by Ethan Egorov
“Haha! You are scared. I knew it!”
“No… really I’m not.”
Before they had a chance to continue their argument, a woman dressed in a flowing red gown appeared from behind a beaded curtain and spoke to them in a entrancing voice which had the hint of a deeper accent. “Well, hello. You’ll come in here now. I promise you, what’s your name…Trenton? I promise you there’s nothing at all to be afraid of.”
He narrowed his eyes and looked a Cassandra who shook her head at him. She knew that it was better off not to question the woman about her knowledge of his full name. She was genuinely surprised though that Trent was as superstitious as he was regarding the occult. She’s have to tell Kristina in confidence that she had found one of his flaws.
The woman led them back to a smaller room behind the beaded curtain. It was lit much differently with low lighting and deep blue neon lights to make the space feel more tranquil. The mysterious woman took Trent by the hand and Cassandra allowed both of them to be led to a small table in the back corner of the room. She already had a solid white candle and a crystal set on the table. “So I assume it’s answers you seek Trenton?”
“Um... I don’t know how this works, but yes… I suppose.”
“Come now Trenton. You don’t have to be so stoic with me. I know that deep down you listen to your intuition more than you’d like to admit. Come you and your lady friend sit. Let me ease your burdens.”
They did as instructed and then Lady Larue continued, “Ah yes. I fear there are many troubles which must be discussed. There are messages here for you if you’d like to receive them.”
“Oh um…yeah. Yeah I would like to hear them.”
Lady Larue stopped and looked at Trent expectantly and Cassandra smiled at her sympathetically. Trent definitely didn’t understand how the process worked. Cassandra cleared her throat and gently elbowed him. He just stared at her dumbfounded before she rolled her eyes and sharply whispered, “Fuck! Pay her Trent!”
“Oh … I’m sorry. I didn’t understand what you meant. Sure.” He pulled out a crisp one hundred dollar bill from his wallet and slid it to Lady Larue. “Ah yes.” She smiled and nodded at him appreciatively. “Yes. I see you a man whose serious about hearing the messages that are waiting for you. Let Lady Larue see what awaits you.”
Trent watched in fascination as the woman placed both of her hands on the crystal in the middle of the table, then she closed her eyes taking a deep breath. She then exhaled and smiled at both of them before taking her hands off the crystal and shuffling a deck of tarot cards that were set in front of her. Trent narrowed his eyes and watched her hands work. He’d of course seen many card sharks in the past and many of the people who got caught for counting cards or even cheating at some of the establishments he’d been to were notoriously good shufflers. When she felt that they were sufficiently sorted, she slowly laid them out one after another in a horizontal line. There were three in total. She flipped them over, then looked at Trent and nodded her head before smiling and them looking grim once more. “Yes… I do feel that these are yours Trenton. Are you certain you want to hear your fate? I assure you that it may be quite shocking and it’s not recommended for the faint of heart.”
“Let’s just say I’m feeling especially brave at the moment. Go ahead and deliver the message, Lady Larue.”
Chapter 18
“As you wish, Trenton. The first card I see in front of me is the lovers. This card is in the past. I take it that you have been on a romantic journey with perhaps the attractive lady you’re with?”
“Not exactly…but yeah. That’s what brought me here anyway.”
“Ah…so you’re seeking a love well that makes sense. I do believe I have the knowledge that you seek, but the present is chaotic and it feels as if everything has fallen down upon you hasn’t it? Oh yes…you are weary Trenton, though it feels as if you’ve repeated this scenario many times before even in a past life. Oh you poor stoic creature. I almost feel bad for you, but at the same time, sometimes in the physical realm we must keep repeating a job until the lessons are learned.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty tired Lady Larue. I’m just ready for all of this to be over. Do you think you can help me find a solution to my current problem?”
“Oh I do believe it’s in the cards and also in the stars. The present situation is the tower and while everything is in upheaval at the moment, I assure you this is not completely terrible. There is hope as you can see a great light surrounds the falling building.”
“Okay… well that’s good I guess.”
