CHAPTER TEN
Eli’s head whipped toward the sound of the unfamiliar voice. Rage slowly grew in his chest as he watched the female walk from behind the oak tree. She held a tight grip on Aurora’s arm, and a blade pressed with just enough pressure to her throat so if Aurora moved or pulled away from the female, the movement would cause the blade to cut deep and slice open her throat.
Eli quickly assessed what he needed to do. He took note that out of the Guild members gathered he knew only Mikhai and Atlas. Mikhai was to be expected. He was and would most likely always be a dog the Guild used to play fetch.
Atlas, however, was a different story. The hooded male was neck deep in the Guild, a member of the same inner circle that Eli himself was once in line to belong to. He must have tagged along on this assignment with Mikhai out of boredom. Things must have been slow for the resourceful group because Atlas” status was high enough that he would never be sent on an assignment such as this one.
Although Eli had trained Mikhai and had grown up with Atlas within the Guild. Eli’s gaze swept from the high-ranking male back to the one with the blade to his throat. He had been tasked with training many of those who came to the Guild. The inner circle had been so impressed with how fast Eli had improved his skills after the incident that scared him for life they appointed him as a trainer to the new recruits as he quickly became one of their top assassins. The latter was a resource of the Guild, but the former was an asset. Becoming a trainer was an honorable position, as they were the most trusted in the Guild, building the students up to be useful and obedient weapons for the Guild to wield.
Eli leaving had broken the trust the Guild had built with him, and going back would surely result in either death or punishments so creative that it would stop him from ever thinking about leaving again. Once you were in the Guild, there was no leaving unless you paid the debt you owed them. If you couldn’t, then you died within the Guild.
Not many lived to see a life outside of the Guild.
Every member was owned by them. A price sat on the head of every member, and that price depended on how valuable the inner circle calculated the person was to them. It was safe to say Eli’s price was very high. He would never be able to pay them what they deemed he owed and would die as the Guild’s property.
But for Eli, that ownership changed when he found Aurora all those years ago.
Something had clicked when he found Aurora in a situation that he needed to fix. He found deep inside a strong need to protect her. She was an unexpected blimp in his ordered life. A wrong he felt he needed to right but not in the way the Guild would have wished him to. That was the day he decided he was done following orders, and instead, he decided to think for himself. He stopped being the Guild’s puppet and used his craft to learn all he could before taking that step to break away.
Asher had pushed his timing forward in the end and had forced him to take that move before he had planned to, but it was what it was. He knew he had to act, and that was what he did. His only regret was leaving Asher behind.
Eli stared at the female holding Aurora, and even though he had taught her well, a need to protect her took over. He would always protect her, even if it meant forfeiting his own life in doing so.
The hooded female pushed Aurora forward, revealing her to Mikhai.
Eli watched as the two females stepped forward, coming closer and closer. He wanted to rip the Guild member”s head from her shoulders for touching what was his. His responsibility.
Mikhai’s eyebrows rose, disappearing under the hair that fell into his eyes slightly. His hair was shorter than Eli remembered it, granted he hadn’t seen him in fifteen years.
“Who’s this?” Mikhai asked, assessing her, his kohl-lined eyes slowly trailing up and down her body.
Eli growled lowly at the male.
Mikhai only laughed, “A little protective are we, Eli?”
The male’s eyes sparked with mischief, and it was starting to piss Eli off, but he remained quiet, refusing to reveal anything.
“She could almost be a daughter of his.” The female leaned in closer, bringing her face nearer to Aurora’s.
Eli could read the female, and he didn’t like what he saw. He could see just by the way she held herself and how she was looking at Aurora she could easily slit her throat without giving it a second thought. Eli had an idea who must have taken over training some of the new members, creating bloodthirsty killers without a conscience.
Silas.
Mikhai looked at Aurora again, calculating everything from the top of her head all the way down to the soles of her boots, watching the way she held herself.
“She seems to look a lot like him. They even have the same eye color,” Mikhai responded.
Eli couldn’t help the nerves that were starting to knot in his stomach. Mikhai had always been observant. Too observant.
Mikhai’s stare slowly turned from one of calculation to one of curiosity, then lust.
Eli’s nerves were drowned by rage again. He quickly grabbed Mikhai’s wrist, twisting it hard enough to draw a howl of pain from Mikhai. That same wrist belonged to the hand that held the blade. Quickly before any of them could react, Eli grabbed the dagger and pressed it to Mikhai’s throat. He twisted them so he was now standing behind Mikhai, the male”s back hit Eli’s chest. He mirrored how the unnamed female held Aurora. He winked at her, smirking as he watched her tense, a tick in her jaw giving away her anger.
He held the dagger against Mikhai’s throat hard enough that blood began to flow down his throat. Giving the male the same treatment he was given. Eli held him close, not allowing him room to escape.
Atlas finally dropped his bored act. Slowly he rose to his feet, dagger gone, and hands perched over the twin blades at his sides. Ready to step in should the need arise. It appeared he was waiting to see how the situation played out.
