Deatt quickly slammed the door to the apartment shut. His fingers leaving a small trail of his friend's blood on the wood.

  Dropping the bag onto the ground, Nido sat on the bed with a groan.

  Deatt ran to the shelf where he knew they stored bandages and a bottle of clear strong booze. He bundled two bandages together and poured the booze over them. Nido let out a scream as Deatt pulled the dagger out and shoved the bandages against it with one hand, while pouring the rest of the bottle over it in a panic. While he held the wound, he handed Nido the other bandage. The half-orc moved it around his body a couple of times, before Deatt took it and stretched it as much as he could, fixing it on Nido's side.

  Although the white bandages quickly colored themselves crimson red, the treated wound stopped bleeding after a while, leaving the weakened Nido lying in bed, huffing.

  Deatt let himself fall on one of the chairs, and tried to slowly exhale the panic reigning in his head.

  Nido was now in a safe condition, his orc ancestry already doing wonders for him.

  But was he really safe? Deatt was still in the room and he was the one that committed the vile attack. He looked at the dagger, where a few drops of crimson blood already formed a puddle on the smooth table, slowly seeping into the wood.

  It was not just him attacking Nido. Looking back, Deatt had been acting different even before that. Making choices he now questioned. Why would he trust a complete stranger? Not to mention a very suspicious and so conveniently timed one. Why would he just go for the hit before he knew for sure, that the trick with the bell would work? Without making sure that they had a sure way to escape? The fact that the lines did not react to the door was just dumb luck. Even now, with some of the score he wanted to take, he had no buyer. Unless he found one stupid enough to buy the items in the same city they were stolen in, the items were rendered useless. Maybe even a risk.

  He was so greedy the last couple of days. He could not help but wonder about all the things waiting there for him. Just for the taking. Could not help imagining the piles of gold that he would sit in. Happily counting the each and every coin in his hands.

  It took him attacking the one friend in his life to realize that he was slipping. He never questioned it, not once, until then.

  What if it came back? What if it-

  "Some job this was, huh?" Nido's voice cut into Deatt's panic. The calm tone was like an infection, making Deatt slowly relax.

  "Yeah, sorry about that. Should have...prepared, better. And sorry for...you know?"

  "Are you alright?" Nido asked.

  Deatt almost laughed. There Nido was, stabbed and lying in the bed, covered in his own blood, asking whether Deatt was fine.

  "Yes. Right now I am. But more importantly, what about you?"

  "Feel like I've been stabbed." Nido giggled, but the strained laugh quickly turned to a cough. Grimacing from the pain, Nido continued in a more serious tone.

  "We got to do something about that Deatt. It's not going away by itself."

  "Yeah..."

  "You know what that means right?" Nido looked at him from the bed, his eyes full of worry. But even in his state, the worry was all targeted at Deatt.

  Of course Deatt knew. Even though he hated the idea and was absolutely sure that the whole thing reeked of hidden intentions.

  "I have to accept the job." Deatt whispered. He was absolutely sure that Vael was in no way the man he presented himself as, but what else was there to do? Hope that the next time he would get outplayed by the curses manipulation, he would not hurt Nido again? Deatt did not know what he was dealing with, clearly. He hated fighting something he knew nothing about.

  The mysterious Gnenmo person seemed like a ticket to that knowledge. He could help Deatt suppress the temptations, or better yet maybe lift the curse altogether.

  It was worth a shot at least.

  Nido still waited for his answer, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

  Deatt nodded to his friend. He could worry about what Vael had planned after he had been rid of the dangerous curse.

  "I will go there the next morning. Right when I wake up." Deatt said.

  "Good. Got to return you to your former glory. Being the rational one was way more exhausting than whatever prick you could have done to me." Nido sighed.

  "Prick? You bled like a horse, a decapitated horse. Don't pretend to be tough now. If I didn't shake the thing off, I'd have to clean the scraps left of you."

  "No. I could have done you in easy. I'd just jiggle some coins to bait you in and slap the curse right out of you. Actually, maybe that would-"

  "Don't even think about it."

