Where was she? The surrounding faint green mist swirled and spun in eddys. She could only see a meter ahead. Unlike other mists, the air wasn't cold. Instead, it felt like steam against the skin, like being inside a sauna, or sweat tent.
The concrete chilled the balls of Shilpy's naked feet. She stumbled forward through the fog with hands outstretched. It felt as though she was walking in circles. If she could locate a wall then at least she could feel her way out of here.
The sound of voices ahead startled her. Relieved, she almost called to them for help but something stopped her. There was no way of telling if the people the voices belonged to were friends – or foe. After pausing to listen, she adjusted her direction and wandered blindly forward. She changed course a few more times, trying to narrow in on the conversation.
"Time, time, time, there is no time," Three voices moaned in unison, and Shilpy stopped. The Moirai! Did they know that she was here? Maybe, maybe not. She took one step backward and turned, before speeding away in the opposite direction. Why couldn't they leave her alone? She'd gone only a few steps before she heard three voices ahead of her.
"Come to us, our servant. Before it is too late."
A small scream escaped Shilpy's lips. But she smothered it with her hands. They had been behind her, how could they be ahead? Shilpy spun and ran in a new direction, lurching through the mist with hands outstretched. She crashed into something causing her to trip. Shilpy climbed back up onto her feet.
Keres Ter Nyx women aren't trained to be weak. Shilpy may no longer be a sister, but she was no pushover either. A few cuts and grazes don't stop her.
She kept running. Bare feet pounded across the cement and pavement. She raced through the mist until her lungs burned.
She ran until the minutes dragged into an hour. She ran until time lost all meaning. She ran because she couldn't afford to stop. Everywhere the mist followed her. There was no way out of it. She stumbled once more, and somebody caught her. Shilpy lay in their arms panting, but then more limbs tangle around her body. Hands seize her arms and wrist. She gawked up at the three women staring down at her.
"Times up," they say in unison.
Shilpy screamed -
#
The ring from Dusk's phone pierced through the haze of sleep. Shilpy groaned. Someone has wrapped a blanket over her. The phone stopped ringing. Although it was tempting to roll over and go back to sleep, she could help but notice Dusk frowning.
She felt a moment of panic. The sword! She'd managed to hide it clumsily inside the cupboard. By itself, it could have stayed hidden for a few days. But there was the box and the wrapping, which was impossible to hide.
For the moment though Dusk seemed intent on the phone. She could hear the frantic babbling from the other side of the balcony.
"Whoa, whoa slow down my friend," Dusk stood and moved into the apartment. He paced back and forth listening intently to the voice at the other end of the line.
"No. Don't do that... I don't... Hond that is not necessary. Hond!"
The conversation continued for several minutes, and as each passed Dusk grew more agitated. Finally, in exasperation, he hung up the phone. He looked like he might catapult it off the balcony and into the street. He spotted that she was awake and joined her. "Hond is flying up. He is going to stay the night."
She groaned. "I don't-"
"Too late. It's done." His voice had an air of finality to it. She didn't like it, but had heard him speak that way before, and knew he wasn't going to accept any further arguments. From his perspective, the conversation was over. She glanced towards the bedroom.
"When will he arrive?" Shilpy asked.
"He called from the airport," Dusk replied. "Maybe three hours."
"Will you pick him up?" Maybe if she could get Dusk out of the house, she could hide the sword, properly. She wouldn't be able to sneak it out while both men were here. The apartment was too small to smuggle something like that away.
Dusk shook his head.
"The man insists on coming up. He can make his way here." Despite all his speeches about Hond's loyalty, she had the sense Dusk wasn't too happy about Hond staying either. Shilpy poured another glass of wine, and Dusk puts on a movie. Shilpy disappeared into the bedroom to try to improve the swords hiding spot.
About two hours later, there was a loud knocking from the door. Shilpy made a point of ignoring the sound. After a moment Dusk stood and grumbling under his breath answered it.
"Anderson?" Dusk exclaimed with genuine surprise in his voice. "What are you doing here?"
Shilpy froze. It wasn't Hond? She moved to the door to see what was going on. Blue suit from the auction stood on the other side. How did he find her?
Anderson's eyes shot wide open with surprise when he sees Dusk, but then they flick to Shilpy.
"Mestor knew you would betray us," Anderson said. Without warning, he pulled a revolver from a barely visible holster inside his jacket.
