Soran hated the idea of Rowan having to pay Jillian 3000 gold to clear his name for crimes he didn't commit. Frustrated at the lack of other choices available to them at the moment, he slammed his fist into a moth eaten couch pillow. Dust flew across his face, drawing a number of sneezes from him. A few rapid blinks got rid of the dust particles that landed in his eyes, flooding them with tears.
More frustrated than ever now, he leaned back against the couch, crossed his arms over his chest, and stared at Weave who paced around the room. When he glanced at Cas he found him peering into the bedroom where Eremis tended to Alex. He wondered when his blood brother would get around to breaking up with the healer then turned his attention back to Weave. Her perfect disguise made it hard to believe there was a girl under all that soot and baggy clothing.
Soran's eyes narrowed when Weave asked Rowan to give her the ruby brooch, saying she needed it to make the charges stick against the real criminal. He didn't blame his teacher for hesitating because he would have done the same. How could they trust someone who seemed to have a talent for lying? Was Weave serious about wanting their help for a heist she claimed to have planned for tomorrow night, or was she filling their heads with bullshit?
His apprehension remained high even after she handed Rowan a gem-studded knife in an effort to make him believe she'd return later to retrieve it. What if the stones in the hilt were nothing but colored glass? Apparently Rowan though them real because he handed her the brooch without further hesitation.
"Enjoy your dinner," Weave quipped before leaving the house.
*******
Jeremy tried to memorize their route, but the maze of twisting, unnamed streets Xue led him down soon had him completely confused. This section of Annib seemed worse than anything he'd come across in Bizmar. Then again, he never really got around to exploring that much of Bizmar due to jumping from one adventure to another.
They passed a couple of beggars, and saw a few bodies lying around. Jeremy wondered if they were dead or merely scumbags passed out from too much liquor or drugs. His hand stayed close to the hilt of his sword when he caught sight of all the seedy looking characters roaming the streets. How could anyone stand living in this part of the city? he wondered. Garbage littered the area, and the smell of feces and urine was so intense it made him a bit nauseous. He gagged when he almost stepped on the mutilated body of a cat. Some sick bastard had set the poor thing on fire then put it out of its misery by shoving a knife in its throat.
"Let's move faster," he said, glancing at Xue. "I gotta feeling that a bunch of lunatics hang out around here." Only a deranged person could hurt an innocent animal.
To get his mind off their horrid surroundings, Jeremy thought back to what Xue said about Soran. She seemed to agree with his idea about dumping the jerk. "We can't get rid of Soran that easily because Rowan happens to like him. He'd hate us if we did anything bad to his precious, little whore. I honestly wish the guards would find Soran and toss him in jail because then maybe Rowan would go back to being his normal self again. Too bad we can't turn the bastard over to the guards ourselves, and collect the reward money, huh?"
Jeremy followed her into the run-down building. Thanks to Soran everyone had to hide out in this dump instead of spending the night in a nice comfortable room at the Cracked Goblet. He plopped down into a rickety chair by the kitchen table and helped himself to some of the food Kato offered him. "How's Alex, and where's this girl Xue told me about that's going to help clear Soran's name?" He ate quietly while listening to what Kato had to say.
*******
Soran avoided the food since he didn't have much of an appetite tonight. He fell into a fitful sleep on the couch for a while then rose to pace the room like Weave had done earlier. "Where the hell is she?" he asked, before storming into the kitchen for a cup of tea. Jeremy met his eyes then quickly returned to digging through his backpack for something. Considering his mood at the moment, Soran would have belted the otherworldly youth in the mouth if he said anything derogatory.
With the tea in hand, he made his way back to the living room and sat down beside Rowan. "Maybe we should start thinking of an alternate plan in case she doesn't come back."
His lover handed him a plate filled with cheese, bread, and fruit. "Eat something first. You'll need your strength if we have to make a quick get away."
Seeing the logic of his words, Soran forced down some of the food. While eating, he tried to come up with some ideas of how to get himself out of this mess. Since he happened to be the only one in any real trouble there wasn't any reason for Rowan and the rest of his companions to suffer. He wondered if they'd eventually get fed up and take off from Annib without him. Traveling would be a lot easier without a wanted man in their company who might be pursued by bounty hunters. But, surely they wouldn't think about leaving until Alex was well enough to travel at least. Since he never had any real friends, or an actual lover before, he couldn't fathom the idea that he wouldn't be left behind while they got on with their lives.
His head snapped up when Weave walked into the room and made her announcement before sprawling out on the floor. He glanced at Rowan then turned toward the sound of Eremis' voice coming from the doorway of the bedroom.
"I think it's best if Alex isn't moved yet so I'll stay here with him for the rest of the night if you guys decide to go back to the Cracked Goblet." The healer locked eyes with his lover. "We can drag that couch in the bedroom, Cas. I think it's big enough for the both of us to sleep on."
Soran set his plate on the floor then jumped to his feet, pulling Rowan up beside him. Although the elf seemed to believe Weave, Soran had a long way to go before he could trust anyone that easily. "Let's make sure she's not lying. We'll take a walk but we'll both be prepared to run if guards start coming at me."
"Don't lead any guards back here," Eremis warned.
"We're not stupid!" Soran shot back. After they stepped outside he palmed a knife, ready to throw it at anyone that tried to accost them. Sweat broke out on his brow when they passed a couple of guards but the men merely nodded and bid them a good evening. When the tenseness finally left him, he slipped his hand into Rowan's and cracked a smile.
"The nightmare's over, sari. Weave was true to her word." He pulled the elf into an alley then wrapped his arms around him and kissed him deeply. "I swear I'll never touch anything I see in the water of a city fountain again." Soran cocked his head after they shared a laugh. "What the hell's a masquerade ball? Weave mentioned having to get us ready for one tomorrow night. Got any idea what she's talking about? And more importantly, do you think we can continue to trust her?" While waiting for Rowan's answer, he nibbled on the elf's neck and relished the feeling of not having to worry about being arrested for murder any longer.
