by Zizi Cole
I met him in the depths of the forest. I walked up and shook hands with him. We sat down on a log and I studied him. He sat patiently, waiting for me to speak. It was obvious that I had something to say, since I summoned him to me in the middle of a mission.
“Did you know?” I asked. I knew that I wouldn’t have to elaborate. Malina was like the elephant in the room.
“No, I wasn’t aware of where she was sent. I was made aware of the situation shortly after you left and I wondered how you would deal with it. I know that made this mission even more difficult. If you don’t think that you can pull it off, I can have you removed from it and have someone else do the job.” Declan stared at me then.
I shook my head slowly back and forth. “No, I can do it, however, I don’t believe that Malina is involved in anything and I refuse to kill her. I am going to ensure her safety before I anything is done. I will do my best to protect her.”
The big man beside me sighed heavily. “This is what I feared. You are a stubborn man and have always been. That is one thing that I admire about you, but it also annoys the shit out of me. Sometimes I think we would have all been better off if I had killed you in that torture chamber.”
I shrugged. I knew he didn’t mean it, but sometimes I agreed with him. He had the option of putting me out of my misery or saving me and chose to save my life. I owed him everything. One day I would like to repay the favor. I knew that that day would come, and I was ready for it. I hated owing anyone anything, and I owed Declan and Raynor more than I could ever repay. I owed them my life, I would gladly lay down mine for them.
“I will figure this out, Declan. I just wanted your input on the situation.”
“Do what you can to save the girl. You know as well as I that if you don’t do something drastic to protect her, there will be others after her head. I will let the clients know that we will not be doing the full job, just half. And Tobias, this is going to cost us.”
“I know. If you want, I can make up for it by giving up my share of the hit. I don’t need it anyway.”
“Not necessary. I just thought that we had beaten your moral compass out of you, but I suppose we didn’t.”
“I would have never been able to do anything to her, and you know it. You don’t want anything happening to her either or you would be pushing me to do the job.”
I saw a smile flash across his face. “You’re right. Out of everyone at home, she was the most innocent. She was always kind to everyone in the castle. She would come down and bring me snacks frequently and we would talk about her dreams. She would talk, I would listen. I would hate to see anything bad happen to her. Just remember, whatever you are going to do to protect her, you need to do it quickly.”
I nodded. “For now, make sure that Queen Malina is under my protection. Anyone trying to get to her will have to get through me.”
With a glance in my direction, Declan stood up and walked away. I watched as he disappeared within the trees. I knew that he would get the word out and hopefully Malina would be safe for the time being.
After spending several days following the king and learning his routines, I started to receive cryptic messages about his upcoming events. I was sure Malina was sending me those, even though she didn’t particularly want me to kill him, if I wasn’t planning on killing her as well.
I had also received a message from Declan stating that he had put out the word that Malina was under my protection. I knew it wouldn’t completely keep her safe, but it was a first step. I felt a little better knowing that the underground society knew that I was keeping an eye on her and if they wanted her, they would have to go through me.
I needed to hurry up and figure out what was really going on here, because the longer that I was here, the more things seemed off. I couldn’t put my finger on what was going on, but it was putting me on edge.
I looked through the most recent message to find out what was going on, when I saw something that caught my eye. It was the perfect opportunity for me to get close to Luquin without him being aware of my presence.
I was going to attend the masquerade ball.
Chapter 6
I straightened my tie and hoped that it looked okay. I knew that it was risky going into the ballroom, but I felt it was necessary so I could get close to Luquin. If the opportunity arose, I may be able to take him out and be finished with that part of the job. Then I would just have to figure out what I was going to do with Malina and how I planned on keeping her safe.
I slipped the mask over my face and wished I had a mirror to glance at myself before I headed to the ballroom. Leaving the church wasn’t going to be an issue, the priests were all in their rooms, praying. I creeped to the side exit and slipped out the door without making a sound.
When I made it into the castle, I worked my way to the ballroom. Now all I had to do was act like I was invited to it. I had seen enough royals and been to enough parties, I knew that wouldn’t be a problem.
I walked in with confidence and took in my surroundings. I was surprised at the number of guests that were in attendance. I scanned the room, trying to spot Malina or Luquin, and neither were in attendance at the moment. I meandered around the room aimlessly. That was the appearance I gave, anyway. I checked out all the exit points and places that an assassin could hide.
There was an orchestra playing down in the orchestra pit. They had pulled out all the stops for this ball. The music stopped and trumpets sounded, to announce the arrival of the king and queen. The king and queen stood at the top of a long spiral staircase, looking down at the crowd.
Malina stood proud, shoulders back, smile on her face; only I could see the tension in her shoulders, which said she was truly unhappy. They came down the stairs together, arm in arm, in a slow but purposeful pace.
The crowd stood and silently watched the precession of the king and queen on their way to their thrones. Once they were seated, the orchestra struck back up, playing a waltz. I watched the crowd while they lined up to meet the king and queen. I joined the line, hoping to get up close and personal with Luquin. I knew that tonight couldn’t be the night that I ended him, but it was going to be soon.
