by Chloe Cullen
Cori rubbed her hands over her face, and then when she met his gaze again, a grim smile was on her face. “Nothing is for free.”
Thoren groaned. “Okay, so he was a bad person… but Cori – doling out your own justice like you’re a God? Taking people’s lives…that’s wrong.”
Cori stood again in a jerky movement and stalked over to him, a stormy expression on her face. “I didn’t just take a life, Thoren, I saved one. He targeted that girl and would have taken her and… done horrible things to her. I stopped that from happening.”
“And the Legion could have stopped that!” Thoren retorted, “we could have put him away.”
“But you didn’t,” Cori said loudly, and Thoren was taken aback at the intensity in her voice, “Mr Teller did. I did. I refuse to apologise for that.”
“So, what – Tiberius Teller is a saint all of a sudden?” Thoren demanded.
Cori shook her head, looking exasperated. “No. He’s a loathsome man, but he has more connections than the Legion does, and that provides more opportunities. He knew that I wouldn’t kill innocent people for him… but he needed to build the reputation of the Assassin so he could use me to… scare his clients or patrons when he needed.”
Thoren could see a flicker of shame in her tone and on her features as she continued to speak.
“So, he found me opportunities to build that reputation, by finding terrible people that I would be willing to kill.”
She looked to her feet for a moment before meeting his gaze again. Whatever she saw in his eyes had her looking defeated.
“And now you think I’m terrible.”
“I… don’t know, Cori. I just don’t understand how you could…”
“I needed her,” Cori said suddenly, and he looked up at the desperation in her voice. “I needed to become her. I wish I could explain better but… my life was a mess, Thoren. Mr Teller, he… offered me something I wasn’t able to refuse back then.”
He waited for her to continue, almost dreading to hear what she had been offered by that vile man. “What could he have possibly offered you that would be worth this?”
Cori’s eyes shone with unshed tears. “He offered to set fire to my life. So, I let it burn. I wanted it to burn.”
Thoren didn’t know what to think, or what to say, but he did know he needed some space so that he could piece his thoughts together.
“I… don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about anything of this. But I need to go.”
Cori eyes opened wider. “Go? You mean you… aren’t going to take me in?”
Thoren’s heart gave a painful thump, before he moved to stand as close to her as he could manage. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do. But I don’t feel up to breaking my father’s heart tonight.”
The sadness on her face deepened, and she looked away from him. “I’m sorry, for what that’s worth. But… you get it now, right?” Cori asked.
He frowned at her. “Get what?”
She shrugged, her eyes still averted. “You know the worst thing about me now. You told me earlier you wanted to learn everything about me and that whatever it was, you would still want…” She trailed off, and Thoren knew what she had been about to say. That he would have still wanted her, been by her side, no matter what her secrets had been. But now…
“I… yeah, I get it. And you were right. I can’t look at you in the same way anymore,” Thoren said honestly, but when Cori looked back up at him with pain behind her eyes, he felt like he wanted to take his words back.
She just nodded, with her lips pressed together into a thin line.
Thoren turned to go, but halted in the doorway, turning back to her. “Don’t run.”
Cori’s blinked at him. “What?”
“Don’t go anywhere. Don’t run away… just let me process this and we’ll talk again.”
She nodded once, and Thoren had to take her at her word because he wasn’t sure he could look at her for one moment longer tonight. Feeling as though he were betraying everything he had been taught as a Legionnaire, he stepped over the broken door and out into the crisp night air.
He took a moment to breathe through the distress coursing through him, before he walked off into the darkness, hardly caring to look at anything or anyone on his way back to the Compound.
37
It was early in the morning, and Adeline sat alone in her apartment in the East Markets, a book in her lap that she was studying carefully. She had read each word twice, feeling her frustration rise with every turn of the page. Finally, she slammed the book shut, and gazed at the cover.
She had spent a much-needed silver coin on the book, and yet it gleaned nothing of what she needed to know. Adeline stared down at it hopelessly.
Something in her periphery brought Adeline’s attention away from the book. It was a feeling that skittered over her skin unpleasantly, like tiny needles prodding at her. The hairs on her arms stood on end.
She shivered and placed the book down next to her, looking up and around her apartment.
The feeling brushed over her again, and Adeline stood, bringing her arms up to wrap them around her waist, attempting to fend off the chill. She felt a sickness in her stomach that had nothing to do with what she had eaten for breakfast, and her chin wobbled, suddenly feeling desperate to get away from the feeling.
Adeline looked around in panic as a darkness, thick and black, edged its way into the corners of her apartment. It was coming for her, the natural light dimming as the darkness encroached.
She had felt this, had seen this, only once before. The darkness that rose up felt like a warning sign. A threat that some dark power was rising, raw and unstoppable.
Tendrils of it slithered through the air, until it was close enough to her that she could reach out and touch it. Adeline, rooted to the spot with fear, felt her chest fluttering with her panicked breaths.
