Chapter 2

Senka

Icautiously placed my palm on the cold, metallic disc embedded in the ground of a forgotten alleyway. With a faint click and scrape, it moved aside to reveal an abyssal depth. I took a breath before plunging down, my shadows balancing me as I climbed down a rickety wooden ladder.

I rushed through the forgotten underground passages of Andune like a specter, my feet barely touching the ground. Rumors swirled about these ancient catacombs. Some said they were cursed. Some said they were haunted. Either way, it was unlikely that anyone who wasn't supposed to be down here would stumble in. If they did, then I felt sorry for the poor bastard.

This used to be a holy place. Where the very first children of the gods were said to have been buried. I didn't know how true any of that was, given the state of the place nowadays.

I reached the end of a seemingly endless series of corridors until I found the one I was looking for. The entrance to The Smoke was an incredibly narrow doorway that you could only see if you were coming from the opposite direction, but I'd been in and out so many times that I could find it in near total blackness.

The door gave way, ushering me into a realm of dust and haze. The faint essence of smoke lingered on my tongue, an echo of the fires that once raged through this place, long before my time. The blackened walls endlessly stretched out around me, like a sea of coal, with no end in sight.

I took a step inside, shitting the heavy door behind me, and was met with a cacophony of crunching bones and ash beneath my feet that created a rocky pathway—tiny remnants from the destruction down here so many years ago.

In the early days of the Elysian Empire, there were god-bloods with incredible blessings who ruled alongside their gods and goddesses instead of an emperor. A pantheon of powerful beings who waged war after war after war. Usually with one another in search of power and control.

The catacombs contained not only the tombs of the first god-blood rulers but also centuries, if not thousands, of years worth of knowledge and written records. Within these winding tunnels, there were chambers filled with charred manuscripts that had been reduced to nothing but ash.

This was once considered a sacred resting place, but after the devastating fire swept through the city three hundred years prior, barely any remnants of its history remained, and the catacombs were abandoned and forgotten to time.

The walls of what was once a grand underground temple were illuminated by flickering torches, casting eerie shadows that danced in the background of hushed conversations.

Criminals lived here. Thieves, spies, and sell-swords. Cross employed us all, but as far as I knew, I was the only deathbringer among us.

The stone walls of the once grand hall were adorned with faded tapestries and paintings, their once vibrant colors now dull, and the delicate designs barely visible after thick smoke had settled into the fabric over the years.

Even though the place was in disarray, it still held remnants of its former glory as a place of splendor in bygone eras. However, it had now become a den for criminals and a refuge for those who lived by the blade and beneath the underlord"s protection.

I gave a quick nod of recognition to a few familiar faces as I navigated my way through the crowded room, making my way towards the living quarters. The Smoke was like a labyrinth, with its maze of tunnels and small rooms that were originally used for storage but now served as our cramped living spaces.

It was a place I claimed when I was just a young and frightened girl, freed from my five years of slavery, but bound to the underlord who wanted to exploit my blessing.

Only a select few knew that I was a deathbringer. My shadows would paint too large of a target on my back for me to expose myself to just anyone. I was content with the anonymity of being a no-name thief that Cross's father Hal, had brought into the fold out of pity. Cross, as the new underlord, at least appreciated my talents.

Reaching the door to my room, I paused for a moment, listening for any sounds of intrusion or danger. I allowed the tendrils of my shadows to slip beneath the cracks of the door, and to my relief, I sensed that I was alone. Satisfied that all was quiet, I slipped inside and locked the door behind me.

The room was small and cramped, but it was mine. A bed with a lumpy mattress sat against one wall, while a small table with a single chair occupied the opposite corner. A wooden trunk sat at the foot of the bed, containing all my worldly possessions. There was an old wardrobe in the far corner, but all I kept in it were my disguises, which I always held onto.

A long-suffering sigh left my lips as I discarded my clothes in a pile on the stone floor. My muscles screamed in protest from hours of running, crouching, and crawling, begging for me to succumb to the sweet promises of oblivion.

