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This represents one-eighth of chapter six of TSPB. Very, very spoilery.
Zacharias poked his head out of a second-floor window, then emerged completely onto the fire escape. He groped for the railing, nearly fell through the hole, clambered down the ladder, and dropped gently to the ground. Only then did he open his eyes.
"You're managing fire escapes now, I see," said a voice behind him. "You see? We all have fears, and we all get over them. Not a proper spy, indeed."
Zacharias rocketed to his feet and spun. "Shit, Jen," he cried. "What the hell are you doing here?"
The girl slipped out of the shadows and into the pale light of a streetlamp that flooded the alley. "Swearing, my Zac?" she asked mildly. "Did I frighten you? You left me, you know. We were meant to go to New York. Now you've messed everything up..."
Zacharias backed away as she moved closer. She moved sinuously - like a snake, he thought. The kind that was both poisonous and strong, and could crush you in its coils even as venom flooded your veins. "How did you find me?"
"Oh, please. You idiots left a trail several miles wide. It was obvious when Shemir disappeared where you'd be next. Here. For Alex."
"What have you done to him?" Zacharias said, and wondered at the shiver that ran down his spine. "Genevieve, what have you done?"
She laughed like fire and when she reached out to grab his arm her nails were like ice. "Nothing, yet. I don't see the point killing him, not when he doesn't know. It's the ones who do know that are the problem, Zac. You...Miss Taylor..."
"Leave us alone."
She pushed him against the wall and hooked her ankle behind his, effectively preventing any escape. "'Us'? Zacharias, there isn't an 'us.' Well, there's an us obviously, you and I, but...oh, you know what I mean. There is no you and them." She kissed the tip of his nose and laughed again. "You've let your hair grow long."
"Well, it's not like I can just go get a haircut. We're wanted people."
"There's that 'we' again." Her lips were just centimeters from his, and before he could turn his head, her tongue slithered out and probed at his mouth. With a muffled cry, he jerked his head back, tears filling his eyes when the back of his head smacked into the brick wall. The cold ring of steel that was suddenly against his temple was more of an afterthought.
"You're slipping, Zacharias," Jen whispered. "And our guild does not let anyone fall. See that this mission is complete and there's a promotion in it for you. Don't, and...bang."
Before he could think, before he could react, the gun was in his hand. "Yours, love. No bullets, of course, but I think you'll find a supply in your room. Better get back up there before your roommate finds them."
"Don't," he said hoarsely. "Don't do this. I'm out, I'm gone, you don't own me - "
"Oh, we own you."
Zacharias bit his lip hard, and looked down at the gun. "So you want me to - "
"Of course."
"And if I don't - "
"Bang, bang."
"So I have to - "
"Absolutely."
"Right-o." He twirled the gun experimentally. "No problem. Kill 'em all. I can do that. It's not like I haven't killed before."
Jen considered that. "Yeah? Who've you killed?"
"Um, people."
"You're lying."
Neither of them saw the pale face at the window Zacharias had emerged from a short time ago.
Not sure if I'll keep it. I can definitely use it, because of "someone" seeing what happened, but...I don't know. Too much too soon? Not sure.
Zacharias poked his head out of a second-floor window, then emerged completely onto the fire escape. He groped for the railing, nearly fell through the hole, clambered down the ladder, and dropped gently to the ground. Only then did he open his eyes.
"You're managing fire escapes now, I see," said a voice behind him. "You see? We all have fears, and we all get over them. Not a proper spy, indeed."
Zacharias rocketed to his feet and spun. "Shit, Jen," he cried. "What the hell are you doing here?"
The girl slipped out of the shadows and into the pale light of a streetlamp that flooded the alley. "Swearing, my Zac?" she asked mildly. "Did I frighten you? You left me, you know. We were meant to go to New York. Now you've messed everything up..."
Zacharias backed away as she moved closer. She moved sinuously - like a snake, he thought. The kind that was both poisonous and strong, and could crush you in its coils even as venom flooded your veins. "How did you find me?"
"Oh, please. You idiots left a trail several miles wide. It was obvious when Shemir disappeared where you'd be next. Here. For Alex."
"What have you done to him?" Zacharias said, and wondered at the shiver that ran down his spine. "Genevieve, what have you done?"
She laughed like fire and when she reached out to grab his arm her nails were like ice. "Nothing, yet. I don't see the point killing him, not when he doesn't know. It's the ones who do know that are the problem, Zac. You...Miss Taylor..."
"Leave us alone."
She pushed him against the wall and hooked her ankle behind his, effectively preventing any escape. "'Us'? Zacharias, there isn't an 'us.' Well, there's an us obviously, you and I, but...oh, you know what I mean. There is no you and them." She kissed the tip of his nose and laughed again. "You've let your hair grow long."
"Well, it's not like I can just go get a haircut. We're wanted people."
"There's that 'we' again." Her lips were just centimeters from his, and before he could turn his head, her tongue slithered out and probed at his mouth. With a muffled cry, he jerked his head back, tears filling his eyes when the back of his head smacked into the brick wall. The cold ring of steel that was suddenly against his temple was more of an afterthought.
"You're slipping, Zacharias," Jen whispered. "And our guild does not let anyone fall. See that this mission is complete and there's a promotion in it for you. Don't, and...bang."
Before he could think, before he could react, the gun was in his hand. "Yours, love. No bullets, of course, but I think you'll find a supply in your room. Better get back up there before your roommate finds them."
"Don't," he said hoarsely. "Don't do this. I'm out, I'm gone, you don't own me - "
"Oh, we own you."
Zacharias bit his lip hard, and looked down at the gun. "So you want me to - "
"Of course."
"And if I don't - "
"Bang, bang."
"So I have to - "
"Absolutely."
"Right-o." He twirled the gun experimentally. "No problem. Kill 'em all. I can do that. It's not like I haven't killed before."
Jen considered that. "Yeah? Who've you killed?"
"Um, people."
"You're lying."
Neither of them saw the pale face at the window Zacharias had emerged from a short time ago.
Not sure if I'll keep it. I can definitely use it, because of "someone" seeing what happened, but...I don't know. Too much too soon? Not sure.
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