Chapter 1
“You, Miss!” The guard shouted, “Stop right there.”
A rough hand pulled on my arm. Only then did I realise the huge, bearded guard was speaking to me.
The silver glint of a gun on his waistband caught my eye. The badge on his navy blue uniform reads Imperial Guard. I pretended not to notice either.
“Yes?” I didn’t dare to say much, in case my voice swayed. Still, my sound came out groggy. Drunken.
“What’s your name?”
“Vanessa.” Then I realised I should have lied.
He leered down at me. “You shouldn’t be out this late, miss. Didn’t yah know about the curfew?”
I stared at him, tugging my hood down to hide my eyes. And hair. Oh and did I mention the weird rune on my forehead. I had to hide that too.
“What curfew?” I cringed inwardly at the sound of my voice after ages of disuse. How long was it again? Months? A year?
“Nightshade's on a killing spree. The town is on complete lockdown after sunset, yah know?” He said as if this is common knowledge.
But I shook my head because obviously I couldn’t read the newspaper while lying dead in a casket for…
“What is today’s date?” I asked, trying to sound inconspicuous.
He gave me a weird look. “Sixteeth May.”
I nearly groaned in frustration. My once-amazing manipulation skills had gotten rusty.
“Right,” I said slowly, praying that he wouldn’t throw me in an asylum for asking this. “What year?”
He stared at me for a long minute. “Well now you’re playing games with me.Go home, miss. Or perhaps you need an escort?” A suggestive tone creeps into his voice towards the end.
I forced out the sweetest fake smile I could manage, through my hand itched to give his face a high-five. With a chair. Multiple times.
But nope. I needed information right now.
And he is going to give it to me.
I just had to be a little patient.
I smiled sweetly again, smoothing my -stolen- clothes.
“Do you know where I could find a newspaper? Then maybe we can go for a coffee tomorrow.” I tilted my head down trying to look shy.
And hide my blue and gold eyes.
He smirked and I had to resist the urge to gag. He obviously thought he was handsome. I thought he looked like a rotten potato.
In my head, I almost heard her say, atleast rotten potatoes would not be this stinky!- in that posh little voice of hers. Something tugged at my heart and my eyes itched suspiciously.
This stupid place must have given me allergies.
“Miss?” the potato guard snapped his fingers in front of my face.
I jumped, reaching automatically to my belt for the knife that’s no longer there. “What yah thinking ‘bout?”
“Sorry, I zoned out a bit.” I had been doing that too much lately. Well, ever since I got out of the Casket this morning.
“Hmm,” He hummed, not really caring. “Why don’t you show me your face? I’m sure you are absolutely gorgeous..”
He reached for the tip of my hood. My hand shot out -not as fast as it used to be but fast enough to stop him.
He gasped at me, his eyes filled with surprise and fury.
I laughed softly, trying to bring the tension down but internally cursing myself.
“Have some patience. We’ll meet again tomorrow.” Or not. I fake-smiled at him. “Now. About that newspaper?”
He puffed out an incredulous breath, “Fine. But make sure you stay close to me. I can protect you if Nightshade comes.”
Yes, you are welcome to be my human shield.
“Who’s Nightshade?” I asked. Because no, I haven’t heard that name before. I couldn’t have been gone that long since the dusty backstreet of Eldrynn I’m currently in hasn't changed at all. But I can’t be sure, since the wise king of Eldrynn is a goddamn tyrant who doesn’t care about the people.
“Yah new here? ‘Cause everyone in the kingdom knows who he is.”
“Yes, I am new here.” I was born and raised here in Eldrynn but he doesn’t need to know that. “So tell me about this Nightshade.”
I saw a flicker of fear shadow his face. But then he laughed, trying to look brave. Probably to impress me.
“He’s an assassin.And he’s been ramping the kingdom for the past month. Any unfortunate soul to get in his sight ends up dead. Could be anybody. Anywhere.”
I bit my lip. One thing I knew from experience about Eldrynn's assassins is that nothing is done without a reason.
I could practically see her smirk at the guard’s dramatics. These losers sure know how to spread fear faster than wildfire, she would have laughed.
God, I miss her.
“You don’t need to worry though, darlin’. I’m here to protect yah.”
He led me to a Watchpost. He picked up a newspaper from the floor and handed it to me, then disappeared through a small door. I heard the clang of pots a second later.
I checked the date first.
Sixteenth May.
And the year....
I have been dead for eight years.
Other than a slight heaviness in my chest, I felt nothing.
My hands didn’t shake.
My knees didn’t falter.
Like I skipped the first four stages of grief and jumped straight to acceptance. I smiled bitterly.
It didn’t matter.
I made to throw the newspaper back to the ground.
My eyes caught something.
I slowly opened the paper again.
My eyes widened at the picture on the front page.
A man -noble, judging by his cloths- sitting stiffly on a divan. His eyes closed. Drops of blood decorating his silk shirt. A nightshade blossom lay on his lap.
A clean hole through his throat.
Instead of fear or revulsion, a sense of recognition trickled through me.
I knew this killing style.
Hell, I helped her perfect it.
Looks like I’m seeing her soon enough.
The guard stepped back into the room to find me grinning like a maniac.
“Your facts are wrong.” I told him casually. “The Nightshade isn’t a he. She’s a girl. Quite a young one too.”
And her name was Katherine Ashthrone.
