Auraya

Auraya sat at her desk reading through yet more records of lineages. It was dull. She revisited it often. It was not something she could get any pleasure from but knowing how the nobility were inbred was quite helpful when putting them in their place.

The door to her office opened and she sensed Tristan walk in. She paid it little mind. She had long since established that she didn’t mind if her kin simply walked in, as long as they didn’t disturb her until she was ready. She quickly read through the last of the Dwyer legitimate and illegitimate chit, then looked up.

“Welcome home,” she greeted with a smile.

“That looks oh so very interested,” he replied, eyeing the tome.

“Oh, to be so thoroughly inbred my eyes are on my elbows,” she said wistfully. “You bring in some strays?”

“Four,” he told her, all humour falling from his features. “Mother ran off, father died in a tavern brawl. All have great talent potential.”

“Ages?”

“Three, five, eight and eleven.”

Auraya nodded. The last one was older than she preferred, but they would never turn them away.

“Any news of Streibe?”

“Roads are in disrepair. Little to no trade. They make a lot of ale, so too do they drink a lot. The town is a mess. Half of them are drunk, the other half are starving or stealing.”

“What of their lord? Elys?”

“Lord Elys is fighting with Lord Heardwy and Lady Edwyn for aid to build roads and foster trade. Not too wealthy a region, he needs the help. He sends relief, but it’s not spent or shared where it’s needed the most.”

Auraya sighed.

“It’s alright, O,” Tristan soothed, reaching for her hand, and giving it a squeeze. “We have time.”

“But do the people?”

“They’ve been getting on without us for a long time. They can make do a little longer.”

Auraya sighed again, this time a little dramatically as the corner of her lips twitched. “You’re right.”

“Aren’t I always?”

“Next stop?” Auraya asked rolling her eyes.

“Steinacton.”

“Any rumblings?”

“Not yet. Maybe the villages on the way will shed some light.”

A knock on the door stopped her from replying. A little frown came and went. Her kin would not knock. Neither would the regent or his ilk. There were only a select few who could enter her office without adverse effects. Her kin in the antechamber would need to open the door for the others and inform her who was there. That left Evans or Patten.

“Come,” she called out.

The door opened, and Patten walked in dressed in full regalia.

“Your highness,” he said respectfully with a bow.

“To what do I owe the pleasure, Captain?” Auraya asked with a small sigh.

“It has been brought to my attention that you have been venturing into Whitegate without a guard escort.” His expression was neutral, but Auraya knew that he was berating her.

Before she could work herself up into an irritated tirade, Tristan stood, smirking.

“I’ll head back out, O.”

“Stay safe.”

A nod and he was gone. Auraya looked back at Patten. She opened her mouth to speak, but he got in there first.

“I am aware that you are perfectly capable of protecting yourself, but it is inappropriate for someone of your station to prance around the city without an escort.”

“Prance?” Auraya asked, raising a single brow.

“Yes, prance,” he replied, standing up straighter and squaring his shoulders, but barely managing to maintain a neutral expression.

Auraya took a breath and thought about it. She did not want an escort. She did not want to have a group of guards at her back as she attended to patients, and whatever else she got up to. But she could not deny that she had been upgraded to royalty. She was no longer Auraya, the first of Reggie’s Orphans. She was no longer an inconspicuous youth in a crowd. Her face was becoming known. She didn’t fear for her life but was merely irritated at the inconvenience.

She would agree to Patten’s demand to satisfy his need for proprietary, but his men would not be allowed to enter the premises. She knew she wouldn’t be able to shake him, but the others were a different story. She looked up. If they were walking, she would need to leave then and there.

“Very well,” she said, standing up and walking around the desk. “Shall we?”

Patten nodded, a broad smile on his lips.

“I thought I would have to convince you more,” he confessed.

“Come now, Patten. Your argument was sound.”

He laughed and rolled his eyes, hearing the lie for what it was.

She nodded farewell to Gina and made her way out of the office. She gave the same to her kin in the antechamber and left the office. They were met by six guards. Two of whom were guarding the entrance to her office and four of whom would accompany them. She recognised one of them, who smirked at her.

“Emerson,” Auraya greeted with a blank nod.

“Your highness,” he replied, nodding politely.

