CHAPTER TWENTY
Hours later, entering her shared bedroom with Asher, Aurora was grateful to see he was gone. She didn’t have the energy to verbally spar with him again.
Closing the door behind her, she noticed a piece of paper on his bed. She couldn’t care less if it was a private note of his or not. He needed to get it in his thick skull that he no longer had the privilege of having a room to himself.
Lifting the paper, she read it as irritation arose within her. It read, “I will be away for a few days. Don’t touch my stuff. Keep your shit to your side of the room. If I come back and find it on my side, it will then become property of Asher.”
Crumbling the paper, the cuts on her knuckles broke open again, causing pain to travel up her arm. The pain allowed her to calm slightly, grounding her. She had been grateful; the male had indeed followed her and challenged her. The arrogant bastard thought he could teach her a lesson, but it turned out it was the other way around.
To prove it, he had a black eye, a bloody nose, and some broken ribs. He had gotten some hits in as well; she knew her stomach was already bruised from when his foot had come into contact with her gut. Time would tell if word got back to Violet or Eli, and she got punished for the fight.
Sighing heavily, Aurora made her way to the attached washing chamber, slamming the door behind her. Leaning back against it, a shuddered breath left her. She was exhausted. Everything was slowly catching up to her, her new home, Eli’s lies, and her new roommate, who brought so much anger out of her that it was scary.
She was beginning to feel numb. The revelations of the meeting with the inner circle had cut deep. Eli’s part in them cut the deepest.
Pushing from the door, she moved to where a large bowl sat on a table carved from the stone wall. Hanging above it on the wall was a well-polished mirror. The largest she had ever seen. Aurora had one back at the cabin, but it had been a small handheld piece, just large enough to allow her to tend to her hair. Hanging overhead was one of the magical spheres she had seen throughout the tunnels and various rooms she had passed.
A fire in the Guild would be dangerous. It would make sense they would find another source to illuminate the place rather than candles. The glow from the orbs made the underground tunnels feel otherworldly rather than what they were, cold and dark.
Glancing around the chamber, she took in a few details. The large tin bath by the far wall, the shelf above it with jars holding what she assumed were grooming products. A thick fluffy robe hung from the wall at the foot of the bath. Overhead and working their way down the two facing walls were roots that had broken through crevices. The ones hanging above the bath had smaller spheres tangled within them. Those roots were the only thing that comforted Aurora, reminding her there was a life above the pit of place the Guild called home.
There was something better.
“You okay in there, sweetheart?”
Aurora flinched slightly, hearing Khyro’s voice. She was so lost in her thought that she hadn’t heard him enter the main room. He had been tasked to check up on her. He had told her the day before, and out of all of the people in the inner circle, she was grateful it was him.
When he had escorted her to the room, he had given her a rundown of how things were handled in the Guild and what was expected of her. Up at dawn for training. An hour of hand-to-hand combat to work up a hunger for breakfast. There was no staff to speak of at the Guild. Everyone played their part and was scheduled to help. It was the only acceptable reason for not being in any class. After breakfast, she was to attend lessons taught by one of the Guild’s teachers. Languages and accents. The Guild expected all members to be able to speak in the dialect of each Quartaine and the native tongue of various lands on the continent. There were many classes that she would be expected to attend. Penalties would be enforced if Aurora skipped any, or according to Khyro, even if she was late.
Aurora had been thankful Khyro educated her on what was expected of her and what would happen should she fall below the bar Violet had set. She laughed humorlessly as she thought back to her and Eli’s cabin. They had never spent coins on magical lanterns or their like. Candles were cheaper, but it was now that she realized that was not the only reason they used them. They preferred candles because they were disposable, something that could be left behind should they need to move with haste. They also could be quickly blown out, unlike the orbs that were popularly used.
Aurora had trusted Eli. He had never given her any reason not to. He was all she had ever known of a parental figure. Hands braced against the smooth stone of the countertop, she released a heavy, tired sigh. She was shaking, her whole world had just been turned on its head, but she refused to cry even when she could feel the tightness in her throat, and the pressure started to build in her chest.
“I am fine. I just need to be alone.” Aurora’s voice was slightly strained.
Khyro didn’t respond. He couldn’t force her into anything until tomorrow. She waited until, finally, she heard his soft footsteps walking through the room and the door closing. She sighed in relief, her shoulders slumped forward. His leaving without pushing or demanding anything of her was another reason she liked the male.