I made my way to the royals. When I stood before Malina, I bowed and introduced myself. “I am Sir Tobias Bainbridge of Baskaria. It is a pleasure to meet you, My Queen.” Turning to Luquin, I bowed to him and spoke to him as well. “My King.”
Malina gave me a slight nod and Luquin spoke to me after studying me for several heartbeats. “Baskaria? You’ve come a long way for a party.”
“I was actually making my way to Dusana and heard about the ball. It is rumored that you put on quite the show during these occasions and it was something I shouldn’t miss, so here I am. I am honored to be in your presence, Your Majesty.”
“You will definitely enjoy the show that I have lined up for tonight. Hope you can stay and enjoy it. There are several ladies that are unattached and ripe for the picking, if you happen to find one that strikes your fancy.” He smiled at me and the implication of what he was saying made bile rise in my throat.
I bowed once more. “I will keep that in mind. Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Walking away, I made my way back into the crowd. After the greeting finished, Malina and Luquin were seated on their thrones and they watched the crowd as they danced and laughed. I danced with a couple women just to keep up appearances, but my eyes never strayed from the platform. Malina looked straight ahead, a smile on her face. She had a gold mask on, to match the gold dress she was wearing. She looked like a statue, as still as she was.
Luquin was talking to one of his advisors quietly, leaning to the side, away from Malina. The advisor nodded and disappeared out of the ballroom. I was curious about the transaction, but I couldn’t afford to follow him.
After several dances, I approached the platform yet again. Instead of addressing Malina, I spoke to Luquin.
“Your Majesty, if you approve, may I have a dance with the beautiful queen?”
He shrugged in a careless gesture and waved a hand, indicating to go ahead. I turned to Malina and held out my hand. She stared at my hand like it was a snake ready to bite her. I stood patiently, and waited for her to make a decision. She finally put her hand in mine and stood. I led her out to the dance floor. As we danced, she smiled and spoke to me through gritted teeth.
“You are a stupid, stupid man,” she hissed.
“Why do you say that, Your Highness?”
“You know why. You have him your real name. Why would you do that? What if it gets back to my father that you were here?”
“Relax, Malina. As far as your father is concerned, I died five years ago. And I was just a lowly guard and I doubt anyone knew my name from before. Honestly, Tobias doesn’t truly exist anymore. He died the day I woke up.”
I couldn’t see her whole face because of the mask, but I could tell that she was frowning by the creases on her forehead. “You speak of yourself as if you are two different people.”
“That’s because I am. When I almost died, I was a young, dumb fool. I woke up to a different world, as a different person. I am known as the Reaper. Reaper and Tobias couldn’t co-exist. I don’t have room for both, so I chose Reaper.”
“That is cold and heartless.”
I inclined my head. “Indeed, but it is who I am now. I have long ago accepted that.”
“I don’t believe you have accepted anything. If you had, you would have killed me the first chance you had and would have been gone long before tonight.”
I couldn’t believe that she was arguing with me over this. I hadn’t seen her in almost five years and she was trying to tell me what kind of person I was. But there was a small part of me that was inclined to agree with her statement. I should have killed them both and been done with it within days of making it to Tiven.
“You are correct about one thing, Queen Malina. I should have killed you as soon as I had an opportunity. I’m not sure why I didn’t or why I can’t bring myself to do it, but I do have my suspicions on that.” I leaned closer to her then whispered. “There is a part of me that still cares about your well-being.”
I wasn’t about to tell her that I had asked about her for years or tried to find out where she had been sent. I didn’t want to show my vulnerability. If anyone found out that I still cared about her, they could use her against me.
She smiled at me. “Well, Sir Tobias, it looks as if I may have hit a sensitive spot. You say you were young and dumb when we were in love. I agree with you about the young, I wouldn’t say dumb though. You have never been dumb. You have always been highly intelligent. I think the word naïve describes us better. We thought that love could overcome everything. But we were mistaken.”
Looking into her eyes, I felt myself falling into the depths of them. The blue was the color of the sky and I felt like I was flying. Her eyes had always had that effect on me. It was as if the room faded from around us and it became just Malina and myself in the universe.
I hadn’t realized that the song had ended. We continued to dance, staring into each other’s eyes. Suddenly there was applause that broke the connection. I looked up to see Luquin standing and clapping, slow, sarcastic claps.
I bowed to Malina and led her up to her throne. As she settled into it, I smiled at her.
“Thank you for such a riveting dance.”
“I have forgotten how much my wife loves to dance,” Luquin interrupted. “Maybe she would like to join me for a dance.”
The glint in his eye set me on edge. I looked at Malina, whose eyes were on Luquin. She slowly nodded and put her hand in his. They walked out to the dance floor, which immediately cleared, and the orchestra struck back up. I watched as Malina was led around the dance floor by Luquin. The dance didn’t appear to be flowing naturally.
