downcast.

"Perhaps I can help you with that," she said. She nervously smiled.

She walked closer. My nostrils flared as her sweet perfume invaded them. She tried hard to conceal the creases between her eyebrows, to look calm and composed. Looking at her now made me realize how very similar she was to the warlock. They both had long hair. Hers was raven black while Raiya's was silver blond. They both smelled sensational.

Where Raiya had a way of walking and speaking that gave her authority over anyone standing before her, Agatha had those bright yellow eyes one couldn't look away from. They hypnotized and made you listen to her speak.

Both women put a great deal of attention to their looks and the way they moved. Had I not been charmed by Raiya before, I'd have accepted to follow her instantly.

"I was thinking of taking a bath first," I said. "Would you mind waiting for me until then? I won't be long."

"I'll be in my room," Agatha said, her face clearing up. "Come and pay me a visit when you're done, will you?" She smiled and my heart jumped. G.o.ds I hated this weakness. I couldn't speak to a woman long enough without feeling this primal urge nudging at me…

She gave me another bright smile, turned heel and walked toward her room. Her black knee-high boots. .h.i.t the ground noisily as she walked away. She was wearing brown leather pants, tightly wrapped around her round, perfectly shaped bottom. My eye followed it until she reached her room and opened the door.

The Herbologist turned once more to look at me. I quickly averted my gaze and tried to look at her eyes. She gave me a look that suggested she knew what my eye has been following. I wished she'd just stop it and move along.

She stopped alright, a half smile drawn on her face, one leg in the corridor, the other inside her room. The world had grown terribly silent around me. I walked toward the Herbologist. The closer I got, the stronger her perfume became. It felt as though it surrounded her, shielding her to some extent. I looked up and down at her.

Did these women workout to shape their bodies so? Or was it magic? She didn't seem to realize I was close to her, eyeing her with my great interest.

I definitely had to master this ability!

I decided, that day, that I'd leave this house without Raiya's help. I couldn't rely on her or on her trusted Priest from the Church. I wouldn't sit back and let others lead me wherever they wanted to. I wouldn't trust this Herbologist either. It was high time I relied on myself.

Tick…tick…tick…

The clock started ticking. I went back to my initial position and trained my eye on the Herbologist's. "Don't take long," she said then slyly winked at me. I smiled back, nervously then walked away.

I went to my room and opened the adjacent door that led to the bathroom. I filled the wooden tub with hot water. Raiya had installed some sinks that heated the water and others that emitted large, multicolored bubbles. I got undressed and went inside the bathtub. I needed some privacy to start practicing. What's better than being naked and washing the dirt off me?

"What're you doing?" a voice rang inside my head.

"Eva? How're you doing that?" I thought I'd banished her.

"Riaya's off somewhere with her cat demon. She doesn't suspect I can still talk to you."

"Why are you talking to me anyway?"

"I need your help."

Everybody needed my help nowadays. Did I become the wish granter all of a sudden? I remained silent. I played with the bubbles and let the hot water soothe my aching bones.

"Myles!" Eva spoke again. "Theolonius can't have me," she pleaded. "Please, I need your help."

"How am I supposed to do that?" I asked. "Raiya wouldn't let me near you. I can't leave this place without her consent anyway."

"Yes you can," Eva said.

"No I cannot," I protested. "She makes sure her house is locked every time she leaves. Eli tried that before. That's why he asked her to let him leave."

"I heard her talk to that demon cat," Eva said, abruptly changing the subject.

"So what?" I retorted. "She always speaks to that demon of hers."

"They spoke of you," Eva said. "She doesn't have any friends from the Church. She's contacted your friend, Sam, that was his name? He's a native of the eastern continent. The Church is sending him over to take you. They won't object to let him in at the Aslanor border."

"What's in it for Sam? Why would he risk coming to hostile territory? You don't make sense Eva!"

"Think about it boy!" Eva snapped. "I heard them talk about him before they left. They're setting up a meeting with him near the city of Sayang. I suspect he's already here. Raiya said she had something he'd kill to retrieve."

Agatha! d.a.m.n it! That warlock's playing with us all. She's setting me on a fool's errand to waste my time until Sam gets here.

"You said there's a way to get out of here without Raiya's consent?" I asked.

"Did you hear those voices yesterday?" Eva asked back.

"What're you talking about?" I didn't tell the warlock about it and I wouldn't tell anybody else either.

"The tree folk spoke to the chosen one yesterday," Eva said.

"Tree folk?" I asked.

"It's an old legend," she replied. "I learned about it when I stayed in Jory's study. He had some strange books I tell you."

"What's the legend?" I asked, a bit too eager to sound simply curious.

Eva stayed silent for a while. d.a.m.n I blew it.

"You're the chosen one?" she said.

