Sighing, she opened her eyes and continued to her destination, taking note of everything she saw along the way. A weird sensation rumbled in her gut. An oppressive, dark force pressed down on her shoulders.
Trouble was coming. Something brewed in the ether, sending her senses reeling. An ache settled in her bones, followed by a need to fight. What, she wasn't sure. But something told her this wasn't right. Everything about what was happening around her was wrong. It left a bad taste in her mouth, and her muscles twitched.
Deeper inside, something stretched awake.
A presence. A part of her, that much she knew. But what part? What was this thing she felt so often, this thing that gave her speed and strength, that whispered in her thoughts and screamed in her dreams? She didn't know. All she knew was that its message was clear.
She didn't belong here.
“Three, over here.”
Her musings were silenced by the voice of her fellow captive. That was how she'd come to think of them all. They certainly weren't free, or there of their own choice.
She didn't bother with a smile. No one smiled here anyway. Ever. She sat next to the woman. Two’s plain brown hair was pulled tight in a ponytail, giving her a strict schoolteacher look. Her beady, grey eyes darted around the room. A tray was dropped in front of her by someone who disappeared as fast as they'd arrived.
Three tucked into her disgusting excuse for a meal. “Do you know what's going on?”
Two shook her head and shoveled in a mouthful of food. “No. But it's not for us to be concerned with.”
Two always had been what Three thought of as a company woman. Where she'd gotten that terminology, she couldn't remember. But she knew what it meant. Someone who didn't ask questions, did what they were told, and followed the rules.
No matter what they were.
Three hated people like that. Not that she'd ever met any others.
But there was something else. It was in Two's eyes. Dark. Unsettling. It sparked a need in Three to jump across the table and snap the female's head from her neck.
Again, she had no idea why. That seemed to be her perpetual state. Confusion. Fighting instincts she didn't understand.
Three didn't respond, just forked the slop into her mouth, tore into her slab of meat, and sucked down the putrid drink. She always felt strange after drinking it. Like another force had entered her body and battled with whatever it was awakening inside. She fought the cloudiness it brought. Battled the calm it tried to settle in her bones. Struggled to retain the thoughts it seemed intent on stealing from her head. Those thoughts and questions made her her, whoever that was. Either way, she demanded control of her own mind.
It was the only control Three had.
As she sat there playing tug of war with the forces colliding within her, a voice that made her skin crawl echoed through the hall.
One of the burliest guards suddenly stood at the end of the table. “Three. Come.”
She spit the last drink she'd taken out on her tray, drawing a hard look from Two. She didn't care. Tired of being controlled, she was taking back at least some of her power. Three rose and quickly marched toward the guard. The look on his face told her nothing. Blank as always. But his eyes, they told a different story.
Whatever she was headed for wasn't good, and he was happy about it.
Fear almost choked her, but she swallowed it down. Perhaps her time had come. If that was the case, so be it. She lifted her chin in a show of defiance as her body tensed for a fight. She'd fight to the death. If the end came, it would be at least partially on her terms. Three wouldn't go easy. But the truth was, she almost welcomed it.
It would be a release from the chaos in her soul, from the oppressive evil strangling her.
They marched through the busy camp in silence, headed for the command center. She purposely kept her mind clear and stayed on alert, ready for anything. Leading her inside the building, the guard turned and shoved her down a long hall.
“Last door, right there at the end.” Then he walked back outside, leaving her in the deafening silence.
There were no offices, no other beings. Only a hallway of doors, at the end of which was an ornate, dark oak door that looked out of place in its stark white surroundings. She took a deep breath and headed toward it.
She'd give anything to have a blade with her, but she wasn't allowed to carry weapons within the camp. Some of her fellow assassins were, and she could only assume it was an earned privilege. Only, by the looks in their eyes and the vibes she felt off of them, she didn't want to know what they'd had to do to acquire that privilege.
Coming to the end of the hall, Three steeled her shoulders, lifted her chin, and twisted the knob.
Show no weakness.
The mantra resounded in her brain as she stepped into the dark room.
Her first instinct was to drop into a defensive position. That hint of evil always in the air was overwhelming in the room. As her eyes adjusted, she scanned the area for threats, finding her eyes drawn to the large desk in the center.
Behind it sat a man who cut an imposing figure. He sat so tall in the chair, she knew if he stood he'd be well over six feet. He had short, black hair, graying around the edges. He could be considered handsome, but the vileness emanating from him prevented that. He was impressive, no doubt. Muscular and solid, he looked every bit the fearsome leader of a warrior tribe. But his eyes were what held her attention.
They were black, glowing yellow around the irises.
And utterly focused on her.
“Three, how lovely to see you again, my dear.” He gestured a heavily tattooed arm at a chair in front of the desk. One of the tattoos matched the one on her shoulder.
She didn't remember ever meeting him before. And she would’ve remembered the man. As soon as her ass hit the chair, he smiled, and the frightening quality of it stilled all thought.
He was evil incarnate.
