My Belly Dancer

Chapter 31

Finally , it seems like fate was turning in my favor. The light at the end of the tunnel was now shining brightly in my face and maybe it was because I was naïve, but It gave me hope.

I took a deep breath before knocking. Holding the crumpled paper in my hand, I felt suddenly uneasy.

Was this smart? Most definitely not, but I came too far.

I was deep in the city, I had to pull the hood over my face and pray that no one recognized me. Especially not any more assassins, there was only so much a girl like me could take.

The wooden door opened a crack and Cadoc's words made sense to me. It was an old woman, she seemed so frightened and I realized that it was really late.

"Who is there?" she called out and I sighed. "Sorry to bother you ma'am," she turned to my voice, "I am alone and the streets are dangerous. Do you have a room you can spare?" I asked, feeling foolish and she opened the door, ushering me inside.

"Come, hurry before the get a whiff of a young woman." She closed the door behind us and sighed, "I am sorry it is so dark. You get used to it after a while. I do not carry any candles, but you can open a window to let in some moonlight, if you wish."

"This is fine, I am just going to stay a while. Just until I know it is safe."

"What are you doing out here, so late?" she asked, finding her seat and sitting across from me. I removed my cloak, realizing there was no way she could recognize me. The woman smiled and sighed. "You smell lovely, you must be rich. What is a rich woman doing around here?" she asked and I leaned forward.

I walked really far and I knew I had to get answers quickly so that I could meet Cadoc in the garden and Caleb for dinner before he began to worry. "I stole my lady's perfume. It smells lovely, doesn't it?" I asked and she nodded. "It does, now that didn't answer my question. My home is far from any royals, you seem to be a handmaiden, what are you doing so far from your lady's quarters?" she asked and I bit my lip, trying to think of a lie.

"I have a few questions on her behalf." "Questions? I am no psychic. I cannot read palms or dream anything," she sighed, "well not anymore." "You are a witch?" I asked and she shrugged. "I used to be before my accident. Witchcraft is apparently illegal now." "Is that how that happened?" I asked, pointing at her face and felt silly. There was no way she could see where I was pointing, the old woman was blind. I could tell by her eyes, they were so white as if she had been blind from birth, but the scar running down her face made me realize it was no birth defect.

"If you are talking about my scar, then no. That was from something else, some scars cannot be seen." "I am sorry to pry." "It is alright, now what was your question, since you seem so curious."

"Who is Rafa?" I asked. There was no point in going around the question. I was running out of time. 

"What?" she asked, her face turned pasty. Fear ran through her face and I felt bad for scaring her. "I am sorry, I didn't mean to bring up old memories." "No, it is alright, girl. It's just been a while since I heard his name. I believe he is dead now, no one ever tells me anything but if he were still here he would have told me." "You knew him personally?" I asked and she nodded. "He was my son. My only son."

What?

I was talking to my would have been future mother in law? This was crazy? Did Cadoc know this? Did Caleb knew how Rafa's mother was living? In the far outskirts of the city in this wreck of a home?

"What did you want to know about him? People have so many different thoughts of him. I knew him, I knew his heart." "Whatever you can tell me about him, would be fine. If it is alright with you."