Hitman's Tenet

Chapter 6

Everyone gazed at the shimmering diamond in his palm. Collective gaps and murmurs rippled through the crowd like waves. As I wove in and out of the people to get a better look at the jewel, the room got quiet, for shouts began to sound.

And amidst all the chaos, I could make out the sound of laughter, and a flash of blue. Guards swarm around everywhere, their pattern mimicking busy bees in a hive. The crowd suddenly parted, to reveal a body.

The Chairman.

"Not dead yet," Iva whispered in my direction. She brought up her bejeweled and feathered fan to her face, obscuring her visage. "But maybe they'll say he'll pass soon." I offer my arm, and Iva slips hers into mine.

"Me too." Nodding, Iva fans herself delicately.
"I believe the... thief is still here. There's no way they could have escaped. Not with this many people." I raise an eyebrow, but say nothing.

"They won't let us out, not until they've found them." Iva remains steady, but I can hear a nervous tremor in her voice. I look down, avoiding her eyes. "But," Iva continues, solemnly, "I'll thank the perpetrator for Chairperson's death. After all, he's a rather... unkind man." When I look up again, Iva's gaze is distant and forlorn.

Something about the thief doesn't sit right with me, and I shift anxiously. I try to figure out what about them was off.

And then it hits me.

That shade of blue. There's only one person I know who wears that shade, so much like the wings of a bird. Jay.

"Iva, I'm going to go around and investigate." I'm lying through my teeth, and hope that Iva doesn't see through it.
Nodding, Iva whispers "I'm going to do the same. Good idea." She walks off, and as soon as her back is turned, I run.

I look around in a dimly lit hallway, and find an empty room with a balcony. Tearing off all the curtains from every window, I tie them together to fashion a makeshift rope and hang it over the balcony. Making sure no one outside can see me, I strategically tie it to a post, and gingerly climb down. I'm nowhere near as graceful as Jay when I'm climbing, but I make it down the three stories after a few minutes.

"Carriage please!" I shout. There are many roaming around, looking to make money by transporting the departing nobles. One cart, with a hooded driver and a black stallion, pull up next to me immediately. I guess I'm in luck.

The driver drops me off in from of a tiny house me and Iva sleep at, and I pick up my disguise. I ditch the orange dress and put on my assassin's uniform, checking all the windows and doors, and slip out into the night.

The only place I know Jay could be is the vault room. I step towards the secret opening, and wait. I'm in the middle of the trees, visible to Jay if he chooses to come. I didn't want to reveal myself, but didn't hesitate to arrive. It's not long before I see a tiny flicker of movement in the shadow of the trees.

"Hey," I call out, certain and yet unsure.
"Hi," Jay answers back. My heart flutters, and starts to beat faster. Trying to calm myself, I take a few deep breaths, but my pulse only quickens.
"It was you tonight, wasn't it?"

There's silence, for so long that I think he's left, but then Jay speaks.
"It was me. What about it?" He's defensive now, and I am too.
"Did you talk to me, every day, just so you could get the gem?"

I hear rustling, and I brush the side of my gun, preparing for the worst.

Jay steps out, into the meadow.

His face, covered by mesh, has a sleek blue feather I don't remember seeing before. His name, and the shade of blue suddenly make sense. Bluejay.

"A, the gem isn't even real," Jay blurts.. my heart stops, no longer carrying with it the same quickened pace.

"I did a test, and held it over a circular pattern. When I looked through the jewel from above, there was a circle's reflection." He pauses, and fidgets anxiously with the blue ring on his finger. "The Chairman didn't even buy a real diamond to show off. That scoundrel."

I blink, surprised. I guess he knows now that the gem doesn't exist at all.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

I rub the fake gem in my hand, a wave of disappointment rushing over me again.

I suppose The Chairman was smart enough to not reveal the actual jewel.

"Jay, gem aside, I've been thinking about what you said." A starts to pace nervously, and then stops in front of me. "We don't know anything about each other, and I'd like to change that." I can barely breathe, with her presence so close to mine.

My face starts to warm, and I get a tingly feeling all over.

"I'm not going to pressure you into doing anything, but I'd just like to..."

A pulls her mask off. A familiar face peers out behind honey ringlets.

"My name is Amber."
"Amber?!" My hands seem to move all on their own, and before I know it...

I've removed my mask as well.

Giving her a sheepish smile, I wave. "Suprise, it's Arthur!"

A- no, Amber's hands fly up to her face, suprise filling her stunning features.

I grin, tapping her forehead with my finger playfully. "Guess we know a little more about each other than we thought."

Amber runs up to me and gives me a hug. I pull her into my embrace, and we stay, embracing each other for a while.

"I'm so glad it's you."

We spend the rest of the day walking around the forest, talking to each other. It only feels like a few minutes, but when I finally look up, I see the sun setting.

"I guess we'd better get going." Gently, I take Amber's hands into mine. "Thank you for trusting me." She smiles back, and gives me another hug.
"Of course. You're the best."

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

Jay tucks a small paper into my palm, and dashes off. I watch him leave, and when I can no longer see him, I open the note.

Grinning to myself, I read his familiar loopy script. When did he get around to writing this? I never saw him, that adorable sneak.

As I scan over the paper, I nearly drop the note. Reading the message again, I blush. I quickly put it into my pocket, next to my heart, for safekeeping.

It reads: Amber, you are amazing.