Malevolence pulsed and throbbed around him, making her spine tingle. But not in fear. No, the fire singing her insides was from the need to use every talent she had, every skill his men had taught her, to end the threat in front of her. She ignored the flare in her blood, the voice of that thing inside that told her this man was familiar.
That something united them.
Three refused to believe the insanity.
Straightening her spine and schooling her features to a blank mask, she held his stare. “What is the purpose of this, sir?”
It took all she had to keep her instant hatred out of her tone.
His half chuckle proved he heard it anyway. He leaned forward, pressing his elbows onto the desk. “Your last mission was disappointing.”
“Yes, sir.” She wouldn't make excuses. She had the distinct feeling they would only stoke his ire.
“You had the opportunity to eliminate two targets, yet you only dispatched one.” The façade of good humor deserted him, those flaming eyes piercing her soul.
Shocked she wasn't being reprimanded for killing someone who wasn't the target, she swallowed her surprise, keeping her voice level. “We were interrupted by bystanders. The mark was able to escape.”
He nodded and tilted his head. “Yes, well. We will have the opportunity to eradicate him soon enough. I have another mission for you.”
Three raised a brow, unable to hide her shock. She wasn't being punished? He was giving her another chance? Somehow, she didn't think it was out of the kindness of his heart. There was no kindness in him, probably not even a heart.
“Sir?”
“You are one of our most promising recruits. You've taken out three targets that have eluded others.” He leaned back, smugness in his expression. “Your skills are impressive, and we have yet to see your full potential.” Excitement and greed flickered in those fathomless eyes. “You eliminated a mark, just not the one you were assigned to. I can work with that, as it wasn't a total failure. Though, Two is not happy she was denied the chance, as the mark was to be hers.”<
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He flicked through some papers as if he were talking about what was for dinner and not the taking of a life.
“It will not happen again, sir.” Three could care less about Two and what she wanted. She simply needed to stay on his good side for the moment so she could see where this was going.
The man raised his gaze to her again. “Of that, I'm certain.” He tapped one of the files. “You will be given one more chance.”
“Thank you, sir.” Though thankful was the last thing she felt. Something in her that night had told her neither the male nor his female had deserved to die. She'd nearly stayed her hand. She had no desire to try again, but a plan formed in her mind.
A way out of the compound.
The only way she would be in a position to break free.
Her hopes were dashed a moment later.
“Two will be accompanying you. She will take the target you were originally to handle, and you will deal with his companion.”
Three tensed. Now what? Two would never just let her walk away. She'd ensure the job was done and that Three went back to camp with her. Panic pricked at her skin, and she brushed it off. She'd find a way. Maybe not tonight, but soon.
She nodded once. “Yes, sir.”
Something shone in his eyes she couldn't quite catch before it was gone. He gave that toothy grin again. “Very well. You will leave at once. Two is waiting.” He tossed the file to her, then gestured for the door and went back to his paperwork.
Three stood and had to force herself not to run for the door.
She stepped into the night. Two stood before her, a smirk on her face, and Three's weapons in her hand. She shoved them toward her and Three snatched them up. Tucking the file under her arm, she strapped on her gear. She had one thought on her mind.
She'd complete this mission, then she'd find a way out.
“Incoming. Six o'clock. Moving fast.”
Three cringed at the grating sound of Two's voice in her ear, tapping the communicator once to confirm she'd heard.
She crouched in the brush at the edge of the swamp, Two up in a tree twenty yards or so deeper in. Two scrambled down, quick as a cat, landing in the murky water below without so much as a splash.
Three gripped her knives in both hands, adrenaline pumping through her veins. One more kill, then she'd be free. She'd complete this mission. Then when she received her next assignment alone, she'd disappear forever.
Her heart sank as hope slipped away before she could latch onto it. As plans went, it kind of sucked.
It meant returning to the compound. It meant waiting an unknown amount of time before she had her opportunity. Three forcefully shook her head, then set her jaw. She had to stay positive. The assignments had been coming with more frequency of late. It shouldn't be more than a week at most before she received her next one.
She could endure that long. During the week, she'd hone her skills, stash extra weapons when no one was looking, and figure out a destination. Somehow, she'd make a way. She'd stay off the radar. With everything they'd taught her, she could stay alive and keep herself hidden. Piece of cake.
Something in her soul screamed to run now, to forage deep into this swamp and never come out. Told her that what she sought waited within its foreboding, marshy depths.
Three ignored the voice.
As Two slipped into position across from her, blending into the reeds, the hair on Three’s neck stood on end.
They were here.
There was no sound other than that of the wildlife around them, the occasional splash as a creature slid into the water. She saw no movement, even with her enhanced vision. Nonetheless, she knew.
Her instincts sharpened, picking up some sort of vibration to the west. Three caught Two's eye and then Three jerked her head to their right. Two nodded and disappeared into the marsh. Three did the same, flanking the targets she now knew to be between them.
