Innocent

~7~Xki

The girl's face from the previous week keeps flashing through my head, could she truly be Azalea, she never told me her name, I guess I was stupid enough to not ask though. I just need to find a weakness, I need to poke at it, but she is intelligent and is always an uncountable amount of steps ahead of me.

I get back to my room at the inn. I look around at all the extra space I have, and then I think about the place that Prim calls home. I was so unaware of all the poverty, that I just assumed Prim was a rebel, not an orphan. I asked her if she wanted to stay in a room here at the inn but her face had a subtle hint of terror behind her polite words of declination. 

I look around the room once more and notice another letter, the same place I found one before. This one looks more formal, it's sealed with red wax, I read it, Same place, same time. -Nyx.

I wait until exactly midnight before I go to meet Nyx at the tree, she can wait for me, or maybe she can't. I am walking to the tree with all the silence I can harness. I see her boot dangling from the tree, I can hear her humming a song, a lullaby. I recognize the tune, I don't know where from, but I swear I have heard that same voice hum that song. That can't be possible, the only time I've heard that had to of been when I was a child, I am so stunned I forgot to move forward.

"You have a lovely voice, you could get paid to sing at a bar in town, you could buy a house for you and your friends." I finally finish my way to the tree.

I hear her melodic chuckle fill the air, "Haven't you seen how I spend my time? I don't think people would enjoy the voice of a killer. Sweet of you to think of Prim though, she has had a very rough go-round."

"The people don't know you are a killer so it shouldn't be a problem, it could be a study income of money to make sure you and Prim are living somewhere safe." her only response is a scoff.

"Are you telling me how to parent a child, Xki? She knows how to handle herself. We have enough money to buy a small house, I've asked her but she said she feels safer on the streets." she pauses, "Also, you might not want to be so trusting with the people from here, we are all natural-born liars." she finishes.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I ask.

"What I'm saying is, every single person in this town knows who I am and what I look like. I have spoken to every person. They trust me to take care of them and protect them from people like the soldiers you send here." she says exposing no emotion.

"Are you saying they all lied to me about only hearing your name?" I grow pensive.

"Yes."

"How long have you been on the streets? You are so young to have so many people trust in you." I say curiously.

"Eight fucking years." she pauses to laugh, "eight years I have been alone. Want to know how long it took me to realize I was never going home?" I wait for her to continue, "One night, it took one night to know that my father was never coming back for me."

"How old were you?" I start to feel pity for her.

"When I tell you, I want you to wipe that look off your face, I am not pitiable, I never have been. I was raised to be vicious, that's what I am." I hear her inhale, "I was ten. I had help from no one." she lifts her feet from the dangling position. I can no longer see her but I know that she's gone.

~~~

I wake up and do my normal routine, I look around for anything peculiar but I know I won't find anything. I walk back to the inn. I reach my door and I can see a shadow move from under the door. I pause and silently remove my blade from its sheath, I open the door silently. I move to the small wall that blocks the kitchen from the rest of the room. With a quick movement, I pivot and send my blade flying through the air at the head of the figure in the kitchen. My thoughts become jumbled.

I just killed a girl.

I just kil-

I see the girl lower her arm down to the chopping board, now using it to chop veggies. I recognize that girl.

"You know, it's rude to attempt to kill someone who is making you a meal." the girl says with almost no accent.

"You're Prim's friend." she nods, "How did you get in here?" she motions to the fireplace where a fire now is with the tip of my blade.

She walks over to the fire with a bowl and fills it with some of the substance the pot over the fire is containing. She pivots and walks toward me, I get into a fighting stance on instinct. She flashes a warm smile, "Well, at least you have a decent fighting stance." she states observing me.

"I thought you didn't know English well."

"Oh Xki, you're always too trusting." her eyes soften. She holds her right hand out to me while holding the bowl in the other, "I'm Azalea, I don't think we've ever officially met." I grab her hand and shake it.

She hands me the bowl, "Nice to put a name to a face."

"You must have so many questions," she says.

I can't even imagine her as a 10-year-old surviving on the streets, receiving all those scars, killing all those people.

"Why did you come here, after all this time, why show me your face? It's a dangerous game.

She cocks her head to the side, "It is, isn't it." she takes a seat, "I'm here for something very important." I motion for her to continue, "I want you to take me prisoner."

-----------------------------------------------------

A/N

This is the chapter I've been imagining for a long time, it didn't turn out exactly as I thought but that ok.