I curled my lips and turned toward King Orson again. "Are you leaving me with this?" I hissed, motioning to Sorin with my hand. There was a low chuckle from behind me and the sound of footsteps creaking against the floorboards, heavy but nearly silent. I felt his body come up right behind me.
"Be nice to your boss, little assassin," Sorin whispered in my ear. He recovered quicker than I thought from this morning. It used to take him days to get over a shot to his pride.
The king looked up at me as I turned my head and glared at Sorin. "Leave," he said. "I'll see you soon, Scarlett Assassin." I held up my chin, forcing myself to bow to him.
"As always, I look forward to it," I said sourly. Sorin grabbed my shoulder to guide me out, but I hit his hand away and shoved him back. Then, after throwing him a warning glare, I forcibly opened the doors and stepped out. Sorin followed close to my heels.
We made it to the Viper Den in silence. Sorin was waiting for me outside the tavern, looking up as I approached him.
"Where have you been-?" He cut himself off when he caught sight of Sorin following idly behind me. In a fraction of a second, there was a knife in his hand. "Get out of here," he threatened darkly. Sorin only laughed and brushed me aside.
"Oh, you're cute. How old are you, kid, 16?" He turned to me. "This is the best you could do as a spymaster?" Rafe's eyes narrowed.
"Try me, shit head." Yet again amused, Sorin, smiled and stepped forward, sizing Rafe up.
"The kid knows some bad words. So bad and tough, are you? Why don't you put the sharp toy away before someone gets hurt." Before Rafe wrapped his hands around Sorin's throat, I said calmly yet sternly,
"Rafe, back down." He looked to me, eyes narrowing, glancing from me to Sorin.
"What-?"
"I said, 'back down'," I repeated. "He's now under our utmost protection. If anyone touches him, it'll be your head." Sorin beamed smugly.
"You can call me Lieutenant Stryker, kid." Rafe scowled but ignored him.
"He's a part of the king's guard, Vera. He's a scumbag! He's the reason-."
"I know perfectly well who he is and what he does, but right now, he is the only thing blocking us from being dead. So spread to the others that my new second in command is to be untouched, and any objections and concerns can be brought up with me. Any disloyalty will result in immediate expulsion and punishment." For a second, it looked like Rafe would object, but for some reason, he clamped his mouth shut and nodded. Then he ducked into the tavern and disappeared. I sighed and turned to Sorin.
"You know people aren't going to like you around here. Your life here is going to be hell no matter how many warnings I give." He smiled and bent down as if he was talking to a child.
"If you're trying to scare me off, it won't work."
I smiled back. "You think that was trying to scare you? Oh, honey, you don't even know what that word means. Not yet anyway." Sorin's smile dwindled, and he stood up straight.
"You think you can intimidate me, Ms. Drystan?" He challenged, his voice now ice-cold, all humor gone from his face.
"Well, the fact that you're calling me 'Ms. Drystan' now, makes me think I already have, but believe me, this is just the beginning." I turned and opened the doors, walking into the bar area. Sorin scoffed but reluctantly followed me. We passed through the building, ignoring the stares and whispers, and gracefully made it to my office. I collapsed in my chair and poured myself a drink, not even bothering to acknowledge Sorin.
After some paperwork -Sorin examined the room and thumbed through different books- I felt his gaze on me. A small sigh escaped me.
"Do you have a question or another ignorant comment?" I asked, scribbling down my signature on a letter I needed to send out. Sorin set down whatever knick-knack he was messing with.
"When the hell are you going to show me where I'm sleeping? I figured you at least would have enough money for a bed." I paused my writing and looked up.
"What? Is the lieutenant of the king's guard tired?"
Sorin frowned. "Not hardly. I just wanted to get an idea of where Ravaryn's assassin sleeps." My eyebrow raised.
"And you think you'll be sleeping in my room?" I asked.
Sorin smirked and stepped forward, leaning on my desk. "I'm sure I could find a way for the both of us to fit into your bed." I let my eyes narrow.
"As much as that intrigues me," I said, cocking my head, "don't get ahead of yourself. You will have your own room with your own accommodations, and if I'm lucky, it'll be infested with rats and spiders." Sorin moved over to his coat which he'd slung over a chair earlier and began putting it on.
"Great. Let's go there now."
"We go when I say we go." Chuckling, Sorin walked over to my desk again and plucked the paper from my hand. Then he placed them on my desk.
"How many times must I say this? You are not in charge here. I can take everything you ever care for and burn it. Don't test me." I smiled.
"But your try-hard at intimidation is by far one of my favorite moods."
Sorin exhaled. "Did you hear what I said?"
I stood slowly though it didn't give me much height on him. "The thing that makes me so good at what I do, besides being this badass assassin with no morals, is that I don't care about anything. Destroy my business, kill my spy, burn whatever the hell your pyromaniac brain wants to, and see if that breaks me. See if I care." Sorin frowned but didn't speak. I picked up my book and a few papers and started to walk out. "You know what? A few hours of sleep doesn't seem awful. Chop Chop," I said over my shoulder as I walked out of the room.
