Chapter Text
The scent of the roses always seemed to calm her down. Sitting in an enormous rose garden between the shrubs she didn’t feel thorns pricking at the skin like tiny stinging pecks left by an impatient lover. She was too busy admiring the blinding reflection in dagger’s blade, one of silver shield hung on silky black sky. She wanted to be sucked in by it, get lost in eerie light, never to be found again. It was hypnotizing to a maddening degree.
Nearby rustling caught her attention. She cast a quick glance to the furry creature lurking nearby and put a finger to her lips. “Shush, Arrow,” she muttered, looking away from a large Border Collie.
At last footsteps announced someone approaching. She sharpened her ears, trying to measure their pressure and length. Two people, one with shorter legs and more body mass than the other. The taller was surely more slender, the pause between the sound of each footstep was larger. That’s him.
Fair green eyes glistened as she focused the sight on the two newcomers. A perfect place for schemers to meet: no one but the Chosen Thirteen could access the gardens at the top of the Civic Centre freely. An insurance that no one will bother them.
Taller man clad in Red Army’s uniform was clearly more nervous. His movements were sloppy, arms were shaking, eyes darted around as if searching for some invisible threat. Only they didn’t know where to look.
“Are you sure it’s safe to talk here?” even his voice was dripping with tension so openly. The shorter chunky man smacked the first across the head.
“I told you not to question me!” he spat out in haughty tone.
What an ass you are, she thought, putting’s daggers pointy end to the fingertip of forefinger. It was so sharp that even a mere light touch was enough for a single drop of blood to grow on milky skin.
“Of course it’s safe! And besides, after all that ordeal you will be sent abroad, so even if you’re caught here today, don’t worry. You will be reprimanded in the worst case scenario. Now, I just wanted to check if you remember everything.”
The taller man gulped loudly and nodded.
“Y-yes. I am to spice Jack of Heart’s drink up with drugs to numb his senses. Then I am to approach him when he’s alone and make one clean cut, quickly leaving after making sure he is done for. And at the very end I am to escape Red Army Headquarters without raising suspicions.”
The chunky man chuckled in delight. “Yes, yes, a plan beautiful in its simplicity. Remember that there are no second chances here. You can’t screw up or you will blow everything. But I’m sure you are aware. Good, good. Now, we leave separately. Wait here five minutes before coming out.”
He left without saying anything else. The taller man started to rub his hands together. Once she focused enough she could separate the frantic beating of antsy heart from the gentle blow of winds against the wooden benches.
Five minutes? What is she going to do with so much spare time? She took a long minute to observe his body’s nervous tics. It was always a good chance to learn how different people react to such a stress.
She decided the wait is over. It was just a few second stretched into long hours. She gripped the dagger’s handle, positioned her body without making a single sound and felt her ankle joints crackle as she kicked up from the ground. With surgeon’s precision and steady hand she slid the blade across man’s throat, not even touching him in the process. He fell to his knees and the last sight of the petty life was a ghostly pale face with two emerald gems serving for eyes.
“Sleep well in eternity,” she bid him farewell in pleasantly cantabile, yet a little hoarse voice – as if it were unused for far too long.
One last breath, one final breath and it was all over. He collapsed to his back, eyes wide open but seeing nothing at all. She wiped the blade in white handkerchief. They way that crimson blood sunk in the fabric fascinated her, albeit she found it a little scary how one’s vital fluids can be reduced to simple meaningless stains on pure cotton.
After sheathing the dagger she picked a lone red rose petal from a full-bloomed flower and placed it on man’s half-opened lips. That was the last glance she spared him.
So they did intend to kill the Jack of Hearts. Interesting.
“Arrow, come!”
Border Collie ran out of the bushes, sniffing around the dead body. “Hey, be a good girl and leave the fallen in peace. We’re going.”
They disappeared as they appeared: covered by the veil of night, seen by no soul.
***
Claudius Bright sipped quietly on the tea when he felt a sudden gentle gust of wind. He didn’t look back, nor he shuddered. The teacup made its way to smirking lips, letting the air settle once more. “Did you come to report, my daughter?”
“The target is dead,” she announced in blunt, almost lifeless tone. Once more she was refused to be looked upon, but she got used to Claudius’s haughty ways. Ever since she could take a life away on her own he hasn’t met her eye even once.
“Why did you bring this mongrel with you again?”
“She has sharper senses. Tells me when something’s wrong.”
“Is Edgar safe?”
“For now, yes.”
“For now?”
“They seemed very intent on killing him.”
“Not they. One person is intent on killing him and he’s plotting behind my back. We’re in the middle of resolving the situation. Crisis averted, now the only thing that’s left to do is get rid of the troublemaker.”
She listened without any interest, just because she had to. He would know if her attention was elsewhere. She let the words sink in, mindlessly petting Arrow on the head, to which she replied with energized winging of the tail.
“If that’s all, father—”
“I have your next two targets.”
A barely noticeable shadow of curiosity crossed the cool face, yet it was gone within a blink of an eye. “So soon? And two at that?”
“Yes. You will dispose of the two Armies’ Kings.”