Adeline trembled, and when a dark finger of it was within an inch of her face, she finally flinched away from it. She ran towards her front door, throwing it open and stepping out into the early morning air, the sunlight scorching her eyes. She looked around, her breath ragged. People walked along the street, going on about their life as normal, like she hadn’t just seen and felt what she had. A few people looked over at her with crinkled brows.
She kept moving, her feet thundering over the cobbles to get further away from what she had seen. Though as Adeline put more distance between herself and the apartment, that feeling stayed with her.
A feeling that something was utterly wrong.
***
Thoren was avoiding Cori.
The night before, Cori had returned to the Compound with a sickened feeling in her gut. The world felt like it had turned upside down. She couldn’t get the image of his disappointment and tight features as he had looked upon her.
Cori wanted to be able to blame Mr Teller, but if she were being honest with herself, she had chosen her path. She had listened to his proposition on that night he first approached her and had barely hesitated before signing her two-year contract with him the next day.
In some sick way, Cori had needed it, but she didn’t anymore. She had kept her promise to Thoren, she had no intention to run away again, no matter what Thoren decided to do about her. Cori had only just rediscovered herself as a Legionnaire, and she wasn’t going to give that up again. She felt an overwhelming relief at having made such a definitive decision.
She hadn’t slept for a single minute in her room at the Compound, unable to stop thinking about Thoren right above her in his own rooms, probably lying awake just as she was and… despising her.
So today, she felt half-asleep as she walked to the dining hall to force herself to eat something for lunch.
She had been half-heartedly pushing the food around her plate when she looked up to see Thoren walk into the dining hall. He stopped when he saw Cori sitting there silently next to Romy, and promptly turned on his heel to walk back out again.
Regret
pounded through her, but she had to face her choices.
Cori mumbled her goodbye to Romy at the table, her lunch left untouched. Keeping her eyes on the spot where Thoren had turned away from her, she moved towards it.
Cori searched the halls, the training room, the weapons room, and finally knocked on the door to his rooms. She stood, almost desperately in front of his closed door, wishing she could just explain herself better than she had last night. Perhaps Thoren would never understand, but that wouldn’t stop her from trying.
When he didn’t answer after several loud knocks, Cori walked back to her own room and changed into her training gear. She decided a long run and some sweat-inducing practice sessions would be better than sitting and mulling on her own failures.
Cori didn’t see Thoren in the training hall, even though she was there for hours. She avoided anyone who tried to speak with her, instead she just listened to the pounding of her heart as she pushed her body in a monotonous rhythm.
She gave up after some time, her body as sore and tired as her mind, and walked back to her room slowly. She could hardly bear the melancholic weight that had wrapped itself around her heart.
“Corisande?” a voice came from behind her just as she entered the stairwell. She glanced over her shoulder at the owner of the unfamiliar voice. It was a young male jogging towards her, an initiate.
“Yes?”
He stopped in front of her, puffing. “There is someone asking for you at the gates, she said you would know her and that her name was… Adeline?”
Despite the past twenty-four hours, Cori felt herself smiling. “Yes, I know her.”
“Would you like me to bring her in?” he asked politely.
She shook her head. “No, I will go fetch her. Thank you.”
Cori walked quickly back out to the front of the Compound and across the courtyard. She was halfway down the lawns when she was able to spy the tall dark-haired girl standing at the gates.
Cori smiled at her when she neared, and quickly requested she be let inside. The gates opened, and then Adeline strolled in, looking a little pale. She felt her smile fade.
“Ade, are you alright?” she asked.
Adeline’s hands were clasped in front of her, and she went from looking unsettled to content in the space of a second. “I’m great. How are things with you? I wanted to check in after…”
Adeline and Cori both glanced around at the Legionnaires standing guard over the gates. They turned and Cori led her up the green lawns back towards the Compound.
Cori sighed a little, not entirely prepared for this conversation. “Yes… I’m sure you have more questions about what I asked you to do for me.”
“Actually,” Adeline said, “I don’t really. When you visited me the other day and told me about this assassin… honestly it kind of made sense.”
Cori looked over at her, shocked.
“What?” Adeline said with a laugh, her curtain of dark hair swaying in the light breeze. “I once told you that you could tell me anything and I meant it. I was happy to help… did it help?”
Cori bit her lip and looked away, eyes falling to the statues ahead of them as they approached the courtyard. “It did… and then it didn’t.”
Adeline stopped Cori with a hand on her arm and they faced each other. “You mean they know it’s you?”
She shook her head. “Only Thoren. He found out last night. I don’t think he’s told anyone yet, but he might…”
“Would you be in a lot of trouble?”
Cori scoffed. “That’s an understatement. What I did was one of the highest forms of treason. I would be imprisoned at the very least.”
Adeline looked at her with unease. “What are you going to do?”
Cori looked into her eyes and frowned at that concern on her face. “How are you… so okay with it? With what I’ve done?”
