The Assassin Queen

Chapter Two

I gently pull back on the leather reins causing my black Arab stallion— Amir— to slow down to a stop near the stables at the front of the mansion; or the Assassins Keep, that's actually what it is.

Today's kill left me drained, and not necessarily physically. I understood far too late why Arcus thought I'd fail this mission, she was my age... he knows I hate killing the young and innocent—though I don't know how he figured that out.

I hate killing anyone that still has there whole life ahead of them. I did it though, I did my job, I served my purpose.

This is why Arcus "adopted" me after all. Still, it's hard not to dwell on the future I just robbed.

It's take my sweet time dismounting—its not like I'm thrilled to be home— and head into the stables and inside Amir's stall, then slowly begin the process of taking off Amir's tack. I scarcely finish taking off his bridle when I hear footsteps coming into the stable. I'm instantly alert, all of today's weariness gone, because whoever it may be is headed my way.

I wait like a coiled snake, muscles taunt as a bow string, ready to strike.

"Little Nightmare," says a voice in a sing-song voice and I instantly roll my eyes and ease my stance, resuming my casual mood.

" Don't talk to me Felix, I don't have the patience to deal with you." I snap, out of all the assassins at the keep Felix is the only one I tolerate, but not tonight.

I don't even feel slightly guilty for my behavior...

Felix is used to my bad moods though, he merely laughs like I just said the silliest joke or something. I look up and give him a blank stare, letting my blue eyes glare into his lively ones, before I begin to unbuckle the cinch on Amir's saddle. Felix laughs for a few seconds more before stopping so abruptly I turn and look at him, only to find his sea-green eyes twinkling with delight as he smirked at me " Made you look" he drawled lazily while leaning casually  against the stall's post.

It's times like these when I see an almost boyish behavior in Felix that I remind myself that although he acts like most twenty-year-olds, and although we grew up together, he is an assassin and a killer who wouldn't think twice of killing me if Arcus ordered him.

In other words, he's just like me.

I sigh in annoyance and turn to look at him with a hand on my hip and glared daggers at him, his only response is a tilt of his lips as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

" Is there an actual reason why you're here?" I demand " because unlike you I actually have things to do" I gesture towards Amir who still has his saddle on with exasperation.

Felix has the audacity to roll his eyes at me " I actually do have a reason" he says, his behavior now formal "Arcus wants you in his office immediately."

He moves towards me and Amir and then with his index finger on my shoulder slowly pushes me out of the way, well... I let him push me out of the way.

"I'll finish this, you go ahead." He says and without waiting for my response slides the saddle off Amir, I walk out of the stables and head inside the Keep.
Once inside I let my feet lead the way, dread pooling inside as I near the horrid doors of Arcus' office, he will probably be wanting a report of the kill—no big deal—and with that comforting lie I knock on the door and let myself in.

Arcus sits at his desk, reading letters— most likely requests for our services— he doesn't look up when I enter " Your late as usual" he says sounding annoyed, I look down...

I hate that he has this effect on me, how he can turn me into a trembling fawn with just a look or a tone, everytime he's around I feel like a damned child.

He sighs dramatically, as though he's beyond dealing with this nuisance—also known as yours truly— "Full report, oh and don't forget details, this client specifically asked for them." Arcus says as he looks up from his letters.

I turn my head and look blankly at a slight crack on the wall and then begin my report without emotion, trying very hard to keep my hands still but the shudder every so often.

"Target was Eighteen-year-old female, she was asleep when I slipped into her room. I had my dagger out and was just about to slit her throat when she woke up, I don't know why she woke, maybe she felt a presence? either way she began panicking and grabbed my arm but I overpowered her and slit her throat anyway, but I suppose since she was holding me back I couldn't get a clean cut."

I hear a tsk-tsk from Arcus at the mention of me screwing up the cut " I taught you better than that Dasha," he says while shaking his head, looking down at floor with a slight grin plastered on his face.

I grind my teeth, I hate it when he uses my name. He shouldn't be allowed to use the name my parents gave me, it feels like a disrespect to their memory, besides, it's too much of a reminder of what I've lost.

"So instead of a clean death, she choked on her own blood, " I say flatly, taking a deep breathe to collect my composure, reminding myself there is no place for emotions in the Keep.

"Details Dasha, Details" Arcus says with a delicate arch of his brow, there he goes again, using my name. And I watch the way it rolls off his tongue, allowing the small pleasure of imagining myself cutting it off.

And only then do I continue " I could hear as she gurgled and choked on her own blood, she coughed a bit, but all that managed to do was get my face splattered with blood. I could vaguely make out what she was trying to say but I think it was something about not wanting to die, along with a bunch of pitiful whimpering."

Arcus laughs like a little boy, as though we're old comrades, you'd think I was telling him something amusing by that reaction.

But I'm not even paying attention, instead,I'm inwardly cringing as I recall those "pitiful" whimpers, in truth I silently cried for her as she clutched at her neck and choked to death, I bring myself from those memories and into the present.

"That is all..." I say as the overly familiar feeling numbness settles deep within. After Arcus dismisses me I make my way upstairs, and down the hallway till I'm at the end of it.

I look up to the ceiling and coil myself up and then leap up and grab a hold of the rope, I pull it and down comes a small ladder that leads to the attic which happens to be my room.

After pulling up the ladder/trap door I stand and survey my room—it's rather plain, to be honest; a small bed covered in blankets and pillows with a desk to the right near the only window in the room, and a chest for my clothes.

I walk towards my bed and when I'm near it I plop myself onto the bed face first, and stay like that for a while, my face smothered by blankets and pillows and simply allow myself to breath...

blood covers my face, flooding my senses with its smell.... she's dead, her body limp on the bed.
Her long Auburn hair spread out around her like a fan. Someone might have thought her to be merely sleeping, if not for the blood pooling around her neck, dripping onto the white sheets.
I can't stop staring....my vision blurring with tears as thoughts cross my mind: You did that...You're a monster...Killer...

I turn onto my back, gasping as tears run down my face, I don't want to remember...I want to forget everything. Oh to escape my thoughts and memories for a day, just once!

But not even in my sleep can I escape the awful memories of death.

Death will always find me, there is no escaping it. It lingers in my thoughts, and looms over my life like a never ending nightmare.

I try to fight off sleep, fearing the terrible nightmares that always follow but I eventually drift off into darkness.

And into the terror of my subconscious.