“I’m so sorry.” Jaylyn said, staying next to me but I didn’t believe it for a second.
“I doubt it.”
“What are you saying? Of course I am.”
“I trusted you and you attempted to kill me.”
“No, I—”
“I don’t care. Go inside. You don’t belong out here.”
“Zayden.” She looked to him like she was going to get him to make me listen. I was glad he was at least on my side.
“He doesn’t want you after what you did. What do you want me to do about that? Just go. We’ll continue to your scheduled execution in the morning.”
She looked at me one more time before she got up and went inside our sleeping quarters.
“Well. I was hoping tonight would have gone a lot better than it did.”
Darius laughed. “It did. Looks like we don’t have to bury that carcass. It was dragged away while we were gone.”
I turned my head to see a smeared blood trail lead into the forest. I remember hearing it while I laid here but I sighed anyway. “You know what I meant.”
“How do you feel?”
“Surprisingly like I wasn’t almost stabbed to death.”
“See?” Zayden said. “That is exactly what I wanted to avoid. You let her get close to you and paid for it.”
“I know.” I said it with a little attitude and didn’t quite appreciate that he was basically saying I told you so. “Now I’d just like to get home and get this over with.”
“Good. We will. Just one more day and we’ll be seeing the lit streets of the city welcoming us back.”
Sounded good to me. I wanted to be home right now. I didn’t know how much longer I could be near her, watching the beauty that betrayed me. She still was beautiful. I could never change that thought but I wouldn’t let her get to me again.
“Adele?!” My heart began to race from the sudden loud voice emerge from the silence and I turned my head.
There she was. Jaylyn crawled out of our sleeping quarters and climbed to her feet. She looked a little angry then I noticed something else. There was blood all over her stomach and hands. My eyes widened to think that she was hurt but I don’t know why. She couldn’t get hurt, could she and why was I still caring?
“What just happened?” I asked.
“I’m not talking to you.”
She had an attitude on her voice that was probably put there by me and I sighed while looking to Zayden. He addressed her with the same question. “What just happened?”
“Like you really care either but I just took a hit for you.”
She started walking towards the river and Zayden’s eyes widened as mine did but perhaps for different reasons. “You mean Adele’s hands are free?”
“Oh, is that all you care about?” She kneeled down next to a pool of water aside the river that was closer to the fire so we could still hear her replies. “Don’t worry. She’s not going to do anything to you. You’ve clearly won and I’ve spilt enough blood for all of you. You’re welcome.”
I wasn’t so sure of that but we were even more full of questions than before.
“Why?” Darius asked in place of me asking, possibly knowing she wouldn’t respond if I did.
“Why what?”
“Why would you do that?” Zayden asked.
She was looking down at the water and aggressively started to clean her hands like her own words were stirring her emotions. “Because I’m, regrettably, too nice of a person. You may not believe me and you may think that it was our intent the entire time to wait until you let your guard down around us then make our escape but you’d be wrong. I’ll be the one to let you continue to think that too but what I had to do is what actually saved you. She would have killed all of you and it would have been easy for her.”
“You’re the one that tried killing Troy.”
“No!” She spun right around, only putting her eyes on me for half a second. “I knew what I was doing! I knew he’d survive and that you’d be right behind us to bring me back so I could heal him. I just had to give Adele what she wanted or she would have done it and he would have died. I may be a killer but I also know how not to kill someone so go ahead and think what you want; continue on this charade of being the better soldiers and just bring us to our deaths already. You’ll be doing us a favor.”
She turned back around and I only felt worse. If that was true than I was the one that was wrong. I was wrongfully mean to her and everything was coming back to me; everything I felt.
“Doing you a favor how?” Zayden asked.
She laughed as if something were amusing and took her corset off completely but kept her back to us while she cleaned the blood off the inside of it. I found myself not being able to move while I watched her and she started to explain it. “You just don’t get it do you? Do you really think that any of us wanted to be here? I mean, maybe accept for Adele because she was having some personal issues, no disrespect to that but this isn’t at all how we wanted it to be.”
She slipped her corset back on around her and turned around to us just holding the front of it closed over her breasts. I still couldn’t take my eyes off her. It wasn’t only the fullness of the cleavage she was allowing to show but I noticed she was decorated with a set of black four-pointed wings over her hips that only added to her exotic beauty.
“Did you know we’ve spent most of our childhood training our asses off for this great life we thought we were going to have instead of having fun like everybody else? Yeah, maybe at first it was great when we finally became one of them but now it’s just like ‘would everyone please just hold the anger, the discretion and the pure sense of hostility for a minute so maybe, just maybe we’d get a chance to live a normal life?’ But, yeah right, like any of that will ever happen so we’re yet again forced to be stuck in this trap, this very cage the Queen has us locked in for the next several long years and I’ve got to tell you, it’s the worst thing anyone could live through. So, right now, us being sent to our deaths is probably the greatest thing that has ever and will ever happen to us. So, bring it on because we’re ready.”
