The Iron Butterfly (22 page)

“No one has seen or heard from her since this afternoon,” Lorna said turning toward the courtyard, a worried look on her face.

“She was last seen running around the keep,” Adept Pax replied, eyes darting to and fro looking for movement in the shadows.

Commander Meryl took in the Adepts position and brought his voice down to a whisper. “She wasn’t planning on running away, was she?”

Adept Pax snorted in reply. “No, I think she was getting ready to hunker down and wait out the SwordBrother. She had been practicing all week for this. I don’t think she would run from this chance. I truly believe she would rise to the task.”

Movement.
By the south tower.

I quit spying on the Adepts down below and turned my eyes to where Faraway saw something. Sure enough, there was either one the Captains or the SwordBrother lying flat on the ground and crawling along the side of the wall in the shadows.

Moving to my knees, I blew heat back into my fingertips and flexed the muscles. Pulling out my bow, I notched my padded, paint-filled arrow and took aim. Following all of my training, I aimed and released, watching it fly through the air to come down on top of the sneaking assassin.

A loud “OOMMPHH” coming from the person in shadow declared it to be a true shot, as well as the splash of yellow that slowly moved from the ground into the form of a standing person. But it also gave away my position as the Adepts and Commander Meryl’s gaze immediately flew to the top of the stable where I kneeled. Slinging the bow over my shoulder, I gave a spry little wave to them as I ducked down and slid to the low end of the roof using my hook to climb down.

I could hear the Adepts and the Commander laughing as Adept Pax said, “Definitely has risen to the occasion.”

Mentally I counted down. Three left.

Wait!
Faraway commanded, I froze and tried to slow my beating heart and breath.

On your left, he’s coming around the armory. It’s a Captain, he’s going to try and surprise you. He’s fifty feet, forty-five feet, forty feet. NOW
.

Notching another padded arrow I quickly followed my bow around the corner and shot the Captain. He was very close and tried to dodge my arrow, but I was faster and grazed his shoulder. He let out a grunt in pain.

Rats, I thought, a shoulder graze wouldn’t be considered a killing wound and the Captain knew it. He ducked into a doorway to wait me out. Slowly reaching into my leather hip pouch, I pulled forth one of Ruzaa’s concoctions that I had transferred into a clay container.

I peeked just enough around the corner to aim and threw the jar as hard as I could at the ground. It broke open and a heady potion spilled out, a sleeping potion.

Ducking back around the corner, I pulled out a black cloth mask that covered my nose and the bottom half of my face, and waited until I heard a soft thud.

Holding my breath I dashed around the corner with the painted knife in hand. Feeling awful at what I was about to do, I almost backed out, but decided to run the fake knife across his stomach, so there wouldn’t be any chance of accidental injury. The scent of the sleep inducing potion was making my eyes burn, I needed to move away quickly.

Two left.

GO! GET GOING! RUN TO THE RIGHT!

Listening to Faraway I ran and followed his directions past the garden and courtyard. Stopping when he told me to and moving when it was clear, until I reached the locked wood chute that led down into the kitchen.

I pulled out the keys that I had conveniently borrowed from Donn this morning and forgot to return. Grabbing the cold iron lock between my fingers, I quickly looked over my shoulder to make sure no one was near and prayed that no one filled the chute a day early.

My nerves made me drop the key twice before I heard the quiet click of the lock. I was in luck, the wood chute was low enough on wood for me to squeeze through. But the darkness of the chute intimidated me. I almost decided to turn around and go in the front door of the main hall, but that would be suicide. And the training game over.

Taking a deep breath I gently placed each foot into the chute and waited until the logs quit moving before I applied more weight. Once I was fully inside, I pulled the outside doors closed, encasing myself in pitch black nothingness. Taking a second to calm my nerves, I painstakingly made my way down the wood chute inches at a time, stopping every so often to listen for sounds.

By the time I reached the bottom and the floor began to level out, my hands were full of splinters. I could see a faint glow coming from the kitchen fire under the chute doors.

Pressing my eye to the crack, I waited to see if anyone was in the kitchen. The fire was dim and the kitchen deserted. Here was the final test. I had asked Avina to sneak into the kitchen and unlock the wood chute door after dinner.

Pressing my splintered hands to the door I gently pushed against the heavy door and felt it give and then meet resistance. All kinds of doubts assailed me. Was I locked in? Did Avina not get it unlocked? Glancing up the chute the way I had come, I doubted I would be able to make it up without anyone hearing me. Before I started to panic, I pressed my eye to the bottom crack to notice that something was leaning against the door.

Letting my eyes adjust to the light I saw that it was a mop and bucket, the mop handle was leaning against the door. The ground was about three feet from the bottom of the chute, and if I swung open the door, I would knock over the mop handle and the bucket of water. Weighing my options, I decided to chance it. Pushing against the door with one hand the mop started to slide sideways.

When the door was opened far enough, I darted my free hand under the door and caught the broom as it fell to the floor. The water in the bucket sloshed precariously back and forth making a small puddle on the floor. Sweat formed along my brow as I stepped out of the chute, closed the door and moved the mop handle back.

Moving silently down the kitchen I peeked into the dining hall. I was surprised at how many students were gathered there covered in green and blue dye. Almost the whole student body was there. I couldn’t see Joss anywhere so that gave me hope.

There were long tables set up like a buffet, with fruits, rolls, desserts, drinkable chocolate and spiced cider. My stomach growled in protest and I envied the students laughing casually and eating.

Adept Cirrus and Adept Kambel were monitoring the students coming in and both looked to be in good spirits, taking the whole training game in fun compared to Adept Lorna and Pax.