Eli scoffed. Atlas had obviously become lazy since he had last seen him. If he was forced to return to the Guild, he would be taking him to the mat, corrections needed to be made.
A sudden movement drew his attention, and he couldn’t help but be proud as he watched Aurora use the female’s distraction to get out of her tight hold, but she didn’t stop there.
Aurora took a step to the side and one back, then hooking her leg through the female’s, she swung her arm in an upward arc, catching her off guard. Moving faster than he had ever seen her move, Aurora rushed forward, dodging as the female swiped at her with the dagger that was once at her throat. Had Aurora been slower, her face would have gotten sliced open and would have left her with a nasty scar that would have matched Eli’s.
Suddenly Aurora’s hands were on the warrior”s shoulders, her knee meeting the female’s stomach with force. She moved twice, the second time catching her higher, impacting her ribs.
He could’ve sworn he heard something break.
The female collapsed to the ground, but Aurora wasn’t done. She brought her foot forward and kicked the female”s head. Hard. The blow was intense enough to knock the assassin out.
It all happened in a matter of seconds. One minute the female was at Aurora’s back with a knife to her throat, and the next, she was on the ground, out cold.
Eli couldn’t help the chuckle that fell from his lips. He was proud of her; he had trained her well.
Atlas stood frozen for a moment, shocked, then shaking his head, lifted his hands from the blades at his hips, and folded his arms across his broad chest.
Mikhai, having witnessed just how easily this young female had disarmed and downed his fellow mercenary, smirked, “You trained her... I don’t know why I’m surprised. You couldn’t help yourself?”
“Why would I leave her defenseless when there are males like you in the Quartaines and all over the continent?” Eli spoke, the pride in his voice plain for all to hear.
Mikhai’s head tilted in acknowledgment, but his irritating smirk was back, “Well now...you know just as well as I do she will have to come with us now. You coming back without the girl will just put a target on her back. She has been trained by you, so that marks her as Guild-owned now.”
“Or... I could just kill all three of you right here,” Eli said, watching as blood trickled down Mikhai’s throat.
Raising his hands in surrender, Mikhai only chuckled softly, “Go ahead and kill me. You know, just as much as I do that, I’m easily replaced. They’ll just send more people after you next time. You were free for a long time, must be a perk that comes with being the Guild’s favorite.”
This had Atlas tilt his head, a movement drawing both Eli’s and Mikhai’s attention. He rarely spoke, always known as the quiet, intimidating male in the Guild, he irked his head to indicate that Mikhai should proceed, but it was Eli who spoke.
“You want to be their favorite? Go right ahead. It’s not nearly as pleasant as you would think.” Eli’s voice turned to gravel.
He glanced at Aurora, the worry shone through her eyes, but her body language showed she was ready to fight.
Always prepared, just as he had trained her, so many sessions drilling into her that it had become muscle memory.
Eli didn’t want to go back. The Guild was a shit hole filled with vile people. People who either took joy in killing or were greedy enough would look at the money they got from assignments and could look past the awful things they were asked to do.
The Guild had so many members attached. Eli often found himself daydreaming of what they could do. How they could stand up to the Guild and change how things were. But it was just a dream because anyone who thought the Guild could be destroyed was just an ignorant fool.
The Guild was needed. It kept things balanced between Quartaines. They held so much power without being known by most people. With the knowledge they held deep within the library vaults as well as the sheer skill and number of spies and assassins, they could destroy any Quart that would attempt to control them. High Protectors of each Quartaine respected the Guild, most likely because they knew the potential ramifications should they even be caught trying to overstep. The Guild held too much power, and everyone who knew of it was painfully aware.
Eli’s jaw clenched as he continued to stare at Aurora, debating what to do. All he cared about was Aurora’s safety. As much as he hated to admit it, Mikhai was right. There could be no more running. The fact Eli thought he could ever be truly free from the Guild now made him feel immense shame.
He had taken the assignment that had cost her parents their lives. He had left her with no one. It was that day he found something he always believed he had lacked, a heart. A sense of purpose he had only ever felt once before. Taking Aurora off Nico and cleaning up that mess had been needed to keep her safe, but now as he looked at her, he regretted agreeing to the job. Because he cared for Aurora like she was his own, and now he was taking her into the lion”s den.
Finally, looking back at Mikhai, Eli lessened the pressure on the dagger only slightly, “We’ll go with you, you’re right they’ll just continue to come after me. Especially with their mindless servants like you, there is no escaping them.”
Mikhai’s smirk widened. He knew he had won, “See, I knew you’d come to your senses. I’m sure your punishment with the Guild won’t be nearly as severe.”
Right. Even one of the Guild’s most valued members wouldn”t escape punishment. Eli just hoped Aurora would be left alone because once in their clutches, he would be punished for trying to protect her from them.
