My own trembling body woke me up, the sweat on my neck and chest soaking through my shirt. I sat up quickly, my shaking hand going to my neck to ease my breathing.
There was a worn blanket on me, one I hadn't remembered grabbing, covering up the lower half of my body that was still bare of clothing. My free hand was clutching the edge of it so tightly that the tips of my knuckles were turning white. My fingers were stiff.
My head began throbbing as my eyes looked over and caught a still sleeping, half-naked Sorin. He was splayed over the ottoman, his chest rising and falling slowly. I touched my head, rubbing my temple in slow circles. Barely light outside, I knew I'd only gotten a few hours of rest, but the thought of going back to sleep made my stomach clench.
It took a minute -partially from my hangover and partly from my still trembling body- to gain the strength to stand. Slowly, I forced myself to walk to the discarded clothing and sort out mine and Sorin's. I dressed with minimal difficulty, ignoring my still sweaty blouse. My eyes caught the three empty whiskey bottles and the empty wine bottle. I went rigid. Did I really drink that much? I mean, makes sense since I slept with that fucking, drunk asshole. I groaned and threw a glare at Sorin though I knew he was still sleeping.
Downstairs, the Viper's Den was already stirring. I sat at my usual table that had a good view of the entire floor yet was still tucked expertly away in a corner, and I completed a few more plans in my small journal. Felix came around with coffee without me asking. I only met his knowing gaze and took the cup sourly. Minutes went by before I heard the door open and light -nearly soundless- footsteps toward me.
"You will never guess what I just heard on the street," Rafe said, sliding onto the booth next to me. I barely gave him a glance, just an irritated sigh. "You don't want to know about this morning's gossip? Who are you and what have you done with Vera?" He laughed and motioned to Felix who gave him coffee.
I rubbed my head. "Oh, no, please do go on," I said in a monotone voice. "I'm sure whoever cheated who or whoever had an affair with who will greatly affect my morning and cure my hangover." Rafe smiled.
"This piece of information might." He straightened his shoulders to face me and smirked. "Killian's dead. His place got robbed last night, and the bandits made out with 10,000 Eros. Apparently, he screwed over Draven -dipped into his funds- and was caught." I finally turned to him, intrigued. Killian was Draven's treasurer... and brother-in-law. Killing family wasn't unheard of amongst gangs, but Draven was new to this life, having just been passed down the Blood Wolf name. I didn't know he had it in him.
"Torture?" I asked.
"Of all kinds. Draven's sister caught some Guardian officers in the street and made a full claim against him, spilling all his dirty laundry. They've since arrested Draven and I hear he's going to have a full trial." I raised a brow.
"Well, he's certainly having a fun time."
"Don't you see, Vera?" Rafe smiled, tapping the table. "This could be our chance to take the Blood Wolves down. Once and for all. " I shook my head softly.
"No."
"No?" Rafe asked, dumbly. "They're without a leader. They're falling apart-."
"Exactly. They'll fall apart by themselves. If not, other gangs will gladly swoop in and take them down. The Blood Wolves won't go down without a fight, and I don't want to deplete our resources for the inevitable. We stay low." Rafe swallowed and nodded, leaning back into his seat. After a moment, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope.
"We, uh, intercepted this letter from one of the king's carriers. It's for the lieutenant." My eyes shot to the letter, my head-turning. I held my hand out. Rafe placed it in my palm. Opening the letter gently, as to not tear the sealing, I read the note carefully, slowly. My mouth dried.
Once I was done, I set it down flat on the table. My hands then retracted to my lap while I stared soundlessly at the note for minutes. Rafe was the first to speak.
"What-."
"Let me think," I interrupted, my voice nearly a snarl. Inhaling and exhaling, the wheels in my head turned. "Okay. Seal this up and send someone to deliver it to him as if everything is normal. Don't make him suspicious but stay close. Don't let him out of your sight, even if it means following me everywhere. Also, send for Carter. I need him." Rafe nodded, taking the note from the table and slipping it back into his coat before standing up. He stared at me for a second.
"You got us a job didn't you?"