Syrani was furious, sitting on a table, legs crossed with evidence of a green paint pack still plastered to her head and smeared along her chin. A group of younger students listened in awe, fawning over her.

“I so would have had him,” she sniffed, taking a handkerchief from a young love-struck boy and dabbing at her face, which only seemed to make the green paint smear more. “I had followed one of them into the library and watched as he snuck into the archives. Just as I was about to send the whole shelf of books on top of him, one of them somehow got behind me and hit me in the face. He must have cheated; I can see no other possible explanation.”

A chorus of agreements followed her statement. She looked like a queen addressing her subjects.

Looking at the fresh paint smearing her face I knew that I had little time, because both of the targets were at that moment in the library. Not about to take them both on at once, I took the servant stairs toward my room.

Stopping a few feet from my door I knelt and pressed my cheek to the cold marble floor. The dust hadn’t been disturbed; no one had entered my room … yet.

Slipping into the room across the hall from mine, I closed the door with a quiet click. Turning my back toward the door, I glanced around the empty room to check for any signs of intruders. This room wasn’t occupied, but it was a complete mirror of my own room, except that it was empty.

Seeing that the armoire door was open and empty and doing a quick check under the bed, I moved back to the door and kneeled in front of the keyhole so I could spy on my own room. Pulling another sleeping potion from my pouch I waited, with the intention of throwing the jar at whoever tried to enter, while I hid behind a locked door until they fell asleep.

All of the excitement was filling me with adrenaline, and I realized I was no longer afraid. I licked my lips in anticipation as a thought hit me. I enjoyed being the predator, instead of the prey.

My fingers itched with the eagerness to act, and I felt a bubble of self-pride filling my body. Reflecting on my earlier conquest, I did a quick tally; I took down two Captains, Joss took down two, which left the one SwordBrother.

I felt a trickle of fear and confusion as I did the math again. There was only supposed to be one left, but replaying Syrani’s conversation again in my head, that she followed one and was attacked by another, that left two. Something wasn’t adding up.

It was then I felt the light breeze brushing the hair on the back of my neck and I froze. Turning toward the window, a black outline of a man’s form was stepping slowly down from the window sill.

Mentally I cussed at myself for not checking and locking the window. The figure pulled out the fake knife and advanced toward me with purpose. Quick as I could, I threw the jar at him and rolled away from the door, trying to put as much distance between myself and the man.

He expertly darted out his hand and caught the jar in midair, bringing it down and pocketing it. Without wasting any more time, he lunged at me. Shocked that he caught it, I couldn’t do much more than grab my own dyed knife in hope that I could stab him first. Jumping backwards I evaded the first lunge with the knife but I was cornered and I had stupidly moved away from my only exit.

Trying to make a run for it I dashed for the window that he had entered and felt the slash of the knife strike my arm. Realizing that it would count as a hit, I quit running.

“Darn it,” I said, turning toward him and grabbing my arm where he slashed it. “That will definitely count. I’m dead and you win!” I held out my hand to him in a congratulatory handshake, when I realized my palm was covered in red paint, not green. It took a moment to realize it wasn’t paint, but blood.

Feeling my breath catch in my throat, I looked up at the person who I was extending my hand to.

He was short, unshaven and had greasy dark hair. I didn’t recognize him but his smile held pure evil as he chuckled at me.

“You’re absolutely right,” he said in a sinister voice. “You are dead.”

I stood frozen to one spot, fear radiating off of me in waves that I was projecting to my horse.

The man moved toward me swinging his knife. I couldn’t move.

Faraway physically took control over my mind and body and pushed me out of the way of the downward thrust of the knife. The knife sliced at my cloak and I regained control of my body and senses and moved into action, mentally thanking my horse for saving me, twice.

I leapt to the far side of a table, using it as a barricade between us as I tried to maneuver myself toward the door, but he just kept coming. I glanced to the window which led to a forty foot drop that I knew I couldn’t survive.

Grabbing the last sleep scent jar I had, I threw it at him as hard as I could. The killer ducked and it crashed into the far wall, too far away to do any good.

That was it, I was out of options.

In a last-ditch effort, I shoved the table as hard as I could into his stomach. He grunted and doubled over in pain. Sprinting toward the door I gripped the door handle and began to turn it, only to realize it was still locked.

Turning the lock I was able to open the door when my attacker yanked me back into the room by my hair, tossing me across the floor. I slid until my back crashed into the armoire followed by the loud crack of my skull hitting it as well.

Stars filled my vision and pain screamed through my head as I painfully watched him close the door. I was so close! Just a few more seconds and I could have escaped. Now my body was throbbing, I had problems focusing and darkness filled my vision. It didn’t last long as the blackness faded into the form of the man looming over me with his bloodstained knife.

“Please!” I begged. “You don’t have to kill me.”

“Yes, I do. Raven is afraid you’ll regain your memories and reveal us.” He kneeled down in front of me.

My hands flew out in defense, hitting him to keep him as far away as possible.

“You are a costly loose end. You need to be disposed of.”

The moon chose that moment to go behind a cloud and we lost all light.

Grabbing the dirty hand that held the knife I tried to pull it from his grasp, but he was stronger than me. Losing the battle I kicked, scratched and finally bit his arm until the taste of blood flowed into my mouth.

He punched me in the jaw and I went slack with dizziness. I saw him grin in triumph as he raised the knife to slice my throat. Praying to God to make it quick and painless, I closed my eyes.

A soft thud and a grunt were all I heard as I opened my eyes, to see the man drop the knife that was inches from my neck and fall onto my body, blood trickling from his mouth.

Crying out in fear I struggled with the weight of his body and tried to push him off of me. Feeling his blood flow onto me, he was still breathing, rasping in my ear.