  "But we didn't even try!" Nido complained.

  "Let's keep that as the backup plan if everything else - and I mean everything - fails. Alright?"

  Nido's smile widened from ear to ear.

  "Deal."

  Standing in front of the big doors to the Mortimmer household, Deatt could not help but feel aversion to the house.

  Not only because he had to grovel back after he declined with such assuredness, not because his last lover lived with her now husband inside, not even because that specific lover was the reason he had been jailed. Simply because he felt he was stepping into something quite bigger than his humble self, and he was stepping in blind.

  He had not slept at all last night and it showed, his hair was disheveled, his clothes dirty and he smelt worse than a dozen pigs. But when he stayed awake for the whole night, he could not come up with any other option then to come here.

  A dark and uncomfortable a place it seemed, the only hope laid inside.

  Reaching to knock, the doors opened right before his knuckles made contact with the wood.

  Carmilla stood in the doorframe, in all her sleepy glory. She must have woken up just moments prior to his arrival. Her hair was almost as wild as Deatt's and her mascara had been smudged over her face. She still wore a decent but thought inducing nightgown and she sighed gently at Deatt.

  The image hurt Deatt all over again. He loved this part of her the most. Back when they would wake up and spend pleasant mornings together...

  But that was a long time ago.

  "Hello, Dee." She smiled at him.

  "Morning, Carmilla." Deatt answered, trying to keep his tone as nice as he could against himself.

  "What brings you here? This early in the day no less. I was under the impression that you didn't plan to come around again."

  "I need to speak with Vael." Deatt tried to cut the uncomfortable conversation as short as possible.

  "Oh, do you now?" She said a sly smile appearing on her face. "I am glad to hear that. Please, come inside then."

  Deatt passed the threshold, Carmilla's sweet perfume attacking his senses while he moved around her.

  "But he is still fast asleep. So if you wouldn't mind waiting, please take a seat" she said, moving through the living room to the kitchen in the back.

  She bent her back to reach into one of the lower cabins, effectively grabbing all Deatt's attention.

  "Tea?" She turned to look at him.

  He quickly spun and sat down, acting as if interested in one of the old antique paintings.

  "Tea? Yes, some tea please. Thank you."

  She smiled back at him and put a kettle on a stove. It seemed the thing was magical, as Deatt saw no fire under it, even though the kettle started boiling almost instantly.

  "Going to join the expedition I take it?" She placed a cup of tea in front of Deatt and another opposite to him.

  "Depends on the details." Deatt answered, whirling his tea with a spoon.

  "Of course. That's where the devil lies." She giggled. "But I'm afraid that won't do. See, my husband tells the fish the details only when he is sure he caught it."

  "I suppose I am the fish?" Deatt answered, irritated at his place in the metaphor.

  "Yes. And based on the hurry you seem to be in, you are looking like he already caught you." She walked to one of the cabinets and took out a few vials with liquid, then she placed them on the table.

  "Close your eyes." She said, grabbing one of the vials and pouring it's contents on a piece of cloth.

  "Why? What-" he bent backwards, dodging whatever she was holding. Going as far as to grab her wrist when he realized the leather couch would not let him bent further.

  "Listen Deatt, you look like shit, desperate shit. Let me clean you up at least a little bit, before you start negotiating." She scowled at him.

  For a moment, Deatt searched her eyes, looking for any sign that she was going to do something to him, but he found nothing. It did not make sense for her to do something now after all. Or rather, he was so drained by the events of yesterday, that it was unnecessary to pull any tricks on him.

  He lowered his hand and closed his eyes.

  He twitched slightly in surprise as something cold and wet touched his cheeks, but then relaxed as the gentle rubs of the cloth became rather pleasant. Than he felt her fingers move around his hair, brushing it with an oil of some kind. Sweet fragrances mingled in his nostrils, bringing peace and quiet.

  "I will get someone to bring you new clothes as well." She said when she stopped cleaning his face.

  "Also," she took one bottle and squeezed out two small drops of it into both cups. "This is just a kick to wake you up." She pointed to the cup. "Make sure to drink that."

