04-20-2022, 06:09 PM
The minute rebellion lasted all of a glance, before he was straightening up and clasping his hands in front of himself instead of splayed out like a raven in flight across the back of the couch. Nisa did not come alone, which he found himself of two minds on.
“It is good to see you, too, Nisa,” he said, a line that had collected some dust in recent years.
He had the shadow of stubble on his face, but otherwise looked the picture of a man who intended to impress. The well-groomed man was less likely to attract suspicion, after all.
She arrived with a gaggle of women … one of whom looked intent on making the mistake of introducing herself. A stunning woman, at that. This could not end well. He rose but met her gaze coolly, keeping his gloved hands locked together with his own fingers.
“A pleasure, Nettie,” he responded politely, disinterestedly, foregoing any introduction of himself.
It was not, in fact, a pleasure. She was probably going to die soon. Would she be another washroom girl?
He heard the front door. Hoped that whoever that was was coming to take this Nettie, before Nisa could.
His prayer was answered with a nightmare instead. Aslan registered the voice before the name, but the name came crashing over him in short order. He saw him. Oh, he saw him. Aslan’s eyes went from his face, to his Roman collar, to his face once more. Supposed the lavender didn’t have cosmic sway after all. His gaze was cool, guarded – much like the first night they had met. Like they were strangers.
If they were strangers, Malachi might not get his stupid death wish.
He had not, however, accounted for Malachi losing his composure in a public setting. Aslan played at a baffled look before feigning politely looking away from this clearly, strangely flustered man.
Nettie. He supposed she was Catholic, then? Perhaps another little bird with no family to see to her well-being? Were they, too, involved? The reasonable thing to do would be to disengage as quickly and politely as possible, before Aslan’s Nisa’s temper had a chance to fray further.
“Which way are you headed?” he asked Nettie, pleasantly.
But did Nisa really want to leave a woman as pretty as her on the loose?
“It is good to see you, too, Nisa,” he said, a line that had collected some dust in recent years.
He had the shadow of stubble on his face, but otherwise looked the picture of a man who intended to impress. The well-groomed man was less likely to attract suspicion, after all.
She arrived with a gaggle of women … one of whom looked intent on making the mistake of introducing herself. A stunning woman, at that. This could not end well. He rose but met her gaze coolly, keeping his gloved hands locked together with his own fingers.
“A pleasure, Nettie,” he responded politely, disinterestedly, foregoing any introduction of himself.
It was not, in fact, a pleasure. She was probably going to die soon. Would she be another washroom girl?
He heard the front door. Hoped that whoever that was was coming to take this Nettie, before Nisa could.
His prayer was answered with a nightmare instead. Aslan registered the voice before the name, but the name came crashing over him in short order. He saw him. Oh, he saw him. Aslan’s eyes went from his face, to his Roman collar, to his face once more. Supposed the lavender didn’t have cosmic sway after all. His gaze was cool, guarded – much like the first night they had met. Like they were strangers.
If they were strangers, Malachi might not get his stupid death wish.
He had not, however, accounted for Malachi losing his composure in a public setting. Aslan played at a baffled look before feigning politely looking away from this clearly, strangely flustered man.
Nettie. He supposed she was Catholic, then? Perhaps another little bird with no family to see to her well-being? Were they, too, involved? The reasonable thing to do would be to disengage as quickly and politely as possible, before Aslan’s Nisa’s temper had a chance to fray further.
“Which way are you headed?” he asked Nettie, pleasantly.
But did Nisa really want to leave a woman as pretty as her on the loose?
