Chapter 3
Commander Locke was going to be one of the four assassins who’d watched me get my ass kicked, I just knew it.
Limping alongside Falcon, with a throbbing lip and aching side, I still wasn’t sure what they saw in me.
I tried to stand tall, to keep at her pace leaving the sparring square, but I couldn’t help but hunch toward my broken ribs.
I carefully ran my palm over my side and felt where the two breaks were.
Morrow stepped away from the assassin leadership with a grin, and I feared he’d just been welcomed as an assassin as well.
“Don’t speak unless spoken to. Always address him as ‘Commander’,” Falcon said, and stepped into line with the other leaders.
The stockiest of the three men took one step forward and held his hands behind his back. “Your name?”
“Aesira Havarsdotter, Commander.”
“Aesira, you fought well for an outsider, but you’re probably wondering why we chose you.” I noticed he didn’t say for a woman, and I appreciated that.
“Yes, Commander.”
“I’ve been doing this a long time, and we can spot a good assassin from a single round of fights, but Viper called you out before you even took the goblet.”
I glanced at him, though he wasn’t looking at me. He watched whatever was going on behind me. So that’s what he’d said. “How?”
“Why, Viper.” Commander Locke turned to him. It wasn’t a question. He seemed to freeze up for a moment, and the silence stretched. “Was it just a lucky guess?”
“The way she moved, Commander. I could tell simply from her walk she’s agile. Also, the way she carries herself and is aware of her surroundings, assessing threats.”
It didn’t seem like much to go on, but what did I know?
The Commander nodded. “And in the fight?”
“She has quick reflexes and moves like a natural born assassin. Fast feet. She saw many of the strikes before they could land and moved. A warrior would rely on hitting harder rather than quickness. A warrior isn’t as dexterous and would have naturally gone for a larger weapon out of the trunk than a knife. ” His eyes quickly gave me a once-over.
Wow. All that from seeing me for a few minutes.
“Quite right. We were also impressed that you got back up after a hard knee to the chin. That shows grit. Sparring with Morrow proved your reflexes are what we need. If you want to kill vampires before they ever see you, you have to be quick. You have to become shadow. Not seen or heard.”
“Yes, Commander.” As nervous as I was to be here, I’d rather move amongst the shadows and sneak attack than go head-to-head with a vampire at least. Maybe that’s what they meant by bravery.
A warrior might prefer to be in the open and challenge a vampire.
I’d prefer a book, but the chance of becoming a scholar was past. I accepted my fate.
Warm blood slid down my chin, and I quickly wiped it with my sleeve. The deep red stain blossomed on the green fabric. I’d ruined our family’s special blouse.
“Since you were the one to find her, Viper, and even offered her advice, I think it’s fitting she will be your apprentice this year.”
His eyes darted to the Commander. “Me?” He sounded downright appalled at the idea. I wanted to sink into the ground.
Commander Locke squared his shoulders to Viper. “Is that a problem, Viper?”
There was a long pause where the two men stared each other down.
I could no longer focus on the pain pulsing in my ribs because the embarrassment overwhelmed me.
He wanted to turn me down, I could feel it.
I never wanted to be an assassin, but being rejected by one of their leaders was mortifying.
My cheeks burned, no doubt bright red. Even if half of Falcon’s face was covered, she had pity eyes.
It’s how people used to look at me when they saw the scars on my hand.
Of course Viper wouldn’t want me as his apprentice. I was inexperienced, knew nothing about anything here, and was an outsider. I would need a lot more training than someone like Morrow. No doubt he’d rather have him as an apprentice.
Finally, Viper said, “No problem, Commander,” but his tone proved otherwise.
The Commander simply faced me again. “Once we’re finished with our selections, Viper will show you to your quarters.
You may go clean yourself up and speak to your friends until he finds you.
Congratulations, Aesira. You will be one of about fifty this year, and from what I’m seeing the only one from Lothleton to join us.
We’re particular. And our numbers don’t diminish as quickly as some of the other guilds. ”
There had to be over five hundred ducai initiates in this area; they were extremely particular. And by diminish he meant... death... by vampire?
I peeked up at Viper, waiting for acknowledgment of some kind, but it never came.
I might have felt special for being selected as a rare assassin, if Viper would even look at me.