She ignored how her eyes stung, and stepping away from her reflection in the mirror, she began to strip off the clothing that covered her. Aurora shook her head; she didn’t want to think. Didn’t want to think about anything but getting clean.
The tub began to fill on its own, confirming for her that magic flowed through the Guild. From its lights to the water now filling the tub beside her. Many things were strange about the underground lair, and no doubt there were many things she was yet to experience.
Aurora stood naked, her clothes tossed into a pile by the door. The wound on her thigh that she had been gifted by the terrible creature just days ago was closed, only leaving behind a slight ache and a jagged scar.
She lifted a few jars from the shelf to smell them, cedar and jasmine. It made her pause, the cedar reminding her of home. The cabins they stayed in always smelled of the woody scent. But the added hint of jasmine and something floral that she couldn”t quite pin brought a soft sigh from her lips. Her throat constricted as the heaviness in her chest grew. She pushed the feeling down, refusing to let the Guild be the reason she shed a tear. She was stronger than that.
Pouring a little into the running water, she waited just a moment before stepping into the tub. A soft moan pulled from her as she lowered herself into the steaming water. Her knuckles stung, and they were submerged in soapy water. The scent filled the room and coated her skin as she began to bathe. She scrubbed at her skin and hair; the soap”s scent permeated the room.
It settled something in her.
Clearing her throat and shaking her head to dislodge the thought, she slipped slowly under the water”s surface, the tub large enough to do so with ease.
Silence.
For a brief few seconds, she could pretend she was home. She could pretend Mikhai had never appeared at the cabin. Eli was still the male she looked up to and not the male who had killed her parents and left her without family.
Family.
Eli was all she had known. The family that shared her blood were strangers.
Her hair floated around her as only her head and shoulders broke the surface, the rest of her still submerged. She gave herself one more moment before scrubbing at her skin and hair, erasing any dirt or blood from her body. Her fight with the male had caused them both to tumble.
The act was no use, her body may have now been clean, but she would never be able to erase the images of what she had already experienced. No amount of cleaning her skin would erase that creature, the Kolec, from her mind. It wouldn’t erase the lies or the hurt she had already experienced.
She looked down at the thick, rough scar that now marred the once smooth skin of her thigh, a trophy thanks to the claw of the awful creature she had killed. Aurora lifted her hand out of the luring heat of the water and traced the line across her skin with her finger, sighing heavily.
She hated imperfection; Eli had always congratulated her on earning different scars. They had always been small, unnoticeable. There was no way of hiding her new scar unless she covered it with clothing or another glamor, but in bed with a lover? She doubted she would want to take her focus away and concentrate on a glamor that would hide the imperfection.
Aurora sighed; she had no intention of sleeping with anyone in the Guild. She was no prude, but she was also selective with who she brought to her bed. At her young age, she had only experienced sex with a select few. Although she enjoyed the chase and flirting with many people, she was careful with whoever got close. In the Guild, it already felt like a small town. She didn’t necessarily want to see the person she had been with the previous night the next day at training.
She raised her hand, watching droplets of water fall from her fingers. She understood now why Eli had trained her in the way he did. Without knowing it, he was preparing her for the life that came with the place they now called home. The view on scars, the early training sessions, forcing her to become a light sleeper... The realization only made the reality of her new home in the Guild more tangible.
Finally, she felt satisfied that she was clean, her skin was raw, and she could breathe easier. Slipping further into the water, surprised that it still hadn’t cooled, she allowed her mind to go quiet as she cast her gaze around the room. It was slightly bigger than the washing chamber she had been used to back at the cabin. The soft glow from the luminescent orbs cast a whimsical, relaxing light over the things in the room.
Aurora let herself soak in the warm soapy water once more for a moment before accepting she couldn’t hide in the tub forever. She didn’t know how much time had passed and didn’t care as she lazed in the tub. Was it minutes or hours? It would be difficult to tell the passing of time in the Guild. She wouldn’t have the sun or the stars in the night sky to rely on. A person could go crazy kept underground and locked away in the tunnels. Would she be the one to lose it here? Would she be the one who went insane? Not even here a full day, and she was already mourning the loss of something she had always taken for granted. What a fool she felt.
