They can't kill you. They can hit and scratch, but never kill. They can, however, push you to kill yourself, or go insane, which will lead you to kill yourself. The trick to defeating a Banshee was to have a strong spirit. Your past must not torment you. Your will to live must be stronger than your fear of death.

"It's all good on paper," Lemien told me. "But it's harder in practice. You don't know what kind of memories Ofelia will bring forward."

"We won't know unless we try," I told him.

"I'll ask her to go easy on you," Lemien said. "But don't expect her to follow my instructions to the letter. She's different from the others under my command."

That much I could tell by myself. "Just summon her," I said. "We haven't got much time to waste."

"You need to rest first," Lemien said. "You've spent an entire night meditating. It's impossible to tell the pa.s.sing of time here, but I keep a watch on me."

An entire night? I still didn't believe my ears.

"Did you just say an entire night?"

Lemien nodded. "You must have a strong Fragment," he said. "Did it put up a good fight?"

I smiled. "You have no idea." I recalled the details of what had happened. The taste of her moist lips, the way her thighs felt to my touch, soft yet firm when they pulled me toward her. I chased the memories away. I could already feel my breath shortening.

"Is there any place I could use to clean up?" I asked. I still had to rub the shame away.

"You can use the bath upstairs," Lemien said. "It's the second room to your left. I'll have Christine prepare it for you."

Christine, of course, was the name of the corpse in a maid outfit.

I gave him an approving nod then sat on one of the chairs in the anteroom. The feeling of human bones against my body was unnerving. It's one thing to be friends with a necromancer, but it's another to be surrounded by walking corpses and furniture made of dead people's bones. Lemien had fallen silent for a while. I looked at him and his eyes seemed out of focus. He regained his senses a short while after then looked at me.

"The bath should be ready in a few," he said. "How about some good wine? You can tell me about your adventures in the land of the wizards."

I graciously accepted and the necromancer poured us two gla.s.ses of red wine. I waited for Lemien to drink first. I wasn't taking any chances. This one tasted and smelled different. It was sweeter, with just the right amount of sourness. That was the expensive kind. The kind you keep for joyous occasions, or to celebrate some event.

"I'll tell you stories if you agree to share some of yours too," I said, sipping the wine.

"What would you like to know?" he asked.

There was something about his smile that didn't bode well with me. It was the kind of sourir, as the Bolignois put it, that slimy, spineless b.a.s.t.a.r.ds usually give when they try to please someone. His eyes didn't speak the same language that his face did. It was as though he was trying too hard to be the good guy, the helpful fella who'd lend you a hand to get out of a pinch; the helpful fella who would help you and ask for nothing in return.

Only he will, in due time. His eyes were dark while his smile was all sparkles. I didn't like that, not one bit. Perhaps it was paranoia, perhaps it wasn't. But after all I've been through, who would blame me? I was also playing an angle. It's only fair that he'd do the same.

"How did a doctor become so obsessed with death?" I asked. "Aren't you the kind that helps people escape it?"

"My story's the same as everyone who eventually delves into necromancy," Lemien answered. "I lost a loved one, and lost my drive. I tried to bring her back then heard of Lord Qil'Al. If I win the upcoming Holi War, he'll grant me a wish. And I can bring her back from the dead."

"It's as simple as that?" I asked.

"If you call winning the Holi Wars simple," Lemien said.

"With Stalwart, nothing seems so simple anymore," I mumbled.

"How is he like?" Lemien asked. "I've heard tales of the great Stalwart, but I never had the chance to meet him."

"The misfortune," I corrected. "You don't meet Stalwart by chance. He's a calamity that would make your worst day seem like a walk in the park."

I was being dramatic. I knew nothing of my grandfather, but talking about him in this fas.h.i.+on would only spark questions about his madness. I wasn't ready to answer any questions about his specific powers.

"He's that bad, huh?" Lemien asked.

"I'd rather not talk about him, if you don't mind. Thinking about him makes my blood run cold."

"Very well," Lemien said. "What do you want to talk about then?"

"I want to know why you stayed here for five years," I said. "I find it hard to believe that the Children never tried to chase you out."

"They tried," Lemien said. He had finished his first gla.s.s then poured himself another. He took a long gulp then threw his head backward, looking at the ceiling. His forehead wrinkled into a thoughtful frown. "They chased me through these tunnels for days. If it weren't for Ofelia, I would never have lived this long."

"The banshee saved you?" I asked.

"She tried to turn me into a psychotic killer," Lemien replied, chuckling at the thought. He took another sip then went on. "My resolve to beat death apparently chased her away. The Children ran at the first encounter with the fairy. They couldn't stand the sight of her."

