Chapter 139 139. Bubble Bath

Chapter 139 139. Bubble Bath
Rather than taking a quick shower together, Isolde and Drake decided to fill the tub, adding relaxing salts and oils to the water, making sure it bubbled up, and then slipping into the hot water. They faced one another. The tub in their bathroom was enormous, designed for two people to soak together.  

Drake took one of Isolde's small feet and began to rub it. "What did Malachi say to you? Why did he pull you out of the meeting? What was that about?" He asked.  

"He is worried about the creatures."  

Drake's brows came together as he worked on rubbing Isolde's feet. "I mean, really scared, Drake, like scared we may all die if we can't put them down. He said something along the lines of that Nexus tried to tell the public they were more of a risk of us being discovered to the Mundanes as Wielders, but that it wasn't the reason the Nexus wanted hunters to make them extinct."  

"What?"  

"Yeah, Malachi was telling me that was a cover. Nexus has pushed the story that creatures are dangerous but not as dangerous and deadly as they really are. They didn't want to cause a real panic over the creature situation. I got the feeling it used to be a huge problem, but I never heard that until he told me. I mean, yes, the hunters started hunting them when the great separation happened, and we pulled away from all things mundane. That is when the hunters were formalized by the nexus and supposedly hunted to extinction; obviously that is false."  

"So Malachi is scared about this?"  

"Yes, he is. Very much so; he is in the mindset that if creatures are in high numbers, it won't be a war to control Nexus or dismantle it; it will be a war to survive the creatures."  

Drake considered Isolde's words. He had been there, seeing what a dragon had done, and it was destructive. The question was how many of those things were there. Was it only a few, and what were they supposed to do about it?  

Isolde went on. "Malachi wants you and me to find a creature and bring it back here. He wants to see if I can communicate with one in split tongue, and, as I can mind manipulate, if I can do it in split tongue. He can't communicate with them as he doesn't speak it and therefore can't control one. He actually was very scared, which to me is more frightening than being at odds with the Nexus."  

"I'll say, and you think Ashford is behind this?" Drake asked.  

"See, that does not make sense to me. How? After Malachi said he can't communicate with them, why would Ashford be able to? I need Lucifer to come home and see what he learned from spying. In fact, I am rather worried he hasn't come back yet. Was he killed or something?"  

"He has not been killed, Isolde. You made it so he could hide in the shadows; he will be fine. We have to wait until he comes back, but if you want, I could have Lilly find him and bring him back."

Isolde winced at the suggestion. "No, she may get hurt; we should just keep her with us as often as possible."  

Drake nodded, then moved to her other foot. "Any idea where to get a creature for what Malachi wants? It isn't like you could say no to him."  

Isolde nodded. "Actually, yes, I do have an idea where to start." Drake looked at her, waiting for her to go on. "We need to go to the whispering woods. Remember our encounter; I would bet almost anything more than one creature is living out in those woods."  

"Isolde, how do you propose we do that? Arcane Academy no doubt is crawling with keepers, especially after the attack at the Nexus building. They would want to protect the school so it wouldn't happen there; they just reopened. Kids are there."  

"What?" She questioned; she didn't know that. "Are you saying Ashford is at the school?" Drake shrugged and said, "He hasn't been removed from the position as far as I know, so I don't see why not." Isolde rubbed her temples. Her mind was spinning. If Ashford was connected to the creatures, he could stash them in the whispering woods. It would be close by, and those woods had a reputation: no one went off the trails. It made sense.  

But then again, the why was a problem. She still couldn't figure out a motive. "Ashford isn't split-tongued, is he?" She asked, and Drake looked at her, confused. "Of course not; his family doesn't have the gene, and he is from a long Pristine Line." Isolde nodded.  

"Okay, well there are only a few reasons I could see him with the creatures. The first and most obvious would be that he is a creature himself, but he would need to keep his sanity, which I would need to research: which ones can keep some of their sanity."  

"Alright, and the other options?" Drake asked.  

"Well, he could be a bastard, right, and be split-tongued like us. I mean, we know I got the gene to speak to snakes, and I am from a mundane line; if he was a bastard, then he could have the gene and no one would know. I still don't get how we could communicate with them if we are split-tongued, though. It makes no sense to me. We don't talk to other animals, so why can we communicate with them?" Isolde said.  

"Yeah, I don't get it. I mean, yes, dragons, they are serpents, but all creatures, I agree it is strange, and I certainly never heard of it before you told me."  

Isolde nodded, her mind working over time, trying to figure out what all this meant. It seemed to her that whenever she got answers, new ones popped up. "So when are we leaving to do this hunting and capture thing?" Drake asked. "Tomorrow morning is what Malachi wants." She said.  

Isolde spoke, just stating fact. "Ashford can wield dark craft; do you think that means anything?" Drake shrugged. "No idea, love; I am more confused than you are." She snorted, amused. His hands moved up her legs; leaning forward, he pulled her waist so she was on his lap. "We could very well die tomorrow." He said, holding her on his lap. She nodded, considering what they knew. If there was an army of dragons, or even banshees in the Whispering Wood, they could very well be ambushed and die tomorrow.  

"Let's live tonight, love." Then they closed the distance.