Eternity's War

Book 1: Chapter 19

Tahlia stared at herself in the mirror, frowning at the scar on her arm. Her unique ability to heal herself and others so quickly had proven to be beneficial. Such a wound could be fatal to the non-elite.

"Too close," Tahlia sighed to herself.

"I can barely notice," Night observed as he entered the room, trying to sound helpful.

"Thanks for knocking," she said sarcastically. "Look at my arm. I can't believe I let my guard down."

"Well, you've done a good job of healing it."

"I don't care about how it looks—I could've been killed!"

"You are lucky to be alive," the peculiar man agreed. He saw the bloodstained bolt on the sink. He picked it up and examined how sharp the deadly projectile was. "Death is a prospect that all of us must face in our profession."

Tahlia raised her eyebrow at Night's vain attempt to sound wise. "That's easy for you to say. She's never gotten that close before. Usually I sense her from over a kilometre away. She must be getting stronger and faster," Tahlia admitted, trying to come to terms with the near-death experience she just had with Sierra. It was another reminder for the woman in black that she would spend the remainder of her life looking over her shoulder, at least until her relentless foe was killed. Nikolai's promise that he would eliminate Sierra for her was proving to be even more of a farce with each day that passed. "Or maybe I just lost focus for a moment."

"Don't worry too much about it. If she had killed you, it wouldn't have necessarily meant the end of your life," Night joked.

Tahlia stared at him, disgusted by the thought of being controlled as though she was a marionette. "If I die," she warned, "don't ever bring me back. I don't want to be one of your ... things."

He grinned slyly at her as he left the room. He slowly walked back into the lounge of the suite and sat on Nikolai's velvet chaise. The room, much like the rest of the villa, was comprised of an oddly diverse assortment of furnishings which spanned numerous eras and cultures. Nikolai's residence was indeed an eclectic one, encompassing no sense of uniformity whatsoever.

Gazing out of the large window, which spanned the length and height of the room, Night watched the sunlight glisten against the ocean below. "Do you prefer the view here or back in West Tower?" he asked his comrade, passing the time. Nikolai's most frequently given order was usually to sit and await further instruction. Seldom did he divulge the finer details of his obscure plans.

Tahlia smiled to herself at Night's antics. She felt closest to him of anyone in Black Dawn—he was simple and easy to get along with, unlike Sabina and Aurelius, who rarely ever said a word. "Both," was her response. "I like the city, but I also like the ocean." Most of their time was spent inside the villa, but Nikolai had often ordered them to spend time in either West Tower or his bunker, both of which had become very recent acquisitions.

She walked away from the bathroom, no longer wanting to be reminded of the day's events. She sat on the long couch opposite Night and allowed herself to relax. "You shouldn't lie on this," she cautioned. "You're dirty. Nikolai won't be happy."

Night's crooked grin reappeared. "I don't think he'll mind. And even if he did, there isn't much he could do about it."

Tahlia smiled, knowing that he was right. Night's defiant attitude toward Nikolai always pleased her, although she tried not to show it while their leader was present. She sunk deeper into the chaise and stretched her arms outwards. "Comfortable?" she asked.

Night shot her an odd glance. "I imagine so."

"Night!" a booming voice shouted from behind. He turned around and saw Nikolai standing in the doorway. "One of those things is out in the hallway. I told you not to bring them back to my villa!"

Night laughed at the strange complaint. Nikolai acted like a great and powerful man, he thought, but he also acted like a spoilt child. "It means no harm."

"I don't care!" his senior retorted. "It stinks! Get rid of it! I can't have anyone working for the president see it. How could I possibly explain what it is? Furthermore, don't lie on my chaise. Do you have any idea how much it cost?"

Night looked to Tahlia, who tried to hide her grin. "Quite a bit?"

Nikolai nodded. "Yes. A lot. The chaise cost me more than it did bringing you to Athenia."

"My presence is worth it," Night joked.

"Is it? You've hardly contributed anything at all. At this stage you've been nothing more than a needless expense."

"I thought money wasn't a problem for you."

Tahlia cupped her hand over her mouth, once again trying to suppress her amusement.

"It isn't," Nikolai said through gritted teeth. "But that's not the point. Now, get rid of that thing, please."

Night frowned, feeling as though no one had any respect for his unique craft. He got up and hobbled out into the hallway.

Standing nearby was a rotting corpse with dull eyes. It stood lifeless, but firm. Its skin was brown with decay, filling the hall with an unimaginably repulsive odour. Its clothes were dirty and torn to shreds.

"Don't listen to him," Night said, striding over until he was face-to-face with the dead creature. "I think you're beautiful; a work of art!"

He turned and started retreating down the hall, away from the suite. The body slowly crept after him obediently, dropping decomposed skin onto the silk carpet with each step.

Love the story? It's free on Amazon! You can download it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GFEPEL4