She hugged her legs to her chest. Her gaze drifted to the large mirror over the water-filled bowl on the counter by the wall. It was tilted at such an angle that she could see herself as she soaked, and Aurora did something she promised Eli she wouldn’t.
Staring at her reflection, Aurora let go of her glamor.
Her chestnut brown hair faded; slowly, pure white strands took its place. A truly unnatural color that didn”t make sense for her to have. Continuing to stare at herself, Aurora’s green eyes faded to reveal her own true colors. Her left eye was a light gray, the color many born of Winter were blessed with. Another reminder of where her family had originated from. Ice blue flecks danced in her iris. What made her stand out even more, however, was the color of her right eye, not silver like the other; no, it was a light blue like the color of the clear blue ocean of the coast of the Summer Quart. Silver flecks decorated her iris, and her eyes were opposites of each other.
Her natural coloring was nothing like what she normally wore. The blue was the oddest shade, such a rich shade that it was almost luminescent and unlike those from any of the Quartaines.
Aurora looked at her reflection, her appearance making more sense now. Her silver eye was understandable. She was from Winter, but her other eye and hair made no sense.
Questions raced in her mind, making her dizzy.
Eli had set certain guidelines for when she was around others starting when she was very young. One of which was her glamor. She was never to leave their home without her mask in place for fear of arousing unwanted attention.
She had made sure Eli had never felt any form of resentment from her for the rules he insisted on, rules which kept them safe. She never hated him for the strict rules he set for her. When she lay in her bed at night and let her mind wander, she couldn’t help but feel she was different, but in a way that felt excitingly dangerous.
In the beginning, Eli had glamored her and changed her appearance when she was too young to do it herself. Her different colored eyes were so unique that to keep them safe and able to stay hidden, changing them to match his own made others believe she was his. No questions were asked about the male with the young child living in the cabin on the outskirts of the towns they often moved to. Something shifted in her when she had barely turned ten years old. Aurora began to feel more comfortable with her glamor in place and knew Eli couldn’t help but feel relieved.
A knot formed in her stomach; she had never wantonly disobeyed Eli. A strange feeling that had been planted as far back as she could remember began to grow, and for the first time ever, she realized she didn’t want to hide who she was anymore.
She wished more than anything to be fully accepted regardless of how she looked. Grief began to push against her heart. She knew that could never be a reality. Especially in the Guild, she had no idea why but she knew in her gut that showing who she truly was was too dangerous. Yes, they knew she was a child of the Winter Court. But they assumed her glamor was her true appearance. Violet hadn’t mentioned it, so she leaned heavily on the hope that Mikhai would keep his knowledge to himself if he knew the truth. She wondered if any of them suspected trickery. The green eyes she showed the world was not a common Winter trait. Still, genetics could be unpredictable, so she hoped the inner circle wouldn’t begin asking questions.
Leaning forward, she rested her head on her knees. Aurora didn’t glamor herself again, not yet. She would take advantage of the privacy of the bathing chamber. Taking a lock of her long, pale hair, she twisted it round and round her finger. Tilting her hand this way and that, the movement slowed as she studied the strand. Lost in thought, she stayed like that until the water finally grew cold, and a chill settled bone-deep, causing her to shiver.
Aurora detangled the hold on her hair with a heavy sigh before pushing herself up and exiting the tub. Grabbing a fluffy towel, she patted her body dry, looking around for something to change into. Aurora cursed under her breath; she had been in such a rush to clean her body and to be alone, she had forgotten to bring clean clothing to change into.
She cast a glance at the mirror one last time. Gone was the girl who had wallowed moments before; in her place was Eli’s ward. She watched her reflection as she willed her mismatched eyes back to the familiar sage green of the male who raised her, her hair the warm, chestnut brown the Guild had seen her wear. Once glamored, she stood for a moment, eyes locked on the female before her, and couldn’t help but cringe.
Her heart sank at the sight, but she didn’t let the feeling linger. She wrapped the towel tightly around her slim yet toned body and walked to the door. She prayed Asher hadn’t been bluffing, and he truly was gone.
The last thing she needed was for Asher to see her in a towel with damp hair. If he even attempted to say something crappy, she would happily put him on his ass.
She slowly pressed down on the handle and quietly pulled the door open. Cracking it open just a little at first, she looked for any sign of movement. The small gap didn’t reveal much. The bed she assumed was Asher’s was empty, but she knew the room was large, and he could be in a blind spot unseen from where she stood.
