Remember Me

- 5 -

When they finally arrived back at the area where the two originally met, Ren's stomach was growling so loudly even Rowen was unable to ignore it.

In her defense, it'd been several days since she'd had an actual meal. He removed the blindfold before they'd reentered the street the pub was on.

As they walked together into the grungy building he shoved the dirty cloth back into his pocket. Taking seats at the end of the counter, they both ordered and began speaking lowly, cautious of the wandering ears and eyes around them.

"Enjoying it then, are you?" Rowen asked, a slight glint in his eyes as he watched Ren gulp down the small platter of food in front of her.

She responded by nodding, too consumed to turn away from the meal for even a second. He tossed back the large mug of beer in his hand, wincing at the watery taste. Ren, on the other hand, hardly tasted anything. She ate so rapidly that all she could tell was that the food was piping hot. She welcomed the burn after escaping the bleak afternoon weather outside.

Suddenly she was stiflingly hot, her cheeks flushed with color, and she ripped off her coat, throwing it on the stool next to her. Feeling revived, she turned her entire body to face Rowen, ready to attack him with questions now that she was safe; outside the cell.

"So are you going to tell me why you're so paranoid, or are you going to make me guess?" Ren started.

His bright eyes turned steely as he glared in vexation.

"Do not. Test me," he replied.

"No, I wanna know why a man like you seems so afraid of such a small girl like me. I'm assuming it has to do with your job, but-"

"'A small girl,' that knows how to fight. Let's not pretend that you're some weak innocent child, Ren," he interrupted.

Yeah, alright, I guess he's got me there, she thought, narrowing her eyes at him. She refused to give up and continued to grill him,

"So you're a weaponry dealer then? You're clearly not a daily. Maybe you're a Capital member in disguise," she mused, only half joking.

"You're free to think whatever you want about me; what I choose to do with my time is private and it's going to stay that way," he responded firmly, ending the conversation.

They sat silently for a while as Ren finished the late lunch, washing it down with another watered-down beer. Wordlessly they paid the bartender, put on their coats, and left the pub, this time side-by-side.

She led the way as they stalked down the streets of the Veil, quickly turning left then right, taking supposed shortcuts through abandoned buildings to buy herself more time. Ren was leading them back to the dingy, unpleasant part of the Veil, not far, she was sure, from where Rowen had kept her.

Without fully realizing where she was headed, they arrived near the end of an alley across from a well-known black market dealer's drop-off point. Ren turned her back to the shop, facing him, taking a moment to organize her thoughts. He looked down at her, the cobalt color deep and strong, even in the dim early evening light. Again she was lost in his eyes, but this time her thoughts were stuck on how they'd ended up here.

She'd had hours to formulate a plan and where did they end up? On the front door of the King's most frequent supplier. If Rowen had been involved in any underground business in the Veil, there was no way he wouldn't know the King. Whether or not Rowen'd ever been involved with him she had no way of knowing, but she figured it was in her best interest if they both just pretended the King didn't exist right now.