The Stormbringer (Starlight #1) - Kim Taehyung/ BTS Fanfic (#SerendipityAwards)

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                                  Neva

The day of the Solstice had dawned bright and clear. Taehyung had informed me that he would be wedged knee-deep in councils and meetings all day until the final Firelight ceremony which would convene within the chamber of the Fire Crystal in the evening. This ritual would usher in the conclusion of the Winter Solstice and the Forena treaty would be renewed to tide over the next decade.

Incessant searches had yielded no further information on the Shadow King, and now our time had run out. And as I headed for the training field, my bow slung over my shoulder, its weight a comforting sensation against my spine, I could only hope that nothing bad would befall us.

The sun had shined in all its glory, but even the warmth hadn't been enough to dispel the definite chill that glazed the air. And now that twilight had set in, the coldness was even more pronounced. My locket hadn't displayed any unusual activity in the past couple of days, and I took that as a sign that Westerra wasn't beset with imminent danger.

If only I knew how terribly wrong I was about to be proven.

Jimin was squatting on his haunches as he inhaled deeply, preparing to leap and fling the knife clutched in his fingers towards the target board. His black hair was slicked to the side, sweat pooling at his temples as he concentrated.

The field was empty, save for the two of us, with the rest of the trainers preparing for the upcoming ceremony which would commence in an hour's time.

"Where's Maze? I thought she'd be with you," I observed blithely as he swung his head towards me, his arm outstretched.

He shrugged, tossing the knife as he brushed off his corduroy pants. "She was, until she decided to prowl about the palace grounds." Jimin eyed me levelly as I docked an arrow, my eyes fixed on the board.

I detected the apprehension in his voice and turned to face him as the arrow sailed straight for its target. Bull's-eye. "What is it?"

"I think she knows Neva. She knows that we've decided against killing Taehyung," The concern in his eyes was unmistakable as his brows creased in a frown.

And he wasn't wrong. Maze had taken to observing us vigilantly over the days she had been here. And each time that a window of opportunity to kill Taehyung closed due to our dawdling, her mouth would curl in an ugly line, clearly conveying her disdain and impatience. It wouldn't be long before she resorted to take matters into her own hands.

"Today, we'll take care of it today," I assured him, but my voice belied my worry.

Jimin raised an eyebrow. "And how do you propose we do that?"

"We leave. Once the Solstice is over, we simply vanish. That should change the focus of her job here."

He scoffed in disbelief as he walked closer, his face etched with dubiousness. "No way in hell! You seem to be forgetting that whoever this client is, wants Taehyung dead as a doornail. What makes you think our desertion will change that?"

Fear clanged through me as I registered the truth in his words. He was right. They wouldn't stop till the prince was dead.

The streaks of light across the sky were fading, a heavy coat of fog settling overhead as it obscured the twinkling stars. I shivered involuntarily, racking my brains to invent a solution and coming up with nothing.

"So it's true then. You have changed your minds."

Jimin and I were instantly on the defensive as we whirled around to find Maze approaching us, a stealthy lilt to her footsteps. Her eyes had narrowed into slits, and the look in them was unnerving.