Chapter 2 Scarlett
CHAPTER 2
SCARLETT
S carlett ran to the man as he sauntered past Mikale and Drake. He caught her when she threw herself into his arms, gripping her as tightly as she gripped him.
“Hello, Seastar,” he murmured into her hair.
Cassius Redding had grown up on the streets of Baylorin in the same District where she had lived with her mother. The Assassin Lord had discovered him and brought him to the Fellowship where he had met Nuri and, eventually, Scarlett. He had begun training with Nuri’s father, the Lord of the Assassins. When he was twelve though, Lord Tyndell had come across a young boy who had bested six other boys in a brawl in an alley. He had been so impressed by Cassius’s fighting skills at such a young age, he took him in and raised him alongside Drake and Tava, considering him one of his own. The Assassin Lord had only allowed Cassius to do so if he continued to train with them as well. He had done just that and had become a lethal warrior, rising to become a Commander in the king’s armies, which Lord Tyndell led as a member of the king’s Inner Circle.
Cassius had been one of the men who had trained Scarlett the most in combat and weaponry; but she hadn’t seen Cassius in weeks, and it had worn on her. Scarlett’s relationship with him wasn’t one she could put into words. He was more than a brother, and she was closer to him than anyone else. He treated her as an equal and trained her as such. His pride hadn’t been hurt when Scarlett started becoming a real challenge in the sparring rings, and he wasn’t afraid to correct her or spare her feelings when she was sloppy or made a crucial mistake. As they had grown up, they had only grown closer, especially once he was assigned to be her private tutor when she was thirteen.
Cassius set her down, brushing his hand along her cheek, and Scarlett closed her eyes to the touch. “Where have you been?” she whispered, barely audible. Tava had stepped closer to Drake to give them space.
“Here and there,” he answered. His hand stilled. “Open your eyes and look at me.” She did as he ordered and peered into his eyes of rich chocolate brown. No words were needed. They rarely were with them. He searched her face and said, “Are you off to something pressing?”
Scarlett shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. Gods, she hadn’t realized just how much she had missed him. Without breaking her gaze, he called to Drake, “Are we fine to use the training quarters? Will we be undisturbed?”
“I can make that the case,” Drake answered with understanding.
“Please do so,” Cassius replied. “Shall we?”
For the first time in a long time, a grin spread across Scarlett’s face and reached her eyes. She looped her arm through Cassius’s and let him lead her back to the training building they had just vacated, flipping Mikale off over her shoulder as she went.
Scarlett grabbed the same sword she’d used with Nuri and stepped into the ring opposite Cassius. He pulled his sword from the scabbard buckled to his waist, his features serious as he said in a low voice, “You looked like you were about to gut him.”
“Did I?” she asked innocently, readying herself for the match.
“Scarlett.” His tone was a warning.
Drake, Mikale, and Tava had followed them into the barracks. Drake and Tava were speaking quietly near the doors, keeping watch. It would be frowned upon for a woman in a noble household to be trained in weaponry. Never mind the fact that she hadn’t been born noble. It was generally unacceptable for any woman to know how to defend themselves, and should she be discovered to be swinging a sword…well, it wouldn’t be good.
Cassius struck first, and Scarlett parried his attack. Ignoring his warning, she said pointedly, “You say you have been here and there, but you most certainly have not been here. I live here, you know. Your bedroom is literally next to mine. It’s been weeks since you’ve slept in your own bed.” Cassius opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off. “I would know if you’d slept in your bed, Cassius.”
He closed his mouth as he caught her feint right and blocked her blow. “You’ve been training again?” he said, surprise in his tone.
“Here and there,” Scarlett replied, ducking low to dodge a swing, then quickly rising to strike one of her own. Cassius smirked at her response. “She said I was out of practice, and you’re deflecting the question.”
He chuckled as he avoided her swings. He was on the defensive now, and Scarlett took full advantage, her footwork nearly perfect. She took in every move he made, anticipating every strike. “My Seastar, you never miss a thing, do you? I assumed she had been here when I saw you near the training quarters.”
“He has an assignment for me,” she said, breathing hard now. “Do you know of it?”
“I do not,” Cassius answered, cursing as she ducked under his arm and popped up behind him, forcing him to swing around. “I’m assuming you will say no. Again.”
“I said yes.”