Aurora took a deep breath, committed to her actions, opened the door fully, and stepped into the room. She would deal with his comments if she had to. Looking around the room revealed it to be empty. His bed and all his things were in the opposite corner from where a cot had been placed. Her satchel sat where she had left it. But the male she disliked was nowhere to be found.
She made quick work of retrieving an oversized tunic she often wore to bed. Pausing briefly, she listened for anyone lurking out in the hallway. She could pick up the quiet murmurs of unfamiliar voices as they passed the door and the scuff of their boots as they softly pressed against the hard floors, but nothing to warrant alarm. On a stifled yawn, she flipped the bag closed. Fighting fatigue, she rushed to the bathing chamber and changed.
Once dressed, she hung her towel on a hook attached to the wall. Before leaving, Aurora picked up her discarded clothing. Making her way to her cot again, she dropped the clothes on the floor near the foot of her cot, too tired to even consider getting them washed.
Aurora sat heavily on her cot, grateful that the Guild had supplied soft sheets and fur to keep her warm. Wasting no time, she got under the covers and sighed in relief; exhaustion settled into her bones.
Aurora looked across the room at Asher’s perfectly made bed and couldn’t help the soft smile that bloomed on her lips at the memory of her conversation with him. Based on his previous actions, she could imagine him rushing back to their room after his meeting, packing quickly, and running out again like it was on fire to continue his task of avoiding her. If the gods pitied her, and with a bit of luck, he would be sent on an assignment back-to-back, and she could pretend the room was hers alone.
Laying in the bed, her eyes growing heavy, she tried not to think about how he and Eli most likely met up in this room to talk privately, away from the ears of the Guild. The new version of Eli appeared the second he realized he was returning to the Guild, which shocked Aurora. She wasn’t sure she liked him. Her protector had now turned into the thing she needed protection from.
But even as various images of him over the years flipped through her mind, she hated that perhaps this version of him was his truest form. He had told her the Guild had raised him. Who and what they were was all he knew. Whether he liked it or not, he recognized the Guild wasn’t a good place, but it was his home, and perhaps part of that tie to this place was the male she was to share a room with.
She tried to push down the constant jealousy she felt toward Asher. No matter how angry the male was, Aurora could see he still cared for Eli. She could see it when she found them sparring together and could see how hurt he was as he hit Eli over and over again. It was obvious the history between them ran deep.
Those emotions would never have revealed themselves if he didn’t care. Aurora covered her head with the sheets. She was trying not to buckle under the weight of the grief, jealousy, and sadness that washed over her.
Almost as if her thoughts had summoned him, she heard a soft knock on the door. Eli’s deep voice called out to her, his tone soft and almost pleading, “Aurora, please open the door.”
He had brought her food. She could smell some kind of stew he held through the door.
Her stomach grumbled. She hadn’t eaten well in days. Based on her new schedule, she wouldn’t be eating for a while after training the next day.
Hesitantly she removed herself from the covers and slowly walked to the door. The light from the orbs in the room had been slowly dimming, making the room darker.
She turned the knob, slightly opening the door, not permitting him to enter.
Her heart squeezed looking at him, his skin looked pale, and his mouth was pressed in a tight line. Signs of stress already showing on him.
“I brought you food. I can only imagine how hungry you are, plus...we need to talk,” he indicated towards the stew.
“What if I don’t want to talk?” Aurora questioned.
She couldn’t deal with him right now, needing to process what she had been told, and she needed sleep to do that. He had lied. He had done so much worse; it would take more than some stew and his lying words to change that.
Eli sighed, looking defeated for a moment. His gaze hardened when he looked at her again, “You can have tonight, but we will talk soon. I have a lot to explain.”
The phantom was back again, breaking Aurora’s heart one crack at a time. She wanted to burst through the door and drag Eli behind her as they escaped the Guild. She hated who he was here. The little girl, deep inside, didn’t care that he had lied.
Aurora had to push her away. She was already forming a protective barrier around herself. A mask that would protect her in the Guild from getting hurt again.
She opened the door enough to take the stew, “Goodnight, Eli.” She said softly and closed the door on him.
She waited until she finally heard him walk away.
