Secrets of the Crown Assassins

52

ARIELLE

I sprinted through the halls which were mostly empty now. Silent. Most of the Ravens seemed to have left the building. The others were dead bodies on the floor.

I smiled.

The voices on the speakers were turned off a while ago, and I knew who to thank for that. I had sighed in relief the moment it happened, glad to know that Damien was alive and most likely fulfilling his part of the plan, even if it may have taken longer than expected.

Quite frankly, I was pretty sure we all messed up our plan. Still, I was sure we would win.

Sure that I would find the Raven Ruler.

I bounded up another flight of stairs. If I remembered the layout of the Willis Tower correctly, I was nearly at the top. If the Raven Ruler was still in the building, they would be at the very top. If they were gone, then we would at least find clues as to their identity.

I left the staircase and walked out into the dark hall, my golden blades a familiar weight in my hands. I looked ahead to where a group of ten Ravens stood in two rows, lifelessly still, their raised guns glinting in the white light. But they weren't aiming for me. No. Infact, they were all facing the opposite direction, ready for some other threat they believed would be making their way down the hall.

Fools. Didn't they know the Unassailable Heir was hunting them down, one by one? Well, they would certainly learn now.

I flung my blades, each blade slicing through a row, cutting through men like they were wheat stalks. The blades flew back to my hands covered in blood. Six bodies swayed and collapsed. I reached my arm back for another throw.

But, just as the last four were turning, a shadow emerged from the opposite end of the hall, guns raised. There were three shots from two guns. The last four bodies collapsed.

In less than five seconds, the entire hall was dead.

I looked up at the shadow approaching me, watching as she stepped into the light, her red like a flare. Phoenix was covered from head to toe in blood, cuts and bruises dotting her arms.

I nodded to her bloodied form. "Where have you been?"

"It's a long story," she shrugged. "Where were you?"

I shrugged. "Long story."

Phoenix scoffed. "Well, I managed to find dear old Xavier as he was getting stabbed by Indigo Fluor."

My eyes widened as bile climbed into my throat. "Is he fine?"

"Perfectly peachy. The girl and her friends managed to get away, but Xavier told me to ignore them."

I clenched my fist. Perhaps I shouldn't have let her go after all.

"Anyways, he went downstairs to find Damien, which," she motioned to the ceiling, "I'm assuming he did. Told me to go upstairs and proceed with the plan."

"Good," I said and began to wipe the blood off my blades. "I was just about to go up there anyway. I have a Raven Ruler to find. I've been wondering if I should add a bit more design to my blades and I think their blood would add a wonderful splash of color. Don't you agree?"

Phoenix grinned. "We Fortier's do have impeccable taste, don't we?"

"Hmm," I said as we both headed toward the stairs, covered in blood, weapons drawn. "Yes, we do."