book of shadows series chapters one and two
TRANSCRIPT
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Vigilance
A round of bullets fired off into the night as footsteps splashed
through solemn puddles. Velvel urged himself on, doing his best to
keep up with Bartholomews long strides. They pursued a man who
could only be classified as just another scumbag lurking around the
dark allies of the city. It seemed almost every night now that Velvel
had been disturbed from his slumber in pursuit of one of these guys.
A gurgling cry from up ahead told Velvel that the miscreant had
been apprehended. Bartholomew stood over the crooks trembling
body as he spewed all manner of curses; some that Velvel had never
even heard of before. The man clutched at his wrist as blood flowed
forth from the wound Bartholomew had inflicted. Velvel approached
consciously, peering down at the blathering man. As soon as Velvel
drew close he could smell the alcohol on his breath. His thin hair was
greasy and combed over his balding scalp, his round gullet shaking as
he thrashed about on the ground.
What a horrible sight, his immediate thoughts echoed. Even so,
the boy couldnt muster any pity for him. The man had killed two
people in a drunken rage. There was no room for those emotions after
what Velvel had learned of the mans crimes.
Thats enough, Bartholomews voice rang out in the deserted
alley. You can stop all of that howling of yours. It wont do you any
good from here on out,
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The drunkards eyes dimmed with a haze of madness as he spat
at them, You pompous rat faced twit! If I had my knife Id gut you like
a fish! And you- he redirected his rampage to Velvel, Id wring that
scrawny neck of yours-
Bartholomew pressed his boot into the crazed mans face,
turning all his threatening comments into undistinguishable muddle.
He gave Velvel a grim smile, What a foul-mouthed fellow! Anyways,
lets take him in already before he drives me mad!
Velvel nodded in agreement and the man squirmed, obviously
finding offense in Bartholomews jeering.
After leaving the man in the hands of the authorities, the pair
traversed the cobbled streets of the city, their tired feet leading them
home.
Velvel couldnt help but stare skeptically at Bartholomews lazy
grin. Finally he voiced his concerns saying, Whats with that look?
A soft chuckle escaped him. Doesnt it feel good after youve
accomplished something?
I guess. But Im positive Id be in better spirits if we actually
made some good money off of all of our hard work He let his voice
trail off at the end as they neared the narrow building they called
home.
Velvel had been living as a pickpocket up until Mr. Fledge had
taken him in. The old man had straightened him out; taught him right
from wrong. But not only that, he had given the boy a new life. A big
part of this new life was crusading around the city putting an end to
evildoers malicious plots and schemes, as Bartholomew had put it. To
be clear, it was nothing more than small detective works with a bit of
bounty hunting mixed in. But everything was elaborate when it came
to Bartholomew, even the smallest most ineffectual things, such as the
tall narrow apartment building they lived in. Bartholomew could even
extravagate the run down shack into something magnificent. He had
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deemed the building Mr. Fledges Courtly Citadel of Dreams. The first
time Velvel had heard it addressed as such he burst out laughing, tears
rolling down his face. But he quickly learned that Bartholomews
outlandishness was no joke. He exuded strangeness everyday and
Velvel had, somewhat, become accustomed to it over the years,
though he still held on to the notion that the young man wasnt right in
the head.
Bartholomew sighed as he stretched. And even better than
accomplishing something, he said, continuing upon his thesis, is
returning to the Citadel afterwards.
As soon as they reached the third and final floor, Mr. And Mrs.
Fledge were there waiting. The elderly couple eagerly greeted the boys
with hugs and kisses, from Mrs. Fledge, as well as hearty pats on the
back from her husband. They quickly ushered the boys inside their
apartment.
What are you two doing up so late anyhow? Bartholomew
began, Arent you too young to be up past midnight? This was aimed
at Mrs. Fledge. Velvel shot quizzical glances at the older boy as he
shifted uncomfortably in the doorway.
Oh, you! Mrs. Fledge teased. She turned and led them to the
small table that encompassed the majority of the small kitchen. Sit
down and have some tea, she urged.
How were youre adventures tonight lads? Mr. Fledge inquired
once they had all settled down in a seat.