She walked past him and made her way out of the castle. It was just as much of a fiasco as she had thought it would be. People stared and pointed and whispered. It was as if she were waving a flag. After the fight with Patten over taking a carriage or – Gods forbid – a litter, Auraya kept mostly quiet, observing her surroundings with a simmering irritation.

They walked through the city, out the west gate and into Whitegate. As Auraya turned into the next street, her stomach churned. Malice hung heavy in the air. A person’s magic, the core where their power lay – dormant or otherwise – spoke many truths about a person, far more than words ever could. Negative emotions leaked from a person in droves, tainting the surroundings, and leaving a trail for those sensitive enough to feel it. Tuning into the malicious auras, Auraya extended her senses. After confirming what she sensed, she turned to an alleyway cloaked in shadow and sent out a call. Scarlet’s body emerged, seeming to solidify from the darkness. She raised two fingers, moved them back slightly then thrust four fingers forward. The barest of nods from Auraya saw the girl sink back into shadow.

Auraya came to a stop several paces later, halting her company. She ordered the guards into formation at her back. They shared a look with their captain but did as commanded.

“Captain,” Auraya addressed Patten without looking at him. Eyes monitoring the surroundings, scanning the street. “Something is about to happen, and I need your word that you and your men will not interfere unless given the order.”

“Your highness,” the frown could be heard in his voice without putting eyes on him. “How can I give you my word without knowing what I am giving it for?”

“You would have to have faith,” she replied with a trace of humour.

“Highness…”

“Your word, Captain,” Auraya tried her best to convey her determination and command when she turned to him. It usually came naturally, but she and Patten were still establishing their relationship. It would take time for the captain to trust her judgement. Their eyes lingered for moments, until he turned away, barely concealing a scowl.

“You have my word,” he told her grudgingly.

Auraya faced forward, watching as the people around gawked. At this time of day, this part of the city rarely had many people in it. They had been traversing through the crafting sector. Workshops lined the street. The sounds of hammers, saws, worker’s shouts, and the like could be heard from all around them. The smaller shops interspersed between were mostly to cater for the workshops. Delivery, specialised tailors, food stalls and so on. The streets usually had delivery boys, potential customers, or business owners going to and from their shops. At this time of the afternoon, most crafters would be busy with their tasks, and the streets would be fairly sparse.

A man in a tattered tunic and breaches advanced on the group. His muscles were pronounced, and his gait seemed easy. He was dressed similarly to a dock worker, which was odd this time of the day, this far from the docks. His overcoat was that of one of the largest warehouse companies at the north-easter port of Stone Harbour. The company worked primarily within the city walls, shipping in expensive and exotic items for the wealthy. Whitegate was located on the opposite side of the city in the west. There was no discernible reason why this man, and the twenty-three others scattered behind him, should be this far from the docks. Not only that, but dock workers also moved and behaved in a certain way. They had a rugged strength from the constant carrying of heavy loads. It usually led to lower back and knee pains, even in the young. This man did not look nor move like a dock worker. He moved with the surety of someone who trained their body and used it in battle. He may have tried to feign indifference, but the tension was palpable. His gaze kept shifting to the group, and his right hand twitched ever closer to the poorly concealed blade.

“Your word, Captain,” Auraya repeated as a reminder.

Before he could reply, the tattered man withdrew his weapon and lurched at Auraya, blade raised. It was odd, to say the least. He cried out as he drew his blade and raised it above his head. His poor disguise and suspicious behaviour aside, he had announced his presence and intentions from ten paces away. The sheer lack of professionalism annoyed Auraya far more than it should have. The insult of hiring such poorly trained assassins drew her brows together a touch. As he approached, he brought his blade down to cleave at Auraya’s head. She could sense that Patten and the guards wanted to move, but thankfully, they kept their feet planted.

After letting go of the annoyance, Auraya watched the man with an indifferent stare and did not move. Amusement had barely registered on the man’s face, for the lack of reaction in his prey and her company. It transformed into surprise when a short brunette came from seemingly nowhere and parried the strike when it was inches from contact. Using the man’s confusion against him, she twisted her single edged sword, jumped from the ground, and ran the edge across the man’s throat. He dropped his weapon and brought both hands to his neck, trying to prevent the inevitable. He was on his knees in moments, and Scarlett used her boot to direct where he fell.

