REJECTION PART 2: THE CURSED ONES

15

"Aren't you coming in?" Artemis stood beside me on a hill overseeing the orphanage. I don't know what today will be. My past is different from here. "I heard what happened yesterday, I don't suppose it is a good idea for you to stay here." She knows of our agenda.

"I should say the same to you. Night Raven. This is not a place for an assassin, unless..." I turned to her. "someone hired you." As I remember, he reports to Dmitri,one of the council members.

"If I am, what will you do?"

"Offer you another job."

"You want me to work for you? Interesting but you can't trust me. I work for the council."

"No. You work for someone who pays you better."

She smirked. "Then what do you offer?"

"Freedom."

"Do you think I am in prison? Can you not see me here? I do as I please."

"You think you do as you please. But as long as the council is there, you cannot be free. What if they ask you to kill this children, will you do that?"

"Careful with your words, Alpha. You don't want to tread that path."

I am right. She cares for them. Being undercover for so long has tainted her objective.

"You know what they can do. What they have done."

She clicked her tongue. "What do you want then?"

"Go to the king, tell him about the plan."

"You know, his guards and I are not seeing eye to eye. They'll think I will kill their King."

"And I thought you are the top assassin."

"Still. Sicilia is off limits."

Does she know about Laine? I did not have the chance to talk to her before. She just vanished one day.

She sighed. "I may be able to get inside but I doubt they'll hear me out."

"Then tell him this, it is for the one he loves, the one he rejected. He will listen." Valen is also eager to help in anyway to protect her.

"Interesting. Alright then. I'll see you."

As far as I remember, Valen is sick and there is no one to trust even in the walls of Sicilia. But if he knows that Laine will be implicated, he might talk with Duke. I can trust the latter but it might be difficult for him to trust me.

I started to head down. I still need to check how is she. Suddenly, my skin shiver. Someone's watching me. I turned everywhere but found no one. Was I just being anxious?

...I head straight to the day care room, with Riri almost kidnapped, they probably need more help. However, as I turned from a corner, I saw her. Standing in front of the closed door, unmoving.

"L-" I stopped on my tracks as I saw her jaw clenched as well as her balled up fist.

'She came from a small village, however, all of them were killed.' That's why she was afraid to hold them or to be with them.

She bowed her head. An image of her in a dream flashed in my mind.

'Save her.'

*Drip*

The scent of blood came first before a drop hits the floor. Her hand is bleeding.

'Save her.'

"Laine." I walked towards her holding her bleeding hand. Surprised, she turned to me. "You're bleeding." It's not a deep cut but is enough to cause a lot of blood. "Let's clean this up, okay?"

She did not protest so, I took her to the clinic. No one is around. There are only a few staff in here. Even if she can't stand to be with the children, she still chose to stay. I grabbed an emergency kit. We sat in two empty beds, facing each other as I try cleaning her wound.

"Does it hurt?" She is quiet that it worries me. She blames herself for Riri's kidnap and she might be worrying for the others, too. "It's not your fault." I muttered. "It is never your fault." I added.

"Why?" Her soft voice echoed in my memories. "Why are you here?" She has her head bowed.

"I want to..." save you. I don't want to make the same mistake. I don't want to waste this chance. I don't want to lose you.

"I can't save them. I'm useless." Her words are whispers I can barely hear.

"No." My hand reached for her cheek. "You've done so much. You fought for them. Don't blame yourself. Stop blaming yourself." But she is a guardian. A pain she bears, a pain she will always remember. Loving and losing, I know it hurts and will keep hurting. I know because I, too, couldn't forgive myself when she died. It was my fault and I don't want her to know of this pain.Her hand reached for mine. I became aware of the downpour outside. It's raining. Her lips move, saying something.

"You..." She paused staring me in the eyes, her eyes turning gold. "don't belong here."