The shock was evident on his face. He was so stunned that he left his left side unguarded, and Scarlett capitalized on the opening. She whirled and swung, and, as he moved to block the blow, she dropped down and swiped with her leg. He realized the maneuver too late, and, although he caught his balance at the last second, it was all she needed to bring the point of her blade to his throat.
She lowered her sword, stepping forward and closing the small distance between them, breathless. “That’s why she was here?” Cassius asked. “To bring you the details of the assignment?”
Scarlett shook her head. “No. She was only sent to see if I would take the assignment. He is apparently sending word of the target later.”
“You have reconciled with him enough to begin taking assignments again?” Cassius asked with a raise of his brow. She could hear the doubt in his voice.
“I have when the payment is aid in taking out the one responsible for my mother’s death,” Scarlett whispered.
Cassius’s eyes widened. “Scarlett, I know you desire answers, but you got retribution on Dracon. Some secrets are better left just that.”
“You can’t be serious, Cass,” she hissed, struggling to keep her voice low.
Before he could answer, Mikale came striding towards them, a curt smile on his lips. “Still deadly, I see,” he said, his voice steely. “Although I do wonder why a woman of your newly found status feels the need to be so well-versed in weaponry any more?” His eyes slid to Cassius. “And why the men in your life still feel the need to train you in such fields now that you are a woman of nobility?”
Cassius lazily flicked his hand in Scarlett’s direction. “Have you met Scarlett, Mikale? You will find it in your best interest to indulge her requests and continue to watch your balls around her even with the current…agreements.”
Mikale bristled as Cassius tossed her a wink; and before Mikale could reply, Scarlett crooned, “I find the need to be so well-versed because I have found most men to be so incredibly inadequate.”
Mikale blinked once at her brashness before saying, “Would you not desire a man who would treat you as the gem you are? Who would protect you so you wouldn’t need to do so yourself?”
Scarlett gave a humorless laugh. “I would desire a man who knows I don’t need to be protected. I am not some precious jewel to be kept in the coffers, only to be displayed at galas and ceremonies. I would seek someone who would not keep me in a cage.”
Mikale snickered. “You do know such a luxury is not an option when you become a Lady of the Court, do you not? Maybe you should have considered such a thing before making the choice to become one.” She could see Tava and Drake from the corner of her eye. Drake’s lips were tight as he pretended to adjust his sword belt. Tava’s arms were crossed, her head cocked as she took in the exchange. She sucked in a quick breath at Mikale’s words, waiting to see if Scarlett gave in to the rage that was roiling in her gut. It felt like fire and ice all at once, aching to be unleashed.
“You do know I do not give a damn about such things, do you not?” she responded, faux sweetness sounding in her voice as she struggled to push the rage down, down, down.
A snort of laughter came from Cassius. Mikale glared at him. “You were warned, Lairwood,” Cassius said, an iciness in his tone. “Unless you plan to take this to the sparring ring, I suggest you leave her and her weaponry be. She may live here and be denied her freedom, but she will still make you bleed in the most interesting ways.” The two men stared each other down for a long moment.
Mikale stepped closer to Scarlett and Cassius tensed. “This is not over.”
“It never is,” she replied coldly.
“As delightful as this unexpected power struggle is,” came a male voice from the doorway, “Lord Tyndell requests the presence of his children, and your carriage is here, Lairwood.”
Scarlett turned to see a man leaning against the wall near the building’s entrance. She hadn’t realized there was anyone else with them. When had he come in? Had he seen her sparring?
The man was tall, taller than any of the other men in the room, with broad muscled, well, everything. He wore a tunic of blue and grey with the golden crest of Windonelle embroidered on it. A member of the king’s army then, and high ranking if he was walking freely around the Tyndell Estate. His golden eyes were fixed on her, even though he spoke to the others in the room, his head slightly to the side as if perplexed, and a lock of his dark hair tumbled over his brow. Had she seen him around the manor before? She thought she might know him from somewhere, but wasn’t sure where. She certainly could have seen him around. People were always coming and going from the Lord’s house. She hadn’t cared to learn who they were. Hell, she scarcely remembered her first six months of living here.
“Are you coming, Scarlett?” Tava asked, turning to leave the quarters.
“I need to speak with Cassius for a moment,” she answered. She held the gaze of the man who spoke, his eyes still on her. “He will escort me back.”
Tava nodded and turned to leave with Drake. Mikale moved to follow them. Looking back over his shoulder, he said, “Until next time, my pet.”
