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CHAPTER 1
Can my dagger be seen through my dress right now?
I probably should have checked to make sure it wasn’t visible before I left for this assignment, but it would be more noticeable if I adjusted it now, out in public.
The kingdom of Veladis was always different at night. As if the work, struggles, and worries of the day simply vanished when the sun set and were replaced with greed, desire, and—in some cases—fun. Particularly in the city of Varius, known as the city of temptation, Veladians came alive the most.
Even though it was well past midnight, gambling dens were busier than ever. Countless people were betting their week’s pay, their bodies, and sometimes their lives for a chance to get even a measly leg up in society. I’d never been much of a night owl and always preferred to be active when the sun was up, but, unfortunately, most of my assignments ended up unfolding deep into the night.
Loud music accompanied the smells of cigarette smoke and desperation, filling my senses as I strode past the numerous pubs and turned alcoves. Veladins of all classes came to gamble in the city of Varius. Some parlors were nicer than others, but I would consider this city fairly dirty. In some cases, I’d go so far as to say loathsome.
I always believed that this corner of the kingdom had far more potential than the condition it had stooped to. It could grow from its silly title, but the king wouldn’t listen to my recommendations on how we could help the people who lived here. He could’ve at least listened to my advice to clean the damn streets. It smelled like absolute shit here.
I wore my cloak, as always, with the hood over my braided hair to hide the color of my eyes. My green eyes wouldn’t give my position away, but as soon as I used my craft they’d change to pure gold, a big indicator that I had Golden blood. The king required me to wear it every time I was out on one of his assignments, to help hide my identity.
It really was a blessing in disguise, because it not only hid my true identity, but also the form of my body, keeping drunk townsmen from grappling at me constantly. Along with the cloak, I wore a floor-length black dress with two slits that ran up the front of my legs to the apex of my thighs. The robe-like vestment had a plunging neckline and long sleeves down to my wrists. Although my typical go-to attire for an assignment would be my fighting leathers, this task required an outfit that would allow me to blend into the gambling den. I wouldn’t give up on my favorite boots, though. The dress flowed around my ankles, dipping and rippling to reveal the length of my legs with each step I took. I had a knife hidden up each of my sleeves, as well as one in each boot, a small sword sheathed behind my back hidden by my cloak, and my favorite weapon: a golden dagger, strapped to my thigh, gifted to me by the king on my sixteenth birthday. The shining and well-known weapon of the King’s Favorite. I wasn’t going to lie—I did feel a little apprehensive at the idea of not having enough weapons on me, but I hadn’t failed an assignment yet, and wasn’t about to start tonight.
I turned the corner once I reached 3rd Street and headed down an alley illuminated by the deep glow of lanterns toward a tavern called The Ossium. My boots splashed through puddles of rainwater and only the stars know what else.
The Ossium was one of the wealthier and more sought-after gambling dens and also happened to be the location that was leaked for a Red Bones meeting tonight. The king sent me to discover any information on the details of said meeting and inevitably end the lives of those associated with it. So, pretty much the typical tasks for my position.
As the royal assassin and King’s Favorite, my assignments were geared towards finding supporters of the Red Bones and bringing an end to them. Although, I always tried to steal some information that would help me understand the motives and reasonings behind why that traitorous group of sneaking rebels did the things they did.
It seemed like I was born to do this, and I felt honored and proud to protect those of the Artis line. I was skilled in stealth and fighting and was the one person the king willingly allowed to use my Golden blood for something other than healing. I never felt an ounce of remorse for the lives I ended in the Red Bone clan, and tonight was another night I would do just that.
I continued down the dark alleyway until I came across my hidden gem. The back entrance of The Ossium was typically used as a fast getaway for poker cheaters and fast found lovers, but tonight, it was my ticket to get inside. It was a rather tall building, yet I couldn’t see any windows from the outside. I took a few stone steps up to the rotting walnut door, turned the rusted metal knob, and slipped inside.
I found myself entering behind the bar in the farthest corner of the room, carefully slipping past the bartender and out from behind the counter, while those who sat on stools were too drunk to notice I was there. I took in the room to find all my exits like I had been trained to do since the age of eight. Unfortunately, it looked like there were only two exits—the one I just snuck in through, and the main double doors at the front of the den. There were no windows, which wasn’t a surprise for the business that ran here; people would play for hours if they didn’t have the sun to tell them the time. The ceiling was fairly low, meaning there must have been some kind of upper level to the gambling den.
There were dozens of tables with dealers and players gambling their lives away. Men were dressed in tailored suits and women were in gowns to display the wealth they harbored. Lanterns hung from the ceiling, casting light upon the cards and the wooden floors. I noticed three men standing guard against different walls in the den, carefully keeping eyes on the card tables for those who would try to cheat to win their hand. I looked at the table to my right, eyeing the many beers sprawled upon it, and I noticed a game of blackjack being dealt. My heart squeezed a little at the thought of Bennett teaching me that game when we were only ten. We used to play for hours, and even got Miles and Amica to join us, too.
The sounds of shouts and grunts from those who had just won a hand or lost the down payment to their house filled the noisy rooms. Being as this was one of the nicer parlors, a pianist sat in the opposite corner of the bar, filling the space with melodies that could barely be heard over the obnoxious gamblers.
About a dozen women strolled through the walkways in between the tables, eyeing their prey, while others already had theirs for the evening. The women sat in men’s laps, stroking their hair, and playing off their crude remarks with a laugh. Tonight, I was intended to act just like one of them. A woman selling her body and time for the money a man just won in his last hand. The only problem was that I was wearing far more clothing than any of these women. I could only pray nobody noticed.
Taking a breath, I put on a mask and played the part I needed to in order to get the job done. I straightened my shoulders, added a sultry smirk to my smile, and took off down the aisles, searching for my prey. The women and I were alike, except our definition of prey was completely different. I made my way through the tables, straining my ears to hear past the piano and shouts, hoping to eavesdrop on a conversation that would lead me to the Red Bones.
“Excuse me, beautiful,” said a man only a couple inches taller than me as he slid his hands around my waist. “I don't know about you, but I’d love to remove that cloak and find out what's hiding underneath.” His eyes trailed down to the leg that was exposed through one of my slits.
If only he knew what’s actually hidden behind this cloak.
I started to step out of his grip and continue on with my task, but he caught my wrist and turned me back to face him.
“Now, c’mon, don’t be like that.” He looked to be in his fifties. His scruff was turning gray, and the wrinkles around his eyes as he smiled at me gave away his age. “I know you’re searching for a client,” he leaned in and whispered in my ear. “I’ll make you feel so good, money won’t be enough to repay me for the pleasure.”
His breath reeked of alcohol, and my heartbeat quickened as I looked anywhere but his face. I spotted a set of stairs I hadn’t noticed when I first walked into the parlor. There was a hidden staircase on the left of the bartender, leading up to what must have been a second floor with private rooms.
Bingo.
If the Red Bones were meeting here tonight, it would only make sense for their meeting to happen in a more private and secluded area. Having a pretty good idea of the other kinds of meetings that happened on the upper level, I took this as my chance to scout the second floor without anyone questioning my motives.
The sultry smirk slid back into place. “Is that so?” I asked. “How about you show me?”
I let the older man lead me back towards the bar, desperately ignoring the hoots and hollers of those we passed.
When we arrived at the bar, the bartender opened the small door for us that led to the spiral staircase.
“After you,” the man said, gesturing to the stairs with a sinister look in his eyes.
