by Lisa Daniels
Rosaline was startled by a familiar, surprisingly contagious laugh. Once he was able to speak, Orion said, “I seriously doubt anyone would take you for a fool, Ignacio. Just a little naïve.” The druid felt her stomach drop as she realized that the conversation was not going to go the way she had believed. Darius may be present, but even his opinion would be swayed if Orion thought that Ignacio could handle himself in Ishtar. After all, Orion had been Ignacio’s primary mentor, and whatever he decided would be taken as the best assessment of Ignacio’s abilities. “As long as you promise to exercise as much caution as you did on this last trip, I see no reason you shouldn’t be allowed to go to Ishtar.”
Rosaline fought the urge to stand up and argue with them. Darius was her last hope, but she didn’t hold out much now.
A few seconds of silence met Orion’s words, but it went exactly as she had expected. Darius sounded almost indifferent as he responded, “If Orion thinks you will be alright, then I see no reason to keep you here longer. As long as you are back within…”
Rosaline tuned out of the conversation as her mind began to reel from the news. Ignacio was beginning to be treated more like a full-fledged assassin. Well, he was. But the idea of him being in the kind of danger that had already taken so many lives almost terrified her. He was too young. Too inexperienced. Before Ignacio, Orion had been the best pupil the assassins had ever had, and he was almost twice Ignacio’s age when he was allowed to leave on his own without directives.
Suddenly Rosaline was brought back into the present when she heard something like a chuckle from Darius, a sound that was as beautiful as it seemed improbable. “I understand, Ignacio. Dulce has always been important to you. Orion, I believe you have heard the latest on her current position—”
“As have you, Darius.”
“Of course, but you can actually take him part of the way there. Give him some guidance, then make sure he remembers that he isn’t to go doing anything reckless while he is visiting the illustrious, crumbling dystopia.”
Ignacio cut in, “I am standing right here and can hear every word you guys are saying.”
Whatever else Ignacio said was muffled as Orion replied to Darius, “I will make sure to remind him of his training, but you know as well as I that there is nothing that can be done for the heart. We are both all too aware why he is going to Dulce, and I think that it will be for the best. I know that all of the champions are concerned about her, but the fact that they haven’t done anything suggests that perhaps they need some outside motivation. The lad is quite right to be concerned, but he doesn’t even know why. It goes to show just how good his instincts are.”
Orion must have released Ignacio as the young assassin asked, “What are you talking about? What has happened to her? What aren’t you guys telling me?”
Darius spoke over him, “I agree, it will certainly be for the best if he were to convince her somehow that she needs to get out of there, even if it means doing something foolish. Just not lethally foolish.”
“Hey!” Ignacio sounded offended, but neither of the assassins paid him any attention.
Rosaline was shocked at how humorous both of the experienced assassins were being. Going to Ishtar was basically a death sentence for a magic user, and they were picking on Ignacio about it. But why is he concerned about someone in Ishtar? I don’t remember him killing anyone there. She snapped back to the present as the older assassins talked.
“By the way, Orion,” Darius continued, “I believe that some of the priestesses were looking for you. Not only because they wanted your report, either.”
There was a loud sigh that Rosaline recognized. The priestesses were always so inquisitive when it came to missions, and the assassins avoided them as much as possible. They weren’t required to talk to the priestesses, but they rarely refused when asked. The priestesses tended to disapprove of the way assassins conducted themselves, and assassins tended to be very dismissive of the way priestesses thought. Both sides understood that the other was necessary, but that didn’t mean they had to like each other. Darius was the only assassin that talked to them on a regular basis, but he didn’t seem to mind, as far as Rosaline could tell. He just didn’t present himself the way others did, always sticking to the shadows and meeting only those who required his attention. Rosaline couldn’t help but feel sorry for Orion, though, as his relationship with them was a bit more strained than most.
Orion’s voice skillfully masked the emotions he had just expressed, though. “I will make sure to talk with them, although honestly I think my account will pale in comparison to Rosaline’s. She was there for everything. She was the one who took down the majority of the Unwashed and freed the captive magic users. Her abilities are really far beyond what even I had expected. It’s a shame that she has chosen the—”
“Orion.” Darius’s voice cut him off before Orion could finish that thought. “You forget your place.”
“Wrong, Darius. I know exactly what my place is, and I still believe that I am right about what is going on there. If something isn’t done soon…” his voice trailed off.
Rosaline stared at her book, not even trying to look like she was reading anymore. She had never been very close to any of the assassins; high priestesses never dealt with them. On those rare occasions where she was able to talk with them, most assassins had seemed to view her as a high priestess, talking only as much as was required. Darius, Orion, and Ignacio seemed to be the only exceptions, and now she was about to lose two of them to missions so soon after returning. A part of her wanted to go back out into the world too, but that was not something she would acknowledge, let alone say out loud.