“Tell Prince Callan I said hello,” Scarlett retorted, her eyes narrowing as she met his dark eyes. “Of course, then you’d have to explain how you know me.” Mikale stopped short, glaring at her. She smiled back with poisoned sweetness.
“Careful, Lady,” Mikale said, his voice dangerous and low. “Someone found your mother. It would be a shame for others to befall the same fate, but I suppose that has already happened, hasn’t it?”
“Mind your company, Lairwood,” Cassius growled, stepping in front of Scarlett.
Mikale merely sneered and pushed past Drake and Tava as he left the training barracks.
When Drake and Tava had left, she turned back to Cassius. “You are not seriously suggesting that I say no to this assignment, are you? When that will be my prize?”
“Hush, Scarlett. We are not alone,” Cassius said, glancing pointedly over her shoulder.
She whirled to find the man still leaning against the wall, studying her. “Do you need something?” she snarled. The man raised his brows at her address. She heard Cassius say her name in warning yet again, but she crossed her arms and glared at the man. “Do you not speak? Or do you need a treat to entice you?”
A small, amused smile curled on the man’s lips. “That would depend on what type of treat you are offering me, Lady.”
Scarlett’s lips pursed in a cool, unimpressed glare. “I may look the part, but I am no Lady.”
“I could tell that by the way you handle a sword,” he answered. He had a slight accent that she couldn’t quite place. She’d been to all three of the kingdoms on more than one occasion, but it didn’t seem to fit any of them. His eyes dragged up and down her body and then he added, “While in a dress of all things.”
“I’m not sure why I need to keep explaining this to people today, but you’d be amazed at the things one can accomplish while in a dress,” Scarlett answered dryly.
“I will have to take your word for it…Lady,” he replied. There was a slight glimmer in his eyes as he watched her.
“Cassius, who is this prick?” she snapped.
Cassius let out a loud, exasperated sigh. “Captain Renwell. He trains one of the units of the Lord’s armies.”
He trains them? Interesting.
“I can see the admiration in your eyes,” the Captain quipped.
“Admiration?” she said with a raised brow. “I believe you’re mistaken, Captain.”
“That would be unusual.” His amused smile grew as he took in her slightly confused look. “I am rarely ever mistaken.”
Her eyes narrowed at him. “Well, you were mistaken this time because it was not admiration you were glimpsing but puzzlement.”
“Puzzlement?”
“Yes, puzzlement as to how someone who only seems capable of holding up a wall trains a unit of Lord Tyndell’s forces.”
“Would you like a demonstration of what else I am capable of? I would love to share some of my secrets with you.” The glimmer of amusement in his eyes seemed to glow brighter.
“Would you like me to throw a dagger at your face?”
“Scarlett,” Cassius hissed. “He is a very high ranking and highly—”
“I dare you,” the Captain smirked.
“Shit,” Cassius muttered under his breath.
Before the word had finished leaving his lips, Scarlett had pulled a dagger that was strapped to her thigh beneath her gown, cocked it, and hurled it right at the man’s stupid, smirking face.
And he caught it. By the handle. He simply stepped to the side and caught it before it embedded itself in the wall, a breath from his ear.
Scarlett stood in shock.
“As I was saying,” Cassius said. She could hear the smile in his voice. “He is a very high ranking and highly skilled soldier.”
Captain Renwell crossed the room and came to a stop mere inches from her. As he extended the blade to her, he leaned in and whispered, “Is it admiration now, Lady? ”
Irritation flooded through her, and without warning, she whirled and attempted to kick him in the stomach. But he caught her ankle, and Cassius had to grip her elbow to keep her from falling to the ground.
The man’s cocky grin had her seeing red. “Let go,” she said in a deadly calm whisper.
“And risk you trying to attack me again? I think not.”
She went cold with rage, and as she was contemplating the best move to break his hold, the man’s eyes widened. He dropped her ankle, stepping back from her. His face went from amusement to perplexed as he studied her with that curious expression once more.
Cassius cleared his throat. “You’re in an…interesting mood today, Renwell.”
As if it were nearly impossible to do so, he dragged his stare from her to Cassius. “That will happen when a Lady throws a dagger at your face.”
“Call me Lady one more time, and you will find out just how un-ladylike I am,” she hissed.
“Don’t tempt me,” he replied, that slight glimmer returning to his eyes.
Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “How did you catch it?”
His brows rose in surprise. “So it was admiration? Did I impress you?”
“Hardly,” she lied. It had been impressive. She was highly trained against numerous types of enemies. It’s why she did the king’s dirty business when assigned. Few could best her, but this man? He could. Easily.
Too easily.
Gods. She was out of practice.
“Liar,” he purred.
She stuck out her tongue at him.
He huffed a laugh. “One would think that a Lady would have manners when it came to her tongue.”
“My tongue is none of your concern.”
“What if I wanted it to be?”
Her mouth nearly fell open at his brashness. Cassius coughed, attempting to cover up a laugh beside her, and she whirled on him. “What?” she demanded.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone render you speechless, Seastar,” he said with a half grin.
Scarlett flipped him off as she turned back to the Captain. “Spar with me,” she demanded. His brows rose in surprise once more as he glanced from her to Cassius. “He is not my keeper,” she said in a lethal voice.
“Is your tongue his concern, then?”
Oh, she was going to enjoy this little sparring match far too much.
Cassius cleared his throat and answered, “No, Renwell, we are nothing like that.”
The Captain’s gaze came back to Scarlett once more, and he jerked his chin to the ring.
Scarlett followed him, and Cassius stepped off to the side. She met the Captain’s golden eyes as they watched her enter the ring. He held his sword at his side. It was a beautiful blade with a silver hilt, the pommel the shape of some type of star with small gems glittering throughout. The steel of the blade was so dark, it was nearly black. She’d never seen one like it.
“Your footwork is impressive,” the Captain said, getting into a ready position.
“I know,” Scarlett replied, raising her blade.
He chuckled. “You are ready then, Lady ?”
Scarlett didn’t bother to answer as she lunged forward, striking the first blow with the rage that was thrumming through her veins after her conversation with Mikale and then the Captain.
The first blow was the only offensive move Captain Renwell allowed her to make. He deflected with ease and then rained down blow after blow. To her credit, Scarlett was able to block the blows, but barely. He moved so quickly. She wasn’t able to take in how he moved, and Nuri hadn’t been completely off base. Her skills were ones that couldn’t exactly be forgotten, but they could grow rusty when they weren’t practiced often. She hadn’t trained, not in the ways that mattered, in a long time. She wasn’t allowed to, and no one had sparred with her like this—
Her feet were swept from under her, and she was on her back with a blade at her throat.
“Train me,” she breathed, trying to regulate her rapidly falling and rising chest. It was the first time she’d felt alive in nearly a year. It was the first time she had wanted to train in just as long. At the very least, it would give her a distraction from the monotony her days had become and get her back in shape for this assignment.
“No,” the Captain said, sheathing his sword and holding out a hand to help her up. Gone was the teasing and amusement. His face was all harsh lines and hard eyes now.
Scarlett allowed herself to be jerked to her feet. “Why?” she demanded.
“Your fighting style is too different from being trained by assassins and thieves. You would have to break habits and learn new ones. It would be annoying and not worth my time,” he said simply, turning to stride from the ring.
How could he possibly know who had trained her?
“Another match then,” she said, striding to the wall of weapons. “Only allow me a different blade. If you win, I will not bother you with my request again. If I win, you train me. Twice a week.”
He turned and seemed to study her, but not the way Mikale had. His eyes stayed on hers. His nostrils flared and slowly he said, “I do not usually indulge such pleadings from those who think they are better than they are.” Scarlett curled her fingers at her sides as she leashed her temper. The Captain seemed to glance at her hands before saying, as if bored, “Select your weapon then. ” He turned to head back to the ring.
Scarlett crossed to the wall of weapons and snatched up her favorite sword. The balance was perfect. The hilt fit her palm in all the right places, nestling against calluses well-earned from years of training with thieves and assassins as he had claimed. She’d used the sword numerous times. It felt like an extension of her.
“Scarlett,” came Cassius’s low voice from beside her. “Be careful.”
She tensed. “I can beat him, Cass.”
“I’m sure you probably can, but…”
“I’m fine.” She reached over and plucked a dagger from the sheath at Cassius’s side and handed him her sword. Then she turned and, with her eyes fixed on the Captain, she gathered a side of her dress and cut a long slit up one side and then the other.
She could beat him, but not if she had to worry about being constricted by these damn skirts.
