The next morning he waited for her and the sun to rise. The sun rose and still he waited. A few minutes passed and then a half hour and then a few hours. Finally he left feeling a suprising twinge of dissapointment.
He walked back home, going over the night before. 'Was she mad at him?' He thought on this long and hard as the sun beat down on him.
'Perhaps she had come to her senses, and realized he was a killer. Maybe she decided never to see him again.'
This was the worst thought he came up with that afternoon. A thought he could not shake no matter how hard he tried.
Perhaps.. No.. she had been upset at the idea that he would not come for her. His footsteps slowed as he reached the Sylvador manor. He turned and started heading back. It would only take the other half of his day to reach the estate.
***
By the time he reached the estate the night watch was out patrolling the grounds. He crept among the shadows.
A man with a well groomed beard and a pair of longswords on his back wandered the rear garden by the stable. He used an original trick and tossed a rock. The guard stood at attention and drew his long swords.
Scar was light on his feet as he crept around him and towards the manor's door. Just as he reached for the handle another man stepped through the door.
Scar reached inside of his jacket and as the man's mouth opened to say somthing he snapped a capsule of powder beneath his nose. In seconds the powder exploded like a mini firework danced in a quick zipping circle and shot up the man's nose.
His eyes glowed a strange yellowish tint and he walked backward three paces. He stood stock still as Scar closed the door, and scanned the room. It was empty. Just the two of them. He turned a corner and started up a grand staircase. Usually only staff lived on the bottom level.
Scar turned to see the man resume his walk to the door and open it.
The capsule had a powder that made you retrace your last few steps, for about twenty seconds you'd freeze and then repeat your actions with no recollection of your prior moments. He liked to call the stuff rewind, but it was somthing he really liked to use in knife battles. If you were quick enough it was handy. Especially if you were up against multiple opponents. He kept close to the walls as he made his way threw the halls. He opened some of the doors. Most of the rooms were empty. Marcion snored loudly in a giant bed that was in a giant room. The only other room occupied on the level was Nadines.
He slipped into the room and closed the door gently. The bed sheets rustled and she sat up. Her eyes shot open when she saw him.
"Edward? What in the hell are you doing here?" She hissed as she flung the bedsheets aside.
"You didn't meet with me so I..."
He stopped as she stepped into the light. Realization flashed across her face and she stepped back into the shadows.
Every muscle in his body was quivering as he took slow deliberate steps in her direction. She sat on the bed ashamed.
***
Carver stretched on the floor beside Ghost's bed and she leaned over to look at him
"Goodmorning lazy bones."
" "
"You know you dont have to stay in my room anymore."
"I kinda like it in here." He laughed at the sassy look on her face.
"Just a few more days and I'll be gone." He sat up and stretched.
She sighed and groaned, "Its just so embarrassing having you watch me struggle."
He smirked, "Have to go to the bathroom again?"
She blushed and turned away embarrased. Living in a mansion with all men made her used to these conversations so she didnt know why her cheeks were flushed.
"Yep."
He chuckled as she awkwardly situated herself to the bedcloth she had made him bolt to the wall.
"You know it's be a lot easier if you let me help you."
She swallowed her pride and made herself say the words. "I just cant stand the idea of a man touching me right now. I'm sorry."
He awkwardly rose to his feet, "You dont have to be sorry. ..Would it help if I stood outside the door?"
She smiled, "It might."
He smiled as he obliged her.
***
Scar crossed the room to Nadine swiftly and sat on the bed in front of her trying to remain calm, but anger and panic danced in his chest and gently pulled her hands from where they covered her face.
"It looks worse than it is." she murmured as he brushed a gently calloused thumb under her eyes.
The flesh was bruised and swollen.
"Who did this?"
His voice was soft but deadly. He brought his other hand up and cupped her jaw running his opposite thumb over her busted lip.
She pushed his hands away and walked away from the bed. Her arms were crossed as she stared out the window.
"It doesn't matter. You shouldn't be here Edward."
He stood battling with the anger boiling beneath his surface. He came and stood behind her his hands holding her hips.
He went back to the basics of his street training when pickpocketing. Make your target feel safe, secure. Make her put her guard down he thought. Then he would deal with whoever had done this. He reached a hand up for a split instant to tuck away a tendril of her hair and then bent his lips to her neck. His breath fanned her skin softly as he placed a kiss to her lobe, and then her pulse and then her collarbone. He rested his face on the tender skin there until she relaxed into him. He smoothed his hands over her arms.
A thought froze his blood and his hands halted their ministrations for a moment before continuing.
"Did your father find out you were seeing me?"
He was trying to keep his voice in check but it still bit into the quiet air making her flinch.
"No, Boren did this." She said softly.
He imagined this is what a volcano felt like when it erupted as his stomach rolled and he closed his eyes against the red he saw. He took a shallow breath and brought his hands back to her hips. Clearly he did not control his temper as well as he thought he did because when he spoke next his words were sharp as he practically growled them.
"Did your father see you! Surely he would have done somthing about this!"
His eyes blinked open ice blue orbs of steel. She twirled in his arms holding a hand to her lips. She shushed him and began comforting him. Her hands played with his hair as his eyes closed again.
For the first time ever he gave into her completely. Letting her wash over him like waves on rock. Citrus and lavender wafted into his scenes and her touch eased away the hard angry planes of his face.
"No Edward he wouldn't have. He knows," her voice paused as she made a decision before continuing "Often he's too drunk to care, but he knows."
"Why?"
With his anger under control, his voice had came out in a whisper.
"He wouldnt say anything, because in order to marry me off, he had to find somone who was willing to accept what he's already done to me."
She pointed him to the bed and wordlessly he stepped away from her and sat, "What did he do to you?" his jaw was clenched so tight his teeth ached.
She turned her back to him, and shamed she untied the small black ribbon. She pulled her hair off to one shoulder and dropped the gown to her lower waist.
It was both beautiful and gut wrenching as she lowered the thin black silk to reveal her bare back to him. She took a step into the Moonlight her arms slightly outstretched on either side of her as she bared her secret to him. Patterns of thin deep scars glowed silver like a tree with tangled branches against her creamy mocha skin.
He stood and crossed the room to her. Gently he traced the scars and his gentle accepting touch made tears slide down her cheeks.
He pulled her robe back up over her exposed skin and held her as more tears trailed down her chin.
"Scars don't make you ugly. It's the people that gave them to you that are ugly." She tied her robe and wiped her eyes before going back to the window to look out at the night sky; to look out at the stars.
"The scars you bare show the world how strong you are. Anyone, and I mean anyone would be lucky to get you as their wife." She kept looking out at the stars and swiped her other eye wincing slightly.
"If anyone found out my father would be ruined."
"Rightfully so." He crossed to the window and looked at her. Her eyes were sad as she looked at the stars,
"My father has no choice, and neither do I. Boren made an offer of marriage this morning and my father accepted." She winced as she remembered telling Boren she didnt want to marry him. She touched her lips as she also remembered the ring he had on when he backhanded her in the mouth.
"It doesn't matter what I want. It never did."