The White Lily

Chapter 5

We packed up camp and began our trek back to base. I was more excited to have freshly baked cookies again. I would have to stop by the mess hall kitchens and introduce myself to Dev. Maybe I could convince him to bake them every day for me.

We walked much faster than before, but I kept my eyes peeled for the League assassins. I hoped Renaldo would be truthful when he reported back to the Elders, or else I would just have to kill him.

It was silent for the most part. Until Roman finally spoke up. "Tell me something about your childhood," he said, not breaking his stride.

I thought for a moment. "My first kill. I was four years old. My father had me hunt a small rodent in the estate. A rat. He showed me different ways to end its life, having me do the honors. It was that moment that started my career."

Roman grunted. "Dimitri knew what he was doing. He used to be powerful in the assassin industry."

I scoffed. "My father is still powerful. Our family is infamous in the world and he still gets contracts even at his age."

"And your mother?"

"Still a powerful temptress. I learned all my tricks from her."

Roman smiled and chuckled softly. "I bet you did."

I rolled my eyes. He was disgusting. "What about you? What's something from your childhood?"

Roman sighed. "My father was a colonel in Titan Force, so he wasn't around much. I lived in Hungary with my mother until I was old enough to join TF. I guess, I would say that my childhood was a sheltered one. My mother was so scared to lose me to TF that she tried her best to hide my father's letters."

"That was wrong of her," I commented as we walked.

Roman shook his head. "She meant well. From the time I was born, until the day my father retired, they had a hard time getting along. He wanted me to embrace my Serbian side, his side, and learn TF tactics and warfare. My mother wanted me to embrace my Hungarian side and help her at home. I took the best of both worlds and joined TF."

"Your father's name?"

"Zolton Nikolic. Colonel Zolton."

My eyes went wide. I remember reading about him as a child. "He was quite the leader from what I remember reading."

"And an even bigger asshole. I don't talk to him much. My mother sends letters begging me to relieve her from the headache that is him."

I laughed. "My parents get along beautifully."

He shook his head. "Your parents are obsessed with one another. My parents can barely get along for an hour."

I laughed again as we continued our trek. We were making better progress than on the way back, but that might be due to us wanting to go home.

Home. It's been less than a week and I'm already seeing the Titan Force base as home. I shook the thought away. The base was not my home; the League was.

We walked.

I stepped over the campfire pit from the first night. I remembered his questions and knew he was still thinking of them.

Sure enough. "What is so bad about joining the Titan Force?"

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "I truly thought this conversation was over."

"Then you thought wrong."

"Clearly," I mumbled. "You are all dogs. It is beneath me."

Roman growled and turned around to face me, still walking. "You are not in a position to be thinking that your ticket to true freedom is beneath you."