BLOODHOUNDS #5: THE MONSTER

Chapter 20 - WITCH

Anastasia Creed

"Why can you come with me? Why?!" I screamed at my brother, Andreas, who looked like he didn't sleep for days. He looked stressed and kept looking back to see if someone was tailing us.

"Ana, I can't."

"Why? We can't just separate like this. How am I going to find you? I'm ten, Andy!" I pointed at myself, and Andreas ran his hands through his hair, frustrated.

"You're going to be safe. I promise we'll find each other again." He pulled me into a hug, and then he opened the door. He got out, and I locked the car door from the inside so he wouldn't be able to open the door for me.

"Ana." He warned.

"I don't want you to go and leave me alone!"

"We will see each other again. I promise." He said, and Andreas' eyes filled with tears. I knew immediately that something was wrong with him. I knew we were not safe and that he was hiding a lot of things from me.

We're five years apart, and he has a lot of burden on his shoulders. I unlocked the door and got out. I looked up at him, and he cried before punching the car window until it shattered.

"I'm sorry." He sobbed, and he kneeled in front of me.

"I'm sorry, Ana." He said, and I nodded.

"You promise that you will find me again, right?" I asked, and he nodded.

"I promise that we'll see each other again. You know that I always keep my promise, right?" I nodded and started to cry. He hugged me and caressed my hair.

"I'll find you. I promise." I nodded, and he got up, holding my hand, and led me to the house where I'd be staying for a year or maybe more. Andreas knocked on the door, and a man opened the door.

"Rave, this is my sister." Andy introduced me to him, and Rave raised an eyebrow as he observed me.

"Hello, Ana." He smiled at me. It's a little creepy, but I'll be fine. I trust Andreas.

"Please take care of her, or I'll kill you," Andreas said in a tone that I never heard before. I closed my eyes as Andy gave my hand to Rave.

"You have to go..." Rave said, and Andy nodded.

"I love you, Ana. I'll be back, I promise."

"Okay."

I thought I would be living an ordinary life with Andreas' friend, but Rave trained me into an assassin. On the first day, he wanted me to kill a chicken. I cried all day and had to lock myself in the bathroom for it. I was traumatized, but Rave didn't stop there.

He showed me how to kill chickens. I can't even hold a knife, but he wanted me to stab the damn chicken multiple times so it would be dead. I was terrified, but he wanted me to keep going. He threatened to take me back to my parents, so I had to obey him.

"I'm not going back!"

"Then you better get your shit together!" He shouted.

After two weeks, I was able to kill five chickens and dismember them perfectly. I got used to chickens, and Rave introduced me to a dummy, and he showed me how to kill people. He showed me some spots where I should stab my enemy.

After months and months of training, Rave gave me a mission on my birthday. He wanted me to kill someone. I've trained a lot, but I've never killed a man before.

"If you fail, we must return you to your parents, and you'll never see your brother again." That scared me. I have to succeed. My first kill was sloppy, but I did the job. I freaked out and ran away from Rave. I had to hide and process everything.

I was going insane, but I had to do it.

I knew something within me broke that day.

After a year, Rave brought me into a camp where I met other young assassins. There are two hundred of them, primarily orphans.

"In two months, there will be an auction." I turned to Rave, whose eyes were glued to one of the men there.

"If you can get into the bidding, you'll be free from the camp. You will live with your bidders, get money, and you'll be able to find your brother." He knew I wanted freedom, and Rave knew so well that I wanted to see my brother.

"Last time I heard about Andreas, he's in Miami." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "There's a woman named The Witch who lives in Miami. She will be one of the bidders, and if you can get her attention, she will bid on you and bring you to Miami."

"What is she?"

"She's very famous in the underground world. She produces drugs and distributes them all around the world. She's also friends with the Novikovs, who happened to be one of the biggest Russian Syndicate."

"She'll able to give me freedom?"

"Yes. I will introduce you to her next week."

"Okay." I nodded.

"Go."

After spending a week at camp, Rave introduced me to The Witch. The Witch, or Morganna, is a beautiful red-headed woman in her late 20s. She looked more like a CEO than a drug lord. Her guards are women, and I assume most are entering their 20s.

"Morganna, this is Anastasia. She's one of my favorites." Morganna turned to me, and she gave me her biggest smile.

"Well, hello." She stood up and walked towards me. I bowed to her, and she grabbed my chin, pushing it up so I looked at him.

"You have a very interesting eyes." She was captivated.

"Thank you."

"Heterochromia." She pointed my eyes with her index fingers, thoroughly admiring it.

"What's your name again?"

"Anastasia."

"Just Anastasia?"

"I prefer Ana better," I said, and Morganna let out a small chuckle. Morganna turned to Rave and gave him a signal so they could talk alone. Rave pushed me away, and I ran into the building, but still watching Rave and Morganna talking.

They're arguing, and Morganna punches Rave until he kisses the ground. I gasped, seeing the scene. Rave is one of the higher-ups in this camp, and seeing Morganna has more power than him made me want to join her.

"I need her to bid on me."