Chapter 17
M y stomach churned at sunrise. In this strange bed, reality hit me - I'd soon head downstairs to start my new life with assassins. Part of me wanted to flee, but I had nowhere else to go. Despite Vanya's warning, I was alive. Maybe they weren't the monsters I'd feared. I crept from bed to the desk where Vanya's clothes waited. The black leather pants fit, though long, revealing her taller build. The tight black shirt rode up above my waist. I'd have to manage with ill-fitting clothes - one more sign I didn't belong. Yet.
After pulling on my boots and strapping the dagger to my thigh, I tucked my dark hair behind my pointed ears for clear sight. Taking a breath, I stepped out.
Following the noise downstairs, I found the dining room. Voices and laughter filled the space where two laden tables stretched end to end. Men crowded around heaping plates as I searched for an empty seat.
"Hey, fresh meat!" A fair haired man called out, gesturing to the empty seat beside him. At least there was no question about their profession - or their capacity for murder. I slid into the offered seat, reaching for the nearest pitcher. Relief washed over me as water, not alcohol, filled my cup. Though I enjoyed my drinks, staying clear-headed seemed wise in unfamiliar territory.
"So, you're Vanya's latest stray?" He asked through his food, eyes bright with interest. He looked harmless enough - golden-haired with warm brown eyes flecked with amber. But assassins weren't meant to look dangerous. Like me - just a slight girl with oversized violet eyes. That was the whole point.
I shrugged, piling food onto my plate. Barely eating the night before had left me ravenous. My hunger clawed at my insides like a feral beast.
"Most of us, yeah," he replied, washing down his food with a swig from his cup. "Name's Lucas."
"Lor," I managed between bites. The buttery biscuit melted on my tongue, its flaky layers reminding me of Sally, our village baker. No one could match her skill with bread, but these came close.
"Not much for conversation, huh?" Lucas mused. "Don't worry, you're not alone. See Jimmy over there?" He nodded toward a hulking figure at the other table. "Took him two whole months to break his silence."
"I'm shocked he managed to resist your sparkling wit for so long."
Lucas flashes a sheepish grin as he leans by my ear, "Well, he threatened to cut my balls off when I tried the first week. I'm a little attached to them and didn't want to risk being maimed." He chuckles at the memory while my cheeks heat up.
"Noted. I'll keep that threat in my back pocket for when you inevitably annoy me."
"Careful, Lor. I might just enjoy that," he said with a wink. Before us, the empty seats were suddenly claimed by a mountain of a man and two burly thugs. The man's eye was covered by a patch while the other, a muddy brown as lifeless as stagnant water, scrutinized me. His two cronies were leering at me like I was their next meal.
"Back off, Lucas. This one's got standards," the man growled, his single eye boring into Lucas, who visibly tensed.
"I do have standards," I shot back, refusing to let this brute intimidate me. Either I showed my teeth now, or I'd be prey forever. The man began to howl with laughter at my retort, "Don't flatter yourself, Patches. I prefer my men with depth perception."
The hall quieted into a deafening silence as every head turned in our direction. His cronies gaped like landed fish.
"You'd do well to watch that tongue of yours," Patches snarled, his single eye narrowing as his muscles coiled beneath the table. My first day and I'd already made an enemy. I tensed, expecting a blade, but Donovan just stood with his gang. "The name's Donovan. Remember it." He stormed out with his followers. The hall stayed quiet for a moment before whispers broke out - likely about the new girl foolish enough to taunt their one-eyed leader.
"That was quite the performance, Lor," Lucas said, his eyes darkening with worry. He quickly cleared his plate and rose, nodding towards the exit. "Come on, you're with me today."
"I don't need a babysitter, Lucas. I can handle myself."
"Trust me, getting on Donovan's hit list isn't what concerns me. Vanya assigned us as partners for tonight's job. Said something about complementary skills."
I followed Lucas from the hall to the back gardens' training ring. "What happened to your previous partner?" I asked, testing unfamiliar daggers from the weapons rack.
"She died," Lucas said quietly, hefting a pair of swords and testing their balance. "Ever used these before?" He tossed me the lighter blade. I caught it with practiced ease, testing its weight with a few practiced movements before falling into a ready stance, my lips curving into a confident smile.
"Oh, this is going to be interesting," Lucas said, his eyes lighting up as our blades met in a fierce dance.
We sparred until we both dripped sweat, matching each other's skill. Lucas switched between weapons to test me. My guard training showed - I wielded swords with passable skill, moved like liquid grace with daggers, and my arrows found their marks with deadly accuracy, drawing an appreciative whistle from Lucas.
"You're a natural," he said. The praise felt empty - I'd chosen this path from desperation, not desire. But when Lucas grabbed the battle axes, my skill faltered. Their bulk made them impossible to control.
My confidence wavered when Lucas hefted the battle axes from the weapons rack. The weapons proved too unwieldy, their weight hampering both my strikes and defensive maneuvers.
Throughout the match, shadows beckoned at the edges of my awareness, tempting me to slip into their embrace. I could have danced through the shadows, emerging wherever Lucas left himself vulnerable. Vanya's motives for pairing us remained unclear - had she told him about my... abilities?
Despite my initial reservations, Lucas was growing on me. His endless chatter and easy smiles masked a lethal precision that emerged with each weapon he wielded.
Like watching winter frost claim autumn leaves, his transformation from jovial companion to hardened killer was mesmerizing.
"That's enough for today," he said, his killer's mask melting back into an easy smile. "Get some food and rest. We move at nightfall - be ready."
I nodded, helping Lucas rack the weapons before heading back. Near the manor, I spotted Donovan in the shadows, his single eye gleaming with hate as he watched me, arms crossed over his chest. Though a chill ran down my spine, I kept my head high until he disappeared from sight. I was beginning to regret my clever quip about his depth perception.