SOMEWHERE IN NOVIGRAD - Redania
He knocked on the door and entered inside.
She was doing something with the elixirs in her small lab on the table.
"You found me." she said without looking at him.
"It seems so. You wrote the address.." Geralt answered calmly. He stood up to the middle of the room. She didn't say anything. Geralt was waiting but then he decided to end the quiet.
"So, what do you.." she cut him.
"There's one house where is very high magic activity and I must find the source of it and deactivate it." she explained.
"As I am aware of your magic capabilities, you don't need me." he stated but he was also confused.
"Of course I don't need you, but there's also some monster inside this house and I don't have time to deal with her. I needed witcher and you somehow showed in front of me." she stop preparing the elixir and she turned to him.
"So someone hired you to do this a job but I should do it for you?" Geralt raised his eyebrows.
"Correct." she admitted.
"You know I work for money." he looked at her.
"So do I." she smiled at him.
"I'm not working for free." he smirked.
"You don't want to help me?" she raised her eyebrow.
"I didn't say that. I said.." she interrupted him.
"I know what you said. I'm not deaf." Yennefer said strictly. "I will give your revard but I don't know what it will be yet." she faked her smile.
"Yennefer, do not try to cheat on me." he warned her.
"Do you have any idea who I am or what I'm capable of?" her face got serious.
"I had a pleasure to find out already." he answered calmly. But when he saw her face he knew he upset her and he also knew what was coming.
"Then you should remember to never threaten me again. I can leave you breathless or with nasty scars. I can kill you with one spell which you wouldn't even notice. I ain't no angel. I never was." she warned him.
"I'm not afraid of you." Geralt said confidently.
"Oh, you should be... They will tell you I'm insane." she smiled sarcastically. "Ain't it funny how quickly rumors spread?" she said thoughtfully.
"You're not insane. I would certainly notice it." he told her without hesitation.
"Are you flirting with me?" she laughed.
"No. I'm definitely not flirting with you. I would certainly do it in different way." he made it clear. It was so hard to talk with her in this way. He thought it will be easier if he knew her already, but she's never stopped surprising him.
"Maybe you're not flirting with me but now you admitted that you like me." she smiled amusemently. He was speechless. He didn't have any good argument.
"So I got my answer... You can't deny your heart for mine.." she laughed and she returned back to her small lab. He wanted to say something but he didn't know what. She won again and he hated it.
"Where will we start working?" Geralt asked her. He was frowning.
"I prepared something for you." she turned to him with some elixir. Geralt gave her confused look.
"How you..? Never mind..What is it?" he started to be suspicious.
"I wanna test your reflexes. This potion will get them faster." she explained.
"I won't drink that." he stated.
"Why not?" Yennefer raised her eyebrow.
"Because I don't trust you." he said honestly. He trusted her with all his heart but not this Yennefer. This Yennefer could be very smart but also a bitch. He had to be careful.
"It's a pity." she said calmly. "Alright, then we can go." she looked at him.
"Am I missing something?" he narrowed his eyes on her. She's never gave up so easily.
"Yes. You're missing sense of humor. Can you ever just relax for a minute?" she laughed sarcastically and she came closer to him.
"It's impossible when I'm with you." he answered calmly.
"Is it?" she smiled. She stood up in front of him.
"Yen.." he looked into her eyes. She got surprised.
"Yen..." she said thoughtfully and smiled under her nose. "So you're giving nicknames to all your ladies?" she raised her eyebrow.
"Your the first." he faked his smile.
"How did I owe such a privilege?" she put her hand on his face. She was playing with him.
Because you're special for me.. He wanted to tell her.
"I'm just trying to be polite." he smirked and softly took her hand and pulled it away from his face.
"I've never met any polite man in my life, not to mention a witcher. They don't exist." she made it clear.
"If you hasn't met anyone doesn't mean they don't exist." Geralt laughed a bit.
"Stop this clever talking. I'm grown up woman, not a child." Yennefer smirked.
"You can be also very unpleasant.." he admitted.
"Exactly. Then don't try my patience. It's very fragile." she gave him angry look. "We're leaving." she stated and went to the door. Geralt was smiling. He kind of missed these conversations between them.
HOUSE IN NOVIGRAD - Redania
"Open that goddamn door!" Yennefer shouted while she was knocking on the door.
"Easy. Not whole Novigrad needs to hear you." Geralt said with laughing.
"Have you finished?" she gave him angry look. Geralt was still smiling.
Suddenly the door opened.
