“So who is he?” Nathaniel asked. Alice lightly jabbed him in the stomach with her elbow. “I thought you were supposed to shut up. He’s not exactly my father, but he’s close enough. He adopted me years ago and has been training me ever since.” “Training you in what?” Alice punched him again for talking but answered him all the same “Training me in just about everything it seems. Martial arts, different forms of magic, investigation techniques, whatever he thinks I’ll need. I’m supposed to take over for him when he retires, assuming he ever does.” They walked in silence for a moment before Nathaniel finally asked “Well what does he do?” Alice made to hit him and chuckled as he flinched “WE are investigators. We find things, or people. Usually we wind up fighting demons or werewolves or other things that bump in the night. It’s dangerous work, but necessary, and I’m proud to be doing it.” Nathaniel steeled his nerves and tried his luck. “You’re proud to do it, but are you happy?” Alice stopped in her tracks and turned to him with a stare that could melt a steel plate. “I think you’ve asked enough questions.” She growled. Nathaniel stood frozen in place more terrified of this young girl with the piercing gaze than he ever was of any clockwork death machine. Alice’s hand darted into his jacket pulling out the listening bug she and Jonah had planted at the mansion the prior day. “Your turn to talk. Explain why you have this.” Nathaniel scrambled to come up with a suitable lie, but found himself unable to think with her so close. “I saw it back at the mansion, I don’t know what it does, but it seemed valuable. I figured I could use it to bargain with, I didn’t even realize it was yours when I took it.” You’re an idiot. It was almost impressive how a disembodied voice projected into his head from a continent away could sound so disappointed. Alice stowed the bug in her pouch, turned back down the road and resumed her relentless pace.
“You mentioned an amulet; if I find it for you will you stay the hell away from our investigation?” Nathaniel hurried to catch up as his brain tried to process what he had just heard. “Wait! Are you serious? If you’re not here for the amulet then… Never mind I actually don’t want to know.” Not believing his luck Nathaniel hurriedly fished the drawing out of his jacket and showed it to Alice. Recognizing that drawing should have floored her, but Alice was far past being surprised by coincidences. There was just something about this case where nearly every damn thing was connected somehow and it was starting to get to her that this annoying boy kept showing up. “I already have this amulet, just not on me, it’s back at the inn I’m staying at. If you go back to the mansion and wait for me there I’ll bring it to you and you can go away.” “Not a chance in hell. If you have the amulet at all I’m going back with you and will take it from you wherever you’re staying. Otherwise you’re not getting rid of me that easily. After all, how do I know you’re not just trying to get rid of me so you can keep it yourself?” Alice ground her teeth at the prospect of having to take him back to One Eye’s but liked the idea of ridding herself of him sooner. A motion in the corner of her eye set her instincts on edge and she turned back the way she was walking and took off as fast as she could without seeming suspicious.
“I said I’m not going back to that mansion damn it!” Nathaniel yelled after her as he practically ran to keep up. “We’re not going to the mansion and keep your voice down you idiot, we’re being followed” Alice hissed at him as she discretely slipped her hand to her revolver. Years of training as a con artist kicked into effect as Nathaniel slipped into character and pulled Alice closer, throwing his arm around her shoulder and whispering in her ear in a manner that was far too familiar for either of their liking. “I didn’t notice anyone different in the crowd, are you sure?” Bristling slightly at his touch but playing along she whispered back. “I can sense these things OK? You should be able to see him about a block back. He was dressed in black.” Nathaniel tilted his head a little to nuzzle her affectionately and cast a glance back. It was hard to make him out, not because the crowd was too thick, or even because he was being evasive, he just had something about him that made you look right past him as though he wasn’t there. It took effort, but he managed to get a decent look at him and made out a single detail. “Is it the priest?” That was the word. Alice stopped in her tracks and pushed Nathaniel away before whirling on their stalker. Sure enough the familiar figure of Brother Claudio was bearing down on them, the pleasant half-smile of his plastered on his face as always. If she had surprised him at all it didn’t show. “What the hell do you want Claudio?” “Language, young lady. I was sent by Jonah to collect you, I have a message for you both.” Nathaniel, though slightly confused from the rapid turn of events, caught on enough to try and work this to his advantage. “Well if Claudio here needs to take you back to your boss or mentor or dad or whatever he is then why don’t you take us both so you can get my amulet and I can go on my way?”
Alice was getting very aggravated with this whole night which was only getting worse now that Nathaniel was making reasonable suggestions. A short time later the 3 of them were climbing out of the backseat of a cramped cab having just set records for “Most uncomfortable silence”. Conversation was attempted, mostly by Nathaniel, but Brother Claudio never talked much and any comment directed toward Alice was met with an icy stare. Alice turned on Nathaniel “Wait outside, no negotiations.” Nathaniel looked like he was about to object when Claudio placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll wait with him Miss Alice. Men of the cloth aren’t generally looked favorably upon in these establishments.” Alice nodded her thanks to Claudio and ducked inside before Nathaniel could say another word. With a quick hello to One Eye she ran up the stairs to her room and dug through her trunk to find the amulet that was given to her by Lady Celeste. She found it on top of the egg she had gotten from Lady Celeste as well. Alice froze staring at the egg. Though she hadn’t paid it much attention when she had gotten it she was now finding herself overcome with curiosity about it. She was still staring at it when Jonah came into the room looking for her. Thankfully she managed to hide it before he noticed what she was holding, he still didn’t know she had the egg, or at least, she hadn’t told him. It had felt somewhat wrong that she had a memory of his locked in that egg so at the time it made sense for her to not tell him. “Hey kiddo, ready to go?”
Alice tried not to look embarrassed as she pulled out the amulet and closed up the trunk. “Yeah, just turns out Nathaniel was looking for this. Not sure exactly how he and Lady Celeste fit into this, but I figure if I give it to him he’ll stay out of our way.” Alice thought she saw a moment of doubt on Jonah’s face and wondered if he had seen the egg, or if he just wasn’t sure about giving away an obviously valuable amulet just to get rid of Nathaniel. For Alice that price was more than acceptable. The pair headed back downstairs and into the night once again to meet with the priest and the con-artist. This was going to be another long night.
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