Bartholomews face lit up as he recounted their dealings with
innumerable amounts of embellishments. The old couple listened with
pleasant looks on their faces, neither of them betraying in the slightest
that anything might be considered far-fetched about the tale. Velvel
yawned over his cup of tea; the only thing keeping him awake were the
twists and turns of events that he was sure had never transpired.
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So the evil count even went as far as to send his treacherous
dragon after you? Mrs. Fledge gasped.
Bartholomew nodded proudly. But it was thanks to Velvel that
we both made it back unscathed, for he was the one who subdued the
foul beast!
Mr. Fledge slapped Velvel on the back so hard he nearly dunked
his face in the steaming hot cup of tea clenched in his hands. Good
work, lad! I knew when I took you in that youd amount to good
things! Velvel frowned at Bartholomew who sat across from him at the
table with a humorous look upon his face. Ever since he had joined up
with the tale weaver he found himself being depicted as the hero of
Bartholomews false accounts.
As soon as he drained his cup of tea Velvel began to say his
goodbyes. Im sorry we have to leave so early but tonights work was
really tiring, as youve heard, Velvel said on a whim, choosing to use
Bartholomews story to back up his plight.
Hes right, Bartholomew agreed. Heros need their rest! And
with those parting words the two went across the hall to their lodgings.
Overhead the twin moons watched over the slumbering city.
Velvel awoke in a stupor. His windows had been opened to the
blinding sunlight and his covers were tossed aside. Bartholomew stood
over him with a wide grin. He was dressed in his nicest trousers and
shirt. His dark brown, almost black, hair was combed and neat.
Get up kid! he cheered.
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Velvel grimaced. Although he was seventeen and Bartholomew
was four years his senior he didnt condone the way Bartholomew
called him a kid.
Stop talking, he replied in a grumpy manner.
Are you sure you wanna stay in bed? Its fine with me if you
wanna miss the action but-
What!? Velvel bolted upright, taking the bait.
Bartholomews grin spread ever wider, Well Suddenly Velvel
wasnt sure if he should trust his words. They were probably dripping
with exaggeration. In the end, he feared hed be lured to some dull
piece of news, such as the opening of a new hat shop or something,
and hed be stuck listening to Bartholomews speculations about what
a great feat it was.
Nevertheless, he told Velvel what had piqued his interests. The
royals are coming to town!
Velvels eyes narrowed with unease. Now it was up to him to
decipher who or whatBartholomew meant by royals. He couldnt
possibly mean the actual King and Queen of Rhea, could he? Although
the King was nothing more than a figurehead, Velvel could actually
consider this as an exciting development. And he had revealed this
information so nonchalantly. No! It had to be a trap! If the royals were
really making an appearance Bartholomew would have made quite a
show of it.
Idont want to go? he finally responded cautiously.
Bartholomew frowned and shrugged his shoulders. So be it. Its
your loss,
Velvels tension depleted as soon as the young man had left the
room. He sighed, perturbed by how unnerved he had become over
such a trifling matter. Then the din of the streets that wafted through
his window roused him from his trance.
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He strode to the opening and glanced down at the street below.
It was busier than usual. He watched a girl run from shop to shop,
alerting the peddlers of a tidbit of exciting info. Velvel paled as he
realized what was going on. That weasel! He fumed. He was actually
telling the truth!
Velvel fumbled about, searching for the right clothes. He nearly
tripped over the chest stored in the back of his closet as he came
across it. Once dressed, he hastily ran his fingers through his wild
blond hair in attempts to make it neat. Grabbing his cap on the way
out, he flew down three flights of stairs.
At first, he scoured around for Bartholomews whereabouts but
he had disappeared. No matter. Ill enjoy myself more if hes not
around telling crazy stories.
He headed deeper into the city. From what he picked up from
trails of gossip, the governor had started a full-blown welcoming
campaign in lieu of the royal familys arrival. The entire week before
the appointed date, Cosette Town would go through major
redecorating in attempts to impress the king, or more likely his
advisors. It was common knowledge that they were the ones who
called the shots.
He meandered along the streets, not really knowing where he
headed. He just let his feet take him where they may. It was a warm
day in late spring. He enjoyed the gentle breeze that playfully tugged
at the hair tufting out from beneath his cap. Soon the cool easy spring
would give way to a hot muggy summer. He definitely wasnt looking
forward to that.