His gurgles were only heard for moments before an uproarious cry rang out, followed by several others. The other poorly disguised dock worker lookalikes drew their weapons and charged forward.

Fools, Auraya thought as the annoyance flared up again.

The guards at her back put their hands to their weapons, eliciting another, “your word, Captain,” from Auraya. Patten growled his aggravation but motioned for his men to hold.

Scarlett stepped over the now dead man at her feet. And readied herself for the confrontation. When she stilled, Rafe and three others appeared at her side: Paddy, Alan, and Ridley. They fanned out on either side of Scarlett and readied themselves. A calm came over Auraya and her kin. They had spent most of their life training, and times like these allowed them to use it.

The clash followed the same pattern as the first. A wild strike from the attackers, a deflection, and a killing strike from Auraya’s kin. They attacked in singles or pairs with vigour, but each went down with a slashed throat and perhaps a missing limb. Their magic was mostly unnecessary, as the mercenaries were trained but still wild, over-confident and undisciplined. They did not work as a team. They were scattered and chaotic.

Ridley, one of Rafe’s youngest seemed to be enjoying himself. His magic manifested in a physical enhancement that gave him tremendous speed. At least to the outside observer anyway. He claimed to be able to alter his senses, so the world seemed to slow. It gave him an impressive edge. He still had a way to go before he lost some of his impulsiveness and arrogance. Hopefully, it wouldn’t get the best of him. He let an attacker come close and attempt to strike him. He seemed to blur behind the attacker, slash his legs to bring them down and then make the killing strike. They were all young and fairly small, so they aimed to incapacitate as quickly as possible.

The rest of the group did not use their talents. They simply deflected and struck. They ploughed through the rest of the attackers with an almost bored ease.

Auraya searched the group whilst Rafe’s team did their work. Finding what she was looking for, she turned to the captain and smirked at his bewilderment.

“Your word, Captain,” was only met with confusion.

Auraya reached for her magic and cloaked herself in it. She then used her will to place herself behind a red headed man who was watching the skirmish from the rear, blade in hand. She touched his shoulder and sent her magic into him, commanding his body to render him unconscious. He fell, splayed like a doll. She touched him on the ground, cloaked them both and used her will to return to the Patten.

Patten looked not only confused now, but outright angry.

“Highness,” he cried out, moving forward.

Auraya merely smirked and sent herself to the back of another. This one also had hair of fire, but slightly darker. He looked like the other man, but younger. He seemed hesitant to engage, flustered with the near constant drop of his comrades. His twitching caused him to see her before she could lay hands on him. As he raised his blade, she got into the centre of his guard and placed her hands on his face. His fear was strong before he too fell unconscious.

Returning to the Captain, Auraya raised a hand before he could verbalise his rage. They stared for long moments before he calmed himself and looked back at the dwindling skirmish.

“Bind them,” Auraya commanded to no one in particular. It was done without hesitation by a guard just behind her.

Returning to her former spot, Auraya watched as her kin dispatched what seemed to be the last of the attackers. Two men caught her eye as they backed up and attempted to run away. She reached into her satchel, produced two small blades, and placed one in each hand. She raised her arms, flicked her wrists, and sent the blades soaring into the back of both of their heads. They fell forward near a group of lingering gawkers watching the gruesome display. Their screams only added to the chaos.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Moments later, Rafe and his team were wiping off their blades and returning to face Auraya.

Looking at the fallen, Auraya counted twenty-two. Including their prisoners and the count indeed came to twenty-four.

“You did well,” Auraya said, smiling at her kin as she walked towards them. She touched each of them on the shoulder, assessing their injuries and healing what she could. When she came to Ridley, she stopped.

“Come find me when I return to the castle.” He had a gash in his side that would require more than a cursory healing touch. His arrogance had caused him to lose focus.

He nodded and looked somewhat ashamed. He would require a lecture along with his teas.

Once she had ascertained the health of her kin, she turned to Rafe.

“The dungeon?”

“Indeed,” she replied.

“Imogen?”

“Please.”

With that, Rafe, his team, the corpses, and the prisoners vanished from sight. Scarlet locked eyes with Auraya, who smiled warmly at the shorter brunette. The edge of Scarlet’s lip tipped up slightly before she stepped into the closest shadow and disappeared.

The captain approached, once again looking to speak. “Just a moment, Captain,” Auraya cut in.

