Nilus Greycastle: Female, she is the leader of the dwz. With dark green eyes, her short black hair and pale complexion make her appear to be ageless and timeless. Her features are sharp and defined, her jawline chiseled and strong. She has thin lips, which emphasize her mouth's prominent shape, and long lashes, with dark mascara, that contrast with her icy blue irises. The only sign that she is aging is an evident grey hair at the sides of her forehead.
She does not wear jewelry. Not even earrings. Only dark gray contacts complete her look of a professional spy. Her face is devoid of emotion. It is hard to tell what she thinks, since her emotions are rarely shown. Though no one really knows much about Nilus Greycastle, everyone who knows her agrees that she would never allow herself to fall into the arms of someone else. If someone had told Nilus that this same man, Henry Bowles, was now trying to seduce her, she would have scoffed and turned him away. But there was something different about Bowles' demeanor. He was trying so hard to convince Nilus. It was almost as if he knew her…or cared for her. And though she didn’t believe that either, she wasn't sure how she felt. So instead she just gave him an indifferent nod. Bowles smiled back, his smile revealing two rows of perfect teeth. Then he turned and walked out of the apartment building. As he left, he pulled his car keys from his pocket and slipped them back inside the coat pocket.
She turned around and sat on her couch to read the article she had picked up at the newspaper stand down the street. A knock came at the door. “Come in.”
The doorknob twisted and the door opened inward. Nilus saw Bowles enter. Without speaking, he walked over and placed a paper bag down on the coffee table beside her. Then he sat down next to her.
Without looking up, she took the bag from Bowles and examined it. “It smells like fish.” She looked back up at Bowles. “But thanks for coming all the way here.” She looked down again and continued reading the article.
Bowles remained silent for several minutes before he spoke. When he did speak, his voice held an odd note of uncertainty. “I know you don't want anything to do with me, but I think we could get along very well.” His voice was calm and relaxed, but she could detect slight nervousness underneath it.
Nilus closed the article and placed it back on the table. Finally she looked up at him. “No.”
He frowned. “What?”
She leaned towards him and whispered harshly, “Do not pretend you care enough to make any sort of offer to me. You are too weak to make it work, and I won’t let you.”
“You can trust me!” he protested.
She laughed and sat back. “Please, Bowles. I have known you my whole life. Trust will never be necessary between us. We will remain strangers. That is all we should be.”
Bowles sighed and stared at the floor. “How much did you hear…when they tried to kill me?” he asked quietly.
She shrugged. “Not much. Your screams were muffled by the pillow. No one was paying attention to me.”
“And when you came in, you said nothing.”
Nilus smirked. “If people wanted someone to talk to, I guess I could provide some entertainment.”
He chuckled softly. Then he sat up straighter and put on a determined face. “I need your help.”
She raised an eyebrow. “What kind of help?” Her question seemed to hint that she already knew the answer.
His expression became serious. “We are running out of time. The government wants me dead, and soon. And I don't have much time to find another way to defeat them.”
She shook her head. “You don’t know what you’re asking me for.”
He nodded and replied quickly. “That’s why I need your help.”
Chapter 2
As the sun rose above the horizon the night before, the sky began to turn an indigo color, reminiscent of deep purple velvet. The moon and stars glistened on the rippling water below the surface of the water. Nilus Greycastle stood alone on the beach, staring off at the sea. The sound of the waves crashing against the sand filled the quiet air. Her hair blew gently in the breeze. The sounds of nature surrounded her, and she welcomed it with open arms. She felt safe and secure, protected. All the worries and tensions surrounding the world outside her apartment were washed away by the gentle waves and the clear skies of her beloved home island. The ocean reminded her of her childhood home in the city. The beaches were filled with families who enjoyed spending time together, laughing, watching their children run around the sand like wild animals. Her mother would take Nilus for ice cream and spend hours sitting next to the water, talking with the other mothers. They never talked about politics or business, although her mother often discussed the state of the economy with those she met with in town. It always made her smile. The small family of four was full of love, happiness, and laughter. Her father’s absence from their lives was hard to accept, and she missed her parents every day. She still kept up appearances by appearing happy, energetic, and bubbly at school, but she couldn’t help it. She was a lonely child who never understood why her mother loved being with the crowd, why she never truly fit into it. She spent many late nights wondering why people liked to sit in large groups and laugh and be social with each other, while she felt excluded. The thought of not being accepted and disliked by her peers made her feel uneasy.
Her thoughts drifted back to the past as she gazed at the waves. How many times had she played with her friends in the ocean? Once, she had been invited to go swimming with her parents
