The Night Watch | The Nocturnal Chronicles {Book One}

Chapter 25 - The Solution

"It's simple really. To solve your problem, you need a solution. The solution will solve your problem and you can go on with life."

}:{

The Dungeon.
It was stale and musty, and smelled of old blood. Despite that and the hard stone floor, it wasn't to bad. Erudessa had expected worse, being Gregor's number one enemy. Maybe he was warming up to her since she was supposedly going to help him with something. She hoped so. It would be dreadfully boring in the cell otherwise.

Water dripped from the ceiling and formed a puddle in the corner of her cell. The constant drip, drip, drip was enough to make anyone go crazy, but somehow, Erudessa was unfazed by it. To her, it was the start of an epic sound, but one that would never take off. She stared at the water, drip... drip... drip. The endless dripping reminded her of her life. An endless series of bad events.

She wondered if Edwin was in the Dead Zone yet, if he even left at all. If he hadn't... she didn't want to think of what could happen. It could be bad unless the actions she took would be enough to get Gregor away from Edwin. Whatever she was doing, she hoped it was worth it. She hated wasting time when she could be spending it elsewhere.

There was a loud creak and the door at the far end of the dungeon opened. A man walked through and closed the door behind him. As he walked down the length of the room, strips of light hit his face at random intervals. She recognized him instantly, Gregor. She stood up and met his dark eyes.

"Erudessa Drakon, we meet again. I wish it could be on better circumstances," He said, pulling a key ring out of his robes. "Would you like to walk with me?"

She studied his expression and shrugged. "It couldn't hurt."

He flipped through the keys and unlocked the cell door. Then, he stood aside for Erudessa and she walked by. He took lead and guided her out of the dungeon. They came up into a hallway just outside the stables. Gregor led her out to the gardens. Snow fell lightly around them, and they sun glowed behind the light grey clouds. Trees and bushes were covered in frost while the ground was covered in a few inches of snow, which was continuously growing.

They walked for a few moments in silence. Erudessa studied Gregor like she used to study her targets. She memorized every shift in movement when he walked. The way his hands moved. The ways his bottom lip would quiver when he breathed. Even the way he blinked every few seconds. He had to be one of the most interesting people she had studied.

"So, I guess Gwaine got his message across?" Gregor said, raising a questioning eyebrow at her.

She nodded, looking ahead. "He did indeed, and what a message it was."

"From what I heard, it is going to leave a scar," He said while his lips curled into a nasty grin. "On your mind, of course."

She smiled still refusing to meet his eyes. "Of course."

"Well, enough with the formalities," He sighed and stopped, turning to her. "It is time to tell you why I really wanted you here."

She stopped and faced him with a smile, finally meeting his eyes. The information was eagerly awaited by her ears. "And why am I wanted, Head Councilman?"

"Why does anyone want anything?" He chuckled, but then became very serious. "Power, my dear. You are wanted for power."

She frowned, crossing her arms. A chill ran down her spine, making her nervous. "Power? How can I possibly supply power? Last time I checked, I was forsaken. I'm living off of nothing but a man's kindness."