Sighing, she devoured her dinner without being able to taste it. It could have been the worst cooking, but she was too hungry to care. Finally finished, she set the bowl on a little bedside table beside her. She settled again on the cot and hid her head under the covers. Finally, allowing her exhaustion to pull her under into a deep slumber that not even the Kolec could disturb.
The weeks blurred together, Aurora attended the lessons laid out by Eli and the others and she trained so hard that she grew used to the stress on her body. Asher never came back to their shared room. Her little theory that he was avoiding her seemed to be correct.
She could tell he’d stopped by many times while she was training to change or collect some of his things. He had even stayed over once but had chosen the time she was out with the others and knew she would not be back. The only evidence was the changed bedding and the clothes folded on his bed.
She didn’t care that he was avoiding her, but what did piss her off was how petty the male was and how he liked to move or hide her things. With any other person she would have taken pleasure in the game, but knowing it was Asher only served to irritate her. In an act of revenge she took over his side of the room, stealing his bed and moving his things to where hers once was. He could take the uncomfortable cot if he ever decided to show up again, why should she continue to use the makeshift bed when a more comfortable and much larger one was vacant.
As time passed Aurora went through the motions and mindlessly followed instructions. She woke when they demanded and trained when she was scheduled to. Eli had been assigned once again as her trainer. She had a nagging suspicion the male had made sure he would be training her group, they still hadn’t had the talk Eli wanted.
Daily training was the only familiar thing that reminded her of home, everything else was foreign. The people, the food, the halls, the lack of sunlight and a soft breeze that flowed through the trees of the Spring Quartaine. She had become so accustomed to it all so the unfamiliarity of life below ground made adjusting to her new reality more difficult.
Even Eli seemed to struggle. His tan skin had paled and stayed that way, he was more uptight and snappier than usual. The inability to be in the open air and sunlight was getting to him. She knew his mood was tied to his suppressed abilities. The lack of sunlight and the stagnant air that lacked much movement was suffocating his magic.
Aurora assumed it was part of Eli’s chastisement, not being able to leave the Guild was his punishment for abandoning them for so long.
She was angry with Eli, but even with that anger she knew he didn’t deserve to feel as though he was being slowly suffocated. She knew that was how he felt because she herself felt it too. Aurora hated Violet or whoever handed out the punishment. Being so far underground probably made him feel like the walls were closing in on him. Aurora tried hard not to give too much thought to it because when she did she would swing from angry to sympathetic towards the male and she didn’t want that. He had done so much that impacted her life and the fact that he had lied and kept it all from her still burned deep.
She could still hear Violet’s smooth voice telling her the truth Eli had avoided for so long, “You are a member of the Winter Quartaine.”
That revelation still confused her because she had been to the Quart, she knew the people there didn’t have the same hair color she did, nor did they have her eyes. Winter carried an array of dark hair colors from chocolate browns to almost ebony black. Their eyes, for the most part, were a cool gray contrasting beautifully with their dark hair.
Maybe Eli had told the truth with his theory of her birth, and the affliction of a mutation of some kind.
None of the students had permission to descend to the lower levels. It was where the inner circle rested, and you only went there if you were invited. She had last been there back when they had first arrived. After speaking with some of those in her classes she deemed herself lucky that she had visited the domain of the inner circle then. She had no want nor need to go there again though. Access to the floors below was not very common and the other students didn’t hide their jealousy towards Aurora. She couldn’t help but smirk at those who complained, riling them up. The small part of her that was once that girl from Spring came back in that moment, so innocent and ignorant of the pressure and reach of the Guild.
Surprisingly enough she saw the inner circle often. Aurora thought they would be engaged doing whatever it was they did in the levels below, letting the other Guild members do their bidding, but it seemed they were very hands on with all aspects. Because of this they had eyes everywhere, and as much as she planned and plotted her escape she grew more and more convinced it was going to be impossible.
Aurora couldn’t shake the feeling that they were keeping an eye on her specifically, but she hoped she was overthinking things. Out of all the inner circle, she preferred her run-ins with Khyro. The male was an enigma. His presence, the aura he exuded, was like the sun. His wit was charming, and he was always smiling, something she was surprised to discover considering how he had been at her initial introduction in the meeting room.
