Читать книгу Scars of Iron - Ivy G. Shadrick - Страница 8

I believe humanity needs a governing power over their lives. Whether that be a queen, a king, or a god, they need something more powerful than themselves to put their hope in. A being that controls the way in which the world operates. Whether that power puts itself there, or humanity does.

But in the century before our current time, governments fell apart and chaos reigned. And humanity lost sight of all they had once believed in.

I was their only hope, their only chance at survival. I did what I had to, and I saved them. Even if bringing that peace meant killing so many. And I called it The Renewal, for our world had been made new.

Many of my supporters asked why I did it, why I got rid of those who did not support me. My reasoning was simple, and it was that I didn’t want them alive.

-A.A public entry

[DELETED]

Holding the ivory and silver dagger in my hand, I sat in front of my full-length mirror.

I will be the bringer of chaos. I tried to convince myself. The words repeating in my head over and over again.

“I will get rid of the Queen,” I whispered to my reflection as I twisted the blade in my hand, examining the glinting metal.

I forced each fear and doubt from my mind. Reminding myself that I will have to do whatever it takes. Taking any and every step to hone my mind and body into a gleaming weapon. Making myself into the perfect blade to renew the world and deliver humanity from the Queen.

A tear streaked down my cheek, and I made no move to wipe it away as it slid off my jaw and onto my throat. I lifted the dark mass of my hair, placing the silver blade against the nape of my neck.

Inhale.

Exhale. I told myself.

Then, slicing through a section of my dark locks in one smooth, sharp motion, my hair dropped onto the ground. Looking in the mirror, I smiled, and a flash of cruelty sparked in my eyes.

And I continued with the rest of my hair. Sawing it away piece by piece.

I knew that chopping it would change the way I appeared. But I never expected that when I would look into the mirror I wouldn’t be able to recognize myself anymore. That was the last step in changing who I was, the last step in becoming the person I was meant to be. The person the world needed me to be.

I was going to be the assassin of the Queen and no one on earth could take that away from me.

My hair now only fell to my chin and was unable to cover the scar that stretched along the back of my neck.

I didn’t fix the lopsided or crooked pieces, nor did I care about them. I didn’t need to be beautiful. The only thing I needed to be was a blade meant to bring chaos back into the world. Allowing true human nature to renew us.

I dropped the knife and continued to get ready for training with Elaric.

Five weeks filled with sweat and blood had passed since I first began my training. It had been nearly one hour since I had finally cut my hair and in ten minutes I was to meet with Elaric for weapons training.

Pulling a tight, plum top over my head, I tested its elasticity by stretching my shoulders and back. I reached for a pair of plain black pants and pulled them on without a second thought.

Pushing open my bedroom door and stepping into the hallway, I sank deep into myself. My feet knowing the way to his study by heart.

The sun had just started to rise, soft light from the high windows pouring into the empty halls. The golden rays making each wall appear as if a layer of shimmering honey had been painted over it.

Each of my footfalls echoed in the abandoned corridors, creating an unearthly setting. And my stomach lurched in a way that made my mind scream for me to start running in the opposite direction.

I steadied my breathing, centering my mind again, and continued down the hall.

When I reached the study, I stretched my hand out to knock on the door. But I hesitated when I heard two voices arguing within. One voice belonged to Elaric, but the other was deep and odd, one I had never heard before.

The gut-wrenching fear in the pit of my stomach had nothing to do with the man himself. But nausea filled my senses at the thought of what Elaric would be discussing with him at this hour in the morning. I knew that I should leave, that this was not a conversation I should be eavesdropping on. But as their voices rose, I couldn't resist the curiosity pulling me closer.

I pressed my ear against the door and held my breath.

“She is barely capable of holding herself together. Letting her train alone would be disastrous,” Elaric's voice rose with frustration.

“I don't see why you chose her if you believe she is so unfit for the job.”

There was a short pause, before Elaric sighed heavily, saying, “My parents knew and fought with her.”

“That is no genuine reason.”

“Give me six more weeks, then you can take her. Her old training is coming back quickly, but she’s not ready yet and would fade within hours of being in the castle.”

“You have thirty days, no more, no less. Only because it took you so long to track her down. But if she cannot do what she was hired for, she will need to be taken care of, and by then, we will be in charge of her.”

“I want you to know why I chose her, why my parents chose her. And why I believe in her, take this, and see for yourself.”

The man didn’t respond and when I heard footsteps coming toward the door I sprinted down the hallway and around the corner.

The man who stepped out of the study alongside Elaric was tall and burly. He had curled golden hair that brushed the base of his jaw. And on any other day, in any other place, he could have been handsome. But after what I had heard him say, I couldn’t stand to look at him for too long, even from a distance.

When I did dare glance at the man, I saw that he had an unusually kind face. One that would not normally be paired with the words I had heard him say to Elaric.

I couldn't hear what they were saying as they stood in front of Elaric’s study. But then, I straightened my back and turned the corner, walking into the hall. I smiled at the two men. For a moment, they seemed taken aback. And Elaric did not yet realize that it was already five minutes past our scheduled time.

“Are you ready for our lesson, Elaric?” I purred from the other end of the massive hall. He saw the difference in me, the difference that made me nearly unrecognizable, even to myself. The change was not in my hair, but the fact that I had accepted what had already begun. And I didn't fight the inevitable anymore. His eyes widened at my confident gait, but the other man only looked at me with uneasiness in his eyes.

