A Distant Reverie

Chapter 64

Suisei's hands shifted towards the knife hidden beneath her clothes.

What the hell is going on? How did she even get in here?

The faint howl of the midnight breeze shrieked into the room. Suisei found the window in Vesper's room partially ajar—the frame just wide enough for a person's body to squeeze through.

You've got to be joking.

Their rooms were near the upper levels of the castle keep. There was no way someone like her could have snuck into the castle and then ascended the heights of the keep undetected. Someone must have let her in.

"Suisei, be a darling and close the door behind you please," Alice broke the suffocating silence with an eerie nonchalance. Suisei eyed the syringe in her hands. Inside the vessel was some sort of translucent fluid. The needle dangled dangerously above Vesper's body.

So she came to assassinate Vesper. But on whose order?

Suisei was aware of Alice's unclear affiliations. She had worked as an operative under the princess, but Marine's actions threw doubts on her loyalty. Now it was obvious that she had been allied with someone this entire time.

"Suisei," Alice's tone suddenly grew dangerous, "Do as I say. Or else I'll plunge this needle straight into your companion's skull. In just a few seconds, he'll go braindead. In a minute, his body will cease all functions."

Suisei swallowed nervously. She had no choice but to obey. She wasn't Marine—she had neither the skills or audacity to fight Alice off while Vesper was being held hostage. Slowly, she backed away to push the door close.

"Don't you dare drop that needle. I'll scream the moment you do," she hissed.

Alice scoffed, "What, is that supposed to be a threat?"

"Marine's room is right across the hall."

Alice's demeanor immediately changed. The conniving smirk on her face faded into a scowl, "Well, that does changes thing quite a bit. I rather not have to see that nasty mercenary," she said while brushing the side of her cheeks. It was no longer swollen from Marine's "training." Still, she winced as if reliving the pains that accompanied the agonizing experience.

Her discomfort was fleeting, however. Alice soon turned towards Suisei with a creepy grin.

"So, how have you been, Suisei? I missed seeing your face," she said. The friendliness in her voice was unsettling.

"Terrible. And it got significantly worse after seeing you again."

Alice burst into laughter, "You know, it's rather refreshing to hear someone who detests me so openly. Most people either keep me at an arm's length or ignore me completely when they realize that my presence makes them uneasy."

Her emerald eyes suddenly fell. Alice glanced down, staring wistfully at Vesper's sleeping body. Her hand that was free descended, caressing the side of the scholar's face.

"Hey!" Suisei kept her eyes on the syringe resting in Alice's other hand. The girl ignored her, however; seemingly engrossed in her own world. Her motions were uncharacteristically tender—almost filled with a loving touch. Her eyes were trembling with a strange yearning. She held her breath abated, unwilling to let go, as if a single exhale would ruin the sanctity of this precious moment.

What is she doing?

Alice seemed to have completely dropped her guard. Suisei rocked on her heels, uneasy at the sudden change. Just seconds ago, Alice was threatening to stab a toxin into Vesper's brains. Now she was suddenly pinning for him.