Assassin's Fate (The Assassin and her Dragon Princes Book 1)

by Ivy Clyde

  The feverish cold rose and ebbed. At times, I was in a soundless void. Only when I saw the flickering flames and heard Daria’s soft sobs I knew I was conscious. Her warm hand never left mine. And for that, I was grateful. Just to feel the softness of her skin on mine, I fought to stay awake. Even when I was in pain, I yearned for her touch.

  “Stop crying, Daria.” My voice was barely a whisper and I wondered if I was talking in a dream.

  “Adal.” She leaned towards me, her green eyes searching my face for something. “You’re awake.”

  “Barely.”

  “Why did you do that for me?” she asked. “Why did you have to get hurt because of me?” Her voice was rising steadily. “I am an orphan, an assassin of Linmoor Valley. My life is not worth anything.”

  How could she think that of herself? Daria was young and beautiful, a trait most women in the royal palaces would kill to have. She was intelligent and had the power to control and conjure fire. Even in the face of danger, Daria kept a cool head. Even the general of an army would be lucky to have her beside him.

  “You’re wrong.” I wanted to shout it to her but my voice was barely audible.

  She shook her head. Fresh tears streamed down her beautiful face as she looked at me with regret and desperation. “You must never do something like this, Adal. Promise me.”

  “I will not.”

  For a moment, she stared at me, her lips parted slightly. “Why? Why…would you care for me? I am just an assassin. If I fail in killing the emperor, you could always hire another.”

  A hundred retorts came to mind but none were formed into words. A hacking cough attacked me and for a moment, my vision faded to blank as a rising wave of cold threatened to drown me.

  “No! Adal! Adal!” Daria was shouting but her voice was steadily diminishing.

  No matter how hard I tried, my eyes remained closed. Trapped in a void, I fought to breathe and stay alive. It was a futile effort as my body got heavier, sinking me further into the shadowy depths.

  Suddenly, a bright silvery blue light shone in the corner of my vision. Focusing all my strength on it, I watched it grow in shape and intensity.

  “Breathe, Adal.” It was Daria’s voice but I couldn’t see her. In the black void, her voice seemed to come from my own mind. “I am passing you some of my inner power. You have to hold on, Adal.”

  “Don’t do that, Daria.” I wanted to break free from her but her control over me was absolute. “You will weaken yourself.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I’ll never give up on you.”

  The sphere of light became so intense I could no longer bear to look at it. With a sudden gasp, my eyes flew open. My heart was racing while my chest heaved as my lungs drew in breath after breath. The glow from the burning fire came in my vision and I realized I was back in the cavernous space.

  Daria was gasping for breath. A sheen of sweat covered her pale face. The glow of her emerald-green eyes dimmed. Slowly, she lowered her body until she was lying beside me.

  “Are you all right, Daria?” My voice was stronger now. The slash on my back still burned but I was no longer cold.

  “Give me a minute.”

  Daria just proved herself to be an excellent manipulator of soul energy. She’d transferred some of her own inner vigor to me. It weakened her terribly, bringing her close to death but it’d breathed life in my body. Such skill required years to master. Only healers in the most advanced stages of life could perform such feats. Daria was only nineteen. I was slowly beginning to understand why Lady Elga chose her for the assassination of Emperor Ivan. No one else could compare with her prowess.

  With effort, I turned towards her. Daria’s eyes were closed and she seemed to be asleep.

  “You’ve pushed beyond the point of exhaustion.” She didn’t stir. I moved my body closer to her and covered us both with the cloak covering my body. Pulling her against my chest, I draped my arm over her. My lips pressed against hers in a gentle kiss.

  The fire burned brightly, heating up the cavernous space. With Daria’s body against mine under the cloak, it was getting warmer. I could feel strength seeping into my limbs. The burning pain in my back became a dull, throbbing ache. Closing my eyes, I breathed deeply. It was so quiet and peaceful, my eyes drooped closed.

  13

  My arms were full with the twigs I’d collected. Cain was already at the banks of the lake about a mile from the hilly cave where Daria was tending to Adal. It was amazing how fast she’d found the place and led us to it. Without her, three of us would still be fumbling around in the woods.

