Anthony's second house was a two storey house in the suburbs of London. Cozy with a modern design,it resembled the home of a rich businessman.It had three bedrooms,one for Anthony and two guest bedrooms,a living room that occupied most of the first floor,a kitchen that was relatively small considering the size of the house and two bathrooms.
The main reason the living room was the largest room in the house was because Anthony had a big plasma tv and a state of the art sound system. He also had two plus sized couches in green colour that matches perfectly with the light blue carpet. The only thing that seemed out of place was the classical paintings on the walls which were not painted nor had a tapestry.
Eve concluded that Raphael probably decorated Anthony's house and he later added the technology. She stood a moment to admire a painting of Lorrain but before she had a chance to look at the details of the painting,she heard something breaking with force.
She quickly ran upstairs to Anthony's room only to see Angelica looking at him with a furious look and a broken tea cup.Ever since Anna decided to stay at the palace to complete her training as a Priestess,there was no one to control Angelica anymore. Eve had only been there four days and she was starting to feel tired. Even third-class bonds don't have that kind of temper.
-What happened?,Eve asked concerned
-He is an insensitive bastard. No wonder he hasn't got a girlfriend.,Angelica answered angrily
-I dont have one,because you don't leave me alone and when we go out,you boss me around so frequently that people think we are married.,Anthony responded sarcastically
-So before I came along you had a girlfriend,Angelica continued
-Ok,enough. I didn't ask why you don't get along,I dont think anyone can solve that mystery,not even my sister Fotini. I wanted to know why you threw the tea cup at him.
Silence dominated the room.
-Well?
-Do I need a reason?I just didn't want to see him at the moment.Angelica said indifferently
-You could have hurt him.
-I am very careful. I don't want to give him a valid reason to nag all day.
-Alright,that's it. Angelica come with me,I need to talk to you. Anthony if you are ok,please pick up the pieces.
Anthony obeyed silently but he was not pleased at all. After all,he hadn't done anything wrong. He just mentioned Raphael's new friend who he met at the book conference he is attending and she just exploded.And now he had to clean up her mess. Why does he tolerate her? He had abandoned people for much less.
In the meantime,in one of the quest rooms,Eve had literally dragged Angelica and made her sit on the bed. Angelica understood she was about to be lectured. The angry look on Eve's face made it quite obvious. The thought of being scolded by the Light Queen was both exciting and terrifying at the same time
-Okay,Angelica. This has to stop. I have been here four days and you have thrown more tantrums than a third class who caught her source cheating. I don't understand why you despise Anthony so much. He is a great friend,he is patient and he agreed to protect you even though he knows you are keeping secrets from him. You should feel grateful,not miserable.
-I don't care if he respects me. All I want is his respect for the real me.
Silence filled the room for a few minutes. Then Eve opened the door to make sure Anthony wasn't eavesdropping,closed it again and sat in the bed beside Angelica.
-What makes you think he doesn't care about his relationship with Raphael?,Eve asked calmly
-About a month ago,Raphael decided to go to a book conference in France. Nothing peculiar about that. But a few days after that,he randomly met a man in a library. He was muscular,somewhere in his thirties,with black hair and eyes. And coincidentally,he wanted to attend the same book conference as Raphael. At first,when he mentioned it,he was so happy about it that I was too.But as the day of their departure grew closer and Raphael talked more and more about this new guy,I noticed some strange things.They didn't seem to disagree on anything. They shared the same opinions about everything.Sports,books,even politics. I admit I started feeling jealous and threatened. But I didn't act immediately. I suspected Anthony would do something but he remained indifferent. He didn't seem to see or care that Raphael was spending less and less time with him after he met this man. Even I tried to make him feel jealous but his answer was "I won't live his life.". If he doesn't do something,he won't be part of Raphael's life for long.''Angelica explained, practically yelling the last sentence.
Eve sat there lost in thought.
--Why did you throw a cup at him? The truth this time.
-Raphael texted him,explaining that his new friend invited him to stay for a few days in America. And Anthony replied that it wasn't his business to know.
-Anthony gave that kind of answer? What is this man's name?
-I don't know. Raphael never told me. And Anthony became a bit aggressive when I tried to pressure Raphael. At least he has some protective instincts.
-A lot of things dont make sense. Do you have a picture of him?
-Sure. Raphael posted on Facebook a picture of them together outside of the Louvre.,Angelica said and showed Eve her phone.
-Alright.Send her to me,if you please. And go take a walk. You seem to need fresh air.,Eve suggested and soon Angelica exited the room.
When Eve got the picture,she cropped it and sent it to Paimon with the text:"Do you recognise him?".
A few minutes later,a new message appeared on her screen.
-Where the hell did you find that traitor,Eric? Where is he Eve? I can recognise a cropped picture when I see one. You removed the surroundings so I won't figure out where he is hiding.But I will. And I'm going to remind him why I'm the Shadow of Pain.
She didn't bother responding. After all,she has gotten all the information she needed. She left to find Angelica and Anthony and tell them to pack their things.
