Cloak of Darkness (The Destroyer-Blessed Saga Book 1) Read online

  The queen beamed at the poise that her son held, her hand falling to clasp the other as she watched her son assume the role of a leader.

  “Your Highness,” the page acknowledged, bowing to the prince before following up with the rest of his story. “Search parties have already been sent out, and the shopkeepers have been told to warn any passerby that Red Riding Hood is still amid the city. Seven patrols are already searching, and more are leaving to create a border to avoid any possible escape. We do not know how she ruined those men, but her kind are not merciful. They live every day to survive, and they pay no attention to the natural law.”

  “How long do you predict it will take to bring in Red Riding Hood?”

  “Your Highness, I am nothing more than a messenger. I was only told to pass this information onto you, but I would not worry. The soldiers will bring our menace in.”

  Sampson mulled over the page’s words, his eyes closing as he tried to think of any more questions that would be of use. The caramel burned around his pupils as his eyes snapped open to look back down at the page. “Do you know where this merchant sells their goods?” he asked with a newfound excitement. “A location, a name? Anything that could help the guards find the menace sooner?”

  The court was startled by the gumption in their young prince’s voice, but they remained silent as they waited to see if his question would turn over any useful information.

  “We learned a name,” the page affirmed, “but we do not know if it will be of any use. We just know that this woman refused to let the city guards search her shop for any suspicious activity yesterday.”

  “Forty-eight hours,” the queen interjected. “Tell the guards they have forty-eight hours to bring in Red Riding Hood and the merchant. Alive. I want them alive.”

  “Of course, Your—”

  “What is the name?” Sampson interrupted, his voice rising over the murmurs that wove their way around the hall. “Who is the merchant?”

  “Estra Ayrith, Your Highness.”

  Chapter 4

  Red’s boots tossed up the dirt that coated the alleyway cobblestones as she wound through side streets to get to Estra Ayrith’s little boutique. She rubbed against the fabric that scratched at her bruised ribs, her exhaustion weighing her down. Red had found nothing on the older woman, and she had lost yet another night of valuable sleep. Red wanted to curl up into a ball inside her crate and sleep forever, but she knew that sooner or later her mentor would take it personally if she did not complete her mission.

  Red watched as Estra moved inside her store, trapping herself inside its sturdy brick walls. Red moved to follow—her steps casual as she left the protective shadows of the alley behind. Her upturned hood cast its own set of shadows across Red’s face, but she still felt naked in the early morning light.

  Red stopped just outside Estra’s door, her hands cupped around her eyes as she looked past the dingy windows. She spotted the older woman sweeping past shelves of ingredients. Past the cleric desk. Past the jade curtain into her storage room, the beads left to clink together.

  Red did not want to know what might lay inside the storage space, but her only option for privacy would be found past the confines of the bead curtain. She let out a sigh, her hands flexing as she expelled the nerves from her body. With a last deep breath, Red stepped into the shop, the simple oak door swinging open on silent hinges.

  Red quickly passed through the boutique on the balls of her feet. She held her breath as she waited for Estra to step back into the front of the store, but her fear was not met. The aroma of spices and potion ingredients scattered throughout the boutique quieted her racing mind, but their effects did nothing to calm her jittery nerves.

  Red stepped around the cleric desk, her feet hesitating as she took in the jade curtain. Any movement from the beads would immediately alert Estra that she was not alone. The old woman could easily escape through the back door, giving her the chance to alert authorities and thwart Red’s plans.

  Red judged the distance between the edge of the curtain and the ground. She crouched down next to it, measuring the couple dozen inches that she would be forced to crawl under.

  Red lowered herself to the ground, her stomach brushing against the rough stones underneath her. She shimmied under the curtain, her movements like those of a sickly wyrm.

  When most of her body was clear from hitting the beads, she pushed her legs forward, propelling the rest of her body into the storage space. Red quickly rose up on one knee, making sure that she had not been spotted before rising.

  The interior of the storage room was dimly lit, a rough contrast to the numerous candles and natural light that illuminated the store behind. There was a staircase directly to her left, leading to the upper apartment levels. The steps were coated in a fine layer of dust, though, proving to Red that she would only have to worry about the ground floor.

  Red could not hear anything, but she knew that she was not alone as she edged herself toward the back of the building. She kept herself concealed in the shadows, her fingers brushing against cool bricks.

  Potion bottles and priceless ingredients were scattered across every surface, safe from curious fingers in the front of the shop. Papers littered the floor with blotted out words and unreadable scribbles. Every last surface was covered with something. Stacked crates both full and empty rose from the floor to the ceiling.

  Amidst the chaos, Red found Estra Ayrith. The older woman was huddled among the comforts of her work, filling large bags with ingredients.

  Before Red could move any farther toward the far end of the store, Estra turned her head toward the shadows. A cold smile lined her wrinkled lips, her pale eyes almost glowing in the faint candlelight. Those same eyes roamed over the darkness until they stilled, growing bright as Estra’s smile widened.

