Death's Hitman

Chapter Twelve

The Elf lay sleeping again at her side but Hope could not sleep. She lay awake staring up at the pure white ceiling which seemed to glow even in the darkness. It had been a long day of sitting with the woman who claimed to be her mother; the woman with purple fire in her eyes and a sharp tongue in her head. Every conversation she had to second guess what the woman wanted her to say , do everything she could not to provoke her. She learnt that any mention of any man was a big no, as was anything related to her living life. In fact the only safe topic appeared to be to compliment the music, the garden, the house. Everything was in shades of white and gold, even the flowers, even the paved area, even the grass was gold. She had been so sleepy all through the day, listening to the musicians play their dreamy music and the drone of insects in the garden. The sun had shone like a white medallion in the sky all day, casting a ray of heat onto her until she drowsed in its warmth, only waking to eat and drink whatever Juniper put in front of them. Nobody but her ate though and she was curious about this, wondering if the reason for her sleepiness was in part due to the food.

She shifted restlessly, trying to get comfortable and Juniper stirred beside her, reaching out a hand to secure round her wrist. Hope stilled herself until the hand relinquished it's hold on her and then she lost herself in her thoughts. Earlier she had wanted Hitman to come for her but that thought had fled. He had abandoned her; she could never trust that he wouldn't do the same again. If he'd had any care of her at all he could not have left her alone in that house, sent a message to Reaper to collect her and he could not have knocked her down the way he did. She was an idiot to rely on the man sent to track her, capture her and drag her to Reaper. The more she thought about it the more she realised how foolish it was. But who could she rely on?

Just herself, she realised. Her heart ached though as she thought of everything she had lost. The life she had lived though far from idyllic had at least been somewhat predictable and when she thought about it she knew she would have found the courage to leave John. As time passed his cruelty became more apparent than the love she had thought he had for her. He had been a controlling man and she recognised that now with some distance between them. She'd been on track for a good career and she still had friends and her mom. She missed that life and she missed her mom more than she could say.

Briefly her thoughts went to the man in her dreams; Bret. She had believed him to be the Hitman but she wasn't so sure now. She wondered if she had been deluded by the close proximity she was forced into with the Hitman; believing him to be someone he wasn't because she had no other option. Her hand reached automatically to her throat and then she remembered her pendant was back in the house she had been taken from, still in her bag. Grief filled her as she realised she would probably never see it again. It was a trinket, but she had always had it and it had crossed over with her which had to mean something.

Hope needed a plan. She didn't trust the woman masquerading as her mother and she didn't trust the Elf beside her because she served that woman. Then house and it's grounds were surrounded by a fine mist which glowed and she had the sense that this was some sort of barrier to prevent her getting out, much like the glow around the doors and windows of the two houses Hitman had taken her to. How did you get through a barrier like that? She would need to observe the following day, see if anyone else made their way through it. Hitman had used an amulet; perhaps this barrier required something similar. Glancing across at the sleeping Elf, Hope looked over her wondering if perhaps she had something akin to the amulet on her person. Careful not to move she searched her with her eyes, which landed on the buckle of her belt which was in the shape of a dagger, surrounded by a snake, much like the tattoo in her leg. Curiously she reached across and touched it, but then Juniper's hand shot out and she sat up.

"What are you doing?" Juniper asked, looking alarmed.

"Sorry," said Hope. "I just saw the buckle and it looks like my tattoo. I didn't mean to to wake you."