"Finally." she said angrily and entered without invitation. The man looked at Geralt confused.
"Bad morning." Geralt explained and then he entered inside.
When Geralt came to the room his medallion immediately shaked. He looked at Yennefer who started searching for something in the bookshelf.
"What is this place?" the witcher was confused.
"This place belonged to one mage, but he died a years ago. But since then is here very high presnece of magic and nobody knows how to end it." the man explained. "If you excuse me..." he looked at them and then he left.
Geralt was still confused about this whole thing. He looked at Yennefer.
"So, this guy hired you?" Geralt crossed his arms.
"No. He is just helping his boss." Yennefer answered and she continue in searching. After couple of seconds she took one book from the bookshelf and she started reading it. Geralt didn't say anything. He didn't want to pressure her. He knew it won't help, it will just get worse. He started walking around the whole room. He was looking at the some stuffs. He found a map on the wall.
"Look at this - a detailed map of Northern kingdoms. Even shows spheres influence over the ages." Geralt said thoughtfully.
"Out of date." she answered without looking at him.
Geralt raised his eyes on her then he continue in walking and after couple of minutes he found another interesting thing.
"A sword in the stone. That thing is begging me to pull it of." Geralt said loudly and he started pulling the sword out but it wasn't working. Meanwhile Yennefer came to him.
"It's not in the stone. Don't you see? It's held there by a vise.." she sighed.
"I.. I.. didn't notice it.." he said embarrassed. He then looked at the book in her hand. He cleared his throat.
"Ahm.. What's the purpose of this?" he wanted to know.
"I'm looking for answers. I'll need them." she answered calmly.
"Would you finally tell me why you need these answers?" he started losing his patience.
"In due course." she stated.
"As I suppose you'll decide when.." he said sarcastically.
"You're such a clever boy.." she faked her smile.
"Where's the monster anyway?" he wanted to move on.
"Downstairs." she said without emotions.
"Do you know what kind of monster is it?" Geralt wanted to be sure.
"Am I looking like a witcher? It's your job.. then do it." she rolled her eyes.
"Sorry to bother you." Geralt smirked.
"And try not to die." Yennefer smiled at him. Her face changed.
"It will be your fault. You didn't provide me any informations." he was teasing her.
"Get of my eyes witcher. You're getting on my nerves." she laughed a bit. Geralt smiled under his nose and he went downstairs. At least she cared about him. This was a good sign.
Geralt came to the storage. His medallion started shaking, not only because of monster. The presence of magic was even stronger here, but the monster was too close as well. He noticed a big hole in the wall and he felt a strong smell. This corridor must be connected to the sewers which would explain from where the monster came.
Suddenly he heard a noise from the corridor. He quickly pressed himself to the wall close to the hole and he was waiting. He wanted to surprised the monster. The noises were closer and he also heard her steps. When he noticed her he immediately used sign AXIE to stun the monster. He used the moment of monster's inattention and he hit her to her back. Monster screamed and she immediately turned to witcher. Geralt now saw her clear. It was Ghoul. The monster attacked him but Geralt managed to jump on the side. Ghoul started to be angry and he attacked witcher again but in that moment Geralt hit her into the legs, then quickly to the stomach. But monster very quickly returned the blow and she scratched his arms. Geralt sighed painfully but then he did a pirouette on the side, he hit monster again to her back. Then he stabbed her into her stomach. The monster screamed painfully and she fell down dead on the ground.
Geralt sighed and looked at his scratches. He hoped they weren't infected because he didn't have any potion on infection in his bag.
"Are you all right?" Yennefer came down to the storage when she heard long scream of the monster. She stood up next to him. She was a bit worried.
"Yes, I am. I have some scratches, but nothing serious." Geralt said calmly.
"Fine." she calmed down and she started looking around the storage.
"I think the door are here." he pointed to the wall.
"What? Where? I don't see any door." she frowned.
"You don't see it because it's an interaction. I saw it before many times and my medallion also reacted on it." Geralt explained.
"Oh really? And how you wanna turn it off Genius?" she crossed her arms.
"I have some thing in my bag." he smirked. She rolled her eyes. Geralt opened his bag which he had on his back and took a very small machine from it. Then he used it on the wall and suddenly the interaction disappeared.
"How.. Where did you get this thing?" Yennefer was in awe.
"I.. one sorceress gave me this once.." he was trying to smile.
"Oh.." she was surprised. She didn't expect that answer.
"I was just helping her.." she interrupted him.
"I don't want to hear about it." she faked her smile. After couple of seconds Geralt interrupted embarrassing quiet between them.
