Page 38 of Self Control

"Come on, Jez," Mykie said, pulling on her arm again. Dexter had disappeared again, sensing the mood of the situation.

She maneuvered over to the bar with the green-haired menace, who was laughing at her misfortune. “You need to work on your excuses,” Jezebeth said. “I wouldn’t be shocked if you have one of them following you to see what’s wrong.”

“Mykie?” Caspar asked, hobbling over to her. “I told them I needed to stretch my legs and I’d see what was wrong with you.”

“Caspar, why would you need to stretch your legs when you’re injured?”

“See?” Jezebeth cackled.

Mykie punched her arm. “Stop it. You don’t know everything.”

“I know everyone’s watching you,” she whispered under her breath. Mykie looked over her shoulder and saw that she was right. They were trying to not be obvious, but she caught the glances they were giving the trio.

“Come on, then, before they get the idea in their heads to come looking for us,” Mykie murmured, placing a hand on Caspar’s upper arm. He was still pale from earlier, but he grew paler as they walked towards the entrance to Pearl’s.

“We’ll go around back, since you’re not going to want to use the stairs right now,” she explained.

“I’ll meet you guys down there,” Jezebeth stated, giving Mykie a fake-salute before she took off in the direction of the bar.

It was still early in the night, so the crowd still hadn’t thinned when they exited the pub. She guided him around the side of the building, and she noticed that he shivered from the cooling atmosphere.

“If I had a better solution with you on crutches, I would have used it,” Mykie murmured apologetically and shrugged.

Caspar cracked a smile, but didn’t respond.

"What is it?" she asked, stopping him just as they got inside the hallway. "I want you to be truthful with me, even if you think I don't want to hear it."

He sighed. "I still have so many questions."

Mykie relaxed. She could deal with questions. Fears, on the other hand…

"I'll try my best to answer, all right? If everything works out, you're going to be my partner in crime for quite a while.” She laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and tried to convey her thoughts and feelings to him through her eyes.

He nodded. "I looked up the Cantil. Should I be scared of Lauder? I mean, the way my boss' wife acted when you said his name and the way you talk about him… He's in charge, right?”

Mykie chuckled, which automatically made Caspar's eyebrows draw up. "I’m glad you’ve done your research. I didn’t know if it was better to know or not to know walking in, which is why I didn’t tell you much. What did you find out?"

Caspar adjusted his crutches. "Well, you have the Snake King, right? I know you told me about him, and I think I’m prepared for him. He's really old, and some say he's ancient and has been around since the Cantil started. No one meets him or knows his name, unless they mean to make a deal with the Devil. I'm sure he has a right-hand man, because everyone needs one of those, right?"

"Have you heard of anyone else?" she pressed.

"Recently, there's been rumors of two girls: the Siren and the Valkyrie. No one knows how long they've been around or who they are. Now I know you’re the Valkyrie, and I’m assuming Jezebeth is the Siren, by process of elimination. Apparently, many who have spotted them haven't lived to tell the tale. Any who have are scarred for life after the terror they experienced," Caspar explained, shuttering. “You did a ‘Valkyrie visit’ that night, didn’t you? You left someone there bleeding, too. Will you have to go back to him and kill him?”

“I don’t kill anyone, unless I’m told I have to or I’m left with no choice,” she explained. His questions reminded her of herself when she first joined. The eagerness in learning more about what she did made her excited. For once, she didn’t have to hide the Cantil side of her from who she was dating.

“No choice?” he repeated.

“Not everyone just sits there when I’m sent to get a job done. If I am attacked, I have every right to defend myself.” She led the way and waited for him at the door patiently. It took a few extra seconds for him to reach the door she held open. She noticed that Dexter and Jezebeth were standing near the door on the other side. She was glad they had found each other and waited for her, making their group look like a united front once again.

When Caspar was in front of her, she held out her hand. He took it and she turned around so she was standing next to him.

“Welcome to the Snake Pit, Caspar,” Mykie said.

Jezebeth wrapped her arm around Dexter’s and pulling him close as the four of them walked further into the Pit.

"This is where the Cantil meet. It's one of the many secrets I'm trusting you with, all right?" Mykie said soothingly, moving to put a hand on his shoulder as he moved with his crutches. She wouldn't let him run now that she'd already gotten him that far.

"Anyone in the mood tolook for the place knows about it, but it's not something we shout from the rooftops," Dexter stated.

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