  She placed the bottles back to the cabinet, stretched and made her way to the stairs. Stopping there to turn at Deatt.

  "Good luck Dee."

  "Wait! Mil!" Deatt stopped her as she was climbing up the stairs. "What does he intend to...reel me in with?"

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  "That I don't know. I asked, mind you, but he didn't want to tell me."

  "Oh, alright..."

  She turned to continue.

  "And Mil, thank you."

  A beautiful smile appeared on her face and she simply nodded.

  Left alone in the room, Deatt was left to ponder over tea. Namely, whether he should drink it, now that it hid two drops of whatever Carmilla put in there.

  He leaned further back on the comfortable couch, evaluating his options.

  Suddenly he jerked, realizing that he had almost fallen asleep right then and there. The lack of rest must have been catching up to him.

  With no better option, he grabbed the cup and sniffed it with suspicion. It smelt sweet, like wild fruits.

  He drank a bit. Then, tired of his own paranoia, he downed about half of the cup in one go.

  He started feeling the effects almost immediately.

  Strength ran through his muscles again, his eyelids stopped falling and the slight headache disappeared.

  He simply felt refreshed.

  Feeling giddy, he took the cup, prepared to drink the rest immediately.

  Then he heard steps behind him, and turned to look who might have been bringing him clothes.

  He almost poured the miraculous tea on the ground, when his body jerked with surprise.

  Evelynn was walking down the flight of stairs, holding a set of clothes in her arms.

  "Oh! Hi Eve!" He joyously waved to her. "They got great tea!"

  "Hello mister Deatt." She answered coldly. Suddenly a pang of guilt appeared in his stomach, the words he said to her echoing in his mind.

  She put the clothes gently next to him and rubbed both her eyes with her hands. Then she moved to the chair opposite to him and took the other cup.

  She looked almost as worse for wear as Deatt did a few moments ago. She had bags under her eyes, she was humped down and she strained to keep her eyes open.

  "How have you been? You seem tired." Deatt asked.

  "Well. I have been reading a lot again, so I had little time to sleep." She said, reaching for her cup.

  "Thought you wouldn't touch books. Since, you know, you can do other...things...now?"

  "You mean since I was rescued?" Her words were calm, but there was still a tinge frustration in them. "I had more important things than to frolic about." She took a sip, instantly seeming more invigorated.

  "What about you and Nido? I heard there was a burglary yesterday. Was it you two?" Her eyes finally landed on his. Instead of the cold he expected, the emotion in them was much harder to discern.

  "A thief doesn't normally go about telling on himself." He joked, but then he bent forwards and whispered. "But yes, it was us."

  "Bold of you to drink tea from a man who you have just robbed." she smiled slightly.

  "What?" Deatt's face was frozen.

  "You didn't know? Really? I thought you were a master thief. Based on what you and Carmilla told me. She said you always looked into the details." She took a sip.

  "But the shop was Hurnir's..."

  "Yes. Like Quickway's, Jignet's and every other shop selling magical items. They have their shop owner's, but who do you think owns all of them? All of the stock?" She asked one of her brows pointed upward.

  "Don't tell me."

  "Exactly. Honestly, I would expect the world-wide thief to know these kinds of things. I knew that the Mortimmer family was the number one supplier even when locked in a house. I read it. From fucking books." Done drinking her tea, she stood up and walked to the stairs.

  "Evelynn! Wait, please."

  "No, thank you Deatt. I was waiting for most of my life. Now I don't have to. Thanks to you." She stopped and looked him up and down. "You should really put those on. You look awful." With that, she turned and walked away.

  Left alone again, Deatt slumped down on the couch.

  After putting in the clothes, a long sleeved white shirt, a nice brown leather vest and brown pants, he stood up and looked in a mirror in the kitchen.

  "Well, now I only feel like shit."

  "Hello, mister Deatt," Vael smiled. "Glad to see you have chosen to join us."

  "I wouldn't go that far just yet." Deatt sat down and bend forward. "Not until I hear what this is all about."

