Chapter 2
2
FRIDA
I looked around my room one last time, wondering if I’d ever see it again. The barren, stone-walled enclosure was a striking contrast to my cottage hidden away in the lush forest, with its large, flung-wide windows and worn timber floors that creaked under every step, like the house itself was alive and speaking back to me. Letting me know it was there to hold me in its warm, cozy embrace.
The lodgings of the Assassin’s Guild were cold and windowless, situated inside a skinny hall that had once been a prison for undesirables. I’d been forced to leave most of my belongings back home, bringing only the bare necessities with me when I moved here to train. The guild didn’t believe in frivolities—things like perfumed soaps, handmade pottery overflowing with lush plants, and stacks of fiction books that smelled of ink and vellum. Everything I truly loved was still there—everything but my family—and I’d left it the way I liked it, just in case I failed here.
But deep down, I knew failure wasn’t an option.
With a sigh, I threw a worn leather pack onto my shoulder, along with my bow and arrows, and left the barren room and its insufferably thin straw mattress behind. Once I was back outside with the fresh air filling my lungs and the cerulean sky stretching overhead, my heartbeat cantered at the thought of the adventure looming before me. After a full year, I could finally have some time away from this dreary city and those lifeless guild-hall rooms. I hated leaving my family and Stella, but I couldn’t think of a single other thing I’d miss about this place. Except maybe the owlery, where I’d spent a large portion of my time tending to the birds when they returned from delivering messages.
I took off toward the docks with a pep in my step. But as I made my way through the bustling city streets, it felt like a noose was wrapped around my throat—one controlled by Erik. Because though I might spend the next month or two out in the wilds, the guild would draw me back to it eventually.
Which was fine—no, good . It was what I wanted, wasn’t it?
This was the life I’d chosen. I had to see this thing through.
W eeks passed in a haze of sunshine and salt-thick air. I spent my days wandering the deck and helping the crew with whatever tasks they needed. At times, I stood on the bow and gazed ahead into the endless stretch of blue, my heart a wild thing in my chest. My emotions were more at odds than they’d ever been before. The blood in my veins seemed to hum from the thrill of the adventure, but my dread grew with every inch that vanished between me and our destination. Because once I arrived on the island, gone would be the soul-settling days of hard physical work and nights of booming laughter around bowls of salted fish and rice. In its place would come…well, at least it wasn’t murder .
Yet.
The assignment parchment burned a hole in my pocket. I’d read it over and over again during the journey. It said not to kill the mark, but I couldn’t help but wonder if that was part of the test. Would Erik welcome me into the guild if I showed up without my first assassination notched into my leather belt? Knowing him, it was hard to believe he’d accept anything but a full demonstration of my allegiance to the guild, above all else.
But if that was what he wanted, he should have said. As it was, I’d do what he asked and no more.
I tried not to dwell on it and focused on each day as it came, and eventually, the ship set its anchor down in the calm waters off the southwest coast of an island called the Floating Forest. From what I could tell at this distance, it was about as blunt as a name could be. Towering redwood trees with enormous trunks and rich, verdant leaves consumed the entire coast, backlit by a golden sun. A small stretch of beach hovered near the edge of the trees, where the waves gently lapped against pristine white sand.
The captain of the ship, an ice giant named Louisa, swaggered across the deck to where I stood gazing out at the island. At a staggering eight feet, she towered over me. Her long silver hair was braided down her back, and the sunlight illuminated her pale blue skin. An enormous hawk perched on her shoulder, ruffling his feathers. I rarely saw her without him.
“We’re ready to lower the boat down for you,” she said in the lilting accent of the northern mountains. “Head for that beach. You’ll find a trail through the woods that will take you into Oakwater.”
I nodded. The ship would go no closer to Oakwater, for fear of being spotted. If the islanders discovered this ship was in league with the guild, they’d likely cease all trade with them. I’d need to come and go as stealthily as possible.
Truth was, I’d come to know Louisa well over the past sixteen days, and she didn’t strike me as the type to get involved with someone like Erik. She was all smiles most of the time and ensured her crew had plenty of hearty food and enough time for rest after long days spent toiling in the sun. Every night, she shared the table with us, laughing and joking and telling tales of her time spent on the sea. She also refused to do business with anyone who had a ‘black heart’ as she called it.
“Thanks for all your help. I’ve had a lovely time with you and your crew,” I told her.
She cocked her head. “This is your first assignment, isn’t it?”
I gave her a wry smile. “Is it that obvious?”
“I’ve only dealt with a few of you over the years. It’s the kind of job I only take when trades are extremely slow,” she said. “The others were nothing like you. They kept to themselves most of the time, and they had a certain look about them. Like they were immune to the charms of the sea. But you’re full of life. And they weren’t.” She patted me on the arm. “Whatever you’ve come here to do, try not to let it kill you, too, eh?”