Though luck was not on her side as more often than not she would cross paths with Silas, his dark presence swallowed anything fun replacing it with the heavy weight of his aura in the narrow passageways. It was easy for Aurora to sense him coming, often she would pick up on the oppressive weight of essence moments before he turned a corner or stormed down the halls. And gods help the fae not paying much mind or unaware of his approach as he paid no mind to anyone. If he did, it was only for him to growl at them, not bothering to actually vocalize what he wanted as if they weren’t worth the time or effort.
She hated it. She often had to fight the urge to cower away from him. The desire to make herself small and invisible was overwhelming as her fight or flight kicked in around him.
Aurora often found herself watching his interaction with the other members of the Guild, the mentors. They knew how to read his body language, could decipher his grunts or growls and they would move with haste to do what he wanted.
She often found herself stepping into shadow, allowing herself a moment to calculate the dynamics of those around her. The students looked up to the trainers, wanting to become like them, elite assassins or thieves in high demand. Over time she had noted that once a week one of the inner circle members would watch the training sessions.
They appeared to be assessing each group, taking their time calculating each trainee throughout the ranks of the Guild. The students would grow tense; they feared them, but they also wanted to impress and be praised by them all the same.
Her training sessions with Eli had intensified. He had her training harder than she ever had in their old life back at the cabin. She made sure to keep up with him though, adamant not to let any of her peers surpass her. She would be mortified if any got the better of her given the one-on-one training she had received from him over the years.
When she wasn’t working out or training alongside the others, she was in her room training alone, usually when she couldn’t sleep, something that was becoming a nightly occurrence. Pushups, sit ups and jumping jacks. Anything that would help her improve, her competitiveness only growing as her time passed in the home of the Guild.
Aurora’s body began hardening more and more. Anywhere softness had once been, she had toned muscles, lithe and firm. Her stomach became flatter, and strong abs began to develop. Her arms and legs toned making her stronger and faster. As a consequence her whole body constantly ached, but she grew to love the feeling getting a sense of comfort from the knowledge she was getting stronger. She would allow herself to daydream on those nights she couldn’t sleep as she worked her body to exhaustion. She would wonder if she bid her time and gained trust if she would be let go on assignments. Because she knew that would be her window to escape, just as Eli had those years previous.
She was grabbing her robe after training, her friends thinking it funny, had hidden it so as to beat her to lunch, when she overheard Atlas talking. The male was the quietest of the inner circle and totally unreadable. He was standing in the hallway just outside the training pit with Eli.
Eli had left before the students. She had assumed he had finally taken the hint and had stopped trying to engage with her. She listened, moving silently to position herself by the doorway. She didn’t need to look to know Atlas had pulled Eli into a shadowed alcove on the opposite side of the passage.
“She’s settling in nicely I see, no problems?” he asked.
“She’s quiet,” Eli responded, his tone flat. “She listens and does as she’s told.”
Atlas’ deep voice hummed in agreement. She glanced out briefly before retreating as his hazel eyes scanned the hallway. But she was too slow. They had snagged on Aurora for a split second. She cursed her stupidity.
He didn’t seem to care that she was eavesdropping because he continued, “Violet wanted me to pass on a message to you that she is impressed with how obedient she is, but she wants to see the girl who was in that meeting room the first day, not this docile version.”
“I stripped her of her home, forcing us to live underground.” His voice was barely audible, “I lied to her, yes it was for her own safety, but to her that won’t matter. I don’t believe she will forgive me. I hold no sway with her, and I don’t think Violet realizes that Aurora working for the Guild may be more than even she bargained for.”
Atlas was quiet as if he was thinking, “Do you think this obedient behavior will last?”
“I know my feisty girl, and this is not her. It is only a matter of time before Aurora finally snaps.” Eli crossed his arms over his chest, not a defensive stance as many would guess, but one of acceptance. He knew her, and even if they were not speaking he could read her like a book.
“I’ll talk to Violet then,” Atlas spoke, his voice quiet as if he was speaking more to himself. “Maybe that is exactly what she wants. Perhaps Violet wishes to see your protégé snap.”
Eli lifted a hand to his face, absentmindedly tracing the deep scar that ran over his brow and down his cheek. It was something Aurora had seen him do, but it was usually when he was stressed or needed to think. Touching his scar strangely acted to ground him, focus his mind.
“Do what you must. If Violet wants that fire back, then we’ll have to push.” Eli finally replied.
