Deacon presented the braid to his master that evening. Gabriel smiled brilliantly. “Excellent work, Deacon. Smart thinking on your part.” He did not look at his ghoul as he spoke, hoever, Instead he studied the braid; caressed it.
“I want her to be mine.” he muttered.
“Sir?”
Gabriel looked up, eyes momentarily ablaze as he was snapped out of his reverie. Deacon cowered. “Nothing. Has she had any sort of response to the gifts I’ve been sending?”
Deacon breathed an inward sigh of relief as his master changed the subject. “Her ghoul takes them into the house and sets them up, but I don’t know what she thinks of them, entirely. I do know that they aren’t thrown out until they die.”
“Hmm…..not good enough. Have you no thoughts?”
Deacon winced. “I suspect she is flattered, though unconcerned. When I watch the house in the evenings, I never see her smile beyond politely, except…”
“Except what?”
“Except when one individual comes over. She seems most happy to see him.”
“Him?” Gabriel gripped the blade tightly.
“Does he visit often?”
“I don’t think so, but…well…”
“Spit it out!” Gabriel snapped.
“They have…relations.” Deacon gulped and backed off at the growing anger in his master’s face. for his part, Gabriel was recognizing his anger was about to get out of control, and he worked on some breathing exercises to calm himself. Deacon remained silent until his master spoke again.
“Watch the house. You are to bring me something – anything – that belongs to him. I will not tolerate failure.”
Deacon gulped and nodded.
“Go now. Do not return to me until you have something.”
With that, Deacon quickly skittered out and set to task.
~
He sighed a little as he shuffled under the copse of trees. He should be back at the budding chantry, tending to duties there, but instead he was once again watching the Lady Petra’s house, per his master’s whims. He was to be watching for him…but wasn’t sure when he would show up. He could be standing there for days! The thought made him cringe. Worse, how was he to get a hold of something that belonged to him, without getting himself killed.
Just then, he heard a motor, and ducked behind a tree. Pulling up to the house was a motorcycle – what kind, he couldn’t guess, as it was too dark, though it looked like an older model. He watched stealthily as he could, confirming it was the same man he knew before. This time, when the door open and he was greeted, he was able to pick up that the man’s name was Vince.
Deacon waited several minutes after the door had closed, and quickly and quietly walked across the street, and ducked under the front window, listening. He could tell by the way Lady Petra spoke that, if nothing else, she had a thing for this Vince fellow. Listening a little longer, he heard the ghoul leave and a quiet confession of love from her to him. He sighed – his master would not be pleased.
I need to move. he thought. I need something of his…..but how to get it? He looked around, and then his eyes laid on the bike. Crouching as he moved, so as not to be seen through the window, he made his way over to the bike, looking for anything he might be able to use. Eyes roving over the machine, he saw nothing, and his heart sank – until he spied the saddle bags. Quickly, he pulled out his Leatherman and set to cutting one off, and as soon as it was free of the bike, he ran back across the street, through the copse, and to the street on the other side where his car was waiting.
Deacon headed back to the chantry, to where his master would most likely be.
“M..master? I’ve found something….”
“Already? I hope it’s something good, Deacon.”
Deacon produced the saddlebag from behind his back. “It’s a saddlebag from his motorcycle. I reckon that, based on condition, he’s had it a while. Oh…I learned his name as well – it’s Vince.”
“Very good. I can work with this. Deacon, set me up for two rituals.”
Deacon groaned inwardly. He disliked this, but as it was his master’s wishes, he set up the necessary typical tools right away. Meanwhile, Gabriel reached for a knife, and cut off his own ponytail. From here he began to separate the strands carefully, both from the severed ponytail and severed braid. He then began to braid the dark hair from his own head, with the red hair from Petra’s braid, until the red and brown were tightly braided together, and bound at both ends. He saved a few strands of the red out for the second ritual.
For the first ritual, he took the new braid and set it in a circle, chanting over it. The spell was meant to bind two people together, sort of like the Enchantment level of Presence might do, only a bit stronger since it was Thaumaturgically based. For the second ritual, he tightly rolled the saddlebag and tied it with strands of Petra’s hair, to symbolize her ties to him. After activating the second ritual, he severed those ties – now, with any luck, she would be repulsed by this Vince, and more open to Gabriel…he would just need to seek her out.
The rituals were completed half an hour before sunrise. Tired, he made his way to his chambers, but spoke to Deacon before he retired for the day.
“Watch her house tomorrow eve, and see what comes. I need to know if my spells have worked.”
Deacon nodded, and Gabriel bedded down for the day. Deacon, for his part, headed to bed himself, hoping that things went in his master’s favor – he didn’t care for his master being in a bad mood.