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Amalthea was nursing a drink, waiting on her acquaintance to show up. She was late. She was always late. At least the show was good. This pretty little blonde was just rocking the bagpipes, which is not something one often says about the bagpipes.
“Thea!” a set of dark green/brown arms wrapped around her from behind. “I'm so sorry we kept you waiting. Pretty boy here kept waffling.”
“Relissa,” she kissed the woman's cheek, “please… sit…” she offered the chair across from her. “I didn’t realize there would be more of us. I would’ve gotten a bigger table.”
“I can stand.” The boy stood tall. He couldn’t have been much older than her… 18… 19 tops… yet he seemed like a seasoned pro. She hated what the city did to the lower class.
Relissa slapped him on the ass and took the chair. “So… Thea… how have you been?”
“Really? Small talk? I’ve think we’ve grown past that.”
“Fine. Cut to the chase. We have a score that could use someone with your specific set of skills.”
“Abandoned?”
“Of course. We’re a better class of criminal.”
"What’s the target?”
“Small house in north Sea Ward. Word is the former owners left a small fortune in the walls. That’s where you come in.”
“I see.” Amalthea swirled the liquid in her glass. “When?”
“Tonight.”
“Tonight?”
“Yeah, right now. We aren’t the only ones who know about this score. Better to be the first.”
Amalthea threw back the rest of her drink. “Okay. Lead the way.”
She tossed a small moss covered coin on the table. Not so much as a payment but to remind the barkeep of a debt to be paid.Kegan was waiting for them outside. “Good. You talked her into it.”
“Of course I did.” Relissa winked at him.
“I’m taking my usual cut. Even though you have three now. And you follow my word. I say so and we are gone. Understood?”
“Of course,” Kegan pulled her up onto the wagon before giving her a peck on the cheek. “Missed you,” he whispered in her ear.
“Had to lay low for awhile. Family drama.”
“Aye,” he grabbed the rains and the horses started down the cobblestone. Within minutes they were outside a small yet expensive house.
“Alright…” Relissa pulled everyone together, “my boy here is gonna sneak in and check for traps. Once clear, Thea goes in and blasts the walls. Then Kegan and I will pick up the pieces.”
“Sounds good,” Amalthea snapped her fingers and went invisible, “but I go in with him. Never go in solo. No matter what the job.”
She followed the lad into the house. For being abandoned, it looked incredibly lived in. He cleared the rooms one by one and she followed like a ghost.
“Something doesn’t seem right,” she placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
“Relissa’s info is solid. She’s never been wrong before.”
“Oh, you innocent child. Get out of here. Run. Leave them before something bad happens to you.”
“But…”
“I’m about to do something explosive. If anyone connects you to it you will spend the rest of your life in a dark hole. You do not want that.”
His face contorted in several emotions but finally he resigned. She waited until he was out before continuing to the next room. The modest bedchamber housed one bed for two and a crib. Her heart sank. Relissa had set her up… again… and this time she had brought in someone new.
She sent out a message.
[You Bitch! What are you trying to pull?]
Her answer was short and sweet.
[Deliver the message HE pays you for.]
Amalthea fumed and the air around her began to crackle. The baby started to cry from the air pressure change. Tears streamed down Thea’s face.
“I’m sorry.”
The cloud of knives that flew from her eviscerated everything in the room. The walls and floor soaked through. Floating a foot off the ground, she tossed a moss covered coin onto the bed and flew off. She didn’t ever stop at the wagon. The face of utter terror from the boy was enough. She was a monster and she was done working for HIM.She arrived outside an impressive building with a stylised AI logo on the door. Sighing, she went inside.
“OMIN!!!” she yelled as loud as she could. “OMIN DRAN!!”
A small human scurried out from behind the front desk.
“D-d-d-do you have an appointment?” he managed to stammer.
“Jeff, go fetch your boss. We need to have words. Now!”
The man ran off. As she waited, she noticed that she was dripping blood on the floor. Walking over to a mirror she saw that she was completely covered in visera. Her breath caught in her throat.
“Amalthea Darkmagic…” an all too familiar voice entered the room. “To what do…” he stopped mid pleasantries. “I see.”
She waved her hand and prestidigitated herself clean.
“Omin… we need to talk.”
