Assassin (Starlight Book 1)

by D. N. Hoxa

  You can control a great deal of things, not just the elements.

  Grandmother’s voice reached my mind like it was coming from another time and place. But her words were as clear as the day. According to her, I could control more than the elements if I wanted to. What if more included a person’s memories?

  It wasn’t likely, but it was my last option.

  I closed my eyes, feeling Ella’s hands and knees all over me, hitting, kicking. I felt her frequent, shallow breaths; I felt her heart beating so slowly. The energy around her was so weak.

  I focused hard, blanking my mind like I’d done for the last three days repeatedly.

  Please, please, please work, I begged to whoever would hear me.

  I could make out her aura enveloping her thin frame, and I could hear it humming lowly.

  I will not let my Ella die like this. I will not let Dad die like this. This is Ella, my Ella.

  Those words echoed in my head.

  Air left my lungs when I felt power like a light turning on in front of my closed eyes. It took me a while to realize what it was. And when I did, I almost didn’t believe myself.

  It was the power of Ella’s mind. I felt dizzy for a moment and almost fell on my knees from the intensity of it. It was wild and beautiful, brilliant, completely enveloped in a blinding white light. It shone so brightly that if I’d had my eyes open, I’d have gone blind. It was the purest feeling I’d ever felt, and it mesmerized me completely.

  I watched it, felt it and became one with it. It held so much life! I wanted to keep my eyes on it forever. But something was wrong, off, like the light had caught a disease. I reached inside deeper and deeper, towards the core of the light of Ella’s mind.

  Then I saw it.

  A blue matter, not liquid but not exactly gas, floated around, covering the light, leaving a dark trail where it passed so slowly, infecting my sister, making her sick. It kept the core almost completely covered, circling it, spreading its blue shadow. It was the potion, what was making Ella a zombie.

  Excited and terrified at the same time, I tried to get my head around it. It was so hard to reach it since I couldn’t connect to it. It kept on floating carelessly, and I couldn’t touch it. I tried harder. I saw it and felt it with my mind and my whole body that was shivering uncontrollably, and I got close to it, one step at a time until I closed my grip around it. I didn’t have time to think it through because it was already trying to escape the weak connection I managed to build. It fucking slithered like a living snake.

  I willed it to stop, disappear from there, vanish without a single trace, but it kept moving slowly, around and around, covering more of the light with each passing second. I tried to push it away, but that didn’t work, either. Come on, come on, I chanted, begging for it to work. I pushed hard again, so hard that it felt like I gave away a piece of my mind in the battle, but I didn’t care.

  Nothing happened.

  My knees began to shake. Panic was making it hard to breathe, and I was losing it. I ordered my body to take control. Panic wouldn’t help me. Nothing could help me. It was all up to me.

  Desperate, I tried to suck it, imagining a bridge between my mind and Ella’s. I squeezed my eyes shut with all my strength and sucked the potion, making way for it through the light, out of Ella and into me. I concentrated on the blue matter more than I ever concentrated on anything in my life. It was my last chance for her.

  But it wasn’t moving. It was slithering so slowly around and around the light, and it wouldn’t listen to me. It was making me dizzy and sick to my stomach because I couldn’t make a strong enough connection.

  Tears slipped from my eyes and to my cheeks. I wasn’t giving up. I was going to try harder so I invited the blue matter into me again with everything I had. I chanted in my mind and whispered to it to come to me, to make its nest in my mind. To take me. I’m all yours…I chanted over and over again. I laid myself bare in front of it. I gave it everything I was.

  Then finally, very slowly, it started to change course. It began to break away from the core of Ella’s mind and slowly slither to me. I didn’t have time to feel relief. I kept my mind on it the whole way. Another minute or a lifetime passed. I had completely lost sense of time. I felt it contaminating me slowly, as it got close to me. It gave me a sense of smoke and dirt and flames. Hell.

