by Chloe Cullen
His eyes hurriedly searched those who were still on their feet, and was relieved to spot his father, crouched next to one of them, and restraining his arms behind his back. Then Thoren kept looking around until he laid his eyes on the girl standing still near the statue of Andromeda. Her blonde hair standing out even in the darkness.
He watched her as she looked up and around at the lawns, littered with bodies. Most of them, Thoren was pleased to see, were clothed in black.
Her face was drawn and pale, shock on her features. He wanted to go to her, but she seemed to shake off whatever shock she was feeling, and she ran for the first person nearest her that was still moving on the ground.
***
Cori had lost sight of Adeline.
The moment she had looked away from her to begin helping the fallen Legionnaires, Adeline had disappeared, the darkness of night making it difficult to see anything. But when Cori had looked back towards the statue, she saw no sign of the black-haired girl who had somehow just used magic to kill someone. It was impossible. It should be impossible, but Adeline had done it.
She had completely ignored the Legionnaire who asked her if she had seen the flare of fire, and instead focussed on her task, helping to move the injured Legionnaires indoors towards the healing bay. She was told by Maveron as they crossed paths that the tunnels were confirmed to be empty, and that Nero had not been spotted again since he had disappeared, which was a mystery to focus on at another time.
Cori felt sick, wondering where he could be now, but she forced herself to focus on the win. The Legion had won today, and they had captured over two dozen of them alive, ready for questioning.
Cori caught Thoren’s eyes from her spot on the dark front lawns. He sat on the steps, a healer bustling around him and moving one of his arms gingerly. But otherwise, she was relieved to see he looked unharmed, another small victory she tried to remind herself of.
Cori couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong here. That there should have been more of them. This should have been… more difficult.
And then there was Adeline’s display of magic… meaning those fanatics from the Faction weren’t so wrong about the Diviners still being among them after all.
Cori swallowed the sick feeling she had and continued to help her fellow Legionnaires. They were each removing the masks from each face of the Shadow Legion, and no faces had been recognised. It seemed they were not Legionnaires this time. That also irked Cori when she thought about the revelation following the Massacre. Nothing about this attack felt like it did last time. She tried to shake off her feelings of doubt, and instead threw herself into helping with the aftermath.
39
He was furious. Completely, irrevocably furious.
The room he stood in. once pristine and tidy, now had broken furniture littering the ground. The desk, with which he had sat at quietly that morning, was now upturned, paper scattered at his feet. There may have even been holes in the walls that had not been there earlier.
What had happened at the Legion Compound today was infuriating. Those… children and pretenders who impersonated his Shadow Legion had just undermined his carefully laid-out plan.
Now the Legion thought they had won, thought that they had bested him… but they would be taught a lesson. He would rectify this mistake with a victory of his own.
Nothing would be the same after tomorrow for the Legion, he would make sure of it. He had not intended to go forward with this part of his plan so soon. But his hand had been forced by this farce of an attack.
He strode from the dishevelled room, his heavy footsteps betraying the rage he felt inside, and shouted for one of his true soldiers. When they entered, he couldn’t keep his sneer off his face and the venom from his voice.
“Bring him to me,” he said coldly.
One of the imposters had survived. And he had something especially important to discuss with him.
40
Cori stood in the grand Palace hall the next day, watching the crowds in front of her. The people were dressed in their finest clothing, smiles on faces and the buzz of excitable chatter prominent in the room. There was the gentle sound of stringed instruments coming from the corner of the large hall, heard above the noise.
Despite the previous day’s events, there was laughter and people toasting to the Legion’s victory, and Cori tried her best to join in with the celebrations. They had prevailed against an attack from the Shadow Legion. Regardless of her doubts, it was still a win.
Perhaps her doubts came from her sadness, that they had not been so lucky two years ago. But now they had bested the Shadow Legion and if there were any more of them out there, Nero included, Cori felt that it was a fight they could win.
Cori spied Princess Millisa, flanked by her protection of Ryker and Trey, and she was grinning wickedly as she took in a table laden with pastries and other various sweets.
Cori knew then, looking at the innocent young girl, that she had hung up her assassin persona for good – she wouldn’t compromise her honour any further. Instead, she would bring the confidence and invincibility she felt as the Assassin, and let Cori become those things, but as a Legionnaire. For a time, she had needed this other version of herself, but no longer. Perhaps even Thoren might someday forgive her for the things she had done.
“Cori!” Millisa interrupted her thoughts and held up a flaky jam-filled pastry, “I got this for you – they are the most delicious thing you will ever taste, and they likely won’t last long.”
Cori took the pastry from the girl with a grin. “Well, thanks Millie, but there’s a whole table filled with them.”
Millisa winked at Cori. “Not if I eat them all.”
Cori laughed. After what she had witnessed in the young Princesses ability to put away sweet foods, she didn’t doubt that.
Cori ate the pastry, while Millisa polished off another two of them, and it indeed was delicious and expertly crafted.
They stood next to each other for a while on the outskirts of the gathering.
