'I don't know,' Canis shook his head. 'I swear to God, I don't know.'
Falcon glanced at Aurelia who was watching Canis like a hawk, her nostrils flaring and eyes trained at the man's face. 'Really? Not even a small idea of who he might be?'
Canis hesitated a millisecond before shaking his head vehemently. 'None.'
In an instant, Aurelia had brandished her knife in the air and taken hold of Canis's palm on the arm of the chair. She grabbed his index finger and twisted it backward, as far as it could go, and held the blade against the joint.
'Say it,' she said, 'Tell us what you know before you lose it just like your friend who is in the hands of the person you are trying to protect.'
'Like my friend?' Canis said, and this time there was visible confusion in his eyes. 'What happened to Cyan's finger?'
'No, not much.' Aurelia tried to shrug it away nonchalantly but her eyes spitting sparks spoke differently. 'Just got mutilated.'
'Why do you care? ' Falcon snapped. 'Just spit out what you know.'
'Listen, boy,' Canis spoke, and this time his eyes held fire, 'You think you are righteous for defending Cyan but don't forget your own crimes,' he spat. 'You are worse than me. Who first bit the hand that tried to feed him?'
Falcon grew quiet. Canis's words stung like acid to his already burning heart.
'How do you know so much?' Aurelia said.
'I have been working for him for a few years, you fool. Of course, I know the shit this thief did here.'
'A few years?' Aurelia gasped. 'What are you, a con man?'
'Exactly.' Canis said. 'This man hired me three years back.'
'Holy sh...' Aurelia trailed off. 'How did he know of the ring that long ago?'
'Who is he?' Falcon pressed. 'Tell us, who is the person?'
In his hesitation, Aurelia held a foot over Canis's groin and hovered it there. '3,' she said like she was threatening a toddler, ' 2, 1…'
'Alright,' Canis interrupted. 'I don't know his identity, but I know where he is, and it's exactly what you are thinking, girl. He belongs to Lapis Valley, home of the world-renowned blue diamonds.'
XXX
Blue diamond. The most precious stone in the world, and Lapis Valley was home to countless mines of it. Or had been once, before the government sent an expedition of miners and every last one of the stone was extracted, the biggest and the most beautiful pieces sitting proudly in the Arts Museum.
Falcon remembered wondering where he had heard the name of the place when he had arrived with Aurelia. It felt like ages ago, and he felt oddly satisfied when the puzzle pieces connected. Of course, he had heard of the valley, it was all over the newspapers.
'Well, we already know that much, we need a name, you idiot, a name,' Aurelia groaned, grabbing hold of her hair.
Hearing it from Canis's mouth added certainty to what they had already deduced, though the surprise was long gone. Now there was only anger.
'Yes,' he said. 'He found me there, contacted me when I went to the village a few years ago to learn to breed wolf dogs. He told me to be aware of Renatus, the demon slayer, and the trainees who wear their gear in a proud display of power. He sounded bitter.'
Aurelia snorted. 'Anybody is welcome to join the ranks of the demon-slaying as long as they pass the requirements. Probably someone who couldn't get in.'
'But you know all the people in the village, don't you?' Falcon turned to her. 'Do you have any idea who they might be?'
'Yeah, I remember all the people who failed to pass the test and also their intentions, especially those from three years back,' she said seriously.
'Whatever. Just say you don't have any idea.'
'Who said I didn't,' she growled. 'I have a few people in mind but they all seem unlikely.'
Aurelia turned to Canis, her eyes glittering in the light of the little flame. 'Is that it, that's all you know?'
'Yes,' Canis hung his head, 'Please don't tell Teal anything. Please, I beg you.'
Aurelia and Falcon glanced at each other. While Falcon didn't care what happened to the couple, Aurelia certainly did, because her eyes were narrowed with suspicion and a little bit of sympathy.
'Are you crazy?' Aurelia said, 'You are asking us to let her marry a fake...'
'No, please. I really do...I really care about her and…..please,' he said.
Falcon didn't know if he should believe him or not. All he heard was "I have an ulterior motive and the revelation of my identity now could be dangerous to it."
Aurelia turned to him, her eyes bearing the question he was thinking. What now?
He must know something else, he tried to convey with his eyes, but Aurelia shook her head. She seemed sure they had found out all they could. Falcon grabbed her elbow and steered her away from Canis, turning towards the door.
'So far we have found out what we already knew, and that's of little or no use,' he sighed. 'We have hit another dead end.'
'No,' Aurelia's eyes glinted, 'I have a plan.'
XXX
'There's something else you should know,' Falcon heard Canis's voice as he turned to leave. He turned to him at once, glowering at the man's glinting eyes while Aurelia looked at the both of them in confusion.
'What?' she said.
'Not you. Him.' Canis gestured with his head towards Falcon, who was fully turned to him now, his heart racing violently. Was Canis finally going to tell him something of importance? 'About her,' the spy finished, nodding at Aurelia.
Aurelia shifted. Her face went from confusion to unease in a split second as her eyes found Falcon's. He saw tension in there, as she hurried towards Canis.
'Alright, that's it,' she said, her voice a little shaky. 'Let's leave, Falcon.'
'Wait a little, Aurelia. This man looks like he's about to tell us something important.'
'Yes, I am,' Canis smirked. 'The real identity of the girl you are going around with.'
Falcon turned back to him slowly, his heart thumping while Aurelia's face turned pale. 'You know what,' Aurelia grabbed his arm and pulled slightly, 'I'll tell you myself, let's leave.'
With his heart beating violently, Falcon turned to Aurelia and shook his head slightly. He wanted to hear from Canis's mouth what Aurelia wouldn't tell him truthfully.
'Renatus the demon slayer is not the old man they tell he is. It is her.' Canis gestured towards Aurelia who was wringing a bit of rope in her hands. 'The tales lie. The terror from six years ago wasn't finished by some old man, it was finished by a thirteen-year-old girl named Aurelia.'