The vibrations shaking her bones grew louder. They were close. She raised her head to see a tall, well-built man stop on a patch of dry land. He matched the description in the file the boss had given her. He crouched low, a long blade catching and throwing the powerful moonlight.
Closing her eyes for a brief second and raising her face to the moon, Three centered herself with its soothing rays.
One more hit.
She charged, barreling into the man from the side and knocking them both into the marsh with a splash. She heard a grunt behind her and knew Two had engaged her target as well.
The man placed his hands on her hips and flipped her over him. She landed hard, pain ricocheting up her spine and exploding in her head as she slammed into a tree. He leaped to his feet and spun, settling into a wide stance on the balls of his feet, ready to spring.
Three shook her head to clear the fog. The guy had some power. If the vibrations rattling her bones hadn't let her know he wasn't human, the flight she'd just taken left no doubt. She hopped to her feet as he charged forward.
She sprang to meet him, not about to stand and wait for the hit.
He skidded to a halt as she stepped into the bright wash of the moon. She mirrored his steps, her body stopping of its own volition. As if she’d hit an invisible brick wall.
All color drained from his face. His mouth hung slack and he barely seemed to breathe. Unbelievable anguish overwhelmed the stench of the swamp. His dark eyes gleamed as his fist smacked his chest as if trying to hold his heart in.
“No. Gods, please no. It can't be you.”
The agony in his words slapped her in the face. But that wasn't what had her head jolting back and her limbs quivering. It wasn't what stopped her heart. Wasn't what caused the entire world to freeze, even the animals halting their songs and suppers.
Three knew her enemy.
She couldn't pull his name from the black hole that was her memory. Couldn't recall ever meeting this being face to face. But that thing growing inside of her shouted for him so loud she felt like her skull would fracture from the noise. A connection swirled around them. Tenuous and faint, but there.
They stared at one another, unmoving. As they both attempted to come to terms with what was happening, Two bellowed a warrior's cry. Another yell echoed on the heels of it. Birds scattered, animals scurried away from the true predators in their midst. The other fight continued not far from them, moving closer, growing more vicious every second.
Three and her opponent remained still.
She couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.
The connection pulled on her heart, urging her to go to him. It also urged her to get him and his companion away from there.
Now.
Three tried to sort out the opposing forces in her mind. She felt as if she were being ripped in half, even more than usual. Powers warred within her. One urging her to protect the male, the other demanding she kill him. She dropped her blade, clutching her head as the cacophony reached a crescendo. She dropped to her knees in the mud.
The male lurched forward, hand outstretched. Before he reached her, Two's body landed not three feet from them with the sickening sound of cracking bones. The male's head snapped up, just as Three's did.
Her target from the other night leaped into her line of sight, landing on his feet beside his downed enemy. “Talon! Get rid of them. Kylian's forces are moving in.” He speared his blade into Two's throat, slicing cleanly from side to side. He kicked her head down the small incline. Water splashed as the head was sucked into the muck. “Backup is on the way, but they may not get here in time. Move!” He bounded into the swamp without ever having glanced at her.
The world came crashing back with the sound of a raging wind.
One voice urging her to move.
Hunt. Fight. Kill.
No mercy.
The other calling to her to warn them. To stay her hand.
The compulsions rattled around her brain.
Fellow assassins and several of the guards were on their way. Three sensed them drawing near.
She also sensed another force. They carried a signature she hadn't felt before, yet it was familiar.
Unable to separate the two as they blended into an insane symphony in her mind, she scooped up her knife and leaped to her feet. Without pausing, she tackled the one called Talon, throwing them both down the hill and into the water. She came up sputtering and swinging wildly with her blade, the muddy water filling her eyes and choking her with its musty taste.
Talon swung out, but instead of using his knife and aiming for her throat, he grabbed her wrist with his other hand. It became a battle of strength, her fighting to get her weapon into the soft flesh that was her target, him forcing it downward. Using her free hand, she blasted him with a left to the kidney. He grunted but kept his hold.
“Stop this!” Even as he spoke, he tossed his dagger to the bank and punched back, sending her head flying to the side.
Her heart cried out in pain with every punch she threw as they wrestled for the knife. The voices and urges continued to battle it out in her brain. Tears stung her eyes. But her body continued to function as it had been trained. Without her permission.
“I can't.”
Talon twisted his hand, and her wrist along with it. A snap echoed, and the knife fell harmlessly into the murky water.
“Yes, you can,” he grunted as he swept her legs out from under her. “Fight it. Don't let him take you. Please.”
Three landed with a splash, more of the disgusting liquid washing down her throat. She gagged. Still, she felt around the shallow pool for her blade as Talon stood over her. She dared not look in his eyes, knowing what she'd see there.
Recognition.
Heartbreak.
Hope.
Her hand finding its treasure, she clenched it in her fist and whirled. The steel scraped across his shins, bringing him to his knees, nearly landing on her.
With a speed faster than even her own, he yanked another knife from his belt.
Sleeper (Rise of the Fianna Book 1) Page 14