She didn’t say anything, but felt the lump forming in the throat as the weight of the order brought her spirit down. It’s impossible. It’s going too far. They did nothing wrong, she would have no excuse for herself then. To kill an innocent… “When?”
“As soon as you get the chance. I shall inform you if we will run out of time. You may go.”
No goodbyes were needed. She spun around and left with another gust of wind, allowing her shoulders to slump in dejection only when she was out of her father’s watchful sight.
She hadn’t chosen a place to sleep tonight. But sleep wasn’t on her mind anyway. She travelled the distance between Claudius’ house in Red Territory and Central Quarter dragging her legs as if body’s weight was too much to bear. Arrow trotted next to her, seeming somewhat down as well.
Kill the Kings? Claudius was ruthless, but never once before tonight had he given her a target without a crime committed. That way she always had an excuse to go through with assassinations. But now? They did nothing wrong. She opened up the covers around her heart a little, letting the unsettling feelings in. She didn’t do that often. It was so much easier to feel nothing at all. But right now she needed her humanity. More than anything else.
Sudden flood of uncertainty dulled her senses as she walked through one of the Central Quarter’s alleys. Arrow started barking, but she was a second too late. Someone grabbed the dog by the neck, keeping her in place, while other pair of arms grasped assassin’s wrists and pushed her forcibly against the wall knocking air out of the lungs.
“Well, what do we have here?”
There were three of them. And she could tell they didn’t mean any good. She didn’t wriggle or scream as they expected. Cool green irises seemed to hold no panic inside. She took a deep breath to recover from the thrust against the hard brick wall.
“Leave. Before I hurt you.”
Three men burst out laughing. They thought nothing of her. Flimsy little woman alone in the dead of night. Unguarded. Tiny. Skinny. Pale. A weakling. It wouldn’t be the first. Hurt them? She? It was a hilarious concept, really. They underestimated her. A mistake.
The harasser holding her left his shin completely unguarded. Now just to wait for a perfect opportunity to kick…
It came sooner than she expected. Gunshots rained down from nowhere, causing the men to fly into state of affright. She thrust leg forward without any second thoughts. Harasser, overwhelmed with pain, let go of her wrists and screamed – which was enough for another one to let go of Arrow.
She suspected who the shooter might be, so it was safer not to draw the dagger. She often relied on her hand-to-hand combat skills. As the man composed himself and tried to wrap the arms around assassin again, she did a half-pirouette gaining the force of momentum with it. Fist connected with harasser’s face causing him to stagger back. While a bullet knocked one man out, and the other had Arrow to deal with, she used the moment of third man’s brief indisposition. Her foot landed on his solar plexus and kicked all energy out of him. She finished the job aiming a knee at his nose while he was bending down, fighting to catch one tiny breath.
Arrow barked once more at the man fallen at her paws. He got shot, too.
“They ain’t dead, don’t worry. Just unconscious.”
So she was right. Ace of Spades in person came to the rescue.
“Are you alright?”
Her head shot up to meet amaranth eyes, shining slightly of some kind of crazy excitement. She assumed it was the fight having such an effect on him. “As you can see, I’m fine. Arrow’s well too.”
“Arrow? Oh, ya mean the dog, don’t ya? She fought fiercely.”
“Thank you for your help, but I deem you have to deal with those scumbags. I’ll be on my way.”
“A dainty woman alone during the night?” he snorted. “Because that worked well for ya.”
Before she could argue her point Fenrir whistled and a soldier clad in black appeared out of nowhere. “Take care of ‘em. I need to walk the lady home.”
“You actually don’t. Goodbye.”
She spun around and started walking, Arrow sticking close. But Fenrir wasn’t about to give up and followed after, catching up just in few mere seconds. “I didn’t get your name.”
“I didn’t give it to you.”
“So? I wanna hear it now.”
“Or you could go home. I’m not heading towards the Black Territory.”
“Yeah, I gathered that. I’m still going.”
She stopped in her tracks. She didn’t have anywhere to be, so if he really was going to walk her home… No, that wouldn’t work. She has to lose him. There’s no home to walk her to after all. She crossed arms on her chest and stared the Ace of Spades down.
“Are all Godspeeds so pig-headed or are you an exception?”
“See, that’s rude - ya know who I am but I’ve no clue who you are.”
“Isn’t it better that way? Goodnight, officer.”
Fenrir reached and grabbed her by the wrist. She winced, being taken by surprise. Fenrir frowned, his fingers cupping the small hand delicately. “You’re hurt.”
“It’s nothing.”
Something had snapped when that harasser pulled at her wrist, but she didn’t feel anything until now. But in the dim light of streetlamps she could see how swollen it was.
“It’s not ‘nothing’. Ain’t gonna heal properly if you won’t take care of it. I’m taking you to see our medic. Won’t hear any complaints.”
“I’m going home.”
“Who’s pig-headed now, huh?”
He frowned at her and she could see it wasn’t an act, he was genuinely worried. Maybe it won’t hurt? At least she will have a place to stay for the night. She sighed deeply, mindlessly biting on her lower lip and Fenrir just stood there, waiting patiently. At last she made a decision.
“My name’s Eulalia. Take me to your medic.”