Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Damian

I spot her in the near distance.

She’s gulping down shots of alcohol as if it’s water. I watch her stalking her next victim while I keep out of sight, leaning against the wall in the far back of the tavern. 

Whoever decided to send someone to kill this viper is an absolute idiot. From the looks of it, I should be the one protecting the mercenary from her. I can see right through those deceiving siren eyes�"the type that could manipulate and lure sailors to their death just by her devastatingly beautiful appearance. 

S**t, I can’t stop staring at her. Her hair is the color of blinding sunlight, draped over her shoulder in a long braid. Sultry seafoam-colored eyes that can never be distinctly blue or green. Her body is concealed in a dark, red cloak, but her face has this sort of lethal grace, sharp defining features mixed with a soft glow from the light tan the Island blessed her with. 

A woman of this nature does not exist�"should not exist. This isn't right, I should stop. 

I immediately realize my error when she whirls around her barstool to look in my direction. I quickly slip behind the curtains that lead to the chamber pots to hide. It f*****g reeks back here. I suppose sanitation is unbeknownst to these people. Corràn has recently passed stricter laws to keep the streets clean and clear of rubbish to prevent diseases. Clearly, The Captain in charge of this place has other priorities.

I wait until her attention is elsewhere and walk up along the side staircase into the mezzanine, which wraps around the tavern. The mezzanine allows patrons to speak privately about their affairs or discuss shady business deals, but I use it as a watchtower. From here, I can see the entire tavern�"rambunctious men and women spilling their drinks while dancing with glee to the strumming of instruments. I remember the days when I found these activities to be enjoyable. As of late, no amount of dancing or embrace of women can fill my heart with joy. Now, it is solely on how deep one’s pocket is.

I was offered a hefty sum to track down and catch this woman’s stalker and supposed assassin. The client wished to remain anonymous and sent a messenger in their stead, which I usually never question�"but the fact that the target was located on an Island ruled by pirates had me thinking that their original offer was not nearly enough to get us killed for. In our line of work, we risk our necks at every job we take, but this�"this was a suicide mission. I decided to turn down this job at first. Then, they offered us double the original offer and a fully paid expense trip to the Isles. The client said we’d be paid half of the amount as soon as we accept the job,  and the other half  will be given once we’d return with the stalker’s head on a spike. I thought the terms were fair. So we accepted. 

My client only gave me the name of the assassin's target�"Seraphina Auberon. The person I am to kill is a shadow; they exist only by the rumors floating in the winds. My only lead is this strange, mysterious woman.

It was an exhausting and dangerous journey after six weeks of sailing through the high seas from the massive continent of Corràn to The Seven Isles of Nyseros. After crossing the military's borders, the pirate-infested waters always kept us on alert. There were a few lower-class soldiers on our ship to keep watch of any pirate activity, but I think my team and I would be better off on our own than leaving these pompous fools to guard the ship. Luckily, we only had one run-in with pirates�"they provoked us by firing a cannon at us but missed by a long shot. Only then did they see the giant violet-colored flags flying in the winds with the official crest of Corràn: Threaded and stitched in gold, the great sun, the symbol of justice and honor. The pirates fled after realizing they were about to attack a ship of Corràn. That would go against the peace treaty, with the term ‘peace’ used loosely.

It was the violent storms that came upon us that I thought we were done for. My associates and I somehow managed to get to Astoria alive. 

My team is currently securing the perimeter around the building, scouting anything that appears out of the ordinary. I also instructed them to become familiar with The City of Sangrahv. I have this uneasy feeling that we will be stuck on this dreadful Island for a while. 

They are my eyes and ears and the only people I trust to help carry out this mission. Wherever I go, they follow.

My eyes have not left Seraphina’s sight. She is now sitting at a table, taunting a man. Her lips purse together, giving him a fake innocent smile. My instructions were to not interfere with her own affairs, only to keep an eye on her to know that the mercenary hadn't killed her yet. I get paid as long as her heart keeps beating.

She stands up and lures the greasy-looking man out the back door. F**k. I would much rather be literally�"anywhere�"else than here. I am certainly not one to invade one’s personal life, especially their romantic pursuits. But I can't let her out of my sight. I have no choice but to follow them.

I walk outside the tavern and move around to the corner of the building, where I find an old, rusted ladder attached to the wall. If I climb up to the roof, I’ll be able to get a view of them from above. She didn't go too far off; she just crept into the alley next to the tavern. It's too dark to see clearly, but I can catch the movements of the two figures. I find it better this way�"I won't have to witness them getting ‘familiar’ with each other. 

I remain unseen, crouched down on the roof. After painfully enduring the sounds of humans embracing one another, the sounds of pleasure quickly turn into the voice of a man wailing in agony. Well, this is certainly an unexpected turn of events. I crawl closer to the roof's edge and squint my eyes to focus better in the darkness. It's her�"she’s… what is she doing? I spot a dark liquid pooling around the man’s hand. 

She’s chopping his fingers off. 

Who the f**k is this woman, and what in the gods’s name have I just gotten myself roped into.

Seraphina Auberon… Why is the name so familiar?

I swear I have heard the name Auberon before, but where? I don’t recall any of my clients having or mentioning this name�"I remember the names of everyone I’ve ‘disposed’ of. 

Maybe I saw the name in a local paper some time ago catching up on current events, or when I was�"wait, oh s**t. You've got to be mother-f*****g kidding me; this has got to be some sort of sick twisted joke. 

Auberon. I remember now. How could I forget? It’s been so long since I’ve thought about that day - about what he did. Panic starts to settle in as breathing becomes more difficult. My hand slips on the roof's ledge, but I catch myself instantly. My heart is pounding after the close call. I look back at the alley, and she’s gone, leaving a dead body in her trail.

I clench my fists in frustration, gritting my teeth and clenching my jaw to contain my blinding rage. 

Calm down, Damian. You need to remain in control. Just breathe�"in, then out. I close my eyes and remember my training.

After regaining my composure, I gather my thoughts. I decide that the next course of action is to collect the team and re-evaluate this situation. One rule we must always obey is never to accept a job we are personally tied to. And I just ignorantly broke that godsdamned rule. My employer knew�"they had to have known about my past when they hired me to save a girl whose father murdered my family.