  Almost there…

  My eyes popped open as I felt flames of frost touch the inside of my head. It was like a brain freeze, only a thousand times stronger. My forehead was against Ella’s, and her head was still in between my palms. She woke up, for lack of a better word. Her eyes were hers again. Hazel and green and full of life.

  She looked at me, surprised, scared.

  “S-S-Star?”

  She was okay. She was okay. I had to repeat it a thousand times before I could believe it. And then I wanted to smile, but I couldn’t breathe.

  “Star!” Aaron’s voice echoed in my ears, and I used all the strength I had left to turn and face him.

  With my eyes, I begged him to take my family to safety. I knew he could read me. He had to. When he nodded, it felt like the whole world was mine for a second.

  And then, there was nothing.

  21

  ——————————

  I was back into the darkness, the place without time or space. Just darkness in its purest form.

  I remembered Ella’s face, and I smiled to myself. She was okay. She was alive and herself again. I thought of Dad and could only hope for him. At least I saved Ella. He would have wanted me to do exactly that.

  I surrendered to the darkness as my body floated on air. It felt good to not think, to not have anything on my mind like this. Empty. Peaceful.

  Ella was okay.

  I floated around and around, with no direction and no purpose. The air was so light that it held me in every position I wanted to be in. The pain had stopped completely, physical and emotional. The place was my sanctuary. I flew around it for what felt like ages.

  I thought of Mom, wondering if I would get to see her again someday. The fact that I was her daughter meant that I had a part of her with me, therefore I couldn’t be all bad, could I? There was so much I wanted to tell her. I could confide every single thing only to her and know that she wouldn’t judge me. And if she reproached me, it would be because she cared for me. I wanted to tell her that Ella was okay, too.

  Would I see Ella again?

  I thought of Aaron. Of his perfect face and ocean eyes. My smile turned sad. He had been the first man I’d ever really wanted to put his arms around me. I’d wanted him with all of me. Everything. And I left knowing that he hated me. I was sorry that I didn’t get a chance. I knew I didn’t deserve one, but I would have liked that. The way he made me feel, like…like I wanted to live…

  Confusion.

  I felt the void around me and felt its numbness, its nothingness. I needed this, true. But staying here, would I ever get to see Mom, Ella or Dad again? Would I ever get to see Aaron again?

  Something nagged at my stomach. Something deep and far away, something trying to come to the surface with all its strength. Curiosity got the best of me again, and I decided to dig into it, just for a second. Then I could let the darkness take me again, this time for good.

  There was a face, a blurry face, slowly starting to take shape in front of my eyes. I recognized him after I saw his colorless eyes.

  McGraw.

  That old bastard had done this to them. He’d taken them away from me. He was out there laughing at me, at how pathetic I’d become.

  But Ella was okay.

  I hoped Aaron could get them out in time. Of course he would. Jack would be there by now, and he would help. He was fast.

  What if they can’t?

  My eyes popped open involuntarily as my brain shouted: no! they’re going to make it! But how could I be sure?

  McGraw’s face smiled in front of my eyes, like it could read my thoughts. Like it wanted to tell me I was
wrong. I squeezed my eyes shut. I wasn’t there, so I couldn’t know what would happen. They could all be dead by now.

  Something big and on fire hit me in my stomach, expelling all air from my body. My sister could still be in danger. She could still lose her life, and I just couldn’t let that happen.

  My anger burned inside my veins, filling me with life. I would not let that happen. McGraw wouldn’t win. I swore once that I would not rest until he was dead at my feet. I never liked to break my promises. I needed to see him dead.

  Something sucked me like a violent thunder, pulling at me from all sides. I couldn’t see or hear anything. I only had a sense of pain so intense that it felt like my flesh was being torn from my bones. I wanted to scream, but I didn’t, I held on until I started to hear McGraw’s voice from somewhere far away. It was an unarticulated sound, like a song playing in slow motion.

  I forced my head to clear and listened more closely.

  “Star!”

  Ella. Ella was calling for me.