She turned to face the street. Drawing out her magic, she sent it out like a wave over the street and surrounding alleys. Guided by her senses, she raised her right hand and gathered all the blood she could find, sending it up above the buildings. The street was a mess. Blood came from the floor, the walls, the window and even a few unfortunate gawkers. A substantial amount rose and joined together like a red bubble. Once the blood began to peter off, Auraya raised her left hand and drew her magic just above it. She sparked a flame into existence, raised it up as she fed it more magic, increasing its size and intensity. Once the ball of flame was as hot as it could be, she joined the two together, heating the blood until it evaporated, leaving only traces of ash to be taken by the wind.

Once done, she turned to the captain expectantly.

He was watching her. Too many emotions and questions seeming to pass over his features in the time they watched each other. Auraya thought the process must be painful. Gradually, he rebuilt his mask and the window into his mind closed.

He eventually asked, “where to now, your highness?”

“Let’s continue on our way, shall we,” she said with a smile.

—————————————————

“So, the rumours are true then?” Bettina seemed caught between bemusement and amusement, looking from Auraya to Patten and back again.

“So, it would seem,” Auraya replied as she approached Betty’s cot. A quick examination saw the woman had much improved since her last visit. Her complexion showed healthier colours and her gaze held more mischief than ever.

“And you still found the time to visit little old me?” The older woman could not pull off innocent, though she may have tried.

“You’re still my patient,” Auraya said, failing to hide her own amusement. “Hopefully, now, you’ll follow my directives.”

“Ha,” Bettina barked. “Orders you mean.”

“Has Gilly been behaving himself?” A subject change would halt the bickering.

“That boy is a handful,” the affectionate expression belied her words. “He fusses worse than you do.”

Auraya chuckled, knowing full well that Gilly was more maternal than most mothers.

“He’s looked after me and me shop. Learns quick that one.”

Auraya went to her knees beside Bettina’s cot as she spoke, smoothing her hand over the fresh looking bandage. As Bettina relayed the events of the week, Auraya used her senses to track the progress of the healing. She was pleased with what she saw and accelerated it a touch, just for good measure. Betty was clearly beginning to go stir crazy from inactivity. And their magic was not the big secret it once was. At least not out in the open like this.

“When he told me the news, I didn’t believe him at first. It was too crazy.”

“I barely believed it myself, and I was there,” Auraya replied as she finished re-bandaging and applying fresh salve to the foot.

“I can imagine…” Bettina trailed off. When Auraya looked up, she had a contemplative look on her face. “Will you all still be healing the slums?”

The flashes of fear and resignation squeezed Auraya’s heart. She laid her hand over Bettina’s and looked into her eyes.

“You’ve not heard what Winnie’s been up to?”

“I want to hear it from you, dear.”

“Of course, we will,” Auraya replied with conviction. “We’ll have more space… and funding.” She wiggled her eyebrows at that. “We’ll be able to help more people. There’s still a lot more to figure out, but we’ll always be there if you need us, Betty.”

The blush that stole across Bettina’s face was deep and endearing. As were her next words.

“I’ll be fine without you interfering,” she huffed. “I mean for those other hopeless fools running around getting themselves injured.”

Auraya laughed, and it was refreshing. Betty’s stubbornness was a testament to her determination to beat the war with death.

After a brief update from Gilly – and shooing from Bettina – Auraya and the captain exited the much cleaner shop.

“You’re a mimic,” Patten stated. “Like your father.”

“I am,” Auraya answered regardless of the lack of inflection, eyeing him. “Absorber is closer to the truth though.”

“And you’re a healer,” he stated again.

“Yes.”

“But you’re a child,” his confusion was evident. His mask had slipped often that day. Auraya applauded herself for shaking the seemingly unshakeable.

“Children are far more capable than most assume,” Auraya told him, facing in the direction of her next appointment and walking onwards. “Providing they are raised to perform.”

“And who raised you?”

“A great man.”

The captain stared at her impassive face and chose not to probe further. “Another patient?”

“Indeed.”

Three more stops and three more similar conversations later and Auraya set her feet in the direction of the castle. She wondered if the cold formation of stone and opulence would ever feel like home.

