“What have you mao learn?” She asked quietly.
“Not much, I’m afraid, Ma’am,” Enzo said, “There are whispers about her, but most of them are the stuff of rumor and specution. She first appeared in New York so there’s an assumption she’s a native. No one who’s seen her face is talking, though, and none of the people I’ve spoken with have eve her in person, only hearing through intermediaries.”
“Any suspis of your own?” She pressed, looking up.
“I have a few, but nothing crete. The party that boarded the jet were very careful and we kept our word about the passenger ma being scrubbed,” Enzo said, “Though I have a feeling we’re about to learn a very big secret in a few moments.”
Bera sighed, “I agree.”
The doors opened and a brue woman in what could only be described as a cssical maid outfit stepped out, going slowly down the ramp. Her eyes cast left and right, head on a swivel. Despite her slight frame there was something ita that warned her not to make any sudden movements. She looked barely older thay, but had the iy of someone far older. Another ‘patient’?
The woman came to a stop and ined her head as two more people came doweps, the first was a man in a bcoat, he looked somewhere between amused and overwhelmed with excitement. His hands were clutched around a thiotebook that seemed to be overflowing with tabs and attats. o him was a girl also just into her twenties, she had darker skin and bck hair and looked positively frazzled. She kept trying to make eye tact with Bera but would quickly look down at her feet or anywhere else.
Her party, then, why does the woman look familiar?
That was when the final passeepped out ata froze. Skin as white as snow, hair so white it looked like starlight ing out of her head, she wore one of Bera’s test designs, a white high-end pantsuit bo that with her skin made her seem like a bea in the night. She wore sungsses despite the low light, and cracked a wide smile as she stepped down the b ramp. Enzo froze and cleared his throat, tilting his head to whisper ita’s ear, “Sonya ovna, CEO of the Applied Strategic Teologies Association, ASTA, they’re currently the only pany in the world creating ons capable of killing monsters.”
Bera swallowed a her eyes fixed on Sonya. There was no doubt in her mind, this woman had to be Ishtar. Still, it paid to be cautious.
“Bera Lucci,” Sonya said, stepping past the other three with a magnanimous smile, “It’s an honor you came out all this way to greet us.”
“Miss ovna,” Bera said brightly, “Our mutual tae to ehat your wele was a good one, is she here?”
“She is,” Sonya said aended a gloved hand, “You’ll meet her very soon, I hope you’ll keep my retionship with her and her identity to yourself going forward. She would very much like you to be her sole point of tact here in Europe.”
Bera raised an eyebrow, that was quite the statement. What this young woma was that anyone in Europe that wao receive Ishtar’s gift would have to gh her, first. She was establishing a hierarchy in only a brief exge and clearly puttita into the subordinate role. Enzo seemed to sehe same thing and tensed a little but Bera knew better than to push back, this was her ce at youth and perhaps even more. She reached out and took Sonya’s hand. “That is more than agreeable.”
“It’s a deal,” Sonya said with an easy smile before extending a hand to Enzo, “I hope the same applies for you, mister… Enzo Caruso, yes?”
Enzo blinked but took the woman's hand anyway, “Ah, yes, of course.”
“Great!” Sonya crowed after shaking his hand briskly, she cpped her hands together aured behind her, “This is Amos Carter, he’s the head of researd development for my pany and has loo see Floren persoo him is my attendant, Marta Daphne, and finally this…” She took a step bad took the tan woman by the hand, guiding her over. The young woman almost trembled as she locked eyes with Bera, “...this is Mikay Summer, she’s actually aended employee of yours, a desighat I took a special i in.”
Bera’s eyebrows rose, “Really? Well it’s a pleasure to meet you, young dy.”
“I-it’s an honor, ma’am, Miss Lucci, uh…” She bowed quickly, “Y-you’re an idol to me.”
Bera sniffed and g Sonya’s easy smile, Ah, this is her way of showing me some face. I imagihe girl is quite good, perhaps even excellent, but the main reason is to mollify my pride a little seeing as her and the other two are unabashed by meeting me. She returhe smile in kind, I like this person.
“I’m looking forward to seeing your portfolio, dear,” Bera said aured behind her, at a Limousine parked just a few meters away, “Why don’t we make our way to the hotel and have some dinner. I show you around town tomorrow.”
Enzo turned and made his way to the vehicle opening the door as Sonya ined her head, the small group approached and slipped inside, Bera settling in first while Sonya joined her at her side. The woman smelled like an arctic m, it was a strange fragrahat’s an iing parfum,” Bera said thoughtfully as the others slipped into the vehicle, “Who is it?”
“It's one my pany developed,” Sonya said, “It’s made from Lurker blood.”
Bera froze, “I’m sorry? You made a parfum from the blood of a monster?”
“Amos is very talented,” Sonya said with a shrug as the door shut and Enzo made for the driver's seat and got the vehicle started. A few members of the flight crew came down and loaded the small groups luggage into the trunk.