“Can I tell you a secret?” Millisa asked Cori, suddenly looking to her feet as though shy. Though Cori had never known the Princess to be shy about anything.
“Of course.”
Millisa looked around them, spying Ryker and Trey close to them but not close enough to hear their quiet conversation. Cori was off duty today. She had been asked – not asked, informed – by Maveron as well as the Queen that she was here to enjoy the party.
“Okay,” Millisa started, leaning in closer to her. Cori ducked her head as well to hear better as the girl whispered, “I know I’m in an incredible position of privilege… but I’ve always wanted to be like you - to be a Legionnaire and be able to fight and protect people. Do you think that’s silly?”
Cori was taken aback by the admission, but a smile touched her lips. “I don’t think that’s silly at all, Millie. You’ve always cared so much about other people, and I bet you would make a great Legionnaire.”
The Princess’ eyes sparkled, and she smiled up at Cori. “Do you really think so?”
“Would I lie to you?”
Millisa giggled, and looped her arm around Cori’s back, and she returned the gesture, pulling the Princess into her side. “I would hope not.”
“Maybe I can talk to your parents about using some of our free time to go over some basic techniques – just for fun.”
Millisa squeaked in her ear, and Cori pulled away from her, laughing as the Princess danced around in a little circle. “That would be so much fun!” When she had stopped twirling, she took Cori’s hands, grasping them as she looked up at her with sparkling eyes. “I am so lucky to have you as a friend. I sometimes think of you like a big sister.”
Cori felt her smile dissolve before she could think about it. Something gripped at her heart, but it wasn’t painful, it was as though something were filling a hole that had been pierced there. Nothing and no one would ever replace Nessida, but maybe Cori could find a piece of famil
y again. She knew that Millisa could have had a big sister if circumstances had been different, so perhaps they could both find solace in each other to fill those gaps.
Millisa seemed to have a realisation about her words, her own smile turning to a horrified frown. “Oh, Cori! I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
Cori pulled the Princess into her arms and laughed into her hair. “You are so right. You are exactly like a sister to me.”
Arms circled her waist, and Cori could have sobbed, but she kept it inside as they stood for a while, content to hold each other.
Cori looked up and met the gaze of Thoren over Millisa’s head. He had a small, soft smile on his face, taking in the smaller girl holding on to Cori as though her life depended on it. She returned his smile, before gently pulling away.
Cori held the girl’s shoulders while she looked down at her. “Alright now, go on and eat some more pastries, like I know you desperately want to.”
Millisa gave her an emphatic nod and ran off into the crowd. Cori laughed to see Ryker and Trey trotting quickly behind her to keep up with her fast canter towards the sweets table.
Cori made a few rounds of the large hall, looking into the crowd and through each window and door as she passed by, unable to break through her habits entirely. The hall was filled with raucous laughter and chatter, with so much joy being passed around. Everyone was pleased to be invited to such an occasion, with the royal’s present, celebrating a win for the people.
Cori stepped out onto the balcony for a moment, and after glancing along the length of the outdoor spot, she took a moment to look out at Everton. From up here, you could see beyond The Compound. The tall mountain far in the distance was easily visible, Vistellus, the home of the Gods sitting quietly atop it. She rested her elbows on the balcony’s wall, eyes fixed on the way the setting sun glinted off the rooftops in front of her.
“Hey,” came a deep voice from behind her. Cori turned to see Thoren stepping out on to the balcony and walking over to her.
She smiled at him. “Hey.”
“Why are you out here? Is everything okay?” he asked, taking up a spot next to her as they both looked out at the Royal Quarter.
With eyes trained on the glinting gold of the metal beneath her arms, she nodded in response. “I’m good. I just…” She sighed. “Millisa told me that she thinks of me like a big sister. It was so sweet, but now I’m thinking about…”
“Your sister.”
Cori looked over at Thoren, a grim smile on her face. “And Dad. I sometimes wonder if…” She paused and had to look away from him. “Do you remember when you came to my apartment in the markets that night? And you told me that my father would be happy as long as I dealt with their absence with dignity and grace?”
Thoren kept his gaze at the view in front of them. “I remember.”
“And I told you that I was pretty sure I had no dignity and grace left,” Cori said in a low voice.
Thoren glanced around them briefly before he turned his gaze towards her. “You were talking about… being the Assassin?”
Cori exhaled slowly and faced away from him, looking out at the Royal Quarter. “I wonder every day if he’s out there somewhere, Gods only know, looking at me and feeling ashamed of what I’ve done.”
Cori could see Thoren looking at her in her periphery. She wasn’t sure she wanted to see what might be on his face. “I don’t think there’s any version of you that Brennan would be ashamed of.”
Cori had to swallow at a thick lump that was forming in her throat, tears threatening. She met his gaze, and to her astonishment, there was no judgement in his eyes. “I felt ashamed that night. Having that contract with Mr Teller… I think it was part of the reason why I resisted returning for as long as I did. I became everything the Legion despised. When you came to me that night… I started wishing that I could be the person I used to be. Before I became her.”