The following day, Patten came to find her in her office. He wanted to discuss the events of the previous day in greater detail. He had underestimated them, as most people usually did. They decided to walk to the training yard to find Trevor, to discuss capabilities, training, and guard rosters. She was not really needed for the discussion between the two, but she had been reading a particularly dry tome regarding the history of Moralis. Leaving to see Trevor was simply an excuse to leave it behind. And Patten preferred her to be present for such talks anyway, so she had a viable excuse. She wasn’t usually one to shirk her education but reading a boring book that clearly skewed the facts was not only arduous, but aggravating.

Auraya came to a halt just before Rafe appeared in front of her. She frowned a fraction, knowing he should have been in the northern part of the city at that moment.

“There’s been a situation,” he explained in his usual simplistic fashion. His eyes flicked to the captain and back. It would only have been noticed by those who were paying close attention.

Auraya turned to the captain with a mischievous smile.

“Your highness…” Patten began hesitantly, but in the next moment, he looked around and saw that he was at the entrance to the west wing dungeon. His eyes widened and his queries were halted.

“Who does your allegiance lie with Patten?” They were without the company of his men, allowing for the familiarity.

Surprise showed from the captain, then annoyance, and then determination.

“You, your highness,” he stated with conviction, before taking a knee before her, and bowing his head.

“I ask for your fealty. I want your oath, Captain.”

Her words caused his head to snap up. “The Crowning?” His fealty and that of the captain of the city guard and the General of the Royal Army would be given during the Crowning ceremony, where the country would celebrate her officially becoming the heir to the throne.

“It would seem I am in need of it now,” she said as she eyed him challengingly.

“Then you shall have it,” he said after a few moments, offering his sword. It was long and heavy, matching him in stature. She stabbed it into the ground in front of her, having no use for it. A reminder of the changes she would need to make to the ceremony. Placing a sword upon a person’s shoulder was a pointless tradition she would not stand for. She wanted his blood.

She retrieved the dagger from her boot, smiling faintly when she laid eyes on it. It had a wicked curve reflective of countries she had heard of but not visited. One edge was finely serrated whilst the other was thick and had a flat edge. The handle was made of a black wood that shone brightly. It was carved with characters she couldn’t understand. She loved it. It had been her first weapon.

She sliced her left hand lightly, blood pooled in her palm. Patten gasped faintly, confusion on his face.

“Your hand,” she commanded.

He gave it after a moment of hesitation. She slid the blade over his left palm and offered her own. They linked hands, connected from palm to elbow and looked each other in the eye.

“The words, Captain.” The words of the ceremony were old and laced with ancient magics. The tradition had long since died out – to say the words whilst sharing blood – but Reggie had trained and educated them well.

“I, John Patten, pledge my strength, loyalty and life…” Auraya glanced to their clasped hands. “On this blood. I pledge they shall be yours, Auraya Reevers, from this day until my last. Only death awaits those who break an oath.”

As he spoke, warmth spread through their connected palms, down their forearms to their elbows. On the last word, the heat turned searing for a few moments, causing Auraya to grit her teeth and the Captain to frown in confusion. Once the sensation subsided, Auraya channelled her magic to heal their wounds. They relinquished their hold on one another and stepped back.

“Rafe,” she called, watching Patten’s emotions flick past before his face shuttered and he turned his attention to Rafe.

“One of the castle guards attempted to kill the prisoners,” his face was devoid of emotion as he stated the facts, unlike Patten. “He has been detained.”

It looked like Patten was about to challenge Rafe’s words.

“Never doubt Rafe,” Auraya said in challenge, allowing her annoyance to lace the words.

He bowed his head in a nod and said nothing.

Auraya motioned for Rafe to lead the way. They followed him through the door to the dungeon, down the stairs and through the corridors, where darkness and stale air smothered them oppressively. Sconces the only source of light as they walked under the castle.

When Rafe stopped – outside a door to a cell – he turned to Auraya. She in turn looked at Patten. “Do not speak unless directed.” That seemed to annoy him, but he nodded his acceptance.

When she turned back, Rafe opened the door.

The room was dark, stale and damp. A mound of hay lay in the right corner of the room, on the left lay a bucket for excretions. At the back of the cell, a man in his late twenties was chained by his arms to the wall. He sat with both arms above his head, clothed in only his undergarments. He looked up at their entry and settled his gaze on the captain.

