After Lucius spoke with Jair, he finished his very early breakfast then returned to his quarters with the intention of getting some much needed sleep. He'd stayed awake all night waiting for confirmation that the Eian mission had been successful. That confirmation had come just before dawn when he first saw the healers rushing to the Prince's quarters. Like other guests still awake at that ungodly hour, he'd heard whispers of Kamini's emotional breakdown. According to the rumors flying around she'd spent the night in passionate bliss with Eian and was present when he collapsed from the dreaded mindmelt disease. Apparently, the Prince's sudden debilitating illness was too much for the courtesan to bear.

At first Lucius had mentally praised the beautiful woman for putting on such a brilliant act. That was before Jair handed him the scrap of poetry penned by Eian himself. Upon reading it Lucius got the distinct feeling that Kamini might have come to believe she'd fallen in love with the man she was sent to poison. And that was precisely why he normally avoided using outsiders to complete a mission. No doubt Kamini's courtesan training was extensive but even those as talented as her fell prey to senseless emotions much too easily. He imagined she'd be suffering from intense guilt for a long time, but that wasn't his problem. If she was fool enough to fall in love with a mark then she deserved to suffer. In the end, it would make her a stronger person. But first, she'd have to get past the hatred that followed guilt. Once she learned to conquer those two intense emotions, nothing would ever be able to hurt her again.

Lucius cleared his mind like he always did before crawling into bed. He slept a dreamless sleep, rising near noon and not looking forward to spending another day at the resort. How could Yadon expect him to relax when he'd spent nearly his entire life training to remain alert and ready for anything out of the ordinary? While washing his face he decided to leave right after he finished a pot of java and a small meal. His meeting in Dara wasn't until next week but he liked the idea of arriving in the city earlier. That would give him plenty of time to pick up information from the contacts he had in place there.

When he finished with the washbasin, he donned his traveling clothes then returned to the lounge. As he filled up on his small meal, his eyes constantly panned the room. After a while he asked a waitress about Kamini and her entourage, and was surprised to hear they'd left the resort a little before noon. So the courtesan had decided to flee the scene of the crime as quickly as possible. Obviously, she didn't trust him to keep his word about not revealing her ruse if she completed the job he sent her out to do. That was wise of her; people shouldn't place their trust in others so easily.

Lucius pushed his empty plate away then made his way to the entry hall to settle his bill and ask that his horse be readied for immediate departure. He gathered his gear from his quarters before slipping on a long black cloak and hurrying to the stables. There wasn't any need to rush but Lucius was accustomed to moving from one place to another quickly. He mounted his horse and rode down the east road, flying past numerous carriages headed to the exquisite resort. Most were accompanied by a couple of guards on horseback, hired to protect the carriage's wealthy passengers.

Although bandits normally stayed away from the well-kept roads leading to the resort, Lucius remained alert, watching and listening for any signs of trouble. Goblin tribes were known to frequent the nearby hills; no matter how many times they were driven off, they continued to attack human settlements when the mood struck them. Goblins were filthy, stupid creatures who believed themselves to be the superior race. What a joke. They lacked any degree of intelligence and were terrible fighters. The only thing they had going for them was their huge numbers; they seemed to breed faster than rabbits.

By late afternoon Lucius reached the dirt road that ran northeast between the woods and the mountains. He'd traveled it many times in the past and was aware of the small village it led to. Since he preferred solitude he had no intention of stopping there. He'd make camp on the outskirts of the village near the cornfields like he'd always done in the past. Midway down the road he stopped to investigate when he spotted a number of dead bodies. He had no way of knowing if they were bandits or the victims of bandits. After remounting his horse he withdrew his sword, setting it across his lap. He also readied a couple of the smoke bombs Yadon's alchemists were so fond of making.

Lucius arrived at his destination without incident a couple of hours after the sun disappeared below the horizon. From his position he could see the village in the distance lit up in places by lanterns hanging from hooks attached to poles in the ground. Once he retrieved a bottle of wine and food wrapped in heavy brown paper from his saddlebag, he led his horse to an area of patchy grass and let it graze. He sat down on a wide strip of hard packed dirt separating two cornfields, tore open the brown paper and took out a wedge of cheese. There was a slight chill in the air but it wasn't cold enough to warrant a campfire. Lucius didn't care for such fires anyway since they had a tendency to attract unwanted attention. His cloak would provide him with all the warmth he'd need.

As he washed down the last bite of cheese with wine, he saw a figure run from the edge of the village to the cornfield. When the figure disappeared from sight, he slipped a knife into his hand before quietly rising to his feet and pulling the hood of his cloak over his head. Looking very much like a grim reaper he moved forward slowly, weaving a path between the tall stalks of corn that swayed in the evening breeze. He followed the sound of footsteps, stopping abruptly and crouching down low when he heard heavy breathing.

Peering from behind the tall stalks of corn, Lucius watched the person who stood a short distance away from him. It was definitely a female with shapely legs peeking out from beneath the skirt she wore. His eyes widened slightly when she turned, allowing him to get a good look at her face. Kamini! He put away his knife since he had no need of it. A pampered courtesan could be handled quite easily without the use of a weapon if she got out of hand.

Lucius pushed back his hood, letting it fall to his shoulders. Calmly, he rose to his full height, three steps bringing him directly in front of the woman. "So, we meet again, Kamini," he said simply. "Did you enjoy the bouquet of roses you received for a job well done?" He stared at her for a moment. "Either you're quite brave or very stupid to be out in a cornfield so late at night all by yourself."