Killer Empire

Chapter 19

FOUR MONTHS. IT took Candice Clair exactly four months to crack Devora Evans open like an eggshell.

On the day Devora walked out of Julius Cain's office, trust shattered but chin still up high, she had decided that it was time to truly forge a new path for herself. There was no use in fighting back when she was alone in the world of monsters. Sometimes, the only way to survive was to become one of them. Only when she's properly disguised and all suspicions are removed from her can she strike back.

As the days passed, Devora soon came to realize that it wasn't all too bad. Her current lifestyle was much better than what she went through as an ordinary teenage girl. Sure, she may never reunite with her parents but that was the only thing she had going for her back home. She was without friends back in school and her days were filled with one bullying case to another if she was unlucky enough to attract the student body. Here in Julius Cain's empire, she had a large room nearly to herself (she treated her roommate as though he was invisible), good food to fill her stomach at any time of the day, nice clothes on her back to keep her warm, and most importantly, she had friends, with the exception of Nathan.

They weren't necessarily people that she could trust wholeheartedly, especially not after her spat with Nathan, but they were still friends nevertheless. There was no longer a use for talking to the stars when she finally had friends that shone brighter than the moon.

Unfortunately, she had forgotten that the stars shine by their own efforts while the moon fed off of the sun's radiance.

Every day at the break of dawn, Devora would rush to the cafeteria for a quick breakfast before heading to the gym. If she wanted to reach the very top of the hierarchy where she would no longer have to worry about survival, something must first be done about her physical aptitude. So she trained herself. Her days were filled with hours spent either at the gym with Leah and Candice or at the armory, listening to Dallas's lecture about how certain weapons worked and what was the best way to use them in each scenario.

If she was ill-fated, Nathan might even be around, trying to squeeze in a word or two. However, ever childish as she was, she was still burning with rage. He was the first person her age that she had trusted and he betrayed that trust not once but twice. In Devora's opinion, she had every right to be angry. Yet, she wasn't unreasonable. Important questions would earn a response, cordial at best, but if he was planning on starting up a friendly conversation with mindless chatter, Devora wouldn't waste her breath.

For four months, all Devora knew was training. On the occasion, she was sent out for smaller missions and shopping trips for certain necessities. As a result, she had gotten much closer to her new teachers, Candice and Dallas, picking up some of their habits and learning their likes and dislikes along the way. Although Candice had been harsh during the first month of training, she softened as time went on. Candice would never admit it out loud but she saw potential in Devora and it reminded her of herself.

A single silver blade sliced through the wood of their practice board, hammering itself deep within the material with a satisfying thud. Devora grinned, satisfied with the result. It was her eleventh bullseye. Not in a row, of course. She had missed one between her fourth and her fifth strike. Only Candice could pull off so many perfect throws in a row.

"Don't hog all the boards to yourself, Devora." Leah, who was busy sparring with Dallas, snorted ungracefully.

They were fighting with daggers, trying to familiarize Leah with life on the field against actual armed opponents. She sliced at the air neatly, evading Dallas's attack with a block followed by a strike, aiming for her opponent's face.

"Woah." Knocking Leah's blade away right before it grazed his skin, Dallas yelped. "Easy there, Leah. Aiming for the face is a dick move."

"Just one step below aiming for the balls, eh?" Candice chortled. She stepped into the ring, angling her leg and aimed for where it would hurt Dallas most.