Lady Larue reached across the table and took Trent’s hand within her own. Her eyes met his and she seemed to be staring deep into his soul. Her actions sent a shiver down his spine and he felt himself completely overwhelmed for a moment. She then removed her hand from his own and flipped the last card. It was gruesome with a picture of a grim reaper holding a scythe. It was, though somewhat beautiful though as a bed of roses was the background for the unsettling image. “This is your future Trenton. It is death.”
“Ouch.”
“Hah! That’s the reaction that most have to seeing the card, but once more I assure you that it is merely change. You will be victorious in your quest Trent, but I warn you that once you make up your mind there’s no going back. You will make a great commitment that you can’t deviate from. This is your final fate.”
“So death is a good thing?”
“Not the physical death, but yes good things can come from a bit of the spiritual change.”
“I think I see…do you have anything else to tell me Lady Larue?”
“Yes. I told you there was a specific message for you waiting, sadly though I have no interpretation for this one. I’ve only been told numbers so that’s up to you my friend.”
“The only thing I have for you it seems is a riddle. It’s the numbers two, five, and seven. Follow the trumpets. Do with that as you shall Trent. Oh and Trent?”
“Yeah?”
“Do come back and visit me during happier times, I feel that it would give me great joy to explain more about my art to you and both of your lady friends.”
“Both?! What do you mean—“
Before he had a chance to press the issue further, Cassandra grabbed his elbow and nudged him upwards. “Come on Trent. It’s time to go, I think Lady Larue probably needs to rest now.”
“But--?”
“We’ll come back later. Lady Larue thank you for your time, we appreciate your hospitality.”
“Anytime Cassie, my door is always open to both of you. Maybe you should stop in by yourself sometime? I’d love to give you a good cleanse.”
Cassandra smiled at the woman and cocked her eyebrow, fully noting the husky innuendo in her voice. “Yeah…I think I just may do that. I’ll see you soon.” Cassandra and Trent exited the shop and as soon as they were outside Trent began questioning Cassandra. “Why did you do that?! She was about to give us some real answers.”
“Trent, you missed it you big lug. She did. Come on. I think I know where Kristina’s at. At least I hope that she is still alive.”
“You don’t know Kristina like I do. If anything she’s a fighter.”
Kristina woke and touched her hand to the side of her temple. She winced as she shut her eyes tightly to block out the light in the room. She couldn’t believe that she had allowed herself to get so drunk. She didn’t even realize that she’d had more than one drink. It was late though and they did have a few long nights. “Ugh. Trent…come help me up.”
An unfamiliar voice hit Kristina’s ears and responded, “Ah. I highly doubt he will be able to hear you ask for assistance, he is many miles away from you right now. In lieu of his absenteeism, however, I will gladly give you a hand.”
“What?” Kristina allowed herself to open her eyes and when the light protruded to her retinas she winced yet again. She blinked a few times and made herself focus She first noticed that she happened to be stretched out on what appea
red to be a fainting couch. Its fabric, though was cool and smooth which she oddly found herself grateful for. The voice she heard didn’t seem to harbor any malice at the moment and she watched a tall, well-dressed man appearing to be in his mid-40s walk over to where she was reclined. He offered her his outstretched hand. She waited a moment considering her options. She didn’t recognize the man at all, yet he appeared to be offering her genuine assistance. Her gut told her to fight him with everything her body had left, but given her current condition, she decided that she would play nice and perhaps gain an explanation as to what had occurred the night before. She took the man’s hand and he helped her into a sitting position. He then walked away from her and came back, carrying a small cup of what she assumed was water.
“Forgive my intrusion on your evening. Here. Drink some of this, it will help you get your bearings.” Kristina took the glass he offered with shaking hands. She had the mindset to sniff it beforehand and he chuckled at her action. “Hah! You are smart, I’ll give you that. I assure you it’s only water. Trust me I’m only interested in your well-being at this point.” Kristina took a few sips of the offered beverage and coughed as soon as the cool liquid hit her lungs they reacted. After wetting her throat and lips she handed the glass back to her captor, her hands still shaking. “Who are you? What do you want?”
