Jabez paused in an open doorway, looking into the unlit room beyond; coming from the dimness was a faint groaning sound that Jabez finally decided was worth his time to find the source of. Following the sound to a back corner of the room Jabez came upon Loki who was sitting on the floor in the corner; when he noticed Jabez standing before him he stopped his grumbling. "What're you lookin' at?" he demanded.
With a sudden movement Jabez grabbed Loki by the collar and hauled him to his feet. "Where's Keena?"
"Who..." He paused as he realized who Jabez was talking about. "How the hell should I know?"
Jabez's eyes narrowed. "She was following you."
"Well then," he answered insolently, "chances are that she ran into the same person I did, don't you think?"
"And who was that?"
Loki shrugged carelessly.
"You don't seem too concerned about finding the person who did this to you."
"I'm used to it," Loki replied. "No harm, no foul, right?"
Jabez growled. "Well maybe you'll be a little more helpful once you realize your life is on the line..." With a quick movement, almost impossible to follow, Jabez held a dagger in his hand and pressed it menacingly to Loki's throat.
"You wouldn't dare."
"I wouldn't...You don't know who I am, do you? I make a living killing people. You I'll kill for free." He increased the pressure on the dagger ever so slightly.
"Alright alright," Loki exclaimed, "I'll try to be more helpful!"
"Good decision." Jabez lessened the pressure of the dagger. "Now, who was it and where's Keena?"
"I don't know who it was-" He stopped as the pressure of the dagger on his throat increased once again. "Honest! I don't know. He sure looked like that Lord...what's his name... Xaimen, but there was no way that it was really him; I can tell you that for sure."
Jabez's thoughts returned to the list of suspects he and Keena had decided upon; Lord Xaimen's name was there. But not really Lord Xaimen?
"And as for where," Loki continued, "I can't know that for sure either, but I can make an educated guess. When I got here he was just coming out of there." He gestured to a door on the far wall of the room.
"There? But that's a closet..."
"But it's got a fake rear wall. Talon's got all sorts of hidden passages in this place. That one," he gestured again to the closet, "leads to a rather drab room underground. It used to be used to hold prisoners in secret, if my research is correct." After a pause he added, "How about laying off with the dagger now?"
Grudgingly Jabez lowered the dagger from Loki's throat. "Get out of here."
Promptly taking his cue to exit Loki made for the door, pausing only when on the threshold. He turned back to Jabez with a grin. "Good luck saving your girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend," Jabez replied tonelessly.
"Oh you mean she's single?"
"Get out of here!" After being sure that Loki had gone, Jabez made for the closet and the hidden passage, hastily moving aside the false wall and practically running down the dimly lit passage that led further and further down into the earth.

"Your plan..."
"What?" Legion paused questioningly.
Keena spoke with some difficulty. "You have to tell me your plan...before you kill me...Remember?"
Legion smiled a crooked grin. "Curious right up until the end, huh? Well I suppose there's no harm in telling you now, is there? You're as good as dead anyway..." He paused, trying to find a reaction on Keena's impassive face; there was none to find, however. Keena knew she was just trying to bide time; bide time until what though? She had no false hopes of getting out of this. She realized that she was only painfully postponing her eventual demise. Not seeing the reaction he had so hoped to see, Legion continued. "You've see the symbol on the various weapons of people who've been sent to kill you?" The question was only half posed as a question as Legion knew that the symbol wouldn't have escaped Keena's careful attention. "That symbol represents a guild, appearing above-board but illegal of course; the symbol you've seen is a slight variation of the legally registered symbol. There's a group of us, working together for our mutual benefit..."
"Who else?" Keena spoke haltingly, her breath coming in short gasps.
"Who else is in the guild? Oh I'm not about to betray the identities of my associates to anyone...even a dead girl."
"What's...it for?"
"Oh, we think big." Legion grinned evilly.
"Don't tell me...it's world domination? That's been...done to death in books..."
Legion simply smiled in response. "You remember the frightening legends about Chenzai, don't you? I told them to you when you were just a child; they always scared you."
"Chenzai..." Keena had to pause to think back to the times she had blotted from her memory; the times leading up to the death of her parents. "The Soul Stealer?"
"That's right, Chenzai the Soul Stealer. Well we've discovered the truth of those legends..."
"No..." Keena couldn't believe it; wouldn't believe that the horrible legends of Chenzai were real.
"That's right, Chenzai's very much real, and very much alive...Only the good die young, they say; pure evil lives on forever. Chenzai's reign will soon begin again, as it has many times before. You should feel lucky that you're not going to be here to see the day." And with a villainous grin Legion raised his gloved hand.

As Jabez ran down the long passage he caught a glimpse of something laying on the floor in the shadows from the corner of his eye. Drawing to a halt he bent down and picked up the item in question; upon recognizing it his heart leaped up into his throat. Id. Well at least he knew he was on the right track. Hastily pocketing Id Jabez continued his race down the passage, but it wasn't long before he came to the end of his search. At the very end of the corridor was a door, slightly ajar, from which Jabez could just make out the words being spoken. "...you're not going to be here to see the day."