  My eyes snapped open. Everything was so dark and blurry for a long second, but then the sounds became clearer, and so did the view. I was lying on the stone floor on my back. Aaron was at the cell door with my dad’s unconscious body on one shoulder and Ella’s hand in his. He was dragging her away. She was facing me, calling me, crying desperately.

  She was alive.

  I only had a second to feel the relief of seeing her still breathing before I realized that someone was after them.

  The dark figure was running towards them. He would get to them soon if I didn’t do something. I touched Bob next to me on the floor, sat up, ignoring the stabbing pain, and aimed at the Guard’s head. I threw Bob so fast that I had to stop afterward and catch my breath to chase away the dizziness.

  Bob hit the target and buried its blade right on the back of the Guard’s neck. He stopped, his body going stiff for a second, before he fell on his knees, then down on the hard floor.

  One down, four more to go.

  I drew in a long breath, and I felt good, my senses sharper. My calculating, murderous mind already had the scenario figured out. I smiled and jumped to my feet as nothing but revenge burned inside of me.

  I couldn’t die yet. I had a warlock to kill.

  The other two Guards and Young were already on me, aiming for me with their fists, feet, knifes and swords.

  Pathetic. I had my evil smile on. Nobody was going to stop me.

  I chopped a hand with my katana, pushed a knife inside a chest. Turned and kicked with my knees, my feet. It was all so fast, it turned into a blur. I only had eyes for McGraw, the terror on his face, the fear in his gray eyes.

  He was hiding behind the wooden table filled with flasks now.

  I’m coming for you, ya old fuck, I thought, only because I knew he could read the expression on my face.

  I jumped back on my hands and landed with my feet on the back of the dead Guard, who still had Bob in the back of his neck. I retrieved the dagger and ran back. I pushed Bob under the chin of the vampire guard, on that soft spot that connected the head with the neck. I dropped my katana and took my gun from the back of my pants and shot him in the eye first, pulling Bob out, before I went for his heart.

  The last one standing was Young.

  This must be my lucky fucking day.

  I hit him hard on his waist and felt his ribs break from the impact. I pushed Bob into his good cheek, and he growled in anger. Something hot stung me on my side just below my breast, and I saw Young’s hand pulling a knife out of me, before he pushed it in again. I felt the sharp tip hit a bone, but I didn’t let the pain register just yet.

  With my hands on his chest, I pushed him, and he fell back a couple of steps.

  The burning grew, but I didn’t stop, I went after him. He’d been my trainer, sure, but I always believed that a good student would always eventually eclipse her teacher. He hit me with his elbow in the face, making me see bright yellow stars in my vision for a few seconds, and I ran Bob from his armpit all the way down his inner arm to his hand.

  Blood dripped from all over him. His palm went for my chest, but I tilted aside. The weapons he’d just produced pierced my left shoulder right next to the vampire bite. Nasty power he had with those weapons of his. He could materialize things from thin air, and he’d spent all his life concentrating on materializing weapons during a fight.

  Wait. His magic worked?

  Blood exploded and hot pain filled my vision before I could breathe or analyze the fact that his magic worked in Lyndor. He pulled his palm back, the knife already gone, but the damage was done. I backed away a couple of steps, trying to stand without falling. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught McGraw turning toward the hidden stone door to leave.

  Shit.

  I took a deep breath and sent all the pain that was making me weak to hell. I didn’t have time for it now. It could hurt all it wanted after.

  I ran, got down on my knees and slid my way to Young, took my katana from where I’d dropped it on the floor, and pushed it inside his stomach before he could even blink.

  He took a step back, and I jumped to my feet. He tried to hit me, but I dodged. I caught his arm midair, jumped behind him, and ran Bob through his throat. I pulled the dagger toward me until I could see the sharp tip of it coming out the back of Young’s neck.

  My favorite Lyndor professor fell on the floor, headless. It seemed the leaving-the-enemy-headless practice was becoming a thing, and I liked it.

