Chapter 7

If anyone had come across Mira in the Magic Market, they would likely have thought she was a nice girl on a stroll through the market, probably having a wonderful day. Unless they had supernatural hearing, they would never have known her heart was racing, and probably wouldn't have noticed her eyes sweeping the area every few seconds.

She felt like prey out in the open like this. Alone, with at least three stores between her and backup, and even more between her and the only exit out of the underground marketplace. She couldn't act like it though, as agonizing as it was to control herself, to slow down and act like nothing was wrong.

She felt eyes on her, like an itch she couldn't satisfy, and when her hairs stood on end suddenly, she spun. "Rudi," her voice between a squeak and a gasp as they came nose-to-nose, purposefully on his part.

"Mira," he replied, saying her name seductively, breathing her in with a crooked, devious smile. "I've missed you." His softer tone soft as velvet against her chest.

Her throat was tight, her breathing shallow. "I—"

She had barely recognized him, almost taken him for a dream. He didn't look like he'd crawled out of the wilderness. He'd taken a shower, wore nice clothes, and his hair was styled the way he used to wear it. He was a snapshot of the past standing right in front of her, and the sight of him caused physical pain to her chest.

She glanced at her basket full of supplies. Is he just stalling so he can find out what we're preparing for? What the hell is he doing here like this?

He looked around, making sure the twins weren't nearby, then lowered his voice. "I didn't think I'd get to see you, alone."

Is he, nervous? she thought. "What are you doing here?" she spoke frantically under her breath. "If they see you—"

"Because I wanted to see you...I had to talk to you..." His eyes studied her hair, her face, like he was committing it to memory, like he'd never see her again. She had to admit that it might happen. He tucked a loose hair behind her ear, caressing her cheek. "You've changed... You used to have that rebellious blue right here." His fingers slid through a section of hair framing her face.

"I can't afford to draw attention to myself," she replied flatly, trying hard to keep emotion from bubbling up into her voice to let him know how much he affected her.

"No, that's not it." His joyous expression fading, he said, "We used to run into each other's arms, steel a few moments for ourselves and shut out the world." He examined her again, his face falling. "You're not happy to see me... What happened?"

"You know what happened. What keeps happening, no matter how hard I cry, or beg..." He started to speak but she continued over him. "If they see you here they will try to kill you, unless that's what you're really here for — to bait Connelly."

A mix of frustration and sadness contorted his face only a moment, before he regained control. "Why can't we be just two people talking in a marketplace..." He started walking down the row of candles and incense, out of earshot from a few people entering the aisle behind them. Mira's stomach clenched, because the more they moved, the more likely the twins might find them and she dared not imagine the gore that would follow, so she moved with him. "Two people who have history, catching up with each other," his hand slid inside hers, fingers interlacing. "How have you been?"

"You know I can't answer that." Her eyes swept the open area for Connelly and Ivan before they turned down another aisle, this one empty.

"I don't want to talk about anything controlling our lives outside of this safe place and its rules. I want to talk about you." His deep eyes lured her closer, like they were caressing her skin. The more she looked into those deep green eyes, wild for her, the more she felt herself slipping. How can he still have this much hope? she thought, feeling the spark of it infect her a little as well. "How are you doing out here?" he prodded, jolting her out of his eyes and back into her body.

"I'm...okay." She had to tread carefully. There was no telling what would set him off.

"Come now, Mira, everyone knows that means you're the opposite of fine. You must have more to say than just 'I'm fine'." Rudi took her hand in his as they turned into the main walkway. Open... for everyone to see them. "This is a far cry from Florence, Canggu, or those secluded beaches in Australia we explored."

Her chest was tight, fear constricting her throat. Someone could see them and recognize her, know she wasn't supposed to be with him and tell someone or worse... try to take him away from her. That would end bloody, she thought. "I'm — helping teach ballroom dancing at the school, and some have even gone to competition with us. They are quite good."

"For not having over a century of dance experience," he replied with a smile that turned Mira's cheeks rosy. He pulled her to him, then spun her to the end of their reach, and to his delight, she spun back into his arms for a dip that made her smile light up her face in a way he hadn't seen in decades. A burning sensation, not unpleasant, resonated through her chest.

