ricochet || an original story

stella

I fight off the urge to scream. I glare at the door to Rowan's room. I'm not at all prepared to be stuck with him for the next week or so. But I can't at all blame him. He's right. I had options. Was my life really worth more than a child's who had a bright future? I bite my lip.

Footsteps break my train of thought. I turn around to see who they belong to. Verona. A bruise darkens the pale skin of her jawline, but I don't bother to ask if she's okay. I don't have the energy to deal with my own emotions, let alone those of other people.

"Doing this will save the world, Stell," Verona says to me, her hands gliding through my straight, black hair. I'm surprised she knows my mission already. Usually she doesn't know unless I tell her myself. Perhaps the king wanted her to know where the spy and assassin would be disappearing to.

"I know, your Majesty." I practically whisper. I just want to run into the forest and hide away from this. A week-long trip with someone who wishes me dead? I would rather be tortured again. It'd hurt less than Rowan's words.

"Sweetheart," she pouts, cupping my face.

My breath hitches in my throat. Despite being nearly as tall as her, and despite being 20-years-old, I feel like a child again. Like a little girl. Like a porcelain doll just waiting to break further even as someone glues my pieces back together. As Verona glues my pieces back together. She's like the mother I lost all those years ago. But just the thought of being loved like a daughter again makes me queasy. It'll just end in heartache and pain like it did the first time.

"Are you okay?" she asks, her thumbs brushing over my cheeks.

I nod slightly. "Of course, Verona."

Verona shakes her head. "Your lips may deceive but your eyes do not." She pulls me into a hug that I don't return.

"I-I have to go. I have to pack and prepare for traveling." My voice is louder than before as I peel myself away from Verona.

She gives me a soft smile and a small nod. "Of course," she runs her hands through my hair again. "You're a good kid, Stella. Now go get this job done so the world can be free again. If we're right, it's your last kill for awhile. You can rest for once."

My lips curl into a smile as I nod to show I'm listening since I don't meet her eyes. "I won't disappoint."

Verona walks off and I make my way to my room. It takes less than a minute to get there.

I grab a small burlap sack and shove two thin, dark grey dresses, a button-up black shirt with matching trousers, and a sheathed knife. I also manage to force in a hairbrush. I grab a small piece of rope from my desk drawer and tie it around tbe opening of the sack so nothing falls out. There, I think to myself as I set my fairly light sack on the foot of my bed. All that's left to do is wait until dawn.

🗡️

I can see the sun start to rise through my window. It's barely peeking above the horizon, but it's still there. I groan and rub sleep from my eyes. I didn't sleep well enough for this.

I pull on a light grey tunic-- that falls to my knees for some reason-- from my closet with a pair of dark grey trousers underneath. I slide on a pair of black, heeled boots that fit my feet perfectly amd are somehow more quiet than the average boot. This is probably the worst outfit for travel, but I need places to hide weapons. And that's exactly what I do. I hide two daggers by strapping them to my thighs, I hide a pocket knife in the pocket of my trousers, two other daggers go in my boots, and I quickly untie my sack and shove a small pack of throwing knives in it. I have to be prepared.