Assassin's Eye

Chapter 13.

Nemos stumbled down the endless streets, a light fog covering the ground ahead of him. He almost laughed in spite of himself, but as he did, it sounded more like a choked noise. He wasn't in the mood to laugh—at all. It had been so stupid of him to have said anything. If she would have just forgotten about that moment in the Organization then this wouldn't have happened, and he wouldn't feel so damn awful about himself. Nemos cursed and kicked a rock that was in front of him on the road. He laughed again at how twisted his life had become in just a few days. And it wasn't really even his fault.

Nemos grinned bitterly and noticed that he had come in a full circle and ended up back at Seri's place. He walked along the side of the building and came to that little alleyway where they had slept and eaten and, well, lived. His eyes darted over all of the shadows and corners of the alley, and he crept into it, feeling more nostalgic than usual.

The cold was beginning to get to him and his nose was turning red, his hands tingling. Nemos frowned and took a few steps toward the other wall. Then, he whirled and with a running start had scaled the building in just a few seconds. He walked to the edge of the slanted roof and dangled his feet off the edge, gazing out at the illuminated city, barely visible under the moon's light. A voice came back to him through the silence.

You'll fit right in, being as trusting as you are. After all, those people took your soul a long time ago. Nemos laughed softly, remembering Miki before she had left. She had been so caring and kind and strong. But she didn't exist anymore. They had actually sucked her soul out. Was she right, though, that they had taken his soul? He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. Miki... he thought. I remember you... An image of the sweet, brown haired girl appeared in his mind. She smiled at him and waved. I remember you before you changed... An image of the girl as she was now replaced the other image, and his face turned to stone. When you still had a soul. Before you hurt them— Now, an image of Lucy... Hanging from that wall, blood pouring out of her wounds and her anguished face as she watched them hurt him... Before you hurt the people I love. But now, you'll pay. Nemos's face turned into a glare and he clenched his fists.

He needed to calm down. Nemos breathed in the cool air and tasted pine on it. He stood silently and squinted into the darkness of the city, trying to pinpoint someone. His eyes focused on a moving shape in the city, and he took off in its direction. Nemos's feet tapped lightly against the rooftops as he ran toward the figure. He was approaching, however slowly, because they were running in the same direction as he was. Eventually he could see her. Lucy had stopped and was sitting on the roof of the barn, looking out into the city from the heights. She turned and saw him and smiled.

"Hey," she said, her voice strained as if she'd been crying. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. I shouldn't have said anything in the first place. It was pretty stupid of me, huh?"

He went to sit next to her, and smiled out at the moon. If only it could always be like this... Peaceful, quiet. Lucy turned to look at him, and he felt uneasy all of a sudden. "Nemos," she began, her eyes hard, "I'm going to tell you this once and once only. You are not in love with me. You aren't. There's no way you could have fallen in love with me in so few days. It's completely implausible. And even if you did, I don't know what I'd say."

Nemos laughed. "Of course, you're probably right. It was probably just a spur of the moment thing or something..." He sighed, rubbing his face with his hand. "Can we just forget this ever happened? We have bigger problems at hand here, with your drug problem and the Organization probably after us."

"They aren't after us," Lucy replied softly. "They aren't here, and can't be searching since they know where we are, so they aren't after us. It's that simple."