Assassins Realm

The moment we cross into the Assassins Realm we are greeted by an ambush. Fuck, I forgot I no longer wear my mortal guise. I call my sword to me and use it to deflect the arrow aimed at my head. Jumping of Nightmare, I send a wave of energy throwing them back.

I feel her before I see her, "That's enough," Master says. The assassins incline their heads before vanishing.

"Master," I sheath my sword and brace for impact but it never comes. When I look up, I find Master's smiling a pomegranate in hand.

"Who?" she asks picking a ruby seed and popping it into her mouth.

"His name is Zheng he is supposedly Master's head disciple."

Master contemplates this for some time she nods and starts to walk. I call Nightmare to me the way she taught me. The way Shadows use to do to Shadow Souls. Nightmare takes his place on my left rib cage. I hurry after Master and wait for her to speak. Never interrupt her when she's thinking.

"Violet eyes," she says, "and a bit of a flirt?"

"Yes."

"I see," she pops a few more seeds into her mouth, "where is he?"

"Playing bodyguard to Crown Prince Fie," I say as we enter her garden. There's a swing hanging from a pomegranate tree, I use to sneak out in the middle of the night and swing on it as I gazed towards the stars. How I wished I could fly, soaring past the clouds all the way to the Celestial Realm.

"What a waste," Master says taking a seat across from her zither, "tell me why didn't you return after your mother's death."

"Elena cursed me," I say, "when my grandmother had a chance, she snuck me out of the place and took me before the Dark King he broke my curse."

"Then?"

"I went back to kill her but I didn't get the chance until a few nights ago. After the engagement party between Prince Fie and myself. Grandmother died and I was careless, Elena followed and dings got out of control. Zheng help suppress her but she claims to be bound to the people," I say, "insisted she found a way to bind herself to them the way the Shadow Queens use to."

"That's unlikely," Master says striking a chord, "only the Shadow Queens had such ability. The binding to the land and people was done to keep them safe. It's how the Shadow Queen knew when to and where to send aid."

"So, I can kill Elena without harming the people?"

"No," she looks up from her zither, "you need to head to the City of Katalina. Find her successor Maya and ask her for a shard of quartz."

"A shard of quartz?"

"When Katalina was freed from the Nether she had shards of crystal quartz embedded into her. you can use the quartz to trap Elena then place it in this box hand it over to Crow. He'll carry it to its proper place in the Underworld."

"Thank you, Master," I take the wooden box and tuck it into my satchel, "what does Maya look like?"

Master runs a hand over the zither it vanishes and a porcelain bottle appears, "you'll know when you see her, she's a bit eccentric."

"May I leave?"

"No," she removes the stopper from the bottle the smell of persimmon wine whiffs out, "stay the night have some food and a good rest. Then head out first thing tomorrow remember unlike in your mortal lands the rest of the world has progressed."

"Thank you," once dismissed I head to my old room. It's small but my own and I love every inch of it.

"Mara," Somin knocks on the door and sticks her head in, "you're back."

"Just for tonight," I say, "want to head into town and have a drink?"

Somin's smile is as bright as the sun, "of course should I get Sorrel and Amapola?"

"Why not," I say, "let me just freshen up."

"Alright meet at Sleeping Willow."

"Okay."

Somin rushes off and I head for the bathroom. I strip off my clothes and step into the shower. When I was little, I use to pretend I was bathing under a waterfall. I hurry and dress in black tights a maroon tunic dress and black velvet flats.

Unlike my homeland after the last Shadow Queen merged the worlds destroying the Nether Realm. Certain changes were implemented like the use of automobiles powered by magic or solar energy.

Some of the Palaces were turned into Universities while the Kings and Queens moved into towers made of glass. There are places where the people chose who will rule, next. The Premier holds a four-year tenure and cannot be reelected. Regardless of mortality, anyone can run and many have had mortal Premiers here and there.

When the Nether was destroyed they got their freedom and we got new words like aircraft, automobiles, cellphones, new structures made of iron glass and stone. Even new foods like fries, burgers, pizza, chocolate malts, etc.

The roads are paved and horses are rarely used for travel. If you save up enough you can travel via aircrafts power by magic stones. Overall life is pretty good. Except for my people where Elena banned all progress insisting on living in archaic times. No automatic lights or universities' she figured it made it easier to control the people.

All it did was send us into a state of poverty. We are one of the few kingdoms considered a third world not many of those remain. Half our people are illiterate and can barely survive with the skills they possess. Trade is few everything's overpriced and Elena insists on collecting a higher tally each year.

As I reach the Sleeping Willow, I'm greeted by the sound of blasting music. I never realized how loud everything is I feel like there are some perks to being mortal. Like not knowing when someone's going through their cycle unless they tell you. Or how everything seems louder, brighter and smellier.

The bouncer waves me in and I find I need to take a few deep breaths before the world around me settles again. Somin and Sorrel sit in a booth at the top level. Sorrel waves me over, careful not to touch anyone I make my way upstairs.

"Where's Poppy?" I ask taking the drink Somin hands me.

"She met someone," Sorrel says leaning in for a hug. Poppy always seems to have a new plaything.

"Tell me you ordered food," I say taking a sip of the clear liquid. Vodka another drink from the Nether.

"A bacon cheeseburger with fries for you," Somin says, "stake for me and salad for Sorrel,"

"A simple yes would have sufficed," I say, as our food arrives.

Somin just shrugs and starts cutting her stake into tiny pieces. Sorrel scrunches her nose at our food but says nothing. She's some type of bunny fay and doesn't eat meat or dairy.

"So where have you been?" Somin asks.

"Around," I say, biting into the juicy burger. This is the only exception to my no beef rule. The burger has bits of apple and melted cheese inside giving it the perfect crunch. They don't know my real name is Anastasia and that I'm a princess. Trying to explain why I was in Spica the so-called farmlands would be pointless.

After eating and having a few drinks we head to the dance floor. The music seems to pulse from my head to my toes. It sends a shiver down my spine and an electric pulse through my veins. At some point during the night Poppy joined us and we stumbled home singing.

When I wake the next day, I'm suddenly grateful to be Fay. I would have woken up with a major headache otherwise. There's a tap on my door when I open it, I find a set of keys tape to my door and a note that reads "don't lose it."

I head to the garage and find Uriel working on his bike.

"Hey," I greet him holding up the keys, "do you by chance know what car these belong to."

He doesn't even look up just points behind him to a black truck. I learned to drive before going home and have missed it since. When I reach the truck, I find another note attached to the door. "Not a scratch." I take the note and stuff it into my pocket then toss my bag into the backseat and climb in. The engine purrs to life and I take off.