  “Red, dearie, I guessed it was you hiding in the shadows,” Estra Ayrith stated softly as she moved toward the building’s back exit. She stopped before another table littered with junk, but she did not remove any of its contents as she turned to look at Red.

  “I am deeply sorry if I startled you, Estra,” Red apologized, stepping out of her protective shadows. She had two exit routes, but the closest door was just behind Estra.

  With a heartless laugh, Estra retorted, “I'm too old to be startled, my dear. Even by a master assassin like yourself.”

  Red’s core burned with shame as she realized that the old woman was not as coy as she made herself look. No, the sparkle in Estra’s eyes revealed that she knew more than everyone credited her for. With her voice as cool as ice, Red boldly stated, “If you know who I am, then you must know why I was sent to kill you.”

  “Who said I knew who you were?” Estra asked with the innocence of a child who knew they were guilty. She blinked in confusion and Red smiled, flattered that the woman was even trying to throw her off by batting her eyelashes like a confused schoolgirl.

  “I never told you that my name was Red.”

  Estra bent her head forward, a real laugh escaping her lips. The cold smile was left behind—replaced with a grin that made her entire face light up as she laughed out, “Old age gets to you, you know. Sometimes you can't help what leaves your mouth when you're losing time.” She tapped her temple to send her point across, but her laughter was soon replaced with a dark graveness that Red wished had remained cheerful for a moment longer.

  “And, of course, I know why you’re here, girl. What you were sent to do.” Estra Ayrith shook her head, sighing, “I may not be as quick as I used to be, but I knew who you were the moment you stepped into my potions boutique wearing that ridiculously bright cape of yours.” Estra waved a hand at Red, looking her up and down. “I'm surprised you even made it this far in that thing.”

  Red looked down at her cloak, frowning as she took in the dirt and frays and patches that could never be fixed. She had turned the crimson fabric back out once she had stepped into the shop, but Red had been very careful to leave the brightly colored side
turned inwards since Queen Snow White’s royal announcement.

  Red pushed the remnants of her once beautiful cape behind her. “If you knew who I was,” she demanded, “why didn't you turn me in? In fact, why didn't you try to kill me yourself?”

  Red leisurely moved closer to Estra so as not to frighten the old woman and cause her to flee. She picked up a cracked potion bottle from a pile of broken glass, her fingers nonchalantly fiddling with it.

  Red tilted her head toward Estra as she continued, “I mean, nothing was stopping you from poisoning me, or giving me ingredients that would somehow mysteriously blow up or something. You could have even sent an anonymous tip to the palace, and I would have been none the wiser.”

  Estra Ayrith’s face deflated, her hunched body slowly sinking onto her stool until she was resting atop the old wood. Her aged hands slid across her wrinkled brow in smooth, circular motions, massaging the warring thoughts from her mind. The concentration on her face radiated stress throughout the small space, and Red held her breath, waiting for Estra to say anything that would convince her that killing the woman was unnecessary.

  “Arthur Welin, master of the Kingdom Rogues, sent you across Cathal to kill me,” Estra stated calmly. She turned her head, a smirk replacing her frown as she looked upon Red’s blank face. “I knew that even if you failed,” Estra continued, “my death would soon come at the hands of another Kingdom Rogue. Death at your hands was the easiest way to go, and there are worse ways to die than by the slice of a familiar blade.

  “But to answer your question, I did not turn you in because it would have given me nothing but trouble. And I'm too old and weak now to kill you myself; otherwise, you'd be dead already.”

  Red’s training had never failed her when she most needed it, but the mental list of statements that could no longer surprise her had a new addition, Estra’s words taking place at the top.

  All thoughts of killing the woman escaped her mind as she tried to come up with a coherent sentence that could express her confusion. But her disbelief kept any smooth statements from forming as she stammered out, “Who are you?”

  “I guess traitors aren't really praised during training sessions, huh? Well, if you want to know the truth, I suggest you close your mouth and open your ears,” Estra Ayrith laughed out as she readjusted herself on the wooden stool so that she was facing Red.

  Her smile widened as Red gave her a sheepish look, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water before she shut it tight. She waved her hand to continue, and when Estra was satisfied that she had her audience’s full attention, she began to tell her tale.

  “I was once a member of the Kingdom Rogues, and until you took up that mantle, I was considered to be the best. A favorite of Arthur Welin’s.

  “Together, we worked tirelessly to create a safe haven for the lost and confused. And one day I was going to lead the Kingdom Rogues by his side, as his equal. We trained together, honing our skills before passing on what we knew to those who were curious and wanted to learn.

  “Each and every person who made it to our doors was searching for something more in their lives. Our cause was welcomed by those who wanted nothing more than to rid our world of the corrupt and unjust. There was no price to pay for the knowledge that we offered, and there was no place I would have rather been.”

  Estra lowered her head, shame radiating off of her in hopeless waves. “Unfortunately, I found a new path. The power had gone to Arthur’s head, and his ideas went against everything that the Kingdom Rogues had previously stood for. I broke off from them because the sanctuary that I had put my heart into creating had been warped into something as bad as the political courts that we tried so hard to get away from. I vowed to never return, and since I left, I have never been more at peace.”

