Chapter 169 - One Hundred And Sixty-Nine: Next Steps

I desperately tried to grab my trousers as quickly as possible and clumsily tried to put my feet inside while I tried to dress in my panic. Being caught with Celine was one thing but being seen like this was something else. I had just about got my legs in when I heard the key in the door turn with a clink. By the time Enna had opened it I had them halfway up, fortunately for me my excitement had died down somewhat already.

She looked at me a little quizzically. "You're still changing?"

I quickly finished pulling up my trousers. "I am… I wasn't rushing or anything. Are we in a hurry?"

She grinned. "You seemed to be."

I could feel my face heating up. "Oh right, well I heard someone coming so…"

"I see. Um, I've made most of the preparations. We should be able to leave later. We just need to wait until most of the guards are preoccupied. When they switch shifts is probably our best bet."

"When's that?"

"In just over an hour."

That was soon. It was a relief.

"Okay. There's something else, one of your soldiers, they've started to suspect something is up. I think her name is Ceraphine."

Enna looked back to the door, double checking we were alone. "Ceraphine, so that's why she was asking me all those questions. How did you find that out?"

"She came to speak to me. She said as much herself. She said she was watching me."

"That could be a problem. In that case I'll have to make sure she isn't around when I plan to leave."

"What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry, I'll just make sure she's sent out on errand. That way she won't be here to observe us."

"Good plan."

"I know just the thing too." She said with a smile.

"Sounds unpleasant."

"That's what she gets for trying to interfere."

"Right… There's something else I need to do before we leave. I need to contact my friends. If we're getting out of here, I need to make sure we can arrange somewhere to meet."

"I'm afraid I can't arrange that. Even if I had some excuse to send messengers to them, they would likely attack them as they approached."

"I know, luckily I have a way to get the word to them."

"What? How?"

"Celine, can you come out now?"

"Really master?" Celine asked without reappearing.

"Yes… She's going to have to meet you eventually. Might as try and build up some trust now."

Celine materialised in the room with us. "Okay… So, you're really going through with it?"

Enna looked surprised, but she had barely reacted. She was still stood on the spot, seemingly trying to decide what her next move was.

I knew I had to break the awkward silence. "Enna, this is Celine. She's going to contact the rest of my group for us."

Enna's gaze darted between me and Celine. "She's a succubus?"

"Yes…"

Her eyes narrowed as her glance settled on me. "She calls you master?"

"Yeah, she does."

"But why?"

I scratched my head, thinking of the best way to put it. "It's a bit of a long story, probably better if we save it for another time."

"But you're at war with the demon kind."

"The alliance is, but Celine and I are allies, friends even."

"So, it isn't just me?"

"No."

"He has a vampire too!" Celine added.

Enna gasped. "You have a vampire?"

Celine gave the answer before I could speak. "She's a noble too…"

"Her name is Aetherin, and she is a new ally, much like yourself. I don't have anyone, not like that. Celine calls me master, but I don't possess her."

"I do belong to you though master." Celine helpfully added.

"Have you been going around collecting women?"

I had to clear up this misunderstanding. "It isn't like that."

Celine seemed to have other ideas. "He has several humans and beastkin too."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"It's a bit of a shock, but after earlier I suppose that I shouldn't be surprising."

I tried to explain the situation once again. "Really, it isn't like that…"

"It's okay, I'm still going to help you. I want to come with you."

I sighed, but it was easy to understand how she had that misunderstanding. That was exactly what it looked like, even if it wasn't what I had set out to do. "Thanks…"

Enna waved her hand at Celine. "This one will need to stay out of sight until we're ready to leave though. If one of my subordinates spot her, we'll have a tough time of getting out of here."

"I understand. I was hoping she would be able to contact the others for me now. Have you recovered enough for that Celine?"

Celine turned to me and nodded. "I have, but I'd rather stay here with you master."

"I know that. I need you to do this for me. You can come back after you've passed on the message. Can you do that for me, please?"

She smiled. "I'll go, but only because it's what you want me to do."

"Thank you."

"What am I telling them anyway?"

"Let them know not to come here. We'll meet in the forest as far from here as possible. Perhaps the far edge in the direction of the shrine?"

"I'll let them know."

"We'll be leaving here in about an hour." I turned to Enna. "That's right, isn't it Enna?"

"As long as everything goes to plan."

Celine seemed to understand the situation now. "I'll let them know… Will you be able to navigate your way to the forests edge? Do you even know which direction the shrine is master?"

"I don't, but I'll have Enna with me and you're coming back, aren't you?"

"Of course, I'm coming back master! I just won't have enough energy for another trip after that, not without a feed first."

"That's okay. It should be enough. Just make sure to look at Liz's map before you come back."

"I will."

"You should probably go back to them now. We want them to avoid this place. Will you be able to find me if we've left here before you return?"

"I'll be able to find you."

"That's a relief… I don't want to rush you, but I think you should get going."

Enna kept on glancing back to the door as we spoke. "He's right, before someone see's you."

"I'm going, I'm going." Celine said turning to Enna. "Make sure you protect master! I won't forgive you if anything happens to him and neither will the others."

Enna held her hand to her chest in some kind of gesture. "I will."

"Good then I'm off." Celine said with a smile.

She disappeared into thin air once again.

Enna looked me in the eyes. "You really trust her?"

"She's never let me down yet. Saved my life more than once… It might seem strange to you, but I do, yes."

"It does a little, but then I want you to trust me too."

"Give me a reason to and I will."

Celine had left us at the right time, because as we spoke the door at the far end of the corridor opened. We both looked to the cell door as we heard the footsteps approach.

Enna turned to leave as they drew closer. "Looks like I should go. I'll make the last arrangements and come for you just before the changing of the guard."

"I'll just wait here then."

She laughed. "Well, you don't have a choice."

The footsteps stopped just outside the door. Before Enna could open it, a face appeared at the grill and called out. "Are you in there, Captain?"

"Ah Ceraphine, I was just about to come looking for you. You've saved me the trouble."

Enna looked back over her shoulder at me as she opened the door and winked. She then left the room without saying another word.

I could hear Ceraphine's voice from outside. "You were about to look for me?"

"Yes. I have the perfect job for you."

"A job for me, but why?"

"You seem to have plenty of spare time on your hands at the moment. Enough time to keep on checking up on our prisoner, even when it isn't your responsibility."

"I-I was just being cautious! You've been acting strange ever since you went in the cell with him and…"

"Hmm, have I?"

"Yes…"

"I suppose I should thank you for your concern, but it was misplaced. I still have that job for you. Well, we talk whilst we walk."

"Really?"

The pair's voices trailed off as they walked away up the corridor. I could just about make out what they were saying until the door closed behind them at the far end. After that it fell silent and I was alone, left to wait until Enna returned.

There was no doubt that Ceraphine was suspicious, I hoped that Enna really would be able to keep her out of the way. She was only likely to be more suspicious if she felt that she was being kept from watching me. There was little else I could do but sit here and worry about the situation.

I pulled myself up to the far end of the bed and propped myself up against the wall. The only items I had on me was my armour and my relic. The relic was safely hidden inside my gear, I hadn't been thoroughly searched when I arrived.

They did confiscate my sword and my potions pouch, but they didn't investigate me much further before I was thrown into the cell. I pulled out the small globe and watched the tiny specks of light move inside for a while.

I would have been much more concerned in this situation if that had been discovered. Realising this, I slipped it back inside my armour out of sight.. It would be better if even Enna didn't get a look at this, although I doubted that she would know what it was.