Adeline’s lips twitched downward, pondering. Finally, she said, “I’m not exactly in a position to judge. I’ve done things in my past that would be frowned upon by others. So,” she shrugged, “I suppose I hope that if someone knew about what I’ve done, I would hope they would be okay with who I am regardless.”
“Thank you,” Cori said, meaning it, “and if you ever want to talk to me about anything, I would always be there for you also.”
Some of the colour returned to Adeline’s face as she smiled at Cori. “I appreciate that. Perhaps one day.”
They started walking again.
“As it is,” Adeline said as they passed underneath the statue of Nixos, “I do have a favour to ask you in return?”
Cori laughed a little. “I would probably do anything you asked after what you have done for me.”
“Well, thank goodness my request is an easy one,” Adeline said good-naturedly. “I know the Legion library isn’t for the public, but I wondered if you could let me browse through some of the books in there.”
Surprised at the simple request, Cori nodded. “Sure – anything you’re looking for in particular? I could help you find it?”
“No,” Adeline said quickly as they walked side by side up the front steps and entered the foyer. “I… am wanting to do some research on my family. I think I’d prefer to do that alone if possible.”
Cori watched her carefully, sensing the lie. But Adeline had proven herself to be a dedicated and loyal friend in spite of Cori’s own deceptions. She would be remiss if she did not return the favour. “Of course, I’ll take you there now.”
***
Cori left Adeline alone in the library after giving her a quick tour of the stacks upon stacks of old tomes. Their library was more extensive than any other in Holmfirth, yet it still had its shortcomings. After the loss of magic, it had been raided, and many were destroyed. But it did hold a vast collection of genealogies, so Cori hoped that Adeline would find what she was looking for.
Cori entered her room, shucking off her training gear. She pulled out the grey Legion uniform from a drawer and was going to ready herself to bathe when she noticed a slip of paper had fluttered out of the folded piece of clothing.
Frowning, she crouched to the ground and picked the paper up, turning it over in her fingers to see a small message scrawled there. It wasn’t the first time she had received a message from her Master folded up and hidden away in her room where she would find it. The words on this particular note made her heart stutter with a cold fear.
My little assassin. The shadows gather at sundown. Prepare yourselves. TT.
***
“Thoren,” Cori said loudly, knocking on his door desperately. She prayed to the Gods that he was here, otherwise she would have to run around the Compound, or even through the streets to try and find him. He was the only one she could explain this to. She pounded on the door again, until it was thrown open so quickly, she nearly stumbled right into him.
“What?” he asked, a tired expression on his face, “if this is about last night, I need more time.”
Cori pushed past him into his room and whirled to face him. “Close the door.”
Annoyance crossed his features at her brazenness but did as she said.
“Look at this,” Cori demanded, handing Thoren the note. He took it from her fingers, and she watched his eyes scan over and over the words written on the page. Slowly, he looked up at her.
“The shadows gather?”
Cori nodded. “He has to be talking about the Shadow Legion. I had asked him about them. I think he’s trying to warn me.”
Thoren looked back down to the paper, then raised an eyebrow at her. “My little assassin?”
Cori sighed and snatched the paper from his hands. “That’s hardly the part to be focused on, is it?”
He made a face and then ran a hand through his hair, which already looked pretty mussed up. “No, you’re right. Okay, so they’re… gathering at sundown.”
“They’re planning to attack. Just like I thought they would without all the Legion Five in the capital. They want to take us down, an
d they think we’re vulnerable without them.”
They held gazes, though they didn’t really see the other, instead each had their own thoughts manifesting.
There was only two hours until sundown.
When neither spoke for almost a full minute, Thoren asked quietly, “what should we do?”
Cori hesitated, then said, “I …may have already done something…”
***
Thirty minutes after discovering the note, Cori, Thoren and Maveron ran down the hallway towards the training area.
Thoren had played off the tip as having come in anonymously, but Maveron hadn’t even questioned it. He leapt straight into action to make plans as quickly as they could. Cori had explained to Maveron in his office that she had already taken measures to help them in case this were to happen. She told him what she had done, which both Maveron and Thoren had listened to with growing appreciation. So, plans were made, and they moved to put them in to action.
They passed Legionnaires and initiates as they went, who each looked at them with worry on their face.
“We should open the tunnels,” Cori said hurriedly as they each stormed into the training hall, doors banging open, “to get the initiates out of the Compound and to safety.”
Almost everyone in the hall had stopped their training or fighting to look at them, and Cori scanned her eyes around the room. She had been here only an hour ago, and Trey had been in here.
“It’s a risky move,” Thoren said, as he too looked around the hall, “opening the tunnels gives access out, but it also gives others access in.”
“We will only open one of them. It’s a risk we have to take,” Maveron said quickly, then spoke louder so that the Legionnaires closest to them could hear, “where is Trey?”
Cori noticed Willow standing near them, who answered first. “He just left a few moments ago, said he was on his way out because someone was found dead in the West Markets.”
Maveron swore. “I didn’t think he would have gone. Soraya was already out there.”