Pain shot through her face as she rose up from where Gideon had left her, his back was facing her and his shoulders rose up and down as he chuckled softly. He turned to face her and watched her wipe away the blood from her nose.
"You hit me." She hissed quietly.
"You should have deflected the hit, you're old enough now." He replied, smirking at her raging expression.
Rage, that was all she had.
"Deflect this." She spat and kicked him in the crown jewels, watching with sick satisfaction as he fell to the ground with a groan. Once down, she kneed him in the jaw which sent him sprawling across the filthy ground.
Then, to her astonishment, he started laughing again as he slowly got up.
"You will be the best assassin known to man, but you won't ever beat me."
She frowned at him and tilted her head blankly.
"I don't under-" he interrupted her with a kick to the stomach, sending her into the haystacks that surrounded them.
"Don't talk to me like that ever again."
That night had been one of the worst, she hadn't been able to move for a week and Alex had been forbidden to visit her. She had wallowed in her own pain and misery until only revenge fueled her motives.
"Ivy, are you even listening to me?" Alex was asking with a hurt expression on his face.
"Yeah, not really. Sorry." Ivy replied apologetically, motioning for him to continue.
"I was saying," he started irritably, "that our next assignment used to be the Jarl of Denm. His name is Nedmus or something, I'm not sure. Anyway, the King wants him dead because he attempted to kill the captain of the guard or something. All I know is that this time wear a dress, we're going to a ball, and work with me, you're not a solo act anymore."
Ivy nodded, taking in his words.
"A ball?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.
He shrugged, raising his hands innocently.
"Don't ask me, ask Irian."
"Reminds me of Master Ronand's fanciful balls that he would have practically twice a day." She exaggerated, grinning at Alex's horrified expression.
"Oh, I know. The people would dawdle about being useless imbeciles." He groaned. Ivy knew how much he hated balls.
"Does Master Ronand even know where we are?" She asked, glancing at Alex nervously as she changed the subject.
"I don't know, if I'm honest. Maybe someone sent him a letter." He shrugged, smiling at his best friend supportively. "Don't worry yourself over it."
She laughed and stood up, stretching in a cat-like fashion.
"How long do we have to get ready?" She asked, glancing down at Alex.
"An hour or so, I'll leave you be." With that, he waved and strolled out of her chambers.
She breathed evenly and padded over to the large wooden dresser. Her eyes landed straight onto a deep blue-almost-black gown with lace embroidered across the chest and sleeves. It was rather modern, scandalous even. She imagined the women's awed gasps and knew that this was the dress for her. She was in that sort of mood.
Once she had dressed herself and had done up her hair, she turned to face the floor length mirror. The dress had a subtle but noticeable slit on the left leg and soft pieces of escaped hair framed her face effortlessly.
YOU ARE READING
When Embers Grow
Fantasy***READ THE FLOOD INSTEAD*** Ivy's never been normal. She always had something different about her, that's why she was hidden. Though she didn't know, there was a reason why her family was taken from her. It wasn't just assassin's working for the mo...
