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Continued... She was deep in her work when I arrived, mixing something nasty over a small flame. The smell was truly noxious, and I marveled, not for the first time, over how anyone could do such a job by choice. I cleared my throat once, then again more loudly, before the apothecary turned to see me in the doorway. "Oh, Ashalia! I'm sorry I didn't see you there. Please, come in. What can I do for you today?" Smiling warmly, I stepped forward and extended my right hand in greeting. "It's good to see you, Mae. I have a special delivery with your name on it." Mae grasped my hand with a glint of avarice in her eyes. Not surprising, my last delivery had set her up with this cushy job in the armory. "Sounds interesting! Here, have a seat and show me what you've got." She eyed me up and down, obviously trying to figure out what I could have brought with me. In alchemy, the smallest packages are often the best ones. Instead, I let go of my smile and stood coolly, waiting for her to notice. She seemed confused for a moment, as she discretely scratched at her palm. Then scratched again, more vigorously. Suddenly she looked down at her hand where it began to blacken, and stared up at me in horror. "No... what have you done to me?!" "Where is he, Mae." "I... I don't know who you mean." She tried and failed to ignore the itching before scratching again, this time hard enough to bring blood. "Oh, I think you do. You don't have much time, Mae. I'd talk now if I were you." She was tearing at the skin with her nails now, frantically trying to make the itching stop as the blackness began to spread up her arm. "OK! OK, I'll tell you, only make the itching stop!" I patted her shoulder gently. "I will Mae" I said, comfortingly. "You know me, I always keep my promises. Tell me where he is, and I'll make it stop. You have my word." She gestured frantically toward a curtain hanging across a doorway on the back wall. "Hurry! JUST HURRY!" I dropped the 'nice' act and gave her a cold look as I walked toward the curtain. Slowly. Drawing the silk aside, I saw the baby sleeping in a small cot. He was so tiny, I could see his mother in his delicate features, even under the baby fat. As I gently picked him up, I saw the marks on his arms where his blood had been taken for some foul potion or other. I nodded. "It's ok, little one. I've got you now, let's go home." I turned back to Mae, who was frantically scratching the flesh from her hand and arm in a vain attempt to make the itching stop. I could see bone in a few places. Good. "Please! I gave you the baby, you promised to make it stop!" "You broke your promise to Ellie, Mae. That was a mistake. But you know me. I KEEP my promises. Always." She looked relieved for a brief moment, until she saw me draw my dagger. "Wait, n..." She tried to scream, but it was cut off as my blade entered between her ribs and found her heart. "...gghhh.." she finished. Quite satisfying. "There." I said turning toward the door, "I made it stop. And it's more mercy than you deserved." A thought came to me though, and I stopped with one hand on the door. With a baby to care for and no husband in the picture, Ellie would need an income. And I would need a new apothecary, now that Mae was no longer filling orders. Turning back toward the room, I surveyed the various bottles, boxes, and packages on Mae's shelves. This would do nicely. Quite nicely indeed. Ashalia The Grey | |