She saw Thoren visibly swallow and he opened his mouth to say something but seemed to decide against it. His mouth closed as he looked away from her and out to the views before them. Then he cleared his throat and said, “you said to me before, that you felt you needed her.”
She desperately wanted to know what he was about to say before he had changed his mind, but Cori nodded instead of pressing him further. “I think I needed to feel like… I was in control of something. I needed to feel strong and powerful again.” Cori breathed out slowly, the past two years truly catching up with her. “Being the Assassin gave me that at a time I was at my weakest. But I was hiding behind her, hiding from myself. I don’t want to do that anymore.”
Thoren sidled closer to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder, warm and gentle.
“I hope you find a way to come back to who you really are,” Thoren said quietly, then he leaned in and pressed a small kiss to the side of her head and stepped away from her. “I’ll see you inside.”
Cori turned to watch him go, stunned that Thoren could be so casual and even sweet to her after all of it. She had been so sure he would never look at her in the same way after he had discovered her secret. A warmth filled her at the possibility… of him.
She filled her lungs with the fresh breeze while taking in the sights for one more moment. When Cori turned back towards the open balcony doors, she saw a dark shadow dart past the corner of her eyes, inside the hall. Disbelief flooded Cori, and her heart thudded painfully against her chest at the thought of them here. She took the last few paces quickly to step back inside, eyes scanning the hall.
She frowned, not seeing anything of the sort. People moved about, dressed in all kinds of bright colours. There was only a happy burble of sound inside the hall.
Worried that perhaps she hadn’t had enough sleep the past few nights, Cori gave a brief shake of her head before she walked the perimeter of the gathering. Although everything seemed well, she felt on high alert, a hand resting on the hilt of her dagger.
Cori watched as Thoren spoke with another small group of people, his hands resting behind his back, and his eyes darted everywhere around the room too, never able to just relax. She saw Millisa giggling with Ryker, who was bent down in front of her, saying something that was clearly hilarious, and Cori smiled at the way the sides of his eyes crinkled when looking at the Princess with affection.
After another few rounds of slowly pacing through the hall, Cori began to feel more at ease, believing she must have mistaken a person in a darker gown for the Shadow Legion.
It was as she made the decision to re-join the festivities, that the screaming started.
Cori jerked in surprise, a dagger already in her hand as her head whipped towards the sound. Some of the screams escalated as she moved towards the commotion, and then Cori could see a group of people gathered as others started running from the hall.
Cori elbowed her way through a throng of people, one of the ladies she shoved passed had started to sob, and then she heard something that made the blood inside of her turn to ice.
“Not my daughter, please!”
The Queen had spoken, her usual husky voice was voice shrill and splintered with fear.
When Cori unapologetically shoved her way to the front of the crowd, she stopped dead at the scene in front of her. The crowd had made a wide circle around two figures in the middle. She could see the Queen on the other side of the circle, face pale as the King gripped her shoulders to keep her from running towards her daughter. Both Ryker and Trey stood on each side of the King and Queen, each of them looking ready to charge the scene, weapons in hand.
Because Princess Millisa was being clutched tightly by someone who held a knife to her throat. The teenage boy holding the crying girl had been looking right at Cori as she had emerged from the crowd.
Nero.
“Nobody takes a step closer, or I spill her blood right here,” Nero said quite calmly, his eyes never leaving Cori’s.
The Queen sobbed at his words. Cori’s heart lurched at the sound she made, the sound of a moth
er who already knew the pain of losing a child and could not bear it again.
“You will not harm my daughter,” the King said in a low, deadly voice.
Nero did look away then, twisting slightly at the waist to look at the parents of the girl he held in a death grip. Cori twitched and her hand gripped her dagger harder, seeing a line of blood run down Millisa’s throat from where the knife was pressed into the delicate skin.
Millisa’s eyes were wide, tears pooling and falling down her cheeks quietly as she looked around, and when they fell upon Cori standing at the edges of the crowd, Cori could hear the silent plea. Help me.
“I will not harm her, as long you all follow my directions,” Nero said to the King, sneering at him. The King held his sobbing wife, and the way he was looking at Nero would have had anybody cowering. But Nero just smirked at him before turning again to gaze at Cori.
“You,” Nero said, nodding at Cori, “come and join us over here.”
Thoren was suddenly beside her, a hand grasping her arm as though to hold her back.
Nero scoffed at Thoren, rolling his eyes at his appearance next to her. “Of course, you’re here, too. Now be a good boy, and let Corisande join us, or there will be one less Princess around here.”
Cori didn’t take her eyes off him and Millisa, and slowly reached around to extricate Thoren’s hand from her around her elbow.
Nero took the dagger away from Millisa’s throat to motion Cori over with the shining tip, and that was when Ryker made a move for him. Cori had seen Ryker move with lightning speed before, but somehow, Nero was quicker.
Before anyone could blink, Nero had spun to face Ryker and had thrown the dagger in his hand. The aim sang true, plunging into the front of Ryker’s chest before he had been within arm’s reach of Millisa.