If Toren hadn't already been bug-eyed enough before, he certainly was now. The angry, hurried way his master had shoved him off on someone else took him aback, but he was silently joyous for the distance it would put between them for a while. If only he could say the company he was exchanged for was more amicable.
The pain he felt was already exhausting enough, but being pushed around and forced into the corner only added to it. If discomfort was his goal, Agehneim was certainly outdoing himself. Crossing his arms defiantly and refusing to look at the other man, Toren still tried to hide all of this. He didn't want to speak to him at all, but he wanted answers. He craved them. He knew he probably would feel entirely restless until he got them.
For about an hour he remained entirely silent, but Toren eventually turned to glare at Agehneim. For now, he could not bring himself to lower himself that much, especially when he already felt so horrible, so instead of mouthing off like he'd been gearing up to do he tried to focus on figuring out what he could do to help his new acquaintance. He knew it would not be in her best interest to see Akakios even though he had called for her.
The glaring gradually turned into sadness and staring at the floor at the thought of seeing hurt in those kind eyes. Toren did not want to see that look when whatever trust might have been there was broken. He did not want to have to see an innocent woman fight for her life with his master, and he especially did not want to see Petal die for his own mistakes. He had already witnessed the fire of life broken so many times in his existence, but this particular girl had never come to his master for selfish reasons, nor asked for his help. Entirely innocent, was all he could think.
He heard more than saw the change of footing once they'd reached town, but once the carriage jumped to a halt Toren braced himself to be dragged back outside, which it seemed Agehneim was all too eager to do. Gentleness was something he was sure the apothecary was unaccustomed to as his arm screamed for mercy from the vice grip he was being held under. "Let go!" he grumbled once they'd entered the shop while struggling rather weakly to free himself.
The sound of her voice made him freeze in his tracks, though, and, again, not look up from the floor. The small sliver of hope that she would not be at home was squashed. Their short conversation was a blur to him in his current state, but the unknowing look in her eyes did him in as he stumbled forward.
Gulping loudly against the tightness in his throat, Toren finally lifted his head and stared wide-eyed at her for more than a comfortable moment as he pondered refusing his master's orders. Dropping his gaze again and rubbing at his aching arm, he finally spoke softly, "My master wishes to see you. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but won't you come with us?" He did not want to tell her his own fate depended upon her cooperation, but that would be telling the whole truth, a thing he was not accustomed to giving to many.
[hr:2bc9hbt3][/hr:2bc9hbt3]
Releasing Toren to Agehneim was not difficult, but maintaining his composure until they were gone was. The words of their encounter circled 'round in his head incessantly, like flies to rotten flesh. He could not rid himself of it, even as he busied himself with an early start to his day. He was not entirely himself in this.
The thoughts of betrayal had him wild-eyed and tense. As soon as the door was shut, Akakios went up to his main study to write. He wrote letters and reminders to himself, but nothing could get it off of his mind. Cleaning up for their eventual arrival did not help either: crisp clothes, shined boots, brushed hair. Every glance in a mirror grew his anger, every encounter with the other servants fueled his bubbling temper. Every small thing he noticed wrong about someone or something added to it; smoldering coals were quickly igniting to roaring fires the longer he waited.
"Who is this, this girl?!" he spat at his reflection. "Years of grooming. Years of training, discipline ruined by some... some harlot!" Akakios snatched his coat over his shoulders, for once fumbling to fasten ties and buttons.
Despite the collective joy that the vampire's attention was on others at the moment, the house was still too quiet for his liking. He knew they were waiting for him to explode and probably preparing to flee at the first sign of trouble, but even knowing that irritated him to no end. Nothing got him to settle. He paced the foyer, the halls, and just about every room of the house while he waited, but still nothing quelled his frustrations and need to know.
Finally, he climbed the eastern tower to sit. He lowered himself to staring out the window, just waiting. He was impatient, but could not bring himself to retrieve this mystery woman himself. He would wait, watch, listen. He would know when they arrived. Smell Toren's fear, feel him drown himself in worry, panic, and chaos, taste the bitterness of Agehneim's revenge, and...whatever this woman would give. Most were just as fearful as Toren could be, some came in brave only to crumble, some were lost souls, but it was never entirely the same. It was a game, his own brand of entertainment, and he couldn't wait for the show.