We sat there and took all of that in while she said it all in almost one consecutive breath. It sounded like a horrible life indeed but she shouldn’t want death just to be free of it. It didn’t seem worth it to waste such a perfect being.
“Ah, question?” Zayden asked.
Jaylyn sighed while turning away and started to hook her corset. “What?”
“Completely off topic but what exactly is the significance of those marks on your hips?” I was glad he asked. I didn’t know if she was ready to answer me yet.
“Not exactly as off topic as you may think. They’re called the Black Wings of Death. It’s what binds us to the will of the Queen, a symbol of our stature and curse for life. You ask of this not because you saw mine but because you saw Adele’s.”
She turned to us, showing her smile. It’s only been a few minutes but I did miss that smile and Zayden was trying to hold back his. “It crossed my mind.”
“Well, it’s always been a tradition like every Assassin before us and everyone after us. I don’t think it’s so bad. I actually like it.”
“But there won’t be any after you.”
“I’ll let you keep thinking that.” Jaylyn walked over, ready to leave us to our night but Zayden took her hand before she got the chance to pass.
“Hang on a second, Jaylyn. Don’t you want to stay and chat some more?”
“Not really.”
“Sure you do. Come over here.” He pulled her down next to him and had his arm around her to keep her close. I’ll admit that I didn’t like seeing it but I knew why he was really doing it. “Tell us what you know.”
“About what?”
“You know what. You’re the talker so talk.”
Jaylyn yawned and put her hand over her mouth cutely. “I’m not exactly in the talking mood.”
“Okay, and what you’ve been doing is called
—?”
She sighed. What was the true honest point in trying to fight it? She probably knew he would have gotten his way and gave into it. “All right, fine. As long as there is still one single living member of the Kalu Assassins, there will always be another generation. You may kill us but a new generation will be formed after us.”
“How could we stop it?” Darius asked. “Is that even possible?”
“Oh, so, I have to tell you that too?”
“If you ever want to go to sleep.” Zayden smiled.
“Okay, it could simply be stopped but you’d have to kill more like us who have lived their full term as an Assassin. Now, granted, Ruby’s mother, Gwen, is already dead and her former leader was lost in the field long before that so that only leaves one other who still lives.”
“And who’s that?”
“Sorry. I’m not telling you that so you can kill her—or try.”
She started to get up and Zayden took her wrist. It was kind of forceful and I tried not to let myself noticeably flinch in reaction. “What will it take?”
“What do you mean?”
“What do we have to do to get you to tell us?”
“You mean, I get to choose?”
“Have something in mind?”
I had something in mind but I’m sure she still wasn’t thinking of me pleasantly at the moment and she proved it by turning her head towards our sleeping quarters. “Hey! Adele! Ruby! Come out here for a second!”
“Why, are we allowed to now?” Ruby sighed.
“Just come out here!”
I could hear Adele’s louder sigh and she was first to walk out with Ruby right behind her. “What are you doing? I didn’t send you out here to socialize.”
Jaylyn didn’t look up. She had her eyes focus at her fingernails, picking at them. “Like that was really up to me.”
“Well, what do you want? It’s cold.”
“It seems we have a proposition to produce and I could really use your brilliant mind on this one.”
Adele’s eyes peered towards Zayden but her expression seemed to become a little intrigued. “What exactly are the terms?”
“They want to know who the last living member in the line of Assassins is after we die.”
“And in return for said information?” Ruby asked.
“Well, prior to, of course. They’ll do whatever we want.”
“Whatever we want?”
“Except anything leading away from your scheduled deaths.” Zayden said.
Adele rolled her eyes and took them off Zayden, refocusing on Jaylyn. “Well, they don’t have anything I could possibly want.”
Jaylyn smiled while she stood up and walked over to them. “Oh, I’m sure we can think of something. Come over here.”
Adele sighed when Jaylyn started dragging her east, away from the fire. There would be no need for caution for another escape by going farther into Seni and she went willingly.
Ruby, on the other hand, hung back and looked over at Darius watching her. She gained a smirk on the right side of her face and her eyes flashed red almost like a gesture of a flirting wink.
I watched Darius smile when she began to follow. “Well, the night has gotten a little better already.”
“Really?” Zayden asked. “How could you be so sure? I thought that only happens when she’s mad?”
Darius kept his smile and still had his eyes on her. “That’s what they said but that was definitely something else.”
“Well, we’ll see how long this lasts. I don’t see it being as long as you hope.”
Darius and I looked at each other and we turned our heads back towards the girls. I hoped he was wrong. I had something to make up for. I shouldn’t have lashed out at Jaylyn without knowing all of the details. I had to apologize and win back her affection. I still didn’t want her killed and kept telling myself that it was the right thing. I don’t fully even remember what it was like to lay helpless for those few minutes. It was like she took that away when she healed me and the least I could do was take back my words and tell her how I still feel.
“So, what have you come up with?” Zayden asked, ready for the worse.
“Nothing.” Ruby smiled.