I allowed my shadows to embrace me, and when I closed my eyes, they blanketed me in an impenetrable cocoon.

I fell into the abyss, and all that greeted me was an unbroken silence.

"I don"t payyou to sleep, Senka," came a muffled, faraway voice as I slept. On instinct, my hand slipped beneath the pillow and wrapped around the hilt of my shiny new dagger.

I was sitting upright with the blade pressed to a soft throat in the blink of an eye. "You don"t pay me at all; your brother does."

Valera only smiled wickedly. "All in the details. Now get out of bed. Cross is waiting for your report." She shot off the bed and whipped open my tiny, broken wardrobe.

Setting the knife on my bedside table, I yawned, shivering as I kicked off my blankets. I didn"t want to be awake, but if Cross called, I listened.

I felt a little more refreshed as I washed up, listening to Valera talk. She babbled a lot, but it was always about something fascinating. She had a healer's blessing that must have come from some benevolent god"s bloodline. She also worked in The Smoke"s old dusty library. She had a fascination with the anatomy of creatures and an obsession with medicine.

I stepped into a clean pair of black leather pants and a matching black top before slipping a pair of leather gauntlets over the silver scars covering my forearms. I didn"t bother with my hood or mask since I wouldn"t be leaving The Smoke today.

I swept my long, black hair into a braid and laced up my favorite, comfortable black boots while Valera was admiring a few of my many costumes hanging in the wardrobe. I only wore them when I was out in the city studying my next mark, waiting for Merikh to give me the go ahead.

"Let"s get this over with," I said, reluctantly pulling open my door and letting Valera step out first. I locked up tightly behind us, securing my door so that I"d know if anyone tried to get in and rifle through my things.

"He"s in a mood today," she said as we strolled through the twisting corridors, avoiding the main room.

The Smoke was perpetually dark and damp and occasionally, the distant sound of a scream or whimper would reverberate through the halls, but it was nothing I wasn"t used to. Those screams once belonged to me, after all.

The underlord carefully vetted all of us before we were allowed to live here, subjecting us to rigorous tests and intense questioning to ensure our trustworthiness. Those that failed his tests were never seen again. After his death, his son continued the tradition.

"When is your brother not in a mood?" I asked with a bitter snort. "Why is he sending you to fetch me? I thought we had a talk about you not being his whipping girl." I peered over at my friend, who hid her face behind the fall of her long auburn hair. "Val..." I nudged her arm. "Tell me you spoke to him."

She cut a glance at me, telling me everything I needed to know. She groaned. "I swear I will. I"m just waiting for the right moment. And I don"t mind, really. At least I get to be useful for once."

I paused, giving her a disappointed frown and she paused with me. "You"re the most talented healer I've ever met. You"re arguably more useful than half of the rejects in here."

I was tired of Val talking down on herself simply because her talents weren"t of a violent nature, therefore, her father thought of her as a burden. I sometimes wondered if Cross thought so too.

She smiled thinly. "You're always so optimistic when it comes to him. When will you learn that the only reason he keeps me around is because he needs to keep you happy?"

"That"s not true."

She shrugged and continued walking.

Cross's study was at the end of the corridor. The door was open and Valera stepped in before me to announce my arrival.

The underlord was seated behind his ornate mahogany desk, handcrafted with care by the finest artisans in the upper city. Loose parchment was strewn about in disarray and a fierce conversation could be heard from the two men who sat at opposing ends of it.

Wolfe.

I should have expected him to nose his way in on my debriefing. He was one of Cross's most favored undesirables and had been here just as long as I had. The two of them were something like friends, I supposed, but sometimes I couldn't be sure. Cross was a hard man to call a friend. The two of them had secrets, though, and it frayed on my nerves.