Rounding the corner, Velvel suddenly became aware of his
surroundings. He was in a shadier part of town, in front of an even
shadier business under the guise of a pawnshop. He and Bartholomew
had come to this area on numerous occasions, always in search of
some fiend who had committed a treacherous act.
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Bleh. Id best get outta here. As he turned around to head back
the way he came, a flash of movement caught his eye. His gaze locked
on two forms: a sketchy looking bloke and the other a sight very
unusual to the area. It was a girl, around his age he surmised. The way
the man had his hand tightly wrapped around her small arm and was
pulling her along with him made Velvels skin crawl. It seemed like bad
news to him.
He followed them, finally daring to speak up when the jerk led
the girl into an alley and had the audacity to throw her against the far
wall. What do you think youre doing? He couldnt conceal his anger,
and his words came out laced with rage.
The man hadnt known he was being followed and started at the
sudden noise. What the-? he bellowed. Who are you? But Velvel
didnt grace the scumbag with a response, only the bite of his left
hook.
The girl, who had been silent up until that moment, let out a
frightened squeak. Velvel turned his attention to her as the man
stumbled around. She was dark skinned with long black tresses, her
vivid green eyes wide with surprise. He also noticed her odd manor of
dress. It was quite similar to what he had on. Very strange. Its okay
now, he informed her, holding his hand out in a gesture to show he
was there to help.
W-what? Y-you dont- she stuttered incoherently. She took a
deep calming breath to try to reorganize her thoughts. You shouldnt
be here!
Velvel was taken aback by her guilty tone, like she was the one
who was caught doing something she shouldnt. He couldnt help the
grimace that crossed his face as he contemplated the idea that the girl
had actually wanted the creeps company. He shook his head slowly,
his words taking on judgmental tones, You dont actuallyhave
business with thiser fellow, do you?
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It took her a moment, but eventually comprehension dawned on
her as she grasped what he was getting at. She blushed and her mouth
hung open in horror.
Velvel took this as a confirmation of his speculation but she
started to protest, Wait a minute-EEEK! Behind you!
But it was too late. Velvel was completely caught off guard when
the man finally launched his counter attack. He may not have been as
youthful as Velvel but he was well built and the hit he landed on the
boy was way more serious than the blow that was dealt him. One hit
was all it took. One hit for the world around him to slip away as the
ground rushed to meet him.
When he was younger, Velvel used to live on the streets.
Stealing to sustain his existence. It wasnt much of a life, and who
knew how long hed of lasted if he was never rescued?
The day he met Mr. Fledge was just after his eleventh birthday.
Being the snotty little kid that he was, he felt entitled to making a big
haul that day. And when Velvel spotted the old mans shiny watch and
chain as he checked the time, he knew he had to have it. After
watching Fledge tuck the watch into his coat pocket Velvel moved in
for the kill.
In the bustling city it was easy to pick someones pocket. People
bumped into each other all the time. It was next to impossible to tell
who was a thief and who was just a clumsy passerby. The perfect
climate for the boys line of work. He had been so full of himself, so
proud of his small, but beloved earnings. Yes. He liked to think he had
some respectable vocation; that it was acceptable to take what he
needed from others.
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But when he did his bit, the ever-observant Mr. Fledge caught
him in the act and reprimanded him. It was the first time hed been
caught since he started his little game. It was humbling to have his
charade unraveled before his very eyes.
After knocking Velvels ego down a few notches, the man was
kind enough to take him in. He had been so shocked and asked why he
would do such a thing.
Fledge had replied, You remind me of someone, someone dear
to me whos life may not have been lost if I had had the guts to do
something about it,
That shut Velvel up.
Years later he discovered that the old man had been talking
about his son. The kid had been involved with the wrong crowd and
that had eventually gotten him killed. It definitely made things clearer
to him, why the Fledges were so willing to help troubled youths like he
and Bartholomew.
Though Bartholomews case had been a bit different. By the time
Velvel joined the Fledge household the older boy was already a
constant fixture. Always joyful, ever the creative one. But according to
Mrs. Fledge, when they first took him in he had a completely different
outlook on life.
His parents had been murdered and he wanted nothing more
than to avenge them. He was consumed with the idea but what could a
kid do against a murderer? Not much. It had taken years, much longer
than the few months it had taken Velvel, to adjust to this new life.