Her chest burned as her anger became almost unbearable. If she didn’t move from the place she was hiding, she knew she would do something stupid. Atlas knew she was listening. He had played Eli, testing him. She could find no place in her heart to feel anything other than hurt and betrayal. Any threads of trust that had clung to her relationship with Eli were truly cut. As she slipped away from the doorway, she didn’t check to see if Eli caught sight of her. She didn’t care. She continued walking, leaving Eli and Atlas’ voices behind as she moved numbly in the direction of the others in the dining hall.
They wanted to break her out of the daze she was in, and Eli, the male who she had once trusted most, just gave them permission to do what they needed to achieve their goal. She had been in shock. All this time, she had been following orders, hoping she was doing what he had wanted, even if they were not speaking.
But that Aurora was now gone. She was not some child; she could think for herself and if they wanted that Aurora, she would give her to them. But she made herself a promise, she would take down everything and everyone in her path as she went.
Aurora spent the next couple days memorizing the passages. Trailing the older Guild members as they went about their business was easier than she thought it would have been. Whether they were heading out on an assignment or making their way to teach a class she followed them in the shadows, noting hallways and where they lead to, forbidden rooms which she discovered there were many of, and the route to the surface though she didn’t dare confirm it for fear of being discovered. Aurora mentally marked a door she believed led to more stairs to the upper levels, and to her freedom.
Freedom, she told herself, she would get.
She was not a puppet to be used, she was no one’s weapon. She would not stay and give Eli or the inner circle the satisfaction of them thinking they broke her. She would not let them mold her into the perfect assassin they wished her to be. No, Aurora had decided. She would make up her own mind.
She would decide her own fate.
Later that night Aurora packed a small bag, she had allowed herself to settle in her and Asher’s room and felt stupid now for it. She had enjoyed messing with his things. The unintentional game they played was something she would miss. In just that short period of time she had gotten used to wearing his body oils, his bathing products, and by the grace of Faelorn and his blessings she hadn’t been caught.
She packed quickly, not glancing at the room before pulling the door quietly shut behind her. She wouldn’t be seeing this place again and she wouldn’t miss it.
It was past curfew, the glowing orbs in the hall were dimmer than usual, once they went out she wouldn’t shake them up again. She couldn’t risk the bright light they would produce.
Aurora quietly but quickly stalked through the halls, hiding in the shadows anytime she heard footsteps. She turned down each hallway, leaning completely on her memory.
Her goal foremost in her mind.
Her arched ears listening for trouble, ready to act should she need to.
Finally arriving at the door she had mentally marked, Aurora put her hand on the cool metal handle.
She pressed down on the latch, but it did not budge.
It was locked.
She mumbled a curse, berating herself for not having considered it a possibility. How had she not assumed this door would be locked?
Was it to keep intruders out or to keep the students in?
A frown pulled on her perfectly arched brows as she fought the rise of her heckles. They wouldn’t keep her, no one would. They didn’t own her, no one did.
Crouching down she rummaged through her pack, searching for anything close to the shape of a pick. She would have used the blade Eli had given her to jimmy the lock had he not taken it earlier stating students had to earn the privilege to own their own weapons and that exceptions couldn’t be made for her. She refused to show Eli how hurt she had been as she handed her most prized possession back to him further expanding the chasm that had grown between them.
Aurora didn’t want to prove herself to anyone, she was here because of Eli. His past had caught up with him and now she was being punished for it.
A small voice in the back of her mind wondered how she would make it through No Man’s Land without a weapon. She quickly shut it down, she would figure it out later.
Her main focus was getting out.
After what felt like an eternity she finally found an old hairpin. A little snowflake design adorned it at the end. A birthday present from Eli when she had turned fifteen.
Staring at it she wondered if that was his way of telling her where she was from, where her home was. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she quickly unclasped the sharp pin and began playing with the old lock.
Attempt after failed attempt her frustration grew.
Eli had only briefly shown her once how to pick a lock, but he had never insisted she master it. Now as she sat hunkered before the barrier between her and the surface she wished for more than anything she had demanded more lessons.
Sweat formed on her brow as anxiety built like a knot in her belly. The risk of being discovered was rising causing her hands to shake.
Closing her eyes, Aurora inhaled a deep breath before slowly letting it out forcing herself to focus, calming her nerves. She could do this, she knew she could. She thought back to a lesson taught long ago, she let the memory guide her as she readied herself to try again.
She would open the door. If she did not succeed this time, she would hone the skill and try again when mastered, but she would eventually do it. It was only a matter of time.
