Cardinal

Chapter One

            Deep breathes; you only have one run through. Three… two… one… take off. Jump the fence. Good now bait the guard. Aim for the neck, that’ll put him out for a while. Clean the kitchen first, precious metal utensils that they won’t miss. Grab that left out goblet it’ll make for a pretty penny. All right, head upstairs. Your ability should activate in a couple seconds. You have about five minutes to sweep the bedrooms and escape through the balcony. Ten if we visit the mistresses room for a bit of late night- I take that as a no then. I’ll just be quiet for now and let you do your thing… Wait did you hear that? Was that a dog barking? We have to go! The master bedroom light just flickered on; I’m gonna force a dispersal. You may go unconscious for a bit… Cain, Cain are you alright?

            “Aaren, what happened back there? Why didn’t we just hide instead of force dispersal?" A sudden wave of nausea passed through me, as my body becomes accustomed to my new surroundings. "I think that I might vomit."

            Don't ask questions that you very well know the answer to. The master of the home had the Eyes of God, or did you forget. He would've seen through your petty shroud of darkness in a heartbeat. Perhaps we could’ve made it if you had just visited the mistresses-

            “Enough I get it, thanks for getting me out of there. The haul should be good enough for this month’s payment on the medicine,” I say hoisting the bag full of stolen goods over my shoulder. I take a few steps down the deserted street before the growing nausea brings me to my knees. “Aaren, I’m too low on energy. The sheer absence makes it hard to walk. Is there anything nearby?”

            I absolutely love it when you get this desperate as to actually ask for my help. I even gave you all the assistance you needed tonight, just so I could butter you up. What a waste, in the end I didn’t even need to help tonight’s heist.

            “Is there an energy source nearby or not?" The nausea grew even worse, threatening to engulf my consciousness. I don't have time tonight for Aaren's dramatic renditions of my life.

            If you look to your left, a pretty brood is turning the corner. I wonder if in your weakened state you could still manage to turn her heart. Come on Cain. Show me how the Ardent Moonlighter dances on the heart of young maidens in the City of Eden.

            Even with my eyes closed against the surging world around me, I can hear the clicking of her heels this far away. As the piercing clack of her shoes stop, I open my eyes and see her standing far away from me. I can tell she’s noticed me looking at her by the way she’s holding herself in a self-conscious manner. I turn my head away before she can see my eyes. There's no use if she's out of my range. I hear the clicking begin again, this time further. I’ll have to put on a façade before I can get her assistance.

            I make an act of trying to stand then failing terribly, keeping my head low and my hood drawn, so the girl couldn’t see my face. She stops and turns to my direction, deliberating whether or not to help me. She probably thinks I’m just any other hobo that stumbles around the slums at night. I'll have to set myself apart from them. In a playboy act worthy of the theater, I prop myself up against a nearby streetlamp and call out to her. “Excuse me love, can you give me a hand up. My father has brought a harsh punishment upon me for my recent escapades, and now he doesn’t wish to let me in.”

            Once again the young girl hesitates. I take this time to notice her crystalline blue eyes and the tip of an angel wing tattoo on her neck, which is partially hidden by her long blonde hair. She is obviously a patrician, but no upper class young lady should be out this late alone. It would take quit the situation to drag someone as young as her this far away from the hills.

            As I’ve taken the time to notice her, she’s also taken the same liberties. However, she still hasn’t made a move towards me, as all other patricians would have by now. Perhaps her hesitation is evdence of her wrongdoings, and that would mean that she clearly is engaging in an act of sin.

            “Are you perhaps engaging in your first act of sin, love?” I try my hardest to let the rising hope not slip into my voice. If she was engaging in her first act of sin, then I could use her discomfort to my advantage. After all, young patricians are forced to perform a sin that contrasts their virtue, in order for them to learn why the people of the slums are to be hated. Going against your basic nature must be a daunting task for someone as young as her.

             Just as I begin to wonder if she heard me, she turns her head away from me and gives a short nod. My heart leaps at just how easy this has become. From what I've seen, my ability works best on hearts that are torn by indecision. I wonder if my ability has some effect on me as well, since I constantly find myself in such a state.

            “Just sneaking out isn’t big enough to be your first act of sin love,” I lie. “You have to do something a teeny bit bigger. Take a note from your big brother here, I did my first act just around here. There is a nice place where all the young kids do it in style and comfort. If you can give me a hand, I can point it out to you.”

            At this spill of malarkey, she immediately hurries over to me. As she reaches for my hand, I feel a surge of energy and can feel Aaren’s excitement. Rather than grab her hand, I grip her wrist and pull her closer to me. She gasps, and I move my hood to where she can see my face. Now she stands stock still, and I can feel the resistance flow out of her body. This is how it commonly ends up once women met my gaze. I’m not sure whether it is a blessing or a curse...

            Are you just going to let this romantic tension hang in the air, or are you going to give me a show?

            I trace her jawline with the tip of my gloved hand and lean close to her ear. Her breath becomes hurried as I whisper to her,” Let me be the first black feather on those white wings, love.” I can feel her tense up at the suggestion. I lean back and look her deep in the eyes, before moving in for a kiss. I can feel electricity sparking in the air between our lips as I bring my face closer to hers. She closes her eyes, and my anticipation heightens until the moment finally arrives. As our lips touch I feel a surge of energy bolt through me. My nausea dissipates, and I feel almost as if Ihave more energy than I ever have before.

            Even here I show you favor Cain; I give you the energy when you haven’t even committed fully to the sin. Perhaps it is because your sins of the flesh are so exquisite, that I show you such favor. You are perhaps the best sinner that I know of; I could give you as much power as your heart desires, but you don’t let the power of lust move you. You can stop now. I tire of watching you kiss her and not move for more. However, let me be the first to congratulate you, Cain. Tonight you have placed a black feather on a white dove. Let’s start moving before the guards arrive.

            I pull away from the girl and prepare for another dispersal. As I feel the energy gather around me, I flash her a smile and leave her with my familiar calling card,” Until next time love.”

            As the darkness draws around, blocking out the world, a thought crosses my mind. Now the victims of the night increase to two. The patricians now have to fear for themselves, because while they may stay safe in the hills of Eden, the Ardent Moonlighter is still free to take what he wishes...