She grabbed the sword back from Cassius and tossed his dagger to him, stalking to the center of the ring. She got into a ready position. She had held back when she had sparred with him the first time. She always did with those who didn’t know where she was raised. This time would be different.
“Do you want to fix your hair first, Lady?” Ryker asked smugly, noting the loose braid that was barely holding together now.
Scarlett tugged the string from the end of her hair and tossed it to the side. “I will not say it again: I am no Lady.”
And she launched into an attack.
She held little back as she sparred with the Captain this time. Her silver hair flew around her in a wave as she ducked, twirled, and met him blow for blow. She tried to study his every movement, but he was fast. Fast like she witnessed a select few at the Fellowship. Fast like she was.
Impressive.
Scarlett blocked a blow and held her footing despite his strength. His golden eyes flickered with surprise and curiosity as she mustered her strength and pushed back. She could see why he trained the king’s armies. His skill was impeccable. Precise and controlled movements that only came from years and years of practice and training. Where had he trained?
As they moved about the ring, she let herself drift down into that pit of calming rage. That place where she drew up strength and focus, honed by her own years of brutal training. Fury only allowed out when it was needed. She channeled that ire into each swing, each thrust, each blow. Some thought she needed to learn to control that rage. Others delighted when she unleashed it.
She heard Cassius growl her name in warning. Too much. She was too close to letting all of herself out of that cage. Cassius would know. She gritted her teeth, annoyed that he had distracted her.
And that distraction cost her.
She caught the Captain’s grin right before he knocked her blade from her hand.
“As fun as this has been, I have other things to tend to,” he taunted.
He swung the sword, aiming to bring the point to her throat to end the match, but she gave him a wicked grin. She saw the shock flash on his face as she surged forward. He jerked his arm back to avoid actually slicing her with the blade. Faster than a striking asp, she ducked under his arm, spun, and landed a kick clean to the back of his leg. The Captain barked out a curse as he caught his balance. Before he could right himself completely, she punched him in the side. She brought up her other hand to land a blow to his face, but he caught her by the wrist.
“We’re not done here yet,” Scarlett purred. She wouldn’t let it show, but she was getting tired, and he was so damn strong. She strained against his hold but couldn’t break it. She brought up her other hand to push back, but he caught that wrist, too. They had maneuvered out of the actual sparring ring long ago, having moved nearly halfway across the room.
Now, still gripping her wrists, he forced her back and back. She couldn’t do anything against his brute strength. Despite all her training, he was still bigger and stronger. She felt her back hit the wall, and he forced her back against it. Cassius was monitoring things, but he wouldn’t interfere unless she signaled to him to do so.
She struggled against his hold again and almost as if he allowed her to, her fist came a little closer to his face. His eyes were fixed on her curled hand, on her right fist, where a ring glittered.
The Captain brought his golden eyes to her icy blue ones. “Where did you get that?” he breathed, barely more than a whisper.
“It was my mother’s,” she replied through gritted teeth, her strength failing.
The ring boasted a crest of an owl above a gold flame set into a sapphire stone. Her mother had given it to her the night she had been so brutally killed by Dracon. She could still picture her face, the tears that glimmered in her eyes when she’d given it to her, as if she’d known it would be the last time she’d see her.
The Captain put an arm on her elbow to steady her as he released her wrists. She stumbled slightly, unable to hide her surprise and confusion by the sudden end to the sparring match. She didn’t know what to say to him.
He studied her a moment longer, then he leaned in close. His breath was hot against her ear as he whispered in that imperceptible whisper, “You win, Lady . I shall send word for when we are to train.”
She could do nothing but stand there in stunned silence as the Captain turned, gathered up his discarded weapon, and left the training quarters without another word.
“What the hell was that about?” Cassius asked, closing the distance between them.
“I have no idea,” Scarlett answered, her eyes still on the doorway he had disappeared through.
“You are really going to train with him?”
She finally broke her stare and met Cassius’s brown eyes. “Oh, yes. I’m greatly intrigued now.”
“He is a hard ass, Scarlett. Training will not be pleasant,” he warned.
“It’ll be just like old times then.”
“You’re really going to do this? You’re really going to take this assignment and work with the Assassin Lord again? You know this won’t be all he will require of you. It’s too easy. It’s too simple.”
She knew all too well the games the Assassin Lord liked to play.
She took a deep breath. “Yes, Cassius, and when it’s all said and done, I’m going to disappear.”