“Ah. You’re so suspicious. I can definitely see why Cassandra thought you would be a perfect protégé. Ah you’re one that loves to play by your own rules though it seems. Hmm. It’s going to take some time to figure you out, but I confess I do have plenty of that now. You see, that’s the excellent thing about having a good work ethic. It allows you to have time to retire early in your life. Then you’re free to pursue things at your leisure.”
“So you’re retired? Why? I mean, did you get too old for your work or did you just lose your nerve?”
“Oh my. You are lucky Kristina. You’re just getting to know me so I’ll let that bit of sarcasm slip. I find that as we get to know each other you’ll refrain from such commentary in the future. Hah! I can see, however, why Cassandra couldn’t keep you. She didn’t have enough of a backbone to keep you in check.”
“Cassandra? What are you talking about? What does she have to do with this?!”
“Ah. Yes. My apologies. I didn’t properly introduce myself did I?”
“No. Who the fuck are you? Where’s Cassandra?! Did you hurt her?! I swear to God if you hurt her I’ll skin you alive.”
“Oooh. Such strong words. Hmm. I didn’t know you had that level of attachment to our dear Cassandra. I’ll have to keep that mind for future use. Anyway, I don’t know if she ever told you about me or not. I’m assuming she didn’t. After all, Cassandra did do a very nice job in keeping quiet for many years. It’s a pity I had to lose her. She was one of my best employees.”
“Employees?”
“Mhm. My name is Augustin Bellerose. I found Cassandra and I suppose you can say I shaped her to be the woman she is today. The whole situation makes me extremely sad actually. It’s a shame I had to sever my ties with her. She was so brilliant, one of my finest masterpieces I must say. Wouldn’t you agree, Kristina?”
“Augustin…. Oh God. Get the fuck away from me! You’re a monster…Cassandra told me all about you during our….during our time together in Paris.” Kristina backed away from him and huddled herself on the corner of the fainting couch, curling her body into a ball.
“Oh, Cassandra was always one for dramatics. I assure you that it wasn’t as she said. After all, I did leave her everything she needed to be a successful contract killer. I understand that she helped you in your career as well. She spoke of you often, you know. She was very fond of you. She said that you had the most potential of anyone she’d ever met. I can’t wait to test that. After all, she’s already did her best to teach you the basics I understand. Now I just have to take you to the next level dear.”
“Did you kill Cassandra? Tell me.”
“Let’s just say that she’s as good as dead.”
“You bastard!”
“What do you want me to say… she violated the rules. She knew them in the beginning and I gave her the option of walking away. She chose to play the game. It’s that simple, Kristina. I’m afraid though, you really didn’t get a choice in the matter did you?’
“Listen…I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. I was taking jobs long before I met Cassandra. In fact that’s how I met her.”
“So she’s explained. I think there’s more to it than that though. Tell me Kristina. What I’ve learned through the years is there’s two sides to every story. You seem a bit tired though. What do you say that we pick this up over lunch? I’m by no means a savage, despite what you may have heard. Take a shower. Get your bearings. If you feel inclined afterwards take a nap. I’ll have a lunch catered down here for us. Than you can tell me your side of the events leading up to Cassandra. Oh I will miss her. She was intoxicating. I will bid you adieu for now, Kristina. Relax.” The man turned and walked out of the room. She ran for the door behind him, but in her grogginess wasn’t quick enough to catch it before it latched shut. She heard the distinct click of a lock behind it. Overwhelmed by the death of her friend and the shock of being abducted once again, Kristina slumped down in front of the door and rested her head against the cold hardwood floor. Was Cassandra dead? What about Trent? Fuck. After steadying herself for a few moments she took a deep breath and stood examining her surroundings more closely. It appeared she was in some type of either a hotel or house. Was she in a sitting room? The fainting couch she was sitting on was adjacent to a small bureau. It appeared there was an adjacent bathroom and also in the corner there was a small bed that was already made with what appeared to be fine beige colored linens. Artwork lined the walls and they were pastoral scenes and images of the French countryside.
