Page 22 of Daughter of Shadows and Ash

The manor's interior defied my expectations. Opulent patterns adorned the main receiving room, with pretty trinkets scattered across the mantle and table tops. A grand staircase could be seen from the doorway. She led me up the burgundy steps, the handrail golden like the many details that littered the town.

"Kitchens, weaponry, and common rooms are downstairs," she explained as we turned down a hall. Beautiful artwork hungfrom the walls in carved, golden frames. The walls themselves had been stained a dark color, almost matching the wooden flooring. Each door we passed was painted red. Blood red. "Most of the rooms on the second floor are bedrooms for guild members, you can find mine at the far end of the hall. Everyone has their own, even if they choose to live in their apartments in town." She stopped at the fifth door on the right, "This one's yours." She opened the door, moonlight spilled from a large window. The room mirrored the manor's interior, luxurious yet tasteful. A four-poster bed sat against the wall, while a desk and wardrobe were the only other pieces of furniture. All were made from rich oak with bronzed accents. I looked around, finding a door leading to a simple ensuite. Upon returning to the main room, Vanya pulled some clothes from the wardrobe and set them on the bed.

"Go ahead and have yourself a bath. Here's a nightshirt and some basics for tomorrow. With the payment from tonight, we'll go get you fitted with something more useful." She nodded as she strode back towards the doorway. "I'll have Cook bring you up something. Try not to let the others have your head before the morning." She laughed as she sauntered out, closing the door behind her.

I sat on the bed for a moment, its plush violet quilt soft to the touch. I'd never stayed in a room so nice. You could've easily fit two of my old bedrooms within it. As nice as luxury was, it made me miss home. My tiny little village with familiar warm faces. My grandmother's laugh rang through the air as she tended her garden. Maël's fingers entwined in mine. My heart ached, and I twisted the ring on my necklace thinking of him, of the life we could've shared. That life never included this, though, but he would've loved the bed. I pressed down on the mattress, feeling the cloud-like plush, softer than anything we had in our cottages.

I grabbed the nightshirt and retreated into the bathroom to draw a hot bath, finding some scented salts to add to the steaming water. After stripping myself bare, I eased into the water, the steam caressing me like my own shadows. Tomorrow was a new day, in my new life, one step closer to my goal. I let the stress from today release its hold on me. The deed was done, I took the life of a man I didn't know, and I didn't even know what he had done to deserve it. I shook the thought of killing an innocent man from my mind. I could beat myself up over being a murderer in the morning.

After getting out and finding a tray of food on the desk, I found no other signs of the person who had brought it. I took a few nibbles but ultimately resolved to sleep. Climbing under the thick covers, I laid my head on the pillows, looking out towards the window, hoping I hadn't condemned my soul for all eternity.

The moonlight cast long shadows across the room, their dance eerily reminiscent of the shadows I could now control. As I settled into the unfamiliar comfort of the bed, the scent of lavender from my bath mingled with a metallic undertone that clung to my skin, a reminder of the life I'd taken. The silence of the manor was oppressive, broken only by the occasional creak of ancient wood and the whisper of wind through the trees outside. I closed my eyes, but sleep eluded me, my mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions: guilt, fear, and a treacherous spark of exhilaration at the power I now possessed.

Chapter 17

My stomach churned at sunrise. In this strange bed, reality hit me - I'd soon head downstairs to start my new life with assassins. Part of me wanted to flee, but I had nowhere else to go. Despite Vanya's warning, I was alive. Maybe they weren't the monsters I'd feared. I crept from bed to the desk where Vanya's clothes waited. The black leather pants fit, though long, revealing her taller build. The tight black shirt rode up above my waist. I'd have to manage with ill-fitting clothes - one more sign I didn't belong. Yet.

After pulling on my boots and strapping the dagger to my thigh, I tucked my dark hair behind my pointed ears for clear sight. Taking a breath, I stepped out.

Following the noise downstairs, I found the dining room. Voices and laughter filled the space where two laden tables stretched end to end. Men crowded around heaping plates as I searched for an empty seat.

"Hey, fresh meat!" A fair haired man called out, gesturing to the empty seat beside him. At least there was no question about their profession - or their capacity for murder. I slid into the offered seat, reaching for the nearest pitcher. Relief washed over me as water, not alcohol, filled my cup. Though I enjoyedmy drinks, staying clear-headed seemed wise in unfamiliar territory.

"So, you're Vanya's latest stray?" He asked through his food, eyes bright with interest. He looked harmless enough - golden-haired with warm brown eyes flecked with amber. But assassins weren't meant to look dangerous. Like me - just a slight girl with oversized violet eyes. That was the whole point.

I shrugged, piling food onto my plate. Barely eating the night before had left me ravenous. My hunger clawed at my insides like a feral beast.

"Most of us, yeah," he replied, washing down his food with a swig from his cup. "Name's Lucas."

"Lor," I managed between bites. The buttery biscuit melted on my tongue, its flaky layers reminding me of Sally, our village baker. No one could match her skill with bread, but these came close.

"Not much for conversation, huh?" Lucas mused. "Don't worry, you're not alone. See Jimmy over there?" He nodded toward a hulking figure at the other table. "Took him two whole months to break his silence."

"I'm shocked he managed to resist your sparkling wit for so long."

Lucas flashes a sheepish grin as he leans by my ear, "Well, he threatened to cut my balls off when I tried the first week. I'm a little attached to them and didn't want to risk being maimed." He chuckles at the memory while my cheeks heat up.

"Noted. I'll keep that threat in my back pocket for when you inevitably annoy me."

"Careful, Lor. I might just enjoy that," he said with a wink. Before us, the empty seats were suddenly claimed by a mountain of a man and two burly thugs. The man's eye was covered by a patch while the other, a muddy brown as lifeless as stagnantwater, scrutinized me. His two cronies were leering at me like I was their next meal.

"Back off, Lucas. This one's got standards," the man growled, his single eye boring into Lucas, who visibly tensed.

"I do have standards," I shot back, refusing to let this brute intimidate me. Either I showed my teeth now, or I'd be prey forever. The man began to howl with laughter at my retort, "Don't flatter yourself, Patches. I prefer my men with depth perception."

The hall quieted into a deafening silence as every head turned in our direction. His cronies gaped like landed fish.

"You'd do well to watch that tongue of yours," Patches snarled, his single eye narrowing as his muscles coiled beneath the table. My first day and I'd already made an enemy. I tensed, expecting a blade, but Donovan just stood with his gang. "The name's Donovan. Remember it." He stormed out with his followers. The hall stayed quiet for a moment before whispers broke out - likely about the new girl foolish enough to taunt their one-eyed leader.

"That was quite the performance, Lor," Lucas said, his eyes darkening with worry. He quickly cleared his plate and rose, nodding towards the exit. "Come on, you're with me today."

"I don't need a babysitter, Lucas. I can handle myself."

"Trust me, getting on Donovan's hit list isn't what concerns me. Vanya assigned us as partners for tonight's job. Said something about complementary skills."

I followed Lucas from the hall to the back gardens' training ring. "What happened to your previous partner?" I asked, testing unfamiliar daggers from the weapons rack.

"She died," Lucas said quietly, hefting a pair of swords and testing their balance. "Ever used these before?" He tossed me the lighter blade. I caught it with practiced ease, testing its weightwith a few practiced movements before falling into a ready stance, my lips curving into a confident smile.

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