Chronicles of Darkness: Shadows and Dust (7 page)

         "Please,
forgive my openness, Madame. But, it isn't right for a lady, such as yourself,
to dine in the kitchen." Monique explained.

         Helena chuckled
and waved it off. "I don't have pride of place, and I don't want to be
treated like a highborn lady, because I'm not of nobility. Have you eaten
yet?"

         Monique shook
her head in confusion. "No, Madame. Usually, the servants eat later than
the Lordship or Ladyship."

         Helena
smiled. "Well, I guess we have to change that then. From now on, we're
going to have meals together. So, bring it on. I have to admit it smells
delicious. And sit down beside me. I'd like to have some company."

         The cook
blushed slightly. Never in her life had she been treated so nice, like an
equal. "Are you truly serious about this?"

         Helena
nodded.

         "It is
my greatest honor, Madame."

         "Oh, the
honor is all mine, Monique."

         The cook gave
her a beaming smile and sat down beside her at the big, wooden table.

"May I get Madame
a cup of milk? I need to brew new tea because I had a little mishap,
but..."

         Calming,
Helena put one of her hands on the cook's arm. "Please, don't go to any
trouble on my behalf. I would like to drink some milk."

         Monique
filled Helena's cup from a pitcher. "It's fresh, Madame."

         "Thank
you."

         Silence fell.
They were enjoying their breakfast, until Skylar and Kyrian stormed into the
kitchen.

         Smiling
happily, the girl ran to her mother and embraced her effusively. "Mama!
Can we go to the funfair?"

         Helena looked
at her daughter. "How about a little
good morning
first?"

         "Oh,
yes. Of course." Like a good girl, Skylar sat down beside her mother.
"Good morning, Mama."

         "The
same to you. And, to you, too, my son." Helena smiled fondly in her son's
direction.

         Kyrian hugged
her before taking a seat at the table. "I'm so very hungry!"

         "Oh,
that was your tummy that's been making the growling noises? I thought it was a
hungry bear chasing us," Skylar remarked with a broad grin.

         Monique got
up, went to the stove and filled two wooden bowls with porridge from the pot.
Beaming, she put it in front of the children.

         Kyrian took
his spoon, and started to eat enthusiastically.

         Dumbfounded,
Skylar gazed at the white, steaming mass in front of her. With innocent eyes,
she looked at the cook, asking, "Uh... What is that?"

         "It
doesn't matter," Kyrian threw in, his mouth still full. "The most
important thing is, it's delicious!"

         Monique
patted Skylar's head. "This is porridge, my little one. It's good for you,
so you will be big and strong one day."

         Kyrian
couldn't suppress his next comment. "Yes, that's just what the tiny dwarf
needs."

         "Ha, ha,
you braggart," the girl answered, sticking out her tongue.

         "Thanks,
but no thanks. You may keep your tongue, I got one of my own."

         Just before
Skylar could reply with something inappropriate, Helena interfered.
"Enough! Both of you! Stop fighting and start eating, before it gets cold.
We don't want for Monique to have cooked in vain, or do we?"

         Bravely,
Skylar dipped her spoon into the porridge. After the first bite, she was very
surprised to find that it didn't taste as bad as it looked.

         Monique
noticed that and leaned over to the girl to whisper into her ear, "When I
was your age, I didn't like this meal either. I mixed in some honey to sweeten
the taste."

         Skylar smiled
and whispered back, "Thank you. It is delicious."

         The cook
winked.

         Turning to
Helena, the girl asked, "Mama?"

         "Yes, my
dear? What's on your mind?"

         "Can we go
to the funfair?" Excited, Skylar rambled on, without letting her mother
answer. "Jean was telling us all about it! It is so great there! With
acrobats, and tightrope walkers, and musicians, and dancers, and..."

         "Oh yes,
Madame. You must not miss the big funfair of Paris," Monique threw in.
"It takes place every year, in front of
Notre-Dame
. There are lots
of amazing, odd and interesting things to see. Everyone will be there. It is a
very exciting event."

         Helena was
skeptical. "Well, actually, we are not here for amusement..."

         "Oh,
please, Mama," Skylar begged. "Please, please, pretty please?"

         "It
would be a great opportunity to get to know some people that could be of
value... for our investigations," Kyrian added.

         The huntress
raised one eyebrow and tapped one finger against her chin. "Hmm. You could
be right about that. Alright. Skylar, tell Jean to get the carriage ready. We
are going to town, to the funfair."

*****

         "Look
over there! And there! And there! Isn't that just amazing?" Skylar exclaimed,
pointing with her finger in every direction where she found something that she
considered interesting.

         The Leosol
family had arrived in front of Notre-Dame, where lots of civilians were already
gathered. The people crowded around the colorful wagons and tents of the
showmen and acrobats, tumblers and clowns, who showed off their talents.

         Skylar was
practically dancing with excitement. "There, Mama, look! Up there! A
tightrope walker!"

         Helena's gaze
followed the outstretched arm of her daughter, to where a giddy young man, in a
colorful checkered costume, was moving across a rope.

         "Well,
there are enough people to catch him, if he should fall," Kyrian remarked
dryly.

         Helena
laughed and pulled her children along. "Come on. Ahead there is even more
to see."

         Passing
fire-eaters, men who could swallow swords, and jugglers, they reached a little
stage, made of boards, which had been nailed together. "Come forward! Come
forward," shouted the little, stocky-built, bald man, who stood there.
"I proudly present, Ivan! The strongest man that ever walked the earth. He
has never been defeated!" He praised loudly, pointing to the tall,
imposing man, that stood beside him, scowling at the audience. "Who, from
all of you, has the courage to face
him
?"

