It didn’t take long for Lewis to describe the flowers when he was asked, and as he finished his statement, he immediately noticed a change in Simone. Based on her words on what the flowers meant, he concluded that the man was very likely the stalker in spite of his earlier actions. It was strange, but perhaps he didn’t want to cause another public scene, opting for a warning instead. Regardless, he wouldn’t get close enough to even see Simone, let alone capture her.

They arrived at the mansion late into the night, but Simone was far too panicked to sleep, opting to rile herself up as Lewis sat by her side calmly. When it dawned on her that he wasn’t worried, her panic subsided slightly as she slowly worked her way through the logic of the situation.

“I will set traps tonight,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Very powerful traps. I would highly recommend that your staff not leave the mansion tonight, lest they lose a leg in the process.” He gave her a stern look. “Does that man know which room is yours?”

Simone thought about it, “He shouldn’t… but if he’s been watching me he would I guess. I always open my window in the morning to let the fresh air in.” She admitted it easily enough.

Martha opened the door and brought in some chamomile tea for Simone. “I’ve informed the staff to stay clear of the entrances. I’ve done the liberty of drawing Mr. Terrowin a bath before the night really settles in.”

Simone delicately played with her teacup with anxiety. “I should be alright while you are away. The tea is very calming…” She took a big breath. “It’s only a short time right?”

It was calm for nearly fifteen minutes while Lewis was in the bath. That was when all hell broke loose downstairs. It started with loud crashes and wild noises. The frantic running upstairs and down the halls. It was going straight to Simone’s room.

There was a loud crash from inside Simone’s room as someone began to bash her door in. It seemed to be a failing attempt. “LEWIS!” Simone yelled from behind her door.

Lewis hadn’t taken a proper bath in ages, and felt he could at the very least take a moment to remedy that. He left his mercenary belt on the door just in case, and took his time sinking into the hot water. There must have been an herbal soak of some kind based on the scent, and the water was doing wonders for his muscles. It was just as he started to relax when all hell broke loose.

He heard the scrambling, and immediately perked up before the sounds of something started to slam into Simone’s door. He was up in a flash, crashing through the door with the belt haphazardly thrown over he shoulder, but enough that he had access to his myriad of tools and small weapons. It was more than enough as he rolled into the hall. With the shadowy target identified, he threw multiple throwing knives at the beast, each with perfect accuracy.

The moment the daggers hit the intruder was the moment it ran for the window and jumped out. Blood was all over the estate from the traps Lewis had set. Once all the noise had died down there was a dragging noise from Simone’s room.

“Lewis?” Once she knew that Lewis was there Simone opened the door. She was horrified at all the blood and the broken glass. “What was that?” There was something inhuman about everything that had just happened.

Once she had a moment to calm down she blushed and looked away from Lewis. “For your intimate parts Mr. Terrowin,” Martha had delicately stepped over the glass and held out a towel for him. “The downstairs is completely destroyed and bloody. I don’t know how he made it all the way up here to torment her.”

Simone finally looked over at Lewis once he was covered. “We should go to a hotel for the night…”

Lewis quickly too the towel and tied it around his waist. The fact that the beast, or whatever it was, merely brushed off his traps meant it was something powerful. “Likely magical in nature,” he said aloud to himself as he walked over to investigate the blood. He took out a small vial from his belt, along with some cotton. As he collected a blood sample, he seemed to almost forget his current state, and stood up a little too quickly.

“It might be for the best. Pack an overnight bag, and give me a chance to disarm what traps remain. I recommend sending your staff away as well. While it’s unlikely your ‘biggest fan’ will come here, it will be better to err on the side of caution.” He looked at Simone with a deadly serious gaze. “Whatever that beast was, it was magical in nature. I’m not well attuned to mana, so I can’t say for sure, but based on what it has done, I can only assume it was a higher tier summoned beast or familiar.” He walked to his door, finally realizing he would need actual clothes.

“I might know someone who can help, but I can’t make any promises. He’s been a little too preoccupied lately with work.”

Simone nodded and was flustered again at the state of Lewis. She coughed and quickly moved to pack an overnight bag with Martha. Once they were ready they set out from the house. Simone was tired and she slouched over in the carriage to sleep some more now that the adrenaline was wearing off.

Once they were at the upscale hotel Simone was woken up by Martha. “Thanks…” It took no time at all to get two rooms. Martha would be staying in one and Lewis and Simone in the other. Simone figured Lewis wouldn’t be away from her anymore after this.

Falling onto the bed she stretched and let out a yawn. “This friend of yours… Have you known him long?” She was asking questions as she got ready for bed once more. “I take it you aren’t going to sleep tonight?”

“He’s an old friend. We grew up together, though we had different ideas on where we wanted to go in life,” Lewis said as he checked the windows. Deciding they were okay, he sat down at the table and opened his notebook. “Believe it or not, we grew up on the streets. We started as thieves. I know it’s not a great look, but we stole from the wrong person and ended up in a lot of trouble. Long story short, we both ended up being sold off as labor, though…” He sighed. “This isn’t the time for this.” He looked up. “Get some rest. I don’t plan on sleeping, so you can be at ease. I will wake you if anything happens.”

There was a twinkle in Simone’s eyes as she listened to Lewis’s riveting tale. It was the perfect ammunition for her story. She looked bummed as he told her to get some sleep. “Fine… Fine… but tell me the rest tomorrow.” She got comfortable in bed and fell asleep fast. She could only sleep thanks to Lewis being there. His presence was comforting to her.

In the morning, Martha came to get her up. Simone looked rough as she stood behind the changing screen getting dressed. “Come now Miss don’t look like that,” Martha was chuckling.

“It’s too early,” Simone whined softly.

“You always say it is too early,” Martha brought her back out and plopped her in front of a vanity. “I brought a coffee for Mr. Terrowin.” She was taking a brush to Simone’s hair and putting it in its usual style. Simone’s makeup was light since she wouldn’t stop fidgeting. “Honestly Miss…”

“What?”

“You fidget entirely too much.” Martha sighed and waved her hand at Lewis. “She is yours now.”

“I’m not that bad…” Simone gave a smirk and pulled out a piece of paper as she started to write on the vanity. “Lewis… Tell me more about yourself. You started last night… After you contact your friend of course.” Hopefully, his friend would be of help to them. Her situation really was as bad as she sold it to Lewis.

“I sent a letter last night,” Lewis said. “I wonder if he’ll even read it…” It wasn’t that the mercenary thought that his friend would blow him off..more that the man was such a nerd, that he might be too wrapped up in research to even notice the letter in the first place. At least Lewis had a secret weapon, in that case.

“Is my life story really that relevant to your safety?” Lewis asked with a slightly annoyed tone, nursing his coffee. It was obvious he was tired, but he did seem used to it. “Assuming he did read it, we’ll receive a reply soon.” He rolled his eyes at the look that she was giving him, and he sighed. “Fine. We were sold to a research fanatic who, in her words, called us ‘the perfect experiment.’ Something about nature against nurture. She’s a wackjob, but…she’s also kind. Xeik stayed with her, and I went my own way after meeting a man who taught me everything I know…”