They were going to France.
-I still can't believe they called Alex Joshuarelle as a speaker in the conference. I mean, his relationship with literature is basically nonexistent. I can't even imagine the last time he picked up a book.
-You are right. Everyone knows his wife is the real author but he is just so controlling that the poor woman was practically forced to "admit" in public that she was simply the editor of the books. Unbelievable.I wouldn't be surprised if the real editor is his mistress.
The conference had just finished and Raphael and Eric decided to take a stroll to discuss this mutual experience and enjoy the nice weather in general. However,as time passed, through mutual sharing of opinions,they concluded that attending the conference was a mistake.
They had high expectations but they only ended up disappointed. So,Raphael thought that he could at least take advantage of this opportunity to acquire a new friend. That is why he agreed on spending a few more days with him in America. Anthony wouldn't mind,would he?
Suddenly,Eric's phone buzzed and when he looked at the new message his smile disappeared and he sighed annoyed
-Sorry,Raphael,but I have to get going. Will I see you again tonight?
-Of course. We will meet at the airport to take the 10 o'clock flight for New York.I have never been to America. I am quite excited.
-As you should be.Excellent then,see you tonight.
After that they said their good-byes and parted ways. When Eric decided he was far enough from Raphael,he took out his phone and started calling someone who eventually picked up.
-Where are you?,the mysterious male voice asked
-How many times do I have to tell you? Don't bother me while I am working,Eric answered frustrated
-I wouldn't call it "work". You are putting your life on the line here.
-You are overreacting,as usual. Anyway,why did you call?
-I finished work early. Do you want to meet?
-Of course. The usual place?
-Always. See you at twenty.
The man hung up and Eric picked up his pace while a small warm smile appeared on his face. He didn't want to be late. Even though being late is a demonstration of power and authority he had no wish to execute these techniques now.
Eric arrived a few moments later to a cafe and after a quick search he found what he was looking for. He started moving towards a secluded table where a man was sitting with a cappuccino in front of him. He was in his mid-thirties tall,around 6 feet tall,and handsome. His deep black hair fell gracefully on his forehead emphasizing his brown eyes.He had broad shoulders which,along with his height,gave everyone the impression he was a dangerous hitman. But his threatening aura disappeared when a faint,sincere smile appeared on his face. That smile changed his face. A calm expression dominated his features,full of patience but also fear. Not fear of being threatened but fear of losing. This deep worry and sorrow made him look 10 years older even though his smile was that of a blissful teenager.
-You are late,he said playfully
-According to you,I'm always late. So,how was work?,Eric answered in the same playful tone.
-Boring,as usual. The marketing team is a disaster and the board is just a group of ignorant fools.Honestly,I don't know how we manage to sell our products.How about you? Any progress with Raphael?
-Plenty,in fact. He agreed to leave with me for New York. Tonight. Once we are there alone,I will manipulate him and his way of thinking. Angelica will be dead before she has time to realise what has happened.
-And you can't do that here?
-France is too close to England.Once Angelica realises that she is in danger,she will have time to react. But in America,by the time she finds Raphael,if she finds him among the chaos of New York city, it will be too late to turn things around.
-At least let me come with you.
-George,we have already talked about this. There is not much you can do to help. Besides,this is a crucial time for your company. You can't just take a week off without a serious reason. You said it yourself,you don't have someone capable to leave in charge. Stay here and I promise to return as soon as possible.
-My main concern is not when you will return. My biggest fear is if you will come back at all.
-I think you worry too much. My plan is flawless. I kill Angelica and I offer her head as a gift to the Princes. After that,they will have to accept my return back home. I thought you would be happy for me. I will no longer be a fugitive or unwanted.
-I am happy for you,as long as things develop according to plan. Don't forget. The moment Angelica is in trouble,the Queen will be notified. As a result,it will be a matter of time before Paimon finds you. After that,you will lose control of the situation. He will find you and you will be at his mercy. He can choose to accept your gift or take advantage of this opportunity to end you. They hate you,Eric. They think you are the reason their enemies are so powerful right now.
-In a way,they are right. Lets not forget that I started the family line in which the Queen was reincarnated. If only I hadn't raped that village girl all those eons ago. Then she wouldn't have given birth to that wretched girl and in the end the Queen would never have returned. But that's all in the past now. I have to earn my place back.
-Will you promise to call me,if anything happens? That will calm me down at least.
-Lets make a deal. I will call you every night. If I don't call you,that means something has happened. What do you say?
-Im not entirely pleased but I sense this will be the last compromise you will make.
-It is. It's only for a week. After that,I will return victorious.
-You can destroy a bond like Angelica in just a week?
-With her absent? And one source secluded? I could do it in two days but I want to do it slowly and painfully. It is more fun this way.Besides,why not go sightseeing while I'm at it? It would be a pity not to enjoy a city like New York.
Eric had an ecstatic smile on his face like a child waiting to open a Christmas present that he was longing for all year.All George could do is smile with him and hope,with all his heart,that the beautifully wrapped gift did not have a bomb inside.