  Red tried to piece together the overload of information that Estra Ayrith had shoved at her. She could not believe that Arthur Welin had bothered to have her hunt down the older woman.

  Unless Estra knew more than she was letting on.

  Nothing was more sacred to the Kingdom Rogues than loyalty. And anyone who left the manor was usually banished for life. Anything Estra Ayrith said could be a lie, but Red could not fathom why the old woman would create such a tale just for it to be false.

  “I can tell that you are confused with the way you are muttering, my dear, but if I go too far into the past your head will explode.” Estra shrugged as she shuffled away from her workspace, carrying the bag of potion ingredients until she came upon a travel bag and placed them inside.

  “Are you going somewhere?” Red demanded, ready to pin down the old woman to get the information she desperately wanted to know. “And I do not mutter.”

  “It’s nothing to be ashamed of, dear,” Estra retorted, her soft hands carefully packing the pack to the brim. “And no, I'm not going anywhere. You are.”

  “What makes you think I'm going anywhere?” Red exclaimed, her confusion thickening with every passing moment, her desperation from the lack of answers growing as she waited. “You think you can trick me into not killi—”

  “Oh hush,” Estra Ayrith commanded blatantly, waving her hand in Red’s face. “I must tell you a story, then you will go.”

  “You just told me that you wouldn’t give me any more details from the past. Now you’re ranting about some story that I assume you are trying to use to distract me. Do you really think whatever you have to say will keep me from doing my job?”

  “No, but it will help you see the truth in my previous words. Now sit so I can tell you my story. It will answer all the questions that I know are burning their way through that pretty little head of yours.”

  At the urgency in Estra’s voice, Red reluctantly pulled out an unused stool from another messy corner of the room. She perched herself lightly on the edge of the seat, but her feet still left the floor as she settled herself in.

  As she sat, however, Estra continued to roam around the storage space, gathering random supplies and placing them in the travel bag and a small wooden trunk that appeared out of nowhere as she began to tell her story.

  Estra’s voice was quiet but sure, her words flowing together like the pages of a finely crafted book. “Many decades ago, the Kingdom Rogues formed under the control of a young man named Arthur Welin. He had ambition and knew that his ideas would be shared with many people throughout Cathal.

  “Arthur wanted nothing more than to escape from the corruption of the seven kingdoms. And escape he did. Along with his many followers who clung onto every dream that flowed from his mouth. Anyone who came to his door was welcomed with open arms and a home that would not shun them away.

  “Eventually, he had built himself an empire of sorts. Those who wanted new lives found their purpose, and many wanted to repay the man that had shown them so much kindness.

  “But Arthur didn’t just want to escape from the world that had never been fair to him. He also wanted to give those who could not make it to his door a fair chance. The followers who believed themselves to be indebted to him were trained in combat, stealth, and each member mastered other skills that would be useful to their mentor one day.”

  Estra shuffled around her workshop as she spoke. She sifted through piles of potion ingredients, carefully examining each element before packing some into labeled sacs with care. The pouches were then packed into the travel bag, filling it to the brim.

  Estra continued, “Soon, everyone was waiting for the missions and tasks that Arthur was training them to complete. Killing corrupt politicians and businessmen became second nature. Their previous vocations were completely forgotten. The Kingdom Rogues had a new meaning to their lives.

  “This very meaning was what brought a young woman to Arthur Welin’s steps, offering potions and a small amount of magic in exchange for shelter. From the moment he laid eyes on the woman, Arthur was entranced. Blindsided by her beauty, he gladly took her in, overlooking her numerous flaws.

  “But to the woman’s surprise, Arthu
r refused to send her back out into the prejudiced world even after he found out what made her so special. Their bond was strong enough to change the world. And the master of the Kingdom Rogues refused to tolerate anyone who said that he should not love descendant of a witch.”

  Estra turned at Red’s gasp, a sad smile forming on her lips as her eyes found the daggers clutched in the younger woman’s hands. She soon looked away, continuing her packing and ignoring Red as she leaped down from her seat to stand over her. Estra made no movement to retreat from Red, her body curling smoothly into a seat on the ground. She looked up at Red’s defensive stance, waiting for the assassin to speak or move.

  After a few moments of tense silence, Estra shrugged her frail shoulders, stating, “Of all the things you took from my story, you were instantly worried when I mentioned someone with a little witch blood in their veins. Who said that it was me?”

  “Why should I trust a single word that you’re saying?” Red retorted as she shifted uncomfortably on her feet at her unsaid accusation. Her blades almost moved away from Estra, but the angle of her wrists returned to their deadly position as she remembered her training and put her guard back in its rightful place.

  “You have all the reason to doubt me,” Estra Ayrith sighed, leaning her back against the wooden chest. “And you were right. This is a story about my past, but I just think it’s fair to tell you that I am not proud of it.”

  “Everyone has a past they’re not proud of,” Red retorted. “It’ll only make a difference if you decide to hold a grudge on yourself because of it or move on and learn from your mistakes.”

  “Wise words coming from such a young mouth. But you still have your demons to fight.”