Velvel guessed the way he tried to come to terms with that need
for revenge was their current line of work. Crusading around the city,
hunting out the bad guys and giving them their just desserts. Velvel
really didnt mind being dragged along on his quest. He wanted to
make up for all the bad things hed done in his youth.
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So even though the work was dangerous, the two had a deep-
rooted commitment to completing their tasks. This commitment to
justice was what had probably made Velvel turn around that day and
try to stop that pervert who had been running off with that girl. But
justice was abruptly smudged and unclear. Had she been okay with it?
Despite her helpless appearance, was she just as sketchy as the rest of
the people who hung around that part of town?
The way his thoughts churned didnt help the sudden throbbing
he felt. He tried to open his eyes; once, twice three times. Finally the
world came back into focus, for the most part. There was still a
fuzziness that clung to the edge of his vision.
Thank the stars the kid is alive! Velvel immediately recognized
Bartholomew despite his minds sluggishness. He looked up at his dark
eyes.
What do you want? Velvels sentence came out slurred.
Bartholomew chuckled softly, Youre making about as much
sense as you normally do. I think youll be okay in the long run,
Answer my question!
Lets get you outta here. Bartholomew slung Velvels body
across his back, preparing for the journey home. God you are heavy.
You look skinny but I swear you must be as heavy as an elephant!
Shut up. Just let me walk you weirdo. I dont trust you,
From his tone, Velvel could tell Bartholomew was very amused,
Oh, yes. Thats right. I have ulterior motives. You should be very
afraid right now,
I mean it,
Instead, Bartholomew trudged to the Fledges apartment. Velvel
kept up a stream of complaints and protests the whole way. Even so,
the older boy wouldnt let him walk, for the fear hed collapse and
knock his head once again.
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When they reached the door Mrs. Fledge already had it open and
exclaimed, What a racket! I heard you coming all the way up the
block!
Once inside, Bartholomew dumped him on a sofa. It was all him.
He got into a fight earlier and it seems as if he suffered quite a blow to
the head. You should have a look at him,
Being a nurse, it was probably best to leave Velvel in her care. As
she tended to his wounds, Velvel filled her in on what had happened.
At first he had no clue he had been in a fight but as his muddled
thoughts began to settle, the encounter with the man and the girl
came back to him.
Mrs. Fledge tutted in response to Velvels assessment of the
girls motives. Thats one of the problems with big cities like these.
Theyre a breeding ground for crime,
Velvel became introspective at that remark. He had never been
outside the citys walls before. He had no clue about the outside world.
Did better places exist beyond Cosette Town? He wondered at how
small his perception of the world was. He knew nothing in the grand
scheme of things.
He glanced out the window and based on the light it seemed that
the sun was setting. Late afternoon, or even evening really. How long
had he been out?
He flinched as Mrs. Fledge pressed a cold cloth to the right side
of his face, the side that had received the brunt of the damage. How
bad is it? he asked her, holding the cloth himself now.
She gave him an apologetic smile. Not good at all. Hopefully itll
heal in a weektwo weeks time. Just keep a cold cloth on it,
His shoulders slumped with the news. Not at all what he wanted
to hear. She rose and said, Ill go put some tea on, and left him
alone. He gazed out the window once more.
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Looks like Ill be stuck inside tonight. Whenever he got injured
the Fledges were reluctant to let him go out and help Bartholomew.
Usually he had to stay behind while Mrs. Fledge fussed over him.
Sometimes he thought this was a better alternative to chasing down
crooks with an obvious wound like a black eye. The villains always liked
to point it out with some sneering comment like, How do you expect
to bring me in when you obviously cant dodge a punch
It was all so stupid. He opted for the easy way out and decided
hed have a good nights rest before he even considered getting back
in the fray of their little detective business.
It was harder to be sure he made the right decision when
Bartholomew came back, beaming from the nights work. He had
apprehended two criminals, including the one who had clocked Velvel
earlier that day. This time he attempted to commit a robbery, but had
failed horribly.
Looks like you owe me one,
Velvel rolled his eyes in response. Not really. I didnt ask you to
go out and restore my honor or anything,
Im sure I can think of some way you can repay me,
Bartholomew had a way of selectively hearing things. Consequently,
they were only the things he wanted to hear. Sighing, Velvel gave up
the fight.
