The Assassin's Mark (Skeleton Key)

by Sarah Makela

  At seven feet away, I released a breath and squeezed the trigger. Simple target practice. Part of me felt sorry for the man. He’d have no idea what hit him. The big man sat up straighter and he lifted his club, then he jerked back as the bullet hit him. It was off target, but it’d still be lethal. He tumbled from the horse, nearly taking the woman with him, but she clung to the saddle as the horse reared back and came to a sudden stop.

  The tall knight I recognized from the road walked out of the tent behind me, and I tucked my gun out of sight. He glanced between me and the big man with his sword warily aimed at us. The kidnapper turned his head showing off the wound in his throat before he clamped his hands to it, trying in vain to keep his blood inside of him.

  Ignoring the two of them, I jogged toward the horse to check on the woman. Her grip slipped on the saddle just as I reached her, and she slid toward the ground. I caught her in my arms and cradled her to my chest.

  “It’s going to be okay. You’re safe,” I said in calming tones. I’d had plenty of experience with placating others in my line of work. Now that she was safe, a strange relief welled within my chest.

  She blinked up at me, giving me the first good look at her face. Her beauty was even more than I’d imagined. I wasn’t usually swept up in the fairer sex like this, but something about her enticed me, even though I knew it shouldn’t. She grimaced in pain, and I looked down toward her abdomen.

  “May I see your wound?”

  “Yo-you saved me. Tha-thank you, sir.” Her voice was thready, and she was cool to the touch. The young woman was going into shock. I needed to get her somewhere safe where I could inspect her wound. There was still fighting around us, but it seemed like the full force of the knights were gaining the upper hand against the mercenaries. “Are you a doctor?”

  “It’s not a problem. And no, I’m not a doctor, but I’ve learned a thing or two when it comes to wounds on the battlefield.” I lowered my hand to her side to try to gain access to the wound.

  The tall knight thrust his sword at me before I could do much, pressing the tip against my chest hard enough that I felt a pinch of pain. “Unhand the princess of Freehaven, or I’ll take your arm. She deserves your respect, soldier. She doesn’t need your help. I shall have the camp’s doctor brought to her at once.”

  I looked between them. “Princess? Are you kidding…?” My voice trailed off when I met her gaze. “She shouldn’t be moved far. She needs a few warm blankets and to have her wound looked at immediately.” I stared back at the knight. “I can help her. You have to trust me for her sake.”

  Chapter Seven

  Brigit

  My savior had stayed by my side doing what he could for the wound until the camp’s doctor came, then Sir Alan had him taken away. Perhaps a little more forcibly than necessary.

  Something about the man was strange. He wore the clothes of a guard, but he didn’t appear from the area neither in physical appearance nor in accent…and that loud bang that had happened shortly before my kidnapper fell off the horse. How had he been able to attack from range without a bow and arrows? It had to be magic. Honestly, I didn’t care. What mattered was that he’d saved my life.

  “Sir Alan, please bring me the man who rescued me. I have a few questions for him.” I propped up on the mattress so I wouldn’t be flat on my back when I saw him again. I didn’t even know his name, yet something about him stroke curiosity within me.

  When Sir Alan returned with the man, he guided him to the table on the far side of my tent away from me. Rope bound his wrists, and the man kept glaring at the Sir Alan who stood between us as if he’d suddenly attack me.

  I wanted to shake my head in frustration, but we still didn’t know much about him. Maybe he’d shown up to make himself look like a hero. Could he have been part of the attack? I didn’t want to believe he was. He’d risked his life for me.

  “What is your name?” I asked him.

  “Edward Emerson, and yours?” His tone was bland, and the frown on his face deepened as Sir Alan started to withdraw his sword. I knew the tirade he’d launch into. Did Edward truly not know who I was? That hadn’t happened often in my life. He didn’t uphold the pretense that many others clung to when they spoke to me.

