The White Shadow

21. Who Gets to Live-PT.1

"Still no progress." Carson clenched his fists. Paced the length of his table back and forth.

A knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door opened. "Marty, what have you come to tell me?"

The man walked in and shut the door. "The commander has been seen leaving the gates once again. Without soldiers. Without anyone."

Carson frowned. "And there's never an explanation. I have to find out."

"I have asked around as well. People have seen him walking with a woman. And he's been acting strange."

"Strange how? Tell me, Marty."

"He's been seen in town very often, which is very unlike him. They say he's been to the tailor several times these past weeks. But when I asked the man owning the shop, he denied it to me that he's ever seen the commander."

"He's been paid to remain silent."

"My thoughts as well. My lord, you should ask people that had attended the ball. There are rumors of him having been there on that night."

"Yes, I have seen him myself." It had been strange. But Carson couldn't deny that it had made him happy to see Firmin there.

"Ask the nobles, then, for surely if he has found a partner, someone ought to remember."

"I might as well ask everyone in this estate and more. The festival was huge, but I will ask around. Thank you, Marty. And keep on doing what you do."

The balding man bowed and left.

"Guards," Carson called.

"Milord?"

"Send Tris to my chambers."

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Aethelu mixed the dark powder along with a pinch of gray leaves with a spoon. Then she poured the vial to her right into the wooden bowl. She mixed it. The liquid became a dark shade of green.

Interesting. The powder and leaves had dissolved.

Aethelu hesitated before she lifted it to her lips and drank.

She coughed. Couldn't breathe. Quickly, before she might fall, Aethelu grabbed another vial she always kept nearby. Popped away the cork and poured the contents down her throat.

Better. "What if I mix these . . ."

The shadow killer would still take effect on the shadow, but perhaps it wouldn't be so harsh on those ingesting it.

She sighed, looking over to the window. She didn't want to work on shadow killer. Testing out all the different ways it might work and which one was best. She'd tried coating armor, rubbed it on her skin with a combination of creams. Now she was trying to form a sort of repellent by keeping it in the bloodstream in hopes to ward the shadow off the body entirely.

But what she really wanted to work on. . . Her gaze drifted once again to the windowsill.

"Not now, Aethelu," she warned herself. But she walked over to the sill.

She picked up the jar. Opened it and let the herbs fall into her hands. What if she'd add some of her calming oils, the ones that allowed her to have peace when she was in stress?

Those were her thoughts a week ago, so she'd tried it out. Nothing had happened.

But now, smoke was hissing out from the leaves. Creating a mist. "Intriguing."