by Eric Vall
“I broke your seal with the sect,” I replied, “but I’m glad you’re still conscious.”
“They’ll send someone for me,” she spat over her tears, and she struggled against the webb cuffs. “They won’t abandon me.”
“They think you’re dead.”
She froze. “What do you mean?”
“I removed your tattoo,” I explained to her. “They have no way to contact you or check up on you. They will think you’re dead once they realize your bond to them is gone.”
“No,” she argued, “they know I’m alive, and someone will come for me. They won’t let me die here.”
“You mean like your friends we’ve had locked in our cells for months?” I asked with a quirked brow.
“We came to end their suffering,” she responded weakly.
“What about Aleksey?” I questioned in a sharp voice. “Your sect didn’t seem too keen to rescue him while we tortured him.”
Her mouth clamped shut, and she made a fist with her hands.
“That’s what I thought,” I sneered. “The sect doesn’t care about you. It’s about time you learned that.”
I turned away from her and walked to the cell where Aleksey was still locked inside. Then I pulled out the two metal lock picks and pocketed them, since they might be useful to us one day, and I used the keys Laika tossed to me before to unlock the cell, dragged Aleksey’s limp body out, and placed it against the wall in a sitting position.
Next, I returned to the assassin and yanked her up. Then I gave her a pat down to make sure she had nothing else on her person that could be used to free herself, but judging by the distressed look on her face, she wouldn’t even try.
I pushed her inside Aleksey’s empty cell and locked the door behind me. The assassin collapsed onto her knees and stared at the ground, and I could see tears trail down her face. I wasn’t sure if they were from the pain of the new scar, from the glass in her eyes, or because she was upset with the sect.
In a small act of mercy, I sent my magic to heal her eyes from the glass dust that scratched at them.
She looked up at me for a brief second before she let her gaze drop to the floor once more.
Now, the assassin was completely neutralized behind the bars of the cell in the far corner, and Aleksey was still unconscious and sprawled out on the floor. I hefted him up and locked him to the chair in the middle of the room, just in case, and then I left both the assassin and Aleksey in the room, locked the door behind me, and ran off to find Laika.
Thankfully, I found her easily enough. She’d contacted Daya to join her, and together they had taken down the last assassin. All of them waited in the large brig with the other prisoners. The last assassin was slumped in the corner of the room, and blood poured from a wound in his chest. His eyes stared blankly in front of him, blood dripped from his lips, and his body already had the ripe stench of death around it.
“We wanted to take him alive, but the circumstances during the fight made it impossible,” Laika explained unapologetically.
“That’s fine,” I told her, “I kept mine alive, she’s inside Aleksey’s cell, and he’s still unconscious in the main room. Are both of you okay?”
“We’re fine,” Daya answered as she wiped the blood off her blade. “The assassin was troublesome, but he wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle.”
“Good,” I looked back at the dead sect member, “we should inspect the rest of the city for any more members of the Green Glass Sect. There could be more of them hiding around Hatra.”
“Understood,” Daya turned to Laika, “I’ll send a patrol to inspect every inch of the city.”
Laika nodded. “Send guards to the tunnels. If that is how they came into Hatra, we need to ensure others are stopped before they enter the city.”
“Yes, Guild Leader.” Daya bowed to Laika and to me before she placed a hand on her gorget and left the room.
“Did you reach everyone in time?” I asked Laika as I looked around the room.
“Yes,” she answered, “but we nearly were too late. The assassin had a knife to the throat of one of the prisoners when we got here, but Daya has incredible aim with throwing knives.”
The wolf grinned sharply and laughed as I took in the carnage around the brig.
Dark red blood was splattered along the walls and pooled in puddles along the floor, and I winced when I found a finger that belonged to the dead assassin.
“Is that the result of Daya’s aim?”
Laika nodded but winced as she clutched her side.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as she moved her hand, and it came back red. “You said you were fine.”
I used my magic to assess her wounds.