Most of her life had been so sheltered, the confines of a large residence being almost her entire world. Her magic had been explored, but never mastered because high priestesses used their magic differently. Then a few years ago she had been asked to undertake a mission because she was the only one who could prevent a mystic being found in Sumaria. Orion and Seneca had been sent with her as support. When they had reached their destination, it was too late to save the humans. The girl’s fathers had died, but that did not mean that attention would have to be brought to the girl. The killers planned to go to the home of the apothecaries and steal what they could. If the timeline remained as it was, the young girl would be found out as a mystic and would become a prisoner of the Unwashed. At the time, Rosaline had no idea what that would mean, but she did not like the idea of a young magic user being a prisoner to humans, even if the magic user was a mystic. Unable to save the humans, Rosaline ensured that the manner of death that the men had brought on the mystic’s fathers would be tied to their own fates. Druids and assassins were almost exact opposites, with druids working with life, and assassins with death. But Rosaline was able to tie life and death together. The druids and assassins decided that simply judging the bandits was not enough—humans needed to be reminded that this was the wrong path. Rosaline’s magic worked in a way that reflected the horrific nature of their crimes back on themselves, creating a warning to other humans not to follow the same path. Someone had once called it karma magic, but she had never been told what that meant.
Nor did Rosaline have any idea what had become of the girl afterward, but the men who had caused her pain had died in ways designed to make them regret what they had done. It was something that humans who knew them would talk about for generations. The deaths of the bandits would serve as an unforgettable lesson, and it gave Rosaline a sense of satisfaction that she knew she would never get from being a high priestess.
The point isn’t about my personal glory but rather what is best for everyone. I don’t have to understand it now for it to be the right path.
The words were like a mantra that she had become accustomed to thinking whenever doubt crept into her mind. This time was different, though. The doubt was not just her own. It was coming from one of the most well-respected assassins who had ever lived. A shifter whose life had been extended as far into the fu
ture as was possible. Only one other assassin had been given that gift, though he had learned to view it as a curse.
By the time Rosaline was done reflecting, she became aware that the assassins were no longer nearby and the sky had begun to get dark. Realizing that she should have already reported to the druids, Rosaline quickly stood up and strode out of the room.
Almost colliding with a shadow, she gasped and placed a hand on her chest to steady her heart.
A familiar face appeared out of the shadows, the concern obvious in his eyes. “I am so sorry, Rosaline. I didn’t realize anyone was in there.” Ignacio’s voice was much softer than when he had been talking with his brethren.
“Oh, I just, um…” She remembered that she had been eavesdropping and knew that she couldn’t say that was why she had entered the room. Hoping that enough time had passed so that it didn’t appear suspicious, she held up the book she had taken from the shelf, “I just needed to get a book to illustrate some of what I did to the Unwashed. A kind of, um, life loop where they will either learn from their mistakes or die.”
“You can do that?” His eyes were wide, and for a moment she feared that he was about to ask her a lot more questions that she would not want to answer. The memories were far too fresh and the horror on the men’s faces too clear.
“Not to all of them, just the ones who didn’t die in the initial time push.”
Ignacio gave a small laugh and tilted his head to the side. Running his hands through his luscious-looking hair, he bit his lip. “I still have so much to learn about druids. Although, I guess what you do isn’t, um, it’s not exactly… normal?”
“Well, it’s just—” She could feel a blush on her face. It was something she had heard so many times in her life, and so many people had been unsure how to react to what she could do. The looks on the men’s faces as they had been sealed in the time loop was enough to remind her just how terrible her powers were.
She felt a warm hand on hers, and Rosaline realized that she had been picking at her lip, a nervous habit that she had. “I think it is really amazing, but I’m sure you hear that a lot, too.” Ignacio’s eyes were such a lovely shade of green. As Rosaline looked into them she forgot about how ashamed she was of what she could do and listened to him. He pulled a black cloth from his pocket and dabbed her lip. When he pulled it away, he looked at it, then looked at her. “Are you nervous about talking to the priestesses?”
“What? Why would I be nervous?” She looked at him, wondering if he had read her thoughts.
“From the sound of it, the memories have left you unsettled. Your demeanor may not give much away, but blood doesn’t lie.” He gave her a meek smile and held up the cloth. There was a little bit of silver on the cloth, and Rosaline knew that it was her blood.
“Oh, um,” she gave a small nod, “yes, I am a little nervous. That was a first for me, and I guess I’m still a little…” Her voice trailed off.
“A little in shock?” he asked.
She looked down and nodded again.
His grip on her hand changed. “Come on. Why don’t you practice what you are going to say on me? That way you will be a little more relaxed later.”
Without another word, he gently pulled her down the hall and outside.
Chapter 2
The Question of Emotions and Honesty
Rosaline did not fight Ignacio as he led her to a small outdoor garden far from where they had started.
Once they got there, he looked around, her hand still in his. “We can sit over here.” Again he pulled her along to a small bench. He sat and patted the space next to him. She looked at him, not quite sure what to think of his enthusiasm. “Oh, right. Here.” He pulled a barrier around them. “There. No one can hear us. Go ahead, you can use me so that you are more comfortable.”
“Why?” She tilted her head to the side.