She gave him a sidelong look, saying, "I could give you a few pointers."

Laughter spilled from him, something he hadn't done since the last time they had been together. A true, joyous laugh — not the malicious laughs he did during a hunt. "I guess I am a little rusty," he admitted.

"Ahem," someone cleared their throat, and they turned to see a couple of women waiting, hands-on-hip, pointing to the shelves behind them.

"Sorry, ladies," Rudi smiled charmingly, straightening them both. "New lovers, right?" He rolled his eyes like he was agreeing how annoying Mira and him were being. The women weren't prepared, and ended up smiling and chuckling too.

"Oh you're too cute," said one.

"New love is such a precious thing," said the other, "Pray it never leaves you. If nurtured, it can last a lifetime."

"I'm doing my best, ma'am. Thank you, and have a nice day ladies." Rudi kissed Mira's hand, whether for dramatic effect or for real she was unsure, but it felt nice all the same as he pressed her hand to his chest for a moment as they walked away, leaving the women staring after him. "What?" he asked, because she was smiling and shaking her head.

"You," she said, "Just... it's nice to see you."

"I'm glad you finally feel that way," he said, rubbing her hand with his thumb.

"So, how have you been?" she asked. "I guess they don't do a lot of dancing where.... um," Mira scrambled for something else to say, "I mean, just how have you been?"

"Thank you," he smiled gratefully, "Well, like you, there's not much we can talk about without revealing sensitive information but... I'll admit I have been doing well... but not as well as I'd hoped."

She squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry."

They entered the large magic book section of the Magic Market as he smirked sidelong at her. "I doubt you mean that. If I do badly, then you do well, and vice versa."

"I thought we weren't talking about that," she reminded him, and he nodded. She was leading the way deeper into the books.

"Yes, yes. Well I have important things to do, an assignment to complete and all, but something is missing."

"Yes?" she said, hope fluttering in her chest. Meaning? Light? Goodness? Saving something instead of destroying it? Her mind guessed helplessly.

"You," he said. "You're what I'm missing. I've tried moving on, I've tried everything I can think of, but what we had was more real than anything I've ever experienced. Nothing has touched it."

"I know," she said, the words just tumbling out before she could stop them. She had to admit it, and examined a passing shelf of books self-consciously. "I've been trying too, but it's just not the same."

"Really?" he asked, almost frantically turning her to face him, searching her face for sincerity. She nodded, tears brimming her eyes, and he pulled her against his chest. "Thank Abborroth," he said, "I feared I'd lost you to..." He didn't say Alister's name, but he didn't have to. He rubbed her back, kissed her head like she'd finally come home from a long journey.

"Rudi," she said, looking up to him, but he laid his mouth on hers, silencing anything she might have said.

She let him kiss her, at first urgent and hungry, then slow and sensual. They found the back of the deepest book aisle, empty and quiet besides their heavy breathing. It seemed so surreal that she would be doing this with him, though they had done this hundreds of times. Something is different, she thought, but couldn't think clearly now because his hands were running tempestuously over her butt, before coming back up to slip under her shirt.

His rough hands softly caressing her skin, his lips trailing down her neck while her fingers played with his waistband. "It's always been you," he whispered between kisses, "and it always will be."

He breathed her in deeply, and a low guttural sound vibrated against her decolletage. She almost answered him in her own carnal growl, but stopped. He wanted her, right there, in their true form. She could feel it, his body swelling, lustful heat wafting to her. It almost made her heady, but she pushed away. "Rudi, we can't."

"Why not?" he asked, the heavy desire making him sound harsh.

"We're in public this time," she said, "not in the forest hidden by wards, or in the back of italian vineyards at night, or..." She sighed heavily and covered her eyes so he didn't see them brimming with wetness.

"Then," he put a hand on her, turning her into his chest, "we go somewhere we can truly be alone. Put wards up. We can be safe, and together." He kissed her head.

"For how long?" she asked.

"For as long as we can make it last."

"I know how we can make it last forever," she suggestively.

"I'm listening," he smiled deviously.

"Come back home with me." As soon as the words were out, the smile fell from his face. "Power won't be enough in the end, if that's all you have."