I'd been undergoing training when I'd seen them drag Wolfe in here kicking and screaming, his eyes haunted. His blessing was nearly as coveted as my own, though I never actually asked him for details, not that he would give me any. Wolfe had the ability to immediately master any form of combat within moments and retain the skill forever. It was helpful when he fought in the underlord's fighting den, but as a sellsword for hire, he was invaluable. Cross and Valera's father, the previous underlord, had taken him in without question.

His golden brown eyes watched me carefully as I stepped up to the desk. Wolfe was handsome. It irked me sometimes. His brown hair was pulled back halfway up, and so long that it reached just below his shoulders and was slightly lighter than his well-groomed, short beard that hid half of his face.

Wolfe smirked as I glanced his way. He didn"t particularly like me very much, but he also didn't hate me. Our relationship was complicated, but we respected each other. He'd been bitter since I rejected one of his drunken advances when we were still too young to know that drinking on the job was dangerous. I"d broken the hand he"d placed on my hip that night and he never quite got over it.

That wasn't to say I'd turn down a roll in the hay with him now that we were older. He didn't know that, though.

Cross, the underlord in the flesh, didn"t bother to look up or acknowledge my arrival. In fact, I stood in front of his desk for nearly five minutes of grating silence before the prick bothered to speak.

"Report," he clipped.

Cross was short-tempered, cold, and sharp around the edges. Not somebody you'd be wise to anger. I hated him sometimes, but he took care of us while the rest of the world chose to throw us away. He and his father before him, provided a safe haven for those of us that the emperor feared too much to allow them to live.

"Successful and clean. No witnesses." Technically, the old man's wife didn't count as a witness.

Wolfe remained silent, and Cross only nodded. I ground my teeth as I waited for him to either forget I was there or end my misery by letting me leave. I had things to do and naps to take.

Wolfe knew I was a deathbringer. We'd been forced to work together more than enough times that it was impossible to keep him in the dark. He'd never told anyone my secret, though, thank the gods.

At last, Cross snapped his cloudy white eyes towards me and smiled. To some, he was a blind man, but I knew the truth. Cross could see better than most—eerily so. He could see into the soul of a person. He was a seer and a whisperer, one of the few who could speak directly with the gods. He knew things about a perfect stranger that went beyond intuition.

He was the most striking man I had ever encountered, with hair so pale it was almost white, cascading down his back in a warrior"s braid. The sides of his head were cleanly shaved, showcasing intricate silver tattoos that resembled scars. His eyes were a piercing white, accentuated by thick, dark eyebrows that arched over them. I didn't know how old he was but if I had to guess, I'd place him around thirty-five, give or take a few years.

He looked nothing like his sister, Valera, with her auburn hair and bright blue eyes. From what I remembered of Halifax, the previous underlord, Valera resembled him the most.

He took a deep breath and steepled his calloused, ring-clad fingers beneath his chin. "I have an assignment for you."

"I just returned this morning," I clipped, a pit opening up in my stomach. I needed some time to myself after a week spent stalking the shadows.

He held up a hand and I bit my tongue. "There is no one else. Everyone has their part to play, you know that."

Sometimes I loathed being the only deathbringer in Andune. From the corner of my eye, I saw Wolfe"s lips twitch before running his palm over his mouth to hide it. I narrowed my eyes on him.

I let out a slow breath."Alright then, what"s the job so I can get on with it?"

He and I both know it wasn't up to either of us, but rather the death goddess who gave the orders. I only wished she could give them to me directly. But Cross was a whisperer for a reason.

The will of the gods wasn't always clear. I'd asked him once, what it was like to talk directly to them. I hadn't been expecting an honest answer, but he'd surprised me when he said that a lot of their messages were nothing more than images in his head and pain. Lots of pain.

His dark brows pulled together in mock concern. He"d planned this little act of his to perfection. His concern wasn"t for me. The cunning bastard just loved putting on a show.

"Close the door, Valera, and then leave us." He didn"t bother glancing at his sister. She obeyed with wariness in her eyes as she swept out of the room. When the door clicked shut, the room was blanketed in tense silence.