Well, f.u.c.k it… might as well tell her. "What's the legend?" I repeated, stalling until I got my answer back.

"What did they give you?" she asked back.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied. "Get to the point or I'll end this conversation."
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Eva remained silent. I scrubbed my limbs and washed my hair. If she wasn't willing to talk about it, I wouldn't force it out of her. I was desperate for some answers sure, but I'd never owe anybody any more favors. She'd either tell me or I let her get handed to the man she feared.

"If you don't tell me, I won't tell you how to leave this tree without being spotted." Now she's threatening. She must be desperate. Why's my grandfather so scary? I wondered.

"I don't believe your story about Raiya handing me over to Sam anyway," I retorted. I wouldn't submit to blackmail. "She's done nothing but help me, ever since I met her. You on the other hand, helped me then turned on me. You tried to a.s.similate me, remember?"

"What makes you think she's not trying to do the same?" Eva asked.

I didn't. I knew she had something to hide. That was why I wasn't willing to stick around and wait for her help. I didn't trust people to whom I owed favors, not anymore.

"Faith," I answered. "I have faith in the warlock."

"Then you're as naïve as I thought you were!" Eva snapped.

"That's enough!" Sisha's eerie murmurs intervened.

s.h.i.t, were they listening in on us?

"Will you control your ghost?" I asked the cat demon. "She's refusing to admit defeat."

"Raiya and I are coming soon. Shut her down if she ever tries to contact you again, is that clear?"

"Yes," I answered then shut him down as well.

I got out of the bath, got dressed and headed for my room. I picked up a book from the bookcase and dropped it down. I focused on the object falling and urged it to stop. 'Stop!' I mentally repeated. 'Stop!' 'Stop!'

And the book stopped mid-air. I started counting, ten seconds, twenty, thirty… the clock started ticking and the book resumed its fall. Thirty seconds, that's not enough…

I picked two books this time and threw each on opposite directions. I urged them to stop and the world around me came to a halt. I picked them up and placed them back in place before the clock started ticking again.

I was given a gift. It was useful, sure, but not as useful as I wished it to be. No matter! I had to make do with what I got.

I picked up a dozen books this time. I had a new idea. I threw them all in the air and urged them to stop. I worked as fast as I could. I managed to stack four books back in place before the clock started ticking again…

'Stop!' I mentally urged once more.

The books started their descent for a fraction of a second then halted. I picked four more and stacked them back. The clock started ticking and spell wore off.

'Stop!' I took the remaining two and put them back.

When the spell subsided, I felt weak and empty on the inside. My knees shook and my head throbbed lightly. I went down to the living room and filled my rumbling stomach before I went to Agatha's room.

On my way there, my mind raced with multiple possibilities for my escape. I didn't need that pile of bones to escape. I didn't need the attention either. But if she were right and Sam was indeed on his way here… I'd be delivered to the Church I fought hard to get away from. I reached the door and knocked once. Agatha's melodious voice beckoned me to get in.

The room was bathed in lavender scent and a smoke that would make one's head turn. The Herbologist had closed all curtains, extinguished all magic crystals. There was no source of light save for the brazier she lit in the middle, near her four poster bed.

"I've made some preparations," Agatha said as soon as I closed the door behind me. "Please, lie on my bed. Bad dreams often haunt us, leave us vulnerable. I might be able to h – "

The world turned still again. "Give her what she wants," a voice whispered. It was the same voice that spoke to me in that empty white world.

" – elp you. Don't be afraid. I've burned enough herbs to ward bad spirits off."

"T-thank you," I stammered, my eye was fixed on her cleavage. I didn't try to hide it this time.

"Now, now," Agatha said. She came to me, gave me a startling tight hug. It lasted long enough for me to feel my manhood getting stiff. I haven't been in a woman's company for too long I guess…

"Sit, lie down and let me do the rest," Agatha urged.

I didn't move. I didn't want her to see the thing that pushed against the flap of my trousers.

"There's no need to be ashamed of who you are, Myles," Agatha said. "You're a man in the presence of a beautiful woman. It's only natural to have such a reaction." She gave a quick glance in between my legs. "Now, lie still, we haven't got much time."

I obeyed. I lied on the bed and felt her hands running through my chest. "Relax, my dear boy," she said after I tried to wrench myself away. "This is a simple ma.s.sage to steady your breathing and help you calm down."

Her hands unclipped the b.u.t.tons of my shirt. I felt her soft skin caress my chest, applying gentle pressure on my pectoral muscles. Now her fingers were running down toward my stomach, near my navel. My breathing didn't get steady. It became shallow, if anything.

"The way to fight your demons is to make them look benign," Agatha's melodious voice reached me. "How long has it been since you've touched a woman?" she asked.

