"Knowing and Keeping"
"Make yourself c0mfortable." Chris commanded. Lumiere knew that the man's voice could make her scared. It didn't. It was warm and comforting. Like an older brother that cares for you.
She laid in Chris' bed and stared off the ceiling as the man sat in his table. The room have the same layout as Lumiere's and have the same pictures Mason does. The lights are dimly lit except the table light. They shared the silence of the night, rustling of the forest in front of the house. Chris collected a thick folder to give her.
He turned around and was in spun of surprise at the girl's posture, "Oh wow! You really made yourself comfortable." Chris sat in the bed beside Lumiere's hip.
"I didn't call your here to nag you about what you did in the canteen. Sir Theo contained the situation so nothing reached my ear. Winter didn't said anything so don't fight him, okay?" Lumiere squinted, heavy on her thoughts but Chris waited for her response.
"I'm here to fight with you. To fight for you. Not to fight you." She said tiredly and slightly irritated.
"Alright, now. I hope you don't mind." He said and handed her the papers while Lumiere didn't care to get up. The files covered her face, hiding the smile as soon as her eyes landed on the words.
It's her profile. Piece that contains her information. A file that have more than what Theo got them. Paper with datas the authority in House Mora didn't want to let them know.
The paper only have her initials and other vague subjects.
L.E.
Age : 17
Sex: Female
Body Count: 900+ and growing.
Threat: Engage with extreme caution or do not engage at all.
Skills: CLASSIFIED.
Timeline:
3 years old, starts training. No further information.
7 years old, joins Crepus Veneratus for 2 months. No further information.
7 years old and 2 months, missing. Assumed to ran away. No further information.
10 years old, summoned by father, Simeon Mora, holy vanguard. No further information.
10 years old and 2 weeks, granted the title Grand Marshal for her participation in the war with Humans. No further information.
15 years old, active. No further information.
17 years old, joins Golden Phoenix. No further information.
The last sentence is still fresh. It's not even a week since she was given the mission. The information group that Chris obtained these papers are fast. Too fast.
Chris' watched her with anticipation.
She turned to the next papers. They were all similar.
Mission Reports. The files have so much space Lumiere could laugh at how brief the details are.
Subject: General Augustus Slain
Mission: Successful.
Notes: No witness. No collateral damage.
Subject: Dubois Blanc
Mission: Successful.
Notes: No witness. No collateral damage.
Subject: Willow Walters
Mission: Successful.
Notes: No witness. No collateral damage.
There are more than 30 pages like this. Missions she did before about different people of different race and power. She could spend the time until the sun rises to finish the folder but Lumiere knew own work. Clean. No witnesses, no collateral damages. Always successful. It was what made her realize who sold her information. Lumiere shrugged. Business is business.
She handed the papers to Chris who was shock at her lack of emotions. "I got to say I like your guts. Searching for information not handed by your boss. Pretty sure, Simeon would kill you for this." Chris stiffened. "But he's not here." Lumiere quickly added. "Long live to you, Captain Silva." She winked and sat up.
Lumiere conjured another dimensional storage and got a card from it. "Here, you must have paid a lot for that. Could have asked me, you know?"
Chris suddenly laughed at her face. He didn't even bother to hid it. Lumiere only stared at him with furrowed eyebrows and cursed in her thoughts.
"Weird ass motherfucker" She kept this for herself.
When Chris finally collected himself, he went back from being the poised prince he is. "Some of them wanted to see you since we were in Neo when I met with them. I'm sorry, Lu. It was just—you—when I was asking for your information—the—uh— the leader laughed and told me goodluck and to tell you that I paid three times than the actual payment." The leader took a breath and smiled at her. "They gave me a discount, half the real price actually. For sympathies, they said."
Lumiere also smiled at the thought of the people mentioned but sighed as she stood, "I don't have any thoughts why you are telling me this but take this card. Pay with it for anything. If you need any information, just straight up ask the same people. They could have only ask you one fourth of the price but whatever. It was your choice to ask the mercenaries. They ought to scam royals."
"That—" Chris said, "I don't think they scammed me." It stopped her from exiting his room. "I asked for two questions. They priced it accordingly."
"So, you're finally giving me the truth why you asked me here?" They switched positions from earlier. Chris sat in his bed, Lumiere in his table chair.
Chris have the glint of the true leader in his eyes. Dark and calculating. He asked, "What do you know of the Silent War?"
Lumiere leveled their energy, she folded her legs and clasped her hands. "Everything."
Chris pursed his lips, "Then what does your father want from the Gods?"
Lumiere's memories flashed bitter memories. She turned her head away and looked in the window. "The same thing Humans want." She stood up, desperate to be back in her room. "That's all i have to say."
"Burn those files after the team sees it. Don't leave evidence." She said as she was only feet away from the door.
"Lu." Chris called in a tone Lumiere wished she didn't recognized. "I'm sorry."
The word only ringed in Lumiere's ears.
"I got it." She said with strained emotions. Lumiere opened the door but heard Chris' last words for her.
"If you still can't sleep, go to Winter's room. Ask for herbs for sleepless night. It's the 2nd room from here. I can still hear his brush working so go on."
"Okay. Thank you." She caught a glimpse of a warm smile from Chris' face.
Lumiere would have ignored her leader's commands but she knew that the man would not harm her. Her heels turned to the direction she was told. The lights are still open in the room so she knocked.
There are rustlings and hurried steps until a shocked Winter opened the door.
"Hi." He said, unavailable to process what was happening.
"Hello, Chris told me to ask you for herbs for sleep."
Winter nodded and let her in. "Nightmares, huh?"
Lumiere laid in Winter's bed and responded with a hum.
"Have you taken some before? What herbs do you take?" He asked like a frantic doctor.
"I have taken some before. I don't know which is which but they never works."
"Oh, okay. I have my own brew. Hold on." Winter opened a cabinet beside his table and Lumiere saw rows of herbs and cups.
The smell of the plants circulated the room that the aroma made Lumiere drowsy. She made herself comfortable in the bed and let the scent and Winter's mumblings lull her into sleep. The man's bed is big enough for them.
When Winter finished brewing the tea, he almost drop the cup at Lumiere's peaceful state.
He sighed and set the cup in his table, "Well, I guess it works?"