Classification: Wolf Demi-Human.
Condition: Abdominal wound, shallow abrasions along arms and legs, fractured ribs.
Priority: Healing recommended.
Status: Non-emergent.
I immediately sent my healing power toward her in a wave of glitter, and it mended the small cuts and bruises she acquired during the fight. Then I frowned when my magic healed the wound on her side. It wasn’t very long, but it was deep. It was most likely a stab wound, and I felt a rush of rage at the thought of Laika being hurt.
“I would have been fine, you didn’t need to do that,” Laika sighed as the last of her injuries were healed. “But thank you.”
“Of course. There’s no reason for you to be hurt if I can help it."
She blushed pink, and I pressed a chaste kiss to her lips.
“Come on, we can talk to the assassin I captured,” I said as I pulled away from her mouth. “Maybe she’ll give us some answers.”
We ran into Ravi as we walked back to Aleksey’s cell. The phoenix bounded over to us with her hair down, and her blue eyes glistened with interest.
“What is going on?” she asked as she took in our appearances. “There are a lot of rumors going around. I heard you fought off a horde of trained assassins single handedly. Are the two of you okay?”
“We’re fine,” I replied with a roll of my eyes. “The rumors are exaggerated. There were assassins, yes, but only three. I handled two of them, and Laika and Daya took care of the third.”
“I can’t believe assassins were here, and I missed them,” Ravi pouted, but then she cleared her throat when Laika and I both gave her a sharp look. “I mean, it’s scary and worrisome. We should probably make sure the rest of the city is okay.”
I chuckled at the phoenix and pulled her to my side. “Come on, you can come with us to Aleksey’s cell.”
“The traitor?” she questioned with a furrowed brow. “I thought he was asleep?”
“He is, but one of the assassins was for him.”
Ravi’s blue eyes grew wide. “What did they want with him?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I think they want to kill anyone who can talk about the sect. They want to tie up loose ends. I think I was just a bonus. I pissed them off, and they wanted me dead because of it.”
“Do you think they’ll try again?” Ravi swallowed tightly, and her pink lips pursed in concern.
I turned to Laika, and she met my eye.
“I doubt it,” the wolf answered. “They had the element of surprise here, but now that we know they are capable of infiltrating the city, they won’t risk the lives of more of their members. It would be pointless. We would be ready for them.”
“I suppose that’s a blessing then,” Ravi said and released a deep breath. “We shouldn’t need to worry about them for a while.”
“Hopefully,” I said, “but there could be more in the city. Daya is sweeping the streets as we speak.”
Ravi nodded in silence and walked with us to Aleksey’s cell. When we arrived, I unlocked the door and swung it open. Then I let Ravi and Laika walk ahead of me before I followed after them and looked inside the barred cage in the corner.
The assassin was still on her knees. Her face was dry of tears, but the tracks from them were sti
ll apparent on her cheeks. She didn’t move or even look up as we entered, though.
“This is the assassin?” Ravi whispered as she pressed against my side. “She doesn’t look dangerous.”
“Trust me, she is,” I warned. “Don’t let your guard down. She’s still a member of the sect and should be treated like a threat at all times.”
Ravi nodded and took a not so subtle step back.
I unlocked the cell and grabbed the web bound assassin. Then I tossed the keys to Laika, and she unlocked Aleksey and pulled him from the chair. I replaced Aleksey with the assassin and locked her in place, but she didn’t make any move to escape or fight back.
“I should bring the others here before we begin to question her,” I said.
“You’re right.” Laika nodded in agreement. “We should bring everyone: the Elders, Alyona, and Lord Nikolaus. The more witnesses we have, the less things we could miss.”
I summoned my silver dragon, and it danced along my hand.
“Find Alyona, Nike, and the Elders and have them meet us in Aleksey’s cell,” I ordered.
The little dragon roared quietly before it took off in a silver streak and vanished quickly through the door.
