Abdiel being weakened by Tyrel was something I tried not to admit worried me. The problem itself was easy to solve by staying away from Tyrel, but the permanent solution, taking his life, wasn’t good at all.
If Tyrel could neutralize my magic, what could I use to stop him from doing it?
Several options presented themselves: assassinate him without using magic, but that would mean getting close to him. It wasn’t something I could hire out without the possibility of him finding out that I did..
Changing a spell to see if it could get past his guard? That might weaken it too much, it wouldn’t do the job, and again, I didn’t know if he’d be able to trace it back to me.
Trap him, then kill him? I didn’t know how strong he was in his own magic, but if he’d mastered the arts that could weaken a powerful spirit like Abdiel, harming human flesh was too easy.
He told me when I met him that eventually everyone would use his services.
I needed to find someone who’d done that, and find out why; it was a good starting point, but led to other questions. It wasn’t even discreet, the way people liked to gossip, but it was the least intrusive and obvious, hopefully giving me some knowledge of him other than what I possessed.
Still, the inquiry could be traced back to me, and if he decided to attack he could take the element of surprise since I’d no defenses against him.
I decided to go from the lowest to the highest risk, though it would hurt Abdiel and the others.
I’d have to go talk to him.
********************
I paid one of the Market’s urchin cutpurses to deliver the message for Tyrel to meet me in a neutral zone, then bound him to it with a curse that made his eyes widen and a spot of liquid fright spread across the front of his pants.
The neutral zone was a run down hole in the wall whose destruction, if it came to a fight, would likely be welcomed by the town, though the seedy, shady clientele that made use of it would find it inconvenient to replace. It had no visible name because the coloring and lettering on the crooked sign had faded from long exposure to bright sun and bad times.
I waited for him outside rather than endure and fend off the idiocy I was sure to attract on the inside.
When I saw his cloak among the normal garb as he walked through the thinning marketplace crowds, I gave silent thanks that he was prompt.
I could feel Abdiel begin to shift within me. “This won’t take long, Abdiel.”
See to it.
My body tingled with a cold numbness as the magic fled.
“Tina, why on earth would you come here?”
“No one knows me here.”
“Nor me, for that matter. Were you hoping for witnesses if this ended badly? They’re not the kind that cooperate with lawmen. It’s not called The Dregs without reason.”
He knows the name of this ratrap. So, he has been here some time, then. I hadn’t thought of fighting him around witnesses, but then, they might also not let things get out of hand.
Realistically, the chances of that were at slim to none, but at least slim was a possibility..
Tina…
“Shall we go inside?” he asked.
“Goodness no, Tyrel. I have to make this quick.”
“Ah, yes. I see the discomfort in you. What is it you want?”
“To see if there’s a way we can work together.”
“You’re joking.”
“No, I’m not.”
“How? I cancel your power out.”
Tiiinaaa….
“You told me everyone here eventually pays for your service. To do what?”
“To dispel bad spirits. Most are just superstitious, and I take advantage of their fear, but some truly have them hovering about, usually mischief makers that someone sent to them for some misdeed.
“I don’t get into the middle of things, I just send the spirits…” He caught himself.
This was a crossroads, and I didn’t know whether or not to reveal Abdiel had given me a vision; if I mentioned the power he had to send demons into the Void to die, he’d outright refuse me and our battle would begin in earnest.
I shook my head before I spoke to bluff that I wouldn’t understand what he was about to say anyway, and to convey impatience. It wasn’t with him, but with Abdiel and his minions forcing me to keep myself still so I didn’t look like a stringless marionette.
“Never mind,” I rushed to reassure him, “I don’t care. Let me think on it. You too. We’ll meet again soon to see what we’ve come up with.”
“I’m…supposed to kill you.”
Abdiel moaned.
“Then it seems I’ve trapped myself. I took a chance you might, and now, I can’t escape you.”
He took a step back, considering it.
Run, Tina.
I didn’t; whatever he was going to do, I wanted to see it coming.
He turned sideways and his shoulders slumped. “Dammit girl, now you’ve got me curious.”
My shoulders slumped too, and I had to tense my legs to put ice in the jelly they were turning into before I fell.
“Tomorrow then?”
“Yes. But not here. We meet back at the Crystal Harp.”
“All right.”
“I’d walk you home, but….”
“That’s fine. I’ll follow you out though.”
He nodded once. “Let’s hurry, then.
Tinaaa! Abdiel’s voice was wretched with agony.
“Lead on.” I slipped my hands in my pockets, rubbing my stomach so Tyrell couldn’t see how much I was hurting.
He started walking and I followed at a distance that kept him in sight, but not close.
“Better?” I asked Abdiel.
Soon.
Nightshade Stories 