Chosen : Assassin Book 1

Chosen- Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

The night air was refreshing. I leaned against a column trying to steady my breathing. My mother absolutely infuriated me.

"It's dangerous for a lady to be outside alone," a deep voice from the shadows said.

I reached under my skirts and withdrew the dagger hidden in my makeshift garter. "Who's there?"

A shadowy figure stepped out from behind a tree and into the torchlight. I sighed with relief and replaced the sharp instrument.

"I could have killed you, Jonathan."

"Doubt it. Are you losing your touch already, Joselyn?" he asked.

"No. I needed to escape from all of that." I motioned toward the merriment and dancing behind me.

He sat a few stairs down from me, a hat pulled down over his eyes. "Isn't this your first night protecting the king?"

"Yes, and I already had a kill."

"Already?" He turned his head to look at me.

I walked down to the drive, looking for my coach. "Yes."

He chewed on his bottom lip before heaving himself up. "I don't think anyone expected any attempts on the king's life just yet. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Jonathan." My breath hitched in my throat as he approached me. He towered over me and looked rather intimidating with his black cloak and hat. Not at all the Jonathan, I remembered from France. Something changed.

"What's happened to you?" I asked gruffly.

He grabbed my shoulders and stared into my eyes. They were the eyes of a cold, ruthless killer. Not the soft, sweet Jonathan I'd met all those years ago. We'd both changed though. I wasn't the same timid Joselyn that my parents sent from this place. He reached his hand around to my neck and down the back of my gown to the assassin brand on my shoulders. I shuddered under his touch as he traced the outline of my permanent reminder.

"Something is different. What have they done?"

"You're keeping a dagger in your garter?" he asked.

"Yes. Please tell me why you are so cold now."

"Where else do you have weapons?" he asked.

"Right now, that's all."

He shook his head and before I knew what was going on he had his arm around my torso with a knife to my throat. I struggled against his grip, but he only tightened his grip. My chest heaved, and my breath was ragged.

Joselyn, you can get out of this. Don't let him get the best of you.

"You need to gain control of yourself, Joselyn, and keep more weapons on your person."

"Release your grip. You are hurting me," I said, struggling against him.

"Joselyn, you're becoming soft."

I stepped behind one of his legs and dropped my weight. Jonathan lost balance and teetered a bit before I slammed my head into his chest. He gasped for air, dropped his knife, and released his grip on me.

"I do just fine, thank you."

"Okay. That wasn't bad. You still need to keep more weapons on your person," he said.

"Where?" I asked.

"There are plenty of places for you to hide blades. Wear long-sleeved gowns occasionally and you can wear hidden knives."