54. Magdalena

Heading back to Vex’s hideout, Magda knew there would only be one way to find the assassin.

Odie.

After Ravi and Magda joined Ishani and Odie, they headed directly to the docks, the streets far less crowded than during the day.

If only the people knew their guardian was dead.

Shaking the thought from her mind, Magda tried not to think about Queen Sanyal, but she couldn’t remove the image of her death from her mind. Why had the earth attacked her? The thorns slit her throat while the vines strangled her. If Queen Sanyal had Soul magic, why did it turn against her? Magda was certain it wasn’t her own doing, and Kiran was unable to function let alone channel her magic. Kiran wouldn’t have taken her own mother’s life.

The only logical answer was that the assassins had Soul magic. But that solution was equally illogical. Only guardians had magic.

When they reached the docks, the salt on the wind clouded Magda’s senses. Ishani led the way to the warehouse, her steps silent as she moved with grace, her two axes on either hip. Ravi brought along a knife, and Magda felt completely exposed with nothing on her person. Then she remembered, nearly everything around her could turn into a weapon. Plants, roots, rocks, sand…it all answered to her. She still didn’t know why.

The trio reached the warehouse, Odie padding along beside them. He remained close to Magda, glancing up at her every few paces.

The sea-green tent was closed. The entrance flapped in the wind, completely unguarded. Had the Marauder’s scattered when Vex died?

Ishani glanced over her shoulder, placing a finger to her lips to tell them to remain quiet, before she parted the curtain and disappeared into the darkness.

Magda exchanged a glance with Ravi. He nodded at her encouragingly, and they both followed after Ishani.

The tent seemed larger when no one occupied it. It was completely empty save for the tables and tapestries. The arena was coated in dried blood, and the space still smelled of liquor.

“Alright,” Magda whispered, kneeling beside Odie. She extended the jacket that the assassin had left behind toward her dog. “Go find,” she ordered.

Odie sniffed the jacket, his ears perking slightly. Then when Magda withdrew the jacket, Odie’s nostrils flared, picking up the scent. He bent his head to the ground, his snout scouring for the trail as he started padding around the room.

He led the way past a few tables, through the benches at the edge of the arena, and toward the other end of the room. He reached the back corner of tables, still littered with empty bottles and mugs. Odie crossed over an alcohol-stained rug, heading to the edge of the tent. Then Odie paused, retracing his steps, narrowing his search until he stopped at the center of the rug. Looking up at Magda, Odie sat down, his tail wagging.

“I guess the assassin didn’t have anywhere else to go,” Ravi said.

Magda was equally confused, initially thinking the assassin would have gotten as far away from Vex’s hideout as she could, but she wasn’t going to argue.

“Good boy,” Magda exclaimed, rushing over to Odie and running a hand down his back. She tossed the jacket to the side before saying to Ishani and Ravi, “It’s here.”

Ravi nodded before peeling back the edge of the rug. Magda summoned Odie out of the way, and the rug folded up to reveal a trapdoor.

“Hmm,” Ishani mused. “Care to work for the Fowler’s, Odie?”

Odie’s head tilted, his ears flopping as he looked up at the guild leader.

The trapdoor creaked loudly as Ravi opened it, revealing a steep staircase.

“I’ll go first,” Ishani announced, nearly pushing Ravi out of the way. She withdrew one of her axes before descending into the room below.

“Come, Odie,” Magda said, heading down next. She arrived at the bottom, stepping into a cave-like room. From first glance, it appeared to be a study. There were bookshelves scattered through the area, and maps on the walls, but both the wall and the ground was made of dirt as though the room had been dug out. A single tunnel revealed a narrow staircase, descending further into the ground.

Odie struggled down the steep stairs, hopping the last few to land in the dirt beside Magda. When he reached the bottom, his lip curled and a low growl rumbled in his throat.

“Shh, Odie, it’s alright,” Magda said. She headed into the shadows, rounding a bookshelf and reaching the table Ishani was at. On the center of the table was a single white mask, the black emblem of the First Prince in the center.

Magda’s mind flashed back to the coronation. Fear coursed through her body as she pictured the assassins and her father’s death. She hadn’t seen her brother die, but she remembered the numbness that overcame her when she found out. The sadness that replaced her denial was all-consuming.

Now, she was angry. She wanted whoever was behind this to pay.

A hand gently touched her lower back as Ravi appeared at her side, looking over her shoulder at the mask for the first time.

“I’ve seen that symbol before,” Ravi said.

“The First Prince,” Ishani stated.

Odie’s growl intensified. His ears perked and his tail was upright. Magda glanced down at him, noticing his focus was set on the shadows behind one of the bookshelves.

“The First Prince has been dead for centuries,” Ravi said. “Why is a group of assassins using his symbol?”

“Not any group of assassins,” Ishani corrected. “They’re killing guardians.”

“Ishani,” Magda silenced her. The shadow was moving.

Odie barked, but his warning was too late.

The assassin stepped out of the shadows, two rocks in hand. She wasn’t wearing a mask, her face younger than Magda anticipated.

Wait…the rocks weren’t in her hands. They were levitating above each palm.

Magda’s jaw dropped open. The assassin had Soul magic? How was that possible?

The assassin hurled the rocks at them. Magda dropped, covering her head with her hands as one of the rocks flew over her head and smashed against the table. The other rock flew toward Odie, barely missing his paws as he scrambled out of the way.

The assassin smiled as she said, “Looking for me? I was waiting for you.” Then she cocked her head to the side. “Why didn’t you bring the other princess?”

“You’ll never find her,” Ishani snapped.

Magda’s hands curled into fists. “Who are you? Who are you working for?” she demanded.

The assassin scoffed. “Save your breath, girl. You won’t get a word out of me. I’m going to kill you all, or die trying.”

The assassin’s eyes glowed yellow in the dim light of the room as she summoned Soul magic.