He pushed Mikhai forward and away from him, moving to slip the dagger once more into its sheath at Mikhai’s side. He felt no need to keep the weapon from the male. He knew how Mikhai fought better than anyone. Even with many years gone, Eli had no doubt he could take out Mikhai without a weapon in hand.
Eli’s eyes locked with Aurora’s, and he allowed himself just a moment to set the image of the fun-loving, rebellious girl to memory as he resigned himself to mourn the daughter he would soon be losing. It would be subtle. She would begin by fighting against it, and perhaps for a while she would win that battle, but he knew they would be toying with her, readying to break her. Like a slow never ending drip of water, their pushing would finally bore through her defenses, and she would start changing.
Her smiles would become less frequent, and her heart would start to harden because that was the only way to survive living in the Guild. He hoped they wouldn’t break her completely. He prayed to all the gods, a separate prayer for each that protected each Quartaine. It had been a long time since he had put his trust in them. Eli knew they no longer looked after him, but right now as he watched her, he prayed they would watch over his Little Wolf and protect her from the darkness, the training, the assignments, and the deaths that would be brought into your soul, tainting and destroying it.
Mikhai sauntered towards Aurora, his steps measured and self-assured on his approach.
Eli stalked after him, his hand settled on the hilt of his own dagger, not letting go. He could have taken Mikhai down in an instant, but the ramifications would have been instant.
He kept an eye on Atlas. The male was quiet but deadly, known for his stealth. Eli would tease the male when they were younger about his ability to down his target before it even realized it was prey.
“Well, Princess, aren’t you full of delicious surprises?” The male didn’t even seem shocked. If anything, he appeared to have been expecting her to pull some crazy stunt.
“Looks like you and Eli are coming with us after all.” Mikhai continued, his gaze lazy as it began at her feet and worked slowly up her lean frame to settle at her face. His eyes searched hers, but for what? Eli wasn’t sure. It seemed to find what he was looking for when Mikhai’s eyes widened slightly before going back to normal just as quickly.
His eyes suddenly lit up. Eli watched as it changed to a predator”s gaze, causing the hackles on the back of his neck to rise. One wrong move and he would have no qualms about slitting Mikhai’s throat.
Aurora could handle herself. Eli had no doubt about that. But he didn’t know how he felt about a male like Mikhai showing an interest in her. Other than the fact the male was a complete asshole and would screw anything with a pulse, Eli was her guardian, and he knew the male better than he liked sometimes.
He knew the male”s way of flirting and then luring the person to his bed. Aurora was old enough to make her own decisions, but he couldn’t help the urge to protect her from him. Deep down, he knew the male was just fucking with him. He was always about the mind games. He knew that leaving the Guild was not the reason Mikhai was mad at him. It was because he had left him to deal with so much more than that.
They had been involved in something much bigger than that, and Eli had left. If the truth as to why really came out, he knew it would not only be the inner circle who would wish him punished.
Aurora clenched her jaw as she and Eli looked at each other. A silent conversation passed between them. She dipped her chin ever so slightly and stood to her full height. Without fear, she pulled her shoulders back and looked Mikhai square in the eyes. She stood with self-assurance, refusing to allow the fear to show on her face.
She questioned, hands going to her hips.
Humor brightened Mikhai’s soft violet eyes.
“The horror stories don’t scare you off then?” He began to slowly walk around her.
Eli desperately wanted to kill his former student.
Mikhai continued, “I’m surprised I don’t have to drag you screaming and crying. What a brave girl you are. Maybe we should have Eli raise more of our recruits....”
Aurora’s brows scrunched together in confusion, and her eyes traveled to Eli for an explanation.
Not now. Not yet. Eli thought.
Eli crossed his arms over his chest, and he jerked his chin towards the male, “Will you stop looking at her like she’s your next meal? I don’t want to waste my time killing you and dragging your body back to the Guild. Stop trying to piss me off, and I won’t gut you where you stand.”
The arrogant warrior simply smirked at Eli, “Of course. My apologies, master.” He sketched an over-exaggerated bow.
None of the Guild members he trained had ever called him master, but the prick thought it was funny. He fought back a growl as he didn’t want the obnoxious male to see he was rattling him.
“You know the drill Eli, but in case you need a little refresher, collect only the things you absolutely need, then meet us back here. We will give you twenty minut–,”
“Ten minutes is more than enough time to gather essentials.” Atlas’s voice was a deep rumble.
Shrugging acceptance, Mikhai turned, walking toward Atlas not even bothering to check on the unconscious female near their feet.
Eli reached for Aurora’s hand and took slow steading breaths as he led them away from the group in the clearing. As they broke the rim of the tree line, Eli heard Mikhai call after them.
“And Eli...don’t think about running. I would hate to have to carve up your daughter”s lovely skin when I find you again.”
Eli tensed, his grip on Aurora’s hand tightened. She squeezed back, letting him know she was fine as she continued to pull him away, forcing him to keep walking. She refused to let him stop.
He was going to kill him. If the male didn’t learn to shut up, Mikhai would find himself with a dagger wedged in his throat.