A Mouse & The Fallen Star

Chapter 11. The biggest house on Circus Row

Luc knew this was a mistake. A big one, and not even for the first time. He knew, and here he went, making it again, knowing where all this could lead.

Pisinia, a few centuries after he fell. How could he forget?

This girl must be a trap they had sent his way. She must be. Just like that one, and the one before that. Some would think, considering how low he had fallen, they would leave him alone, but no, that was not how they operated.

His kin were a pain to deal with.

Then the sensible thing would be getting rid of the girl, fast, but Luc found himself indecisive.

Again.

Luc stared into the dark room over a mountain of papers on his desk. Somewhere down the hall, water leaked from a faucet, dripping drop by drop into a basin, in sync with the grandfather clock downstairs. The smell of pipe smoke and whisky lingered.

Luc was in a trance. An easy escape. The only kind he had these days. They kept coming every few minutes as he sat here. Some were his memories. Some were not.

All curtains were drawn. The midday sunlight seeped through the thick fabric, turning everything into a shade of garnet. The room that Luc had been staring into used to be filled with old furniture and decades' worth of dust until Albert cleaned everything out a few weeks ago, leaving only a bed. The reason for that change was currently under said bed, in a nest of blankets, where she had been the past few days.

She had stayed there like a wounded animal, long after her physical wounds healed. From time to time, she lashed out, screaming or crying at some shadows, or dreams.

Human dreams were like his trances. Sometimes, it was hard to tell what was real and what was not.

Luc dropped his gaze to his hands on the desk. Just a moment ago, they had been covered in bite marks and scratches. Now, as if nothing had ever happened.

He remembered it, the girl's desperation as he held her down so she couldn't bash her head into the wall or fly out the window.

Luc blew some smoke in the air and watched it wander to the ceiling. He would've been exhausted if he was human, doing the same thing for the thousandth time, but he wasn't.

The girl watched him from her 'nest' with open hostility. She chewed her fingernails, or what was left of them, aggressively as if she wished each one was Luc. Her plate of food was untouched.

Luc tapped his pipe into an ashtray and debated if he should stop her before she swallowed her whole hand when some loud knocks from the main entrance got his attention.

Luc ignored the sounds at first, knowing Albert would get the door eventually, but after it happened for the second time, louder, he realized there was no one downstairs.

Albert had gone for the day since Luc's schedule was clear, and the one who was under the bed surely wouldn't help.

Luc exhaled and pushed the chair out of his way as he stood up. He descended the stairs like the wind to see who this imbecile was, the one who dared to show up at his private residence without an invitation or appointment.

The knocks were obnoxious, echoing in every nook and corner of the house, rattling Luc's nerves. As he yanked the door open, it groaned like an old person. Must remind Albert to add some lube to the hinges, Luc took a mental note.

The familiar beautiful face greeted him at the doorsteps. Amelia's hand was still up. Her lips slowly turned into a sweet, timid smile.

"What a nice surprise," Luc said while leaning against the door. "What has brought you here today, my dove?"