The Last Queen (An ACOTAR / Azriel fanfiction)

Hybern

The grate above her head was the only source of light in the room and it smelled of copper in there. Daggerheart leisurely sat on the chair and inspected her knives. The faint groans behind her distracted her and she hissed. The groaning dimmed and she went back to seeing the sleek metal shine in the dim light.

The door opened and the entire structure groaned. The three men jumped back at the sight of her and almost yelled before she leaned forward and put her finger on her lips. They gulped hard and looked out of the door, waiting for someone to come.

"I can kill you before the noise comes out of your throat, so don't even try." She smiled coldly.

One of them, the tallest one, said, "It wasn't-" he looked at his friends for support, "We didn't do it."

"Your friend told me that." Daggerheart pointed towards the dark corner behind herself and another groan came from there as blood pooled on the floor. "Who told you to do it?" She leaned forward.

They stood with their bodies pressed together and shook their heads.

Daggerheart chuckled, "You know, I was in my bed last night, with a very fine man, might I add. Then, I had to drag myself out of there and down to the orphanage that you set on fire. Do you want to give me more reasons to kill you? Is that why you are not answering my questions?" She frowned with fake concern.

They exchanged glances nervously as sweat coated their faces.

"Go on, now." She cooed. "Tell me. Who sent you?"

"It was-" another man licked his lips. "-It was the spider's brothers. He was talking about some - some revenge. We know nothing more. We were only supposed to bring you there and keep you occupied."

"So I could be an easy target." She mumbled with a smile. Then, she got up and dusted off her pants, "Well, gentlemen, you've been of great help. Now, -" she gripped the chair on which she was sitting. "-show me how fast you can run."

All three of them gasped and their eyes went wide with realisation a little too late. Daggerheart had already hurled the chair at them. It shattered against the tallest one's body and sent him flying to a wall. His head gave a satisfying crack when it met the wall and blood sprayed out from the split skull.

She caught another one by his collar and slit his throat with one clean swipe and shook her head, "How slow."

The third one was barely a few steps away when she grabbed his shirt and threw him against the wall.  He begged to be left alive but to no avail. She stabbed him straight through the heart.
He jolted once and then collapsed on the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Daggerheart kicked him away from herself and stepped over the bodies.

She knew exactly where to go.

She did not bother herself by sneaking in and marched right inside the house. The servants scrambled out of her way and she sat down on one of the gold encrusted chairs in the grand living room. A honey dipped peach was sitting by her side. She bit into it and took her time finishing it.

The man she had been waiting for stormed towards her. "What is the meaning of this?" He glared at her.

She wiped her sticky fingers on a napkin and threw it on the floor. A servant girl reached to pick it up but Daggerheart stopped her.

"There is no need for that." She smiled. "You are all free of charge from this day."

"These are my-" the man boomed but she spoke louder.

"And you are my subject." Her cold eyes cut through him.

The girl scrambled out and so did the rest of the servants.