Whispers of Nowhere

Chapter Sixteen: Part Two

Unable to hold it back any longer, Reeves bellowed, the guttural roar echoing from one end of the hall to the other and back, until it was nothing more than a dim ringing in his ears.

It took him several moments to compose himself afterwards, long after the castle had ceased its shaking and the cracks in the walls had been sealed. He was vaguely aware of the nervous shuffling of feet at the hall's entrance, the Akuma undoubtedly weighing their options as to whether it was worth approaching him in this state, or not...and clearly deciding that 'not' was the better option.

Finally, when he was positive he'd be able to keep his temper in check, he said, "I see. They're coming at dawn then, you're sure of this?" He glared down at the shadowy mass cowering before him, eyes large and red as rubies as they looked back at him. All three gave a single, sharp nod in unison, and resumed their trembling once again.

"And you're certain they know of the artifact's location?"

Another nod.

Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly. "Calm yourselves, my little pets," he said, noting with some irritation how they shrank further away as he got to his feet. "My anger is not with you. In fact, I'm not angry at all—not anymore. This has become a most fortuitous turn of events, indeed."

The shadows visibly relaxed at this, melting into themselves as he strode past to stand by the window, his back to them.

"Return to your posts until summoned," he told them, not bothering to turn around. "Once we've successfully wiped out the Regulations Force and their High Council masters, I will see to it that you're adequately rewarded."

There was only the slightest hesitation before they left to do as they were bid, a gust of cool air wafting at his back as they departed, leaving silence in their wake. He stayed by the window for a moment longer, watching the thin crescent moon disappear behind blackened, rain-swollen clouds, its watery light dappling the flagstones of the courtyard before vanishing from sight.

A full army of shadows had gathered in the courtyard, moving from one corner of the castle to the next, from beneath window sills and rooftops, to scaling the lower turrets; every single one as hell-bent on finding the artifact as they'd been from the moment Nowhere's portal had opened. His shadows weren't the only ones on the prowl, though. Scores of demons and monsters were under his command, given to him by Her Ladyship to ensure he had the numbers he needed, should any complications arise.

Well, complications had arisen, and had been put down just as quickly as they'd come. But now, there was another, more pressing matter to attend to. The game had changed, and if the game changed, so too had their tactics. Finding the artifact had been top priority, but not anymore. Now they needed to concern themselves with the enemy forces coming their way.

Then again, who's to say we can't kill two firebirds with one ice shard? Reeves mused, stroking his goatee thoughtfully. If they're going to crash our little party, then they'd damn well better prepare to get bounced right back out of it.

A minor setback; that's all this was. When it really came down to it, it was less a setback, and more of—and he absolutely loathed using the expression—a 'blessing in disguise'. The Regulations Force was going to come whether he willed it, or not. Better to make good use of the fact, than lament it.

Feeling eyes on him, Reeves remembered the Akuma standing at the entrance only a few feet away, and turned to face them. His gaze fell on Kizah first, noting the way the skin around his right eye was still a shiny, raw pink, despite the burns having healed nearly three weeks earlier. Still, Kizah was none the worse for wear. Had it been Cife or Misa who had taken the brunt of Phenex's attack instead, he doubted the same could have been said for them.

"Kizah, inform our forces that the Reg. Force will be here at dawn. I want no fewer than twenty guards per entrance. Make sure the foot patrols are evenly staggered. If anyone tries to slip through those gates, I want to be the first to know about it. Make sure the guards know who we're dealing with, and above all else, not to underestimate them."

"Right away, boss." Kizah bowed, and set off to do as instructed. Barely a moment had passed before Reeves could see him in the courtyard through the large, double-paned windows, the assortment of beasts and soldiers dropping what they were doing to stand at attention before him.

Satisfied that Kizah had his troops well in hand, Reeves turned to Cife. The red-haired Akuma flinched slightly as his gaze fell on him, but remained calm otherwise; slate grey eyes wide with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

"Cife, go to Her Ladyship and inform her of this latest development," he ordered. "Make sure she knows everything—and I mean everything. Got it?"

"Yes, Master Reeves," Cife replied, his voice squeaking. "I-I won't let y-you down, sir!"

Once Cife had gone, it was just him and Misa. She looked eagerly back at him, her golden-flecked violet eyes glittering feverishly.

"And what about me, boss?" She tilted her head so that her short, platinum locks flopped to one side, obscuring her scarred eye from view. "What do you want me to do?" One hand ran absently over the hilt of her sword, inky black fingers tracing the intricate whorls along the metalwork.

Reeves felt the corners of his mouth curl upward. "As for you, my little hellcat," he drawled, earning a grin from Misa, "I need you to check up on the informant, make sure his mission is running smoothly. And if he isn't making any headway, kindly remind him of just who is holding his fate in their hands."

Misa giggled—actually giggled—at this, flashing Reeves the broadest smile he'd seen from her yet. "You got it, boss. I'll make sure the little scum sucker toes the line."

"Just make sure you don't kill him in the process, got it?" Reeves warned. "He's no good to me dead."

Misa's smile faltered, though only slightly. "Yeah, yeah, I got it! Geez, you make one mistake..." One look from Reeves was all it took for her to trail off, gulping. "I-I mean...right, boss. Don't worry, I'll make sure the job's done right."

"Good, see that you do. Now go," he said. "It won't be long before they're on our doorstep—and I just know you don't want to miss the main event."

Misa was gone in the blink of an eye, leaving Reeves to stare at the spot where she'd just been standing, a cloud of dust dancing in her wake. Chuckling to himself, he cast one last, cursory glance toward the courtyard, and spinning on his heel, returned to his shadowy throne.

In spite of how exhausted he was, sleep was no longer an option; not when dawn was only a few short hours away, and there were still so many preparations left to make...

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