Faster than she would have thought possible, Dusk seized Anderson by his wrist. He hooked an arm inside the man's elbow, pinning him. Blues suit's eyes bulged wide in surprise. With an effortless twist in his shoulders, Dusk broke his opponent's arm.
The scream echoed through the apartment.
Dusk spun on the spot, and Anderson flew across the room and into the couch where they'd been sitting only moments before. He landed hard before rolling off the cushions and onto the floor. He lay writhing in pain.
With both hands clenched into fists, Dusk stormed towards him. Without warning, Anderson rolled with a revolver in his other hand. Dusk struck him on the arm. The gun swung away and destroyed the television.
Frantically, Shilpy scanned the apartment for a weapon. The sword was hidden in the other room, but the kitchen was closer. She snatched a butchers knife, but when she turned back the two men were wrestling in a tangle of limbs and grunts.
Shilpy advanced toward them, looking for a clean opening, wary of hitting Dusk. A moment later the gun fired again, and the struggling between the two men stopped. Shilpy stared in horror. What happened to the bullet.
Slowly, Dusk stood. His chest is rising and falling rapidly. His eyes were wide and his hands open and close into fists. Anderson didn't move. A pool of red crept across the floor.
#
Hond arrived less than an hour later. He looked like he ran from the airport to their house. Was he ill?
Dusk led him to the body without a word. Hond's face betrayed no emotion. They'd moved the dead body onto a white sheet. Shilpy sat at the table, scrubbing the blood stains out of the cushion.
She wanted to hide in some small corner of the room. This was their home, their apartment, the place where she should feel safe. Except now a corpse lay at her.
Shilpy continued scrubbing.
"Why is he here?" Dusk asked Hond.
"I do not know, my friend," Hond replied, his voice no less deadly. He stared coldly at the corpse. "We need to get rid of the body," Hond said at last.
"Mestor will not take this lightly," Dusk replied.
"Good," Hond said. "Let them come. We'll show them what fear and pain is."
Dusk glanced at Shilpy like he'd forgotten she was there. He crossed the room and placed his hands on her shoulders. "It would be best if you are not here," he explained. Shilpy pulled away but nodded. He was right. He was always right. She needed to go.
"I... I'll sleep at Denise's".
Dusk smiled and turned back to Hond. Shilpy grabbed her bag and keys and then she was out the door. Before she knew it she was running through the streets of Sydney, She was four blocks away before she remembered the sword.
#
Shilpy's hands were still shaking when she stepped off the train at Strathfield. Denise lived only a few blocks from the station and Shilpy was grateful for the exercise. Every time she'd closed her eyes on the train the sightless gaze of the dead man lying on the white sheet had been waiting for her.
Yes. She'd been trained to fight, and her upbringing wasn't what most people would describe as normal. Yet, she'd never seen a dead body before.
It seemed amazing that people kept shuffling around her, continuing to live their lives, unaware another person's life ended earlier that evening.
It was a little after eleven when a bleary-eyed Thomas answered the door.
"Shilps?" he said, both pleased and surprised. "You alright? Denise is asleep. What are you doing here?"
"Thomas, do you mind if I sleep here tonight?"
He scratched the back of his head, looking confused. "Of course," he said, stepping to one side. "You fight with Dusk?"
Fight, yes. With Dusk, not so much.
"Something like that. I just need somewhere to stay." He led her to the couch. In a short-order he has sheets and a blanket organized. He didn't ask any questions or make small talk, but she could feel his eyes on her the whole time.
Subconsciously she kept checking her white cotton shirt for blood. Or any evidence that might betray previous events. At least she'd stopped shaking.
Once the bed was made, Thomas wished her pleasant dreams and returned to the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Shilpy huddled on the mattress for a few minutes staring into space.
She murdered him. She might not have pulled the trigger, but she killed that man. She shouldn't have tried to change things. She'd been selfish and because of that Blue suit was dead.
Shilpy replayed the events over and over in her head. Anderson came at Dusk with a gun. He attacked us in their home. It had been self-defense. Someone invaded their home and tried to kill us. So why cover it up?
After, Dusk had been so cold about it all. Like what he'd done was nothing. He and Hond had been so detached - professional. Was that how they operated?
Shilpy hugged her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth gently. Doubting that she'd ever feel safe again.
When the familiar rush comes, she didn't fight it, but let it snatch her mind away to whatever the Moirai decided to show her next. It no longer mattered. She deserved whatever was coming to her.