As Legion raised his hand Keena simply closed her eyes, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing the fear in her eyes. She just felt the material of the glove-her own weapon-on the skin of her temple when the door to the room flew open with a loud bang. Keena's eyes shot open to see Jabez standing in the doorway.
"Well well well, lookie here," Legion said as he stood to face Jabez. "I should thank you, Jabez, for saving me the trouble of going to you to kill you."
"Legion," Jabez stated. "I should have guessed it was you once Loki was convinced to tell me that someone was impersonating Lord Xaimen. But that job I did for you was years ago..."
"Yes, I was just telling Keena the story. And to think that all along she had thought it was actually me who killed her parents." Legion chuckled maliciously.
"Keena's parents..." Jabez paused, looking wonderingly to Keena who was staring up at him forlornly. He saw it now, the resemblance to that small, frightened child that had stood watching him...
Legion's evil laughter cut into is thoughts. "Oh this is fun. Watching as you realize that the one event that ties you together is the single most horrible event in Keena's life and the job that distinguished you, Jabez, as what you are; a wonderful thing in your opinion, no?"
"No," Jabez replied unexpectedly. "That event, it made me what I am, but it was the singular most awful thing that has ever happened to me."
"Oh? Regretting your chosen path, are you? Well you'll have all of the afterlife to repent for your sins..."
"We'll see who's going to be visiting his ancestors," Jabez replied as with a quick movement he produced a dagger from where it had been hidden in the folds of his sleeve.
Legion's grin was warning enough that he believed the upper hand was his. When an unnatural darkness suddenly engulfed the room Keena knew what was going to happen; he'd use the same poison on Jabez as he had used on her. An overwhelming sense of hopelessness consumed her, and she was so tired...Keena closed her eyes, welcoming the unconsciousness that took her.

Beep...beep...beep...
What the hell is that incessant beeping? Keena shifted uncomfortably and pain greeted her every movement. But pain meant she was alive, right? Opening her eyes Keena was greeted by stark white surroundings that hurt her eyes. Such blinding whiteness could only mean one thing...She was in a hospital. Then that annoying beeping was probably a good thing, she realized. With a painful sigh Keena looked about her, surprised to see, sleeping sprawled out on a nearby sofa chair, Jabez. I wonder what he's doing here...
Her thoughts didn't get much further, though, as a cheerful nurse entered the room. "Oh I'm so glad to see you're finally awake..." As the nurse continued her cheerful chatter as she checked Keena's vitals Keena noted that Jabez had awaken and was looking at her, but she avoided his searching glance, staring instead at the stark white ceiling. The nurse's cheerful chatter kept up until the door closed behind her, then silence filled the room.
"Keena..." Jabez's voice broke the silence.
"What happened?" Keena asked. "After the darkness, what happened?"
Jabez sighed. He had been prepared for this question, but had hoped it could wait. "Legion's poisoned dart missed me, though he didn't realize it. When he rid the room of the darkness he had an unpleasant surprise waiting for him. I had a run-in with Loki before finding you, and he informed Talon of what was happening, or at least what he knew of what was happening. Half the people attending the ball were there when the darkness dissipated; Legion had no chance of getting away."
"And..."
"Lord Talon acted as judge, jury and executioner. Legion is dead."
Keena nodded at the expected answer. But she knew that Legion was the least of her problems now. If what he had told her was true, and Chenzai was alive...

Keena's recovery was quick and she was soon out of the hospital, though not as soon as she would have liked. As he stood on the road heading out of Metronome only Jabez stood behind her, waiting to bid her farewell. In her possession were both Id and her glove, though neither were in their customary places. Yuki, who had visited Keena often in the hospital, had flown ahead and was awaiting Keena outside the city limits. Keena had kept to herself the information Legion had given her concerning the guild and the return of Chenzai the Soul Stealer, and Jabez, who would have perhaps visited her in the hospital more often than even Yuki had it been allowed, had kept many things to himself as well.
Keena turned round to face Jabez, but found herself without anything to say.
Jabez spoke up instead. "I've decided to give up the assassination game; it's cost me too much."
Keena nodded her approval, not fully understanding the meaning behind his words; her mind was wandering. She was eager to be on her way, but at the same time regretted her decision to leave. She had mixed emotions, about her profession, about her life, but especially about Jabez. It had been a long time since she had truly felt anything for anybody, and now there were so many feelings there; feelings she didn't quite understand. She wanted to forgive him for what he had done to her life, but she found it hard to do so. With a sigh she turned back to her chosen path, the road out of town. "Good-bye Jabez."
"So long, Keena. Until we meet again."

Fin

AN: ^^; I know, I know....Anyone who doesn't share my twisted sense of romance probably didn't exactly like this ending, but take solace in the fact that though this particular story is over, the tale as a whole isn't done yet. And maybe, just maybe, things will turn out alright in the end.

Look for the sequel, Soul Stealer, to be posted soon.