____________________
Once we got up to our rooms on the fourth floor -I put him in the room next to mine to watch over his movements- I pushed open Sorin's door.
He peeked his head inside as if scared to go in and frowned."This is it?"
I forced a smile. "You can leave if it's not satisfactory, and I do encourage that. There's a nasty draft that comes in around two in the morning." Sorin shifted, looking, for the first time, visibly uncomfortable. He unconsciously wiped his hand on his shirt as if that would remove the dirt.
"There's not... a suite or anything?"
"I run on convenience, not comfort. We are cramped as it is, having to double up in some rooms. This is as good as it gets." This time my smirk was genuine. "Now, if you're having second thoughts on this assignment, I will gladly show you out." There was a small hesitation in Sorin's movements before he went inside the room and glanced around, disgusted.
I shrugged and tossed him his key. "Suit yourself. Here's your key. If you lose it, you'll just have to barricade your door with your bed or something. I know you want to be able to follow me so I get up at five sharp to start my rounds." Sorin turned and faced me, eyes wide.
"Five? But it's already well after one."
"Yes, your point?"
Sorin scoffed. "Do you ever sleep?"
"Not more than necessary, because while I sleep, others are awake, planning, scheming, making money, killing. And I have to stay three steps ahead of them. Have a terrible night, Lieutenant. See you in a few hours." I smiled at Sorin's dismay and shut the door, heading to my room as the old clock down the hall struck 1:30.
Less than four hours later, I was up and scanning the streets with an irritated Sorin trailing behind me. So far the city was silent. I hadn't heard any talk of Draven or any other gang activity, but I did catch a whiff of a possible job opportunity. I'd have to look into that more later.
"Do you know what your problem is?" Sorin prompted, following me through an alleyway.
"I'm so undeniably irresistible everyone wants to slit my throat?" He ignored me.
"Your problem is you think you're worth more than you are. You think the world will stop spinning, or the kingdoms will go to war or some naive shit like that if you die." We moved down a new street, still in my territory but just on the edge. Carefully, I slid a knife in my hand just in case.
"Congratulations, Lieutenant, you've just perfectly summed up yourself minus mentioning your inflated ego or arrogance."
Sorin laughed. "No, because unlike you, I'm a hero. I'll have a big funeral with a week-long memorial service and hell, maybe I'll even have a piece of land named after me." My stomach lurched. I didn't answer him. "You on the other hand will probably decay in a dungeon or on the streets. But, hey, maybe I'll be nice and put some flowers over your body." My throat dried.
"Yeah," I said, my fingers tightening around the knife, "wouldn't that be nice of you."
"I thought so. Would you rather gardenias for purity or a white rose for innocence?" He asked sarcastically, glancing at me. I holstered my knife as we came onto the main road.
"Not that you care but I'd want Hyacinth." For forgiveness. I don't know why but having hyacinths laying on my grave would be almost a reassurance, a blanket, that the world forgave me. Not that anyone would visit my grave. Not that I'd have a grave. If Sorin was right about one thing, it was the fact that I'd have no one to mourn me, no one to cry for me or grieve for me.
"I think I like gardenias better. It'd get a laugh that I'd be laying the flowers of purity over your body or cheap grave." He laughed at himself. I turned down another street.
"Stick with what you're good at, Lieutenant -throwing yourself ridiculous parties and parading around like a faux king- and just shut the hell up," I said, glaring at him and taking the lead.
Sorin sighed and trailed behind me. "You know, being an insulting bitch isn't necessarily in your job description."
I rolled my eyes. "No, but it's an added plus."
"You don't have to make everyone hate you. I thought we could at least be-." I stopped suddenly and spun around. Sorin stopped walking so we wouldn't collide.
"Friends?" I hissed. "You think we could be friends?"
Sorin shrugged. "Or at the very least allies. These next few months are going to be very difficult if you hate my guts the entire time." I chuckled darkly and stepped forward.
"Let's get one thing straight, Lieutenant. I don't have friends or allies because I choose not to. I choose to be a bitch because it's fun, and I choose to do this job because I like it. Now, get the idea of friends or allies or enemies with benefits out of your damn head. We aren't anything more than two adults who hate each other and our being forced to work together, and that's all we'll ever be."
Sorin stayed quiet but nodded softly. "If that's what you want."
I scoffed. "You're damn right."
He licked his lips and glanced away, then back at me. "Fine, but you're missing out on something big." My lips curled.
"I think I'll be okay. I can take care of myself."
There was a flicker of darkness in his eyes, something I'd yet to see in him. "We'll see." He kept my gaze until I dropped it, hearing the sound of footsteps behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see Carter walking toward me.
"I need to talk to you," he said. I took notice of his usually smooth blonde hair, now messy, and his grey eyes that seemed tired. It didn't take me long to figure out what was wrong. Only one thing made him this anxious.
