Bleeding Ink

Chapter 34

Chapter 34

"What the hell was she talking about?" Malik demanded as soon as the two of them were out of the office.

Adeena glared at him from beneath her hood, but she made sure he could still see her face. "It's none of your business," she growled, trying to brush past him.

But his hand wrapped around her elbow, stopping her mid-stride. "Hey, stop..."

Her tone was laced with so much venom and sharpness that it had him flinching. "Don't touch me, Malik. Don't you dare fucking touch me. Not after that."

Dropping his hand, he held both out in front of him in surrender. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't...gods, I've been so worried about you. It's been weeks and you never sent word on how you were, what was going on. I just..."

"Not here, not now," she cut in. There were too many eyes and ears there in the palace, ones that were likely creeping up on them then. "Meet me in an hour. You know the place."

And with that, Adeena left him there to watch her walk away.

There was no swallowing the lump in her throat that formed, even as she made her way out of the palace, down a few side streets, and through the hidden archway that led down into the tunnels below Krahzara. Her feet brought her where she planned to go, walking through tunnel after tunnel, across the bubbling underground spring, right to the only locked doorway that led right up to the Guild's house.

As soon as Adeena pushed open the vault door leading inside, one only she could open, she tilted her head to the side, staring up at the ceiling as if she could see straight through to the floors above. The house was uncharacteristically quiet, even though she knew all five of the Guild's assassins should be back.

Everyone sat around her office, one of the few places that hadn't been touched. Warek was leaned against the front of her desk, thick arms crossed over his chest. Selise stood beside him, her navy hair pulled back into two thick plaits and dressed in one of her favorite gossamer gowns. Then there were the other three who she hadn't seen in a longer amount of time.

Dante lounged in one of the arm chairs, his skin more bronze than she remembered from his time in Rezuvell and golden hair expertly brushed into a swoop across his forehead. The mage Taeva sat beside him, one leg crossed over the other, dressed in her training gear with her tightly curled black hair a halo around her head. The contrast between her dark skin and light blue eyes always had Adeena staring, which was how she usually drew in those she'd been assigned to kill. And, of course, the sweet, half-orc Zakari, looking as uncomfortable and out of place as he ever did, standing beside the blazing fire with a glass of amber liquid in hand. As soon as he spotted Adeena, he downed the rest of the contents and placed the glass on the mantel.

"Glad to see you all home in one piece," Adeena smiled, shifting out of her jacket. She tossed it over the back of her chair before she sat down.

Dante raised one golden brow. "We heard you've been off on an adventure of your own these last few weeks. And in Arloerin of all places."

"That's not why I sent the message to you."

"A message that was very cryptic, even for you," Taeva snorted. "You told Warek to start packing up the house. Are we moving? I've always liked it here..."

"I'm moving the Guild of Starlight to Arloerin as soon as I can," Adeena finally said, cutting her off.

Zakari straightened as his brows furrowed. "What? Why?"

"Because I decided we no longer work for the empress. I no longer work for the empress. And I...I want to go home."

All five of them, even Warek and Selise, looked at her in confusion. She didn't have time to tell them her entire story, though, not when she needed to go upstairs and see her grandfather, not when Malik would be there within the hour, and certainly not when she had her own rooms to pack up before she figured out how to get that godsforsaken necklace from Sophea.