Auris trains their pistol on the center of the man’s wrinkled forehead. Their gaze is unwavering, voice calm and collected. “I am certain you have some idea of who I am and why I am here.” The man in front of them is nothing special; if anything, his hawkish nose is the most interesting thing about him.

Auris watches a bead of sweat drip down from his hairline as he contemplates an exit strategy. Eyes narrowed, he flicks his gaze around the room. Silence stretches as the man swallows thickly and declines to respond.

Unwilling to wait any longer, Auris slams their boot onto the edge of his chair. They tilt him back and only just barely catch him before he falls. “Are you going to give me what I seek, or am I going to have to take it myself? I do not have all night.”

“I- I do not know what you want from me.” The man’s fear is strong. Strong enough that Auris can almost taste it.

“Thelstan Ridge Collstein, you know exactly what I want.” Their voice sharpens, knowledge of his lie a blatant insult to their intelligence, “Is it truly your wish to die at this moment? The contract. Where is it?”

Collstein purses his lips as Auris presses the pistol directly against his skin. He makes one more fruitless attempt to dissuade Auris from their goal, “If you- if you kill me, you will never find it.” But his words fall flat, crushed under his assailant’s resolve. One glance at Collstein’s fingers, wrapped around the chair arm in a deathly vise, is enough for Auris to step back, release the chair, and allow him to lurch forward. His face fills with relief as Auris lowers their pistol and a relaxed smile curves their lips.

“Love, I think you might need to reevaluate your judgement of character.” Auris pulls the trigger a moment later. Aimed at Collstein’s heart, energy cracks through the man's heaving chest and into his heart. He spasms. Then, an unpleasant smell of acrid smoke permeates the air.

The worst part of their line of work, Auris reflects, is always the smoke. With their pistol holstered, they ignore the corpse left in the chair and study the room around them. The nearby desk is a fairly obvious spot, yet not one to be overlooked. They run their gloved fingers along the front edge, beneath the drawer, before opening and checking for a false bottom.

When all they find is a few empty bottles and tattered quills, they move on to the panels of the desk; rap their knuckles against the wood in hopes of finding a hidden compartment. Once more, they find nothing and they return their gaze to the rest of the room.

A squat bookshelf sits against a wall, sagging slightly with the weight of nearly a hundred neatly organized, leather-bound journals. A single book stands out, as if placed hastily. Auris plucks it from its spot. An envelope is taped to the back; Collstein had only just managed to hide it before Auris had arrived, and he had done a shoddy job at that.

As Auris peels the envelope from the back cover, footsteps from below compel them to make their leave. Better to kill only one tonight, they decide, as they re-place the book and slip out the window. A shriek rings out from within the home and Auris moves a bit quicker, their heels clicking softly against the stone tiles.

Soon enough, they know, they will have returned the small envelope to their client; another mission complete.

A/N: Please feel free to leave a like and comment ♥