The Scarlet Assassin

Chapter Forty-Eight

That night, Sorin and I didn't speak at the campfire.

I don't think we even listened to the conversations happening around us; Honestly, after the first drink, I didn't really remember much. But, I do know that we were the last ones awake. I do know that I got up sometime in the night and went over to his pallet. I do know that he lifted his blankets and let me lay with him. I do know that's when the first, silent tear fell.

And I know that we did not utter a word that entire night.

The next day wasn't much of an improvement. I drank most of the morning as we trekked through the remaining forest, my mind never wandering far from Ryn as if I was tethered to that memory and couldn't break free. It's been years since I had been reminded of the entirety of what had happened on that battlefield, and I've never brought myself to talk about it. Talking about stuff always makes the pain hurt a little more, made the knife twist.

A door had been opened and it was as if I was exposed to light for the first time in six years. And I was stumbling blindly.

But I was not alone.

Sorin was never far from me. He drank probably just as much as me, if not more, and, to the other's oblivion, was equally quiet. I knew he felt guilty, and I knew he was in pain because of my comment about his brother. I wanted to apologize, I needed to apologize, but through my own selfish battle, I could not find the words.

Around midday, we found a pier, and Ace and Rafe stole a small fishing boat without detection, then drove it to the bank where we all climbed on and sailed to Maribae.

It didn't take but twenty minutes to reach the island. Unfortunately there wasn't an area we could dock without being seen, so docking at one of the many, packed fishing ports was our safest bet.

On this particular day, it was so crowded we had to squeeze through a swarm of pack-tight people and maneuver around fishing buckets just to get off the dock, so any guards that may have been stationed there either didn't think we were out of place or just didn't care. Then we split up into three groups and took different routes through the town to eventually reach Devolan's ship.

I was with Carter who I knew had noticed how much I had been drinking. He was always quieter when he detected something he didn't like.

We walked for a while in silence. I was thankful Rafe and Sorin took our bags in a wagon they managed to smuggle. My back would've been killing me by now.

We suddenly passed by a building that caught my eye. Plastered on the stone exterior were pieces of paper with a rough sketch of a woman who vaguely resembled me. Underneath were the words:

Scarlet Assassin

Reward: 1,000,000 qreez

Dead or Alive

"Fuck," I whispered, slipping my hood around my head. Carter caught where I was looking and walked noticeably faster.

"Hide your knives," he whispered, eyes scanning the crowd.

I went to shove them into the little space I had left in my bags. But I didn't have them. Carter ended up sighing and opening his nearly-empty satchel, tilting the opening so I could easily toss them. His hands then gripped the strap tightly, hugging the bag close to his body.

"How did word that you... well did you know what to the prince get out this fast?"

"It didn't. There's been a bounty on me since we started the mission," I mumbled. "That's why I was trying to keep us out of big cities. Small towns, theoretically, wouldn't have heard of me."