Chương 51: Manipulation

"What do you need?" Lio asked. Job was silent, leaning back and staring at the false sky, deep in thought.

"The Lamb has gone fully dark," he said finally.

"Which means he's stopped responding to our usual channels. So I can't redirect him through conventional methods."

"So you just need to draw him out," Lio said. Job shook his head.

"Easier said than done."

"Why?"

"I need to draw him to a specific place at a specific time," Job explained.

"Which requires some sort of bait." He nodded.

"And the only bait that will reliably move him right now is someone he's already fixated on." Lio could see where this was going before Job even finished the sentence. Ophila as bait. Sure, that was probably the best bet. However…

"No," Lio said. Job looked at him.

"Not her," Lio said, his voice carrying a tone of finality. Job studied him.

"She's the obvious choice," he said, frowning.

"Since Lamb is already watching her, he'd move for her immediately, no additional—""No," Lio said again. Job leaned back slightly, groaning in frustration.

"Then who," he asked, "would you suggest?" Lio looked at him steadily.

"Me," he said. Job raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

"You?" he said.

"Yes."

"You would willingly be the bait for a serial killer?" Job asked drily.

"Yes," Lio said. Job sighed.

"You're either extremely capable or extremely stupid," he said.

"One of those," Lio agreed. A short silence followed, then Job stood up, brushed off the dirt from his cloak, and began pacing while stroking his chin.

"The problem is that Lamb won't move for you specifically. You're not the one he's fixated on." He stopped, pointing at Lio.

"He'd need a reason to consider you the priority target."

"Then give him one," Lio said. Job frowned.

"You're his Handler," Lio explained.

"He's gone dark but he'll still listen for anything that might be useful to him." He grinned conspiratorially.

"So give him something worth responding to." Job snapped his fingers, his eyes lighting up from behind his mask.

"I'll tell him I've been tracking your group, too. I'll say that despite my anger, I'm willing to help him, because the quicker he finishes his business, the sooner I can get out of Trestfall." Lio nodded.

"Adn then tell him that if he wants her, he needs me, because she cares about me. Tell him kidnapping me is the most efficient way to make that happen." Job laughed giddily like a child, clapping his hands.

"That's brilliant! He'll love that. Lamb always did prefer to choose the most emotionally devastating option for his victims." He shook his head fondly.

"The boy was quite messed up." He stopped clapping, sitting back next to Lio.

"Right," he said, his voice turning back to its regular dry professionalism.

"So where do you want him to find you?"

"Right here," Lio said.

"Tomorrow night. Tell him something like, I don't know, that I have a tendency to walk around at night." Job nodded approvingly.

"Open ground."

"Without any people," Lio added.

"Quite sensible." Job praised. Then he cocked his masked face slightly.

"One more thing." Lio waited.

"Whatever Lamb wants with the girl, it matters enormously to him," Job said in a serious tone, his pale grey eyes holding Lio's through the mask.

"I've handled him for years and I've never seen him do something like this. So whatever you're planning for tomorrow night, make sure it works."

"It will," Lio said confidently. Job chuckled softly, shaking his head, and stood up. Without another word, he turned and slipped back into the wall of vine, disappearing from view—like he'd never been there to start with. Lio watched the spot where he vanished. Then he brushed off his coat, picked up the soup—which had gone slightly lukewarm, and turned back toward the settlement. The walk back was quiet, the cool fog wrapping around his legs as he strode forward.

When Lio got back, pushed through the front door, he found that the lobby was much darker than before, the main lamp having gone low in his absence. The elderly man behind the front desk was still absent. Turning around, he found Ophila was still in the chair. She had fallen asleep, her head resting against the chair's high back, a couple of strands of her strawberry blonde hair draping loose across one cheek. Lio stood in the doorway for a moment, looking at her. Love this novel?

Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. She looked rather peaceful. He crossed the lobby quietly, so as to not wake her up, and picked up her cup of tea—which had been placed precariously on the edge of her knee, setting it on the small table beside her. He then placed the clay pot of soup next to it. For the finishing touch, he shrugged off his coat, and draped it over as a blanket.

She stirred slightly, but didn't wake up, her fingers instead finding the lapel of the coat and wrapping it closer around herself. Lio smirked slightly in amusement. Then he turned, stepping back out into the streets, his expression turning cold. He had things to do. Namely, he had been neglecting Senna too much. ◈◈◈◈ Senna's house was dark when he arrived, though she was clearly still awake, noted by the thin line of light peeking from beneath the front door.

Lio knew her habits well; Senna never liked to keep any lights on when she slept. Stepping onto the porch, he gave two rhythmic knocks, leaning close to the door and calling out quietly.

"It's me." There was a pause of silence, then the sound of feet skipping down the stairs along with the hurried unlatching of locks, and the door opened. Senna peered out, her hair slightly damp and smelling of rosemary, and wearing a long white nightgown. When she saw him, a huge look of relief crossed her face, and the tension in her shoulders visibly lessened.

"You're alright," she breathed in an alleviated tone.

"I'm alright," Lio grinned. She stepped back to let him in, pulling the door shut behind him and carefully locking it again. Inside, the house was small and sparse, warmed by a single lamp that lit a low table and a narrow bookshelf. Aside from a stuffed cot tucked against the far wall, the only decoration was a collection of flowers pressed against the wood.

