The Phoenix: The Slasher of the Ruasar House Part 3

Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—

“Anything?” Zisbuz asked Nesma sitting at the table in the back of a tiny café near the estate. She had her boots up on a chair, pouring over the words of the book Duke Ruasar had given her. She read with lightening sleep trying to find the answer they need to finish the job. The massive lion man crossed his arms, staring down at his captain and, most of all, his best friend waiting for her to utter a single word, but Nesma once again was lost in the pages. He had found her in this state a few times back on the Phoenix in the kitchen or the cockpit. She was reading as if nothing else in the stars mattered.

                He grunted, but Nesma didn’t hear him. Zisbuz sighed heavily, tapping her boot with his hand. Nesma start daggers at him for touching even the smallest part of her. Her hand fell to the hilt of her gun as she pulled back the snarl.

                “Sorry,” Zisbuz said, taking a step back.

                “It’s all right,” Nesma said, removing her boots and letting go of her gun. Zisbuz pulled the chair away, placed it against the wall of the café, and sat down. The rain was still falling outside the windows casting the gloomy station air, not unlike the estate itself. He had overheard a few of the people mumble about the rain not stopping for days.

                He pulled his eyes back, seeing Kou sitting on the floor playing with some kittens. She sat there not caring about their mission, not caring about the paths of their life. He had often forgotten she was still a child. A child with enhanced powers due to her father, but a child, nevertheless.

                “You’ve taken a liking to her,” Nesma said.

                Zisbuz shrugged a little,” Children seem to be out the best in people.” He smirked a little. “I guess Kou is doing the same to me.”

                Nesma sat back in the chair, sighing. “She is a child for sure.”

                “It is good to have her on the ship,” Zisbuz remarked.

                “Is it?” Nesma asked, pulling Zisbuz to look at her.

                “What do you mean?”

                “She a kid, Z,” she said, “shouldn’t she be doing kid things and not in a rainy space station hunting a killer.”

                “She can handle herself, Nesma,” Zisbuz pointed out. “We both have seen it.”

                “I know,” She said, nodding, “but I’m thinking it is wrong to have her in this life.”

                Zisbuz huffed a bit and shook his head. “She is in it the moment we saved her back on Exodus.”

                “I should’ve let her die?”

                “No, all I’m saying,” Zisbuz said, turning to look back at Kou, “just like us, this life chose her, not the other way around.”

                “But I am allowing her to stay in it,” Nesma said, frowning and following his eyes.

                He raised an eyebrow,” You have given anyone on the ship the choice to say or leave at any time.”

                “I know,” she said. “I’m just no longer sure it is the right thing to give her such a choice.”

                “Lett got in your head again,” Zisbuz said.

                “No, this has nothing to do with him,” Nesma said.

                “Yeah?” he spun in the chair to look at her face to face. “You let him walk off that warship.”         

                “That was the right thing to do,” she hissed, narrowing her eyes at him.

                “I agree, but you still love him.”

                “No, I did love him, not anymore.”

                “Then where is this coming from with Kou?”

                She tapped the book. “The Duke’s people made a choice which caused all of this.”

                “What was the choice?” Zisbuz asked.

                Nesma shrugged and said, “I don’t know yet. No one has said anything about it yet. They’re talking about it in hush terms, but no one has named it.”

                Zisbuz stared at the book for a second and then moved up to her eyes. “So, this is going to take a while, huh?”

                “Yeah,” she said, “sadly.”

                “All right,” Zisbuz said, standing up. “I’m going to hit the streets and ask around.” He nodded at Kou giggling with the kitten. “And I’m taking her as well.”

                “Sounds like a good plan,” Nesma said, sitting back, putting her boots up, and picking up the book. “I’ll call when I’m done.”             

                “And I’ll call when I find something,” Zisbuz said. He started to stroll over to Kou, nodding at the young women behind the counter. She still seems a bit shocked at Zisbuz in her café. She wasn’t sure of Nesma at first until she saw Zisbuz. The lion's head tossed her back a bit, but it did most people. They had heard of Lyrian, but few people have ever seen a Lyrian in real life.

                 He stopped in front of Kou and glanced back at Nesma for a second. She looked peaceful for a moment sitting there reading the book, and it was a peace Zisbuz hadn’t seen in a long time in her, but that was their life. He glanced down at Kou, knowing she was now in this life as well, but somewhere in the depth of his hardened soul, he hoped she got out before the scars got too deep. Then he hoped Nesma got out of this life as well. He never asked her what the end goal of this run was because they didn’t ask such questions to each other.

                For himself, he knew what the end goal was the grave. This life was going to kill, and somehow, he didn’t mind somewhere in him.

                “Come on, little one,” Zisbuz said.

                “What are we doing?” Kou asked, petting a sleeping kitten in her arms.

                “Hunting, what else,” he said smiling.

                “Oh, fun,” Kou said, putting the cat aside and jumping to her feet. “What about Nesma?”

                “She’s reading,” Zisbuz said. “She’ll meet up with us later. Now, let’s get going; we have to find out what we can about this monster.”