Kristina walked to the bureau and opened the drawers one by one. They were empty save a few pieces of clothing. She pulled them out and examined them. There was a set of what she surmised was workout clothing. There was also several pairs of socks and even some undergarments. She then opened the top drawer and found several pieces of boudoir lingerie. It was clearly designer and a lump formed in her throat when she noted they were in her size. “Fuck.” She then walked to the far side of the room and found a small closet as well. She opened the door, hoping to find something useful in her escape, but once more only found clothing. There were several casual outfits and also some designer gowns, which she anticipated were to be worn on special occasions. The top of the closet was line with footwear as well in her size. The styles ranged from athletic shoes to sensible flats and even to elegant heels. At the end of the row, though there were some rather unusual looking stilettos which sent goosebumps over her skin. Surely these things belonged to the occupant and it was pure coincidence that they were in her size. Surely Trent would be there any moment to help her escape from Cassandra’s employer. Kristina took a deep breath and realized that nothing in the room would help her escape. She was trapped in her own well-maintained prison, but she knew that Augustin was right. Her body needed time to recover from the shock of being taken. She would play along and do as she was asked until there was a viable way to escape.
Kristina walked to the adjacent bathroom and opened the door. It wasn’t as elaborately decorated as the rest of the suite, but it was cozy and some would even say quaint. There was plenty of artificial light and there was a large sitting area in front of the tub and shower for dressing or doing hair and makeup. The tile was a calming, beige and had a textured surface which reminded Kristina of river rock. There were freshly folded towels already waiting to be used and a small hamper stood in the corner for any dirty towels or clothing. She only assumed that Augustin had someone to do the housekeeping for him. As a man of apparent means, she couldn’t see him putting in a load of whites for any of his overnight guests. Left without any other options, she walked back into the sitting area and picked out a few arti
cles of clothing from the closet and of course, some undergarments from the dresser drawers. She then looked at her face in the mirror by the shower. It looked like she hadn’t slept for days, dark circles lined her eyes and her deep red hair was even darker due to the oils that had collected in it. She did have some bruising around the top of her head, which she could only assume had happened when she was abducted. It didn’t seem to be Augustin’s style though. She smiled to herself, it seemed as if she had given one of his thugs a fight on her way. This pleased her on a primal level. She wasn’t one to be underestimated and even her subconscious knew it. She took a few moments and looked around the room before she finally decided to undress.
She let her clothes fall to the floor, exposing her naked body to the solitude of the room. She surprisingly didn’t feel any unease in the act, so she knew that Augustin was at least giving her some privacy for the moment. She then scooped up her clothing and placed her soiled shirt and jeans in the hamper. They definitely needed a thorough washing. For that matter she did as well.
Stepping in the shower, she was pleasantly surprised to find there was indeed hot water and an assortment of luxury hair and skin products available for her to choose from. As she let the spray warm her cold body, she exhaled deeply. She allowed her shoulder muscles to relax and took her time shampooing her oily hair, she let the strands slide between her fingertips and softly massaged her own scalp. She finally felt a bit more human as well when she soaped up her torso and allowed the spray to wash away at least a good portion of the dirt and sweat which had layered itself upon her skin over the past few days. She was delighted to know that she didn’t reek like alcohol or that despite having her minor head wound, that she no longer had the coppery scent of blood in her hair. Instead now, she smelled and felt fresh.
She toweled herself off and found the cotton to be a high-quality blend. Part of Kristina felt luxurious and wanted to savor the feel of the plush against her skin, but she knew that Augustin was dead serious on them meeting for lunch. For some twisted reason he did seem to have a genuine interest in her and Cassandra’s relationship. She hated the fact that there really wasn’t that much to tell. As she pulled on a pair of jeans she found in the closet that fit her a little looser than what she normally liked, she found herself hoping that Cassandra was still alive even though Augustin seemed set on the contrary. She then found a t-shirt similar to the one she was wearing and pulled it over her rather large breasts. She often found that when she shopped she had trouble finding nice blouses because the placement of the buttons would often gape in the front, leaving her underwear exposed. It was for this reason she found herself often pairing t-shirts with some type of sweater, or even in the summertime tanks which made her skin seem to glow in the sunlight. She did find a thin dark blue sweater to pull over the t-shirt and she hugged it tightly around her. She found herself growing chillier since the steam in the bathroom had quickly began to dissipate. Had her captor instructed her where the thermostat was, she would have been tempted to turn it up a few more degrees.
