I sat on the bed, letting the tears flow as terror engulfed every fiber of my being. The seriousness of my decisions fell hard on me. I'd known the Guild to be a violent group of people, hell they tried to have me assassinated a few times, but the fact they were so willing to kill their own simply to keep others in line was psychotic.
I couldn't match psychotic.
I jumped at the sound of stone scraping on stone. Trembling, I strained to see in the darkened room as a floating ball of light emerged from the wall.
"Why is it so dark in here?" a familiar voice asked.
"Anastasia?" I asked.
She held the candle up, illuminating her face. "I didn't scare you, did I?"
"Only a lot. My heart feels as though it will escape my chest!"
"I'm terribly sorry. Why haven't you lit your candles yet?" she asked.
I shrugged and sat back down. "I suppose I just haven't gotten to it yet."
"Are you alright?" She placed the candleholder on a nightstand near the bed and grasped my hand.
"I'm fine. I've just never seen such blatant disregard for life before. It's as though everyone here is expendable."
"We are. We're only here to serve their purpose. We must always serve our masters."
"That is ludicrous. We're all important women of our kingdoms. There is no reason why we should be manipulated into performing such evil acts," I said, shaking my head.
"Do not speak like that! You'll end up like, well you won't be around much longer if you keep speaking like that."
"We have to stand up to them," I continued.
"Evelyn, please, stop. You don't understand. We're supposed to report anyone speaking such nonsense. I don't want to report you."
"Then don't."
"They know when someone is questioning the Guild. They will know I heard you say such awful things and I'll die too. I don't want to die."
I looked into her face, tears glazing her big, brown eyes. My heart hurt for this girl. I barely knew her but I didn't want this sort of pain for her. Not for anyone in fact. Nobody deserved to be treated as such disposable property.
"What if I told you I am forming a plan to save everyone?"
"That's crazy, Evelyn. Nobody escapes from the Guild. Nobody."
"My mother did."
"Did she?" Anastasia asked.
"Of course, she married my father and had me."
"And where are you?"
Point made.
"I came here of my own free volition. I need to save my family."
"How are you going to save them when you're in the clutches of such evil men?"
"I don't know yet. I honestly didn't think my plan all the way through," I muttered.
"Do you have any experience fighting?" Anastasia asked.
I shook my head.
"Oh. Well, then you are handy with a weapon?"
I shook my head again.
She pursed her lips and furrowed her brows at me.
"I know I am not the most prepared, but there must be something I can do. They must have a weakness," I said, squeezing her hand.
It was her turn to shake her head. "No. They do not. They are immortal."
"If one of the brothers was killed they're not completely immortal. They can be killed, it's just hard."
"Your mother is the only one who has ever been able to. They've been training assassins for centuries."
"And I will stop them. I promise, Anastasia, I won't let them hurt anyone else."
She took a deep breath and looked at the floor, chewing on her bottom lip. "I'm doing it for selfish reasons, but I will help you. I miss my father and brother. I want to be in Russia as a woman who's not a killer."
"It's okay to want to do it for yourself. I am. I want to keep my family and James safe, and now, after seeing all of you, so nobody else has to endure such horrendous servitude."
"I shall speak with the other girls. We'll speak at breakfast."
She kissed each of my cheeks and rushed back to the hole in my wall. The stone scraped against stone as the heavy door slid shut. I laid back on the pillows, my entire body feeling weak, as I thought about the most dangerous thing I was about to attempt.
I woke early the next morning, sitting straight up as a bell clanged only a short distance from my window. I looked around wildly, trying to figure out where I was and what I was doing. Nothing looked familiar. The bed, the hard lump, wasn't my own. The scarcely decorated room didn't hold any memories for me.
It slowly flooded into my mind, unfortunately.
The ride to Italy. The young girls murder the previous night. The Guild.
Right. How could I forget?
I climbed from the bed, every ounce of my body aching and sore. I'd never felt such awful pains before. I pulled the door open a crack and watched as the other girls filed out of their chambers, trudging along in a long line of black garb and downcast eyes to the dining hall once again. We took our seats, the same as the previous night, and waited for the house staff to serve breakfast. Anastasia passed along a small piece of parchment paper.
Spoke with a few girls.
We're all willing to help.
I let out a small sigh of relief, tucking the paper into my boot as a plate of boiled eggs, meats, cheeses, and bread was placed about the tables. My stomach growled with hunger, but I didn't dare eat much. There was no telling what they had in store for me during the day. I didn't want to take the chance of vomiting it all back up.
"Evelyn!" Agnolo shouted from the front.
I glanced around uneasily, my mouth becoming as dry as the very fires of hell, and stood.
"You shall go around with Assassin three-four-six-zero. You are now assassin three-four-six-nine."
I watched the girls waiting for someone to stand. Amazingly, Anastasia stood and nodded.
"There have only been nine other assassins in seventeen years?" I asked her.
She nodded her head and sat back down, tugging at my shirt.
"Oh."
"Shh," she hushed.
I nodded and sat beside her. We ate in silence. Everyone ate in silence. I pushed the remnants of a boiled egg around with the tarnished fork I was provided with until the leaders stood and left the room. Once they were out of sight, all the girls stood and left. Lines exiting through each door, everyone going to their designated area. I followed close behind Anastasia.
"Where are we going?" I whispered.
"Melee combat training."
"Oh. That sounds fascinating."
"It's brutal," she responded quietly.
"Oh."
We entered a courtyard toward the back of the castle. A small group of girls stood in perfect unison near a tree. Nobody spoke. Nobody looked around. It was as though nobody else existed besides them.
This is how they gain control. Nobody speaks. Nobody learns about anyone else. Nobody develops feelings or friendships. It's absolutely cruel.
A tall, slender man appeared on the opposite end of the courtyard. He approached quickly and introduced himself to the entire group as though everyone was new. The girls nodded at him, either in respect or fear. Probably the latter.
He took up a fighting stance, motioning for me to mimic his movements. I looked around and watched as every other girl did as he did. We began to go through moves, which the others did with the ease of years of practice. I wasn't as graceful as the rest. I could see the frustration and irritation in his face each time I missed a move or punch.
After two hours everyone broke off into groups. Smaller girls stood near him, learning the basic techniques for fighting hand to hand with an opponent. The older girls sparred with each other, knocking one another over and pausing right before what I assumed was a kill hit. I joined the group of younger girls.
"Welcome, princess." The small girls glanced up at me in awe.
I chewed the inside of my cheeks and looked at them. They were so little. So young. Nothing more than babies really.
"You shall train with the younglings until you are up to speed on how to fight, then you shall move with the older assassins."
I nodded and followed the moves through the rest of melee practice.
My back and legs ached and it pained me to lift my arms, and it was only noon.
"Now where to?" I asked.
"Weapons," Anastasia whispered.
"Weapons?"
"Yes. Then lunch. Maybe."
I sighed heavily and followed to a large room on the fourth floor. Weapons lined the walls. More weapons than I even knew existed. My eyes grew large as I perused the various instruments of death and torture until a young woman with hair as black as night and eyes the shade of the sunset came in. She wore tight assassin garb with a hood around her neck.
"Ladies!"
Everyone grouped together and awaited instruction. I stood at the back feeling lost and helpless for the millionth time in two days.
I still didn't know how we would escape the clutches of the Guild or how we would defeat them. I didn't have time to make plans. Things felt hopeless and all I wanted to do was sleep.