Archer

Five Years ago

I had met Miraj at a party a year after the Daniel and Irin fiasco. I liked to show people that I didn't waste a single second dwelling on that betrayal but only I knew the truth. I was still hurting. My meeting with Miraj was brief. However brief that time was, I felt a respite from the pain that came with not having any family that cared. Just that one hour at that party where he kissed me and then left abruptly.

I didn't see him for two years after that party but I heard plenty. He had changed his last name and taken over his mother's family. That was a betrayal to his father that our world wouldn't forget. To still be alive after causing such a disgrace to Moretti's was a feat probably only Miraj could accomplish.

I was at a downtown bar in Tamba looking for a man named Ulio to kill him because he was soon going to kill me. I preferred killing my father's support before he could use them. So there I was in a little black dress that covered all my intimate parts but revealed enough to get a saint to change his mind.

I made my way to the bar and ordered the classic sex on the beach. I hated it but I had to keep the cover of a bimbo prostitute looking for a customer in a dingy bar.

"Hey! What's the Cross princess doing in a place like this?"

Son of a-

I looked at my right where the voice came from and it was a guy with a cute smile. I smiled at him and leaned closer. I slipped my hand inside the hem of my dress and removed my push dagger from it's sheath. I kept it hidden between me and the bar counter.

"I think you have me confused with someone else. I wouldn't be in this profession if I were a princess... but I could be one if you wanted it for the night."

I moved close enough to touch our thighs. He looked a bit confused.

"You sure? Because I know that face. I could be quiet about it if you want me to keep it quiet." He said as he lifted one of his hands to push some of my hair behind my right cheek. Eliana would cut off his hand for that but...I wasn't Eliana right now.

"I am Archer, by the way."

I obviously didn't trust a single word out of his mouth so I slipped my push dagger between us and held the tip at his belly. I knew he could feel it when his eyes widened a bit and then flicked around the room.

I smiled seductively as I roamed my other hand on his leg to make it seem like I was just trying to line up my next customer and said, "Don't signal any of your friends in the room." I didn't know if he had any, but I preferred to be safe than sorry. "I have my own people. You don't want to turn this into a bloodbath." I pressed the dagger a little more and I knew it had cut through his t-shirt and pushed against his skin and made him bleed. Just the tip had cut through but he understood I meant business.

"Alright." He swallowed. I was thinking about how to dispose this problem without garnering attention when Ulio walked in. I nodded at Milo to take over this Archer situation. I removed my dagger only for Milo to put the barrel of his gun against his back. He made Archer turn slowly so that Archer's chest was right in front of the gun but not touching him.

I left Archer and walked to Ulio's table. Just when he was looking I dropped my clutch and bent down to pick it up with my back to him. Then I got up and looked at him as if I had just noticed him watching me. I gave him a seductive smile and that was enough to get him out of his chair and walk towards me. I hate men who were too easy to trick by women. They reminded me of my father.

"Hey pretty girl! What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?"

"You know, just having some fun."

"What do you say? You and me get out for the night?" Ulio said to me as he came closer.

He wasn't even going to offer a drink? Damn. Good thing, I wasn't actually in this business. I would kill all my customers.