Ghost Aria by Jonathan Moeller

Author:Jonathan Moeller [Moeller, Jonathan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction, Horror, Dark Fantasy, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fantasy, Historical, Myths & Legends, Greek & Roman, 90 Minutes (44-64 Pages)
Amazon: B00BK9VBGM
Publisher: Azure Flame Media, LLC
Published: 2013-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

###

The following night the men and women of the Grand Imperial Opera scrambled to prepare for another performance.

Caina had already made her own preparations.

Once she was ready, she donned her maid’s dress of black and gold and made her way past the balconies. The chorus stood on stage, singing the opera’s opening scene as men in stylized Nighmarian armor and barbarian costumes fought an elaborate battle before the audience. Caina knew that real fights were often decided in mere heartbeats.

Like tonight.

In the next hour, she would either know who had brought the poison into the opera and why, or she would be dead.

Caina hurried through the aisles. The nobles and the merchants often liked to write brief notes to each other during the performance, and tonight the Seneschal had her carrying those messages. A different crowd of nobles occupied the boxes, though she saw Gallus Tomerius scowling at the stage in his usual spot.

She reached the end of the aisle and stopped before Murdock, and the footman looked at her in surprise.

“What is it this time?” said Murdock, grinning. “Shall I deliver wine to a beggar for you, hmm? Or are you going to inspire another guard to a fit, and you need me to carry out the corpse?”

Caina hesitated, licked her lips, and then handed him a note.

“You should read that,” she said.

Before Murdock answered she turned and walked away.

Caina hastened to the workshop below the stage and slipped into one of the side rooms. The room had a long plank table, and the chorus singers ate their meals here. With the singers busy on stage, the room would be deserted for another few hours.

Plenty of time for what she had in mind.

A pair of wine glasses and a pitcher sat upon the table, filled with dark red wine. One glass was already half-empty. Caina sat at the table and picked up the half-empty glass, rolling the stem between her fingers as if she was nervous. She checked the throwing knives hidden in her sleeves, the daggers concealed in her boots, and waited.

She did not wait long.

Murdock stepped into the room, his boots making no sound against the floor. He was smiling, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

He looked like a cat contemplating a mouse.

“Well,” he said. “Little Marina. Who would have thought?”

Caina looked at him and feigned a tremulous smile. “So…you came? My note was so bold. But…”

Murdock waved a dismissive hand and sat across from her, his eyes never leaving her face. “No need to be frightened, my dear. A girl as lovely as you should never be lonely.” His eyes glinted. “And I can make sure that you’re not lonely.”

Caina took a sip from her glass, lifted the pitcher of wine, refilled her glass, and poured more into Murdock’s. A slight twitch of his left eyebrow betrayed his surprise, but he gave no other sign. “I just…forgive me, I’ve never done anything like this before, and I’m so nervous.” She took another sip of wine.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.