Killer in the Night

Madi Chambers

The darkness closed in on the narrow street. A burst of light and a drunken man stumbled out of a bar. Around his throat, a shining gold chain sat, his clothes made of the finest silk; it was evident he was a nobleman. Something flew through the darkness. Before he could scream, he was lying on the ground with an arrow in his throat, stone, cold dead. A shadow landed on the street. Smiling, the assassin spoke in a sickly sweet voice, “Lights out Cole,” and threw him into the alley.

Onyx leapt from building to building, bounding away from the scene of the crime. It was a good night's work, she thought as her golden eyes scanned the darkness ahead of her. She would get her money and be able to go home. She kept going, leaping from building to building flying over streets. She leapt to the ground landing with surprising ease and flitted into a large townhouse. No one saw her and no one ever would. Someone stood in the middle of the room waiting, waiting for her.

Onyx stepped forward. “I killed him, now give me my money,” she demanded.

“It’s in that bag,” the person said.

Onyx opened the bag to 10,000 gold coins.

“Pleasure doing business with you, Dominic,” she said.

“The pleasure is mine, Onyx,” Dominic replied. Onyx chuckled. She had many names and this was only one. She was known by no one.

Throwing her old cloak into an alley, Onyx strode out to the main street. Even at night, it was crowded with jostling people, loud sounds and filthy lowlifes. Pickpockets were many, but she knew what to look out for. A sly hand there, a wallet into a pocket. People were stupid she thought. Barely anyone noticed what was happening, before their money was gone. Her hand shot out and grasped a gold chain; a wallet; a diamond necklace; a wedding ring from a rich man; all into her pockets. She laughed under her breath at how easy this was, how stupid people were. Walking onwards, her winding and twisting route led her to her the assassins’ keep.

When Onyx finally arrived, it was to an innocuous-looking building, although there was a significantly large wall surrounding the area. She slipped through the gates like a shadow, slinked across the courtyard and vanished through the door. Walking into her room, Onyx dropped the bag of gold on her bed. She walked to the centre of the building, through a foreboding black-oak door at the end of a passageway and to the middle of the room, where a man sat behind a desk.

“Good day Xerex,” Onyx said.

“Fancy seeing you here Onyx,” replied Xerex.

“You know what I want now, give me my next name,” Onyx said sharply.

“How about Audric Herobial for you Onyx,” Xerex countered.

“What the heck!” Onyx raged. “How can I get him, he's the Crown Prince of Tethoriian!”

“Well get him – that’s what you do,” Xerex said calmly.

Onyx stormed out of the room in a rage. She was not happy. She was angry, very angry.

As the moon rose high in the night sky over the city, Onyx walked out of the compound, a crossbow on her back, a dozen daggers on her belt and a few vials of belladonna in the pockets of her black cloak. She was physically well prepared. Tomorrow was a workday, so the streets were mostly empty. Onyx bounded through the dark streets, alleyways and across the rooftops. Looming in the distance, the palace was spectacular and constructed solely of glass. Spiralling towers reached to the sky and sprawling out were magnificent gardens dominating the landscape. Onyx slithered around bushes, manicured trees and flowerbeds spreading out along the stone path. She was as ever, master of the night.

Guards patrolled the glass walkways and stone paths. Onyx could not be caught; would not be caught. In her element, she entered the castle and sprinted along the winding glass halls. Despite feeling very exposed, she had to keep going. Seeing a guard turn the corner in front of her, a dagger quickly flew from her belt. As she sprinted to the royal chambers, she dodged guards and hid in impossible spaces. Outside the prince’s chambers, guards were stationed next to the door and down the corridor. Onyx made short work of them. She slipped through the door and into another hallway. Here the glass was mostly opaque and she slithered down the hall and killed the next two guards, before they could scream. She picked the lock for the door and slipped through – the Prince’s chambers.

As Audric woke he saw her, a figure above his bed. He froze in place. He swore he knew her, but couldn’t immediately place her. Belatedly, he realised it was her – his Fae Mother’s first daughter – the rightful ruler of Alyian; the great kingdom of the Fae; Kyrrani Wrynn the lost heir. The Prince’s father had conquered Alyian 5 years ago. He was the imposter.

“I’m going to kill you now as your father did to my mother,” Kyranni said.

A dagger through the heart, that was all it took. The King and the new Queen died in their beds. The Prince was in his grave. Her job was done. She would slink back into the shadows, biding her time, waiting and watching. She got her gold. She was an assassin and always would be. She wasn’t a Queen. She was a warrior. She would leave others to politics – she would stick to the night. The night was hers.