When Demons Are Redeemed: The Dominant's Muse

Seven - The Scare

SEVEN

The Scare

Late in the evening, Tristan is not long returned to his suite when Donovan informs him that Malika cannot be found.

"What? You can’t find a drug-addicted, seventeen year old, brainless whore?"

"Maybe the killer has her . . . ”

"Ha, ha. Find her and get rid of her,” Tristan commands, the news putting him in a bad mood.

Once alone again, Tristan sends his palms to massage his eyes and forehead as he weighs how Catherine’s real family might affect the picture, a picture that he wants created exclusively from his artistry, and so maintained. He has almost completely rid the world of her street family, with Tate the only branch with nothing to fear, but now finds that his thinking about her biological family has replaced his previous obsession with her street attachments. To dismiss these thoughts, he reminds himself that no one is looking for her, which he is certain of since his men checked every missing persons’ database, and that, therefore, no one cares.

Although Tristan knows nothing of her origins, he has learned that his newest attendant is not legally Catherine Mitchell. It surprises no one that she is using an alias, but astonishes some that attendants who are most efficient at finding the truth behind secrets have found nothing on her. Tristan believes that there is no point in revealing to Catherine that her use of an alias is known, and that there is even less of a point in asking her for the truth, as he senses that she has forgotten it herself. Needless to say that he remains very much interested in learning the story behind her eyes, and is determined that he will find a way to do so.

Tristan now tilts his head sideways towards one shoulder, stretching, and then does the same towards the other, before returning his thoughts to Malika, who is his immediate concern. He does not, however, enjoy much time to come up with a plan of action regarding this problem of his, since Catherine slips in behind Raleigh as he enters the suite, and is thus in Tristan’s presence for a second time today, without his having asked for her.

"Did I send for you?" He firmly enquires, teeth clenched, displeased.

"I . . .  I can't find Malika,” Catherine replies, despite picking up on his irritation.

Tristan breathes out quite audibly, walks to the bar, and pours himself a drink. That makes two of us, he thinks to himself. "Catherine, I've told you that I don't care what happens to her. Just another dead hooker. So what?"

And that's how little he values your life also, Catherine.

I know. But he would have killed me four days ago if I hadn’t agreed to this arrangement, she answers the voice. 

And then perhaps all those other people wouldn’t have died, if you hadn’t agreed, and if you had died.

There's a killer out there. It's not my fault. Better to live another day and perhaps find a way, than to give up and die.

And what he wants from you?

I want life more.

My work and technique are most definitely beyond reproach, then, that you don’t think further and more deeply upon that subject.

I can’t. You won’t let me. For better or for worse.

For better, Catherine. Who forgets a happy life, a happy past? And you don’t want to remember. You want me to do this.

"I . . . “ She begins, briefly stopping as she does on occasion when addressing Tristan, as courage comes to her only after she begins. “I want to go look for her. Let me go. I'll come back. You know that I want to live a little while longer, or I wouldn’t be here, and Zach is . . . “ She looks into Tristan’s eyes and knows to stop talking.