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Before I could let my impatience get the better of me, a knock sounded, and the man from before strode into the room, stumbling a little.
He was drunk, which was actually perfectly fine for this situation. A sober man is a lot harder to get information from.
He plopped down on the bed, and at this point, I didn’t care about semantics. I was on top of him, my golden dagger to his throat in a blink. “I know you’re with the Red Bones, so I need you to tell me right now if the Skull King is here or not.”
It was a complete bluff to assume he was a Red Bones member, but I figured if he wasn’t, I could play it off as some kind of roleplay.
He chuckled. “So, the word has spread, then? I can only assume many people now know of our great leader.”
If he was threatened at all by the dagger, he didn’t show it. With this kind of behavior, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was high off of some plant as well. He was most definitely shit-faced.
“The Skull King would not be wasting his time here in the mainland.” His words were beginning to slur. “He’s too busy raising an army.”
“Where is this army? What kind of army? How many are there?”
“The army is very far away.” He began to close his eyes, but I slapped him awake. “The army is growing every day, one of magical blood. One to crush your silly little king.”
“Is this army in Vicinus?”
“Past it.” He began to close his eyes again when the door opened. I did the only thing I could at that moment to hide the dagger and my face. I collapsed my body onto his, hiding the dagger between us and kissing him. His mouth tasted of beer and something earthy. It was disgusting.
A whistle sounded from the door.
“Sorry for the interruption, Jack.” The man outside laughed. “Next meeting is in a couple weeks, don’t drink beforehand next time.”
The door clicked shut and I was off of him in an instant, wiping my mouth with my sleeve. I suppressed the vomit that wanted to come up as the linger of him still sat on my lips.
I looked down and the man had passed out. I shook him. “Wake up! I need more information, you buffoon.” But he was out stone cold. I sighed, letting my head drop. I placed my hands on his head and called for my Golden blood. It hummed, and I sent that power to his brain, causing an aneurysm. I couldn’t kill him with my dagger because other men knew a female was with him. Any kind of outward wound could give away that the assassin was not the man they all assumed me to be. I had to make it look like he died of some kind of overindulgence.
I got up off the bed, and although I tried to make it to the window first, I couldn’t keep it down long enough. I vomited by the bed, letting out a quiet sob. What I had just done brought up memories I tried so hard to forget about. Of the time when I was seventeen and the roles were reversed in this situation.
Of a time when I visited a tavern with Amica and Miles on a weekend where we didn’t have any training. Where I danced and drank and danced and drank and didn’t see someone slip something in my drink until I was in a room I didn’t know, with a man I didn’t know, and in a body I didn’t know.
I threw up again.
???
The rain didn’t let up on my walk home. I was shivering and my teeth were chattering as I pulled my soaked cloak tighter around me, desperate for some kind of warmth. After at least two hours of walking I was almost back to the castle. It was well into early morning at this point and I was utterly exhausted. The strain of tonight’s assignment was causing my mind and body to ache worse than they had in a long time.
I passed The Ossium, my boots splashing in the puddles on the brick roads. Even with the rain, the gambling dens were as full as ever. The shouts from inside the parlors made me pick up my speed, desperate to get into dry clothes and my warm bed. I spotted the castle and almost let out a sob of relief at the sight of it. Every muscle in my body burned from hours of walking, and I was so numb I wondered if I’d ever get feeling back into my bones.
I turned left down a back alley that would lead me to the back servant’s entrance, where the kitchens were located. In certain cases, I could enter through the front, such as times when the sun was already up and it wasn’t raining. The servants and guards always assumed I had just gone on a brisk morning stroll.
I continued down the alley, quickening my pace. I just couldn’t wait any longer to feel the comfort of a warming fire.
I took a deep breath, letting out a cloud of cold air before me, the sound of footsteps being the only other noise than the pitter patter of rain drops.
Wait—
I whipped my head around as a fist came into contact with my jaw, causing me to stumble.
The punch was strong, and my jaw was throbbing at the contact. I was up quickly and ready in my fighting position, straining my calves so I wouldn’t slip on the wet road.
The person who stood before me was hooded, as was I, so I couldn’t get an idea of what kind of opponent I was dealing with.
Fear shot through my veins and my heart began to pound. Did someone see me slip out of The Rowan and Ivy? Do the Red Bones know who I am and what I’ve done? I looked behind the hooded figure to see if there were more coming, but they looked to be alone.
I was cold, irritated, exhausted, and my patience was completely gone. I assured myself that I would make this quick and I would be in my bed in no time.
