Maya oh Maya

There's a warm breath caressing my skin when I open my eyes, I find Fie sleeping next to me. He looks so peaceful I'm almost tempted to trace his jawline. Wait why is he in my bed? The images from last night play out in my head none involve Fie getting in my bed.

"Finally," he mumbles, "you've been asleep for three days."

Three days, that can't be right, "are you sure?"

"Yeah," he stretches his t-shirt rising just so, "you thought we had sex, didn't you?"

"Why would I think that?" I'm about to stand when I remember I'm naked.

"I put one of my t-shirts on you," he sits up, "didn't want to rummage through your stuff."

Sure, enough I'm wearing a black t-shirt and boxers, "why are you in my bed?"

"Technically I'm on it," he gestures to himself, sure enough, he's lying on top of the covers fully clothed, "that's couch was brutal, I've slept in battlefields better than that."

"Battlefields?"

"Yeah, I've underground ascension already," he rises from the bed and heads to the bathroom, "oh, I ate everything I bought you."

I jump from the bed, he slams the door lock clicking, "what am I supposed to eat?" Did I really sleep for three days?

My phone vibrates I walk over to my duffel and pull it out. There are two txt one from Poppy and one from an unknown number. I open Poppy's it reads, where are you? I need help. I txt her back, what's wrong? I give her a few minutes before calling. Her phone goes straight to voice mail. I look over her txt and notice the time stamp's two days old. "Fuck!"

"What?" Fie leans against the door frame.

"Nothing," I txt Somin, have you heard from Poppy? While I wait for Somin's response I open the text from the unknown number. It's an address when I look it up the temple of Celeste pops up.

"Your nothing seems like something," Fie's reading over my shoulder he holds his hands up in defense when I bat him away.

"Why are you still here?"

"I never wanted you dead," he takes a seat on the edge of the bed and braces his elbows on his knees, "when you told me you were there to assassinate Anastasia, I thought I got it wrong so I lied in hopes of getting to her first and faking her death."

"Why?"

"Your Master, my grandfather sent me to get you. Father said you left when the clone you left behind was harmed."

"What does your Father have to do with this?"

Fie looks at me, face scrunched up, "ah, right your Master my grandfather doesn't like being called grandfather. He says it makes him feel old so everyone calls him dad."

"What about your father?"

"Who James he's not around much, anyhow the whole me wanting you dead was a misunderstanding. Considering grandmother trained you I take it you don't care much for the word sorry."

"Grandmother?"

"Your original Master is my grandmother she's not as vain as Father."

"Your lying."

"Why?"

"You're telling me Master is the Queen of Assassins," my phone vibrates, it's a text from Somin.

Somin: no, why do you ask?

Me: I tried calling her but it went to voice mail.

Me: she's probably on assignment

Somin: probably

Somin: you know how she is even if she's not on assignment she'll disappear for days on end.

Me: True, forget I even asked

Somin: where are you?

Me: assignment

Somin: let me know if you need anything, I'm stuck training the novices -__-

Me: have fun ;}

I set my phone down and pull clothes from the duffel, "wait, you said you thought you got it wrong. What did you get wrong?"

"You really don't remember?" he gives me a wolf's grin. At my silence he crosses the short distance between us and leans down, "I was there when the old man broke your curse."

A word comes to mind, "You sent me that message."

"When I saw you at the Nightingale, I thought you'd gotten out. But then you said your name was Camilla so I figured you to whore a mortal guise."

"You remembered me?"

"Of course," he flicks my nose, "you agreed to marry me once we grew up."

"See that, we were just kids and I had a little crush on you," I take a step back bumping into the wall, "I didn't think you'd take it to heart."

Fie gives me a hurt look before laughing, "the look on your face, obviously I'm not holding you to it like you said we were kids."

"Get out."

"What, why?"

"I need to get dressed," I head for the bathroom, "when I get out, I don't want to see you in my room."

After graving a quick shower, I dress in leather pants and a crimson corset with wolves embroidered on the abdomen. It's one of the last things Grandmother made for me before the sickness overtook her. I lace my boots up and tuck my daggers into my boots. Just because it's a temple doesn't mean I should be careless.

"Are you done?" Fie stands at the door duffel over one shoulder.

"Just one more thing," I make sure nothings left behind as I pick up the red and shawl I laid out. In Katalina to enter a temple you need to cover your head regardless of gender, "were going to Celeste's temple."

"Why?" Fie takes my duffel as we exit the hotel room.

I place my shades on, "I'll tell you in the car."

###

"So, we're just going to go in there without scouting and pray for the best?" Fie asks around mouthfuls of churro sugar cotes his lips.

"You have a better idea?" I ask taking a sip of my cinnamon coffee.

