"Miranda, this is...well, I've taken to calling her Stella. She's a new customer that will be living in the building until we can find more practical accommodations." Adrian explained with a smile. "I've let her know that you are the person to speak to should she need anything. I'm assuming that's alright?"
His assistant gave him a sullen glare in response.
"Excellent." He looked over at the blue-skinned woman. "Please, make yourself at home. In regards to your situation, give me a few days. I'll need to do a little digging. With luck, I will have an answer for you soon."
The Nokken nodded dispassionately, as if it really didn't matter one way or the other. Adrian wondered if this lack of human emotional response was something typical of her kind, or a product of whatever trauma she suffered during her captivity.
"Alright, it's getting pretty late, so I'm going to be heading back. Would you like a...well, I suppose lift doesn't quite fit. Anyway, would you like me to see you home?" He asked Miranda while conjuring the Door.
She glanced at its glossy surface and shuddered visibly. "No thanks, I've got a ride.
"Suit yourself." He replied with a shrug, noting that 'Stella' was staring in silent, wide-eyed horror at the entrance to the Hall, as if some horrible predator had suddenly crept into the room without making a sound. Although, that wasn't too far from the truth, once Adrian considered it.
[I wonder if she is having second thoughts now. Unfortunately for her, it's far too late for that.] He thought as he left, making a brief stop in the Hall to inform Pavuk of his next task, then continuing on to his apartment to sleep.
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The next few days passed quickly, with little of note occurring. Adrian spent most of the time preparing for, and then attending meetings with the five executive members of the Ortegas. For the most part, they went smoothly. The criminal leaders, although prideful, were quick to give in when he started to draw upon the Hall, buckling under the weight of an unknown fear. However, the last one was a bit different.
"You can cut it with the demon shit, I never had any intention of going against you in the first place." The glamorous woman, who handled the Ortega's contradictory escort and bodyguard services department, said in an off-hand manner while snuffing her cigarette out.
Adrian was a little surprised. Most of the other executives had been near gibbering in fear at this point. Evidently, this woman was made of stronger stuff.
"Miss....Evelyn, was it?" He received a nod of affirmation, "Should I take this to mean that you have no intention of fomenting rebellion within our charming organization?"
She sighed, running a hand through a set of luxurious chestnut hair, before fishing in her handbag for another cigarette. "In my line of work, you see some shit. Sometimes, its shit that doesn't make sense if you look at it from a modern perspective. Shit that's..." She waved her hand in the air, as if grasping for the right word, before adjusting the strap of her dark blue evening dress, that accentuated her voluptuous figure.
"Supernatural?"
"I was going for unnatural, but close enough. You've evidently got some that kind mojo on your side." She glanced at him through heavily-lidded eyes as she flicked her lighter open. "And I've seen enough of that side of the world to know that I'd rather not get on your bad side."
[It seems I'm running into more and more people in the know about the supernatural side of the world. Strange that so many people seem to be aware of it, and yet it hasn't become public knowledge yet.]
Evelyn continued, "Thing is, I've known the old boss since before she came to town. Never met a tougher woman...or a bigger bitch for that matter. So, when I heard about her taking orders from you, I have to admit I was a bit concerned. After all, why would she take this organization, one that she built from the ground up, and hand it over to some punk kid?"
Adrian waited for a few moments as the woman lit her new cigarette and took a few puffs, amusing himself by trying to guess her age. A combination of the lighting, her makeup, and in all likelihood, an extensive skin care routine, gave her an ageless face that could belong to someone in their forties as easily as their twenties.
"So, how did you come to your current perspective?" He asked, once she was ready.
"I went and saw her." She replied simply, with an icy voice. "She wouldn't tell me what happened, but whatever you did shook her badly. Made her a shell of her former self."
"Did that make you angry?" He asked with a slight smile, one calculated to draw forth her ire, should it exist.
"Honestly, yes. I hated the boss and her arrogance, as if the world belonged to her, but I always respected her. For all that she was an unpleasant person, she treated her subordinates right, kept the police off our backs, and made sure we all brought home a good chunk of change for our efforts. But..." She hesitated, uncertainty clouding her eyes for the first time since the start of the meeting.
"But?" He prompted.
"...But, I've been working in this city for nearly 15 years, and I've never seen it as bad as it is now." Evelyn replied in a hushed tone.
Adrian frowned, "What do you mean?"
"It's hard to explain. It's kind of like a feeling. Like the streets have been getting more dangerous. You know, more murders, more muggings, more people going missing. Sometimes, even my girls get caught up in it. It feels like there is a cloud that's hanging over the city. One that's slowly driving it mad..." By this point, she was staring into the distance, wearing the vacant despair that was common of trauma victims in the grip of a nameless dread.
Finally she shook herself out of it. "Anyway, I figured that it would be better to have some of that unnatural shit on our side. Especially after I heard about you tearing your way through the boss's compound without any trouble."
"Well, you can rest assured. So long as you remain a loyal member of this organization, I will make sure to protect you and your interests from the 'unnatural shit,' as you put it. At least to the extent I am able to." Adrian spoke reassuringly while standing, trying to signal the conclusion of the meeting.
"Fair enough." Evelyn replied while standing herself. "You keep that promise, and I'll make sure that the others don't cause too many problems for you. They're a bit prickly, but I can usually make them toe the line."