Bera g Amos who grinned, “Monster blood has a variety of uses, I’ve e to learn, though their fur aher are the most valuable parts in my opinion, may I boss?”
“Of course,” Sonya said, waving a hand at him. He reached into his pocket and took out a square of fabric before passing it to Bera. Bera took it and rubbed it between her fingers. It was smooth and soft, luxurious even to her tastes. “It’s bulletproof up to a high caliber rifle round,” Sonya said into her ear ata nearly gasped, holding the cloth reverently now. With the sheer amount of monsters starting to appear, there was no she of supply. The teique to reproduce this, it could be worth as much as a quarter of my pany, perhaps more.
Bera gnced up at Sonya and then at the trembling designer and a thought occurred to her. The girl, she’s not just here to show me face but to warhat she poach my designers if she wao. She g Sonya again, Where the hell did this woman e from?
Bera hahe textile baos and turned more towards Sonya, “About our mutual tact, does she have any pns for this visit?”
“She’s hoping to throarty, actually, a gathering of like-minded people. Such as yourself. And she hopes that you have some ideas as to who to put on the guest list,” Sonya said and leaned ba her seat to rex a little. “Perhaps with regur get-togethers, like an exclusive club.”
Ishtar wants me to spearhead her es in Europe, then, and gather people of influence like myself who are willing to pay the price for her services. This is a test, she wants to see who I’ll gather and if my biases will blind me. She could have asked any number of politis or more iial people, too. Ishtar ot stay in Europe forever, either, it seems like she has wider-reag pns. If I make a good showing, responsibility for this work she’s creating may fall to me as well. I get it.
“Rest assured her party will be private, elegant, and filled with just the right kind of people,” Bera promised.
Sonya smiled back at her, “That’s wonderful to hear, Madame Lucci.”
“Please, call me Bera.”
“Only if you call me Sonya.”
As the vehicle made its way into the city proper, Bera went through the list of every individual she could think of who would be worth inviting. Folk from all over Europe would have to be in attendanot just for Ishtar, but for herself. A cabal of the wealthy and powerful across Europe meeting i with the promise of agelessness. And with me as the core point of tact? I ’t lose this opportunity.
As fantasies of grandeur and power worked their way through Bera’s mind, she didn’t see the smile crossing Sonya’s lips as she looked down at her hands.
–
Well those sound impressive… Sonya thought to herself.
A sumptuous and filling dier, Sonya threw herself onto the bed and rolled around, letting out a noisy sigh. This was the life, she couldn’t believe how different things were from her st go around. It paid to be the vilin. Still, besides rounding up the gangs of New York, she hadly done anything truly vilinous yet. That was ultimately the point, though, the longer Ishtar remained a mystery and a whisper, the better. She let out a sigh and looked up at the ceiling, “Bera will be calling all of her tacts by now,” She murmured, “She’s also probably figured out that I’ll be putting her in charge here once I leave.”
“A club, though?” Marta asked, carefully moving their clothes into the wardrobe and drawers of the hotel suite.
Sonya gnced her way, “Wao call it a cult? I am using a Goddess’ er all.”
Marta paused and sidered before shaking her head, “No, club is better.”
Sonya snorted and rolled onto her side, “You know I ’t have you at the meeting when it happens, right?”
Her friend looked her way and gave a sullen nod, “If I’m seen guarding you, that could lead to unnecessary suspis and specution.”
Sonya paused and looked down at her hand, “You know, actually, I have an idea. Would you like to try an experiment with me?”
Marta frowned but nodded, setting down the clothes and walking over to Sonya. Sonya sat up in a crosslegged position and gri her friend. She hadn’t tried to do this, yet, she’d awakehe abilities of hundreds of people while assisting Shark, acquiring equally as many products but most of them weren’t all that impressive or useful. She’d mao produce a few strong people though and they’d bee Shark’s bodyguards and lieutenants. What she was about to attempt, now, was a whole other matter.
Let’s see… She hummed and looked Marta up and down before reag bato her mental warehouse, she exami for a moment before extending a hand.
“I will give you a new power as a reward for what you’ve done for me so far,” Sonya said aloud as Marta csped her hand around Sonyas. The woman’s eyebrows rose for a moment as Sonya examihe deal making interface.
Sonya let out a breath, so she really couldn’t just give something away. There had to be a price paid, her power would even double ched make sure whether or not the price paid was suffit. She couldn’t ask for a hug or something in exge for a new power. What if she tried to force it, though? That wasn’t something she’d try on Marta.
Proceed
There was a fsh of Pandora’s Light from her fiips and it washed over Marta. The woman gasped, staggering back after a moment as she reached up to touch her face. She stood there, transfixed before spinning, her eyes wide, and she looked in the mirror. Nothing had ged but Marta seemed to be looking at something Sonya couldn’t see. As Sonya watched a ge began to take hold, her meical eyes going wider and wider. “Oh, heavens,” Sonya breathed.
A wicked smile crept across her face, “...this trip just got iing.”