He just shrugs and drinks his own coffee.

"Fie!"

"What?"

"You ate them all," I crumble the paper bag, he looks between me and his renaming churro, reluctantly he offers it. Because I'm so hungry I take it.

"Look," he points at the temple where services just let out a hooded figure sneaks in through the side.

"Let's have a look," I set my coffee down and reach into the backseat for my shawl.

"Who do you think it'll be?" Fie pulls his hood up.

I wrap the shawl around my head and shoulders, "I don't know."

We climb out of the truck and head to Celeste's temple. No one pays attention to us as we slip in through the same entrance the cloaked figure used. The dome-shaped temple has stained-glass windows for walls the light reflected reminds me of rainbows.

At the center of the temple stands the statue of Celeste carved from granite a crown of stars on her head the crescent moon carved into her the center of her forehead holds a piece of moonstone candles burn at the goddess's feet. Wooden benches are laid out curving towards her alter and there at the second bench across from us, the hooded figure kneels head bent hands clasped in prayer.

Fie heads towards the figure from the left while I take the right. It seems it's only the three of us and the goddess. The beast within my skin recoils as I walk past the goddess, it used to do that when visiting the temple of the Empress. Regardless of what form the goddess takes the beast seems to fear her. I wild it to behave if Fie learns what lives within my skin what runs through my veins, he'll kill me and there's a great chance I'll let him.

"Have a seat," the figure says, "pray a little."

To my surprise, Fie takes the seat behind the figure and inclines his head. I slip into the bench next to him and kneel, "who are you?"

The female lets out a small sigh, "why are you looking for Maya?"

"I don't recall saying I was."

"After your visited Cora, she sent some of her men to destroy one of our villages on the Isle of Armonia."

"That was quick," I say, "but you still haven't told us who you are."

"I think you know," the female raises her head tilting it just so her hood doesn't fall, "what do you need."

"A piece of quartz from the Nether Realm."

"Why?"

"I have my reasons."

"I can't help you," she taps the bench in front of her before rising, "you should pray," she turns towards us just enough to show us a small smile. A male jaguar walks in and she scuffs, "Took you long enough," the jaguar grunts but remains in his animal form, "next time try not to get my people hurt, or better yet let there not be a next time."

I count to ten once they're gone, I move over to Maya's bench and kneel just as she was when I look down, I see a silvery pouch under the bench in front of me. I lower my head forehead pressed against the bench and snatch the pouch up its small enough to fit in my closed fist. There's a jagged hardness inside I close my eyes and pray. I move my hand under the shawl and tuck the pouch into my corset.

"We should go," I say and turn to find Fie missing. When did he leave? I look around but there's no one else in the temple. After inclining my head, I slip out the way I came.

People are gathered around a colorfully dressed performer hummingbird and hawk feathers are braided into her hair, she wears a dress made of gold and orange thread, a jasper belt around her waist, her face is painted white with strikes of green and red accentuating her ruby red and green eyes. They remind me of anyolite with red in the center and green in the iris.

The dancer's eyes trail after me as I head to my truck the tempo of the guitar rises. It's not just her watching me I can feel eyes on me from every direction. I reach my truck without incident but still, they watch. There's a red envelope on the windshield I take it and climb in.

The moment my doors locked, I tear open the envelope, inside are pictures of Poppy, Sorrel, Somin, and myself. I turn the photos only Poppy's has a red x on it with a message written in red calligraphy.

One down three to go. Who will be next? Care to guess? XOX

What the fuck? There's a tapping on my window snapping me out of my thoughts the envelope and its contents fall out of my hand. Dammit. When I look the dancer stands on the driver's side head tilted to the side.

I lower the glass an inch and ask, "what?"

She blinks once then twice before speaking, "you didn't pay."

"What?"

"You watched the show but didn't pay," the wind blows back her hair revealing a Shadow Soul on her neck a hawk to be precise.

"Oh," I reach into the back seat and pull out a gold coin, "here," I lower the glass and slip her the coin she inclines her head and slips me a piece of paper.

"Thank you," with a wink she's off I close the window and start the engine.

Setting the truck on auto-drive I reach down and pick up the envelope and its contents. I can't believe I just met Hummingbird she's supposed to be one of the best Assassin's Master's ever trained. Rumor has it she's light as a hummingbird and that none can land a blow on her. I set the contents of the envelope in the passenger's seat and unfold her note.

Be careful all Assassins are being hunted, also the prince didn't leave of his own accord. Find the spider. If the heir to the Dark King dies, they'll have your head. Discard your phone if needed someone will contact you. Don't be a fool.

The writing fades then the paper turns to ash. Could I trust her and should I?