Outwardly, Malina appeared calm and happy, but the set of her shoulders told me otherwise. She was nervous. I made my way into the crowd, in order to try to disappear. Maybe Luquin wouldn’t punish her if he thought that it was just a simple dance with a stranger from a different land.
When their dance ended, they went back to their thrones and were seated. Luquin nodded to someone and guards flooded the room. The dance floor was cleared and the orchestra left. Tall poles were set up around the perimeter of the dance floor. One guard had a controller in his hand. He pushed a button and an electric barrier lit up from the poles. They had assembled some kind of ring.
I frowned as I watched the progress. I wasn’t sure what they were aiming to do, but I had a feeling it wasn’t something I would like. Two women were brought out. They were dressed in only ratty, torn, bloody shifts. They looked like they had been sitting in muck for days. Looking around the room as they were dragged to the ring, they looked confused and frightened.
The women were shoved into the ring and the door that had been made disappeared, effectively trapping them in it. The room was completely silent as the two women regained their feet. Once they were both standing, weapons were dropped from overhead. They landed on the floor with a clang and crash.
The women jumped. One fell back into the perimeter of the ring and I could hear the jolt of electricity zap her. She fell forward and twitched. Slowly she climbed back to her feet. As she stood back up, one of the advisors stood on the platform in front of Luquin and Malina. He began to announce the evening’s activities.
“Lords, Gentlemen, and Ladies, I would like to give you a quick rundown on this evening’s activities. We are now going to have our competitions, brought to you from King Luquin and the prisons. After the competitions, we will have dinner, followed by the final set by the orchestra. I hope you all enjoy the evening. Remember to cheer for your favorite competitors. Let the games begin!”
The two women each picked up a weapon and scuttled back to opposite sides of the ring. One woman had picked up a mace while the other had grabbed an old-fashioned taser gun. From my studies and training, the taser was from the 2000s, but I couldn’t date it exactly from the distance. The woman with the taser held it out in front of her like it was a shield. I was sure that she didn’t know how to use it.
I studied the woman holding the mace. She may have picked a weapon that you needed to get close up for, but she had a glint of determination and hope in her eyes. She reminded me of someone who knew there wasn’t much time left; she would have to act. She also had a look of confidence on her face, which told me that she knew how to use the mace.
She rushed her competitor, swinging haphazardly out with the mace. The mace appeared to be too heavy for the woman. Since she had been imprisoned, I knew she was malnourished, so her arms weren’t as strong as she was accustomed to. Her swing wasn’t strong or sure, so she missed her mark and lost her balance. That’s when the woman with the taser gun pulled the trigger. The electrodes shot out and embedded in the other woman’s chest. She hit the ground and twitched, while she lost control of her bladder and wet herself.
While she was incapacitated and writhing on the floor, the other woman grabbed a dagger and began to stab her, over and over again, until she quit moving. Standing up, the woman held the dagger down to her side and stared lifelessly toward Luquin. As the winner, she should have felt proud about gaining her freedom, but there was no pride on her face.
I knew what she had to be feeling. The first kill was always the hardest. There was an ache deep inside her soul. She felt the pain of taking another life, personally, as if she felt like she killed part of herself as well. In a way she did. She had killed part of her humanity, and for what? To be able to go home.
Luquin applauded and stood up. The crowd began to applaud and cheer as well. The roar of the crowd was deafening, yet seemed fake. I wasn’t sure how anyone else felt about the show before us, but in my eyes, it was a waste. To kill for someone else’s pleasure wasn’t something that was fun.
When the noise died down, Luquin spoke. “Well done. You took out your adversary quicker than I imagined you would have. You shall get your re
ward now.”
He turned and nodded to the advisor, who lifted a hand and made a gesture. A big executioner walked up and entered the ring with the women. Her eyes widened as she seemed to have realized that something was going horribly wrong. With one swift movement, he pulled a sword out of its sheath on his hip and swung, taking her head off in one arc.
Her head landed on the ground with a sickening thud, rolling across the floor and stopping at the other woman’s body. Her headless body stood for a minute, with blood squirting out of the neck, before it fell to the ground.
I turned to look at Malina, who was sitting there with tears streaming down her face as she watched the scene below. The tears were silent and if you weren’t watching closely, you may not have noticed as they dripped off her face. She blinked a couple of times, then her eyes drifted to mine. I could feel her looking straight into my eyes. Then she looked away, bringing a hand up to her face.
Suddenly, her body jerked back and her hands came up to her neck. She was grabbing at something, like she was trying to pull it off her neck. She began to struggle in earnest and her face started turning red. I rushed to her, jumping from the floor to the platform to reach her before she was strangled. I saw the glint of wire and pulled a dagger out of my boot so I could cut it. I cut her free and took off after the shadow, which tried to slip away unnoticed.
I could hear Malina cough and the crowd erupt in noise as I chased the assailant out of the castle and into the darkness.
Chapter 7
I followed the shadow into the woods, where I lost him. I stopped and looked for signs of someone making a path. I stood in the silence, watching and listening, yet I knew it was useless. The trees were silent. There was no trace of life in the woods.