          He swung a
little leather bag around, in which the sound of clicking coins was audible.
"This bag shall belong to the man, who is able to defeat Ivan! Is there
anybody
,
who will show his power and take on this challenge? Anybody, maybe one of the
men in front of me?"

         Meanwhile,
Ivan had removed his shirt, to better show off his taut muscles. He flexed them
and made them ripple from time to time.

         "What a
show-off," Kyrian said, turning up his nose scornfully.

         "You are
just envious, because next to him you look rather slight," his sister
snidely remarked.

         "Slight?
I do not look slight!" Kyrian protested. "I could beat this guy with
one hand tied to my back!"

         Skylar
chuckled. "This I have to see. You have to prove that, my dear
brother!"

         "Fine.
Watch carefully, so you won't miss anything, dear sister!" Kyrian forced
his way through the crowd to the stage.

         At first,
Helena wanted to hold him back, but then she decided against it. Maybe getting
defeated would get her son to forego his exaggerated opinion of himself.

         "Ah!
There comes a brave one," announced the little man on the stage.
"Tell me your name, my young friend."

         "Kyrian
Leosol!" he declared proudly.

         "Oh,
what a heroic name! Now, let me hear it for Kyrian, the Sunlion!"

         The audience
cheered.

         A bit frightened,
Skylar looked on, while her brother and the tall, muscled man, named Ivan, took
their combat positions. She grabbed her mother's hand.

         The giant
scrutinized his opponent up and down, and came to the conclusion that the fight
wouldn't last long. "Have you thought this through, you little
squirt?" he snarled. "I won't show any mercy. You're going
down!"

         "We will
see," Kyrian said and grinned boldly.

         Ivan scowled
at him, grumbling, "You're brave, lad. I've got to hand that to you."

         Skylar pulled
at her mother's sleeve. "Mama? Please, he has to come back! That man is
going to kill him!"

         "It is
too late now, sweetheart. Kyrian made a decision. Now, he has to see it
through." Deep down, Helena was praying for her son to come out of this
unharmed.

         "I don't
want to see him getting hurt!" Skylar's concerns became lost in the
crowd's cheers, as the fight started.

         With great
dexterity, Kyrian dodged the massive fist of his opponent and ducked,
skillfully. At the same time, he delivered a mighty punch to Ivan's solar
plexus. The giant bent over from the unexpected pain. Kyrian's other fist
followed quickly behind, crashing onto the tip of the man's chin. Ivan's eyes
rolled back, his knees buckled, and the whole stage shook, as six feet of
heavily muscled man dropped to the ground, unconscious. Ivan had been right;
the unequal fight had not taken long.

         Kyrian bowed
before the cheering audience. He collected his winnings and went back to his
family. "So? Did you see everything, my dear sister? I may look slight,
but you need more than muscles to defeat another man." He tapped a finger
on Skylar's forehead. "You also need to use your head, and you need to
know the weaknesses of the human body," he explained, and winked at his
mother, who smiled and nodded approvingly.

         Suddenly, the
voice of a news crier ripped through the victorious atmosphere. "Extra!
Extra! It's not over, yet! Another murder was committed! The
Heart Taker
was at it again!"

         Helena looked
around and found the little paper-selling boy, who was loudly announcing the
latest news. She turned to her children. "You wait here. I'll be back in a
minute." She went to the boy and bought a paper. "Oh my God! It's
horrible," she exclaimed, while reading the article.

         A dark-haired
man with a bushy beard stood next to her. He cursed and crumpled his paper to a
ball.

         "Monsieur?
Is everything alright?" Helena asked him.

         "No,
nothing is alright! We are absolutely helpless!" the man spat. "There
is nothing we can do against this bastard, who's been spreading fear and horror
for weeks now! If it goes on like this, and if I don't catch this murderer
soon, I might as well give up my position as chief of police, and hang my
uniform back in the closet!" Furious, he threw the crumpled paper at the
pavement.

         "You are
the police chief of Paris?"

         "Please,
forgive my rudeness." He offered his hand and Helena took it. "My
name is Michel Dutroit. And yes, I am the police chief of Paris."

         Helena
smiled. "What a coincidence to meet you here. I'm Helena Leosol."

         "Oh! You
are Madame Leosol? It is a pleasure and a great honor to meet you," the
man smiled, broadly. "I have been told a lot about you. I'm really glad to
have found you. I know that you are currently working on the case of Comte de
Bouchardon, which I have no reports about." There was a hint of
displeasure in his voice. "But maybe, there is a connection between this
one and all the other murders that have occurred, frequently, over the last few
months. Last night, another of these horrible deeds was committed. I'm on my
way to the crime scene. It would be my honor if you were to accompany me.
Perhaps you will be able to shed some light on this, because, frankly, I'm at
the end of my rope. I have no idea how to protect the nobles from this lunatic
any longer."

         Helena
wrinkled her forehead. "The nobles?"

         "Yes,"
the police chief continued. "This bastard only kills girls with noble
heritage, who are
untouched
, if you know what I mean. Be that as it may,
last night, he killed the baroness Simone de Francois, and her governess,
Colette Lescoit. Like I said, I'm on my way to the crime scene. Will you
accompany me?"

         Helena
nodded. "Of course. I just want to tell my children that I'm
leaving."

         "Yes, do
that. I'll be waiting here for your return," the chief said, wringing his
hands, nervously.