The rest of the week went on without a hindrance. After the
action of the first couple days, there wasnt much on the criminal
activity scale. The two patrolled the streets together, keeping an eye
on things. It seemed the Kings impending arrival had everyone on their
best behavior. As the days dragged on, Velvel could see Cosette Town
slowly undergo its transformation. Each storefront they passed seemed
to have been shined up until it sparkled, operating at its maximum
ability. Ribbons bows and banners adorned the light posts and hung
from the eaves of the buildings. Watching the changes, Velvel could
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feel the excitement in the air. The tension built up and crackled like
lightening. It was rubbing off on him as well.
The night before the king and queens arrival Velvel stayed up
later than usual watching the commotion of the city. He wondered
about the days that lay ahead. Would he get a glimpse of the royal
family?
Suddenly he contemplated an even more intriguing
consideration. Would he see the men that really were in control of
Rhea? Their existence had always caught his attention. He wanted to
watch them interact with the king, hoping to glean more understanding
of how this world worked.
Maybe. He thought.
Eventually his wandering mind drifted off into a deep sleep.
Catastrophe
Adeline sneezed, becoming aware of the powdered sugar on her
nose. She swiftly wiped it away with the cloth napkin set before her.
Despite her effort to be stealthy the dark haired boy seated across
from her laughed at her sloppiness. She felt the heat of a blush.
I cant help it, she claimed, Theres so much sugar
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Yeah, yeah, Oeric teased, Blame it on the pastry. Admit it,
youre really just a slob. With a gleam in his blue eyes and a small
chortle he awaited her reaction. Her deepening look of embarrassment
only made him laugh more.
Stop bullying her! A tall red head stood in front of the table,
fixing Oeric with her judgmental glare. Why do you have to be so
mean to everybody?
His mood turned sour as the girl took the remaining seat at their
table. What are you doing here, Violette?
Actually, the girl said beaming, I work here now,
Thats amazing! Adeline said cheerfully.
Oerics frown deepened, Is that supposed to be a good thing?
Why even bother with this type of stuff. Its positively his face
pinched with disgust as he said the next line, mortal!
Violette smirked, I wouldnt expectyou to understand, after all,
youre merely a baby by our standards,
That remark annoyed Oeric to no end.
Though Violette looked as if she couldnt be older than nineteen
she was actually nearing her hundredth birthday. In the vampire
community once the age of eighteen had been reached, the aging
process slowed almost to a complete halt and stretched on over the
centuries. It took many years for a vampire to show the tell tale signs
of aging that their human counterparts dealt with much earlier. Oeric
and Adeline, on the other hand, were only seventeen, which was
considered quite young by vampiric standards.
Oeric puffed, Whatever, its your choice to be slaving away in
mortal institutions just to make some small change,
No matter Oerics jesting, Adeline admired the older vampire.
Most members of the Nine Vampire Clans of Rhea didnt dare break a
sweat toiling the way mortals did. Due to blood ties with a couple of
the powerful advisors that controlled the King, the nine clans were
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offered comfortable homes in the Rhean countryside. The vast estates
characterized the dirt roads that lead to Cosette Town. They lived
pampered lives; protected by the government, free to feed whenever
they saw fit; unbeknownst to the poor city dwellers. It seemed
unnatural that a child of the nine would want to endure such hard
labor. It was for this very reason Adeline respected her. Unlike the
others, she wanted to work for her wealth, not have it handed to her. It
was the certain undermining authority aspect of it all that had drawn
Adeline to the idea. Even so she couldnt bring herself to do something
so bold. Regrettably, it was in her nature to do just as she was
instructed to.
Good luck to you, Adeline smiled.
Thank you, she paused to pet Adelines head, her hand
cushioned by the wavy curls of Adelines voluminous black hair.
What type of things do you do here anyway? I bet you talk to a
lot of humans, huh. I dont know why but for some reason they always
make me nervous, Adeline bubbled.
Shaking her head and laughing, Violette answered the girl,
Yeah. Interacting with humans is a given. But really, what is so nerve
racking about them?
She shrugged in response but Oeric grimaced. Cant you be
normal or something?
Violette came to her defense again, Dont you start again, His
frown deepened but she went on anyway. Well, Ive got to get back to
work. Enjoy your sweets!
