Rookery ~ Assassin's Creed Syndicate

Chapter Forty Five

"We are here to see Mr. Roth." Jacob stated to the doorman as he wrapped his arm around my waist slightly tighter than it already was. The man scanned the two of us, seeing the fact that we were both heavily armed.

"Weapons?"

"No thank you. We've got our own." He gave a smirk as he handed over our invitation.

"You should both be on the stage. This way." He said as he opened the door further. "Just keep going straight. You will know when you have reached the stage."

"Thank you, sir." I replied with a small smile. We stepped in and, instantly, the heat from a nearby fire warmed the two of us up. "Well, Jacob, I already like this place. And I can smell the fine wine." Jacob chuckled.

"That's good then."

"Fine wine is important to me, Jacob. This is not a laughing matter."

As we slowly waltzed through the corridor towards where we would be meeting Maxwell Roth, the song being played on a violin gradually got louder. It was a sweet, soft tune which I had heard before. Granted, it had been a long time since I had last heard it, but I knew it well. My mother, an avid pianist, had adapted the violin music into a piano tune in order for her to play it. We only ever owned a piano and my mother wanted me to play as well. I learnt from the age of five up until my mother passed away. She would have me play to her every day from outside the door so that I didn't get ill as well. And, like the sweet woman she was, she would applaud me afterwards, even though I only played one song over and over. While it was still quite a soft tune, it was still somewhat lively. 'Listen to the Mocking-Bird' was the name of it.

We stepped into the main room, me with a smile on my face, and I spotted the person playing the violin. He was a young boy, no older than eighteen, and he held the violin with such grace that he almost looked professional. He wore a dark suit and a sad look. He was being forced to play.

"Ah! Our honoured guest has arrived! And he brought with him a...woman..." The older man glared at me. His weathered face looked like old leather and his voice sounded like an angry wasp nest.

"This is--"

"Carina Faraday. I work with Jacob, Evie and Henry." I said, took a seat, and slugged from the bottle of wine on the table. I made a disgusted sound. "Ugh, this is bloody awful. Jacob, try this rubbish." Roth cleared his throat and gestured for Jacob to sit.

"Come, sit." He did. "I've had my eye on you for some time. I find your heroics in battling the great Crawford Starrick quite magnificent." I could feel his burning stare on the side of my head. When I turned, he quickly looked away.

"We have been picking off your soldiers one by one." Jacob smirked and leaned closer to Roth. "Doesn't that make you angry?"

"On the contrary." Roth ignored the younger man's teasing and leaned back in his chair. He clutched a glass in his wrinkled hand. "Surprise is the spice of life. Now, Mr Starrick, that's a different story. I'm drowning in directives. All terribly boring. Let's say we work together and bring him down?"