The Eye of Chaos (Council of Champions Book One) ✔️

Chapter Thirty-Eight: A Soldier's Return

Zaira chewed on her nails as she stood in the shadows watching as the Feral Prince dropped a royal guard with ease. He slipped a dagger into the man's solarplex before finishing it with a quick flick of the same hand to cut open the throat.

He walked back over to her, dragging the dead corpse in his left hand. She noticed the scarred and cuts that ran along it in multiple places, hinting at years of battle. There were three scars that ran parallel with each other from the back of his hand up into his sleeve where she couldn't see.

But when she looked at his face, it always took her breath away. His sharp features gave him a handsomeness not seen in thieves and it was young. No more than twenty-five summers. Yet his hair was a light brown, highlighted with thick white strands that were sometimes there and sometimes not. He was an alluring man full of mystery.

When he turned to look at her, his lips curved upward into a smirk and he tossed a small brown sac of coin at her. Then he reached deeper into the dead man's pockets and removed a steel badge. It was simple. Two swords crossing over each other, cracks running through them like small rivers. A large axe was placed in the center, bearing down on the crossed swords.

"Fileatte," he whispered, his lips barely moving.

"Feral Prince, we should get moving. That man, Kraven has placed his life on the line for your plan. We need to hurry," said Hilda, the tall blonde woman that seemed to have some sort of relation with him.

"Hilda, I don't want to repeat myself. It's Prince. Whenever someone says my full name it puts me in danger and all of you. We can't have someone attacking us because they over hear you call the name of the Thieves' Union leader out loud."Prince glared at her until Hilda looked away, her eyes narrowed in a mocking manner.

"Yes, sir." If it had been her, Zaira would have hit the woman for the layers of disrespect in the tone. But Prince had already started moving toward the alley across from them.

Zaira gave the corpse one last look before running after Prince. She knew what he was thinking. Over the past week she had been with him, Zaira had become accustomed to his orders and decisions. Now, they only had a few days at most before Ghunyan arrived here on his ships.

The Prince was probably thinking about Kraven's job. It was the most important one. Zaira shook her head and focused on her own part.

As the three of them passed Mary-Anne's Inn, Zaira split off from them and entered the Inn. She pushed aside the heavy wooden doors and took in the sight. There were six men, each one of them looking battle worn and had many visible scars.

Zaira pulled her hood further, so it covered her face in shadows. The only part that would be visible to onlookers would be her blue eyes. That was how she wanted it.

Of the six men, only one sat in the corner of the room, unsociable and carried two axes on either side of his waist. Unnerved by the unworldly designs littering the handle and blade, Zaira fingered the hilt of her dagger beneath her cloak.

She nearly punched herself in the face. Her father had trained her better than this. To be frightened by mere designs was unlike her. Forcing her nerves to calm down, she glided over to the man.

"Stop," the man growled, holding up an unarmed hand. "If you come any closer you'll be squashed like a bug." Zaira almost told him to go to the Abyss, but held her tongue. The Prince had warned her about this ability.

"I know. I come from the Union." She took a seat at a table, one down from the one he sat on. "As a guild master of one of the largest guilds, we expected that you would show up sometime in the past week. But you didn't, so I'm going to be out right. We want you to join us."