“Nothing?” Darius wondered. “So, you’re just going to tell us?”
Jaylyn laughed. “No.”
“Then what’s your proposition?” Zayden asked.
“There isn’t one.” Adele said. “We’re just not going to tell you.”
“Why not?”
“It’s something you’ll have to learn for yourself. You probably shouldn’t even bother bringing us to the White City to be killed. Just do it now so you can get a head start before another generation pops up and you have more to deal with because they get pretty enthusiastic when they first start out. Believe me.”
Zayden stood up and took a step towards her. “Well, if that’s the case maybe we should just kill you now.”
“Go ahead, if you think you can.”
“Are you challenging me again?”
Adele actually smirked, an expression I haven’t seen from her and she took a step closer. “No, just merely pointing out that you know what I can do if you try.”
The rest of us remained silent through this and wasn’t quite sure what was happening but we all acknowledged it as something unusual to see indeed.
“So, you think that would stop me?” Zayden asked.
“It might as I could easily kill you now if I wanted.”
“And yet you’re not.”
Adele moved the ground underneath him and pressed her knee hard against the metal of his chest while he laid on the ground.
Darius and I stood up instantly and were about to go over, not wanting this to happen all over again but Adele just simply held up her hand and for some reason we stopped. Maybe she was making us or it was what we really decided. I wasn’t sure but she never took her eyes off Zayden while doing it. “Don’t tempt me. We wouldn’t want a repeat of earlier, now would we?”
“But isn’t that what you’d want, Love? Only this time kill me and you’re home-free.”
“Awe. Look how cute they are fighting like that.” Jaylyn whispered.
Ruby laughed quietly. “They were so made for each other. They just don’t know it yet.”
I looked over at Darius, wondering if they knew we were close enough to hear them or more importantly, Zayden.
“You don’t know anything about what I want.” Adele went on.
Zayden smiled and he took her wrist, flipping her over onto her back and leaning over her with both her hands secured in one of his over her head. “Don’t be so sure about that. Our wants could very well be similar.”
The position they were in only reminded me of so many delightful things and it wasn’t helping keeping all of those thoughts from taking over. Neither was how she was acting.
She was breathing heavily from being pinned down to the ground. It took no effort but his own weight but she was only seeming to get more frustrated with him instead of enjoying it like women usually do. “You wish.”
Zayden laughed. “And yet you’re not fighting me off.”
“Why should I? Nothing will happen. You don’t mix with our kind.”
“Awe.” Zayden leaned in to rub his nose against her cheek and barely brushed his lips on her. I almost needed to look away but I couldn’t seem to. “We could easily wean out your bad blood with a little of our own.”
“Try anything cute and you’ll regret it.”
“We both probably would so perhaps you should avoid putting yourself in these situations before you get hurt.” He stood up and brought his hand down to Adele to help her up but she just looked at it and stubbornly got to her feet by herself, keeping her eyes on his.
They stood in front of each other like that and just stared. Adele seemed to be looking a little less mad than usual but she didn’t let it last. She turned away first, grabbing the meat that was set aside for her and walked back inside our sl
eeping quarters.
“So.” Ruby said. “You sure you still want to go with Adele’s plan?”
“Why?” Zayden asked. “You have one?”
“Maybe!”
“Ruby.” Jaylyn sighed. “Please no.”
“What? It doesn’t even involve me.”
“Well, now I am surprised.”
“What is it?” Zayden asked.
“I’ll tell you what you want to know if—” She paused like she was trying to build up the suspense and I have to say, it was working. “You have sex with Adele so she relaxes.”
It was an odd request and I looked right at Zayden after she said it. His face was blank at first and then he started to laugh. “Yeah right! Firstly, like she would let me and secondly, why would I want to?”
“Don’t be naive. You know why you’d want to and I can help you out with that first part.”
“You going to convince her of it?”
“No. I was going to hold her down so you could. No one would be able to escape my grasp when I incorporate my strength. She’d be helpless.”
“Thank you but no thank you. We’ll deal with the issue on our own.”
Ruby let out a long breath. “You are one tough being to crack, Zayden but don’t worry, we have all day tomorrow.”
“Ruby.” Jaylyn cut in. “She can probably hear you.”
“As is why she’s letting me continue. She agrees.”
“I think you need sleep.”
“Fine. Are you coming?”
“Yeah, give me a second. Blood really does get everywhere. I have to wash it out before it ends up staining my perfect skin.”
“Well, you hurry and clean out your claws while I make sure Adele doesn’t freak out from the delay.”
Jaylyn nodded and turned around and walk all the way to the river this time. She kneeled down by the water’s edge and started scrubbing at her hands with the clean water.
I was watching her very closely and wouldn’t miss a move she made.
“You feel like a total ass right now, don’t you?” Darius joked.
“Shut up.” I got up to my feet, ready to give her my apology. “I’ll be right back.”
“Don’t be long.” Zayden said.
I nodded, glad that he allowed it and I approached her carefully.
Aligning Stars (Fate's Intent Book 1) Page 11