Oeric sighed in relief once she was gone. How annoying! And
how dare she judge us like that? I dont get how you put up with her,
Adeline suddenly became self-conscious at the word judged.
Did Violette see her the same way she saw Oeric? She hoped not. It
could be possible, considering Adelines life style. She appeared to be
as prissy as the lot of them. She woke whenever she pleased, often
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heading to the city to spend that handout money on cakes and
sugarcoated pastries that had become her addiction of recent. After
loafing around all afternoon she fed and if she wasnt thirsty shed go
home and be lazy there. The more she thought about it the duller her
life became. Where was the excitement, the freedom from the
monotony?
She slumped in her seat, her spirits deflated. What are we even
doing?
Oeric glanced at her curiously. In a matter of seconds her mood
had changed drastically. Eh?
Adeline blinked her green eyes, N-Nevermind, She sighed
dejectedly as she gazed at the city dwellers through a pane of glass.
What is your issue? he complained. When did you start acting
like a female? I mean youre being all moody and unreasonable. I
thought I could count on you to be immune to that stuff he
muttered on.
She started in her seat. H-hey! Im not being moody! Andof
course Im a girlI mean why would you think Im not a girl? Do I-
Oerics mischievous smile returned. Once again he was being
entertained by her flustered nature. I dont knowyou dont look like
a girl
Adeline stiffened, worry crinkling her brow. It was true, she had
never been that fond of dresses and she often went out clad in the
clothes she wore now. Trousers a shirt and suspenders, on occasion
paired with a vest or corset. She felt most comfortable this way
however, many of the other girls found her wardrobe bizarre. But with
this new revelation she wondered if all along she had been doing
something intrinsically wrong, dressing in boys clothing.
Sweet midnight! Would you calm down?
His low oath had awoken her from her reverie. Her lips settled
into a pout, I dont know why I never notice that half the things you
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But even now she wasnt making very bright decisions. Where
was she going? How was she going to find him? Why did it matter so
much? All these thoughts raced round and round in her mind.
In a city this large did she really even have a chance at finding
him? Most likely notshe answered herself.
She had been making her way to the center of the city but as she
went on the amount of people increased until finally she found she
could push on no more.
What? she began, then remembered news of the royal
procession taking place. She vaguely recalled the night her mother had
told her
Adeline? her mother had called. Come here,
That had been the night that boy had tried to save her and she
was feeling down in the dumps. She had moped about all day. Even
then, as she responded to her mothers voice her spirits were low.
Our cousins will be arriving at the end of the week. Along with
the king and queen of the mortals, of course. Theyll be joining us for
dinner and for Mistress Cassandras ball as well,
Yep. That was it.
A crowd was gathered in hopes of catching a glimpse of the king
and queen. She tried shoving through the barrier but the throngs of
jostling bodies knocked her back.
Oh well. What did she need to see the royal family for? Shed be
seeing her cousins at the dinner her parents had planned. She
should just give up and go home. If her odds at finding that boy had
been slim before, they were clearly impossible now. She turned; ready
to make the long trip home but then a forlorn shriek rang out from the
square.
Cold chills raced up and down Adelines spine as the crowd
began to panic, adding more screams to the initial one. The street
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rumbled with the sound of footfalls as the populace ran this way and
that. A wave of frightened people rushed towards her, in attempts to
escape. She flung her arms over her head just as the wave crashed
into her. The world became a blur as she was tossed aside again and
again as if she were nothing more than a withered leaf tormented by a
gust of wind. She had just been knocked off her feet when a hand
deftly dragged her away from the sea of people.
Adeline stumbled along, barely conscious of her surroundings.
Her head lolled towards the ground and her stumbling feet. She didnt
dare attempt to steal a look at her rescuer for fear that moving her
head in such a manner would make the world spin even faster.
Velvel had barely escaped the mass of shrieking people. He
waited in a nearby alley, planning to converge on the scene once
things had died down, though it didnt seem that it would. It felt like
ages before the screaming had died down enough that he didnt need
to cover his ears.
When the day had started they had checked with the authorities
to see if there were any bounties. There hadnt been any. Luckily,
being freelance detectives, they had the option of taking the day off so
they did. Velvel had hoped to enjoy the days activities but it seemed
that wouldnt be possible.
He wasnt sure what had caused it, but Cosette Town was in
complete pandemonium. He lingered near the square, waiting for the
frightened masses to clear out.
