The Tails of the Fox

Prologue

Prologue

1921

The building had just recently been opened to the public. Already, it was packed even on the second floor balcony. Bored patrons scattered the halls casually making small talks with their neighbors in the nearby balconies. The sharp scent of cigarettes filled the air causing a mystifying haze. A broad figure strolled through the halls calmly, taking his time and observing his surrounding. No one seemed to have noticed his presence, but that didn't bother him. He preferred slipping in and out unnoticed.

He took another flight of steps up to the third floor. It was a private floor where only guests she personally invited were allowed. The single worker guarding the entrance onto the floor bowed for him when he showed the letter holding up her signature. "This way sir." The attendee led him down the small hallway to a dark mahogany door at the end. He knocked once and waited for her reply.

"Come in!" Her voice was velvet and sent shivers down his back.

Closing the door behind him, he turned to the dimly lit room. It was a rather large parlor with a balcony overlooking the entire theatre. The floor was still being filled so she had yet to go up on stage.

"Is that you?" the voice called out from behind a partition away from the crowd's view.

The man coughed signaling his presence.

"Always like a ghost." The voice chirped teasingly. "Be a doll and pass me my shoes." Slender fingers pointed over to the gold heels resting on top of the desk. He held it delicately and brought it over to the girl. Her hand lingered upon his as she took the shoes from him slowly.

Turning his back to give her privacy, he felt her presence even before she wrapped her arms over his chest in mere seconds. "I missed you." She murmured. She sensed the buzz of stage fright die off the moment she felt his body pressed close to her. "We can't keep this up... you know that don't you?"

He grunted, "You know what will happen if I'm seen meeting you like this Emma. Especially by the people I'm working for."

"Screw those old snobs!" Emma snapped angrily, her hold on him tightened and he grunted in discomfort. "I want to go out with you on the streets. Meeting like this in the dark just makes a girl feel bad."

"I know." He sighed, he understood her annoyance. There was once a moment when he too wanted to go out in the day proudly walking with her instead of sulking in the back roads at night. He too had once wanted to spend quality time with Emma instead of finding moments in the day to sneak off in the dark for just a second. "I came to see you before you went on stage."

"Really? Where are my roses then? Or are you hiding them for later?" Emma twirled to face him with a sly smile. Her dark eyes crinkled in the corner causing him to smile back. Her face, though covered with makeup, could still blatantly show how flushed she was.

He smiled, pressing his hands against the warmth of her cheek. She tilted her head and grabbed hold of his wrist, anchoring his hand against her skin longer. Her eyes fluttered shut, enjoying the moment they were sharing. "Later." He answered.

Emma pouted, but twirled away from him. Her shimmery golden dress helped to bring out her dark eyes and black hair. As she brushed past him towards the mirror, the scent of wildflower and wind swept by him. Her scent was always masked by the perfume she always wore and was surrounded by. There had rarely been times when he was able to really smell her, and this was one of those scarce moments. He murmured something in his native language and headed over to her.

Wrapping his arms around her slim waist, he pressed his lips against her neck, moving up to her cheeks and stopping right at the corner of her mouth. Her body shivered so powerfully he could feel it himself. "Stop..." She moaned, "It's not polite to mess with a girl's makeup like this before she heads up on stage."

"You're beautiful." He complimented. It was true, any man and even any woman could tell that she was a beauty. Her features could cause anyone to stop on the streets and ogle. She was one of a kind, her unearthly beautify mystified even him.

"Tell me something I don't know honestly." She scoffed, but melted into his body even more.

"Do you love me?" He asked, slipping away from her slowly.

"Such a silly question isn't it?" Emma giggled.

"Is there another?"

"Never." She smiled. "And there never will be."

He nodded understanding what was being told to him. Emma turned to face him, grabbing hold on both side of his face, she whispered something in his ear. He nodded once more and pressed his lips against hers. Emma moaned and pressed herself closer, her lips fighting for dominance before he finally allowed her control. Their moment was brief as the sound of the crowd below grew louder.

Emma pulled back and fluttered her eyes in a daze, "So nice....that will last me until I see you again."

The man was silent as he nodded. His face darkened slowly, taking a step to shorten the distance between the two of them, he produced something out of his pocket and pressed the sharp end deep into her stomach.

Emma gasped in shock and pain and stumbled back. "W-What?"

"Don't fight it, you'll only make it harder on the both of us." He begged. Stepping back, the dagger slipped out of her body just before she fell to the floor. He had stabbed the one part of her body that would guarantee death. It would be many years before this one would appear again, like the others, it took time to regenerate a body capable of withstanding all its power.

Her body twitched, and the blood poured out of her. The dagger had been pure iron, it had sucked the energy out of her the moment it entered her body. She was too weak to scream or call for help, not that it would help much, she was already at death's door.

Emma's eyes flickered up to his, betrayal and pain so prominent on her face that he couldn't help but feel the guilt build up in him. There was no reason to- she had used him.

He had been nothing more than a food source for her. Played and brainwashed essentially, he had thought this time would be different but it wasn't. And now, it never would be. His chest felt like it was filled with lead and he knew he would be hardened the next time he would see her. He wouldn't allow her to affect his head like this one had done, and even the next time when they would be fated to meet once again.

"Just die." He said calmly before exiting the room. The deed had been done, there was no reason to watch any longer. Now, he needed to head back and report her death to the Order. They would need to prepare for the next time around.

Her glazed eyes followed him right as darkness edged its way towards her. Her lungs screamed for air, but she had no way of getting any into her body. Everything was shutting down and it would soon all be over with. The realization that she had been betrayed settled heavily onto her.

A tear threatened to fall, but with her last remaining strength, she held it in. No, no tears would be shed for him, like the times before, he had brought down her demise. As darkness finally overtook her, one last thought remained clear in the remainder of her conscious; the next time would be different even if she wouldn't remember. The next time they would meet, she would make him suffer and for once her ancient old revenge will be fulfilled, and with that, the final strand of life attached to the body snapped. For once, she didn't fight the ever welcoming darkness.