“My office then?”
They went off to a side room where Omin offered her a chair.
“I suspect the job is done.”
“Why?”
“I needed to send a message. He was getting a little too close for comfort.”
“So you kill his family!?”
He sat tall in his chair. “Yes.”
“I’m done.” she threw her arms up in frustration. “I’m done with you. With all of this.”
“You’re just going to up and leave? Leave everything you have here. The house in North Ward? Your mother? Where would you go?”
“Somewhere where my uncle’s best friend doesn’t ask me to kill people. Perhaps I’ll join the circus and just travel. I hear Berdusk is lovely this time of year.”
“You would really leave your family behind like that? It would crush them.”
“Omin,” Jeff peeked his head in the door. “There is a young man here looking for Amalthea.”
She looked shocked. DId someone follow her? Was Kegan that stupid?
“I’ll handle it.” Omin stood and left the room. After a few tense moments he returned. “Street rat. He’ll be dealt with at a later time. Anyway… you were saying?”
She looked at him fiercely. “You think you own this town? Own everyone in it? One day you’ll see that you are inherently wrong on all fronts. I just hope you are smart enough not to take anyone down with you.”
“Girl… don’t threaten me. I could destroy you and your entire family with a word. I know every single skeleton in your closet. Starting with your lineage. How your ‘father’ disappeared. Who do you think made that possible? Do. Not. Fuck. With. Me.”
He stared daggers at her. She sat defiantly tall against him, even though she was utterly quaking inside.
“Did you kill my father?” she quavered.
He smirked. “Not yet. But who knows what could happen?”
“He’s still alive?” a tear rolled down her cheek.
“Very much so.”
“Where?”
“That information would destroy you.”
“Please.” the word was barely audible.
“Amalthea… you really do not want to know. It’s better that you don’t.” his every word dripped with arrogance. “Trust me on this. Go home. Wait for your cut. Then you will be removed from my service. Go and be free. Join a circus. Run away from your problems. That always worked for James.”
The way he said her uncle’s name felt like a knife cutting through her stomach. He didn’t say a word of affirmation, but she knew. Suddenly she knew the truth and she felt sick. He rubbed her shoulders as she buckled over.
“Are you happy now, my dear? Go home.”
She ran from the room and out into the street.Amalthea ran until she could not run any more and collapsed into a crumpled heap at the end of an alley. She could not stop crying. It couldn’t be true. It had to be impossible. Her uncle… wasn’t her uncle. He was her father. But her mother was his sister. Her stomach churned. The evidence was there but she had refused to see it. She hugged her knees and rocked. Nothing made sense anymore.
“Thea?” someone called to her. It was the young man from before.
She didn’t respond.
“Thea?” a hand touched her back. “Are you okay? Sorry, stupid question. You obviously are not.” he paused. “I’ll just be over here.”
She could feel him sit next to her on the ground. He didn’t leave her side, but he also didn’t speak. He just let her deal with whatever she was going through. They watched as various city watchmen flew by, knowing exactly where they were heading and why. Finally she broke the silence.
“How did you get wrapped up with those two?”
“I really don’t know. I guess I just ran into them. I was clearing out a recently looted cave and there they were. They apparently had the same idea, but I had gotten there first. They offered a deal for protection. It’s better to be in a group, you know.”
“Yeah… it can be.”
“How do you know them?”
“Well… they were my crew when Omin first set me up with a party. Kept calling us ‘franchisees.’ I didn’t know he was a mob boss back then. I just wanted to make my uncle proud.” she choked on the word uncle. “I can’t believe they lied to me about everything.”
“Is thre anywhere I can escort you to? I don’t want to leave you alone in this grimey alley.”
“Do you know how to make someone disappear?”
He shook his head. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’ll just go home and run away. Wouldn’t want to implicate you with anything.”
He stood and offered a hand to help her up. She took it and held on the entire walk home. “Thanks,” she stood outside her front door, defeated.
He nodded curtly and half smiled at her.
“I never got your name… probably best this way.”
“Yeah…”
“Stay out of his sights, if you can. You don’t want to be on Omin’s bad side.” she leaned in and kissed him, “Good luck. And try to get away from those two as soon as you can.”
She left him standing on the stoop, mouth agape.