"This will be thoug to open." he admitted.
"Surprises never ends. See this?" Yennefer put her confident look and pointed at the missing crystal.
"Hard not to." he answered calmly.
"An indication we're near his laboratory. I also sense a clear magic aura." she explained. She stepped closer and started examine the door.
"What are you doing?" Geralt didn't understand.
"Searching for more clues." she didn't look at him.
"We'll definitely need a crystal to open it. If you don't mind I'm gonna at least find it.." he said confidently.
"Do what you want." she stated. He sighed and went to the middle of the storage. He started looking around the whole room. He noticed a silver box pinned to the wall at the end of the storage. The crystal must be there. He thought. He started going towards the box, but when he was not far away from it he suddenly stepped on panel in the floor. It moved.
"Shit." Geralt looked at the floor and suddenly from the small tiny holes in the wall started spreading green steam.
"Yennefer!" he called on her to warn her but at that moment the steam hit him into his nose and his head spun. Then everything went black for him.
Geralt opened his eyes and he felt like he had a strong hangover.
"What's happening?" he was trying to stood up slowly.
"You were hallucinating. I had to calm you down." she laughed a bit. She was standing next to him.
"Hm.. I must looked strange.." he said thoughtfully.
"You passed the alarm system and the door stands open." she said with excitement.
"But what opens that damn crystal then?" he was confused.
"Nothing, we need crystal to deactivate source of magic inside the lab." she explained.
"You knew about it? Don't you?" he looked at her suspiciously.
"Kind of.. I read something about his lab in his book. He had there some notes.." she said calmly.
"I should have know it. You just used me." he shaked his head.
"You're alive.. So?.. Come, we don't have a whole day on it." she commanded him.
"Now you're in hurry?" he raised his eyebrow.
"I don't want to spend here any more time as is necessary. Especially not with you." she faked her smile.
"So, I'm suddenly your problem.." Geralt laughed.
"Yes. You're standing in my way." she pushed him to the side and then she went to the lab. Geralt shaked his head again. She could be so unbearable sometimes. He followed her.
"It's huge." Geralt admitted when he stepped next to her.
"See this thing looking like a Megascope? We had to put the crystal on missing place without touching anything around it." she was very focus.
"I'm won't do it." he stated.
"Fine. Then wait here." she said calmly and went to the weird machine. He realized he should not let her to do it alone.
"Hey wait!" Geralt stopped her. She looked at him confused.
"What if that thing has his own defense system as well? It could be dangerous." he was bit worried. After all she was his wife.
"And what should I do then? Wait here till I will get old or what?" she raised her eyebrow.
"No, we should do it differently. Due our safety. We don't know how many traps can be here. We should do some tests first." he explained.
"Oh hell no, I'm gonna do it in my way." she stated. She then came closer to the machine and she started slowly stretching her hand to the place where crystal belongs. She was trying to not do any reckless move. Geralt wasn't even breathing. He was really worried about her. When her hand was close enough to safely put the crystal on the missing place, she put the crystal into the machine. But nothing happened. Yennefer was confused. Geralt realized that something is wrong.
"Yennefer!" he shouted on her. He immediately jump on her and used sign QUEEN, the shield appeared around them and in that moment the machine explode.
Geralt was laying on her. Thanks to the shield they were both alive. Yennefer was still bit confused. She didn't expect the explosion as she didn't expect Geralt jumping on her.
"Are you okay?" he looked at her worriedly. Their faces were so close to each others.
"I'm fine.." she looked straight into his eyes. He softly grabbed hair on her face and moved it to the side. He wasn't realizing what he was doing. He did it because of habit. She pretended like she didn't notice what he did. But this gesture surprised her.
Then she started thinking. It shouldn't have happened. It should have just stop the magic aura, but not explode. Something was wrong and this wasn't a coincidence. Someone did it on purpose. In any case they would be dead now if Geralt wouldn't intervene.
"How did you know it will explode?" she was confused.
"I did not. I got the feeling that something is wrong, so I trusted my instincts." Geralt answered calmly. They were staring at each other.
"I.. Can you..?" she smiled at him.
"Of course." he leaned away from her and stood up. She stood up too and then she looked at him.
"Thank you.." she said honestly.
"Always." Geralt smiled at her. "Let's go. It's dangerous here." he suggested. She nodded.
When they were upstairs, they went to the room where they were before. But they stopped walking when they spotted him.
