Villainous [Wattys 2021 Shortlist]

MALEVOLENT 14: The Governess

She hadn't walked far through the city when Kaya and Nell found her.

"Wear this." Nell threw a cloak at her. "You're covered in blood."

"Oh... oh, yeah."

"Why didn't you tell us about what you were going to do?" Kaya asked.

"My plan was a work in progress. At first I thought I should just observe the Illukanya, but when their leader showed up, the opportunity was too good to miss." Ancestors, she needed to wash her mouth out. The taste of blood had been gratifying at first, but it was souring.

"Why didn't you think before you acted?" Nell said in a low, furious whisper as they weaved through crowds. "Any one of those men could have put a blade through you while you were attacking Rekkan. The only reason they didn't was because you caught them by surprise –"

"And they were idiots who couldn't make a decision without a leader," Kaya cut in.

"Yes, so they took me to Ishtar. It was perfect."

"Perfect?" Nell repeated. "You mean foolish but lucky? That's all this was, you know that? Luck. If your plans are things like this, you're going to get yourself killed."

"I might have gotten myself killed, yes, but I had to take the risk. When I have the Illukanya on my side, any risk I take will be a lot less risky. This is just the first gamble – the most dangerous one. Without followers, I can't stand up to anyone. But I have to put myself out there in order to get them."

"What was that conversation you had?" Kaya asked. "We waited on the rooftops."

"Ishtar, the new leader, has had more power than Rekkan all along, I think. He was willing to speak with me and we struck a deal – I dispatch one of his enemies and prove myself useful, and he will agree to cooperate with me."

"Please tell me you expanded on the details," Nell said.

"Details will come later. What I need right now is a grand, sweeping gesture that will get them to follow me, and –"

"This is why you almost died in that ravine, Delilah!"

She halted.

Help me.

No.

"What?" Delilah said, quiet, calm.

"You aren't thinking about the details, you just want action. These are the mistakes you made before."

"I am perfectly aware of my mistakes, thank you, Nell." She faced Nell as Kaya hovered between them, eyes flicking back and forth.

"You have to set out the terms and conditions of your agreement, otherwise Ishtar will turn around and everything will backfire on you."

Just like it did with Dan– with him.

Delilah took a deep breath, trying to push the memories away. It was easy to believe she had walked away from her time in Vale with nothing, but that was not true.

"Did he give you the name?" Nell asked.

"I have it here."

"We can kill him for you," Kaya offered. "It's easier for us to come and go in the city."

"No, it has to be me. When I meet with Ishtar again, I will be able to convince him to write up an agreement that will suit both of us."

"He won't honour it," Nell said flatly.

This display of disobedience was irking her. Nell was being more outspoken than usual.

"You know why none of those men attacked me, why they didn't kill me on the spot for killing Rekkan? Men like those are bad, sure, whatever, they're in the worst gang in Rhydderch. They're good at beating each other up, they see women as things that are below them, toys to be played with. But what do they do when they see something their small brains would never even consider? A perfect mixture of animalistic calculation? They take me to someone who actually has the brain power to understand. Ishtar isn't the kind of man to look a gift horse in the mouth, and I could see him considering what he can get out of me. But for my cooperation, he needs to do his part or he's lost me forever. I truly did show myself like a gift, walking into his base like that, but I can easily hide behind the palace walls and none of the Illukanya can reach me there. They know it. So he has to take this chance or lose an opportunity forever, and he's too ambitious to do that."