Lily held him at arm’s length. “Listen, Robert…”
“You’re being sent on assignment.”
“How did you know that?”
“You’re very easy to read.”
Their relationship hadn’t progressed past sharing each other’s company and some fairly heavy make-out sessions. They both had a strong determination to take this slowly. This way of life and being in a co-dependent relationship was as new to Lily as it was to Robert. Spending so much time together had given Robert a keen insight into Lily’s mannerisms and facial expressions that, coupled with his interrogation training, allowed him to read her fairly easily most of the time.
“I miss those days when I could surprise you,” said Lily.
“I think you being a werewolf was surprise enough for me, I’m not sure I could handle anything that big again.”
There had been only one full moon during the last month, preceded by a crescent moon the night before, giving Lily and Robert the warning that a change was coming. On the night of the full moon, Lily locked herself in the dungeon of the Agency Castle to allow for a safe change. She had asked Robert to stay away, which he had. Loving a werewolf had its challenges, but Robert was trying his best to be understanding and helpful.
“I’m being sent to the Grimm Mountains,” said Lily. “The Warrior Gnomes are bordering on a civil war since the death of General Gnarly and we’ve been asked to step in to help find a resolution.”
“How long will you be gone for?”
“No more than a week, hopefully. I look forward to you coming with me one day soon.”
“The Director tells me it’ll be two more months.”
“And then I’ll have to put up with you day in and day out.”
“Sounds horrible.”
“I guess I’ll have to learn to live with it.” She punched him playfully in the shoulder.
Robert smiled and bent slightly to kiss her goodbye. They walked to the castle gates and said their farewells. He watched her walk away until she was out of sight. He’d miss her, but at least this gave him the opportunity to do something he’d been itching to do for the last few weeks.
When he’d begun his training, he was expressly told that he would not be informed about who his father was or where he was being held until his training was complete. The reasons cited were that it would cloud his judgment and slow his training. But Robert had other ideas. He wanted desperately to meet his father. To confront him. To find out who he was and, in turn, find out about himself. He only knew what snippets he’d heard during his journey with Lily and the Gnomes. Bits and pieces he’d picked up from his teachers, who skirted the issue. Most people seemed in awe of who Robert was and where he had come from. Many eyed him suspiciously, as if they expected him to snap at any moment. He knew his father was incarcerated and he knew the main facility for incarceration was simply called the Tower. During his night of door jumping, he’d seen a Tower in a valley and every one of his natural instincts told him that was where his father was held.
With Lily gone, this presented the perfect opportunity. She would never approve of what he was going to do, but she didn’t, couldn’t, understand.
Hand to hand combat was his last class of the day, and he took the hour-long walk back to the City of Oz. He had found that there really were no horses in Thiside; there were many other creatures that were for transportation, but they required money and Robert had little. He didn’t mind the walk.
The sun was descending in a slow and lazy arc when Robert entered the Inn of the Massacred Goat; an unfortunate name, but all the good ones were taken, or so the Innkeeper claimed. He headed upstairs to his small but cosy room and stripped off before wrapping a towel around himself. He walked down the narrow hallway into the shared bathroom and locked the door. The bathtub was set into the wooden flooring and always seemed full of hot water. He was pleased to find that showering was as uncommon as horses in Thiside. Everyone took baths or simply didn’t wash themselves.
Robert soaked himself until he began to turn wrinkly before returning to his bedroom.
“Hello, Robert,” said the Cat when Robert opened the door.
“Bloody hell! You almost gave me a heart attack!” said Robert, clutching his chest.
The Cat, still in the form of a panther, was sitting contentedly on the bedroom’s large feather mattress.
“Tonight’s the night, then?” said the Cat.
“What do you mean?” said Robert, pulling on a pair of jeans he’d purchased at the local market. “What are you doing here? I mean, I assumed I’d see you again, but some sort of forewarning wouldn’t hurt, you know.”
“My deepest apologies. I’m very used to just appearing. I often forget that people aren’t used to that sort of behaviour. I’m here because I told you that I knew your deepest desire and that when you were ready, I’d provide you with a door.”
The Cat swished his long tail back and forth while Robert finished getting dressed.
“I had just planned to look for one outside of the city,” said Robert.
“I’m here to save you the trouble.”
“It would have been no trouble,” said Robert, too quickly.
“Ah,” said the Cat tilting its head, “you’re having second thoughts. You want to delay the actual act to give you time to possibly change your mind.”
Robert sat down on the bed next to the Cat. “It’s daunting.”
“I understand,” said the Cat.
“I want to know so badly, but the thought of meeting whoever man this is terrifies me at the same time.”
“Would you like me to come back another time, then?” said the Cat with a purr.
Robert took a deep breath and stood up. He reached into his bedside drawer and pulled out the silver chain with the vial of blood that the White Rabbit had given him.
“No, I want to do it now.”
“As you wish. I still feel I owe you a great debt. Should you ever need me, simply call and I’ll find you. Best of luck, Robert Darkly.”
The Cat looked to the corner and the room began to distort as the fabric of space and time frayed at the edges and a door opened. It floated in the corner of the room, and Robert approached it with as much confidence as he could muster. He hadn’t been through a door since his last return from Othaside in pursuit of Rumpelstiltskin, which now seemed like an eternity ago. He placed the chain around his neck and held the vial of blood in front of him.
“I wish to go to the Tower,” he said in a clear voice and then stepped through the doorway, which disappeared in a flash along with the Cat.
Robert stepped out of a door and stumbled onto the cobblestone bridge. Rain bounced off the stone and dark clouds blanketed the sky. Robert looked down the long bridge to the Tower. It rose ominously, and somewhere high above, a shrill scream rang out. The last time Robert had seen the Tower, he had been at a distance. Up close, it looked far more terrifying: dark, sinister, creepy, and a variety of other words describing bad things.
“It’s times like this that I wish I had a voice in my head to speak to,” said Robert.
Lightning flashed across the sky.
That was appropriately timed, he thought and began his walk across the bridge. He was halfway across when he stopped and approached the edge of the bridge to look at the vast moat. He remembered seeing something in there when he was here last. And sure enough, there they were. The moat creatures moved beneath the surface, massive worm-like creatures writhing and turning, churning the waters above. One swam beneath the bridge and Robert could see the eyeless face, large mouth, and rows upon rows of teeth as it yawned and swam endlessly on through the water. Robert staggered back and hoped he never had to see one up close as long as he lived.