The Maad Doctor [The Maad Series #1]

|17| Bones.

"You look beautiful, slayer. Kekekekeke," Ora said.

Stella stared at her bald reflection. She wanted a fresh start after the attack, and shaving off her hair was the first step. It had been part of her identity since she was a child. No matter what headpiece Stella had worn, or jewels she styled it with, her hair amplified her beauty.

But that was then.

Now the large scar on her face took center stage. It stuck out like a sore thumb. No, it was worse than a sore thumb. It was a reminder she had met death and survived. And now, she had a debt to pay.

Tears ran down her face. Finally, all the unachievable expectations of her were no more.

Now she could be herself.

False.

Now she could be whoever.

She had never known who she was. Her mother had dictated everything in her life and those around her. She had told Stella when to talk, smile, eat, and laugh. Lady Camilla had treated her daughter like a machine from Robot City.

The only power she had was deciding who she'd marry. And her mother had limited even that to the men she preferred.

"Since I was a child, I was told to be a good girl and hope one day a man would think I was worthy for him to marry. My life, my value, was on whether or not I would make a suitable wife. And I had accepted it. But that was then. And this is now," Stella said.

"Now, we find Sky and slay her."

Stella smiled. "Indeed. And after that, we rule this dimension as promised."

"Yes, Slayer! Yes! Kekekekeke."

Stella reached on top of her dresser and picked up the flyer. A servant had brought it to her under her mother's order. She couldn't believe how perfectly her mother had captured Sky's face. It was as she recalled it. Though she looked peaceful in the flyer, the hatred in the mercenary eyes was still there. Those disdainful eyes of hers showed she had taken more lives than Stella could imagine. And if she found out Stella was, she would try to murder her again. That was why Stella had to get her first.

And then there was Don. The nameless adventurer who had asked about the wings' whereabouts. Stella chuckled. I should have known he was nothing more than a thief. If his charm hadn't enthralled her, she would have seen through his act. All Sin City scum do is lure wealthy women with their charm and then steal from them. Pathetic.

"Such a beautiful human-male," Ora said. "It is a pity we have to slay him too."

Stella hadn't agreed to that yet. Her focus was on Sky. Then after that, she would decide what to do with Don. "One slay at a time, Ora."

"Yes, slayer. We have all the time in the world. Kekekekeke."

"You called, Golden Locks," a voice said from behind her. It came from the window.

Stella turned, and there they were, Bones. The three siblings wore large fur cloaks and covered their faces with animal skulls. Before she parted ways with them years ago, they had informed of a way to contact them. She had to release green smoke through the chimney for thirty minutes.

Stella did so. She doubted it had worked, considering it had been forever since she spoke to them. Stella feared they wouldn't recall their promise. She was glad to be wrong.

"What happened to you, Golden Locks?" Ono asked. At thirty years old, she was the oldest and the leader of the group. She removed the lion skull on her face and let it hang around her neck. Ono had styled her jet-black hair into a pixie with a nape undercut. She also had rings on her nose, lips, tongue, and eyelids. Ono moved closer to Stella, and her green eyes bore into the woman. With her left hand, she grabbed Stella's chin and moved it around, getting a proper look at the scars. "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk." She looked concerned, unlike her siblings. They seemed bored while sitting on the windowsill.

"The mercenary did a number on you, Spoiled Brat," Jojo said. Her dark-green eyes scrutinized Stella while she stroked the cheetah skull in her hands. Her jet-black hair was in a reverse braid bun. It made her look mature for her age. At twenty years old, she was the youngest in the group. Jojo caught Stella staring at the cheetah skull in her hands. She snapped her fingers to get the woman's attention away from it. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, Spoiled Brat." She glared at her with a frown. Jojo had always been hostile towards Stella, and no one other than herself knew why.

Stella glanced at Echo, the middle child. She had a knife in one hand and a peeled mango in the other. She cut a piece and ate it while her light-green eyes observed Stella.

With Ono's kindness and Jojo's harshness, Echo was the silent one. That was what Stella had assumed. She had never heard her talk, but Ono had assured her that wasn't the case. Ono had said Echo was the talkative one in the group. But for Stella to believe it, she had to see it.

"If I lose my pretty face like you, Spoiled Brat, I will kill myself," Jojo said.

"Jojo, that's enough!" Ono said with gritted teeth while staring at her. Jojo sank under her sister's glare, then looked away. She crossed her arms and began mumbling to herself. She didn't look happy. Ono turned to Stella and asked, "It has been so long since we last saw each other or spoke. Why did you call us here?"

"I want to slay Sky before Mother does." Stella clenched her hands into fists. "I want to be the last person Sky sees before she dies, the same way she tried to do it with me."

"You can order your guards to help you, but you called us. Why?" Ono asked.

Stella raised the flyer and pointed at Sky's image. "I want to capture her first. You're skilled fighters–"

"Killers," Jojo corrected her, then rolled her eyes.

"Indeed. And if I am to capture Sky, I require your assistance."

Ono stroked her chin, seeming to be in deep thought. "What's in it for us?" Before Stella replied, Ono continued, "I understand where you're coming from. I do. We've all sought revenge before. It's sweet once you have it. But my sisters and I were on our way to fetch the bounty. If we help you kill Sky, we won't receive the reward on her. And we want both rewards for capturing her and Don." She crossed her arms. "Once again, I ask: What's in it for us?"

Stella turned away from Ono and walked to her dresser. She unlocked the second drawer to the right and took out a map. She then closed the drawer and handed the map to Ono.

"What is this?" Ono asked while opening it. Then she gasped. "Is this...?" She gulped before glancing between Stella and the map. "It can't be."

"It is." Stella nodded. "The map to Lilith's Treasure."

Lilith's Treasure was the name given to the treasure Sky Pirate Lilith Nightstar had acquired in her lifetime. It was said to be of incredible value and quantity. No one had been able to find it because most maps to its whereabouts were fake.

Stella's father had a map to Lilith's Treasure in the basement. After Stella had killed John, Ora recognized the treasure map on the wall and brought it to her attention. The demon validated its legitimacy, and that was how Stella knew she could convince Bones to help her.

"Do we have an agreement?" Stella asked.

"With this map, we don't need the bounty anymore." Ono looked at Stella with a grin on her face. "Yes, we will help you capture Sky."