Page 117 of How to Seduce a Slender

“What can I say? Knowing good help when I see them is part of my job.” Smith shrugged playfully as he motioned for Aravis to lead the way. And they walked away from the diner, headed toward the outskirts of the city. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. Here is all the information I’ve gathered. What of the casualties?”

“We only had one. A retired fighter who defended the families trapped in the diner at the time of the incident. He went down swinging, but he took them down with him. We’ve hung his enchanted sword in the hall of fame within the council building. I believe you may know him as Peter Mallencoly?”

Old Pete…Melody would be heartbroken.Smith nodded, “And the others?”

“A few injuries, mostly life drain effects. Hazel has taken the lead on a group of potion brewers to make large batches of Life Return, the potion you fed Ms. Deathless. Most were able to return home to their beds to rest it off after a day in the healer’s hut. All in all, I’d say we were rather prepared. Thank you for the heads up.” Aravis folded his arms behind his cloak, striding slowly with Smith. “I appreciate being able to stage my enforcers preemptively rather than the usual scramble to react. It’s nice.”

“I had my suspicions, and as usual, they were correct. I’m glad to hear that the city was mostly unbothered?”

“Only a few headlines, but you know, Salamander Press has that new investigative journalist. She’s always got her nose in everything going on. But, for everything that happened, I’d say that plan of yours was a success.” They both walked in delighted silence as the sounds of the thriving city filled the air around them. Birds sang, squirrels chittered, people honked their horns from the streets while portals hummed around the corner. There was a crackling of crystal tech mixed with the sweet, tender sound of life. People talking, walking, existing without even knowing how close they may have been to death.

Just beyond the shield. There were dragons, wayward wizards, roaming hordes of eldritch beasts, just to name a few. And within the city they wererelativelysafe.

“About your other killer?” Smith sighed.

“They’ve gone underground…or they’ve gotten smarter. I am unsure which I hate more,” Aravis growled, glaring at the sky.

“Once Melody is healed and returned to her normal vigor, we can assist you on this case if you’d like?”

“That would be most helpful as I cannot assign it to any of my enforcers. This one must be done entirely off the books.” Aravis arched a brow as if asking Smith to inquiry why.

Smith took the bait, “And why would that be?”

“When I took the case to Fergus and the other councilors to ask for a better budget for the investigation…only Fergus and the councilor over education agreed, and as you know, I need three of the four to agree for budget increases. Especially when it comes to investigations.” Aravis returned his gaze to the sky looming over the two of them. Beautiful, sparking sunrays through a crystal blue sky, not a cloud in sight, and it was the biggest lie of all. King’s Fall put on a face like it was the perfect city. But corruption always festered in the shadows.

“The killer has friends in high places.”

“Any steps I take will be watched. I cannot proceed, so it is for my best interest that I not proceed at all. But, if you were to take it upon yourself as a free agent. And, of course, Ms. Deathless as a citizen of King’s Fall, is free to do as she pleases in the city as long as it’s within the law,” Aravis bowed his head to Smith. “Now, if you excuse me, I have two fiancés to wrangle into a boring dinner with guild leaders.”

Smith bowed to the Lord Commander, leaving him to return home. Once more, he had purpose again and a mission…and even better, it was something he could do with Melody.

He began to spin the velvet box between his fingers once more. Stepping off the sidewalk and into the grassy path into the haunted woods.She’s going to say yes.

She loves you. She’s going to say yes.

And she’ll be Melody Rosemont.

Chapter Forty-Four:

Melody

…Approximatelytwoweekslater…

“Agatha, did you find that…Agatha?” Melody stopped in the doorway to her room and found it void of a ghostly banshee or the materials she’d forgotten upstairs when she went down to paint. She tiptoed further into the completely dark room, finding not a singular soul around.Odd.She’d seen everyone on her way down into her studio. Smith asked for a huge piece of everyone. Melody took a long time to sketch out how she wanted everyone posed on the canvas before actually painting. That was until she realized she’d left her new brushes and a few of her colors that Smith bought her upstairs. Agatha swore to grab them so she could keep working. That was over an hour ago. Melody had gotten so wrapped up in the work she’d hardly realized time passed until she got to the part where sheneeded those thingsand went looking for the banshee.

And no one was around.

“Ha-ha…very funny guys!” She turned in the room, poking her head out into the hall.Silence.She scowled, turning back to the room. “Havershum? Austin? Greggory, Smith, if this a prank, remember last time I punched you across the room?”

Silence.

Melody considered leaving the room until something soft and silky trickled down from the ceiling of the room. It caught her eye as it danced to her feet. She crouched to pick it up.Rose petals.The fresh fragrance washed over her slowly as she caught more petals falling from the ceiling. One by one until she was walking through a gentle rain made of petals. Then candles hissed to life in the bathroom. The bathtub steamed, frothing with rose scented water, a few petals sprinkled over the foam. Melody bit down onto her lower lip as she followed the petals into the other room. The door closed behind her with a ghostly creak. Petals trailed to the bath before a piece of parchment danced down from the ceiling into her hands. Melody watched it, mesmerized, until it plopped into her hand like a feather in the wind.

Sweet girl,

A bubble bath for you. Please indulge yourself, you’ll find everything you need there. Ensure you close your eyes. Don’t peek or there are a few spankings in your future.

Smith.

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