“Captain,” he implored. “Help me, I didn’t do anything. I wasn’t gonna do anything. These people are crazy. I don’t know why they’ve done this to me.”

His face was obscured by wafts of dark blue smoke. The lies were thick.

Drawing on her magic, she sent tendrils to wrap around the small toe of his left foot and used her will to draw said toe to her palm. His rambling ended abruptly as the blood flowed and the pain hit him. He didn’t make any noise, but he paled and looked nauseous.

“I am a truth seeker,” Auraya told him, quietly and calmly. “The next time you lie, I will take the whole foot.”

She dropped the toe to the floor and looked back at her captive. He looked angry and defiant.

“Why did you attempt to kill my prisoners?”

He looked imploringly at the Captain, then his eyes glazed over. His breathing sped up along with his heart rate. Eventually, it seemed he was having trouble drawing breath. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he began to dry retch.

Auraya ran to him and sank to her knees. She laid her hands on his neck and chest. Probing him, she could sense a poison eating away at him, corroding his insides. It was aggressive and destroyed faster than she could repair, which she did try. Sensing his life slipping away, Auraya drew back her senses and opened her eyes. Bile was flowing in a steady stream from the corner of his mouth.

“It is the same poison.” No inflection, and yet definitely a question from Rafe.

She nodded before asking, “what happened?”

“I left Taylor with the prisoners. The guard came in, drew a dagger, and aimed for one of them. Taylor apprehended him and brought him here.”

Auraya reached inside herself and directed her magic to her pendant. “Imi, I need you.”

She left the connection open and waited for Imogen to appear. The girl walked around the group and set about reading what she could. It took a while for her to touch all the items on his person, and then finally his corpse. When she finished, she rose and approached Auraya.

“He talked to countless people. He seemed well liked. He…” she blushed. “He was having an intimate affair with a man. Dark hair, about six feet. Didn’t really see his face and his clothing were unremarkable. Standard tunic and breeches. They went to the north wing kitchen after their… tryst. They separated and he came straight here. The kitchen seems like the most likely place for the poisoning, it could have been anyone though. I can’t tell who might have got him to come down here. It could have been the lover or someone in the kitchen.”

“Thanks, Imi.” She smiled and left, returning to the dead mercenaries.

“Take us to the prisoners,” Auraya told Rafe.

He led the way to a cell a few doors down. This one was larger. It was just as uninviting as the last one but had shackles on the walls to the right and to the left. The prisoners were similarly dressed in just their small clothes. Both looked sharply at the door when it opened. The stench was the first thing that hit Auraya. Human filth. She resisted the urge to gag and stared at her prisoners impassively. Neither of them spoke, although the youngest whimpered.

Auraya walked towards the oldest and crouched down. He sneered at her.

“I’ll make this easy for you,” she told him neutrally. “Either you tell me everything or I make you watch as I cut your little brother into pieces, keeping him alive and awake the entire time.”

It did not take long for him to decide.

“A man approached us a quarter ago,” the older brother’s gravelly tone revealed. “He came with a massive sack of gold. Said we’d get twice as much again for your pretty little head.”

She asked a few questions, but there was little pertinent information to be gained from the man. His story was similar to Meera’s.

“Well, top marks for effort,” Auraya told him at last.

“What are you going to do with us?” He asked gruffly.

“What do you mean?” Auraya asked incredulously. Touching the foot of the younger man behind her. She didn’t take her eyes off the older man as the young man gasped and cried for breath that would never come. Once the throes had stopped, the older brother looked at her with sorrow and rage. “You tried to kill me for gold, your lives are forfeit.”

Her hand went around his throat, and she watched as he thrashed and struggled to take a breath. For all intents and purposes, his lungs had been turned off. He would suffer the same fate as his brother.

Eventually, he too stilled. Auraya called for Imogen to collect the bodies for inspection, then left.

No-one spoke until they were outside. Auraya stood for a few moments, breathing in the fresh air. Her two companions waited for her to turn.

“Let’s go,” she told them.

“Where to, your highness?” Patten asked warily.

“If you haven’t guessed, then I suppose it will be a surprise,” she teased.

She flicked her eyes to Rafe, and he took them away. They landed just outside a building on the outskirts of Wheatpole. It looked large from the outside, with enough space around the side and back for a large yard. Auraya marched up to the door and walked inside.