  “Put away your sword, Sir Alan.” I held my hand up. “My name is Brigit Ó Ruaidh, Princess of Freehaven. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  Sir Alan slid the sword back into its sheath. “Yes, Your Highness. It would be wise to greet the princess in the manner proper of her position,” he growled at Edward.

  “Forgive me, Your Highness,” Edward said. He looked between us but didn’t say much.

  “Where do you come from? Sir Alan doesn’t you know, so I don’t think you’re actually a guard here. Besides, I’ve never heard that accent before.” I repositioned myself but stopped as pain clenched my side. The memory of Edward’s tender touch on my skin as he inspected the wound came back to me, and heat caressed my cheeks. Now wasn’t the time to think like that. He might be attractive, but I still wasn’t sure if I should trust him considering that someone tried to kidnap me not long ago.

  “I’m not from here.” He watched me with an intense stare that put me a little on edge. His gaze slid lower when I moved, then he met my eyes again.

  “I know. That’s what I just said.” I sighed, and it took all my dignity not to clench my hands into fists and rest my head against the pillow. It probably would’ve hurt quite a bit, and I’d end up looking like a petulant child who didn’t get what she wanted. My reputation was already in tatters. Sir Alan would surely scold me for letting myself be injured when we were alone. “Please, answer the question.”

  “London, England.”

  Geography had always been one of my favorite subjects as a child, but I’d never heard of any such location. “London?” I exchanged a glance with Sir Alan who shrugged at me. So I wasn’t crazy. “Where is that?”

  “I came through a large door with a skeleton key lock that disappeared when I got here.” He shook his head, disgust plain on his face. “Your name sounds Irish, so I’m surprised you haven’t heard of England. But maybe you lot are in some alternate past. I don’t know.”

  A skeleton key and a disappearing door? A chill ran up my spine, and I leveled a hard stare at Edward. “Do you know what you’re saying? If you’re telling the truth, then you traveled here from another realm. Those doors appear to very few people. The people of my kingdom supposedly journeyed through one of those doors to Freehaven from The Emerald Isles in another realm we call The Gauntlet…”

  He narrowed his eyes at me and leaned forward. “The Emerald Isles? That’s Ireland. I’m pretty sure your people came from my realm. Do you know where to find those doors?”

  Sir Alan smacked his fist on the table in front of Edward with his gauntlet making Edward lean back a little. He shot a glare at my knight that might have made others shrink away. “You’re not in a position to ask questions of the princess. You’re in my custody here, if you didn’t notice.”

  “If you didn’t notice, I saved her life. Where were you when she was being dragged onto the back of a horse and almost carried away?” He moved his arms as if to cross them over his chest, but they were still bound so he placed his hands in his lap.

  Sir Alan raised his arm as if to backhand Edward. “You’ll regret that arrogant attitude, boy.”

  “Stop it! Now.” I pushed to my feet and pressed a hand gently against my side, pushing down the incredible pain. If I needed to break up their fight myself, I would. Something about Edward attracted me to him. I couldn’t help it. But I refused to endure their bickering. “Do not take him far, Sir Alan, and if he’s hurt when I next see him, we shall be having words.” I waved them away with a flick of my wrist and started to sink back into bed. “Wait.”

  The two men stared at me. Neither of them had moved yet.

  “How did you injure my abductor? You were at a distance from him.”

  “I shot him with a gun, Your
Highness. My people have more advanced technology than yours. I used that weapon because I knew if I didn’t he would take you away, and I hoped to prevent that. The ammunition for my weapon is limited, so I only used since I felt it was absolutely necessary.” He rose to his feet and looked at the knight. “We should let her rest.”

  “I’d like a report on the troops, Sir Alan, and how the camp fared during the attack in a few hours.”

  He bowed his head toward me, then followed Edward out of the tent.

  As they left, Tabitha walked in carrying an herbal paste to rub across my bruises where the larger man had grabbed at me. I breathed a sigh of relief and gave her a small smile. “I’m glad you’re here. Those men were starting to infuriate me.”

