Heart and Soul

“Bring me Romani!” A gravelly, baritone voice echoed through the dimly lit room. Torch light flickered wildly across the entrance walls as the scent of kerosene faded. Shadows fluttered and played along the walls and floors as if they were alive—most of them probably had been at one point.

“He is meditating, Sir.” A novice dug his nails into his quivering palms in hopes of hiding his fear. The boy lowered his head remembering Nicholai’s instructions.

“I do not care.” The man wielding the baritone voice stood from his seat revealing the face hidden by shadows. The familiar ‘forked road’ scar on his left cheek seemed to make his menacing demeanor even more dangerous while his midnight eyes bore into the novice. “Bring me Nicholai Romani now, or I will take your head.”



My heart would’ve pounded in my chest, at the moment, if I had an actual heartbeat. I flattened my body until I practically faded into the wall. The only light in the room flashed every two point twelve seconds. It kept me from adjusting my keen sight against my opponent. The shrill alarm opened its flood gates every three seconds. It kept my opponent from adjusting his sensitive hearing against me. Our fight would be a fair fight and our last.

“This game we are playing cannot last long,” the disgruntled voice hissed. Chasing me must have started wearing him down.

“I like this game,” I whispered just before the lights flashed on for a brief moment. His dark figure darted from in the far corner in the room toward me before the room darkened. “The cat always beats the mouse.” The alarm blared as I rushed to the corner he previously occupied.

“Who do you think the cat is?”

I tested the floor again, taking small steps toward where he thought I might be. This time there were no squeaking boards. I grinned as I took several quick, silent steps toward him. His foot tapped against the wood quietly. There was a small hiss coming from him as annoyance set in. “Nicholai!” His figure came into view in the darkness. Two seconds already passed. The light would flash in moments. All I needed to do was latch my fingers…

Two inches from his arm, point four seconds early, dim lights flooded the arena while the door flew open. “Does this count as a win?” I laughed as I poked his arm. He glared and shook his head.

“What do you want, Tyson?” Power rang through his voice as he stepped away from the wall. His ash colored hair faded into his colorless skin which made his deep midnight eyes seem more like endless black pits of rage.

The boy standing in front of him stood perfectly still except for his quivering hands. He rolled his fingers into his palms like I taught him. “Are you looking for me?” I asked less invasive than my combat partner. Tyson nodded as his sunny expression delved into helplessness. “I thought we agreed on meditation,” I laughed.

“He...” Tyson lowered his eyes. “He demanded.”

“Poor boy.” I shook my head as I patted his shoulder. “You’ve got to grow a thicker skin if you expect to survive here, right Mouse?” I grinned and poked the colorless man’s arm again.

“Touch me again, Nick!” He hissed before turning to Tyson. “You’ve got to get a grip, kid.”

“Yes, Sir.” His hands stopped quivering as he unfolded them with a curt nod.

“Thanks, Cassius for the fun game.” I gave his arm one more nudge before I darted out the door. Tyson barely made it out as I hit the lock button. The mouse became the cat, in our little game, when the cat got trapped inside his cage.

I raised a questioning brow at Tyson who stood wide eyed in the corridor for a moment. His attention returned with the shake of his head when I clapped a hand over his shoulder. “He’s in the study.” Tyson nodded before he turned to lead the way.



Tyson knocked on the door and opened it as “come in” was growled in the heavy silence. I walked in with my head lowered. Six steps into the room, I kneeled and leaned on my fists in the darkness. A chair slid across the floor before the word ‘rise’ washed over me. I stood.

“I have a job for you.” The lanky man’s voice sounded like the rocks he swallowed decided to try to light a fire in his throat. His pale features seemed exaggerated beneath his gelled, jet black hair; especially the slightly raised skin that accentuated his left eye. Midnight eyes stood out violently against that same nearly translucent skin.

“There’s always a job for me,” I retorted with a shrug. I could almost hear Tyson’s gasp of shock in my head, instead the doorknob rattled behind me.

“Leave us,” he growled. Tyson obliged. “There’s something I want, Nicholai,” he spoke softly, as if speaking to a child. “Something that is bright for our future.”

“Our future is here, Sir.” I watched his feature crease with disdain. “On this level, far away from the sunlight.” He shook his head. I sighed. “What could possibly be bright for that?”

“The soul of a witch.” The disdain left his features. A spark filled his dull, ruthless black eyes.

I ran my pale hand through my coal black hair and took a deep breath. “Another soul?”

“This one is different.” He walked around his desk piled with papers. “I’ve done the research.” He pulled a picture from his pocket. “I want this soul.”

“I want information about…”

“No! You do this, and I’ll allow you to live. If you don’t I will put a knife through that heart of yours.”

I put my right hand over the left side of my shirt where my heart should’ve been. Seven decades without it makes a man do strange things. Especially a man in my position.

“I’ll find it, Sir.”

“Romani!” He grabbed my chin forcing me to stare into his dull midnight eyes. “Remember the rules; do not let her see you, and leave this one alive.” He released my chin with a shove.

“I never break the rules, Sir.” I rubbed my jaw. “And we both know you called me because all of my victims are left alive.”

He walked around the desk and sat. His grin moved the scar on his cheek closer to his eye; he bared his fangs making his faded eyes appear almost white. “You won’t let me down, Nicholai.” His hand brushed the air as if he shooed a fly. I rolled the picture into a scroll and stuck it in my pocket.

“No, Sir. I won’t let you down.”