Men rushed into the room moments later, taking in the scene before them. The two Templars lay near each other. One had been affected by some kind of vampiric magic, and was rushed immediately to St. Malorick's Hospital. The other was dazed, but had suffered only minor damage. He seemed unable to speak, and was being allowed to recover himself before returning to the precinct station.
They'd found two others in the wreckage. One was an adventurer, who reportedly had tried to fight back the cultists when he saw the Templars being attacked. The other was a young woman who worked in a nearby tavern.
"It's alright, miss. You just take your time, tell us what happened," said the sergeant. He draped his cloak around her shoulders. The fabric was dyed a deep blue, with the city crest on the back in white.
"Oh, it was awful," she said. "Well, after they grabbed me and brought me to this place, the men said something about luring the Templars in. Live bait, they said. Gods, I think they were going to kill me! Or, or sacrifice me! I'm lucky to be alive."
"Shh, there there. It's alright, you're safe now. Keep going, if you can." He was struggling not to stare down her top. It was unprofessional, not to mention wrong, but... gods, she was gorgeous. He shook his head to clear his mind, forcing himself to look her in the eye. He was married, damn it. But despite that, his gaze kept drifting downward. The perfect curve of her breasts, practically falling out of that top...
"Well, the men came in. The Templars, I mean. They, well, they didn't know. That it was a trap. The men with the dark cloaks attacked them, nine or ten of them. The smell was terrible, I don't know why I remember that. They were chanting, and some kind of spell struck the Templars but they just shrugged it off. The first one, anyway. There were two, no three, more of their awful chants and the men were getting hurt."
She paused, wiping her eyes. "No, I'm alright. I should keep talking. It helps, I think." She sniffled. "So then the other man came in. And his hands lit up, and he was casting back at the cult. The Templars fell over, but they hurt a few of them. And then there was this big explosion. I fell, and I hit my head. When I woke up the cult was gone, and you were running in. Oh, thank the gods you arrived when you did."
The sergeant gave a tight lipped smile. "Yes, well. It's all under control now, not to worry. You just come back to the office with us, we'll get everything sorted out." He reached over and squeezed her hand. It was meant to be reassuring, but he found his hand lingering on hers. The girl's skin was soft and warm, and her scent was... arousing. He was staring again. She was smiling at him. He needed to tell her something...
"Sarge? You okay?"
The voice brought the sergeant out of his reverie. "Uh, yeah. Yeah. We're done here. Gonna walk the girl back. I'll take Templar William with me, see if we can get a priest in to check him out. Just in case."
The other man nodded, frowning. "Yeah. Sure, good idea. Just. You know."
"What is it?"
"Uh. Nothing, sarge."
It took a fifteen minutes to reach the precinct house. Sergeant Donovan walked with the Templar, ten feet in front of the girl he was escorting. He did not make conversation, and did not look back.
With everyone down at the scene of the attack, the squat blue building was half empty. Donovan looked to Will. "You alright, sir? You can wait with her in the back room, if you like."
Will nodded. "Yeah, I think it's coming back to me. Mostly. That would fine. Thank you, sergeant."
Donovan nodded, then began walking back.
It took Will two tries before remembering which office he wanted. Gods preserve him, what had happened? He must have hit his head during the attack. He stepped inside, gesturing for the girl to sit down on the old leather couch opposite his own. The Templar thought over the story she'd told at the cathedral, about the cultists. Something seemed... off. Had there been multiple attackers? He only remembered one. Flashes of light, and flame. And then... what had happened after that?
Will frowned, looking at the girl across from him. Had she been there the whole time? She was certainly dressed like a serving girl, so at least that part of her story held up. She couldn't be older than eighteen or nineteen.
"What did you say your name was?" he asked.
She smiled shyly. "Lexi. Oh, I'm just exhausted after that ordeal." The girl stretched, arching her back and yawning.
Will couldn't help but notice the way the movement strained the thin white cotton of her shirt. She wasn't wearing a bra underneath it, he realized. Her soft, pale nipples teased against the fabric as she moved. He could feel a tent growing in his pants, and fought to repress it. This wasn't the time for those kind of thoughts.
Lexi ran her tongue slowly around her full, luscious lips. Had they been painted such a dark color in the cathedral, Will wondered? On their walk back? He didn't think so, but maybe he was mistaken. She didn't seem so cautious as before, either. There was something unnerving in the way she was eyeing him. It was almost predatory.
"Do you remember any more of what happened?" Lexi asked, arching an eyebrow. The girl adjusted her top, but that only seemed to reveal more of her cleavage.
It was impolite to stare, Will thought to himself. Especially after what she just went through. He forced himself to meet her eyes. "A little. I remember a flash of light, and then an explosion. Gaius was saying something. Warning me, I think. Then..." He paused. What had happened next? He hadn't been unconscious, he was fairly certain. But the memory proved elusive.
"Such a shame," Lexi murmured. She trailed a finger across the top of her breasts, following their curves. "Maybe it will come back to you later."
"Uh, yeah. Later." Will broke her gaze, looking down at the floor. He was trying not to watch her from the corner of his eye, and was failing.
"Will your friend be alright?" She slipped her shoes off and wriggled her toes, sliding her stockings together as she adjusted her position.