  Laying down the bundle of wood, I leaned against a tree trunk and looked towards the sky. It was already late afternoon. Apart from the cries of birds, the forest around me was silent.

  The bandits didn’t follow after us. With a chance to finally breathe freely, I thought back to the attack. None of us saw it coming except for Daria. If she wasn’t in our company, the three of us would’ve already been skewered by arrows. The sight of the writhing horse rose up in my mind, sickening me to my stomach. It could have been Adal.

  He was still in danger though. The cut in his back was a foot-long gash. It was fortunate the sword didn’t cut into his spine or he would have been dead already. His tunic was drenched in blood by the time we reached the safety of the cavernous hills. Again, thanks to Daria.

  “Norvin!” Cain’s shout came from behind me.

  Turning around, I saw him striding towards me with a pail of water in one hand and a pair of dead pigeons in the other.

  “Is that going to be enough for all of us?” I asked, staring pointedly at the skinny birds.

  “They are for Adal.” He walked closer and sat down near the pile of woods. “The rest of us can eat the bread and cheese from our saddlebags.”

  I made a face at that, earning a grim look from my friend.

  “What?”

  He shook his head. “I am exhausted.”

  “It’s not every day you get attacked by a horde of savage bandits.”

  “We would be dead without Daria on our side,” he said, voicing the thought in my head.

  The sight of Daria setting the men on fire rose up in my mind. Her own hands were flaming while she stared at the men attacking us. The cold warning in her green eyes had been enough to make them withdraw.

  “Do you think she has dragon blood in her?” I asked. Ever since I met her and felt her inner power seeping into my body, I knew she was much more than an ordinary woman. It was my closeness to her that allowed me to shift back to my human body.

  “She is more than just that,” said Cain, looking into the distance. “We can conjure fire, let flames lick every inch of our body without pain but we can’t set an object in the distance on fire. We would have to channel it out or throw balls of flames at it. Daria has immense magical prowess. It takes years of training to do what she can.”

  “That old hag knows how to push people to the limit. I bet she drove Daria to get as good as she is.”

  A worried look came over Cain. “She must’ve gone through a lot. She’s not even twenty yet.”

  I nodded. “It was hard to imagine her as an assassin until today. Did you see how easily she fell those men with the darts and needles? They were struck before they even knew what she was up to.”

  “I knew she was extraordinary when Lady Elga recommended her as the assassin to kill Ivan.” He closed his eyes and exhaled a long breath. “I fell in love with her the moment I saw her.” His expression was tender as he opened his eyes to look at me. “When I saw her the first time, she seemed to be the daughter of a wealthy merchant. I was determined to find her after going back to my capital.” A chuckle escaped him. “I was going to have her enter my harem.”

  “Daria would never enter a harem. She would rather have a harem of her own,” I said, thinking of the conversation we had before we left.

  Cain smiled indulgently. “I would love to sign up for that.”

  I stared at Cain. “Really
?” Among the three of us, he was the one with a large harem. “You already have enough women. Let Daria be mine.”

  He chuckled, shaking his head. “You can have all the women in my harem, Norvin. I just want Daria.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t like any of them,” he said with a grim expression. “They are daughters from noble families. Some spy on me, while the others want to be queen and would sabotage each other. There are days when I wish I could send them all home.”

  “You can. Once Ivan is dead, we can take control of our kingdom and people once again.”

  We stayed silent for a while, each lost to his thoughts.

  “So, we’re in love with the same girl,” said Cain.

  “Not just us,” I said. “I suspect Adal too.”

  Cain nodded. “He took the hit for her. The idiot could’ve died!” He exhaled a long breath and looked at me. “But who am I to call him an idiot? I would have done the same if I were near her.”

  “Great,” I said, seething. “Now I have two of you to compete against.”

  Cain chuckled. It was a rare sight to the ruling prince of Iorna laugh so freely. It was unnerving. “What’s wrong with you?” I demanded. “Shouldn’t you be angry?”