The interior was dingy. The place was in need of an update. It looked like an old tavern, with a bar along the far wall, and tables and chairs scattered about the room. A gruff looking man stood as they entered, hand going to his pommel.

“Gather the others,” Auraya told him. He seemed to hesitate before complying.

The man disappeared up a set of stairs to their left, making noise as he went. In no time at all, the room was filled with seven men. They seemed apprehensive and tense. Hands remained on pommels as they gathered.

“All the men you sent to kill me are dead,” Auraya told them lazily.

That caused them to murmur amongst themselves, most doubting her words.

“Twenty-four were sent, twenty-four now lie dead in my dungeon.”

An older man of probably fifty cycles stepped forward.

“We weren’t all happy about going after you,” he told her indicating to his companions. “We refused to go.”

“Regardless,” she replied, leaning her head to the side inquisitively. “Why should I let you live?”

That stirred a few of them, twitching and commenting about the likelihood of her succeeding. The older man hushed the group though and stepped forward again.

“We’ll do whatever we can to prove that we would not involve ourselves in regicide.”

She remained silent, raising a brow.

“We have information about the one who hired us.”

She waited; eyebrow still raised.

“We know who’s kidnapping them women.”

Both eyebrows went up. She heard Patten make a questioning noise behind her. She raised her hand to him.

“I want your oaths, in blood,” she informed them. “I want the deed. You now belong to me.”

“You can’t do that,” a young sprite shouted, rushing forward. She moved herself behind the boy and pushed her dagger into his throat. She connected eyes with Rafe, knowing he would protect her back. He looked annoyed. She would have smirked at him if she hadn’t been busy.

“Your oath, or your life,” she whispered to the statuesque boy under her blade. She took herself back to her former position.

“Any further objections?” Auraya asked with a smile.

“We’ll do it,” the older told her.

“The deed,” she ordered.

He scurried away to get the documentation, whilst the smallest of the group fumed silently. A thin trail of blood stained his tunic, making Auraya smirk at him. She could almost see the fumes escaping his ears.

It didn’t take long for the older man, Thomas, to appear. It did, however, take some time for the company and its assets to be signed over to Auraya, particularly since Gina wasn’t present. Once that was completed, they set the terms. The company was to aggressively recruit and build up their ranks. No-one outside of the group of seven would know that they were backed by the crown. Letting slip the truth without her permission would result in their deaths, so she wasn’t too worried about it getting out. Trevor would visit to implement new training techniques. A member of Seelie’s team would be brought in to teach reading and writing. Auraya would provide them with funding to renovate and arm themselves. She told them, without remorse, that their comrades were dead because they were unskilled, untrained, undisciplined morons. It upset a few of them, of course, but she assured them that that would change. They would be given the chance to rise above what they once were.

The older man, in turn, informed them that the man who had paid them was a high born warrior. They had not seen his face, but his gait, clothing and accent gave him away. He also told them that they believed it was the mercenary group manning the west gate that was kidnapping the women of Jude. They had been in a tavern in Whitegate with a few of the guards, and one had run his mouth whilst drunk.

They left shortly after, promising to return the bodies of the fallen.

Back in her office, Auraya told Rafe to visit Sal and see if the old goat had any further information. She also wanted reports from Bec and Alan about the temples and the homeless youths, and from Grace about the high temple. They would have a full meeting tomorrow morning. She then relayed the information and orders to Gina so she could delegate and organise the tasks. When she turned, Patten was sat in front of her desk staring into the distance. She walked around it and sat down in front of him.

“Captain?” Auraya enquired.

“I’ve got too many questions,” he informed her after a long breath.

“You’re one of ours now Patten,” Auraya told him gently. “There is far more to us than you probably assumed.”

After thinking on it for a while, Auraya made a choice.

“Join us tomorrow in our meeting. I ask you to keep an open mind… and remind you of your oath.” He looked confused at her mention of the oath. She wanted to remind him that betrayal would result in death. He needed to remember. It was a practice that had fallen out of favour a long time ago after all. “Blood magic is extremely powerful; I just want you to be aware.”

He seemed to understand what she was trying to get across. He nodded.

“You can have that talk with Trevor after then,” she told him with a smile. He returned the smile, then drifted off into his mind. Auraya didn’t interrupt. She picked up the Gods forsaken history book – she wished would spontaneously combust – and began to read.