NOVEL NEXT Chapter 74: Liliana [3]
The silence that followed my question stretched between us like a drawn bowstring. Liliana's red eyes searched my face, looking for some hint of deception or hidden motive. I couldn't blame her for the wariness – after her experience with Count Xavier, trusting a masked stranger who had spirited her away to a private room was hardly the wisest course of action.
"A unicorn," she repeated slowly, as if testing the weight of the words on her tongue. "You're serious about this."
Not at all.
"Completely." I moved away from the window, settling back into the chair with deliberate casualness. "Though I should clarify – the creature I'm seeking may not be exactly what the old legends describe. The stories have a way of... embellishing certain details over the centuries."
Her cat ears twitched with curiosity, a gesture that was both endearing and distinctly non-human. "What kind of details?"
"For instance, the requirement that only pure-hearted maidens can approach them," I said with a slight smile. "A rather limiting condition, don't you think? It would make the creatures practically extinct by now, given how rare such individuals are in our modern world."
A faint blush colored her cheeks, though whether from embarrassment or indignation was difficult to determine. "And you think I might be able to approach one regardless?"
"I think your abilities with rare creatures extend beyond simple tracking," I said, leaning forward slightly. "Last night, you mentioned that animals don't see you as a threat. That suggests something far more valuable than the legends' arbitrary moral requirements."
She was quiet for a long moment, her fingers absently stroking one of her ears as she considered my words. It was a nervous habit, I realized – one that probably served her well when she was trying to pass as human, since it would help keep her ears properly positioned under her hair.
"Where exactly did you hear about this sighting?" she asked finally.
"The academy's library contains more than just textbooks," I lied so she could believe me. "There are private collections donated by wealthy families, including journals and expedition records that date back centuries. Most students ignore them in favor of more practical studies, but I've always found historical accounts"
"The most recent account was from a merchant's caravan that passed through the Silverwood Forest three months ago," I continued. This information I had just gathered yesterday right after leaving Liliana in the inn
I was already preparing for the next day to see her and test her actually. She could be extremely useful to me.
"They reported seeing a white creature with a spiral horn drinking from a moonlit stream. The merchant's daughter managed to sketch what she saw before it disappeared."
Once again I wasn't sure if I should believe it but I wanted to check on it because if its as true…my problem of money will be quickly solved.
"And you believe this sketch is accurate?"
I reached into my vest pocket and withdrew a folded piece of parchment. The drawing was crude but detailed enough to be useful – the work of someone who had tried very hard to capture exactly what she'd witnessed. The creature depicted was indeed white, with a slender build and the characteristic spiraled horn, but there were subtle differences from the classical unicorn imagery found in most texts.
Liliana studied the sketch with professional interest, her red eyes moving over every line and detail. "The proportions are wrong for a horse," she murmured. "The legs are too long, the neck too graceful. And look at the hooves – they're cloven, like a goat or deer."
"Precisely what I noticed," I said not telling that it was actually my drawing. "Which suggests that either this creature is something else entirely, or the classical depictions of unicorns have been inaccurate all along."
"Or both," she added, handing the sketch back to me. "Legends have a way of blending multiple creatures together over time. What one generation calls a unicorn, another might have known by a completely different name."
I folded the parchment carefully and returned it to my pocket. "Are you beginning to see why I need someone with your particular talents?"
"I'm beginning to see why you think this might be worth pursuing," she corrected. "But I still don't understand what you hope to accomplish by finding it. If the legends about wish-granting are false..."
"Who said anything about wishes?" I rose from the chair and moved to the room's small washbasin, splashing cool water on my face. The morning was growing warmer, and the close confines of the inn room were becoming stifling. "There are other reasons why such a creature might be valuable."
"Such as?"
I turned to face her, droplets of water still clinging to my skin. "Have you ever wondered why unicorn horns appear in so many alchemical recipes? Why they're supposedly able to detect poison, cure diseases, and purify corrupted magic?"
Her eyes widened slightly as understanding dawned. "You think the horn itself has magical properties."
"I think a living unicorn – or whatever this creature actually is – might be the key to understanding certain magical phenomena that have puzzled scholars for generations." I picked up a small towel and dried my face, using the mundane action to give her time to process this information. "And understanding, as any scholar will tell you, is the first step toward practical application."
"You want to study it."
I want money and influence.
"I want to learn from it. There's a difference." I set the towel aside and fixed her with a direct stare. "The question is whether you're interested in being part of that learning process, or if you'd prefer to spend the rest of your life running from Count Xavier's men while your family's debt continues to grow."
The mention of her family's situation had the desired effect. Her expression hardened with resolve, and I could see the exact moment when she made her decision.
"What exactly are you offering?" she asked.
"Partnership, as I said. Your tracking and animal communication abilities in exchange for protection and compensation." I moved to the room's small table and began sketching out the basic terms with my finger on its dusty surface. "I pay off your family's debt immediately – consider it an advance against future earnings. In return, you work exclusively for me for the next two years, helping to locate and study rare magical creatures."
"Two years is a long time."