  At least dealing with bruises didn’t involve a doctor. Tabitha was well able to take care of them. As she applied the paste, I thought back on my parents. How would I be able to take care of the Freehaven if I had to keep one eye over my shoulder? The constant fear of who would attack me next might drive me insane.

  “What do you think of him, Your Highness?” Tabitha asked as she laid a bandage over the paste to keep it from rubbing away.

  “Who?” I asked, looking away from her. From the intensity of her stare, I could only guess. “He seems different, maybe dangerous. It’s difficult to know who we can trust. His sudden appearance was either planned or magical. I’m not sure which would make me feel less anxious.” Even as I spoke of him, thoughts of his strong jawline and piercing blue eyes came to mind.

  “It would be a shame if something were to happen to him before we found out,” Tabitha noted. “He saved your life. It’d likely be wise to keep him close. If he’s one of our enemies, we can leverage him. If he’s not, he would be too good of an ally to lose.” Her voice was more soothing than the bandages on my wounds. She gave wise advice.

  I readjusted my dress back into place. “Could you do me a favor, Tabitha? Please check to make sure he’s okay. I trust Sir Alan, but I’m uncomfortable with the idea that they might be roughing him up. He appears to have talents we might need in the future. He saved me once, so maybe he’d be willing to side with us against whoever is after me.” Hope crept into my voice before I could stop it.

  With a deep bow of her head, Tabitha rose to her feet, then retreated from the tent.

  My parents had never shown discomfort in while walking among the masses wherever the crown required them. Neither had they shown fear or concern about being assassinated at any given moment. I longed to have the strength they did. The least I could do was take their guidance to heart and press on.

  Whoever was behind all this would suffer. I wasn’t blinded by hate, fury, or rage. It was a promise that whoever kill them would find themselves in a most unbearable position, and I’d watch them slowly perish. Not because of hate, but I had to know justice had been served.

  I walked around the room slowly, taking a few practice swings with the sword to become reacclimated to using it. I’d failed when faced with the two attackers. My lessons had slipped away as fear took over.

  Ten minutes of practicing different strikes and feints built back a little self-esteem. I knew how to use the sword. I just needed to put my training to practice when it mattered.

  The soft sound of the tent flaps moving aside drew my attention as Sir Alan made his way into the tent. “Your Highness,” he said, bowing his head before walking into the tent. He had a tentative look on his face as if he were trying to find the right words. The few times he’d acted this way in the past was when he knew what he was going to say might upset me. Was this the scolding I’d feared?

  “Please, Sir Alan, say what you need to say.”

  “Well, there are two options with our ‘guest.’ Either way, we are in his debt. He saved you, regardless of his possible motives. He might be a spy, but that makes no sense because he prevented you from being taken, unless there is a third party after you as well. The second option makes me more uneasy.” He cleared his throat and shifted his feet. “I’m concerned that he is telling the truth, and you were saved by a stroke of luck,” he said. “We failed you. There is no way around it. I should’ve suspected an attack, and even so I wasn’t able to reach you in time. If he hadn’t been there, we would have lost you.”

  In all the times I’d known him, I’d never seen him emotionally distressed before. “You’ve served my family loyally all these years, Sir Alan. I have faith in you that it won’t happen again.” I said, keeping my eyes locked in his.

  There was a momentary pause before he unsheathed his sword and placed on the table between us. “I may not be up for the task. I fear I alone can’t guarantee your safety. We need to reconsider progressing toward Freehaven’s capital.” He kept his hand on his sword’s pommel, stroking it with his thumb. “I hate to suggest it, but the kingdom can’t lose you. If we do, it’ll all be pointless anyway.” Shaking his head, he released his sword.

  “What are you saying, Sir Alan? I need to claim the throne. The kingdom needs its rightful ruler. I know you’re afraid of losing me, but I can’t let fear stand in the way of taking my place among my people. Besides, with you at my side, who would dare to oppose me?” I smiled at him.

