In Memoriam

Chapter 6

"Thinking of leaving without saying hello to the host, are you? How very rude."

Cherizel's heart froze up and squeezed painfully. The person who spoke, that voice, she recognized it. It wasn't a voice she could ever remember hearing, but she recognized it without a doubt.

A man stepped out from the shadows as Regis whipped around to follow the voice. The man was tall and lanky, with slicked back icy blond hair. His eyes were as dark as the blackest night and his nose was more than a little crooked. It looked like it had been broken at least once or twice before. Maybe more.

Cherizel could swear up and down that she'd never seen the man before, but that feeling of familiarity lingered.

She assumed this had to be Anker.

"We're not here to cause trouble, Anker," Regis said, holding his hands out in front of him.

Anker looked at him and smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes.

"You say that and yet I find you in my personal vault. Tell me, Mr. Delacroix, how is that not causing trouble?" Anker asked.

Cherizel nearly dropped the vial of her memories then. She looked at Regis' back with wide eyes. Mr. Delacroix?

He could be her brother or maybe it was a simple coincidence that their last names were the same. That's what Cher tried to reason. But it didn't feel right. He was definitely no brother of hers.

"We're here to take back what you stole from my wife, that's all," Regis said.

Cherizel nearly choked on air. He so casually confirmed what she was too afraid to even think. The two of them would definitely need to talk after they got out of here. If they got out.

"I did not steal anything, Mr. Delacroix. Your wife and I had an agreement," he said and took a step closer. Anker's dark eyes met hers and Cherizel felt her skin crawl.

He looked like a perfectly normal and ordinary human. Yet there was something about him that was so very off-putting. Cherizel couldn't put her finger on what it was. But maybe she was better off not knowing.

"Long time no see, Cherizel," he said, smiling with that same smile that didn't reach his eyes. It made her feel like he could unhinge his jaw at any moment and devour her whole.

She stepped back, clutching onto the vial of memories tighter.

"I wouldn't know," she said. Every fiber in her body screamed for her to run, to get the hell out of there and away from this man with black holes for eyes.

"What was this agreement we made?" Cher asked cautiously.

"You wanted to protect him," Anker said, glancing at Regis. "And I helped you do that."

"What? Protect Regis?" Cherizel frowned. She knew it was useless to try and remember, but the nagging scratchy feeling in the back of her head wouldn't leave. "Protect him from what?"

"I didn't ask," he said, shrugging his shoulders. A little smirk tugged at his lips.

"Don't listen to him, Ma Cherie. Just drink the stuff," Regis said, stepping in between her and Anker.

"Ah, I really wouldn't recommend that," Anker said and stepped closer again. The smile was now ever-present. And so was the creepy crawly feeling clawing at her skin.

"Don't listen to him," Regis said again.

Cherizel looked from Regis to Anker and down to the vial in her hands. Things had gone south quickly. While it was a nice thought, Cher doubted they could make it out of here with the vial of her memories in hand. So she did what Regis suggested.