  "Of course. Straight to business." Vael took out the familiar box, lit a cigar, and put it back into the desk. This time not offering any to Deatt. "Then tell me. What would you like to know?"

  "We can start at payment."

  "A thousand coin for each and an offer of...employment."

  "You want me to work for you?" Deatt asked in surprise.

  "i am going to ask you a question instead. Do you know how often someone steals something from me?"

  Deatt felt the need to gulp, but managed to resist.

  "Based on your tone. Must be a low number."

  "Exactly two times in the last six years mister Deatt. Two. Now who would not want someone with such talent in their employ?" Vael kept smiling, but a hint of frustration appeared in his eyes. "And I understood the message as well. You are not one to be simply bought and that is why I will offer even more. To buy you expensively."

  "When you successfully retrieve and bring Gnenmo here, you can become my right hand. Another harbinger of peace. Do you understand? You could be one of the few that will restore order to the world. One of the few that will control the rest."

  Deatt was reminded by the image of him on a throne. How the rest groveled at his feat, how they respected him. Something inside him urged him to agree at that moment. Wanted him to become a ruler. Considering it was the yearning of the curse, he would probably become a tyrant instead.

  "Is that what you are after? To seize rule?"

  "You see, mister Deatt. While I wholeheartedly admire the great intentions of your friend. I do not share her naivity and selflessness. I will save the world, but I will expect it to return the kindness."

  Deatt knew from the start that Vael would not just act from the bottom of his shallow heart, but he was surprised by the acknowledgment from Vael. He expected him to play his games again, try to appeal to the better side of Deatt. Instead, he poked the bad one. The one that became so unruly as of late.

  "I want full access to Gnenmo."

  "That wouldn't be a problem."

  "I also want you to come clean on the expedition, along with any details, even those you think aren't worth mentioning."

  Vael nodded.

  "Lastly, I won't be a lackey. I will evaluate whether I would accept and do any job you present. I will move where I want to and do the same. I will be in your employ in name only."

  "As long as you would inform me of any other job you might be doing."

  Deatt liked his privacy, but he felt he was already stretching the offer with his last condition. Also, how would Vael even know if Deatt would not tell him? He would not.

  "One last thing. Evelynn. I want you to provide her will all that she might require.

  Books, lodging, anything."

  Vael stopped for a moment, his eyes betraying surprise at the request.

  "I am afraid that won't be possible, mister Deatt. Carmilla has already taken her under her wing. She would be furious at me would I try to pry her away."

  So that was why she was in the house. Carmilla really just...took her in? Deatt would have to look into that. She might have been nice to him this morning, but one act of kindness now did not erase what she was capable of in the past. And she was not the type to shelter someone just for the sake of it. The way things were, if anything went wrong, it would be his fault.

  "Sounds like we might have a deal then."

  "Splendid." Vael reached out his hand. Waiting for Deatt to shake on their partnership.

  The moment before he reached out his hand seemed to freeze the world. As Deatt felt his hand move forward, he felt a deep reluctance within himself.

  But it was too late to back out now.

  As their hands shook. Deatt saw something move in Vael's eyes. Suddenly the man's business-like smile turned to a wicked grin, his eyes turning into the yellow of greed. And yet the expression looked completely the same as before.

  "The goal is to rescue mister Gnenmo. Based on the latest information, he was still held in Kitva's prison. You will-"

  "Prison?" Deatt interjected.

  "Yes. Before the turned started tearing the populace to shreds, he had been named a heretic. Thankfully, Kitva's prison is very formidable. My sources tell me it still stands. Mostly. Gnenmo should be still alive inside. Lucky for us."

  So not only will Deatt have to survive a full city of turned, he would have to break someone out of prison from under their nose. He only hoped that the jailors would have some sense and forget about the misgivings of their inmates.

  "As I was saying. Your part is to rescue Gnenmo out of the prison. I will send an attack force with you, along with a mage. They should provide enough backup to hold off groups of the horrid things."

  "And you want us to, what? Walk through the city? That attack force better have a hundred man if that is your plan."

  "No, nothing so brutish. The plan is a bit different."