"It won't be," he said, "I'll have you. Plus, Abborroth guaranteed me everything I wanted."

"Everything?" she asked, eyebrow raised. "He cannot guarantee me, because I won't come. I won't have any part of what he's doing."

"So, you'd rather me make sure everything stays the same, so I can go back to what I used to be?"

"No, I want you to come back to me, and to save billions of people from death and famine and slavery to a demon king who will probably kill you once he gets what he wants."

"He wouldn't do that," Rudi looked taken aback, even surprised, which disturbed Mira. "He said I'd have everything. He's taking us back to fix something that went wrong then. He's trying to save our future, Mira."

Carefully, carefully, she reminded herself. "Well, I don't believe that, and I can't give you the world, but I can you love. We can be 'us' again and have a fresh start anywhere we want to be. I want you to be the person you've wanted to be since we were kids... before the curse."

He stepped back like her words had physically hit him in the chest, and he stood mouth agape. Confusion, frustration, and fear fought for control of his expression. "I-I-"

"What do you want, Rudi?" she asked calmly. "Power and riches? Do you want to see the world enslaved to get them? Do you want mass murder on a global scale?"

"After everything I've done, I can't-" He shook his head, his eyes glazing over as he focused inward, no longer seeing Mira in front of him.

"It's never too late to walk away, to change your mind. Even at the last second, before the end of it all, you can still change your mind." She took his hand and made him look at her. "You were always the strongest of us—"

"I was the bad one," he corrected.

"You were headstrong, and just used it to get whatever you wanted. No one could control you."

"Except you," he added, then smiled.

She smiled back. "I just made sure you didn't kill us both in the process of whatever crazy scheme you'd planned... but this... it's killing you." She laid her hand on his chest and he inhaled sharply. "I can still feel you, you know. No matter how far apart we are, or how long we've been apart, I can still feel you."

"I feel you too," he said, "I wish things were different. I wish that bastard creature hadn't taken our lives, our glorious futures away from us."

"We can still have a glorious future together." She started tearing up as he shook his head.

"I don't know if I can do it now... There are so many things happening. I'm in too deep..."

"No, you're not," she argued, but he snapped.

"You don't know!" He tried to recompose himself quickly. "I'm sorry. You may feel me, but you don't know what I'm doing."

"Let me in, then."

"You know I can't do that."

"Why are you targeting the human?"

"Is that what you're calling her?" he scoffed, glancing around like he had noticed something before focusing on her again. "I assume that's for her sake, but no she's been an added bonus this trip. I'm here for the relic you stole."

"You mean saved," Ivan corrected as he and Connelly slid out of shadow beside Mira. Rudi seemed unsurprised.

"You're lucky we're on safe ground, or I'd be ripping you to shreds for what you've done to Kota," Connelly growled.

"Maybe, but I doubt it," he grinned devilishly. "Also, the longer you wait to hand over what's ours, the messier it will be... and more painful. Oh, by the way, what is with this place? You picked a nice spot for sure. I might be able to squeeze in a little 'convert or die' sessions while I'm here. I know this is on top of ley-lines, but I've been seeing some strange things around here. Like that damn wolf spirit the other night, and then that big winged freak flying around everywhere. Is that what I think it is?"

"If you think we're telling you anything, you're sorely mistaken," Connelly smirked, until Rudi smirked back.

"Well, I figured you might be interested, since it's following your girlfriend around." His smirk became a grin as Connelly scowled. "Okay, well if you're not interested, then maybe I'll pass that info onto Kota herself, so she's away she might be killed any minute."

"She doesn't know anything," Connelly snapped.

"Lies!" Rudi raised his voice and a finger to his face. "What I really don't understand, is why you would tell her anything at all. Mostly because it's illegal, and because, well, it's not like she has a chance? Whatever she is, she doesn't stand a chance, no matter how many drills you put her through. She will end up like they all do... in someone's mouth."

"Rudi," Mira snapped, and he looked at her with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You need to go."

He tried holding onto that malicious smile and adjusted his jacket like they had wasted his time. "Until next time," he said, glancing at Mira one last time as he stormed out.

A deep sigh escaped Mira, but the twins were looking reproachful. "Mira, what the fu-"

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