Exton

We arrive as we departed, in silence, shrouded in a glamour that causes those who encounter us to take no notice of us. It is not precisely invisibility, but in many ways it is preferable.

Mistress Nyx stands motionless and silent as a marble monument, but the air around her is alive, charged with subtle energies. She turns slightly, as in slow motion, and her colorless eyes meet mine. Her voice is now deadly serious, devoid of her previous flippant tone. "Watch closely, mage. The traces here are faint and grow fainter every moment. I cannot do this again."

I nod; and upon the instant there is a faint shimmer in the air, which resolves itself into a tableau, and then a three-dimensional "movie". We see the couple walking together; we see the attack, the attempted defense, and the kills. We see the victims removed from the scene - but now the energies fail; the image dissipates, and the lady sags suddenly. I put an arm around her shoulders to steady her, but already the momentary weakness has passed and she gives me an arched eyebrow as she straightens, her mocking smile back in place.

"Milady - might I beg another hour of your time? I would have your corroboration and the benefit of your knowledge when I speak to my colleagues this night."

She nods wordlessly. A murmured incantation, and the murder site is once more void of habitation.

We return to the Tavern unobtrusively, appearing in the same darkened alcove I previously occupied. As Patti passes, balancing a tray of drinks, I pass her a note for Pandora and Obsidian, along with a ten-dollar "tip" for being my messenger. Moments later, during a break between songs, Obsidian approaches the microphone and speaks....