“We can start with some easy questions until the rest of our group is here,” I said as I turned to the assassin. “What is your name?”
The blonde killer kept her gaze on the floor.
“Tell us, or I can bring one of our mages to rip it from your mind,” Laika warned her, and her voice was cold.
A look of fear crossed the assassin’s face. It was an empty threat, I didn’t like to use the mages since they usually broke minds instead of read them, but she didn’t know that.
“Mara,” the assassin finally admitted quietly. “My name is Mara.”
Chapter 10
We all stared at the assassin, Mara, in surprise, and she slumped forward in the chair.
“Okay then, Mara,” I nodded as I stood in front of the assassin, placed my hands along the armrests of the chair, and bent down to meet her eye, “let’s start with a few easy questions. How long have you been a member of the Green Glass Sect?”
Mara remained silent and stared ahead.
“Answer me.”
The blonde flinched at the sound of my voice and sighed. “They are my family. I’ve been a member since I was born.”
Just then, the door behind us burst open as Ruslan and Nike stormed into the room. Nike had a tight grip on his sword while Ruslan had a large flame that burned over his hand. They both glanced around the room in suspicion before they relaxed when they realized there was no longer a threat. Ruslan’s fire died, and Nike quickly stored away Aine. Then my father gestured behind him, and Alyona, Julia, and Moskal followed behind the two Lords.
“What is going on here?” Ruslan asked as he glanced down at Mara. “Your message sounded urgent, we thought you were in trouble.”
“Everything is fine.” I smirked as I explained the situation. “There were more assassins after Aleksey and the other prisoners associated with the Green Glass Sect. This is Mara, she’s the only assassin who survived their attempts. Laika and Daya took care of the other one.”
Ruslan walked forward and gestured for Alyona and Julia to stay back. Nike stepped toward Mara as well, and his silver eyes narrowed as he watched her carefully.
“Has she said anything?” Nike asked.
“Just her name,” I said to everyone as I stepped away from the chair, “and that’s she been involved with the Green Glass Sect since birth.”
“Since birth?” Ruslan blinked in shock before he turned to Mara. “Are your parents involved with the sect as well?”
“I don’t have parents,” she replied, and her voice was tinged with anger. “The sect was the only family I ever needed.”
“Interesting,” I mused, “I wouldn’t have taken the sect to be the family type.”
“They warned me you would try to turn me against them,” she frowned, “but I won’t let you. I would rather die today, loyal to the sect, than give you any information about them.”
“We won’t kill you unless you give us reason to,” Julia tried to reason with Mara. “Help us, and we can protect you from them.”
“I don’t need protection from them,” Mara snapped, and her eyes were bright with righteous anger. “They believe in a better Rahma, all they want is to make Rahma the greatest country in the world. King Rodion brings this country down and makes us seem weak. Even now, as our country faces a civil war, he does nothing! He just stays by The Breach and wastes his time. Rahma will fall to pieces if he is allowed to continue.”
“My father has ruled Rahma for hundreds of years, and it has yet to fall under his rule,” Alyona argued as she stepped forward. “He knows where he is needed, that’s why he is a good leader. The Breach is the most dangerous thing in this world, and if it remains open, demons will destroy all on Inati.”
“And yet The Breach remains open.” Mara rolled her green eyes. “Tell me, Princess, does your father actually have a plan to help Rahma, or does he use The Breach as an excuse for his failures as king?”
I could practically feel Alyona’s anger as she drew closer to Mara, and it surprised me. The princess was normally so composed.
“How dare you call my father a failure?” Alyona hissed, and her amethyst eyes were as sharp as knives. “If it wasn’t for him, Rahma would already be overrun with demons and monsters. You and your ‘family’ should be grateful he has spent his time at The Breach. Without him, this entire country, maybe even the entire world, would be lost.”
Laika grabbed Alyona and held her back as her amethyst eyes tried to bore holes through Mara. I’d really never seen Alyona so angry, and I was slightly impressed.