  “You are the last of your father’s line. Without you, the kingdom will descend into infighting and possibly tyranny. That is how kingdoms and empires fall. That is how your ancestors were able to carve out this land for themselves generations ago. The people need you to rule, yes. But they need you alive to do that,” Sir Alan stated. Fire burned in his eyes, and I could feel the depth of emotion behind them. He truly would do anything to keep me safe.

  “A tyrant claiming the throne for even a year might mean he’ll have gathered an army, possibly by drafting my own peasants. I refuse to fight against the very people I’ve been destined to keep safe. It goes against everything my father ever drilled into me. Excuse me, Sir Alan, but we are both tired. Take up your sword and rest for now.” I kept my voice steady, not wanting this discussion to continue any longer.

  His lips quirked a little, showing the barest hint a smile. “As you wish, princess.” He retrieved his sword and left.

  Chapter Eight

  Edward

  I sat on the ground with my hands tied behind me to a sturdy pole that held up the tent, waiting for my captors to decide my fate. From what I’d heard, there was a power play ongoing in this kingdom. The reaction to my gun even further emphasized that wherever the bloody hell I was seemed to have medieval technology.

  Still, I’d saved a princess in a kingdom I had few details on, made friends and enemies I had no context of, and followed a dreamlike notion that this woman was my anchor. Mine to protect.

  It sounded silly since I was an assassin. Someone who solved others’ problems in the shadows when everything else failed. I’d just done the opposite. This wasn’t a mission. I’d merely obeyed the voices in my head to help a woman I’d dreamed about.

  Those who killed wantonly became my targets. I made sure they got what they deserved. I knew every one of them and could easily give reasons why the world was a better place without them. Some were common criminals while others were known worldwide, but every one of them were justifiable and authorized. I didn’t save people. I merely took the lives of those who caused pain and misery.

  Saving people was a different animal. She might be safe for the time being, but in the long run, she’d likely need rescued again.

  I shook my head. They likely didn’t want my help even if I offered it. Besides, I was an assassin, not as a defender. Staying a few steps ahead of other assassins in this world would not be easy. There was no intel or satellites to give me an advantage. Then again, the people after her had no idea who I was.

  Should I lure the assassin in by using her as bait, or should I keep her sheltered from harm? Were the assassins enemies or just deluded mercenaries? I didn’t have enough details to make a solid decision, and I hated operating from an emotional standpoint alone.

  Sir
Alan followed the princess’s command with a level head and didn’t seem too quick to jump to conclusions. Her followers appeared to following her out of respect, not fear. The chances of her being a tyrant were slim.

  But I really didn’t belong here. My firearm, my way of thinking, and the skills I possessed didn’t mesh with this world. If these people knew of a way for me to return to my world, I’d take it in a heartbeat. After all, my life wasn’t in here.

  My thoughts returned to my world where I’d witnessed horrible things done in the name of revenge, faith, and all sorts of the other justifications. But there was also good. England, despite its problems, was my home. I’d served the Crown without question. It held a fond place in my heart, and it always would. I had responsibilities not many could handle. Poor Croft would lose his mind going over the wreckage, trying to figure out what happened to me. I just hoped that whoever had been in the building had escaped.

  Rising up to stretch, I rolled my neck to try to release the tension there. I didn’t know what I was going to do or even what I wanted here. It seemed the princess wasn’t a tyrant, and if anything, she needed all help she could muster in order to stabilize the kingdom we were in.

  A woman walked into the tent and looked me over. She was carrying what appeared to be herbs and other supplies in a basket, but I could make out the outline of a concealed dagger in her clothing, barely hidden beneath her fabric belt.

  I slid my back down the pole and crouched there, keeping her in the field of my vision. If she were to lash out, I’d be prepared. “What’s your name, miss?” I asked as she walked closer.

  “Tabitha. Don’t do anything you might regret, stranger. There are knights outside,” she said softly.

  I nodded to the pole behind me. “I don’t think you have to worry about that.” I kept my gaze on her. After she didn’t say anything for a moment, I stated my name and just waited.