She fumbled with his limp cock for a while as they kissed.
Come on, you bastard, don’t do this, come on. Please. Nothing, he was too drunk. Her hand slid out, then returned a few minutes later to brush the lifeless thing again, leaving him both pissed off and embarrassed. “Sorry, I…”
“I know, don’t worry, love.” Jennifer sat up, adjusting her clothes.
“Later… In the morning… I…”
“We’ll see.” She kissed him on the cheek, then quickly left.
“Bloody hell. Months with no sniff of a woman, now this.” Silas thumped his head on the pillow a few times. The room spun when he shut his eyes. He leant over and blew out the candle. Now the room spun with his eyes open too. “Bloody ale, bloody women.” He puked on the floor.
Silas woke in the cold. He’d dreamt about Lucia, the same nightmare as usual. The moment he’d found her dead. He looked at the open window. I didn’t leave that open, did I?
He rose from the bed, foot sliding through what had to be a cold puddle of vomit. “For fuck’s sake.” Then he saw it, sat on the chair in the corner of the room, the moonlight reflecting on its black mask. “Don’t you fuckers ever knock?” He regretted the abruptness as soon as he’d said it. The Shadows were to be treated with respect. But cold, hungover, and with puke on his foot, he would say what he liked.
“Wouldn’t that ruin the surprise?” the Shadow said.
The voice was unmistakable. What the hell is he doing here? “My apologies, Master.”
The Shadow Master tossed a bag of coins onto the bed. “Payment.”
Silas winced as he tried to make himself comfortable. The newly stitched wound felt like it was on fire. “Thank you, Master. Two guards killed on my escape, couldn’t be helped.”
“No need to explain yourself. You are injured?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Very well.”
You didn’t come here to pay me and exchange pleasantries. What do you want? “How may I assist you, Master?”
The Shadow Master handed over a folded piece of paper. “Your next assignment will be to monitor a target for assassination. Our mutual friend, Mara, will execute your plan.”
What? How can he be ready so soon? “Uh… yes, Master.”
“A fascinating young man. How is it you came across him?”
“During my last assignment in Talon, Master. North Spring. The boy was at the scene. I saw something in him.” Saw something in him? I sound like an idiot.
“Ah, those grey eyes, no doubt. I had not expected you to be superstitious, brother.”
Didn’t use to be, not until I came across him anyhow. “I am not. Tell me, Master. An assignment so early in his training. He has shown promise?”
The Shadow Master leant back in the chair, crossed his legs, and tapped his foot. “Remarkably so. A gifted child, like no other we have seen.”
Without a doubt remarkable, but gifted? What have they seen? “I am glad to hear it.”
“There are brothers that believe him to possess something… otherworldly. His eyes do not help matters, I am sure of it.”
“I could not comment, Master. I spent little time with the boy and witnessed nothing of importance.”
“Of course. You will supervise the assignment in its entirety, plan to do so without your presence being known to the boy.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Take some days to recover. You must be in a fit shape to complete the task yourself should he fail. I expect him to be ready six weeks from now.” The Shadow Master rose. “You will be contacted in Witswick in five weeks.”
“Yes, Master.”