I gritted my teeth. He wasn't cruel to Valera, but he was cold, like he was to everyone. Their father had favored her over Cross, and it was obvious to anyone who witnessed it, even though Cross was more powerful.

Cross opened his desk drawer and pulled out a folded sheet of parchment closed with a wax seal. He slipped it across the table. "Your assignment."

I hesitated before picking it up, quickly breaking the seal. I sucked in a sharp breath, having to re-read it several times.

"This has got to be a joke," I said with a scoff of disbelief. "This isn't a death order. You know I don't do grunt work." My eyes bounced between both men in the room. Cross blinked at me flatly. "How am I supposed to pull this off?"

"You might be the only one who can," he replied, shifting forward, pinning me with those pale eyes. "A week from now, there will be an invitation sent to every highborn eldest daughter in the empire that"s of reproductive age. The prince is in need of a wife and heir and will be choosing one after a series of pageants."

My breath hitched in my throat and I stared at him, dumbfounded. A pageant for the prince of Elysian's hand? It was ridiculous. My lips parted to voice my disbelief but no words came.

He continued, "Prince Bazaan isn"t aware of it yet. My sources inside his inner circle tell me that he"ll be made aware shortly after the Tonne return to Andune. Your assignment requires you to enter this pageant and remain long enough to carry out death orders from inside."

The air left my lungs as if I"d been struck. Wolfe was studying me, as if he already knew what Cross was asking of me, and enjoying every moment of my torment.

"Wolfe will accompany you as your personal guard. You"ll blend into the rabble and get close to Bazaan. Charm him, seduce him, fuck him, and secure yourself by his side."

I shook my head in disbelief. "You want me to become Empress?" Saliva filled my mouth and I wanted to vomit.

Cross and Wolfe just laughed, and the sound had me gritting my teeth together in annoyance. "I don't expect you to win. I just need you to advance long enough to stay inside that palace. You"ll receive weekly death orders. You"ll be right under their noses, with perfect access to the inner circle. Easy for someone with your skill and beauty."

I stared at the parchment with a mix of horror and disbelief. This was insane. Absurd. I was a deathbringer, a killer, not some noblewoman playing dress-up in a pageant.

And yet, I knew I wouldn't turn him down.

He knew it too. I was nothing if not determined to serve the goddess. To deal out death and keep the balance. I'd played the part of simpering courtier before, and I could do it again.

"She's given you the orders already?" I asked him, clutching the parchment in my shaking hand.

Cross frowned at me. "You know I can't share that with you."

"But you can order me to obey blindly?" I said before I could snatch the words back.

Wolfe rubbed at his eyes, leaning back in his chair, as if cringing at my questions. Nobody questioned the underlord's word.

I took a deep breath and looked back at him. "Fine," I said through clenched teeth. "I"ll do it."

He smiled, his eyes glittering with amusement. "Excellent. I knew you wouldn"t let me down."

Wolfe snorted in derision and shook his head. "This is a bad fucking idea. "

For once, I had to agree with Wolfe. Cross ignored him, still staring at me, and after a moment, his attention became unnerving.

"When do I leave?"

"I want you to watch him for a few days before the summons," he said. "Get to know his likes, dislikes, and schedule. Study him the way you would an ordinary mark and await my instructions."

I nodded, feeling a sense of resignation settle over me. I stood and moved toward the door, preparing to leave, but paused with my hand raised.

I had to hide the twitch of my lips as I said, "Just once condition if I'm going to agree to this."

Cross raised an eyebrow but sat back in his seat, waiting for my stipulation—a mockery of his willingness to compromise.

"Valera comes with me. She can pose as my lady's maid. It'll be useful to have a skilled healer close by if I"m going to be receiving death orders from inside the palace."

He thought about it for a moment, but ultimately nodded in agreement. A sense of satisfaction rolled through me.

With a tight smile, I left the room, shutting the heavy door behind me with a soft click.

Now I had to find Val and give her the news.

She might very well kill me herself.