Stephan descended from the train with Yara, famously known as Baba Yaga, they were now in search of the fifth, a reject of Agartha.
Yara insisted on hooking her arm around his, and acting as if they were courting.
Stephan didn’t mind it, although he knew that this was just another ploy from her, and that this might come back to bite him somehow.
Their target was not hiding up in a desolate place or at the outskirts of a forest like his companion or the target of Violet were, this one actually keeps a house in the middle of London.
He might be a reject to Agarthans, but here, he was a socialite, somebody that frequented the higher circles of society, and he fit here as one of their own.
Back in Agartha, he was the odd one out in his class at Nafoura, and upon graduating and finding that he was a Blue, he started to act way outside of the Agarthan norm.
He became a reject, an exiled Agarthan because of his intense talent in communicating with the dead that he used to extremely selfish reasons.
It didn’t help that he was bonded to a very powerful dragon spirit, in fact, he hijacked the bonding from one of the council members, this made his status as an unwanted member of the community, a reject to be a reality.
He was exiled almost thirty years ago, but Stephan knew for certain, that this man wouldn’t have aged a day since the day he was announced to be a reject and exiled from Agartha.
He also knew that he wouldn’t be able to convince him to join, not if they wanted to catch their killer on time.
Yara on the other hand, she would be the perfect addition to the reject’s collection, she could be the only one to be able to recruit him.
They took a carriage, and were dropped a few feet away from his opulent house, all red and yellow, of course with a very pronounced blue door, announcing to all who knew, that the owner was one of a kind.
Stephan rang the bell, held onto Yara’s arm and stood waiting.
A man in a butler’s suit opened the door. “Hello sir, do you have an appointment with the master?”
“Not really.” Yara passed her hand on the lapel of the butler. “Just run and tell him that he has an old fling from back home, tell him the Baba is at the door.”
She blew a kiss to the bewildered man, who left them at the door to contact his master.
it took another four minutes for the butler to come back and open the door fully, allowing them in.
Stephan knew that any word he would say, would be counted against him, so he pressed the hand of Yara softly, to let her know that he is giving her free reign of the next conversation.
The butler led them from corridor to hall to corridor and finally to a ballroom where a tall handsome man in an immaculate suit stood watching the street beyond from on of the many windows covering an entire wall of the ballroom.
“My dear Baba, you look absolutely ravishing.” The man turned to face Stephan and Yara, then he knelt to kiss Yara’s hand.
“Oh, you are so kind Dorian, just the tinniest bit of glamour here or there.” Yara’s eye’s shone with anticipation.
“I assume this is the famous, detective Stephan.” Dorian turned to face Stephan and gave a slight nod that Stephan returned.
“So, to who or what do I own the honor?” Dorian gave them a radiant smile.
“Oh, don’t tell me that your spirits failed to tell you of our purpose.” Yara faked a surprised expression.
“Dear Yara, all the spirits screamed out of my presence the moment you announced yourself at my door.” Dorian laughed.
“Am I that scary, dear Dorian?” Yara pouted.
“We both know that you banished them, dear Baba.” He licked his lips. “I am more intrigued than you can imagine, first time in my existence to meet someone of your power.”
“Flattery would take you places, and I always appreciate the acknowledgement of my power.” Yara walked to the nearest chair and sat.
“Now down to business.” Dorian signaled for Stephan to sit, and pulled a chair of his own. “Why do you need me?”
“A simple spell of tracking, then possibly a life endangering chase after wards, something that you might appreciate.” Yara placed on hand above the other, and both on her knee.
“Somebody I know?” Dorian had a glimmer in his eyes.
“From history maybe, but recently, you might have heard of his exploits, Jack the ripper.” Yara smiled a wide smile.
“Interesting. But why me?” Dorian inched out of his chair.
“It was not just convenience, you are rather uniquely suited for this kind of danger.” Yara waved one hand in the air to draw a smiley of a box shape.
Dorian threw his head back and laughed loudly. “You mean my infamous painting, the one done by a dead artist?” Dorian licked his lips again.
“The very same, it makes you, how can I say this? Immune to our prey’s brand of magic.” It was Yara’s turn to lick her lips.
“Then by all means, I am in.” Dorian stood. “Shall we go on our business.”
“Sure.” Yara stood, as did Stephan. “By the way, why Grey, shouldn’t it have been Blue?”
“Not my first choice, but a certain dragon insisted on it, she thought it was fun.” Dorian offered his arm to Yara, who gladly took it.
As they left the house, Stephan couldn’t help but notice the strange aura of departed spirits circling around the head of Dorian Grey, formerly the rejected blue prince of Agartha.
From Another World
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The other episodes of this series are here: One, Two, Three, and Four.
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