"Fairy?" I picked up.

Lemien's eyes widened. He said something he shouldn't have. It was the wine, I suspected. I could kiss the man or woman who invented wine at that moment. Its ability to turn tongues loose was astounding. He turned away, seemed to focus on something by the library then turned to me.

"Your bath is ready. We'll continue this discussion later. I'll go check on the rats in my lab. Make sure you eat before you take some rest. You'll need all your energy against Ofelia tomorrow."

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That's one way of cutting the conversation short. I could tell the necromancer admired the banshee. I had this feeling that he was hiding something. He wouldn't let me kill her that easily.

What was the catch? I had to find out before we were ready for infiltration.

I went upstairs and found the bathroom. The maid called Christine had filled a wooden tub with scalding hot water. I found her waiting for me as soon as I got in. She put some neatly folded towels in a wooden bench, bowed then left.

That was a very Bolignois thing to do Lemien!

I scooped up some of the hot water into a small basin and drowned the linen of my undergarments in it. I made sure to clean it despite the burning water. I put it to dry on the bench then, next to the towels. I went into the tub next and let my head rest on the taller extremity. Eva spoke to me then.

'What do you make of him?' she asked.

'He won't give us that banshee,' I said. 'I may have given him a dangerous idea by suggesting the infiltration angle.'

'Do you know anything about fairies?' she asked.

'Heard tales,' I answered. 'They're terrifying creatures, cunning too.'

'Why keep you alive though?' she asked once more.

'That's what I'm trying to wrap my head around,' I replied. 'He's not willing to give me the banshee. That much I'm certain of right now.'

'He admires the thing,' Eva said.

'You could feel it too, huh?'

'Yes, he also seemed to regret letting slip she's a fairy.'

'That gives me something to work with,' I said. 'Let me think for a while.' I shut my thoughts away from her. She seemed offended by the abrupt shut down but I was sure I'd make it up to her later.

I tried to recall everything I knew about fairies. The library Dif had poured in me earlier was useful that way. Information came flooding in.

'I found it,' I told Eva after I opened up to her again.

'Nice of you to leave me hanging!' she scorned.

'Listen to what I have to say,' I told her. 'This might cheer you up.'

I received some kind of 'Uhu!' feel from her. She was still scowling. I ignored it.

'Fairies are creatures of nature, independent from the Primordials. This means that the link Lemien shares with the banshee, although she's considered undead, has nothing to do with the Fragment of power he possesses.'

'What does that mean for us?' she asked.

'If the fairy likes me better,' I said. 'She'd break her vow with the necromancer and follow me instead.'

'What's the catch?' she asked.

'I have to offer her something more appealing than Lemien,' I said. 'She's an omen of death. Lemien must be sacrificing bodies for her. Be it animals or humans. He might have been behind the death of the two we met earlier. Remember the drug addict?'

'Lemien doesn't have anything to offer her now,' Eva said. 'Except…'

'You guessed it right,' I picked up where she left, 'except me. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d's preparing something. He's feeding me, asking me to bathe, and putting my mind at ease. He wants me to let my guard down so he'd send his fairy to haunt me, turn me into some kind crazy killer. That's delicious food for banshees.'

'I told you he's good,' Eva observed.

'Not good enough,' I retorted. 'I can't kill him yet. He's the key to leaving this place. Besides, Ofelia might take offense if I took out her only source of food. There's no telling how she'd react.

'I might be able to get rid of him, but I'll get lost in this maze and probably die of hunger or thirst, if Ofelia doesn't get to me first. I must get past that bra.s.s door. The people behind it won't open it unless I showed them I deserved to be admitted.'

'What will you do then?' she asked.

'We're going at it again tonight,' I said.

'What?' she asked. 'That's too soon. We must give our Essence time to get used to the synergy we've already established.'

'I can't beat the banshee with what little we've achieved Eva,' I said. 'She won't come tonight, I'm certain of it. Lemien's still preparing his big act. He will show me that my plan will work. He'll give me some advice on how to repel the banshee, but he'll omit the critical details.'

'Let me guess,' she said. 'You already know how to beat her.'

'I wish,' I said. 'I have nothing to offer her, nothing better than what Lemien's offering anyway. I can bring our fight to a stalemate at best.'

'Then what will you do?'

'Get stronger, pick things up from Lemien then hope for the best,' I said.

'That's your plan?' she asked, a bit revolted.

'Do you have any better ideas?' I asked. 'I'm all ears!'

She fell silent for a while then I caught a hint of a sigh.

'Wash yourself first,' she said. 'And make sure that linen is dry. You'll need it again tonight.'

'As your imperial highness wishes,' I said.