Ignacio’s eyes narrowed for a second, his brow creased in concern. “I thought it would help you. The way you spoke a few moments ago, clearly something about what happened bothered you. I mean, you didn’t exactly hide it well on the way home either, but just now I realized why you seemed a little off on the way back. I know that you have been largely… unable to tap into your magic because you have had to train in how to allow others to tap into your magic pool. It must come as a shock when you have to use it on such a large scale, even if you had a champion there to help you.”
Rosaline blinked, then sat down. No one had ever tried to talk to her about how she felt. It was strange. “Oh, I didn’t have any help. Legend wasn’t there.”
“What?” Ignacio stood up. “Has something happened to him? We kept our distance, I swear.”
There was something almost like panic in his eyes, and it made Rosaline feel a lot better. She smiled and reached out to him. Pulling him back to the bench, she said, “No, no, nothing like that. There were traces that some very powerful magic had been there, and signs that Legend had… been involved at some point. I can’t imagine anyone else absolutely decimating their ranks.”
Ignacio smiled and sat down. “I wish I could meet him. And I am sorry you didn’t get to.”
“Me too. I was so looking forward to it. But I don’t understand.” She looked at him again, her hand going to her lip.
“No more of that.” He took her hand and pulled it away from her face. “No more hurting yourself.”
“Why? Why are doing this?” Her large bluish-lavender eyes looked into his.
“Do you not want me to?” His expression was a mixture of confusion and hurt.
Rosaline’s eyes moved over his face, and she realized that in all of her years, Ignacio had shown her more honest expressions than anyone else—no one else had ever appeared to be so open with her. Her heart seemed to stop, and for a moment, she worried that perhaps she had overexerted herself on the mission. She finally said, “No, it’s nice.” A small smile spread across her lips. “Thank you.”
He nodded at her, “Tell me whatever will help you. I am here to listen.”
She wished he would take her hand again, but he put his hands in his lap and watched her expectantly. Wringing her hands, she frowned at a flower nearby. “After we split up, I followed the trail of tainted magic.”
“That must have been a horror all on its own.”
Her eyes went up to his, and she nodded. “Some of it was fear, but some of it was more like… dead magic. They warped those women. They were still in there, at the core, but trapped and screaming within themselves. That was the easiest to follow, but… I never want another woman to go through that again.”
“That is why we are involved now. To stop the Unwashed.”
Rosaline shook her head, “We should have been involved sooner. Much sooner. They should never have gotten to that point. They used our magic, you know. That was druid magic they were using, and the only thing that could mean…” Her voice trailed off because she did not want to say what must have happened. Instead, she turned her thoughts to the pure emotions that realization elicited. “It made me angry. So very, very angry. And to drown out the horror and pain that I felt at that warped magic, I allowed rage to seep in. By the time I found them, I think I was beyond reason. I didn’t even think anymore, my hands and mouth worked a spell I had only a slight understanding of. A spell from an obscure book.”
A hand covered hers, and Rosaline realized that she was pulling at her lip again. The taste of blood was more obvious. The same tender green eyes were looking into hers. “So you were looking for a book to help you understand.” He patted the book on the bench.
Rosaline didn’t want to lie to him, so she looked away. Ignacio was just trying to give her a momentary break from the memories, but now that she had started to relive it, she wanted to get through it. “Before I knew it, the world exploded around us, but not in any way that could be called normal. Some of them were pulled into themselves, removing them from existence. A few of the prisoners disappeared, I can only assume because they had been placed in the
caravan cages by the men who now no longer existed on any time line. When I realized that it wasn’t just Unwashed who could be wiped away, I changed my magic, and tied all of the humans in the area into a time loop. Using the Judgment, I made sure they would not leave that spot until they learned the error of their ways.”
“And if they don’t?” He squeezed her hand as if to reassure her.
“If they don’t learn, they will grow old and die in that spot. A loop that will appear to everyone else like a strange rock formation.”
“Like a mirage in a desert?”
Rosaline nodded, “Yes. But people will not go that way. Not for a few years. The time there is scarred by the tainted magic. Too much was used in too short a period of time, with too many magic users. Their fear and our powers made sure that people will view the area as unlucky. Once people begin to sense that the magic is fading, they will start to travel it, mostly the bad ones who do not mind the negativity that goes with it. I hope they get pulled into the loop.”
“Is that possible?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know how it works or exactly what it can do.” She looked up into his eyes. “Is that bad? Should I not act without knowing first?”
He patted her hand, “It is always best to think first, but sometimes you have to trust your gut. That is how people survive in the world.”
“It was horrible.” She bit her lip. “Is it bad that I liked it?”
“You liked it?” The shocked look on his face let her know that she had misspoken.
“At least it made me curious. I did not like what I did, but it was strange to experience such strong emotions.”
Ignacio moved a little closer to her, “Have you never experienced strong emotions?”
Rosaline thought back, “I don't think so. Just what most people have felt.”
Shaking his head, the shifter said, “Even assassins have emotions.”
Rosaline giggled, “Of course, but I know that you all have the same kinds of emotions as we do. You aren’t controlled by them.”