  I run toward McGraw. He’d only just reached the door, which told me that the fight with Young had lasted no longer than seconds. I grabbed him by his grey robe and threw him back on the cell floor before he could escape. He flew a few steps before he hit the ground hard with his back.

  He jumped to his feet immediately, though. Not bad for an old man.

  I pushed the heavy stone door closed. A smile couldn’t be helped as I circled him like he was my prey—which he was. It sure felt like it. He tried to look calm, but I could see the fear in his colorless eyes. I couldn’t wait to see what he would say to me.

  “You think you’ll stop this if you kill me?” he finally asked, trying to make his voice sound calm and composed. Well, that was definitely not what I expected, but I didn’t mind.

  My smile grew brighter. “It’ll be a start. You messed with my family, old man. You should have known better,” I said, walking slowly around him, around the lifeless bodies on the floor, Bob in hand. It was only him and me now.

  “You betrayed us,” he said, striking a nerve end.

  “I never betrayed you!” I spit. “It never even crossed my mind.” Which just showed how clueless I’d been. How wrapped up in all of their white lies.

  A weird, high-pitched sound left his lips. I thought it was supposed to be a laugh, but it came out as a little girl’s scream instead.

  “I read your message, and we saw you leave with—”

  “You saw nothing,” I shouted louder, my voice echoing through the cell. “What you saw was me trying to get information, to find the RR leaders and to have them on your plate by morning.”

  The disgust was clear in my voice, aimed at the both of us.

  He looked surprised. How flattering—the thought had never even crossed his mind. The trust they’d put in me...

  “It doesn’t matter now, anyway,” I continued, looking at Bob’s sharp and bloody tip in my hand.

  “We can make an agreement,” he whispered, but his heart wasn’t really into it, kind of like he already knew my answer.

  I was right, they did want something from me. I wanted to laugh, but I held it in, curious to know just what they thought they could offer me to clean up the mess they’d made.

  “Is that right?”

  He swallowed loudly. “Yes. The Council can offer protection for you and your family if you will continue your work for us only until the end of the year. After that, you will be free to take your family and walk away for good,” he said, his eyes never leaving
mine.

  For a second, it looked like he really expected me to believe in all he said. To believe that if I stood with them for as long as they needed me, they’d let me walk away unharmed and with my family. Apparently, they didn’t think highly of me when it came to intelligence.

  “You know you cannot hide from them, girl,” McGraw added, taking my silence for insecurity.

  “Why?” I asked. I wanted to know what made them take me in the first place. Of course, I knew they planned to launch the potion worldwide by the end of the year, and that’s why they wanted me until then. But I wanted to hear it from him. “Why did you take me in four years ago? Why didn’t you kill me the night you took my family? Why aren’t there Guards surrounding us right now, ready to take me down?”

  He didn’t look surprised by my questions. In fact, it felt like he had a speech rehearsed just for them.

  “I imagine you already know what you are,” he said with a nod, and I felt like a stupid little girl again for ever believing in him so blindly. “The prophecy, like every other, was rather vague when it came to details, such as what side you’d be on.” He laughed dryly. “So we took you in and we trained you and we made you our own. We are not your enemy, Star. We are just the other side.”

  He tried to make his voice as determined as he could, which was not much. I smiled at his last words. As much as I wanted to cut his bullshit, I wanted to hear more.

  “Go on,” I urged him. Confusion marked his features. He didn’t know what to expect from me.

  “If you work for us, protect the Council only until the end of this year, we can make sure that you and your family walk away unharmed...” he repeated.

  This time I laughed. They wanted me to protect them. After they kidnapped my family.

  “Wow. You must really think I’m stupid to even suggest such a thing to me. What I want to know is, why you didn’t kill me when you had the chance. Why do you want me to protect the Council so badly?”

  I was going to hurry him up, but then again, I didn’t think I was in much danger anymore. No other Guard had come running through the door.