"I dunno," I answered. I urged my member to calm down. The more I fought, the stiffer it became. Please don't notice… Please don't notice…

I shot a tentative look at the Herbologist. Her raven hair had fallen over her eyes. Her soft, swollen bosom peeked at me from beneath the tight leather vest she wore. She met my eye and smiled. Well… that didn't help at all. Her sweet scent invaded my nostrils and I lost control. I was stiff and I couldn't think straight.

"Good," Agatha whispered. I could feel her warm breath near my left ear. Her lips grazed my skin and I felt my body temperature rising. "Don't fight who you are. Don't reject your own nature. Acceptance is the first step to healing…"

Her voice suddenly grew fainter. It seemed as though she was speaking from within a well. Her voice struggled to reach my ears. My eyelid grew heavy and my breathing had surprisingly calmed down.

"Finally!" the lone voice, which spoke to me yesterday, said. "What took you so long?"

"Where am I?" I asked.

"Irrelevant," the voice said. "You're nowhere, and everywhere. The woman is probing your memories as we speak."

I frowned. I willed myself to wake up but the voice interrupted.

"Let her," the voice said. "She'll find what she wants, nothing more, nothing less. And in return, she will give you what the warlock wants."

"How will that help?" I asked.

"You'll gain their trust," the voice replied. "Don't attempt to escape yet. Learn more about their plans. And when the time is right, speak to the root of the tree."

"How will I get there?" I asked.

"Use our gift," the voice said.

"I can't use it properly," I protested. "It's either that or you gave me a faulty gift."

"The gift is a good as its user's skill, boy. Train hard. Use it in your dreams."

"Dreams?" I asked.

"Train to control your dreams, you'll find that this world will provide great training grounds to improve the gift you were given."

"How am I supposed to do that?" I asked, frustrated.

"You'll only know when you try, boy!" The voice said. "Our time is up. Learn to control your dreams. Or our efforts would have been for naught!"

"We're done here," Agatha's voice said. It was clearer this time.

I opened my eye. The woman was sweating. Her raven hair stuck to her forehead. Her yellow eyes fixed me with a triumphant look. I couldn't help but admire her beauty. "So Zoey failed," Agatha said, wrenching me off my daydreams.

"What?"

"I sent Zoey to kill the warlock, she failed."

"Why tell me this?"

"Because I know you don't trust Raiya either," Agatha let out a nasty grin. It's as the voice said. She trusted me now. Perhaps she thought she could use me, manipulate me.

"Are you going to send me to kill her too?" I asked.

"No," Agatha replied. "But you could sneak into her study and steal those bones she got off of you."

Always about this ghost… n.o.body knows who she was, but they all seem to have developed a special liking to her.

"Why would I bring them to you?" I asked.

"Because I can get in touch with my nephew and get the Church to come and destroy this tree. I'll help you escape before they reach you. I'll fake your death, and the Church will never look for you anymore."

"Utar will find out," I protested. In truth, I wasn't worried about Utar. I was worried about his boss and my grandfather. Faking my death wouldn't work.

"Once he gets his hands on the bones, he'll forgive me and forget about you, trust me."

"Raiya knows you're after her," I said.

"I know," Agatha said.

I narrowed my eye. She was too relaxed for someone who knows she's in danger. Besides, I felt she wasn't as good at this scheming game as Raiya was. She quickly confessed her intentions to me. I decided to use her. I might get a chance at meeting Raiya downstairs, tell her what I learned. I'll find the root if I manage to slip by using my time-stop.

"She's asked me to find out why," I said.

"Tell her I was offered a Pardon."

"Pardon? What did you do?"

"I stole something from the Church," she answered.

I raised my eyebrows. "That's a crime punishable by death," I said.

"My crime's not as big or as bad as yours though," the Herbologist teased. "You stole a Listener and made her your concubine. Bad boy Stalwart!"

"Whatever," I said then tried to stand up. My member was still as stiff as it was before I lost consciousness.

"You should do something about that," Agatha teased, looking down.

"I'll tell Raiya about your motivations," I said, trying to adjust myself and get rid of the uncomfortable b.o.n.e.r. "She'll suspect you, but she won't make a move unless she knows she's on the clear."

"Yes," Agatha replied. The smirk on her face from teasing me had disappeared. "She'll put me in her dungeon, you know that."

"I saved your life once," I said. "That's more than you deserve."

The woman suddenly jumped on me, grabbed me by the collar and started screaming. "YOU DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT WHAT I DESERVE, TRAITOR. YOU HAVE IT EASY, YOU FORGOT YOUR PAST AND YOUR CRIMES!"

"Get off me!" I pushed her away and got to my feet.

Agatha was on the floor. She jerked her head toward me and smiled. Her bright yellow eyes spoke of mischief and triumph. "That should convince her!" She whispered as she jerked her head toward the door.