My heart pounded against my ribs. If Erik found out she’d said this to me, he’d be livid. My friendliness had made her comfortable around me—too comfortable. And suddenly, I understood the guild’s rules a little more than I had before. Connections were dangerous. For everyone involved.
I’d been born to become an assassin. It was in my blood. Running away from that life before had caused me nothing but pain. And if I had to shut down a part of my nature to get through these assignments, that was what I’d have to do, I supposed. It was the only way to keep my family in my life.
“I’ll be fine,” I told her after a long moment of silence stretched between us, interrupted only by the rush of waves against the ship.
She gave me a sad smile. “All right. Well, all I can do is wish you luck.”
B y the time I made it to shore, the deep blue haze of twilight had descended upon the island. The dark waters hissed against the sand as I tugged the rowboat into the dense brush. I’d leave it hidden away, where I hoped no one would find it. Louisa would return with her ship in three weeks after she’d traded with the nearest island, The Shard. If I wasn’t ready to leave, she’d sail off again, only to return two weeks after that. In the meantime, I’d have to wait it out in the wilds.
Not a problem. I’d spent so many years living in my rustic cottage, surrounded by trees and wild animals, that the forest felt more like home to me than anywhere else.
After I drowned my boat in a pile of leaves, I found the trail cutting through the redwoods and started off toward Oakwater. According to the guild’s information, Rune lived on the outskirts of the village rather than in the town itself, a fact that would make my task a lot easier. The fewer possible witnesses, the better.
As my boots thudded against the packed dirt trail, twilight deepened into full night. Insects filled the forest with a buzzing melody, and the rustle of leaves and branches seemed to dog my every step. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a squirrel scrabble up the side of a tree, its eyes gleaming even in the heavy darkness. My elven senses seemed to heighten more at night, and the rich woody scents of the forest flooded over me. Moss and pine cones. Lichen and damp soil. Wild mint and petrichor.
A twang went through my stomach. Fate be damned, it smelled so much like home .
Soon, wood smoke curled through the trees, and the path widened, where it led toward several timber buildings. Their windows held a yellowish glow that battled with the forest shadows. I slowed and stepped off the path to melt into the trees. With a light footfall, I crept closer to the buildings.
Beyond the windows, a family of dwarves was gathered around a rustic wooden table and eating a hearty meal of stew. The two fathers sat on either end with their six children filling the chairs between them. The oldest boy, a lad of nine or ten, looked like he was regaling his family with a raucous tale while he played his lute furiously. His family listened with rapt attention, and after a time, everyone broke out into applause.
I crept closer, as if an invisible string was tugging me toward them. This was what a family truly was, the kind I’d never had. What if I’d never run away from mine all those years ago, before they’d moved into the guild-hall, where everything felt stark and cold? Could it have been like this if I’d stayed?
Could we have all gathered around the dinner table, sharing stories and songs?
No . My gut clenched. My parents had hidden the truth about the guild from me. So had my brother. Dinners had always been tense and burdened by endless secrets, me on the outside while the rest of them exchanged weighted, knowing looks. For a long time, I’d thought it was because none of them liked me very much, and they couldn’t wait for me to go to bed so they could have a nice evening without me.
So one day, I’d crept from my room after my mother had put me to bed. I’d been so determined to catch them in the act—laughing together about annoying little Frida.
I hadn’t overheard them talking about me, though. That was the night I’d discovered every single member of my family, past and present, was a killer.
It was the night I’d packed my bags and fled the city. I’d run for hours that night until I’d stumbled upon an abandoned cottage in the woods, the floorboards coated in a thick layer of dust.
The memories from that night made my heart ache, even after all this time.
Sighing, I put my back to the dwarven family and walked shakily through the trees. My arms ached from the row across the sea, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten. As eager as I was to find Rune, I needed rest. I should find somewhere to make camp, get some sleep, and search for his home in the early morning hours before the sun rose.
I backtracked, heading away from the tree line. I wouldn’t risk staying in close proximity to civilization tonight, nor would I risk a fire. After a while, I came across a tree hollow, the hole large enough for me to fit comfortably. Seemed like as good a spot as any.
After I settled inside the trunk with my back against the rough wood, I dug through my pack. My provisions were enough for tonight, but I’d need to forage and hunt tomorrow, especially if I wanted to keep my energy up. A few bits of dried meat would soothe the hungry ache in my stomach for now, but it wouldn’t go much further than that.
When I was done eating, I shrugged off my cloak, folded it into a pillow, and curled up against the inside of the tree. I thought it would take a while for me to settle enough for sleep, but I hadn’t accounted for how heavily my exhaustion weighed on me. And within moments, the world of dreams greeted me.
Gone were my dark thoughts of barren rooms, gray walls, and dagger-wielding killers. Instead, I dreamed of sunshine and laughter. Of bare feet on mossy earth and the rich scent of redwoods.