I sighed, forcing the frustration from me. "Are you hungry?" He smiled weary, relieved.
"Starving."
__________________
We were at a restaurant a few blocks from where we'd met. They had just opened, being only 8:15, and the tables were empty. We sat at a booth seating four in the middle of the restaurant, Carter across from me and Sorin next to me. The waitress this morning was older, maybe in her 40's, but she still had a young face and figure. She took our drink and food order right as we walked in and left us alone.
"So," I started once we had set, "what happened with your father?" Carter went into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small notebook. He flipped to a page and handed me the drawing. I looked at the rough sketch done in black ink and made out the image of a man dressed in a heavy trench coat and a top hat. I glanced above the paper.
"Who is this?" I asked.
Carter's hands fidgeted and he sat up straighter, glancing to Sorin. "One of my father's henchmen. I think he's found me, Vera. I think he's after me. I saw him while I was running some..." another glance toward Sorin, "supplies over to the Market."
I raised a brow. "Did it look like he was tailing you?" Carter hesitated.
"Not exactly, but he could've been discrete or he could've seen me after and told my father, and now he could be after him-."
"Slow down, Carter. Are you positive this man works for your father?" He nodded and swallowed. Still, I clenched my jaw and set the notepad back on the table, sliding it over to him. "I think you're being paranoid," I said blatantly. When I agreed to let Carter seek refuge in my gang, in Ravaryn, I made damn sure his father wouldn't find him. It would be messy if one of the richest men in this country found out I was helping his thieving son escape him. We were, and still aren't, in any position for an attack or being messed up by some old rich man with a vendetta.
Carter's brows furrowed. "No, I'm not. I saw him. He's looking for me. He's found me." I kept Carter's desperate gaze with a cold glare. He's lost it. It's official.
"I'll have Rafe look into it, but if he doesn't find this man by the end of the day, drop it. Your paranoia is affecting your focus. That will get you killed, and I don't want to lose my best pick-pocketer and my money outlet. That will put a monumental dent into my earnings." With that, I ripped the page from the notepad and tucked it into my breast pocket. Then, I stood and straightened my collar.
"Good talk. I always look forward to our little conversation." I smiled. "Now if you'll excuse me, my schedule just filled up." Carter looked unsatisfied but nodded nonetheless.
"Bye Vera." Sorin still didn't say anything, shockingly, as we left. It was only when we got outside that he opened that disgusting mouth of his.
"Why are you helping that kid?" He asked, sounding almost amused. I stifled an eye roll.
"His father is rich, so he's rich, so that makes me rich. Simple."
Sorin sighed. "Shocking." He paused. "Not that I care, but why is his father after him?"
I sighed and waved a dismissive hand. "Because of something that happened years ago. I don't ask questions and I don't go into specifics. Plus, when a boy asks for my aid, carrying more money than I've seen in my entire life, I find asking questions takes a little too much time and effort." There was silence between us for a little bit as Sorin digested my words. I was curious about his sudden interest in Carter, the boy who was hesitant to even steal from anyone but didn't ask. I'd find more out about him by observing rather than asking and listening to his endless lies.
"Did we have to leave before the food got there though? I'm starving," Sorin complained under his breath. I ignored him, not wanting to admit that I was too, regretting leaving before I got my food. I hadn't wanted Carter to say anything more in front of Sorin though. Lord knows what that boy would unconsciously spill.
When we finally reached the Viper's Den, I found Rafe at the bar.
"Little early to start drinking, don't you think?" I asked, taking the shot from in front of Rafe and pushing it away from him. Sorin scoffed.
"Maybe a few years too early?" he said with a charming smile. Rafe scowled.
"You're only like a year older than me, dipshit." I glanced at both of them and stood between them, facing Rafe.
"Sober up. I have a job for you." I handed him the note Carter had drawn. His eyes were still locked on Sorin standing behind me.
"As long as it doesn't include this imbecile," he muttered, unfolding the paper.
I ignored him. "Carter is convinced this man is his father's goon sent after him. To ease his mind, look around the city for this man and if you find him, tail him, then report back to me. I doubt you'll find him though so today is going to be boring as fuck. Get to it." Rafe nodded, looking at the paper. He stood.
"What if I do find him? What does that mean for Carter?" It means even I can't save him from his father. Rafe knew this. I saw it in his eyes, but he still had a little hope.
Sorin chuckled and before I responded, said, "Then I guess this Carter kid better start running."
"Nobody was talking to you, asshole," Rafe bit back. He turned back to me. "I'll be back, boss." He passed by me, brushing lightly against my shoulder. I caught his eyes, and in a split second, I understood. Turning, I watched Rafe leave. Then I turned to the current bartender, Ivan.
"The good stuff," I said simply. He raised a brow but nodded, going under the bar and handing me a large bottle of red wine.
Sorin scoffed. "Are you starting an assassin's drinking club?" He asked as I began to walk back out of the Viper's Den, following me.
"No." My lips tugged into a smirk. "We are going to The Pit."