On The Edge of a Blade

Chapter 20

     "I still wish we could've gone back to my room." A guard tried to take his last breath, choked on his own blood, and collapsed to the ground with a muted thud. Rose pulled away as he fell, knife dripping. "I have a lot of money hidden in there."

"Cry me an ocean." James let out a breath of relief as the lock succumbed to the charms of the key, breaking off in his hand. Tension that had been contained within himself while traveling through the halls of the castle filtered out of his body. All that mattered to him now was that they had managed to navigate past guards with minimal need of killing for successful passage; figuring out funds would come later. "Now, let's go. We're clear."

Rose cleaned her knife off on the dead guard's clothing before joining James in the stall. She took care to step around the expanding pool of blood, unflustered by the murder she had just performed.

James, on the other hand, found it repugnant that the royal stables which he loved so dearly would forever be stained with blood. He knew that he was traveling with an assassin, but it would never fail to strike him how little thought Rose gave to each life and location she corrupted with death.

"This trapdoor was covered by bales of hay?" she asked, scooting a bit of it around with her foot. James couldn't help but notice that she used her bad leg for the action, keeping all of her weight positioned on the other. "No wonder few people know about this passageway."

"Yeah, well, we've been enlightened," James responded tightly. "Now do me a favor and pick up the pace. I'll follow you down once you reach the bottom of the ladder."

He received a scowl, but, other than that, Rose complied. She wouldn't admit it, but both of them knew that she had become the weak link in this adventure. Their pace coming through the castle had been much slower than it ought to have been. The assassin was still better at combat than James, but speed had become more important than blade play in this endeavor.

A figure appeared in the doorway as Rose was climbing down the rusted, tenuous ladder in the trapdoor. On edge as he was, James' hand clasped about the hilt of his knife, prepared to fight back if need be.

"It's all right, my lord," a thin voice said, raising his hands and stepping into a beam of moonlight which spilled in through one of the stable's windows. "I am here to help."

James released his hold on his weapon when he saw that it was just an older servant, dressed plainly and standing empty handed. His thin face was inscrutable, though his eyes displayed some amount of restlessness as they jumped around. "Did Maddox send you?" he asked, seeking confirmation before fully putting down his guard.

There was a beat before the servant responded, not long enough to encourage concern but just enough to incite suspicion. "I am. And I also bring you a message." James raised an eyebrow, silence his only response. The servant translated it into an invitation to continue. "Remember that the line between good and evil is as thin as gossamer. Beware those who drift away from you, but keep your eyes open for those who earnestly wish to join you."

The hairs on James's arm raised in response to that the message. It was profound and wise, but it didn't sound like it was coming from Maddox. His mentor wouldn't've gone out of his way to give that advice to James, not after they had spoken in the dungeons. No, these words were from another, though from whom left him baffled.

"What's your name?" James inquired abruptly.

"Mills."

"Hmm." The name wasn't familiar, but there were so many servants in the castle that James couldn't be expected to know or remember them all. On that same note, he had no other option but to trust Mills to conceal the trapdoor behind him. "Well, Mills. Perhaps we will meet again someday."