Adelina

Night has arrived long before Ashel's and my conversation ended. I grabbed my coat and walked, but silently behind Ashel. I had thought up many different ways to kill him during our discussion. None of which appear better than my traditional way.

"Watch your back young one. Midnight Assassin might kill you." A street merchant warned Ashel. He laughs off the warning. Won't he hate it when the merchant was right? Ashel's life will end in irony. A sad way for a noble to go. Anyone who doesn't listen will regret it later.

My mother taught me how to kill many years ago. "Aim for the neck. If you hit the neck, your prey is already dead." Her sweet voice was filled with knowledge.

"Assassins are fun, y' know. They could be anyone. Even a maiden at a brothel. Your days of theft are over," I whisper in the wind. Ashel turns to face me and his expression changes before my eyes.

I flung my dagger at him. Blood spurted from his neck. He tried to scream and run away, but not before I slashed the tendons in his legs.

"You're that whore at the.." He fell on his back. The blood spilled from his legs and neck. I guess Merle will have some new toys. I hung him up by the castle of Tamchi. Clarke, the princess of Tamchi, enjoys my gift. I stealthily ran to my home.

Merle was waiting by the door. As I opened the door, Merle jumped on me. He licked my face and growled playfully.

"I am home, my playful little Dire Wolf." I patted his head. "You are the only one for me." I fell asleep on the floor next to Merle. I was running. I was on a Silver White drakim. The drakim soared above the ocean. Mist covered the ocean. I was in an unfamiliar land with the Drakim. The land appeared old and different. The drakim broke through the mist after a few minutes. People were screaming with fear. A sense of hatred flooded over me. I awoke in a cold sweat.

Fear drummed in my head. Where was I? What was that? I sat up. I pet Merle. He growled when I got too close to his ears. They were sore from swimming in the ocean. Merle looked at me with his amber coloured eyes. His eyes were loyal to me. He would protect me from anything.

I made breakfast for the group of people that stayed in my home last night. My thoughts continued to drift towards my dream. What land was that? Where was that? It felt intimate. It also felt like someone was waiting for me. Whatever it was, it was just a dream. I left breakfast out for the group.

Merle and I walked to the library. There I read books about the history of the world. People flooded the library.

"Look…. Noble…. Castle…." I picked up bits and pieces of what they were saying as I was leaving the library. The few hours I spent there, I treasured. I wanted to find the records of Cibbon and Death, but none existed that I knew of.

"Mid…. Ass… struck… hard…" I laughed at that one. The people turned around to me.

"Another death?" I asked one of them innocently. They gawked at me.

"How do you not know?" I shrugged at that. The man said something about how all women are foolish and should just stay at home. Merle growled threateningly. The man turned around. "Calm your mutt, bitch." Merle lunged at the man and bit onto his arm. Merle didn't let go until I said so.

"He doesn't like the word mutt. He is, after all, a dire wolf." I said sharply. The man rolled his eyes.

"If it walks like a dog and barks like a dog, then it's a dog. Simple as that." I began to walk away. The man grabbed me by my arm and pulled me into a back alley. "Did I say you were allowed to leave?" He his lips against mine. I tasted alcohol and it wasn't pleasant. He was drunk. I felt his hands graze on my skin. I shuddered in disgust. I whimpered.

"Please. Sir, don't touch me. I am not yet 24, so I have nothing to give." He slapped me across the face. The next few seconds were a blur. Merle had the man underneath him. The man didn't move. "Sir, are you okay? Sir?" I knew he was dead. I have to escape. I gave a sadistic smile. Never call Merle a mutt.

I went home to find Wolfe lying on my bed. He gave me a smile. His smile was light and aloof, much like him. He worked with me at the brothel and we were quite close.

"Hello, Adelina. Instead, should I call you Midnight Assassin?" I didn't quite know how to respond. "Aha! I knew it. If you weren't her, I would have felt bad. I would also be quite surprised."

"How… How did you know… That I was her? It could have been anyone." I don't want to kill him, but how else will he stay silent? I held a dagger behind my back. Wolfe smiled again and caught me off my guard. I was under him on the bed. My wrists were pinned up above my head. He smiled again.

"Well, explain how each noble that visited you ended up dead within a week. It wasn't hard. It was either you were Midnight Assassin or you had a secret lover assassin." I laughed.

"So what now?" I was curious about his response. He is someone I can't kill. Not even if I was forced to. What will you do now? What is your choice? Wolfe held my wrists, but he was gentle.

"I wouldn't mind a date with you." I looked at him, surprised. A date? Like a romantic-picnic-at-a-beach-watching-the-sunset-date? "Perhaps we could go out to eat or head to the beach." He wasn't normally this direct.

"Do I have a choice?" I smiled innocently. His eyes were like the night sky. Full of mystery, yet somehow safe. I love them. He shook his head "no." I shrugged as best as I could in defeat. He smiled at me again. I can't ever forget his smile. I wonder if he knows how he is pulling me out of the darkness in my heart. He probably doesn't. or else, perhaps he does. Either way, his smile is like that of light. While mine is that of darkness.

"I'm not as nice as you'd think. Be on your guard Adelina." He kissed my forehead and my ears flicked. He let go of my wrists and stood up. "Meet me tonight at the fountain of your first kill. Three hours from sunset." He left me on my bed to wait. What is this feeling? Why is my heart pounding so fast?

I dressed in my normal attire. An outfit that revealed my curves. I was comfy with it. Many people in Tamchi were dressed like this. Ever since Griffin and Clarke, the king and queen of Tamchi, disappeared, the kingdom fell to ruin. I will fix this kingdom. If it is the last thing I do.

I appeared at the place where Wolfe had decided. He was wearing some of Tamchi's finest silk. Rare yet elegant. He gave me a smile. He held his hand out to me.

"There's a festival today. You should enjoy it. Have you seen their flower festivals?" I shook my head "no." When did Wolfe grow up so much? Was it yesterday or many years ago?