𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘. 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍.
It's the beginning of a new age when Jaylah Imperatrix seemingly returns from the dead to reclaim her throne. And in perfect timing.
In her absence, evil has be...
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Act 1 Chapter 69 JAYLAH
Something was already wrong in the air.
It was in the crowd bunching before Rhamnos's city walls. Worry trickled in. If they were checking people one by one, they would notice Jaylah. She held her head down, wishing she had not braided her hair tightly back from her face. It was easier to remain hidden abroad, but these were her own people. For better or for worse, they knew her face. And she was virtually unprotected.
A small breath of relief loosed in her chest when they neared enough to notice soldiers were not stopping any citizens, merely watching them from both sides of the narrow gates with eyes like eagles. Jaylah subtly moved to the center of the back, praying for the first time ever that nothing about her was too remarkable. Beside her, Alexander had picked up on her nervousness.
They passed through the gates and Jaylah raised my chin a bit more to take in the city's splendor. They were on a main street with green topiaries, thick red tarps to provide shade and shimmering pools reflecting the sky bringing color to the intricate ivory shopfronts. This was one of the things she missed most about home—the unique beauty she grew up with. Every city here had architecturally different inspiration depending on its people, but there were the same impressively beautiful elements that carried through every city, making them specifically and obviously Oceanic.
"This place is so ugly," Alexander said, having seen her relief.
Her eyes snapped over to deliver him a lethal side glare. He could not help but grin like the heathen he was. He was lucky she was in a good mood and chose to keep walking.
Jaylah was vaguely aware of Alexander making a sudden flinching movement and thought nothing of it until his arm brushed hers. Immediately pulling away, she got a good, long look at his slack face. His unfocused eyes. Jaylah scrambled for an answer until he swayed on his feet once more, making it necessary for her to steady him with an arm around his lower back. Only then did she see the small pin sticking from his side just above the hipbone. He must have tried to dodge it, but only succeeded in slowing its effects.
With her other hand, she instantly pulled it out. Her heart thundered. The tip was imbued with some kind of toxin.
There was no time to run. Jaylah glanced back up just at the moment his eyes rolled back into his skull and his head slumped forward, hair falling to cover the glistening whites of his eyes. Oh Gods. It must have been that rival assassin, the one that coveted Alexander's title. He had a revolver.
With his weight now leaned fully on her, he was too heavy to hold up. She had to lay him on the ground. As soon as his blank face was to the sky, she whirled to find his attacker, searched for any familiar face. Nothing. The dart possibly came from above, perhaps even as high as the red roofs. They had to have been watching her even now.
