The Sin Deckate.

Also known as the most ruthless criminal organization in the continent. And Shoals was unfortunate enough to be their home base.

Their crimes were so widespread, everyone knew their name. In recent years, some of the top figures had become confident and revealed themselves to the public. Not like the government could do anything about it since they had infiltrated the government. 

Their unmistakable symbol of a circle and three triangles inside it, a symbol used to indicate death, could not be revealed with any type of light or even darkness. Only those with a special eyesight and a special touch could see and draw the symbol.

Those people were known as Markers.

They marked not only those sentenced to death by the Sin Deckate, but also their own members.

Which is why anyone outside of the Sin Deckate who could see the symbol would immediately be on their hit list. 

I explained this to Nircoel, who previously had no clue what the Sin Deckate was.

Now I needed someone to explain to me why Nircoel was sobbing in my arms, wailing about how he didn’t want to die.

~.~

My phone buzzed, alerting me to an incoming call.

Detective Willis had exchanged numbers with the both of us before we had parted ways, and was now calling me.

Nircoel had cried himself to sleep on the couch, although I had previously assured him that the Sin Deckate had never heard about him. They prefer to stay away from the Woodlands, mainly terrorizing the Seaside and Fieldways.

“Yes, sir?” I answered.

“Just wondering before I act. Did you want to meet with the Sin Deckate?”

“Huh? That would be amazing, but how would we…”

Amaryllis. The codename of the man once considered the top criminal in the Sin Deckate. One day ten years ago, he’d suddenly disappeared. Rumors were circulating that he had turned his life around, but no one knew who he was. Then came a detective, mostly solving the everyday crimes the bigger detectives looked past. He was well-known among the people who had been oppressed by petty thievery and kidnappings since those “lesser cases” tended to be ignored by the upper detectives and the up-and-coming detectives who wanted to make it big.

His name was Mars Willis.

Were the connections between the names coincidence? Now, I had no doubt that it was not.

“Oh.” 

“I’ll take that to mean you figured me out, kiddo. I’ve got some favors I can call in to guarantee that we get a meeting and that the kid doesn’t get touched. But only if that’s how you wanna play it.”

I thought about our options at this point.

Meeting with the Sin Deckate was a move far from sane, but they had never gone after their targets in such a manner as this.

“Is there a new head?” I asked.

“Not that I’ve heard. Ol’ Robert should still be running things down there.”

“Then let’s investigate the other latest victims. I know it’s the only lead we have, but I don’t want to risk exposing Nircoel unnecessarily.”

“Makes sense, but I didn’t know there were more victims.”

“Ah…Uh…Well, you’re part of the case now, right, sir?”

He laughed. “I suppose I am, kiddo. Send me the addresses, and I’ll meet you two there tomorrow.”

“Alright, see you tomorrow.” I ended the call and sent him the locations.

Nircoel hadn’t woken up yet, and it was getting late, so I placed a blanket over him and headed to my own room, hoping for better answers the next day.

~.~

First was the Razor Villa Apartments. Sure enough, the mark was there behind the dresser.

The second was on the ceiling.

Third was on a lamp.

Fourth was on a chair.

Fifth was on a t-shirt.

Only took us ten hours to find them.

“That’s enough evidence, don’t you think, kiddos?” Detective Willis said as he treated us to dinner.

I nodded, taking a bite of my pasta. Nircoel rubbed his eyes every two seconds, looking slightly pale.

“You okay, Nir?”

“My eyes hurt and my head hurts,” he groaned.

Detective Willis sighed, looking empathetically at Nircoel. “I’ve heard that a Marker’s eyesight is especially sensitive because it sees beyond the range of the spectrum. He strained his eyes looking for the symbols. You should take him home, kiddo. He needs rest.”

“...Alright. Thanks for dinner, sir.”

“Anytime, kiddo. I’ll set up the meeting for us.”

“Call me when you get the date.”

“I will. Get some rest, kid.”

Nircoel nodded yes, grabbing my arm. His eyes were closed, and they weren’t going to open anytime soon. I led him to the car, and we drove home.

We had stopped at a restaurant close to the last victim’s home, but it was an hour’s drive back to Coquina Street. Nircoel quickly fell asleep, and I hoped he rested well.

~.~

Pulling into our driveway, Nircoel had stayed fast asleep. I hated to disturb him, but I couldn’t let him sleep in the car all night.

“Nir…Nir…Nircoel…”

No response.

I checked his pulse and breathing. Both were normal. I shook him gently, thinking he would wake up like last time.

He didn’t.

I couldn’t think of anything that would wake him up without shocking him, so I used my last resort. Getting out of the car, I went to his side, unbuckled him, and picked him up…somehow managing to lock the car, open the door, and set him in his bed without him waking up.

Except.

He did wake up.

Right as I was putting him down.

~.~

With every step, they scurried out of the way.

With every step, they remembered the fear they hadn’t felt in ten years.

Detective Willis -- or Amaryllis, as he would go by while he was here -- made his way to the boss’s room. 

No one dared to stop him, the man who had the most exposing dirt on everyone in the Sin Deckate, Robert Malighny included.

Of course, it wasn’t just their secrets that kept them from stopping him. Amaryllis was also known as “the tongue that cuts into a thousand pieces, always keeping a piece for itself.”

No one who endured his full wrath was ever fully the same.

Now he stood before the head of the Sin Deckate, wearing his trademark cocky smile that would get anyone else’s head immediately removed from their shoulders.

But Amaryllis wasn’t just anyone.

“Hello, dearest brother,” he greeted the head, exaggerating a mocking bow.

Robert, the mirror image of his younger twin, sighed, as if he was done before they even started. “Hello, you annoying brat.”

“You’re not gonna ask what brings me here?” he teased, unabashedly plopping into the seat across from his brother, consciously taking up as much space as possible.

“You’re going to tell me anyway. Out with it already.”

“I’ll need to pull…about four of the countless favors owed to me.”

Amaryllis smirked, seeing the spark of curiosity in his brother’s eyes.

“Name it and it’s yours,” Robert said, undoubtedly looking forward to his brother’s requests.

“First of all,” he began, holding up a finger, “I want you to have a meeting with me, Detective Brooks, and his assistant.”

“What would he want a meeting with me for?” Robert asked curiously. He’d never paid much attention to the names of detectives, but when the city he lived in celebrated one so much, he had to investigate him. Surprisingly and frustratingly, there was nothing on him until he came to Shoals, and, apart from him solving cases with the flair of a movie star, he hadn’t lived an exciting life. Needless to say, he was very intrigued and would love to meet him, but why would Shoal’s best want to see him?

Amaryllis laughed. “You really think I’d tell you that? My love for you has its limits.”

Robert scowled, feeling more frustrated. “As does mine. Now out with the rest of them.”

“Secondly, thirdly, and fourthly,” he said, holding up all the respective fingers. “I’ll need written and stamped guarantees of protection for all of us.”

Shocked, Robert angrily rose to his feet, looming menacingly over his younger brother. “Written, I can understand. But stamped? Am I that much of a fool to become so angry, so quickly?”

Amaryllis, unperturbed, reached up and calmly stroked his brother’s cheek. “Yes, brother. You’re doing it right now.”

At his words and at his touch, Robert fell to his knees, yet holding onto him.

Amaryllis let out a quiet sigh, stroking his brother’s hair.