I threw him a wary glance. "What makes you say that?"
He shrugged. "You look exhausted, probably from staying up all night, and you have that look in your eyes that you do when you get a job." Pausing, his weight shifted. "How much?"
"A lot," I said, the lie rolling off my tongue easily. "But it's impossible."
Rafe smiled. "When have we worked on better odds?" He paused. "What's the job?"
"I'll give you details later."
"Oh, that makes me feel better. When?"
"You'll know." He waited for me to elaborate, his brow raised, but when it was apparent I wouldn't, Rafe left to go fulfill my requests.
Carer walked in less than an hour later. He sat across from me. I sipped on my coffee.
"I've been asked for a job with generous compensation," I said simply, beginning to pull out my own letter I'd written the night before, before... all of that happened. "And I need a team for even a sliver of a miracle to come out unscathed. Are you in or out?" Carter's eyes followed my hands as I set the letter on the table. It was addressed to Ace. He twitched uncomfortably.
"Is it legal or Illegal?"
"In whose eyes? The king's or the Guardians?"
"Both."
I took another long sip of my coffee. "Well, it's legal to the king and illegal to the Guardians, but where we are going, neither can touch us."
Carter picked at his nails. "So which one is it? Legal or illegal?"
"Does it matter as long as you get what you want?"
"To me, yes."
I stared at him for a while. "It's both legal and illegal. Debate on which one all you want, but right now, I need to know if you are in or out. There's no going out if you're in and there's no coming in if you're out. I need an answer now."
He didn't miss a beat. "Why me?"
"You had an expensive education so you're bound to know something useful. Plus, without me here, who will protect you from your father? The only safe way is with me. Now stop with the questions. In or out?"
This time, Carter hesitated. Finally, a long sigh drew from him. "I'm in."
"Great." I pushed the letter toward him. "Go to Ace. Give her this letter and don't leave until you've convinced her to come here. I need you and her here in two hours or less. Got it?" He nodded stiffly, thumbing over the paper. "Good." I stood and began my trek upstairs.
Sorin was dressing when I walked into the office. He still looked half asleep and more hungover than me.
"Pretty day outside isn't it-," I began loudly.
"Shh," Sorin hissed, interrupting me. He touched his head and stabilized his body against my desk. "Can you not?" I moved behind my desk to gather papers to work downstairs. Of course, I'd move back upstairs within a few hours when Ace got here. My lips curved into a smirk.
"What? You fuck me last night and now don't want to talk to me? If I didn't know better, I'd say I was bad... but then again, you weren't the one who didn't finish."
"Would you like round two?" Sorin asked, his face serious- tired but serious. "'Cause I promise next time, you'll be moaning my name with that beautifully sinful mouth of yours."
I stared at him. "There won't be a 'next time'. I can promise you that."
He attempted a smile. "Why? Afraid I'll be right?"
I barked a laugh, making Sorin wince. "No. I just don't think 'Sorin' is a very moanable name."
Sorin looked at me exasperatedly. "Is it just your personality to be a conniving shrew?"
"Is it just your 'personality' to get drunk and fuck your boss?" When Sorin didn't respond, I stacked my papers in my hand and began walking out of the room. "There won't be a next time," I repeated. Sorin followed me downstairs.
"We'll see, little assassin," he muttered under his breath. "We'll see."
It took Carter a few minutes over two hours to successfully drag Ace into my office. She looked pissed at me as she sank down into her chair across from me. Sorin was across the room, listening in. Rafe was in the shadows.
"I'm not going, Vera," Ace said plainly, lip curling. "I'm not letting you drag me to god knows where and leave Isabella, especially if it's illegal and dangerous."
"When's a job not dangerous, Ace?"
"My point exactly. No. That's my answer. Find somebody else or don't, but I'm not going." She began standing up to leave the room.
"Not even for half a million Eros?" I saw her pause. "Not even for enough money to see your parents, your family?" Now, she stopped completely. Her hands clenched at her side.
Over her shoulder, she asked, "Will half a million be enough for passage to Gantrick?"
