50 Chapter 50: Weird and Dangerous Things

SALEM: There was one problem with my plan.

A small flaw. A tiny risk. But a risk that had to be taken.

I had to wait for Elina to leave first so that I could go to the Jolly Inn unnoticed. I had to stay there for a while. Problem was that I had no idea when Elina would come back.

If I came back to find an empty room. Good.

But if she came back before me, then it'd be impossible to predict what would happen. Too many variables. Too many undecided factors. But chief among them: Elina.

It was hard to tell what she was thinking. Why didn't she kill me after I took off the gransia handcuffs? Why did she save me? Why did she stay?

But lacking information wasn't an option either. So I decided to take the risk. Go on a little trip. See what I could find out.

I left the Jolly Inn. Stepped into the night. A fresh breeze greeted me. I took a deep breath. It carried the scent of the night, the sweetness of the forest. Light and silent, devoid of the tension of humanity. Breathing it made me almost forget where I was. Like the wind came from a world of its own.

I kept walking. Steadily, quietly. No silver eyes peering out of the darkness. No footsteps behind me.

Arrived at the inn Elina had picked.

The King's Lodge was a curious building. It rose out of the ground and became the tallest and grandest structure in Larose. It was a place where the wealthiest merchants stayed at. And there were plenty of those around. A place that had the finest things man had to offer. A place willed into reality with the power of trade, money and commerce.

Not bad.

But expensive.

Although I suppose it wasn't bad to indulge a little once in a while. At least Elina seemed happy.

I stopped myself. Felt the oddness of that last thought. At least Elina seemed happy.

It felt weird.

It felt dangerous.

Weird and dangerous things are better left forgotten.

I stepped into the King's Lodge. Walked up the stairs. Put my hand on the door handle. I waited. Nothing happened.

Opened the door. Stepped into the room.

It was empty.

I breathed out with relief. Good. This way I wouldn't have to come up with any –

"Where have you been?"

Elina's voice. Coming from somewhere.

Nothing in front of me. I looked left. I looked right. Nothing.

"How mean of you to play that trick on me~ It's like you're an unfaithful husband who has to sneak out in the middle of the night."

Her voice came from above. I looked up.

And I saw her head. Only her head. A pair of glowing silver eyes peered down at me. A smiling face that looked dangerous.

Her head came down, floated at eye level, her eyes just a finger length away from mine. She stared at me.

"And where have you been?" she asked.

I've never seen magic like this before.

"Where's your body?" I asked.

"Hun-huh~"

Her head glowed and from her neck, her body grew back. Her body was covered in a silver light. Her feet hovered above the ground, her eyes still at level with mine.

She grabbed my shoulders and pushed me to the ground. With a snap of her fingers, she stopped floating and landed on top of me. Straddled me with her legs, her hands planted on my shoulders, her eyes locked with mine.

"Now, where were you?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same thing."

She raised an eyebrow. A hint of a smile on her lips.

She said, "You're good at pretending to sleep."

"You're easy to fool."

"Where did you go?"

I considered my answer. It would be dangerous to tell a witch about the location where witch hunters gathered — despite the odd relationship we had. But telling her nothing wasn't an option either.

I said, "I just went to see some friends in Larose."

"You don't look like the type who has friends."

Ouch. That hurt more than I thought it would.

I said, "Fellow professionals, that's all."

Elina raised an eyebrow. "You mean fellow witch hunters."

I said, "And where did you go?"

"I went to see some friends."

I repeated her words. "You don't look like the type who has friends."

Elina laughed. She leaned down, her long silver hair tickling my neck. Her nose touching mine. Her pulsing eyes glittering with something dangerous.

She said, "Fellow professionals, that's all."

I expected her to move away. But she didn't. Her hand came up. She prodded my cheek.

She said, "But you did lie to me. How should I punish you for this, hmm?"