The Villain Wants to Quit

The Spy Awakens (2)

Owen stared at the bland hospital ceiling as he spoke. "First things first. Let's talk about how you met Theo of Dullahan. I know you don't like talking about it and how he tricked you, but something just isn't lining up here. I need to know exactly what happened between the two of you."

Marie gave a curt nod. "I had just graduated from the academy." Marie swallowed as she spoke. "I wasn't even officially a part of the king's guard yet. I had been given some non-work. I was supposed to patrol the grand square in front of the palace. Nothing ever happens there."

"Except it did," Owen murmured.

"Right. It seemed so sudden. Nobody saw how it started. By the time I realized what was happening, there were monsters everywhere. The survivors, well, there weren't really any." Marie took a deep breath. "Except this one. Right in the center of all the monsters. It was Theo. He was such a mess at the time. I wasn't sure if he was alive until I saw his hand twitch."

"You had no idea who he was?"

Marie shook her head. "Even now, most people don't recognize him. And in that state, nobody would've. So I helped him."

Marie continued, "I had some potions – really good ones. Mom and Dad had given them to me as a graduation present. He had been basically gutted by the monsters."

Marie's voice started to become numb. "So I put him together as best I could and poured a full vial on the wound. I fed him two more potions after that. That was when he passed out completely. I was carrying him to, well, somewhere. I wasn't sure where we would go when Dullahan arrived."

Owen nodded. Marie was one of very few who had survived meeting Dullahan. Many wanted posters for him were based on her descriptions.

"He was so calm in all that chaos that it was unnerving. He greeted me by saying he was disappointed that some blood got on his shoes. And then he thanked me for putting his favorite toy back together. Said Theo had lost control during the summoning. He told me he would spare my life this time since I had done him such a great favor."

Marie laughed. "You know, Theo was the only person I saved that day. I had to wash so many people's blood off of me, but that murder was the only one I saved."

"You couldn't have known." Owen placed a hand over Marie's.

"And he's killed so many people since." Marie's breath hissed. "He's only been able to kill more innocents because. I. Saved. Him."

Owen returned his sister's hug from earlier. He had never heard more than vague allusions to how his sister had met Theo. She usually avoided the topic altogether.

"You did what any good knight would have done in that case," Owen said.

"I wanted to kill him when he came here." Marie's voice broke. The siblings sat in silence for a time. "Okay," Marie took a deep breath, "I told you about how I met Theo. You need to tell me why Theo would come to see you."

"That's hard to say without talking to Marc, but from what you tell me, that won't do much good."

"Don't try to dodge talking about this." Marie insisted. "Tell me about how you connected with Theo."

"As you've become aware, the mission I was given was to infiltrate Dullahan's base. It's what I've been working toward the past three years."

"I'm aware of the secrecy." Marie rolled her eyes. The nature of Owen's role in the military had been a point of contention between the two of them for years. "But can you tell me about your mission? You've refused any time I've asked you about your roles in the past."

"Well, I've been caught, so the secrecy is kind of over with. At least between siblings." Owen grimaced. "Plus, I don't trust my superiors to investigate the situation with Theo of Dullahan."

Marie nodded.

"So, I was supposed to pose as a young soldier for Dullahan. I was successful enough to be assigned to the main camp where Dullahan spends most of his time."

Marie's eyes widened. They had been searching for Dullahan's main base for years.

"Which is great, but now that Dullahan knows the location has likely been leaked by me, I'm sure he will either fortify the camp or move. Probably move. Anyway, I was actually assigned to the same barracks as Theo."

"Wait, you mean they put a relatively new soldier in the same barracks as Dullahan's right hand? That doesn't make any sense."

"Right. You would expect the second-in-command to have his own private quarters – and some people did – just not Theo."

"So that's strange, but it doesn't change anything."

"The housing situation – which was terrible – wasn't the worst of it. He was constantly insulted and isolated by soldiers who should have been of lower rank."

"So he had no control of his subordinates." Mari rolled her eyes.

"He came back from pretty much all of his meetings with Dullahan injured. And he would be ordered to wait to seek medical treatment."

"That's..."

"Also, I don't know if you've noticed because the two of you are always fighting, and adrenaline's racing or whatever when you see each other, but the guy is thin. Like I don't know if they even feed him enough."

"Okay, so Theo of Dullahan may be abused, but it doesn't undo everything he's done." Marie fidgeted as she spoke.

"Maybe Dullahan forced him to somehow," Oliver said. "You know I've had to do things I'm not proud of-"

"He was a murder before he ever met Dullahan," Marie said sharply. "Did you forget that he murdered his parents? His sister? His village?"

Oliver looked away from Marie's eyes. She was right. Theo was the prime suspect in the mass murder of Greenbridge Village.

"I do think we need to investigate Theo of Dullahan more," Marie said. "If we can get him to turn against Dullahan, they could weaken one another. But don't let yourself start sympathizing with him. He's the worst kind of trash that killed his own family. And don't let our superiors hear you saying things like that. They might think your time at the base started turning you into a sympathizer."