"Half a million will buy you a boat, hands to run it, and enough liquor for three lifetimes," I said. Ace sighed and stalked back over to me, slumping back into the chair.
"How do I know you're not just fucking me over? I haven't even seen 500,000 Eros."
My chin tilted up. "You don't, honestly, but I'm not. And if there's even a chance you'll see your parents in a few months -rather years if you don't go- wouldn't it be a good idea to take it?"
Ace stared me down as if doing so would make me fold. "It's a gamble-."
"Life is a game of gambles, Ainsley. You never know which way the scale will tip. It takes a certain person to know which ones to take and which ones to leave. Now, are you in or out? And think very hard before you answer." She didn't respond, her lips pulling into a fine line. Eventually, she sighed and leaned back.
"What do you need me to do?"
_____________________
I stood with papers in my hand, maps of the waters and land surrounding Targaryen, and a written list of what we needed to journey the unfamiliar territory, but my attention wasn't on the documents. It was to the contents outside the window I was leaning against. Large, white flakes fluttered from the sky down onto the empty streets, collecting in patches of dirtied snow. The glass was covered with a frigid sheet of fog.
Lifting my finger, I wiped away a line, water gathering on my fingertip. I pulled back for a half-second before drawing a smiley face onto the window, followed by something that vaguely resembled a flower. I laughed a soft, breathy chuckle, but my smile fell when I felt the presence behind me.
"Did he see you?" I asked, my hand retreating back down to my side.
"You underestimate me, Vera," Rafe responded. He stepped quietly toward me. "He's at the tables again. 'Said he got bored up here. I snuck away when he downed his first drink."
"Good." Of course, he's already drinking again. I rolled my eyes. He got wasted last night, had a hangover during the day, and is now drinking.
"What do you want me to do with him? I'll gladly kill him for you if you please."
I moved back to my desk and sat down in my chair. "No." Rafe's brows creased.
"Why not? Are we just going to play along with his and the king's charade? That's insane."
"Yes, that's exactly what we are going to do. If we let them on, if they get the slightest of feelings that we know, Sorin will retreat back and go dormant."
Rafe scoffed. "Why do you care? I figured you were going to fight me on who was to slit his throat."
"Because I need to complete this mission," I snapped. "And in order to do that, I need Sorin's full cooperation and skill. He can't know, and if you have a problem with that, you are more than welcome to leave." Taking a few breaths, his eyes boring into me, Rafe said,
"I can't be everywhere, Vera. How do you expect me to run all these errands and protect-."
"I don't expect you to," I interjected, coolly. Rafe swallowed.
"Vera-."
"I can take care of myself. I always have. I always will."
"But what if you let your guard down? It doesn't take but a second." Rafe protested.
"I won't."
"But-."
"We're done, Rafe." We fell silent.
I looked down until I heard a loud slam downstairs, followed by shouts. Both Rafe and I became highly alert. "What the hell?" I muttered, standing and walking briskly to the door. I can't go two seconds without being interrupted. Rafe opened it for me and followed me out. At the landing on top of the staircase, I peered over the railing.
In the middle of the room, there was a woman dressed in a purple velvet cloak. I exhaled exasperatedly when I saw it was the princess. Her hood was down, revealing her dark curls. Her breathing was heavy and her fist -clenched and pulled back- was shaking. At her feet, was a man holding his nose, blood dripping from his nostrils down his chin. People around him were pulling the man to his feet. He was shouting foreign words, spitting at Sophie's feet. She hadn't moved.
I cussed as Sorin pushed his way through the crowd and grabbed a hold of Princess Sophronia's elbow, spinning her to face him and hissing words to her. Rafe was down the stairs before I was, but he had to fight through the crowd while they parted for me when I reached them. He pushed Sorin from the princess, shoving him back despite the height difference.
I scoffed at them as they screamed at each other and mumbled, "Fucking animals." Sophie had her eyes wide, looking shocked at the two men shouting at each other and the tourist -whom she punched- still bled and spit a slur of foreign cuss words. I touched her fist, and she stiffened, pulling her elbow back.