“Milady, ignore her,” Laika murmured as she gently but firmly held the princess’s arm. “The sect has obviously warped her mind to believe in their cause.”
“You’re right,” Alyona took a deep breath, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lost my temper.”
“It’s alright, Milady, your anger is understandable.” Laika put a hand on Alyona’s shoulder in a show of comfort, and then the wolf shot Mara a heated glare. “These assassins are not worth your ire, though. They have failed their mission, and soon their sect will be nothing more than a bad memory.”
Alyona nodded and gave the wolf a small smile, but when I met her gaze, I could still see the fury buried deep inside.
“Ravi,” I spoke up, and the phoenix turned toward me as I said her name, “take Alyona out of here. We can update the two of you later.”
“Of course, Lord Evan,” Ravi replied with a nod before she looked at Alyona. “We can return to your room or the library and continue to research spells.”
“That’s probably for the best,” the princess agreed with a heavy sigh, “I won’t be able to help if I can’t control my emotions.”
“That’s okay, I’m good at distractions. Let’s go!” Ravi smiled as she gently wrapped her arms around Alyona and led her from the room.
I turned to Laika, but she seemed to have read my mind. She already had a hand pressed to her chest above the blue tree sigil on her gorget.
“I’ll make sure they have a guard team with them at all times until we are certain the city is safe,” the wolf Demi-Human said when she finished her silent message.
“Thanks.” I smiled at her in appreciation before I turned back to Mara. “As for you, we have more questions.”
“Just kill me,” she sneered. “I won’t answer any questions about the sect.”
“I see your sass has come back,” I told her dryly. “I have to admit, I preferred your defeated and depressed side. She was willing to talk to us.”
Mara rolled her eyes. “I told you my name. I don’t think that’s too big of a deal. Hell, I’ll answer any of your questions, as long as they don’t pose a threat to my family.”
“I don’t think you are in a position to argue about which questions we ask,” Nike sna
rled as he stepped forward with a sharp glare. “You can either answer willingly or we can force the answers from your mind.”
“Do your worst,” Mara challenged and tilted her chin up in defiance. “I have been trained in these situations. I doubt this city has any techniques I haven’t endured before.”
“Maybe we don’t,” Ruslan said as he stepped forward and turned to Laika, “but I’m sure the Blue Tree Guild have more than enough techniques, and they can surely find something that will work for you.”
Laika smiled sharply from where she stood next to Julia and Moskal, and her sharpened canines glinted in the light.
“I assure you,” the wolf agreed with Ruslan, “we have plenty of ways to drag information from you, some are more … humane than others, but all have proven effective.”
Mara clenched her jaw and stared ahead.
“Just answer our questions, and we can avoid all of that,” I reasoned with her. “We only want answers. Answers you can give to us.”
“Then what?” the assassin spat. “I’m dead either way. I answer your questions, and you kill me, or I can refuse to answer, and you kill me.”
“Maybe, but would you prefer your death to extend into weeks of torture?” I countered. “If you tell us all you know about the sect, if I do decide to kill you, I will make your death quick.”
Mara’s gaze fell to the floor, and she pressed her lips together. Then I remembered that earlier, when Mara gave us her name, Laika threatened to pull answers from her mind. I could use that, so I knelt down next to Mara and spoke quietly.
“Fine,” I sighed in annoyance, “Laika, summon the mages. She can refuse to answer us, but she can’t keep secrets hidden from her own mind.”
Mara’s head snapped up, and I caught a glimpse of fear in her emerald gaze.
So, I was right, she was afraid of the mages. She must not have been able to fight them off easily during her training with the Green Glass Sect.
“I’ll call them now,” Laika said and pressed a hand to her chest, and Mara’s eyes followed the movement.
“Wait,” the assassin protested weakly. “Just … wait.”
Everyone in the room turned their attention toward her, and I smirked before I stood and towered over her blonde head.