Eliân flipped through her notes, turning the pages slowly. She was bored as hell, sitting in the inn. Everything had been quiet since Mire’s death. Everyone in the family was grieving and no one had given her a job to do. So out of sheer boredom, she pulled out her old logs. Running a finger along the edge of the page, an impish grin crept across her features. She’s found the very one she was looking for. Forosuul’s first full mission with her. The first time she saw what he hid inside.
The estate was smoky, the damned Lord of the house insisting on the fires blazing at all times. They had crept in, the main house eerily quiet. The mission brief said to remove the Lord and his son for attempting to assault the King. Though they had been stopped, they had bribed their way out of the Stockades.
As they approached the main hall, they heard voices, low and rumbling from one, irritated complaints from the other. Forosuul signaled for Eliân to go to the left as he banked right. But the intel was bad.
They opened the doors, expecting to find the men alone. Instead, the hall was filled with guards and armed nobility. This wasn’t as simple as it appeared. These men were gathered to overthrow Varian. All eyes turned to the two SI:7 agents and weapons were drawn. Eli looked over and saw her partner’s eye narrow and an expression unlike any she had seen before took over his face. His body shifted, at once straightening, yet moving like a coiled snake about to strike. A different man stood across from her.
Faster than she could blink, he was on them. One by one they fell, his attacks vicious. He cut down one after the other. She attempted to jump in and join him, only to meet the edge of the dagger in his hand. Searching his face, she realized he was killing without exception. Lifting a foot, she jammed it against his leg and propelled herself into a back flip, widening the space between them. He made to move on her, but was brought short by a guard attacking from his side. His attention divided, she took advantage, giving him some distance.
She carefully moved back, pulling herself into the shadows of the room. She scaled up to the rafters and watched the carnage below. His efficiency was unparalleled. When he finally stopped, not a soul breathed but him. She applauded him from above, amazed. “Well, I think you will do as a partner,” she said. “We’re gonna do just fine together.”