Butterflies of Blood

Chapter 14

Jaye sat on the roof of a five story building. Blue and green shingles were black under the moonless sky and the Grand House of Sai rose before her silhouetted against a murky background.

Her dress lay folded beside her but she kept the half cloak. She was holding a heavy parchment although the dark made it was impossible to make out the markings. Jaye ran her eyes over it anyway.

The circular wall that encompassed the palace grounds would be the biggest challenge. It was far smoother and better patrolled than the border walls and would not make for easy climbing, if it was possible at all. However once inside the palace itself should prove little challenge. It rippled out as though someone had stacked all the beautiful houses in Sai one on top of the other. Great pillars supported each level and lion statues ran over roofs and sat sentinel by doors.

Jaye sighed and rolled up the parchment, stuffing it into her belt. She made to jump but stopped and studied her boots.

The wind runs on bare feet. She remembered proudly telling her brother that years long gone. I will need to be silent and swifter than the wind this night, she thought and yanked them off. Then she jumped.

Jaye crashed into the fourth story roof, dislodging a few tiles. She made her way down and each stop scattered more tiles. On her third landing she was rewarded with a scream. One more level and the whole building seemed to wake.

When Jaye hit the ground a dozen lanterns had been lit. She pressed her back to the wall as a man ran past. To her right a woman wailed and fled the building in her night gown.

The crashes would have sounded far louder inside – as though the building was collapsing.

Jaye heard the clinking of armour on the run and smirked as a large force of castle keepers come into view. Identifiable by their pointed helms and golden sashes.

She slunk off the wall and joined the crowd of people who flooded the streets.

Jaye made her way to the palace gate but stopped just outside the circle of light cast by the watch tower. Two guards stood by the Great Gate where six normally would. They were backed by a heavy shadow from where the iron wrought gate was inlaid.

Jaye inched closer until she was right on the edge of the light. She dropped into a sprinter's crouch and drew a knife into her hand, its blade barely longer than her palm.

The closest keeper's gaze swung over her then back without seeing. That's when she moved. Her legs launched her into an all-out sprint. One step. Two steps. She flew across the ground, silent as the wind. She was half a step away when he saw her. His mouth opened to yell. Jaye's hand shot out and seized his face. Her other hand brought the knife up, over and down into his left eye. She let go of him and without missing a beat stepped up beside him and spun a full circle losing none of her momentum. The knife came free and she lunged for the shadows.

The second keeper half turned. Jaye grabbed a handful of black hair and yanked him back. He opened his mouth to cry out but the bloodied blade gagged him and he choked on his scream. Jaye forced him to look up, shifted the knife to his throat and put a knee in his back.

"Wh–" He began

"I talk," Jaye hissed into his ear. "You obey."

"I–"

Jaye dug the knife in and opened a shallow cut. "Get the gate open. Tell 'em what you have to."

The man moaned and Jaye pressed the knife deeper, getting dangerously close to his artery.