"So the job is done as I see.. and you also brought a company." the man laughed. Geralt frozed. He wished this was just a nightmare. But it wasn't. Leo Bonhart, the fucking asshole, was standing in front of him. What was the worst that it seemed he is the one who hired Yennefer.
"Bonhart." Geralt was trying to be calm but he started to feel anger boiling in his veins.
"White Wolf. Such an unexpected meeting.." Leo faked his smile. Their eyes locked. They could kill each other with their looks.
"Why the hell you didn't warn me?!" she said angrily. Leo looked at her.
"I thought you're wise Yennefer." Bonhart smirked.
"Even a wise would do it like I did because these things just don't explode." she said strictly.
"Well, shit happenns sometimes.." Leo laughed. "But you both survived, so I think this little issue is solved." he answered so calmly.
"Little issue?!" This fucking thing almost killed us! We didn't agree on this." she raised her voice. Geralt couldn't hold himself back anymore. He interrupted them.
"You didn't seem surprised Bonhart.. Don't you wanna tell us something? That you knew about it? Or that you arranged the explosion?" Geralt's blow was clear.
"I won't talk to you. Why would I? I did not hire you but her.." Leo split it to his face.
"I think you should start speaking because then I will use my sword." Geralt was serious. He came closer to Leo.
"Serve yourself. I would kill you with one exact blow. Since you have your little family you softened Wolfie.." Bonhart laughed. Yennefer gave Geralt confused look.
"Oh.. you didn't tell her? It's such a shame.." Bonhart fake his smile. Geralt's theory was just confirmed. This wasn't a coincidence that Bonhart hired her. Leo hated him, everything would make sense then.
"Stop it." Geralt warned him.
"Stop what? Stop saying the truth that you can't even take care of your own family?" Leo raised his eyebrow. "Tell her. Tell her how weak you are.." he laughed.
"Say another word and I will cut your throat!" Geralt took his sword. Leo did the same with quick move. They were facing each other. They were ready to kill each other if this would be necessary. Yennefer was so confused about everything but she was also very upset.
"Damn it! You two stop these stupid thing what are you doing right now! I have enough of it. Enough of you Bonhart! We agreed on something. So, give me my money and then piss off!" she said angrily. Her eyes were on fire.
"You won't take anything from this bastard." Geralt stated and looked at her. She looked at him surprised. Then he again looked at Bonhart. He had to be focus when he was close to him.
"What?! And who the hell are you to tell me what to do or not!" she gave him angry look.
"I said you won't take anything from him or go any closer to him." Geralt was serious.
"Did you prepare this lovely performance for me?" Leo started laughing. Geralt looked at him with anger in his eyes.
"Get out Bonhart, because I won't hold myself back." Geralt warned him. He started losing his patience.
"He'll only leave when he will finally give me my money." Yennefer stated.
"I told you something, then listen to me!" Geralt turned to her. He was full of anger. Yennefer scared for a second. She's never seen him in this way. She couldn't even say a word in that moment. Geralt then stepped closer to Bonhart.
"I said get out, because I will fucking kill you!" Geralt raised his voice. He was ready to use his sword. Bonhart was watching him.
"You're playing with fire witcher. Don't forget on it. I'm not the only one who wants you dead.." Bonhart said honestly. Geralt was trying to stay calm till the end. Leo then lowered his sword.
"We're not done yet." Bonhart gave him a killer look, then he turned around and he started leaving. Geralt started slowly breathing. He wanted to explode in that moment. But his love immediately took him back to the reality.
"What the fuck was that?!" she didn't want to believe what he did.
Geralt came back to mind.
"I.. I wanted.." she cut him.
"If you'll ever do it again Geralt, I swear to God I will burn your face and I don't care that you're handsome!" she said strictly. "And to be clear, we two are done." she was serious. She then started leaving.
"Yen.. wait.." he stopped her with his hand. "Look, I'm sorry.. but I had to do something.. he.." she cut him.
"He what? He would rape or kill me?!.. As I'm aware I'm strong enough to handle those things on my own." she gave him killer look. He was speechless.
"Now you have nothing to say? I thought so.. You only pretend to be hero when you need it.." she shaked her head, then she turned around and without any word she started leaving again.
"Fuck." Geralt sighed. He looked at her, he saw how his love full of anger was leaving. He once did the same mistake. The mistake which almost ruined him. This mistake was his biggest fear and now it was all happening again. It was different situation but with the same ending. But now he was a different person. He knew he have to act quickly. He knew he have to stop her. He knew he have to talk to her. He knew he can't let her go..
And he won't let her go. Not again.