"I heard you'd been taken to the medical post," she said, her lips trembling.

"I tried to visit, but they wouldn't let me inside." Lio winced.

"I'm sorry." She looked at him.

"Are you actually hurt?"

"No," he said.

"Well, not seriously." Senna studied his face. Then letting out a sigh, she gingerly sat down on the edge of the cot.

"I was so worried," she said quietly, wringing her hands. Lio pulled out the chair at the low table and set it down across from her, sitting on it.

"That's partly why I came," he said, giving a soft smile.

"I didn't want you to worry or anything. I also was worried about how you were doing." Senna looked up at that.

"You came because of me?" she asked, another worried look flashing across her features.

"Senna," Lio said gently.

"Of course I came because of you. There's a killer in Trestfall. I couldn't sleep with the thought of you alone right now." Her cheeks flushed, and she hurriedly looked down at her hands.

"I'm fine," she said.

"I locked my door and everything." Lio chuckled.

"I know. You're sensible like that." Senna let out a nervous laugh as well.

"But I was pretty scared," she admitted.

"I heard about the flowers and everything. And I just…" She shook her head.

"You don't have to think about it," Lio said, reaching out and grabbing one of her hands. They were clammy and cold. Her cheeks blazed even more, and she let out a small, involuntary noise of protest, trying to pull her hand back. But Lio continued holding it, gently but firmly, slowly running his thumb across her knuckles.

"You don't have to pretend you weren't scared," he said.

"I really was worried about you."

"You were dealing with your own problems," Senna mumbled, still looking down at their conjoined hands rather than at him.

"You shouldn't have—I mean, you should resting right now—" Lio frowned.

"Senna," he said, his voice rising just enough to snap her out of her rant. He waited for her to fall into silence before he continued.

"What happened to me doesn't matter," he said.

"I'm sitting here. I'm perfectly fine." He waited until she finally looked up at him.

"Your safety matters more to me." Senna just stared at him with her lips slightly parted, stunned into silence by the conviction in his voice. She looked like she might say something. But instead, without another word, she reached sideways and grabbed the pillow from her cot. She buried it firmly over her face. Lio looked at the pillow for a moment.

"Are you alright?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. A muffled sound came back.

"Senna?"

"I-I'm fine," came the pillow-dampened reply.

"Just give me a moment." Lio waited for a few more seconds, but the pillow didn't move.

"You should put that down," he said.

"I will," she said.

"In just a second." Another moment silence passed, yet the pillow remained unmoving.

"Senna," Lio said again, a tone of amusement tainting his voice.

"I said a moment," she replied, her voice coming out slightly strangled.

"Please." Lio chuckled. Then he reached over and gently pulled the pillow away from her face. Senna immediately covered her face with both hands instead, though that just made her completely red ears more noticeable.

"That was unfair," she mumbled through her fingers.

"Well, you were going to suffocate," Lio said. Senna shook her head fervently.

"Y-you can't just say things like that," she protested meekly.

"Why not?" Lio asked.

"Because it's unfair." Lio smiled warmly, saying nothing, and simply kept hold of her hand. Then after a moment, Senna's fingers curled around his tentatively. Lio let her, his expression remaining gentle.

"A-about that night when you walked me home," she blurted out. Lio raised a mental eyebrow. Oh? He hadn't been expecting her to be the one to mention it. Lio smiled gently.

"Yeah?"

"The kiss," she whispered faintly. Lio waited. Almost. Senna's fingers tightened around his. She still wasn't looking at him, her eyes fixated on their joined hands, her cheeks burning.

"I've been thinking about it a lot," she admitted.

"I know it was just a moment, and I know you probably didn't think much of it, but—""Senna," Lio said softly. She looked up, and Lio gave a small smile, squeezing her hands encouragingly. Her eyes widened, her breath catching. Almost, Lio thought again. Then Senna looked away, pursing her lips. She let out a small, wobbly laugh, shaking her head.

"Never mind," she said quietly.

"Forget I said anything." She looked back down at their hands, her fingers loosening slightly around his. Lio felt a tinge of disappointment. But it was alright. He had made significant progress today. More than enough, in fact.

"Actually," Senna said after a moment of silence, her voice brightening up as she redirected the conversation elsewhere.

"Ophila was telling me about Millhaven earlier, when she came to visit me." Lio looked at her.

"Oh?"

"Mhm." Senna smiled, leaning against the wall.

"Did you know that in Millhaven, the winters get so cold that the river freezes completely solid? She said the children use it as a road."

"That sounds dangerous," Lio said, grinning.

"That's what I said," Senna agreed.

"But apparently everyone just does it. Even the adults." She shook her head fondly.

"She also told me that every household in Millhaven keeps at least one cat, because some of the field mice will just walk right into your kitchen in broad daylight and help themselves." Lio raised an eyebrow.

"Those are some bold mice."

"And she told me about their mill," Senna continued.

"Apparantly, it's been broken for so long that…" Lio listened carefully, asking small questions, watching from the corner of his eye as the lamp burned lower and lower, the room slowly darkening. And they talked, quietly and without any sort of hurry, long into the night.