Opening her eyes once more, Aurora began working at the lock again. Willing her trembling hands to be still as she concentrated on the task. After what felt like an eternity her eyes widened as she heard the soft click of the mechanism.
She almost shouted out at the joy of the success, but caught herself, reminding herself where she was. Quickly she grabbed her pack, she slung it over her shoulder and stood once more.
Taking hold of the handle once more she pressed down and this time the latch obeyed. The door swung open with a soft creak causing Aurora to flinch at the sound. Aware of her time and wanting to get out she quietly crossed the threshold.
Closer to freedom.
She repeated this to herself over and over again as she raced up the stairs taking two steps at a time. Her footfall was quiet and she strained her ears to listen once more, searching for any sign of activity in the passages.
A small victorious smile grew on her face, her chestnut hair was wild in places as it worked loose from the braid she had secured it back in as she raced forward.
Closer and closer, she got to the final door.
Her haste was making her sloppy though. Turning a corner sharply, she sprinted forward, she didn’t care to notice the shadows at the end of the hall. She was just about to race up the last set of steps, the staircase that would lead her back to the fresh air and moonlight, when she suddenly felt a sharp tug on her collar.
Her feet left the stairs as the world tilted on its axis. She was pulled back with so much force her shirt collar burned a mark on her neck as it choked her. Seconds later her back slammed against the hard floor.
Aurora gasped for air, a sharp cough wrecked her lungs as she desperately tried to catch her breath.
A tall hooded figure stood over her, cocking their head. Fear washed over Aurora, the figure stood silent and imposing, looking like Death himself had come to claim her soul.
Her spine screamed and her lungs ached.
She pressed her hand into the ground, trying to push herself upright. The figure above put a heavy boot to her chest forcing her down again.
“You really thought you could leave that easily?”
Aurora searched through her memory, trying to place a name to the owner of the deep voice.
Her mind raced.
Taking hold of the fabric, the male pulled back his hood. Silas’ otherwise handsome face was set in a snarl, his dark eyes narrowed at her, blazing with his fury.
He bared his teeth at her as if he was forcing himself to hold back from physically lashing out at her.
“No one leaves until they are given permission, that includes you.”
He removed his boot from her chest, the pressure now removed drew a sigh from her as she worked to steady her breathing. The feeling of relief was short-lived as he crouched down beside her, now at eye level with her.
Aurora said nothing. She tried not to bring his attention to where hers was, but her eyes went to the stairs as she began to calculate what moves would be needed in order to get past the tall male.
He moved like the mist that wove through No Man’s Land, beautiful and unpredictable.
“Don’t even think about it,” he said, raising a scarred brow at her.
Aurora clenched her jaw, “I don’t know what you mean.”
Silas scoffed, “Seems Eli did a shit job of teaching you how to lie, don’t worry I’ll take my time to fix that.”
Aurora’s eyes widened.
He gave her a wicked grin, “Did Eli not tell you how members of the inner circle teach lessons as well? Did you really think Eli and just a few others were the only ones who made talented assassins? Sorry to disappoint.” He looked her over, “Unfortunately you have potential, I couldn’t bear to waste such talent. Even with someone like you.”
Someone like her? What did that even mean?
Fear kept her frozen.
Getting trained by Silas? She shuddered at the thought. Eli was tough in his lessons, but there was something about this male. Something in her gut told her he would push her to Gehenna, the hellscape she knew would await her in the afterlife, and back in his training sessions just because it entertained him.
Finished with assessing her, he grabbed Aurora by the collar grunting as he hauled her to her feet, the male towered over her.
“Before that can happen, we need to stop by and update Violet. She’ll just love to hear how devious her new recruit is.”
Aurora said nothing.
His grip tightened at her throat, as he hauled through the hallways and down flights of stairs. Even at her height, her feet stumbled as he dragged her back into the Guild. His six-foot-eleven-inch frame towered over her.
They passed doorways and little spheres of light, the passageway feeling too narrow for his hulking frame and her slender form. It all went by in a blur. Aurora’s heart raced as they went further and further downwards, dread filled her from head to toe. She had come so close to freedom.
The solid door of the inner circle’s meeting room loomed.
Silas pulled the door open and stepped aside for just a moment long enough to shove Aurora inside before following behind her and slamming the door shut behind him.