Flame of the Huntress

Entwined

My head was pounding.
I rush towards the bars, but am immediately yanked back—handcuffs.

A long chain comes out from the shackles connecting to the wall. I glance down-iron. Each second that passes, the iron drains my power. I can already feel my flames being distinguished, like a candle slowly running out of wax.

I aggressively tug at the chains hoping to yank it from the wall. But already my strength is depleting. Curse bloody iron. I keep tugging with all my strength-the noise bouncing of the walls.

"Calm down Cillian, no need to get all fussy" Please for the love of cauldron, don't tell me that's who I think it is. Looking up from my chains. I am met with that same drunken bastard, Cassian, from the ball. Except he is no longer slurring his words. Which means that it has to have at least been a day since the ball.

"Such a shame you tried to kill Rhys" His words are no longer light and joking, they're coarse and laced with aggression.

"Oh shut it." I retort, allowing my true self speak.

He just gives me a slight grin. What is it with these cocky bastards and their grinning?

I gave him a menacing stare and a growl, no longer playing the innocent nice girl anymore.

"You really are striking, even in a cage your eyes glow like embers". I don't miss the implication behind his flirtation. He is aware of my abilities.

Cassian goes closer towards the cage, coming mere centimeters away from the bars. His face is no longer the flushed, obnoxious one I remember. It is now stern like a warriors. Face sculpted in harsh lines and scares. He is quite handsome, in a brutish sort of way, yet he is still just a hindrance to my mission.

Cassian remains near the bar, eyes focused, studying me. Starring him back in the eyes, I inhale. On my exhale I release a sharp breath of fire towards his handsome face. He immediately jumps back at the same unnatural speed of the high lord, dodging my surprise.

"Careful Cas, she is a fiery one" A voice purrs.

Rhysand.

The High Lord strides through, with the same lethal elegance and strength as I remember. His magic, again, reaching out in a challenge to my own. He too is wearing armor, unlike Cassian's bronze, Rhysand is wearing one of black leather. Each seem perfectly wrapping around each powerful curve of his body, like a second skin. His face too is covered in dirt and filth, making his eyes even more piercing. Putting a hand on Cassian's shoulder, they both stare at me with grins on their faces, through the bars. I let out a loud growl.

"Release me or I will burn this whole damn place to the ground." I make sure to let out a little fire out of my tongue to emphasize the last word.

Rhysand just stares at me with challenge.

"Your powers are quite something. Without needing to exert your body, you're able to make an ocean of fire," Yes, it is those powers that have made me the best Assassin in Adarlan, and desired by many captures. Rhysand continues,

"I was impressed, Vivian."

How does he know my real name? My eyes fill with disbelief and shock.

Less than a handful of people know what my real name is. We are told in the beginning of training never to use or tell our birthin name. So we are someone new each case, never can be traced never caught. I was not even told my closest friend's name in the Assassin's Guild. Abroynn was the only one who would call be by my real name, but never in front of others.

"How do you know that name" I say through clenched teeth,

"Well little assassin" my eyes narrow, "I have known who you are and what you are, since the moment you sat at the bar."

My eyes remain wide. How?

He could see the question written all over my face.

"Don't worry, you did not play your part too poorly. Cassian believed your little game the whole time."

"He was a drunk idiot."

Rhysand gave another smile as if saying 'Take that as you will.'

The King of Hybern gave me barley any incite on the High Lord, I feel like I jumped into battle wholly naked.

"Why keep me in chains, why didn't you just kill me instead?"

"It would be a shame to end such potential really," I pull on the chains harder, even though it's making my head spin. Rhysand looks pleased, then continues..

"And I need to know who was after my head." His face shifts to aggravation. That's the real reason, of course.

"You're a High Lord, I'm sure many would love to see you on your knees."

As much as I want to go striding in to the King of Hybern's royal ass sitter and threaten his life for not telling me more about my victim. I cannot confess who my real hire is. It would ruin my entire reputation and I will no longer receive future potential clients.

"You will remain down here until you confess the conductor, even if it's your dead bones who are the ones to whisper the name." Rhysand spoke like a High lord. Proper, stern, powerful, without a hint of empathy.

Rhysand and Cassian took one last stare and walked away. With a shut of an iron door, I was left alone in darkness and my thoughts. Just how I like it. A grin withered it's way across my cheeks. They have no idea what I can do~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To the left and right of me, both my peers were chained to the same iron shackles as me. Abrosynn emphasized escape, to ensure whenever an assassin does get captured no information can be spilled of himself. Always trying to protect himself. We made an oath that until our very last breath we are not to mention this camp or him, or he will hunt each one of us down, personally. The practice was simple, if you fail to be the first to escape the chains, you get whipped. "Less than perfect is death" is what Abroynn instilled within our brains. With a smack of a whip, the sound reverberating along the cement walls, a sound all too familiar. We all twist and turn, yanking are chains~

I woke up sweat coating my shackles.

I tried to get some sleep, to help replenish some energy that the iron was draining from me each moment. Even in the cell, without a wick of daylight, I could still tell it was morning time. Back at the Guild, I would spend weeks locked in cellars. Soon, I was able to tell how much time passed based on how my body was feeling, it's hunger, it's exhaustion.

The iron door creacked opened, showing a younger maid holding a tray of what looked to be stale bread and cheese. Her hair was up in a right bun, with the same dark brown as my own. Without a word spilled or a glance shared, she bent down and pushed the tray towards me.

"Thank you." She looked up with surprise. Not used to being praised. Especially not from a prisoner I presume. I gave her a subtle nod of gratitude, and she just rushed to her feet and out the iron doors.

The day past and it was around night when another visitor arrived. Without me unconscious I am just being given time to plan an escape and their demise. Fools, Underestimating my abilities.

The door opens once more, but this time it's Cassian who enters my humble abode. He is now adorning armor with two red sapphires embedded in his shoulders. A warrior indeed. His hair tied back, with some hair following down exposing his rather dirty face.

"Out of the two of us, you wouldn't guess who's been basking in their own filth." Toy with him, make him cave in.

His face remains grave, instead he just says, "This is your last chance to confess, princess. The next guy who walks through these doors won't be as pleasant."

I gave the ruggedly handsome face a closed grin, staring at him through my eyelashes. A challenge.

"Come on through, Shadowsinger" Cassian calls to the door.

Before the click of the door, black shadows are already itching their way under the iron door~