“We will begin shortly. Just let me escort my friend here, out,” Elaric responded, his voice rising at the distance between us. His eyes, not quite meeting mine.

I continued toward them, swaying my hips and folding my arms across my chest as I made my way down the hall.

“Oh, Elaric, you must not keep the lady waiting,” the man said, more to me than Elaric. The man looked to me, our gazes locking for a moment too long. Then he offered me a small dip of his chin, and I studied his face. The man’s jaw was tight, but his beautiful jade eyes were soft and sympathetic, almost kind.

I took a single step closer to the two men. But as soon as the stranger got close enough to me, he grabbed my elbow and pulled me close, whispering, “You are going to fail under his instruction.”

Letting go of my arm, he stepped back and smirked at the expression on my face. Straightening my posture, I said, “And who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?”

“I’m Gaviryn Cayce,” he said, sighing as if I were an inconvenience, “and,” he paused, “I have much more power than you think, girl. So watch your tongue, or I will personally have it removed.”

With that, Gaviryn left and I headed to where Elaric stood in front of his study door. By the time I reached Elaric, I had decided that I would not let Gaviryn’s harsh words affect me or how well I train. No matter how much power he held over me, I didn’t care, almost everyone did. Right now all I cared about was the training facing me because I had to be ready to kill the Queen in thirty days.

“From now on, you will be working, training, and sharpening your body and mind all hours of the day,” Elaric said. “Assuming you don’t quit within the next four hours, Aegiah will be working with you on strategy after our session is out.”

Then we headed for the training room, walking in silence into the empty arena. I began my daily laps and only stopped when Elaric told me to. Today I only did thirty.

My legs ached as I strode toward him, my balance still decent, even as I fought through the pain.

I grabbed a belt of small throwing knives from Elaric and strapped it to my waist. The targets were still in place from yesterday’s archery practice so I began. Hurling blade after blade, sweat dripped down my back, coating my entire body.

Elaric stood behind me until I had emptied the belt.

It had already been two hours when I finally threw a bullseye. And Elaric did not congratulate me nor did he give me a much-needed rest. All he said was, “Again.” Only this time he did not scream it at me, and that, in and of itself, was a small victory.

So, I did as he said and palmed another blade, aiming for the target for the hundredth time that hour and I let it fly. The movement had become second nature as I threw the daggers over and over. But only half of them met their mark, and each time I made a bullseye, a slight smile appeared on my lips.

I continued for what seemed like an eternity, allowing my body to continue on its own.

I drew my hand back, breathing out, then in again. As I released the dagger from my hand, I watched it sail for the center of the target. A familiar hand grabbed my shoulder. And in a span of two seconds, Elaric had me pinned to the ground on my stomach. He was holding one of my wrists at my side, leaving the other free. And his elbow dug into the back of my neck.

“You let your guard down,” his breath warmed the shell of my ear as he spoke. “You became too confident and left an opening. Focus on your actions and your surroundings, not just the target.”

With his arm pressing harder and harder against my throat, I couldn’t respond.

Then I lifted my legs, managing to force his knee off the small of my back. And I rolled over.

He was still above me, with his arm pressed hard against my throat. I moved quickly and wrapped my legs around his shoulders, flinging him onto his back. In a few perfectly calculated movements, I was over him. It was a simple maneuver, one that I had learned from my mother.

“Why was that man here this morning?” I asked, but Elaric only smirked as I fought with all my strength and body weight to keep him pinned. And even with my new strength from daily training, I was easily overpowered.

I was back on the floor, my legs and arms pinned again. I struggled to free myself to no avail. Then he answered my question, “Gaviryn is spying for me, he is collecting information from the castle. He works for the crown prince and will be taking you to him in thirty days. Then, there will be no more practice rounds and if you screw up, it may just lead to your demise.”

Only when he said that did it feel real. “Why would you want to ally with the prince?” I managed to force out, hissing the words through my teeth as I continued to fight against his grip.

“That,” the corners of his lips curved up into a devious smile that didn’t meet his eyes, “is none of your business.”

He pressed his elbow against my throat again and a low, pained grunt escaped my mouth.

“So,” he whispered, the heat of his breath brushing my cheeks, “never let your guard down. Because you will have enemies everywhere. And most of all, never trust a soul, they are all snakes deprived of a meal. Do not ever turn your back to them.” Then, he let me go.

And as I stood, I asked, “How am I going to get into the palace, unnoticed?”

“You will pose as a new handmaid to the Queen, your alibi is fully believable. One of them faded several weeks ago. Her original replacement has been taken care of,” Elaric studied me. “The Queen believes it proper to wait a minimum of fifteen days before hiring a new one. But this particular woman was her most trusted, and will be very hard to replace,” he paused. Once again looking at me with that emotion I couldn't read. “We have a lot of work to do. Can we continue?”

“Yes, but could I take a break from the blade throwing?” I asked, my words becoming a bit desperate.

“I think you can actually, decently throw a knife now,” he said pointing at the target that my blade had found a home in the center of. Despite being attacked from behind.

Drawing a shining sword, Elaric assumed the defensive position. This exercise, he had told me, was designed to train me to attack first and fight to keep the offensive advantage.

Lifting my sword, I began the lethal and delicate dance. The crashing blades, and our heavy breathing the music.