"I would appreciate that." He said, with his best charming smile.
As she was leaving, the executive glanced back over her shoulder at him, "Let me know if you ever need an escort." She gave him a lascivious wink, "of either kind."
[Interesting woman. I can see how she managed to make it to the top in the Ortegas. Although, I'm not sure how the rest of the executives got their positions. Once things have stabilized again, it might be worth instituting a minor purge.] He thought while detailing the specifics of the conversation in his notebook for future reference.
After finishing that task, he stepped out into the common area, and found himself the focus of a slightly irate fairy, or whatever she was.
"You said you needed a few days, and then you would solve my problem. Why am I still living in a bathtub?" Stella demanded as soon as he came into sight.
He resisted the urge to sigh. The Nokken had been growing increasingly impatient as time passed. Whatever fear she held of the man that had held her captive was evidently driving her into a corner emotionally.
"Pavuk." He called, not taking his eyes off of Stella.
"Yes, my lord." His follower spoke, emerging from the shadows cast against a nearby wall.
His appearance caused Stella to jump back, a warbling hiss of warning on her lips. For a moment, Adrian noticed that her face had lost much of eerie beauty, and had instead been replaced with an alien and predatory expression that promised violence to those that she looked upon. Then her features reverted back to their usual pleasant shape, although her posture indicated a continued level of wariness.
[Interesting. An ability to alter perceptions? Some kind of illusion?]
"This is Pavuk, my right hand man, so to speak. He has been looking into your problem." He commented dryly before turning to the masked figure. "What have you found out?"
"I regret to inform you, my lord, that I was unable to locate the practitioner in question." Pavuk replied with a bow.
Adrian frowned. He'd figured that someone cable of binding a member of the Fae would be well protected, but he was hoping for more information. "That's unfortunate."
"However, I did manage to learn a bit about the man's identity." The masked figure continued. There was a slight shift in his shoulders in the direction of Stella, as if to ask if it was alright for him to explain in front of her.
After Adrian's nod, he launched into his explanation. "His name in Alexander Tarn, a practitioner of an older form of Enochian Ritualism, who apparently has a reputation for power and cruelty amongst the magic users of this continent."
"Enochian...doesn't that have something to do with angels?" Adrian asked.
"According to modern understandings of the practice, yes. However, it is based on the writings of the Book of Enoch, which also included details concerning several other types of creatures from other realms. Combined with other works from that time period, it would be relatively simple to create an effective binding for a member of the Fae."
"I see. Is there anything else of use you can tell me?"
Pavuk nodded. "Indeed, my lord. I managed to catch wind of a gathering of practitioners scheduled for this weekend, in celebration of the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Esoteric Order. More than likely, Alexander is in the city to attend this event."
Adrian made a mental note to look into the Order. Apparently, these magic users were more common than he originally thought.
The masked man withdrew a leaflet from his coat pocket, handing it over as he explained. "The organizers are making use of an existing charity ball as a cover, with the intention of having the real gathering in the same location. I've secured a flyer regarding the event they chose to make use of."
After looking at the contents, Adrian couldn't help but wonder how such a coincidence could occur. Although, a small part of him considered the possibility that something or someone was subtly altering things to some end.
"Very good, Pavuk. You may go back."
"As you wish, my lord." He replied while fading back into the shadows and departing.
He put the flyer in his pocket, already knowing the contents. After all he had a similar one back home that he'd received when he got his invitation to the ball. He flashed a smile at Stella. "Are you still concerned about our progress now?"
The Nokken gave him a blank stare in response, before finally shaking her head. "No, but you should not trust that creature."
"What creature, Pavuk?"
"If that is what it chooses to be called, then yes. They are a race of deceivers, and will not hesitate to betray should they sense weakness." She answered with a shudder.
"Oh? So you know what he is?" Adrian asked, genuinely curious. His follower had always deflected questions regarding his true nature, and none of the borrowed knowledge he'd received from the Hall had helped, either.
The Fae woman looked uncomfortable, displaying a compelling level of distress. Although after seeing her predator face, he decided to take her expressions with a grain of salt.
"The name of his race is taboo. We do not speak of it, lest we draw their attention. They come from a realm of cold and darkness. A place of infinite tunnels where unfortunate mortals who wander in by happenstance, or are lured in, become their prey. They are creatures of nightmare who delight in slowly pushing their chosen targets to the point of exhaustion, before devouring them. I can only imagine him serving you as part of a plan to drive you into a corner and consume you."
"Hmm, I thank you for the warning, but Pavuk has never given me any sign of disloyalty. Perhaps he is an oddity amongst his kind?" Adrian spoke reassuringly, knowing that it was a poor argument, but not wanting to reveal all of his cards just yet. After all, he had much deeper reasons for relying on the creature, regardless of his race.
Stella shook her head. "I see you will not listen to my warnings." She turned and started heading back to the bathroom which she had largely claimed as her own, leaving him with one last statement before vanishing into its confines. "When you see his true form, you will understand."
Adrian shook his head. He found the woman's attempt at sowing uncertainty in him amusing. It was fairly impressive, especially when one considered how hard she'd worked to appear as a dispassionate and traumatized victim. Clearly, that placid facade was hiding a capable schemer.
[Well, that just makes her more interesting.] He thought to himself as he summoned the Door and returned home, finding himself looking forward to the ball for the first time since he we told to attend.