But instead, he shifted his attention to the new fight happening in the ring and didn’t breathe a word.
Not a see you later, nod, hope your face feels better, nothing.
This was the reason my father told me not to trust them. Viper didn’t care about me even when I was chosen as one of them. I was just the lowly outsider. I doubt he would care if I died during training.
My throat tightened, and the pain in my ribs flared. I quickly turned away and hobbled toward Taewyn and Celine, but I felt alone. As the only one going into this guild from Lothleton, I was alone.
It burned me up inside that Viper was...
ashamed of me. At least, that’s what it felt like.
I’d tried my best in the fight against a much stronger and experienced man when I didn’t want to be here in the first place.
I was proud of what I’d done. Tears blurred my vision.
I quickly blinked them away when Celine and Taewyn met me halfway.
“Holy shit, you’re going to be an assassin!” Celine wailed. “Maybe the farm life out there made you tougher than I thought.”
“We couldn’t believe you got back up after that hit to the face,” Taewyn added.
At least they were excited for me. I sniffled and half smiled.
“I’m not a farmer. I’m a bonecarver.” I reached up and touched the smooth surface of my carved dragon earrings to make sure they were still there.
It hurt to talk—to breathe. My head was spinning on top of it.
“I need to sit down before I fall over.”
I found the nearest wall and slid my back down it, holding my head in my hands.
I wanted to lay down on my good side, but Viper would no doubt be even more embarrassed of me.
Those blue eyes had cut into my soul with a single dismissive look.
I couldn’t even figure out why I wanted to impress him when I couldn’t trust him to look out for me.
Why I even cared that he didn’t want me when I wanted to go home.
He was dangerous. Even his name, Viper, gave me an ominous sinking in my gut.
I glanced at him once more, and a tingle of caution ran down my spine.
“Taewyn and I are about to step in the sparring arena but stay here and rest, and we’ll get you some water when we’re finished.”
“Thanks,” I rasped. I’d just sit here and wallow in self-pity.
I tapped my feet nervously as the sun dropped lower and lower on the horizon. My body wanted to run. Shouldn’t they be done with their selections by now? Shouldn’t we get inside where it was safe? My mind started to play tricks, seeing shadows where there were none.
Taewyn sat beside me. His face was as messed up as mine, but he grinned. “I’m going to be an assassin,” he muttered, while holding a cold cloth to the split over his left eye. “I can’t believe I’m going to be an assassin.”
Celine sat on my other side. She had a black eye Taewyn had given her, but it was hardly noticeable with her dark makeup.
“I thought I was going to be a warrior.” She tossed a knife from hand to hand.
“Now I’m stuck with you two and my stupidass ex-boyfriend,” but she smiled through every word.
I was more surprised that Morrow was an assassin than she was.
Although, he was quick and agile and didn’t have the brawn of a couple of his friends.
“And my trainer said I can’t smoke anymore so I better have my last one now.
” She took the white roll of tobacco out of her pocket and lit the end of it with the nearby torch.
She put it to her lips and closed her eyes. “I’m going to miss it.”
The sunset was pink and salmon tonight. I nervously picked at the dry skin around my nails. I couldn’t sit here much longer. I felt like I was going to combust if I didn’t at least move. “When do we go inside?”
“They’re almost done. There’s only a few left to test,” Celine answered.
I knew from Grandma Thora that they said it was safe at night inside the city, but I just didn’t believe it.
There were torches on the walls and down the center of this whole area, but it would be dark soon.
I’d almost died the previous night. That stupid gold nugget seemed even less important than ever.
But now I regretted not telling my father where it was so he could sell it. “I want to go inside.”
“You have to wait for your trainer.” Taewyn handed me a canteen of water. “Viper is the highest-ranking assassin under the Commanders. You’re lucky.”
I took a gulp of water. Lucky? He couldn’t be less interested in being my trainer. If he was the highest-ranking, it was even more reason for him not to care about me—the loth. “How do people rank?”
“For assassins? Usually by number of kills,” Celine answered and blew out a plume of smoke. “He’s legendary.”
“Do you know him? What’s he like?” I stared at him across the courtyard. The way he could hold completely still was unnerving. He hadn’t looked my way once.
“Of course we don’t,” Celine drawled. “He would never talk to us before this. We’ve never even seen him before. The assassins stick to themselves.”