"What? Do you want another go at punching me?" Sophie relaxed when she recognized me.
"I need to talk to you," she gasped.
I pushed her fist down. "Yeah, and you thought coming here now, was a good idea?"
She still looked stunned. "It- It's urgent."
"Urgent my ass," I muttered, pulling her toward my office. "Let's get you out of here before a full-on brawl starts." Fucking stupid. Now I'll have to clean up her mess instead of planning. God, I hate royals.
"Will they actually kill each other?" Sophie asked, looking back to Rafe and Sorin.
"They're men. They ruffle each other's feathers, get in each other's faces, spat threats but they never go through with it," I mumbled, pulling her into my office and slamming the door shut.
"Now, why are you here?" Before the princess answered, my door banged open and Sorin barged in, Rafe trailing behind him. He grabbed Sorin's arm when he got too close to where the princess and I stood but surprisingly didn't act. In seconds, Sorin began yelling again, but his shouts weren't directed at Sophie. They were at me.
"What the fuck are you playing at, assassin?! Why is the princess walking into your bar and punching people? Better yet, why is she out of the castle at all?!" I stepped forward angrily.
"You think I knew about this? And even if I did, I'm not stupid. Why would I send the princess here at the busiest time of the day where she could be spotted, recognized, and killed?"
Sorin threw his hands up. "I don't know, to get back at the king maybe?! You're still pissed he's got you on a leash, so why not kill his daughter to distract him from the mission?"
I was taken aback. "If I wanted to get back at the king, why would I kill the daughter he's selling off? He'd mourn two days tops and move on with his life!" Beside me, Sophie's eyes had gone sullen. I didn't care.
Sorin made an aggravated move toward me. I held my ground and looked up to meet his eyes.
"I don't know how the hell you know that, but kidnapping the king's only daughter would be grounds for blackmail."
"I would've done that years ago if it were true." Sorin opened his mouth as if about to yell at me again then backed off for a moment.
"Then what the hell is she doing here?" I blew out an annoyed breath.
"Why don't you stop accosting me and ask her yourself," I retorted. "Last time I checked, she could talk." Sorin's gaze went to the princess.
She inhaled, the tremble in her breath almost incoherent. "I came myself," she whispered.
Sorin scoffed and ran a hand through his hair and cussed. "What were you thinking?!" He hissed.
"If you'll let her get two sentences out, maybe she'll tell you," I said, calmly, slowly.
Sorin only shook his head. "I'm getting you back to the castle," he grabbed her wrist, "and we are going to march straight to your father." Before Rafe intervened -before Sorin began dragging Sophie from the room- she pulled her arm from his grip. Her shoulders straightened.
"I'm the princess of this nation," she seethed, "sole heir to the Ravaryn throne. I don't take orders from anyone, especially from someone whose pride is bigger than his dick. Release me." He did. Rafe laughed.
"Go sober up," I sighed. "Or who knows... we may both go to the king to tell him of your little alcohol problem. I wonder how the king will feel with his lieutenant being drunk." Sorin's eyes narrowed as he took the number of steps needed to stand right in front of me, so close that our fronts were nearly touching.
"Is that a threat?" He asked, looking down at me. I smiled and reached up, grabbing the lapels of Sorin's jacket and smoothing them out.
"No..." I sighed, clicking my tongue. "No, this was just a little friendly chat. Right?" Rafe nudged Sorin who gave me a glare, long and hard. He eventually subdued and backed off, sitting on the arm of the chair.
My head was pounding again. I moved to my desk and poured myself a drink, sighing heavily. Rubbing my temples, I said,
"As much as I hate to admit it, the lieutenant is right, Sophie. If anyone recognized you, you would be killed or worse. You're not the only one who dislikes your father. And by coming here, you've now put everyone who associates with you in danger. And I have enough stress in my life without having to deal with your sudden need for making my life hell."
Sophie shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, but I had to see you."
"Why?" I dared ask, sipping on my drink.
Licking her lips and shifting her gaze to Sorin, then Rafe, Sophie said, "I want in."