  “Why should I be angry?” asked Cain. “We all have hearts, don’t we? I can’t be angry at you or Adal for liking Daria. She’s just that kind of woman. Any man would want to covet her.”

  “Won’t you be jealous if she chooses one of us?” I asked, digging deeper into Cain’s good humor, hoping he would show his frustration.

  “I suppose I’d be jealous but we must make a pact amongst ourselves,” said Cain in a severe tone. “We will never harm each other to compete for her heart.”

  I stayed silent, pondering his words. “Of course, I won’t harm you or Adal,” I muttered.

  Cain shook his head. “We will make a pact. I have seen what happens to women who fixate on a man too strongly. Obsession can get deadly. Don’t argue on this, Norvin. I speak from experience.”

  I ran a hand through the strands of my wild, midnight-blue hair. “Fine!” I huffed. “Once Adal gets well enough, we’ll make a pact among ourselves. Damn it, Cain! It feels like we’re back to being boys.”

  “There’s nothing childish about this,” said Cain. “I am sure Adal would agree. We can’t let our emotions come in the way of our mission. It’s a long shot to kill Ivan, even with Daria on our side. By some miracle, if she does succeed, we would have to resurrect our kingdoms from the ruins. Peace between us is of prime importance. It’s one thing we can’t sacrifice, even for Daria.”

  I wanted to argue with Cain. Say I didn’t care about the people, but deep in my heart I knew it would be impossible for me to place myself before the needs of my kingdom.

  “You win,” I said after a while. Muttering a few choice swear words, I got to my feet and stretched. “Stale bread and hard cheese. That won’t do, Cain. I need meat.”

  “It’s already getting late. Can you even aim?” asked Cain. I flexed the fingers of my right hand, earning a glare from my friend. “You can’t use your powers, Norvin. What if someone sees you?”

  I shrugged. “I am supposed to be dead, remember? It’s you and Adal that have to keep yourselves hidden.” Before Cain could put a damper on things, I stretched out my right arm and aimed at a group of pigeons, flying just over the treetops. Bluish white light glowed on my hand before it started crackling with electricity. I pointed towards the target and a thin thread of lightning shot out from my hand. It caught the birds mid-flight, zapping them. Next second, they fell to the ground with soft thuds.

  “That’s quite handy,” said Cain. He picked up his two kills and began heading towards the cave.

  “Oy! Stop! Take these with you.” Cain turned back to glance at me. I gestured at the pile of wood at my feet. “I’ll be carrying these, remember?”

  He strode back and picked up the dead birds from the forest floor. There were at least half a dozen pigeons, enough to feed all of us. I followed Cain, carrying the heavy load of twigs and branches I’d collected earlier.

  The sun dipped below the horizon just as we reached the hilly caves. The spot was still deserted. Daria’s snowy-white owl was perched on a ledge overhead. He watched us with an irritated look, clicking his beak.

  I followed Cain inside the shadowy interiors of the cave. He halted suddenly and I almost bumped into his back. Looking ahead, I saw both Adal and Daria sleeping. Adal’s arms were wrapped around her protectively, pressing her close to his chest. They didn’t stir as we walked forward.

  “Tell me this doesn’t bother you,” I whispered, staring at the pair.

  Cain chuckled. “They are only sleeping. Let them be.”

  I stared at Adal’s calm, peaceful face. He was the most handsome among the three of us with a beautiful face, curls of golden hair and sapphire blue eyes. Even the women were jealous of his looks. Too bad he spent most of his days buried among his books or he could be one lethal heartbreaker. Jealousy burned my insides when Daria looked just as peaceful as him in his arms.

  “Should I wake them?” I asked, striding forward.

  Cain placed a heavy hand on my shoulder and pulled me back. “Let them rest.” He gestured me to follow him out of the cavernous room.

  “We’ll prepare the food,” he said when we emerged out of the cave. “I will get the fire started and you can clean the birds.”

  “Ugh!”

  14

  I woke up to a delicious smell. Stirring gently, I felt warmth spreading through me. Something heavy was draped around my body, holding me close to the heat source. My eyes slowly blinked open.