"Not when you consider the alternative." I gestured toward the window, beyond which lay the city where Xavier's men were undoubtedly still searching for her. "Besides, the work itself should be fascinating for someone with your interests. How many people get the opportunity to study creatures that most scholars believe are purely mythical?"
She was silent for several minutes, her internal struggle playing out across her features. I could almost see her weighing the risks against the potential rewards, considering the implications of binding herself to someone she barely knew.
"What guarantees do I have that you'll keep your word?" she asked finally.
"The same guarantees you offered me when you asked for my help last night," I replied. "None whatsoever, except our mutual self-interest in making this arrangement work."
"That's not very reassuring."
"It's honest," I countered. "Which is more than you'll get from most people in your situation. Besides, if I intended to betray you, why would I have returned this morning? I could have simply left you here to fend for yourself."
She conceded the point with a reluctant nod. "And if we don't find this creature? If the sighting was a mistake or the trail has gone cold?"
"Then we look for other creatures. The forest around the academy is home to more than just potential unicorns. There are rumors of great birds nests in the high peaks, reports of wyverns sightings in the deep caverns, and at least three documented cases of talking wolves in the past decade." I began pacing the small room, my excitement growing as I outlined the possibilities. "Any one of those would be worth a fortune to the right collector, not to mention the scientific value of studying them in their natural habitat."
"You really believe we can find all of these creatures?"
"I believe that with your abilities and my resources, we have a better chance than anyone else currently operating in this region." I stopped pacing and faced her directly. "The question is whether you're brave enough to find out if I'm right."
The challenge in my words was deliberate. Everything I'd observed about Liliana suggested that she responded well to direct confrontation rather than subtle manipulation. She had, after all, been willing to fight three armed knights rather than submit quietly to Xavier's demands.
"When would we leave?" she asked, and I knew I had won.
"This afternoon, if you're ready. The academy term begins tomorrow, which means I need to be back in the city by evening to maintain my cover as a student." I moved to the window and gazed out at the bustling street below. "But we should have enough time to reach the forest and begin our initial survey."
"Cover?" She picked up on the word immediately, her tone sharpening with suspicion. "You're not really a student?"
I turned back to her with a smile that I knew didn't reach my eyes. "I'm many things, Liliana. A student is simply one of them." Moving away from the window, I retrieved my cloak from where I'd draped it over the chair. "Some questions are better left unasked, at least for now. What matters is that I have the knowledge and resources necessary to make this venture successful."
"And if I disagree with that assessment?"
"Then you're free to walk away at any time," I said, fastening the cloak around my shoulders. "Though I would suggest doing so quickly, before Xavier's men expand their search to include establishments like this one."
The implied threat wasn't entirely fabricated. The Count's resources were substantial, and it was only a matter of time before his investigators began checking every inn and boarding house in the city. Liliana's unusual appearance would make her memorable to any innkeeper questioned about recent guests.
"You don't fight fair," she accused, though there was grudging admiration in her voice.
"I fight to win," I corrected. "There's a difference." I moved toward the door, then paused with my hand on the handle. "I'll return in two hours with supplies and transportation. Be ready to leave immediately – we won't have time for second thoughts or lengthy preparations."
"Wait," she called as I began to open the door. "What should I call you? I can't keep thinking of you as 'the masked man' if we're going to be working together."
I considered the question for a moment. My real name was far too recognizable in certain circles, and I had no intention of compromising my carefully constructed identity as a mere academy student. But she would need something to call me, especially if we were going to be spending extended time together in the forest.
"Call me James," I said finally. "It's close enough to the truth for our purposes."
"James." She tested the name, rolling it around on her tongue as if gauging its authenticity. "And what should I call this partnership of ours?"
"Profitable, if everything goes according to plan." I opened the door and stepped into the hallway, then looked back over my shoulder. "And dangerous if it doesn't. I hope you're prepared for both possibilities."
I left her with that thought, closing the door quietly behind me. The hallway was still empty, the inn's other guests apparently content to sleep away the morning hours. I made my way downstairs with careful steps, my mind already turning to the preparations that would be necessary for our expedition.
Two hours would be enough time to gather the basic supplies we'd need – food, camping equipment, weapons, and the specialized tools that might prove useful when tracking magical creatures. I would also need to send word to Viscount Lindow in case I came back late today. I didn't want to linger more anyway since there was no way I would miss the second day of Erestia Academy tomorrow.
As I stepped back out into the morning sunlight, I found myself smiling with genuine anticipation. It had been too long since I'd had a real challenge, something that would test both my skills and my knowledge. The prospect of encountering a creature that might be the source of centuries-old legends was intoxicating in ways that ordinary academic pursuits could never match.
But more than that, I was curious to see how Liliana would handle the realities of our partnership. She had agreed to work with me out of desperation and necessity, but desperation had a way of fading when immediate danger passed. Whether she would prove to be a reliable ally or simply another complication remained to be seen.
The streets of the capital of Erestia buzzed with the usual morning activity as I made my way toward the merchant quarter where I could obtain the supplies we would need.