Down the alley he saw two figures approaching. Before long he
ascertained that it was Bartholomew helping along some poor citizen
who had been wounded in the chaos.
Bartholomew! he called, rapidly closing the distance between
them.
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Hey, he replied, his voice laced with a hint of fatigue.
Whats happened to her? Velvel asked. The girl was leaning on
Bartholomews arm for support. Her impossibly long black tresses
obscured her face from view. Even so he recognized the strange outfit.
It couldnt be
H-hey! he cried but was interrupted.
Bartholomew breathed deeply and finally regaining his breath
said, The crowd,
Velvels thoughts were brought back to the strange happenings
at the royal procession. Speaking of that, I think we should go have a
look now. Do you have any clue what happened?
No, and Im just as curious as you are but Im not sure what we
should do with princess, here he responded.
Velvel raised an eyebrow, Princess? But he soon dismissed it
simply for the fact that Bartholomew was likely to come up with such
unconventional titles for normal people.
However, she became flustered at the phrase. Her head jerked
upright as she stared down the young man. Why should he, a random
man whom she had never been acquainted with in her life, be able to
label her as such? Could he be that insightful? Or was it as she had
feared, did she simply exude pretentiousness?
She struggled away from his grip and stumbled a few steps. I-
Im not her protest fell short with the emergence of embarrassment.
She returned her gaze to the ground. When she broke her staring
contest with the floor her eyes widened.
It seemed to Velvel that she recognized him as well. Her
expression was a mix between surprise, disbelief andwas that relief
he detected? Very confusing.
Um, but he really couldnt find the words for such a situation.
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Fortunately for him, she did, Oh! Youre all right! When I came
back you were gone and I was so scared and I thoughtI thought
She trailed off suddenly self-conscious.
Oh. So you know my dear friend? May I inquire as to how you
two became in acquaintance with each other? On the day they had
run into each other, Bartholomew had never heard the full story of how
Velvels injury was acquired. Therefore, he had no clue who this girl
was. Velvel could tell Bartholomew was highly interested in her. After
all, he was the flirt, not Velvel. He was the one who talked to girls.
Bartholomew had often tried to give him tips on impressing women.
Velvel would always dismiss his teachings, saying they were a waste of
time.
Ah she hesitated. He saved me.
Velvel was shocked. Is that what had happened? Wellit had
been a very strange situation. One he was starting to think he didnt
fully comprehend.
That is very much in your nature, Bartholomew remarked
proudly. He winked at Velvel slyly. So princess,
She winced and squeaked, Please dont call me that!
Bartholomew shrugged his shoulders at Velvels questioning
stare. Its okay, Velvel comforted the girl. He couldnt help noticing
the peculiar circumstances. Ever the smooth talker, in this instance,
Bartholomew would be the one reassuring her, not Velvel. The world
seemed off skew. Hes just strange. I, myself, dont give much
thought to what he says, you shouldnt either, She responded with a
nervous smile.
Dont lie, Velvel dragon slayer. You hang off of every word I say
for I am your guide-
Thats enough out of you! Velvel scowled, elbowing
Bartholomew in his chest.
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The older boy stumbled, being taken by surprise. His eyes were
wide with astonishment when he opened his mouth to complain, but
out of the corner of his eye he saw the girl running off towards the
scene of the incident. Wait, Princess! he blurted thoughtlessly,
chasing after her.
Adeline hadnt meant to leave so abruptly but there was a
creeping feeling in her stomach and she had to see for herself what
had happened. Coming upon the open street she saw doctors tending
to an injured man who lay motionless on the ground. The royal family
as well as their representatives stood on the steps of the courthouse
accompanied by the constable and his men who appeared to be
protecting them. All of them pale with horrid looks upon their faces.
Adeline focused on the wounded man. It was as if a hole had beenblown through his stomach, though she hadnt remembered any loudpopping that always warned of gunshots. Upon closer inspection it wasobvious he was dead for the pool of blood that encompassed the bodywas too large for the man to still be among the living. Adelinesstomach flipped flopped, plunging her deeper into dread. She took adeep breath and gazed upon the face. She shuddered as recognitioncoursed through her swimming mind. It had been confirmed thesecond she felt his dying presence, she knew at once that he was one
of her own.