  The cavernous chamber was hidden in shadows. Only glowing embers remained of the fire I’d started a while back. With a jolt, I realized I was pressed against Adal. His body was the heat source warming me thoroughly.

  Gently removing his arm away from me, I sat up. Since it was too dark to see, I conjured up a ball of flames in my palm. Holding it close to Adal’s face, I saw he was sleeping peacefully. The ghostly pallor disappeared from his skin and he was no longer shivering.

  “You look good,” I whispered softly, caressing his warm cheek gently. Even though I felt completely worn out, my heart was at peace. The transfusion of inner power worked. Adal was no longer in the danger of losing his life.

  I moved to stand up but stumbled forward, barely able to hold my balance. A hiss of pain escaped me. Every joint in my body ached.

  By the time I’d taken a few steps to look at the wound on Adal’s back, I was panting. My body was terribly weakened. With difficulty, I sat down at Adal’s side and held the ball of fire over him.

  A smile came on my lips despite the exhaustion I felt. Only a pale brown spot appeared on the linen bandage wrapped over the wound. It was a good sign. He was no longer bleeding. From the steady rhythm of his breathing, I could tell he was out of immediate danger. Leaning down, I kissed his cheek.

  As my anxiety ebbed away, I became aware of the heavenly smell wafting from outside. Rubbing the chill off my arms, I walked towards the low-hanging entrance of the cave.

  Cain and Norvin were sitting around a fire with a pot of bubbling stew over it. Sparks from the blaze rose high in the air. A stone rolled from under my feet.

  The sound made them both turn around to look at me.

  “Daria.”

  Norvin got to his feet to come towards me. “Are you all right?”

  I nodded. “Just a little tired.”

  “You body is so cold,” he said, rubbing my arm for me. “Come sit by the fire and warm up.”

  “Thank you.” I leaned heavily on him as he guided me towards Cain. He seemed to notice it at once.

  “What happened after we were gone?” asked Cain, looking up at me anxiously. “You weren’t this weak when we left.”

  Norvin helped me to sit down. Panting slightly, I shook my head. “It’s nothing. Some food and rest will bring back my vigor.”

 
“But what happened, Daria?” insisted Norvin. “Why were you as deeply unconscious as Adal?”

  “I transfused some of my inner energy into him,” I explained. “He was fading fast after you left. His body was going cold. I don’t know much about dragons, but that felt like a warning sign. I had to do something to save him.”

  “Daria!” Cain grabbed both my wrists, pulling on them to make me face him. “That’s a very dangerous thing to do. What if you gave up your life instead?”

  “I am practiced,” I replied, not meeting his anxious eyes.

  “Even so, Daria. You went too far. Your body is cold and you’re not even able to breathe properly.”

  Pulling my hands out of his grasp, I fixed him with a glare. “You would have done the same for him if you could.”

  Cain looked taken aback at that. He relented, falling silent.

  “Do you like Adal that much, Daria?” asked Norvin in a low, gloomy voice.

  “I would have done the same thing for both of you,” I said, turning to look between him and Cain.

  “I wasn’t even aware you could manipulate inner force,” said Cain. He looked impressed with me. Despite the throbbing headache, it made me giddy and I smiled. “It’s a very advanced art. As far as I know, it takes years to master. None of the healers in my palace can do it.”

  “Tell that to Elga,” I muttered with a humorless laugh. “She forced me to learn a lot of things I’d have avoided. While I detest her methods, it allowed me to save Adal’s life today. I don’t regret it one bit.”

  Norvin got to his feet and moved the contents of the pot with a wooden ladle. The heavenly smell of the stew was making my stomach groan.

  “Is it done yet?” I asked, determined to eat it even if the meat was raw and the potatoes still hard. I was starving.

  “Looks done,” said Norvin, taking a sip of the broth from the ladle. Sheer patience and extreme exhaustion were the only thing holding me down from snatching it from him. “Care to take a look, Cain?”

  “I am sure it’s fine,” I said at once. “Just serve me a bowl.”